Breaking Fences (The Breaking Series)

by Juliana Haygert

  I pushed through the disappointment boiling in my chest. Credo, hadn’t I said I wouldn’t be this kind of girl?

  At the ranch, Tom came to meet me at the door. “Glad to see you came back.”

  I gestured to the bag in my hand. “This is all you want.”

  He put a hand over his heart and gasped. “I can’t believe you think that.” But once I was beside him, he smiled wide and snatched the bag from me. “Give me that.”

  I laughed as we entered the stable and sat around his desk. “Where’s Garrett?”

  “Today is his day off.” Tom took his donut from the bag. “Why were you avoiding him? Did something happen?”

  “N-no. It’s just … he’s a pain in the butt and I prefer being here when he isn’t.”

  Tom laughed. “All right. I’ll pretend I believe that.”

  The disappointment from last night returned with a vengeance. Garrett asked me to come back, and then he wasn’t here. See, all he wanted was for me to do his work.

  Tom and I had developed a rhythm when working together. It was nice and I felt useful here. Once more, I wondered why I even bothered going to school. I should probably give up and work on a ranch. Wasn’t it where I felt more at home?

  I was brushing Pepper when Delilah entered the stables followed by a tall woman with the same blond hair, though the woman had sharper angles and eyes. She spared a glance at me before raising her nose and walking on.

  What the hell was wrong with these people?

  Tom came rushing out of his office, where he finally was going through some paperwork. “Mrs. Hudson, I wasn’t expecting the two of you today.”

  “Delilah has a competition in a little over a month,” Mrs. Hudson said. “There’s no better time to practice than the present.”

  “But …” Tom looked at me with wide eyes for a brief second. “Garrett isn’t here.”

  Mrs. Hudson waved him off. “We don’t need him for a quick practice. Get the horse—” She wrinkled her nose. “—and meet us outside.”

  She put a hand on Delilah’s shoulder, and like models on a catwalk, they sashayed to the arena.

  “Shit,” Tom muttered.

  “What’s the matter?” I asked, stepping out of Pepper’s stall.

  “If I knew they were going to be here, I wouldn’t have let Garrett take the day off.”

  “Maybe Mrs. Hudson is right, and they can handle a quick practice without him?”

  Tom faced me. “You’ve seen Delilah practicing before, right?” I nodded. “Haven’t you paid attention to how much she irritates that horse, and how Garrett is able to calm him down a little? Well, what do you think will happen without Garrett here?”

  He had a point. “I can calm Midnight. I think.”

  “Delilah forbad you to be near him. She won’t let you calm him down, which will only frustrated him more.”

  I shook my head. “You have to talk to them.”

  He laughed. “Right. Because I want to be fired at fifty-seven. Not a chance.” He went into the tack room, and four seconds later was back with a bridle and saddle. “You get Midnight ready.” He dropped the saddle in my arms.

  I looked down at the tack. “What?”

  “He doesn’t like me, but he adores you. Just tack him. I’ll take him to her.”

  Biting my lip, I turned to Midnight’s stall. As soon as I approached his door, he came to meet me. “Hey, big boy.” I dropped the tack on the ground and opened the door. “You’ll have to do a favor for me today, okay?” I smoothed my hand over the soft coat of his neck. He nickered. “You need to be a nice big boy, okay? Just for an hour tops. If you behave, I’ll give you half a dozen carrots after the practice.” He nipped at my hair and poked his muzzle on my neck. “I promise.”

  I hugged him, and he rested his heavy head on my shoulder. I swear I could feel him relaxing when close to me. I was starting to believe we had a special connection, though I wasn’t sure what to do about it.

  I tacked him and handed him to Tom, who took Midnight outside, where Delilah was waiting for him. She checked her boots and affixed her helmet, looking bored.

  As soon as Tom gave her the reins, Midnight’s body tensed. She jerked the reins to have him follow her to the jumping poles, but he didn’t move. Trying to control the urge to go forward and help, I sat on the fence and watched. Tom leaned over the fence beside me.

  After fighting with him, Delilah hopped on him.

  I bit my nails—something I never did. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

  Tom nodded. “Me too.”

