Microsoft Word - John Francome - Inside Track.doc Read Free Page B

door.
    She didn't reply but opened it and ushered him ahead.
    The surprise was total. The small room was jammed with familiar faces, all smiling. Jockeys, stable staff, journalists. A cheer went up at 13

    the sight of him. Champagne corks popped. He'd have run if he could but Pippa was right behind him, blocking his escape.
    She must have known what he was thinking. Òut of my hands, I'm afraid,'
    she whispered in his ear as a sandy-haired giant gripped him by the shoulders and shouted, `Welcome back, you little rascal!' and crushed him in a bear hug.
    Jamie found himself grinning. He'd not seen his brother-in-law for some months and he'd missed him. Somehow Malcolm made him feel that everything was going to be all right after all.
    The celebration didn't go on for long. These were working people and most had a busy afternoon ahead. The riders in the opening race were the first to leave. Among them was Malcolm's brother - half-brother, in fact -
    who bore a striking resemblance to him: hair the colour of toast, square dimpled jaw and pale blue eyes. Richard, however, was built to a different scale, being almost a foot shorter. When Jamie and Richard had started riding, Malcolm was well known through his bloodstock agency, and the other jockeys had christened Richard `Little Mal'. Jamie knew how much Richard had hated it but he'd smiled and put up with it. It wasn't in his nature to seek conflict. Since Jamie had been off the scene Richard had established himself as one of the top jockeys in the country. In the past year he'd won the Two Thousand Guineas, the Coronation Cup and over a hundred other winners. Jamie doubted that anyone referred to Richard as
    `Little Mal' these days.
    Richard shook his hand energetically. Àre you OK?' he asked. `This must seem a bit strange.'
    `Yeah.' What else could he say? It was weird to be surrounded by so many people from his previous life. Jamie forced himself to smile - he was out of the habit. Where he'd spent the last eighteen months it was asking for trouble if you went around with a grin on your face.
    `You've been missed, you know. When are we going to see you back in the weighing-room?'
    Jamie shrugged. Ì'm not sure what I'm going to do, Rich. I don't know that I can still ride. I think I've forgotten.'
    Richard laughed. `No one forgets - especially not you.' He turned towards the door. Ì'll see you later. I want to introduce you to my fiancée.'
    14

    That was news. `Congratulations,' he called after Richard as he left the room.
    `You didn't tell me Rich was getting married,' he said to Pippa ten minutes later as they made their way to the saddling boxes.
    `Sorry. I thought I had.' `So who is she?'
    `Some thin blonde girl with a rich daddy.'
    Ànd?' She was striding ahead athletically, her thick dark curls obscuring her face. `Come on, Pippa, what's her name?'
    She stopped abruptly and fixed him with her coal-black eyes. He read irritation there and concern.
    Ìt's Vanessa Hartley.'
    Bloody hell. The silky-voiced siren who'd come gunning for him on the day that changed his life. Vanessa. The last woman he'd slept with. Now he understood why Pippa hadn't told him.
    He lurched out of the shower at the sound of the phone. His way to the bedside table led across a minefield of tangled bedding, plates of leftover food and empty bottles. The place was a pigsty. But that's why you paid through the nose to stay in posh hotels - you could make as much mess as you liked.
    Naked and still dripping, he snatched up the receiver. It was the porter on the front desk.
    Just to let you know that your wife is on her way up to your room, Mr.
    Hutchison.'
    `My wife?'
    `That's what she said, sir' The porter sounded amused, as if he knew full well that Jamie didn't have a wife.
    Jamie replaced the phone without responding. It was hard to think clearly through the thump of his hangover.
    He peered around the room. Maybe the girl who d stayed over last night -
    Lorraine-had left something behind when