She saw Leo holding Ryder’s hand. She saw the smile on Ryder’s face.
She didn't look angry. She didn't look panicked.
She looked heartbroken.
She walked over.
"Mom!" Leo shouted. "I touched the horse! Ryder showed me! He said I'm the boss!"
Elena stopped. She looked at Leo’s radiant face. Then she looked at Ryder.
"You broke the rules," she said softly.
"He was scared," Ryder said simply. "I fixed it."
Elena looked at the foal. Then back at Ryder. She saw something in his eyes—a tenderness she hadn't seen in six years.
"Go get in the car, Leo," she said, her voice trembling slightly. "We need to go."
"Can Ryder come?"
"No. Ryder has to stay here."
Leo hugged Ryder’s leg—the cast.
"Bye, Pirate," he said.
"Bye, Cowboy," Ryder choked out.
Leo ran to the car.
Elena stayed for a second.
"You're good with him," she whispered. It sounded like an accusation.
"He's my blood, Elena. Of course I'm good with him."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she said.
She turned and walked away.
Ryder watched them go. He looked at his hand, the one that had held his son’s.
He felt the pull. The gravity.
And he knew, then and there, that the contract in his pocket for Tulsa wasn't a ticket to freedom anymore. It was a betrayal.
But he needed the money. He needed to be worthy of the boy. He needed to be the King, not the Cripple.
He gripped the fence rail.
"I'll win it for you, Leo," he whispered. "I'll win it all."
CHAPTER 8: THE GRAVITY OF GLORY
I. The Suicide Run
Tuesday night was the deadline.