  Mrs. Hudson rested a hand over her pearls, which were neatly resting over an expensive-looking cream blouse. She coordinated it with brown slacks and pumps. Who in their right mind wore pumps in an arena?

  “Are you ready?” Mrs. Hudson asked. Delilah gave her a thumbs up. “Then wow me.”

  Delilah kicked her heels at Midnight’s sides, startling him. He baulked and started a slow gait. Meanwhile, Mrs. Hudson watched her daughter and Midnight like a hawk.

  “Does she understand anything about horses and jumping?” I asked Tom in a low voice. Mrs. Hudson wasn’t close, but I didn’t want to risk her hearing us.

  “Not really, but she has loads of money and that’s enough to make me bow out.”

  I wanted to be mad at him for that, but I also understood. What he said about being fifty-seven and not wanting to be fired stayed with me. He wasn’t a young guy anymore, and it wouldn’t be easy for him to find another job. He knew Midnight was too young to be put through training, and he knew that practicing while Garrett wasn’t here was a bad idea, but he couldn’t go against his boss’s wife. Still, I wish he would stand up for what he believed was right.

  Delilah started with low jumps to warm up. After a few laps on the circuit, she asked Tom to raise the poles. I helped him. She gave me the stink eye but didn’t say anything about it.

  Delilah prepared to start at the new height.

  “Fly!” Mrs. Hudson shouted as Delilah and Midnight leapt over the first poles. She tensed, making Midnight tense too. His hooves hit the pole, knocking it down. “What was that?” the woman asked, gesturing to the pole on the ground. “That’s not acceptable. Start over and don’t let him touch the poles.”

  Tom quickly put the pole back in place and nodded for Delilah to go ahead. She tapped Midnight and they set out.

  “You can do it!” Mrs. Hudson shouted, and the same thing happened again. Delilah tensed, Midnight tensed, the pole fell, and Mrs. Hudson verbalized her discontent. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you controlling that horse?” She pointed at Midnight and took a few steps closer. “You have to do better, Delilah. You’re my daughter. I know you can do better. And this horse? What’s the matter with this horse?” She approached them. “Is that stable boy working on him? I don’t think he’s doing a good job. This horse needs someone with an iron fist.”

  She jabbed her finger at his neck.

  And he reared.

  I jumped off the fence and ran to them.

  Mrs. Hudson scurried away from Midnight’s powerful hooves. “See what I’m saying?” she yelled. “That horse is a menace!”

  Irritated, Midnight reared again. Delilah screamed, trying to hold the reins. With my hands high, I approached him.

  “Whoa, big boy. Shhh, calm down.”

  But Delilah and Mrs. Hudson kept screaming.

  Delilah slapped his neck. “Stop it, stupid animal.”

  Midnight kicked his hind legs high. Delilah got a hold of his mane and yelled.

  “Midnight, look at me,” I said. He did. I held his stare. “Calm down, big boy. Everything is okay. Just let Delilah get off.”

  “Take this brute animal away from here,” Mrs. Hudson shouted, coming to my side.

  Neighing, Midnight reared again. Delilah, still holding to his mane, lost her footing and fell back. Midnight fell with her, and they crashed onto the nearby poles.

  My heart stopped.

  Mrs. Hudson scr
eamed some more while Tom and I rushed to them.

  Thankfully, Midnight hadn’t fallen on Delilah, but the pole under them was broken, indicating how hard their fall was. Delilah was unconscious and Midnight twitched, trying to get up. His eyes were wide and his breathing was accelerated.

  Tom looked at me with big eyes. “Go pick up Garrett.”

  “What?”

  He fished his cell phone from inside pocket. “I’ll call 911 and the vet, but I need you to get Garrett.”

  “Why? Why can’t you call him?”

  He dialed a number and pressed the phone on his ear. “There’s no cell reception where he is, and he’ll kill me if I don’t let him know what happened.”

  My mind was spinning. “But I don’t want to leave Midnight.”

  “Please, Bia, I beg you.”

  My heart weighted in my chest. “All right. All right.”

  He told me how to get where Garrett was, and I ran from the arena, my heart staying there.

