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Shifting my weight to one side, I cross my arms. “What made your school so different?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know if it was the kids or the parents—or dealing with hurricanes every year.”
I lift my chin. “Right. You learned to have each other’s backs.”
“Either way, we weren’t about punching down, and we didn’t tolerate kids who did.”
The sound of footsteps on the stairs ends our conversation. I take a final sip of coffee as I finish off my breakfast.
When Edward appears around the corner, I hold up the second one from the package. “Are you hungry?”
He steps forward to take it from me. “Strawberry?”
“Always.”
He nods, taking a bite before heading to the door.
“What’s that?” Zane holds the door as I leave.
“Kellogg’s Strawberry Pop-Tarts. The only toaster pastry worth eating.”
“Noted.”
Shiloh is a gorgeous horse.I don’t know how tall he is. I do know horses’ heights are measured in hands, but I’ve never known how it works. All I know is he’s tall. My head comes up to the base of his neck. His body is a smooth brown with almost black stockings. A white spot on his head looks like a heart, and he’s proud.
He’s also extremely gentle, which is unusual for a racehorse.
“We try to get ones that have been gelded for whatever reason,” Gloria explains as we walk with her down the hall of the barn past stall after stall of beautiful, shiny horses. “A lot of them are kept for studs, but these old guys weren’t just lame, they didn’t bring in money. So nobody wanted them.”
“They’re so beautiful.”
“No prizes for beauty in the racing game. It’s all about the speed and the endurance—and the money. Above all, the money.”
We stop at the arena, and Edward stands beside Shiloh. Zane is with him, and Gloria goes to the horse’s other side. My stomach is somehow tight and churning at the same time.
Edward has never done anything like this, but when we got here, he went straight into the stall and started brushing the tall animal without any hesitation.
“Ready to ride?” Zane’s tone is upbeat yet calm.
Edward studies the horse in front of him. Shiloh is wearing a traditional western saddle, and he lowers his head before jerking it back up again like he’s trying to nod.
“Looks like Shiloh’s ready,” Gloria’s calm voice contains a smile, and she turns to my brother. “What do you think, Edward? It’s okay if you want to wait a few more days.”
My brother glances at me briefly and seems to make a decision. “I’m ready. The chances of me being seriously injured by a fall from a horse simply walking are very slim.”
My breath catches. I wasn’t told he could be hurt. I thoughtyou could only get hurt riding a horse if you were running or doing fancy jumps or something professional-level like that.
“You’ll be fine. Put one hand on the saddle horn and the other on the back.” Zane’s low voice is confident, and he helps Edward latch his foot in the stirrup. “If you need the step…”
Before he can finish, Edward lifts himself off the ground and tosses a leg over Shiloh’s back. My stomach jumps, but he’s sitting with perfect posture on the elegant horse.
He looks like a natural, and my eyes heat. “You did it!”
“Do you want to take a picture?” Sandra is at my side, and I jump.
“Thanks.” I huff a laugh, digging out my phone. “I would’ve completely forgotten.”
“We get that a lot.” Her voice is warm, and I hold up my phone.
