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“Yes,” Henry said while nodding, “but it’s more than that. You can demonstrate those skills by showing off his freedom and the regularity of his pace. How smoothly does he move? It’s like a dance. All we need to do is choreograph it. As long as he can demonstrate those movements while accepting the bridle, then you’ll be golden. We need to work out any tenseness or resistance he might have.”
“That sounds like a lot to remember.”
“That’s not all.”
She sighed. “Oh, good. I thought this was going to be too easy.” Her sarcasm still amused him. He was able to see a lot more of her personality the more time they spent together. She lifted her eyes to his after having dropped them to the floor. “What else is there?”
He stepped forward and tapped her temple. “You have to do it all from memory.”
“From memory? They won’t tell me what to show them?”
Henry shook his head. “It’s a test. You will start on one end and showcase anything they’ll be looking for.”
She groaned. “I’m beginning to regret this decision.”
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“There’s more?”
“Don’t click your tongue or talk to him. You lose points that way. You just have to show what Beast is capable of with pressure from the way you’re riding or squeezing him with your legs.”
“And you seriously think I can do this?” The hesitancy in her voice said it all. She didn’t believe she could do it. That, or she didn’t know if he did.
He grazed her cheek with his thumb, trailing his touch down until he was gently cupping her chin in his hand. “I know you can. It feels like a lot. I get that. But we have time. We’ll work on technique first, and then we’ll move into the boring stuff like rules and regulations.” He made a face. “Because who really likes to have to follow rules?”
“That’s how you win.” Harley materialized behind him, causing Athena’s demeanor to completely shut down. She stiffened and her lips pressed together. While Athena would speak here or there about Beast, she didn’t engage in small talk with the others, and if she did, he wasn’t privy to it.
Harley nodded to the helmet. “So, you’re gonna do it, huh? Are you nervous?”
Athena shook her head.
“Good. Because I’m sure the animals can sense it, and by that, I mean the judges.” Harley snickered, glancing from one to the other. Athena’s flat expression said more than words ever could.
Henry chuckled. “But seriously, the judges can be sticklers. They see a thousand horses every season. If you want to win, you’re going to have to do the work.”
Harley nudged him with her elbow. “Who says she has to win?” She set her eyes on Athena and winked. “I say have fun. If it’s not fun, it isn’t worth it. That’s why I got this.” She pulled her collar to the side to show off a Carpe Diem tattoo she had just below her shoulder. These days she wore more T-shirts than she used to. Henry couldn’t tell if she’d finally settled down from the person Mason had described when he first met her, or if she was doing it to make Henry’s brother happy.
Mason was more reserved, which made their pairing that much stranger.
Athena glanced at the tattoo and then lifted her gaze to Harley. “I know I’ll have fun.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.” Harley grinned. She nodded to them both, releasing her T-shirt collar, then moved past them into the barn.
They both watched her disappear inside then Henry turned to Athena. “She’s right about one thing. I don’t want you to do this if you’re not going to have fun.”
It was small, nuanced, in fact. Athena’s eyes darted to his and for a millisecond he thought he could see some irritation hiding in the depths of the forests behind her gaze. Then just as quickly as it had appeared, it disappeared. She adjusted her hold on her helmet, turning her focus to it as she spoke. “I thought you wanted me to do this because it’d be good for me to get out of my comfort zone.”
“That too,” he hedged. “It’s always good to try new things. You’ve been doing that since you got here.”
“And what about you? Have you been trying anything new?”
He hated how much he was thrown off by her question. What was he doing to better himself? He couldn’t think of anything big. She was right. After all his insistence on making changes for the better, he hadn’t done much for himself.
“That’s what I thought.” Athena said it under her breath, but it was loud enough that he caught it. She didn’t even give him a chance to form a rebuttal as she immediately slipped into the barn and headed for Beast’s stall.
20
Athena