  I jumped in my SUV and squealed out of the parking lot. I followed Tom’s instructions. Exit the property, turn right. Go for five miles, turn on the next right on a dirt road. Go for another two miles, turn left, go for seven miles, and I would find him.

  I stopped my car before a big lot with lush green grass. The frame of a big barn stood out in the center, and several yards to the left, trees flanked a small cabin.

  With low-riding jeans and an open shirt, Garrett was on top of the structure, holding what looked like an industrial stapler. He stopped working on the structure when he saw my car approaching and jumped from post to post until he was on the ground.

  With a frown, he walked toward me.

  I lowered the window from my car and yelled, “Come quick. It’s Delilah and Midnight.”

  He stopped, his eyes going wide. He turned and picked up a hand towel and his jacket from beside a big toolbox and rushed to my car. He barely sat in the passenger seat before I tore off.

  “What happened?” He wiped the sweat from his face and arms. I peeked at his taut torso before he buttoned his shirt. Yup, he had a nice chest and abdomen. Too nice, actually. “What happened?” he repeated.

  I shook the momentary distraction from my mind. “Delilah and her mother showed up to practice. Tom didn’t like the idea because you weren’t there, but Mrs. Hudson insisted.” I groaned. “Mrs. Hudson is one irritable woman.”

  He snorted. “You’re telling me?”

  I glanced at him again. I wondered what the history there was. He was the constant reminder that her husband had cheated on her. That was probably not nice. However, he wasn’t guilty, and it was probably not nice for him too.

  I went on. “Delilah was taut and stressed, which made Midnight taut and stressed, and then Mrs. Hudson started yelling, and I really mean yelling and saying terrible things to Midnight. The woman really spooked him. He reared, and they fell over one of the obstacles.”

  His eyes went wide and his body stiffened. “How is Delilah? And Midnight?”

  “I don’t know. I wanted to stay to help, to be there when the vet arrived, but Tom begged me to come pick you up because you would kill him if you didn’t know about it right away.”

  He nodded. “He was right. I would.” He glanced at me. “Thank you for picking me up.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  In a couple of minutes, I was parking my car beside an ambulance at the ranch. I barely stopped the car, and Garrett jumped out. He ran to the arena. I killed the engine and ran after him.

  Two paramedics wheeled Delilah on a stretcher while her mother cried by their side. The girl was awake though, and she seemed mad.

  Garrett stopped by her side. “You’re going to be okay.”

  She nodded. “Ouch. Can’t move. Hurts.”

  “It’s okay.” He looked at the paramedics. “How is she?”

  “We don’t know for sure yet, sir,” one of them answered. “We think she has a few contusions, but we’ll take her to the hospital to get checked out to be sure.”

  He nodded and let the paramedics go. Side by side, we approached where Midnight had fallen. He was still in the same place and the vet was over him. He saw me and jerked.

  “No, no,” the vet said, pressing his hand on his sides. The horse tried to stir again. “Don’t move.” He looked at us. “I gave him a sedative, but I don’t think it has kicked in yet.”

  “He wants you,” Garrett said to me. “Go to him. Calm him down.”

  I stepped between Tom and the vet, and knelt beside Midnight’s face. “Hey, big boy. I’m here.” He reached his muzzle to my hand. My eyes filled with tears.

  “How is he?” Garrett asked.

  The doctor had his stethoscope on Midnight’s chest. “It was a nasty fall. I won’t know the extent of the damage until I can take some x-rays, but by the way he cries each time he tries to move, I’m thinking he broke something. Also see this pole?” The vet pointed to one half of a broken wooden pole. “We can’t see the end of the other half, so I’m thinking it might be under him. From his position, it probably pierced him.”

  “That’s not good,” Garrett muttered.

  I brushed my hand under Midnight’s chin and leaned my face to his. “Don’t listen to them,” I whispered. “You’ll be okay. I know it.” I kissed his forehead. He tried to turn his muzzle to me, but I pressed him down. “No, big boy. Stay still, please. It’s better for you.”

  The ambulance carrying Delilah off caught my attention, and I snapped my head to the driveway. Mrs. Hudson stepped out from the stable and marched to us.

