Blood Ties a Broken Heart

by Cassandra Hawke

  “So, Rylee, you decided you could compete with me, now you have a decent nag? I thought you would have had more sense.”

  In a deliberate attempt to frustrate her nemesis, she ignored the jibe and attempted to be more than civil. “Good morning, Arden. Is this one of your new horses?”

  “It is. Shamal of the Desert. Ash bought him for me just for endurance. He’s much better quality than Reg’s old nag.”

  Rylee studied the animal. “He appears edgy,” she said.

  Arden waved one gloved hand in the air and smiled. “He’s keen. That’s all.”

  “Mmmmm. Very nice conformation. He should be well suited to the task,” Rylee commented politely. With a different rider perhaps and before he was ruined.

  “My brother always makes sure I have the best,” Arden crowed from her perch.

  “Of course. Now, if you don’t mind, I have to prepare the girls for their start.”

  “So, you’re riding?” Arden asked, looking around at the gathered equipment and the tethered horses.

  “Yes, I am, but you will still have a clear run to the winner’s trophy today because I’m entered in the intermediate section,” Rylee snapped, unable to maintain the false civility a moment longer.

  Arden’s laughter barked out again. Bystanders ogled her, curiosity on their faces. “You would never be in my way to the winner’s ring. You never were,” Arden snarled.

  “Damn it, don’t be such a bitch,” Ash growled as he walked up.

  Rylee started at the harshness of his words as Ash come up behind the restive horse with a deep frown furrowing his brow.

  “Well, it’s true,” Arden replied waspishly.

  “Regardless, it’s not necessary to make such comments,” Ash snapped.

  Arden pouted sulkily at her brother’s rebuke.

  Ash surveyed the fidgeting horse. “Go walk him around. He’s jumpy.”

  With a sharp jerk on the reins, Arden turned her horse and trotted off. After a few more hints and suggestions, Rylee sent her girls on their way.

  As she prepared to mount Boomerang, Ash came to stand beside her. “I won’t stay because I know it’s not good for your reputation, but I just wanted to wish you luck today. Boomerang should do you proud. You two look good together—like us,” he said.

  “Thanks for the support, but you know we’ll never officially be together.”

  “Never say never. We can work it out,” he replied.

  She’d heard the bitterness in his voice and the sadness, but already people were staring. She expected there would be some extra scrutiny of her horses when they crossed the finish line because she had spoken to Ash and Arden. Probably Arden’s whole reason for approaching her was to bring Rylee down, even if only by criminal association.

  * * * *

  Rylee buzzed with anticipation as she lined up to begin. It was a glorious morning—the air was crisp and fresh after the last couple of days’ rain. She could feel Boomerang relaxed underneath her, but at the slightest command, he responded. He seemed keen, with eyes bright and his ears pricked forward.

  Then she was off. The first leg of the course was a steady uphill rise along the old fire track between two huge stands of pines. There were plenty of obstacles left from the last lot of logging and the sprouting of new growth. Boomerang snuffled energetically and they cantered at a steady pace up the first rise. A steady increase in the steepness forced them to slow to a snappy walk. As they topped the rise, Rylee paused for a moment to admire the view and let Boomerang catch his breath. Then, with the slightest of indication from her, they set out at a trot across the summit of the hill then walked down the steep incline to the stream in the gully. The going was rough and Rylee took it steady, still not completely sure of her horse’s ability. He didn’t seem at all stressed by the exertion. The stream was fast moving and swollen from the rain, but the entrance into the water was flat and sandy. The other side was different and Boomerang hesitated before he leaped the first bank then scrambled the rest of the way. Rylee halted him at the top, not overly happy with his handling of the steep bank. She patted him and talked to him, and when he seemed more settled, they moved up the gentle slope at a steady canter. They seemed to be keeping up well with the rest of the horses, but she couldn’t see Arden ahead of her and she knew she would not be behind. Most of the riders dismounted for the next particularly steep boulder strewn section and it was then that Rylee looked up and saw a still-mounted Arden pushing her horse hard as it struggled to top the escarpment. She was clearly in the lead. Rylee tried not to let it affect her mood, but she felt sorry for the horse and was embarrassed for Ash when she heard several uncomplimentary things said by other riders. Sophie and Tayla joined her where she waited for them at the top of the escarpment.

