When Clint came to the table for supper, Ben Canby was already there.
“You don’t miss many meals, do you, Ben?”
“Do I look like I miss any meals?” Canby asked. “I’m sixty-five years old, Clint, but I still have the same strength I did when I was forty. I keep myself well fed, and healthy. And yeah, ever since Elena came here to cook for us, I don’t miss any meals.”
“By the way,” Clint said, taking his seat, “I met somebody else today, somebody you didn’t introduce me to.”
“Who’s that?”
“Girl named Alicia.”
“Oh,” Canby said, “Alicia.”
“Yeah,” Clint said. “She looks like she has a good hand with horses. With Eclipse anyway.”
“The groom I introduced you to?”
“Frank?”
“Right,” Canby said, “Frank Dunlap. Well, Alicia’s his daughter.”
“She told me she was Whirlwind’s groom.”
“Well, maybe she is,” Canby said. “I mean, Frank’s the groom, but he’s training Alicia for the job.”
“Seems to me she thinks she has the job already.”
“Yeah, well, that’s Alicia.”
“She said she might come to supper.”
“Frank and Alicia know they can always come here for their meals,” Canby said, “but they rarely do.”
At that moment they heard the front door open, and moments later Frank the groom entered the dining room with Alicia. She had cleaned herself up, changed clothes, run a brush through her hair. She was beautiful. Frank Dunlap was also wearing clean clothes, and had combed his hair with a part in the middle. He didn’t look happy. Clint had a feeling his daughter had cleaned him up.
“Sorry we’re late,” Alicia said.
“You better tell Elena you’re both here for supper,” Canby said.
“I will,” Alicia said, “and I’ll help her serve.” She went into the kitchen.
“Haven’t seen you this clean in months, Frank,” Canby said.
“Alicia’s idea,” Frank said, taking a seat. “Can’t figure out why, though.”
Canby looked at Clint and said, “I think I might know.”
* * *
Elena and Alicia came out carrying huge platters of food and set them in the center of the table. One was piled high with steaks, cooked to varying degrees, from rare to well done.
The other platters were filled with potatoes, onions, carrots, and rolls.
“Clint,” Canby said. “You first.”
Clint used his fork to spear a rare steak onto his plate, then followed with the vegetables, and a couple of rolls. Canby grabbed one of the well-done steaks. Frank also took a rare one, while Alicia’s was medium rare.
As they cut into their meat, it looked to Clint as if each steak was cooked perfectly.
“Elena is a genius,” Canby said.
“Where’d you find her?” Clint asked.
“In town,” he said, “running a small café. When her husband died, I offered her a job, and she took it. She lives here, and cooks for us.”
“Lucky you,” Clint said.
He put a piece of meat in his mouth, and it also melted there it was so tender. He followed that with bites of potatoes, onions, and carrots, all cooked perfectly. He broke a roll, buttered it, and placed it in his mouth.
Genius was an understatement . . .
* * *
Over dinner, Alicia asked, “How long will you be staying, Clint?”
“I’m not sure,” Clint said. “I’m here for the Derby, but if you win—”
“When we win,” Canby said, cutting him off, “Clint will have to stay for the celebration.”
“I don’t have anyplace to be,” Clint said, “so we’ll see.”
Frank didn’t talk, he just shoveled food into his mouth.
“I haven’t met the jockey yet,” Clint said. “Who is he?”
“He’s a good boy,” Frank said.
“His name is Davy Flores,” Canby said. “He’s won races for us in the past, but this is his first Kentucky Derby.”
“Did you think about getting someone more experienced?”
“I did,” Canby said. “I considered it, but in the end I had to stay loyal to Davy. He knows the horse.”
“Whirlwind loves him,” Alicia said. “He won’t run for anybody else.”
“Have you ridden him?” Clint asked.
“Once,” she said. “I couldn’t get him out of a canter. But he runs like the wind for Davy.”
“Where is Davy?” Clint asked.
“He’ll be here tomorrow,” Canby said, “and he’ll spend the next two nights. He lives in town, has a job. I’m the only trainer who uses him. After he wins the Derby, though, I think he’ll start getting offers from some of the others.”
Frank Dunlap speared another steak, so Clint did the same. They were too good to pass up.
Alicia stopped at one, while Canby also reached for a second.
“I’m going to go into the kitchen and help Elena,” Alicia said. “I’ll see you later.”
She spoke as if addressing the table in general, but Canby knew she actually meant the comment for Clint.
Alicia walked into the kitchen while the three men piled their plates high with more meat and vegetables.