  Her mascara was running, but she still looked unbreakable. She pointed a finger at Garrett. “This is your fault.”

  He stepped back. “What? I wasn’t even here.”

  “You’re their trainer. You’re this horse’s trainer. The horse should have been prepared; he should know what to do. He shouldn’t hit any poles. He should be perfect! But he isn’t and it’s your fault.” She flipped her hair the same way I had seen her daughter doing. Garrett clenched his fists, but somehow stayed quiet. “Haven’t you noticed by now that a lot of the bad things that happen around here are your fault?” She spun on her heels and marched away.

  Garrett let out a long, loud breath. “Well, the show is over,” he snapped. “Pay attention to the horse.”

  The three of us focused on Midnight. His breathing had slowed, and his body seemed more relaxed and I assumed the sedative had kicked in. Poor big boy. The vet arranged a trailer to take Midnight to his practice, and soon the horse was being driven away.

  Garrett turned to Tom and me. “I want to stay and help clean up, Tom, but I should probably go to the hospital, check on Delilah,” he said, his voice low.

  “Go.” Tom nudged me in the arm. “I know Bia will be a trooper and stay with me and help me out around here. Right?”

  My wish was to go after Midnight, but he wasn’t my horse. What if Delilah found out I spent my free time in the waiting room of a veterinary practice? Not that I minded what she thought, but I was concerned about what she could do to the horse because of my affection for him.

  “Right,” I answered.

  Garrett nodded and started walking away. His usual high chin pointed to the ground, and his perfect posture and open shoulders slacked to the front as if he really was responsible for what happened.

  Wait. Did he think he was responsible for it?

  I rushed after him, and only realized what I was doing when I closed my hand around his wrist, making him stop and face me. As soon as his bright but now sad hazel eyes locked on mine, I let go of his arm.

  “Y-you know it’s not your fault, right?”

  “I know,” he said in a low tone.

  “Send news, please. Tom and I would like to know how Delilah is.” I paused, biting my lip and wondering if I could ask for more. “And if you hear anything—” I closed my mouth, regretting having started the sentence.

  “If I hear anything about Midnight, I’ll let you know.”<
br />
  “Thanks.”

  He nodded and resumed walking away.

  I heard Tom’s boots crunching the grass before his hand rested on my shoulder. “They will be fine. Delilah, Midnight, and Garrett.”

  “I hope so,” I whispered.

  “Come on.” He gestured toward the stable. “We won’t hear anything for a few hours and nothing like immersing ourselves in work to make the time fly.”

  Chapter Twenty

  I woke up early and pondered if going to the ranch the day after the accident was a good or bad thing. I was worried about Midnight and Delilah, but I didn’t want to intrude.

  Garrett had sent a couple of message yesterday evening saying Delilah would be fine. She had a concussion and had twisted her wrist, but it wasn’t bad. She would be back to practice in about a week.

  Midnight wasn’t doing so great though. When he fell over the poles, one of them broke in the middle and pierced his left stifle. Thankfully, it had been superficial and fixable with a few stitches and rest. However, he had twisted his pastern and torn a minor ligament. His prognosis was good, and with care and rest, he would be able to ride and jump again. Just not in time for the competition Delilah and he had been practicing for.

  Garrett didn’t say much about it, but it was clear Delilah was furious about it. When first told that Midnight wouldn’t be competing, Delilah had such a freak out that the doctors had to sedate her so she would calm down.

  After that, Garrett stopped sending updates to Tom and me, and that had been only six in the evening, more than twelve hours ago. I was dying for news, but didn’t want to sound curious or nosy. It really was none of my business, even if I liked Midnight almost as much as I loved Preta.

  I wasn’t sure if Garrett had another day off, but I made up my mind to go and help Tom. Besides, it beat staying holed up in my dorm room, or walking around campus under staring and whispering.

  After a quick stop at Starbucks, where I bought extra coffee and pastries in case Garrett or Carl were there, I drove to the ranch. I almost made a U-turn in the driveway leading to the parking lot when I saw Jonah’s truck parked beside his father’s truck. With the accident, I had almost forgotten how much of a creep Jonah was being lately. Almost.