Page 137 of Forbidden Forget-Me-Not

“You think you scare me?”

I don’t fucking care what you think. What I know is that I’ll end you.

Kaylani didn’t need a scene before her biggest class, so I kept those thoughts to myself.

“I think you’re not sure if you should be,” I said with a smirk and walked away, not looking back.

Kaylani’s number was called, and I watched her enter the ring, determination etched into her features. I made it over to Corey and Ehren just as the judge rang the bell for her to start. The three of us stood frozen, holding our breath.

This course was unforgiving, and the heat of the day made it even harder. The layout was shorter, but all the hardest obstacles remained. Tall verticals. Wide oxers. Tight turns.

Be fast, jump hard, and don’t screw up, or a rail is coming down.

The triple combination sat in the center like a trap. My hand clenched as she rode. Atlas’s ears pricked forward, his eyes locked on the target.

Kaylani and Atlas were born for this. No hesitation, no fear. Atlas met the first element clean, landed, and covered the single stride before arcing through the air. On the third, she yelled “Up,” and the growl gave him the extra oomph they needed. They cleared the jump with inches to spare.

Applause filled the arena. She made a hard turn, shaving time off the clock as they raced for the final jump. It was a long gallop. Atlas stretched his stride, eating the ground beneath them. My heart pounded in time with his his hooves.

“Good. Now rein him in,” Ehren whispered.

Kaylani did exactly that and sat Atlas back on his powerful hindquarters.

“Good, don’t bury him too close to the jump,” Ehren mumbled under his breath. I didn’t know who was more anxious, him or me.

They reached the sweet spot and she released her hold on the powerful stallion. They soared, landed clean, and she yipped and hollered as they crossed the finish line, stopping the clock.

The crowd cheered with excitement, and Kaylani gave Atlas his neck, patting him as she beamed and waved at three girls shouting her name. It was a clear round and so far, the fastest time.

She trotted out of that ring glowing. For a moment, the world felt simple.

Ehren laughed, proud, as Kaylani replayed the jumps.

“I’m going to watch the rest of the riders,” he said, leaving us to our celebrating.

“That was awesome,” Corey said, patting Atlas as she fed him a sugar cube.

“It felt awesome. He’s getting so much stronger, but in a good way. Not like he’s trying to drag me around the course, just able to sustain the pressure of these long shows better.”

“I’ll walk him around to cool out,” Corey offered, and Kaylani slid from the saddle.

I smirked as she loosened her girth and watched Corey lead Atlas away. As her gaze turned to me, my heart skipped a beat. The love and happiness shining in her captivating blue eyes was otherworldly, and I didn’t feel deserving of such a look.

She threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. I held her, forgetting for just a moment that we shouldn’t touch like this.

“You saw that?”

She let go and practically bounced in place, her energy addictive.

“Of course I saw. It was incredible. You were incredible.”

“I’m shaking, I’m so amped up.” She held out her hand to show me.

We stepped out of the warm-up area to give the last few riders space.

“You have a real shot at first,” I said, squeezing her shoulder.

“God, I can’t even imagine what competing on a team will be like if this is what it feels like trying to qualify.”