Table of Contents
Blurb
Dedication
Author’s Note
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
More from Sasha Kay Riley
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By Sasha Kay Riley
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Copyright
By Heart
By Sasha Kay Riley
Anderson Stables: Book Four
In this final book in the Anderson Stables series, Vince Anderson and Dustin O’Brien are approaching the end of their show jumping journey, and their ride off into the sunset as a married couple is within their grasp.
But they won’t get there without facing challenges both personal and professional.
Vince has been working hard for years to make the Olympic Equestrian team with his horse, Sir Galaxy. Now, with Dustin by his side, his dreams are about to come true as he enters the selection process. But making the team isn’t as easy as simply winning shows, not when a very wealthy and powerful name in the sport is holding a grudge against Vince. Despite attempts to damage Vince’s reputation, Vince pushes on while supporting Dustin, whose past is pushing into his future. And making the team will only be the beginning of an arduous endeavor against elite competitors. But Vince and Dustin will see each other through to the end, through the Olympics and to their wedding, because supporting each other is something they know by heart.
To Amanda, for listening to me ramble on about this series idea and giving me my first dose of encouragement.
Author’s Note
THROUGHOUT THE course of this series I have done my best to present a good story about a very complex sport environment in a way that wouldn’t overwhelm readers with technical details that might take away from the story itself. I have continued to do that for this final book in the series, a book that otherwise would have been twice as long and filled with overly technical information that would have added details that, while interesting and informative, really disrupted the flow and the feel of the story. Any inconsistencies between this story and the “real world” were conscious decisions on my part, made with the intention to tell a good story, not overwhelm the reader with more detail than needed for that feel-good story I was aiming for. As anyone can guess, the processes and events represented in this book have many more complex pieces to them in reality than what I chose to present here, but as this is a work of fiction, I used creative license to tell a more streamlined story that all readers would enjoy.
Chapter One
VINCE ANDERSON looked himself over in the full-length mirror on the back of the hotel room’s bathroom door. It had been a long time since he’d last worn a tux. Almost four years, to be exact. For his sister’s wedding. He was more used to wearing his riding coat, which was pretty similar to a suit coat but fit quite differently from this charcoal-gray thing. And the slacks were especially strange, since the equestrian lifestyle usually called for riding breeches or jeans. The shoes he could live with. He kind of liked them. The white shirt was normal for him. The violet tie was a good kind of different. He had to wear white ties when he competed. He had argued halfheartedly against the lavender-colored vest, though. And he had lost. But he supposed that was only fair. It wasn’t his wedding, after all.
Yet. It was his best friend Jane’s wedding, so he was fine with wearing whatever she wanted.
“I was worried I’d forgotten how to tie a tie,” Dustin O’Brien, Vince’s fiancé, said as he joined Vince at the mirror, wearing an identical tux. He adjusted his tie and smiled at Vince. “You look good.”
Vince turned and pulled Dustin into a soft kiss. “So do you.”
They were interrupted by both of their cell phones chiming with a text message. Vince grabbed his from the sink beside him. It was Scott’s brother mass-texting all the groomsmen to tell them they had ten minutes to get down to the lobby.
“I bet that’s Rob,” Dustin declared, leaning over to see Vince’s phone instead of going for his own. “Oh my God. You put his name into your phone as ‘Keeper of the Groomsmen’?”
Vince smiled at Dustin’s laughter. “That’s how he’s been acting since he showed up in town.”
“I think that’s the best man’s job,” Dustin pointed out, still chuckling. He finally went back out to find his phone somewhere in their spacious suite. “He’s probably just doing what Scott asked him to.”
Vince put his phone on silent and slipped it into an inner pocket on his coat. “From the argument they were having when we left the bachelor party, I don’t think that’s totally true. Though inviting strippers would be a joke my sister would play on me too, so who knows?”
“Okay, she is not allowed to help with our wedding in any way,” Dustin declared, joining Vince at the door.
“Glad we’re in agreement there.”
ALMOST EVERYTHING went according to plan. Jane looked beautiful. The church was decked out in flowers. Scott definitely cried, even if he tried to hide it. The weather was perfect, sunny without being too warm. The only tiny issue was Hunter, Vince and Jane’s three-year-old son, deciding he wanted to give the rings to Vince instead of Rob, but everyone laughed that off, and Vince’s father swooped in from the front row to take Hunter.
Vince had wondered fleetingly if seeing his ex-girlfriend and mother of his child getting married would be weird for him, but it wasn’t. He found himself feeling happy for her and Scott and thankful that Scott gave Jane what he never could have.
The reception hall at the hotel where Jane and Scott had made reservations for the wedding party was large, elegantly decorated, and practically covered in flowers. They even draped them from the crystal chandeliers on leafy vines.