  “You shouldn’t have waited, Ry. You were doing so well,” Tayla gasped, as they arrived.

  She laughed. “Oh, I’m not fussed about winning today. It was more important that I check on how you two were managing. Are the horses both behaving?”

  “Monti is, but Zea was a little spooked by a couple of roos. I nearly went flying when she shied, but she settled quickly.”

  “Okay. Well you better get moving. There are still a couple of tough stretches, so pace yourselves.”

  “Okay,” they both chorused as they moved off together.

  Boomerang’s superior size and conditioning soon took him ahead. And again as they moved through stands of pine, Rylee saw Arden galloping ahead. Even from that distance, Rylee could see that Shamal was sweating. As she cantered up the rise, there was a movement to her right and four kangaroos bounded out of the trees in front of Boomerang. He snorted and baulked slightly, but moved on when Rylee signaled he should. Rylee was feeling her muscles and bones by the time she could make out the finishing line down the gully, but the big horse barely seemed to be sweating. She rode at a steady canter, only slowing to a walk as she reached the edge of the clearing. There was a splatter of applause as she dismounted and she caught a glimpse of Ash over the saddle, clapping enthusiastically. The vet checked her horse and approved him fit. She had come in fourth.

  Almost an hour later, the first of the novices began coming in, and Rylee was thrilled to see one of her girls come in second and the other fifth. The horses were assessed fit and immediately bedded down in comfort while the three of them ate lunch. Tayla and Sophie rattled on and on about their rides and wanted to talk strategy until the horses from the open class began to trickle in one by one.

  Arden arrived first, her horse sweating, jumpy and obviously distressed. Rylee noticed the vet made a thorough assessment of her horse. He sent the animal to a ten-minute yard and made Arden wait to the side. After ten minutes had elapsed, he called her back. Before he had finished, Ash strode over to where Arden was engaged in a heated discussion with the officials. He didn’t appear at all pleased. Finally, the vet sighed and approved her horse’s fitness. Arden was jubilant. Today was her day. She started to head in their direction, but Ash pulled her away with a few sharp words Rylee couldn’t quite make out.

  When Arden went to collect her trophy, the applause was a mere splutter and she scowled at those gathered around before she went to stand beside Ash. Ash just looked sad. Rylee applauded loudly when Sophie on Zea collected her second and Tayla, the fifth prize on Monti. She saw Ash applaud their success and hers. She returned his acknowledgment briefly.

  It was soul destroying not to be able to go to him to share her success and her renewed desire to compete, with the man she loved. To have to snub him in public cut her to the core. She almost threw all she had worked for aside by going to him, but it wasn’t just her who would be damaged by association, so she held herself tightly in check. She couldn’t destroy the dreams of the two girls, because both had potential. It didn’t matter how much she loved him. In the long run she could not give up her dreams either, just because he wouldn’t face the truth. In the end she would be left with nothing. All the rationalization in the world didn’
t ease her pain. Her heart was heavy and her body sagged with misery induced fatigue and she struggled with the effort required to load the horses and equipment for the long drive home.

  * * * *

  The magpies warbled in the background, trying to encourage her to climb out of bed and drag herself through the shower. She should have been jumping for joy at the progress she had made with the stables, but instead she struggled to even get out of bed, weighed down by her decision to reject Ash. Her mind told her it was the right choice, but her heart disagreed. It had been almost a week since she had seen or heard from him and all she could do was get on with her rejuvenation of the stables and hope the hurt of separation eased with time.

  * * * *

  Today her new round of school classes started, and Rylee needed to keep her mind on the job. She completed her preparations in the stables for the class just as they arrived. She studied the girls in front of her—six of them, ranging from seven to nine years old. It was the first time students from the prestigious private girl’s school, St Wilhelmina’s, had taken the opportunity to participate in her school horse riding program. Rylee could barely contain her excitement. She now had five schools participating and three more interested. All the girls were keen and she matched them carefully with suitable ponies, based on the information sheets their parents and the children had filled out. They were all beginners, with Sarah, Chloe and Millie saying they had never even been near a horse before.

