Danika gave a shuddering breath. “I need some distance.” Ms. Diederich reached over and put her hand atop Danika’s clenched, white knuckles.
Danika was pensive the rest of the course. She offered small tidbits of information but Ms. Diederich did a majority of the instructing. Her mind was still as sharp as a razor and she had decades of experience and tricks up her sleeve.
Eventually, the course began to double back toward the finish, which was parallel to the start. We saw suspended roll tops, stick pile logs, a Normandy bank, a keyhole, another triple combination through a shallow pond and a sunken road, all of which would require bravery, agility and focus.
“This is the best feeling of all,” Danika said with a weak smile. “The last jump, as you can see, is a simple stepped table—a reward for a ride well-done. Then it’s a short gallop to the end,” she said, pointing to the finish, parallel with the start box.
Unexpectedly, Danika, slammed on the breaks and jumped out of the cart. Taking a deep breath and said, “If you’ll excuse me, I need to take a walk.”
“A walk?” Ms. Diederich questioned. “We just spent a few hours walking.”
“To think,” Danika said curtly. She turned on her heel and briskly marched away.
When she was out of earshot, I asked Ms. Diederich to elaborate on the feud between Skylar and Danika. “What happened between them?” I asked.
“Skylar was like Danika’s own daughter, and it broke her heart to cut off her training. But, sometimes, that is what must be done. Skylar was too headstrong and was becoming unteachable and impatient and more than once overly aggressive while riding. So, at great personal and professional cost, she’d sent Skylar away. Some didn’t understand her reasoning but if there is one thing that must be an absolute, it is that a trainer must be true to themselves and their technique.”
“Who’d have thought she had such a dark past?” Gretchen wondered aloud. “She’s so sweet when she works with Chaos.”
Sweet or not, I promised myself, I’m keeping an eye on her.
Chapter Seven
Gretchen strolled back into the barn, ending the phone call she’d taken from her dad, Chuck. He’d been the one who’d found Winny at an auction. After his wife’s tragic death at a horse show and his resulting alcohol abuse, he had slowly made his way back, leaving his demons be.
“Dad said he just pulled up and is getting Boy settled,” she said.
“Boy?” I asked, confused.
“His cutting horse, Lazy Boy. He brought him to help wrangle loose horses during the cross country phase, if needed. Madeline came with him too. She’s headed right over.”
Madeline, Gretchen’s baby sister, had been living with her and their grandmother, Ms. Diederich while Chuck sorted through his problems but since he’d overcome his troubles, she’d moved home. Gretchen, though, had stayed with her grandmother to continue her training and be nearer to Pete.
Soon enough, Madeline jogged to the barn. When I’d first met her, she was a chubby little girl with bouncing ringlet curls. Now, she was taller than me by an inch and was a willowy ballerina with incredible promise.
“How are you, stranger?” I cried, exchanging a hug.
“Good. I’ve missed you guys, but it’s nice to be home with dad. Plus, I’m a lot closer to the ballet school I’ve been wanting to get into. Just got my acceptance letter this week.”
“That’s awesome! Your family must be so proud.”
“I’m pretty sure Grandma wishes I rode, like Gretchen,” Madeline grinned, knowing full well she was going to incite a response from her big sister.
Gretchen broke in, “For the thousandth time, she doesn’t care that you don’t ride!”
“Uh huh,” Madeline sassed, putting her hands on her tiny waist. “She wouldn’t know the difference between a cou-de-pied and an arabesque if it were spelled out for her.”
Gretchen retorted, “You really want grandma to be critiquing your every ballet move? At least she can go to your recitals and just enjoy them instead of nit picking your performance.”
Madeline screwed up her mouth thoughtfully and conceded, “I know. I’m just teasing you.”
Gretchen gave her a sour look and stuck out her tongue.
“Anyway, have you met dad’s new girlfriend? He said she was competing this weekend.”
Gretchen practically spewed water. “What?”
“I can’t remember her name. And they’ve only been dating a few weeks. Gina? Gillian? Georgia?”
Please don’t say Gloria! I screamed internally.
