I blow out a deep breath before flopping down on my bed. “Tense. I think we really screwed up this time.”
“You think?” The sarcasm isn't hard to miss. “What was Jacinta thinking?” Hope had been the one to organize the press conference the day of the billboard, and she also knows the mechanics of our sister's brain very well. No matter how we played it to the public, Hope knows this has Jacinta’s name all over it.
“I don’t know. Dad issomad at us. In fact, I have to go and do some family bonding as per his orders this morning.” She snorts, completely unsympathetic to my fate.
“I thought he was going to have a coronary that day. I have never seen your father that mad, ever.”
“No, me neither. He’s usually so calm and collected, but then I guess he had reason to be. That’s his daughter splashed across the billboard, branded a gold digger. I understand Jacinta needing to do something; I mean, she is who she is, but I think making a public move was really crossing a huge line for him.”
After a few more words, I end the call and sit up. Putting my phone in my pocket, I head out to the riding arena, quietly excited to watch this gorgeous woman.Though I think I’d much prefer she be riding me instead.
* * *
The rest of my family is already sitting and watching by the time I make it into the arena, and I’m greeted with another fatherly frown when I grab a seat with them.
“Sorry, Hope called with an emergency,” I explain, and his face clears.
“Okay, grab a seat.”
I climb up the stairs and take a seat next to Thomas. Oliver and Kai are on the other side of him, with Declan, Jacinta, and Jaxon behind us one step up.
“Where have you been?” Thomas asks mildly, his eyes never leaving the horse and woman down in the arena.
Harlow is on the back of a large bay, easily putting him through his paces. They’re beautiful to watch, their bodies moving fluidly in sync, and for a moment, I can't tear my eyes away, but Thomas nudges me to get my attention. A full smirk and raised brow greet me when I turn to face him, so I answer quickly to get his mind going in a different direction.
“Oh, ah, Hope called. Ninja Starfish hit the tabloids last night.”
He frowns in surprise, echoing my own skepticism when I heard the news.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. I’ve got a meeting later in the week to see what that’s all about.” He smiles and leans back against Jacinta's legs, relaxing into the contact in a way that he only does with family. She smiles down at him, ruffling his hair, but her gaze quickly returns to Harlow, narrowing as soon as she’s in her sights.
“So glad I don't have that kind of shit like you, Dec, and Jacinta. Artists and models can be so temperamental.”
I turn back to watch as she brings the horse to a stop. Dad, Nana, and Poppy erupt into applause, and I automatically join in with the others.
She gives the animal a pat on the shoulder, talking quietly with him before sliding down to the ground. There’s a quiver in her legs, and my mind remembers that she was injured before she came here. I’m just about to stand up, wanting to head down to help, when she manages to stand her ground on her own. By the time she’s got herself collected, a guy I don't recognize enters the arena, walking a prancing black Friesian toward her. He’s eyeing her like she’s a snack he’d like to eat, and a wave of jealousy rolls through my body, surprising me.
A whistle out of Jaxon's mouth takes me away from having to analyze that uncomfortable reaction. “Now,thatis a magnificent animal.” He’s leaning forward with interest, but a nudge from Jacinta has him sitting back again. God, he lets her walk all over him. I know it’s survivor’s guilt or whatever, but dude, man up. My eye roll is in no way hidden, earning me a scowl from my very bitter sister, but I learned a long time ago to not let Jacinta’s moods hold me down.
“You’re going to end up very sorry if you keep going,” I warn her.
“Shut up, Holden,” she hisses so that the parentals can't hear.
A ping on my phone has me looking at it to check who’s sending me a message now, but it’s just an automated one confirming the meeting for the following week. I tap the confirmation button and tuck it back into my pocket.
“Is that a trick saddle?” Kai asks, sounding excited, and Poppy turns around to answer. Given the guy runs our extreme teams, it’s safe to say that he likes anything with a little twist of action or adrenaline. If she nails all these tricks, she might just be the woman of his dreams.
“Yep, they use them when training certain movements. It’s safer for the rider, but in the actual film they use proper saddles.”
Kai nods with enthusiasm, leaning forward for a closer look. “So we’re going to see a few tricks?”
“I guess so, though she did look surprised to see it.” Poppy shrugs, the little crease between his brows giving away that he’s not feeling 100% enthusiastic about this idea. “I hope her knee is okay for this.”
It feels like ages ago, when in reality it’s only been a week. Even if she’s not using the crutches she had when she arrived, there’s a decent chance she’s still in some kind of pain or discomfort.
Harlow walks to the middle, rolling her shoulders, as Nana and Dad come back to the stands. Her face shows nothing but focus, and there’s this ease to the way she moves that says none of this is a big deal to her. She’s in charge down there, and the rarely-present sub in me is sitting up and taking notice again.
“What’s going on?” Oliver asks, a small amount of concern in his voice. He’s been very subdued since they spent time at the shop, apart from having his ass bit by the pony yesterday, and it’s not quite like him. He’s not one to be affected by a woman. I can’t help the little twinge of jealousy that prickles just under my skin at the thought. Declan snorts behind me but I don't turn around.
