“Thank you, that was the plan.” He turns to Gabriel. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll get the plans ready early next week.”
Gabriel comes to stand beside me as Duncan drives away.
“So, you think Oscar will be suitable for us?”
“I do, and I’ve arranged for a three month trial with him. I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course it is, you know that.” He walks into the staffroom and I follow, and move to the coffee machine to make us both one.
“I do, but this place, it’s your dream, and I don’t want to tread on any toes.”
“You won’t. My dream is happening, and having you here was always a part of that.”
I hand him a mug and sink down at the table in the centre of the space. Another yawn escapes me.
“Would you like to come up to the house for dinner tonight? It’ll save you having to cook.”
“I don’t know.” I run my hands through my hair. It’s not that I wouldn’t love to spend time with Gabriel, and of course his family. “I was going to go through some more of the bar manager applications.”
“Bring them and I’ll help you after dinner, we can do it together.” He reaches across the table and squeezes my forearm. His dark look has totally gone and he’s chewing on his bottom lip, which I find very distracting.
“What do you think?” he asks when I haven’t answered.
“Huh?” I drag my eyes from his lips. “Sorry, yes, I’d like that, thank you.”
He breaks out into a smile, which makes me catch my breath. Being resigned is one thing, being happy about it is completely different.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
GABRIEL
“Gabe!” I hear the cry and urge Merlin faster. He responds instantly and we reach the ball first. I pass it to Andrés, who scores just as the whistle blows for the end of the second chukker, and I high five Andrés as Linden and Charley ride up to do the same. It’s our first goal scored as a team. It might be a friendly match against a team we’ve pulled together from family and grooms, but they’re playing surprisingly well. Kirsty and Austin, Linden’s father, are the only registered players. Immy and Jorge make up the rest, but they’re experienced riders who know how to play polo and they’re not letting us have an easy time of it.
“Okay, Charley, can you take the left this time and Linden the right?” Andrés asks as we change horses and ride back onto the field for the third chukker. This works better for us and we score three more goals, our opposition managing to get one past my defence. As we play we get tighter as a team, with Charley fitting in well. Our skills complement each other, and I feel confidentthe Blackwood Knights will become a name everyone in the circuit will know by the end of the season. Every time I look over at Charley he’s wearing a happy grin, and it makes my heart sing that he looks very different to the guy who almost didn’t come and meet me in the cafe in Manchester.
When the final whistle blows, we’ve won ten goals to four. We congratulate each other with hugs and back slapping, shaking the hands of the opposition. I hug my sister.
“You played well.” I’ve asked before if she’d be part of the Blackwood Knights team, but she’s always said she’s too busy with her and Oscar’s business.
“Thanks, Gabe, I enjoyed it,” she says as I release her from the hug.
“Now we’ll be having matches here, you could always register and put together a second team or play with the Knights if we’re short.” It can’t hurt to try a little persuasion.
“Not everyone has polo coursing through their blood like you guys have.” She laughs lightly. It isn’t what I meant but she does have a point. “But anyway, certainly not this year.”
Before I can ask what she means she walks away, over to where Oliver is standing at the edge of the field with Oscar. Oliver hugs her and then must have asked her something as she nods her head emphatically. As they talk as a group I see Charley heading over to them. Oscar’s smile is a bit too wide for my liking, and I clearly see him look Charley up and down. I can’t tell if Charley notices, but I can’t tear my eyes away from them. Oscar congratulates Charley on the win, reaching out and placing a hand on the back of his shoulder before letting it slip down until it’s resting on the small of Charley’s back. A black feelingdescends and I grip the top bar of the fence I’m leaning on, my knuckles turning white. I want to stride over there and insert myself between them. To my relief, Charley moves away from Oscar’s touch, and after a few minutes he leaves them and heads towards the stables, reminding me that I too had promised to help with the horses afterwards as Kirsty was playing in the match. I follow Charley and catch up with him just before we reach the barn.
“What did Oscar want?” It comes out almost as a growl and Charley frowns at me.
“Iasked him whether he’d got the pictures and videos he needs forourpromotional stuff,” he says in clipped tones. We reach the barn and he turns abruptly away towards Arrow’s stall. Fuck! I hadn’t meant to piss Charley off, and I like Oscar, but the thought that he and Charley . . . no, I can’t, it makes me sick.
I set to work rubbing down Merlin and brushing off the dried sweat from his coat, leaning into the long strokes of the brush, allowing the movement to soothe me so the darkness dissipates and I can think clearly. I really want to tell Charley how I feel, but he was so vehement about his rule that he would never be involved with his boss again, and I want to respect that. There’s also the awkwardness and strain on our friendship if he doesn’t feel the same way. It might make it impossible to work together, and I’ve waited too long and worked too hard to let a small thing like my heart get in the way now.
Though I’ve made my decision, I feel empty and hollowed out as I turn Merlin out into the paddocks and go back to the house. We’re having an informal dinner for all the players and grooms today. My mother is of course organising it, as that’s her speciality and she wanted to be involved, though she did comeand watch the game earlier. I check in with her that everything is in hand before taking a shower and getting changed.
Most people have already arrived when I make my way into the dining room. It’s set out as a buffet and the double doors to the large drawing room next to it have been opened to allow guests to use the space. I wander through them, saying hello but not stopping any longer. I’m looking for Charley, but I can’t see him yet. I want to somehow make up for the fact he’s mad at me. He didn’t talk to me again while we were in the barn, and he disappeared as soon as he’d finished with Arrow. His silence spoke volumes to me and I want to make amends.
I can’t settle, and I keep moving until I’m pulled into a group by Linden tugging on my arm. He’s with Austin, but also Kirsty and Alexa. There’s also Kit, he’s one of Linden and Austin’s grooms, but he’s also Kirsty’s nephew. He worked for me for a few years when he left school at eighteen. All he ever wanted to do was work with horses and I gave him a job so Kirsty could teach him. Last year a job came available with Austin and he transferred over. As they run a horse transport business, flying horses all over the world, working for them is a bit more exciting and he said he wanted to see the world. It’s working out well for him.