“Gloria?” Gretchen asked, following Madeline’s line of thinking.
“Yeah, that’s it! Gloria,” Madeline smiled. “Have you met her?”
With impeccably good timing, Gloria strolled around the corner and asked, “Did I hear someone say Gloria?”
Winny heard her honeyed voice and threw her head up out of her hay pile, smacking a bucket hard on the way. Water sloshed in her stall, soaking the shavings. Speak of the devil, I gritted my teeth.
“Are you Gloria Reed? I’m Madeline. Chuck’s my dad.”
Gloria’s face instantly brightened. She was smiling with her mouth but not those cold, dark eyes. “Oh, how nice to meet you! And Gretchen, I didn’t even put two and two together that you were Chuck’s daughter as well! He told me you were competing here. I should have noticed you have his chin, now that I think of it.”
Chuck trotted up to the barn and grinned widely, seeing introductions had already been made. I couldn’t help but notice the twinkle in his eye and that he somehow looked younger than he did when we first met. It might have been that he’d shaved the beard he’d had when I last saw him down to a moustache that rivaled Tom Selleck’s, but it seemed to be something more than a mere physical change. It was as if the heavy burden he’d carried over his wife’s death had finally lightened, and he was actually finding happiness with Gloria. I shuddered at the thought.
“I see you’ve all met,” he rubbed his calloused palms together.
Gretchen shoved him playfully, “No thanks to you! You could have warned me I was going to be competing against your girlfriend.”
“Well, I didn’t want it to be weird for you,” he grinned mischievously. He strolled over to Gloria and stooped down to give her a peck on the cheek. Gretchen rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Who wants to show me around before we have to get ready for this dance?”
“It’s a gala, Dad,” Gretchen corrected. “It’s more a social event than dancing.”
“Will there be people dancing?” he asked.
“Probably,” Gretchen said.
“Then it’s a dance as far as I’m concerned.” Gretchen gave him another eye roll.
Chuck, Gloria, Gretchen and Madeline started off towards the cross country course. Taking a chance, I yanked Chuck’s sleeve and motioned for him to follow.
“Go on ahead,” Chuck called. “I just want to say hello to Winny.”
I opened Winny’s stall and stepped in, followed by Chuck. Winny, her head still dripping wet, extended her neck and slowly sniffed Chuck’s rough, dry hands. “I do believe she recalls me,” Chuck said with a grin. He stroked her forehead and she closed her eyes, leaning into his hand with a big sigh.
“So don’t you think she’d remember Gloria?” I hissed, afraid Skylar, mucking out Chaos’ stalls two doors down, would overhear.
“Whatever do you mean?” he drawled.
“Gloria’s the one who sent Winny to the auction. Her name’s right on Winny’s sale papers. She abused Winny. Doesn’t that say something about her character?”
Chuck looped his hands in his belt. “Now, wait a minute here young lady. I’m not sure how you drew those conclusions but I heard the story straight from Gloria. Yes, she did send her to the auction but she said Winny came to her already ill-used. She tried her best with the mare but Winny was dangerous. She even broke her arm, I believe. You should know better than most t
hat Winny can be a bit explosive at times. It wasn’t anything personal to Winny. It was for Gloria’s safety as well as a financial move. She’s in the horse business, after all. Not everyone can expect someone else to foot the bills.”
Chuck’s innuendo was stinging. It wasn’t that I hadn’t worked hard all of my equestrian career, but I’d had a one in a million shot at good luck when Ms. Diederich, wealthy from her illustrious riding career and resulting sponsorships, lessons and high-end horse sales, paid for Winny, most of my tack and years of show entries fees. Chuck implied I’d been spoiled.
“I’d just, well, I’d heard differently from other sources,” I stammered.
“Who? I’ll straighten them out.”
“Nobody. Don’t worry about it,” I said. “It was a while ago.”
An awkward silence replaced our tense conversation. Chuck drew a deep breath, patted Winny’s shoulder and excused himself. “Well, I’d better catch up with the ladies. It was nice seeing you two.” He stepped from the stall, the echo of his boots fading down the concrete walkway.
