I woke up with Enrique on my mind, which was not exactly how I wanted to kick off my Saturday.
With a groan, I rolled out of bed and shuffled into the bathroom. I was grateful for my bathtub today. My legs felt like they were on strike.
I turned on the faucet, watching as the tub filled with hot, steamy water.
I hit play on my melancholy playlist, and once the water was nearly spilling over the edge, I climbed in, letting out a sigh of relief. Life was good.
I stayed in the bath until the water turned cold. After drying off, I washed my face and brushed my teeth.
Knowing I’d be spending most of my Saturday at the stables, I pulled on my cream-colored breeches and a matching fleece sweatshirt.
I couldn’t be bothered to wear a T-shirt under the fleece, so I just wore a sports bra. Call it lazy, but it was easier and meant fewer clothes to wash.
It was already past noon, so I hurried downstairs. The house was empty, so I dashed through the kitchen, only to collide with a solid chest.
I really needed to stop doing that.
Looking up, I saw my dad, a smile playing on his lips.
“That’s an interesting way to greet your father,” he chuckled.
I jumped up, wrapping my legs around his waist.
He caught me and spun me around. It had only been a week, but I’d missed him. My dad and I were always close, especially after my mom left us.
Or rather, after my dad kicked her out when he discovered she was sleeping with his business partner.
She was probably living a better life than the poor guy who was likely homeless after my dad bankrupted him. It was kind of funny, actually.
“Hey, Dad,” I said as he set me back down.
He sipped his coffee, studying me. I wondered when he’d gotten back.
“Did you put on makeup or something?” he asked.
I stared at him, confused. He could clearly see I wasn’t wearing any. But then again, he was a guy—they didn’t know anything about makeup. I shrugged it off and made myself a cup of tea.
“When did you get back?” I asked, sitting down in front of a premade omelet.
“Last night. Well, early this morning, actually.” He yawned, and I noticed how tired he looked. He probably hadn’t gotten much sleep during his trip.
“Dad, go to bed.” I put my hand on his, trying to get his attention.
“Sweetheart, you know I have work to do.” He sighed, looking completely worn out.
No way was he working today. “Daniel Anderson, if you don’t get yourself to bed right now, I’ll drag you there myself,” I threatened.
It wasn’t much of a threat, considering I knew I couldn’t actually move him from that chair, but it was worth a shot.
“Alright, alright.” He raised his hands in surrender. I laughed as he stood up and started toward the stairs, but then he turned back around.
“Olivia called. She can’t make it today. She left a list of things for you to do. Also, there’s a new rider coming today who wants to ride as soon as she gets here. Keep an eye on her.”
I mentally noted all the information.
“Great, a newbie,” I muttered to myself as I headed for the stables. This was going to be a fun day. Not.
The stables were usually empty except for the riders and owners. We occasionally gave private lessons, but that was rare since all our horses were either Olympic class or too dangerous to ride.
No one I knew ever saw me in the skin-tight clothes I wore to the stables, so I didn’t care.
I went to the front office where a list of tasks was waiting. There were at least twenty items on it. Thankfully, half of them were for the people who cleaned the stables and cared for the horses.
I only looked after a few horses, including Willow. Luckily, most of the horses I usually cared for were off for the weekend, so there was only one horse to tend to.
I headed to his stall, bringing his hay net with me.
“Hey, Chubby,” I greeted him. His real name wasn’t Chubby, but he ate like it was. He was a beautiful warmblood.
The list said I needed to ride him, so I figured I’d do it during the newbie’s ride. I hoped she was good, or at least knew where the saddle went.
I spent the next half hour grooming and caring for Chubby. It was almost one o’clock, and I saw a few owners arriving to ride or just visit their horses.
None of them could have a lesson since Olivia was out, so I figured most of them wouldn’t ride.
“Hope, the newbie’s here,” Ron, one of the helpers, told me. I left Chubby’s stall and headed for the front gates.
I noticed a fancy horse trailer parked there, and a girl about my age hopped out of the passenger side.
She was pretty, with light brown hair and curves similar to mine. She walked to the back of the trailer and started to open it.
I approached her to introduce myself.
“Hey, I’m Hope,” I said, forcing a smile. I had to remember to be nice to all the owners.
“Hey, I’m Vlada.” She had a slight accent. I wasn’t sure where she was from, but she definitely wasn’t British.
“Hey, jackass, help me,” she yelled toward the driver. A moment later, the driver’s door opened, and there stood Enrique.
“Fuck my life,” I muttered under my breath. Was this his girlfriend? They didn’t look like siblings. But honestly, I didn’t care and wasn’t about to jump to conclusions.