  One girl stood out—she seemed somehow familiar. A tilt of the head, a smile or a phrase, Rylee couldn’t place it. Annie appeared the most confident, so she paired her with one of her best ponies, an older, well-educated mare called Moonbeam. Once they had their horses, Regan went through feeding, grooming and safety before they were given a short ride around the undercover arena on lead ropes. Regan and Rylee worked diligently to make sure hands were placed correctly, stirrups adjusted, heels down and petting of horses encouraged. The girls were so excited when they got back on the bus, the teacher had trouble getting them to put their seatbelts on.

  With the first session behind them, Rylee watched the bus leave, pleased with how it had gone, but she did wonder about Annie. She suspected the child of lying about her experience with horses, for despite her assurance she was a beginner, her grip on the reins had been a little too correct and that, along with her steady seat and legs at just the right angle, it all made Rylee suspicious. Besides that, she had had no trouble at all doing the pony’s hooves where everyone else had struggled to even get the hoof off the ground, let alone wield the hoof pick effectively. She shrugged her suspicions away. It didn’t really matter anyway.

  She readied Dalton’s Hope, mounted then went to work him in the arena, finding it peaceful in the covered arena with just her and the horse. The sounds of steady work, the horse breathing, the soft thud of hooves in sand, the squeak of leather and the occasional snort were relaxing.

  Just as they finished working through the movements of the level two dressage test, Rylee gradually began to feel uneasy. She couldn’t explain it, but she would have sworn she was being watched. As they finished the test, she turned the horse into the center and halted. She peered around and in the shadowed corner by the big doors, she saw her. A second too late, the intruder backed into the shadows. Rylee couldn’t see her face, but she knew it was Arden.

  Rylee rode over to the railing closest to her. “What do you want?”

  Arden stepped out of the shadows, and Rylee gasped at the savagery in the other woman’s expression.

  Arden strutted right up to the fence. “I’ve come to warn you to back off, O’Shaughnessy. Stay away from my brother. You’re nothing but trouble.”

  “What is between your brother and me has nothing to do with you,” Rylee replied. She sounded calm, but on the inside she quivered with unease. She knew this woman thought nothing of hurting people, especially those who stood in her way.

  Arden gripped the top rail of the barrier with the clawing fingers of one hand. “Anything to do with Ash is my business, especially when it’s you.” As she brought her other hand up, Rylee realized Arden held a stock whip. Cold fear shivered down Rylee’s spine. She had no idea how Dalton would take this situation.

  “You will not bring me down,” Arden announced. “I’m too smart for you.”

  “You think so. You think it is smart to dope your horses and use cruel aids in training? To push them to collapse like you did at the weekend? That poor bloody horse was almost done in. Even the vet wasn’t happy.”

  Arden glared up at her. “It gets the results I want. That’s smart. Not like you. I won.”

  “There is no honor in the way you won—no honor at all,” Rylee sneered back at her enemy.

  “Look at you. There is no honor in working with tame or broken down nags so you can teach people to ride that should never pull on a pair of jodhpurs. Where did your ambition go?” Arden asked. “That heat in the blood we once shared, to make it to the top.”

  “It died the day I saw you abusing your horses. The day I realized that this is what you did to win. To hold that gold trophy in your hand and hang a ribbon on the poor, abused horse’s neck. My passion for competing died with the death of your horse, Lord of the Manor,” Rylee replied.

  “For Christ’s sake, it was only a horse and not a very good one, or it would have finished the course first,” Arden snapped back.

  “I’m not like you, and I never will be.”

  “No, you’re not in the same class as me or my brother. Stay away from him, or I’ll make you sorry you ever returned.”

  “Really?”

  “You’re not good enough for him or my niece. Lilli regards me as her mother. I love her. I will never let you take her away from me. Do you hear? Never,” Arden said.