I needed a minute to think. Grabbing Winny’s halter, I flipped the leather strap over her ears and led my beautiful mare out. For a moment, Skylar and I made eye contact. Instead of a scowl, she looked at me with a flash of genuine concern, like she wanted to say something but it wouldn’t come out. I didn’t stick around to hear what she had to say.
Winny and I met Kally scarfing down a chili cheese dog and speed walking back to our home base. “I’m gonna clean stalls now. I just needed a bite to eat.”
“No problem,” I shrugged. “Could you strip out all of Winny’s shavings? She managed to dump out a water bucket so everything is soaked.”
“Sure” Kally said through a mouthful. Reaching over to Winny, she scratched the white diamond usually hidden by her thick, black forelock. “You silly horse,” she said in her best talk-to-a-baby voice.
We continued our stroll, searching for some seclusion. It’d been almost a week since we’d been alone, with the constant buzz of show officials, the growing crowd of fans and the ever-present press ready to shove their cameras in everyone’s face. I needed to talk to Winny and even if she couldn’t answer, I knew she was listening.
Overlooking the ominous grandstand, I sat down on a quiet, gently sloping hill while Winny dropped her head and started yanking at the short grass with her teeth. The first time I’d really spoken to Winny was at Gallant Meadows in a sequestered field. This one wasn’t quite the same—no wildflowers, the grass all lush and green but evenly trimmed, no bushes giving us privacy—but since there wasn’t anyone within a couple hundred feet of us, it’d have to do.
I sighed wearily and whined, “Could anything else go wrong today?”
I was in the middle of a full-on rant about my horrific interviewing skills, the pit in my stomach whenever I thought about disappointing my devoted fans and screwing up my chance for being short-listed for the Olympic team when my phone rang—it was Mike. “Hello?” I felt relieved at his perfect timing. By now, he should only be about an hour away. He was going to rescue me from the awkwardness of the gala, the frustration of being next to Gloria and Carlos Rodriguez’s total lack of empathy.
“Hey, babe. I’ve got some bad news.”
My stomach did a somersault and I felt simultaneously like laughing, crying and screaming until my throat was raw. “What is it? Are you okay?” I asked nervously.
“Yeah, I’m fine. My car wouldn’t start up after I stopped for gas. I had it towed and they said the alternator’s shot. I’m paying the mechanic double to fix it tonight but he said it’ll still be another few hours. And I’ll have a few more hours of driving on top of that…”
“I’m glad you’re okay. Is there any other way you can make it here though? Take a taxi or something?”
Mike laughed and answered, “I don’t think so. I’m in a pretty small town and I doubt there are a lot of taxis here.”
“But, you’re supposed to go with me to the party!” I cried. Frustrated with my selfishness, I apologized. “I really am sorry I’m being a brat. I think I’m just stressing out.”
“It’s alright, Nadia,” he sighed. “But it looks like I’m not going to make this time.”
Apparently, things could get worse.
Chapter Eight
Madeline and Gretchen chattered like chickadees as they twisted and braided my dark blonde hair into an updo. I’d let my hair grow long the past year, not so much because I liked it, but because I hadn’t found the time to go sit in a cushy salon chair to have it chopped off. While they worked, I vowed to cut it to a manageable bob that would fit easily in a wispy hairnet under a helmet.
“My neck already aches with the weight of this useless hair,” I grumbled.
Madeline looked at my scowl and jabbed me in the ribs with her comb. “Hey, what’s eatin’ you? You’ve been absolutely miserable all afternoon.”
“Mike’s not coming,” Gretchen answered for me.
“This whole day has just been wrong,” I growled. “The rest of the week will probably keep sucking, and if I don’t get life-flighted to the hospital for breaking my neck, I’ll probably come in last place.”
“Well, aren’t we a little ray of sunshine?” Gretchen smirked. “One bad day doesn’t mean anything. Just let yourself enjoy the evening. Mike isn’t skipping out on you on purpose and he’ll be here before you wake up tomorrow.”
Her happiness irritated me and I shot back, “You’re just saying that because your sister and your dad and Pete are all here.”