Despite his original fears that someone in Jane’s or Scott’s extended families would be homophobic—and despite his lack of dancing skills—Vince found himself unable to resist dancing with Dustin multiple times. If anyone did object to it, Vince didn’t take any notice. He was too engrossed in the moment: the love in Dustin’s eyes, the music, the warmth of their closeness. Even when he gave in and kissed Dustin more than once, he didn’t hear anyone complaining.
They spent much of their time mingling with the other guests. Dustin seemed to enjoy taking candid pictures of the reception as a whole with the camera on his phone. The photos would not be the quality of the professional ones, but Jane still asked for them all to be sent to her.
At one point early in the evening, Hunter led a rousing and spontaneous dance that involved the entire wedding party. It became even more energetic once Hunter realized everyone was following his moves, and it ended with everyone nearly smacking each other as they waved their arms and yelled, “Ta-da!”
Vince was still chuckling when he sat down at the bar to order a drink. Dustin followed with Hunter, who was declaring his need for apple juice.
“How do you know Jane and Scott?”
Vince turned to the young woman on his other side. She looked genuinely curious, tapping her manicured nails on her wineglass. She had long dark hair, dark eyes, and wore a dark-purple dress. Most people were wearing some shade of purple, it seemed. Apparently Jane had told them it was her theme color and wanted guests to wear it.
“Hunter is my son,” Vince explained as the
bartender handed him his drink. “Jane is still a good friend of mine.”
The woman smiled. “So you’re the equestrian guy.” His curiosity must have shown, because she added quickly, “Scott is my cousin. He’s told us all about Jane and Hunter, and a little about you.”
“I hope that’s a good thing,” Vince replied, then took a sip of his drink.
She smiled. “Of course.” She looked past Vince to where Dustin was assuring Hunter his own drink was not apple juice, even if it looked like it, but that Hunter’s was, indeed, apple juice.
“That’s grown-up apple juice, Uncle Dustin,” Hunter finally informed Dustin with a very dramatic sigh that made Vince chuckle.
“Yes, you’re right,” Dustin relented. “When you’re a grown-up, you can have some too.”
Hunter let out another dramatic sigh. “Okay. But you have to promise.”
“I promise.”
Scott’s cousin then moved her gaze to Vince’s hand, holding his glass. “Your husband is very good with him.”
Vince smiled. “Fiancé. Not quite married yet. October.”
“Well, congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“Scott said you compete a lot. What discipline? I used to ride before and during college, and I still keep up-to-date a bit on major competitions.”
Vince took another drink and watched Dustin lead Hunter, now without his small cup of apple juice, to the snack table to get crackers. He enjoyed watching Dustin interacting with Hunter as much as he enjoyed watching him work with the horses. It filled him with love and a sense of belonging. They were his family.
He refocused his attention on Scott’s cousin. “I compete in show jumping. Grand Prix– level.”
“Oh yeah? Sorry if I seem like a flake, but I forgot what Scott said your name was. I’ve never been good with names.”
He smiled at her sudden blush. “That’s okay. I’m Vince Anderson.”
Her eyes went wide and she leaned back on her stool. Vince hoped she didn’t fall off.
“No shit,” she gasped. “You are the Vince Anderson?”
Now he was feeling a little awkward. It was one thing having people talking to him at shows. But this was Jane’s wedding, and this person was Scott’s cousin. Was the world really that small that he couldn’t blend in anywhere?
“I’m sure I’m not the only person in the world with that name, but in jumping, I think I might be,” Vince responded a little awkwardly. At least it felt awkward.
“I heard about you last year when you dominated at the Winter Equestrian Festival, but I didn’t hear much about it this year.”
“We did just as well,” Vince explained. “We just did fewer classes. I didn’t want to risk Xander—what I’ve always called Sir Galaxy—breaking down if we had any chance of making the Olympic team. I had another horse I was training in some smaller classes that we did less well in.”
“And is there a chance of making the team?” she asked casually.
And that really was the question he asked himself constantly. He wasn’t the top American rider in the sport. The only competing he had done outside the States was in Canada, even though most of the shows he rode in had competitors from all over the world and were technically international shows. Sure, he and Xander won quite a bit, but in the big picture, were they really that good? He shrugged. “We’ll have to see next Friday. That’s when they’re due to announce the short list of people who could make the team.”
She smiled. “Well, I’m crossing my fingers for you.”
“Thank you,” Vince replied, forcing himself to return the smile. He would take what support he could get.
“SO WHO was that girl you were talking to at the bar?” Dustin asked when they made it back to their room sometime between midnight and dawn.
“Scott’s cousin,” Vince replied, then thoughtfully added, “But you know, she never did tell me what her name was. She was also apparently a fan of mine.”
Dustin chuckled. “Even at a wedding completely unrelated to horses, you find a fan. Did she hit on you?”
“I don’t think so,” Vince replied. He located his duffel bag where he had tossed it on the floor by the bed and started hunting for his pajamas. “She did comment that my husband is very good with my son, though.”