  Rylee was stunned by Arden’s wild accusation. “I don’t want to take her away from you. Whatever gave you that idea?”

  “Yes, you do, and you don’t even like kids. You wouldn’t love her like I do. You can’t have her, do you hear? You can’t have Lilli.”

  With sudden ferocity, Arden stepped sideways and advanced through the opening with the whip swinging in her hand. My God, she means to attack me. The mad bitch has lost the plot. She cracked it above Dalton’s ears. He flinched, but stood his ground. Rylee sank deep in her seat. The lash cracked again. It clipped the horse’s ears. The terrified horse screamed and backed up, throwing his head up and down. Rylee turned him away and trotted to the other side of the arena. Arden advanced swiftly toward the agitated horse. The sharp cracks shattered the stillness of the enclosure and echoed around the unlined roof.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  A sharp cackle came from the woman in front of her. “To teach you a lesson, you little Irish madam. You can’t have my brother or my niece. They’re mine. Do you hear me? Mine.”

  She tried to drive them up against the wall, but Rylee turned the gelding to face the woman on the ground and signaled for him to go forward. Dalton responded, leaping in a canter to charge at Arden. She turned and slashed with the whip. It caught Rylee across the shoulder and slapped onto the horse’s rump as they passed. The horse shied, half reared and squealed his protest. Despite the fact Rylee barely clung to her seat, she kicked the horse on. “Go, boy, go.” He surged forward, eager to get away from the scary person dishing out the unexpected pain. Rylee heard Arden laughing from behind them. Her heart thumped. Sweat ran down between her breasts and her breath came in tiny little gasps.

  She didn’t rein the horse in until they’d arrived back at the stables. At the big stable door, she threw herself out of the saddle and turned to peer through gathering gloom, terribly afraid Arden would follow her. There was no sign of her, but moments later she heard the roar of a powerful engine and saw car lights flash as Arden’s little yellow sports car negotiated the dip outside the gate.

  She led Dalton into the stall and let him stand as she clutched the wall for support and rested her head against the cool ti
mber. Her knees had turned to jelly and tremors shook her. Her mind raced in circles. She didn’t know what to think and if it wasn’t for the stinging pain in her shoulder, she would struggle to believe the attack had actually happened. Not for the first time, Rylee wondered about Arden’s mental state. Despite evidence Arden had gone, she decided to close the doors and put the bar across. Her hands were shaking so much she struggled to undo the girth, especially when Dalton fidgeted. Finally, she pulled it off and placed it on the dividing wall then swapped the bridle for a head collar. All the time, with wary glances toward the door, she picked his hooves then began to brush him with the dandy brush. She was absolutely furious. How dare that woman come to her home and attack her—put her and the horse at risk. The only reason Arden would try and frighten her out of Ash’s life was if she really was still involved in dodgy practices. She knew that if her brother chose Rylee, her career was finished and she was determined that wouldn’t happen. Well, attacking me was a wasted effort because her brother was the only one who could denounce her. She debated calling the police but decided against it. This was personal, between her and Arden, and she cringed away from the thought of bringing more disrepute to Ash.

  By the time she had finished brushing Dalton and putting his rug on, she had calmed a bit, but determination had hardened in her mind. She would somehow make Ash see his sister’s faults.

  She could barely move her shoulder under the searing burn of the welt left by the whip, but she managed to climb into the loft to retrieve another rug for Dalton. Suddenly overcome with shock and sadness, she sat hunched on the bales of hay for quite a while in the dimly lit stable loft, mulling over her predicament. No easy answers came to mind and she had to ask herself if this man was worth all the angst and misery. Why couldn’t she just turn off the feelings she had for him? It was a hopeless situation with little chance for a good outcome and yet she pined for him. Her ears strained to hear his voice, her nose to breathe in his scent and her seeking fingers to feel the satin firmness of his skin under her teasing strokes. Her need for him flowed through her veins like an addictive toxin. A little would never be enough. Warm tears trickled down her cheeks at the unfairness of it all. Surely love should not be this complicated.