“Oh, shut up,” Gretchen chided. “You’re starting to make me miserable too. Now pucker up so I can put on this lipstick.”
Twenty minutes later, I slipped into a pale pink gown with cap sleeves that showed off my toned, tanned arms and a pair of glittering high heels that were probably going to be the death of me. The three of us crowded in front of a full length mirror to see what we looked like.
“We look good,” Madeline bragged, rolling on another layer of red lipstick. I couldn’t help but agree. With their impeccable smoky eye shadow application, my tussled-yet-controlled hair and the dress Gretchen bought on my behalf—and probably spent a small fortune to get—my mood lifted a bit.
“Better not let it go to waste. I’m ready for a night out,” I grinned.
Madeline and Gretchen whooped and hollered, grabbing their clutches and dancing out the door. An older man raised his eyebrows at our rowdiness but his wife grabbed his arm and chuckled, “Have you forgotten what it’s like to be young?”
We boarded the elevator and Gretchen held out her hand, commanding, “Give me your phone.”
“Why?” I asked as I pulled it from my handbag.
“Say cheese!” she pointed the camera and I grinned slightly, not knowing who the photo was for.
“Perfect,” Gretchen commented and her fingers drilled out a text.
“Who are you sending that to?” I demanded, feeling slightly alarmed.
“Relax, Nadia,” Gretchen tossed my phone back. “I just sent it to Mike and told him this is what he’s missing.”
My phone vibrated. Mike already answered. You’re gorgeous, babe! Keep your distance or someone else might try to snatch you up!
Wouldn’t you be sorry if they did? I quipped.
You know I would. Seriously, keep your distance.
Hope you’ll be here soon. I can’t guarantee anything. ;)
Be there before you know it. Love you.
Love you too.
Down in the lobby, the rest of our group had already gathered. I tried not to look at Gloria to avoid any impertinent glowering in her direction, but I couldn’t help but sneak a peek. She matched her dark features with a tight black dress and clung to her beau’s arm. I’d never seen Chuck so decked out. He was wearing a tux and all with a fresh cowboy hat and a turquoise and silver bolo tie.
“Pete!” I exclaimed as I recognized my brother standing i
n among the group. He was tall and brawny and shared my same murky brown eyes though he always had an impish twinkle to them. He’d cleaned up nicely in a tux and had managed to tame his wavy hair into a side part with some glistening hair gel. Gretchen beat me to his side and pulled him in for a long, slow kiss. Chuck cleared his throat and Pete pulled back immediately, simpering and muttering his apologies.
“Shall we?” Chuck asked, leading Gloria out into the crisp evening air. Pete held the door for Ms. Diederich and Danika before playfully dropping it as I passed the threshold. I pretended not to notice and caught the door before it slammed into me, but my big brother always knew just how to tease. I wrapped my shawl closer around my shoulders, wishing I had my favorite barn coat on instead of a dinky knit wrap that seemed to funnel the cold onto my skin. My coat may have been smeared with grass stains and horse slobber but it always kept me warm.
At the entrance of the gala, dozens of photographers snapped pictures of the arriving guests in rapid succession. I saw Skylar and a group of other grooms side by side, dolled up and grinning happily. Suddenly a lump formed in my throat. I was alone in a crowd of people. I didn’t want this night to be without Mike.
Finally it was our turn and we filed in front of the camera. Gretchen took center stage and everyone threw their arms around each other while I stood awkwardly at the outskirts. I jumped slightly when I felt an arm slip quickly around my waist and settle on my hip. Harvey stepped into the photo and stood close enough that I could smell his cologne and feel the muscles of his arm encircling me. I did my best not to look too shocked for the photos but I was sure my eyes were bulging at his unexpected touch. I glanced at his handsome face and was embarrassed when I saw he was returning it with a stare. I quickly turned back to the cameras but felt his piercing eyes on me a moment longer. Secretly, I was mortified that I was in such close company with him and at the same time, his touch sent tingles up my spine.
This never would’ve happened if Mike were here.
Road to the Regalia (Nadia and Winny Book 2) Page 5