Dustin snorted. “Now if only your online crazy fans would get the hint. You publicly came out on a livestream available to anyone with an internet connection, and they still hang on to the hope that you might be bi and give up on the guy you also flat-out stated on your own social media that you were going to spend the rest of your life with.”
Vince cringed. “I guess I will always have those weird fans.”
Dustin laughed. “Which is good because they amuse the hell out of me.”
Laughing, Vince threw his tie at him.
A SHORT time later, they lay wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing softly, one of the things Vince loved to do most with Dustin.
“Are you okay with just this tonight?” Vince asked quietly after a moment.
“Hell yes,” Dustin replied. “I’m exhausted and lost my buzz. Plus I already knew you didn’t want anything more.”
“How did you know that?” Vince questioned.
Dustin smiled and took Vince’s hand. “I can read your mind.”
Vince shook his head with a chuckle. “Seriously, though.”
“Well, I almost can,” Dustin defended with a smile. “I’ve learned to tell when you don’t want sex or when you would be open to it if I suggested it. Those times when you actively want it before I really suggest it still catch me by surprise.”
“They sure catch me by surprise too,” Vince assured him. “I’m glad we’ve found ways to work around this weird asexuality thing.”
Dustin squeezed Vince’s hand. “It is not weird. I don’t know what I would do if you were some super sexual guy. Especially with my whole having herpes and still having an occasional flashback to my time allowing guys to use me while I was homeless. I’m pretty sure we were meant for each other. And for the record, nothing is wrong with you, and I love you. In case you didn’t know that.”
Vince leaned in to kiss him as a feeling of true happiness settled over him once again. “There’s nothing wrong with you either,” he murmured. “And I love you.”
“That’s good,” Dustin replied softly, “because our wedding is next.”
“And I can’t wait.”
Chapter Two
DESPITE NOT setting an alarm, neither of them could sleep past eight the next morning. As their lives revolved around horses, sleeping past six was considering sleeping in, and they rarely got a chance to. After quick showers, they headed down to the continental breakfast and met up with Vince’s father on the way. He had a cup of coffee in his hand and was headed away from the breakfast room.
“You guys heading back after you eat?” Wes asked.
Vince nodded. “Anything left?”
“Of course. I’m glad they got a deal for the guests when they decided to have the wedding here. If I had paid full price, I would have eaten the whole buffet to make up for it. It’s really not any better than any other hotel breakfast.”
“You mean there’s no gold dust on the pancakes?” Dustin questioned, a falsely horrified expression on his face.
Wes laughed. “Thankfully not. I wonder if the sewage companies filter out much gold from people eating stuff like that?”
“And on that note, I’m going to go eat before I lose my appetite,” Vince declared. “See you at home, Dad.”
Wes laughed again and waved them off. “Drive safe.”
“Will do,” Dustin assured him.
There were at least twenty people in the dining room, and Vince recognized a few other members of the wedding party, as well as a few guests. Jane and Scott were absent—not that he’d expected to see them so early. He did, however, see Hunter sitting with Jane’s parents. They seemed to be nearing the end of their breakfast, so Vince and Dust
in quickly loaded their own plates and pulled chairs up to the table. Clara and Mike Shaw immediately made room for them.
They barely made it through their good mornings before Hunter looked at Vince and asked, “Daddy, when can I ride Cody again?”
Vince had a feeling Hunter had recognized his red-and-white Anderson Stables sweatshirt. The boy was smarter than Vince expected a three-year-old to be.
“Soon, I promise,” Vince replied. “Maybe next week. I’ll have to talk to Mom first.”
He wasn’t going to bother Jane’s parents with it while Jane was on her honeymoon. They planned to stick to his usual two dinners at their house with Hunter, but nothing more. He wasn’t going to expect them to shuttle their grandchild back and forth to the barn, or to have him ready to leave as soon as Vince arrived to pick him up instead.
Hunter just nodded and went back to his cereal.
“Jane didn’t tell you?” Clara asked.
Vince stopped cutting his waffle to give her a curious look. “Tell me what?”
“They postponed the honeymoon a week so they could be in town next Friday for the announcement. She wanted to be here with you.”
For a moment Vince didn’t know what to say, but then he forced out the only question he could manage. “Why would she do that?”
Clara smiled. “Because they both felt that you deserved their moral support.”
He finally sighed and went back to his breakfast. “I should be grateful, I suppose, but I still feel like I shouldn’t be the reason they postpone their honeymoon, of all things.”
“They would have changed the wedding date if they’d needed to,” Clara told him. “You’re a part of the family, and family is there for each other. That’s what being a family is about.”
Vince smiled. “Thank you. I’ll have to let them know I appreciate it. But maybe I’ll wait until Monday.”
Clara chuckled. “Probably a good idea.”
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