His face hardened, and I saw him clench his fists at his sides. I definitely liked her now.
“Let’s get your horse out,” I suggested, and she simply nodded. Together with the jerk, we led her stallion—a real beauty—out of the stable. He was a sight to behold.
“This is Dark Shadow, but I like to call him Shay,” she introduced, and I nodded in agreement. The name was a perfect fit.
I asked Ron to show Vlada where her stallion would be kept and hung back to confront Enrique.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I demanded, making sure Vlada was out of earshot.
“I told you I’d see you soon, tigre. Turns out it was sooner than I thought,” he replied nonchalantly, as if this was a normal occurrence.
“Fine, jerk. Your sister is way cooler than you,” I teased, even though I was being honest.
“You’d rather hang out with a fifteen-year-old than me?” Enrique sounded shocked.
I stared at him, surprised. She was only fifteen! She was so mature for her age.
“I’d rather be with a fifteen-year-old than a thirty-year-old,” I retorted, just to get under his skin.
I knew he wasn’t thirty, but he couldn’t be far off. The age gap between us was significant. Why on earth did I sleep with him?
“I’m not thirty,” he snapped.
I gave him a skeptical look. I was a pretty good actor.
“For God’s sake, I’m only twenty-six!” He was getting more and more irritated. He was older than I had thought.
“I’ve got to go, jerk.” I couldn’t help but giggle at his reaction to my choice of words. He was the only owner I didn’t feel the need to be polite to. There are always exceptions.
I went into Chubby’s stall and quickly got him ready, figuring that Vlada would be done with Shay soon. I led Chubby towards the indoor arena, as it was quite cold outside.
When I entered the arena, Vlada was already riding Shay, and she looked great on the horse. She was either a natural or had a lot of experience. Maybe both.
Enrique was there too, setting up the jumps, which annoyed me because he should have asked. But then again, I was going to use them anyway.
I noticed that he knew exactly how to measure the distance. Could he ride too?
As I warmed up Chubby, I felt Enrique’s gaze on me. I didn’t mind, as long as I didn’t let it distract me.
After Vlada and I had shown off our horses and their skills, I felt certain that we could become good friends. She might be fifteen, but she acted like an adult.
Honestly, she was only three years younger than me, so in the long run, it wouldn’t make much difference.
“Wow. Your horse is amazing. What’s his name?” Vlada asked, catching her breath after a series of jumps.
“His official name is Hope’s Pride, but I call him Chubby,” I replied. Yes, I know. I named my horse after myself, but it sounded cool and my dad agreed.
“That’s a cool name, but it kind of sounds like you have a big ego.” She laughed, and I knew she didn’t mean to offend me. And she didn’t. I was really proud of him.
After cooling Chubby down and returning him to his stall, I decided to prepare his evening feed. I usually do both morning and evening at the same time, but I hadn’t had time today.
As I was heading towards the feed room, I was suddenly pushed against the brick wall. Before I could scream, Enrique’s lips were on mine.
I tried to push him away, but with each passing second, I found myself giving in. After a minute or so, I was the one trying to deepen the kiss, but he pulled away.
“You looked too sexy riding that horse. I couldn’t resist.” He sighed as he stepped back.
I was left standing in the middle of the stables, trying to make sense of what had just happened and why I wanted more.
I was sitting with my dad in the living room, watching some movie. I couldn’t concentrate. All I could think about was Enrique and his kiss.
Why didn’t I feel like this after we had sex? That was more serious than just a kiss. He was really messing with my head.
“Dad, did you know?” I asked, genuinely curious. He had warned me about Enrique, and now his sister had a horse in our stables. That didn’t seem like being careful.
“Know what?” He looked at me, completely confused. Either he didn’t know, or he was playing dumb.
“That Enrique Garcia’s sister has a horse. The same horse that’s now boarding at our stables,” I clarified, annoyed that Enrique was all I could think and talk about.
“No, I didn’t. But you don’t need to worry about him.” He tried to sound calm, but I could hear the irritation in his voice.
There was more to it, but I decided not to press the issue.
“Okay. I’m going to bed now. I’ll see you tomorrow?” I asked, unsure if he would be home the next day.
“Yeah. I don’t have any trips planned for a while. Good night.”
I kissed his cheek and headed towards the stairs, but not before sneaking my puppies upstairs. They helped me sleep better.
As I drifted off to sleep, my thoughts returned to Enrique. I really hoped I wouldn’t see him for a while. With that thought, I let the darkness take over.
