Page 21 of Quiver

Her hands tightened on the reins so much, Winston slowed.

“She liked the show. She always finds fun things like that. Most people won’t get it, but the two of us always—”

“If I wanted to know about who you were with while I was gone, I would’ve asked about her instead of the horse.”

Now it was Fletcher’s turn to laugh. “Wow.”

“What?”

“Didn’t take long for your temper to flare.”

“I don’t have a temper. I’m just not here to talk about her or replay any part of last night.” At least the last part was true. She still hated the way Ava’s existence hurt to even acknowledge, so she urged Winston to pick up the pace to something approaching a trot.

“Don’t hold out on me.” Fletcher steered Gabrielle right over a fallen branch as if the bump meant nothing to either of them. “What did you come here for?”

“I want a do-over.”

“On what?”

“Asking for your help.”

Fletcher shook her head. “I already told you—”

“It doesn’t matter.” She cut her off. “We didn’t have the right conversation, and it’s entirely my fault. I was overwhelmed and maybe a little resentful for having to come back to you on these terms. I didn’t even really ask. I sort of stated the facts and only the bare bones of those. You were right. I should’ve prepared a better speech, because this could be good for both of us.”

Fletcher scoffed. “It’s better for you though.”

“Maybe. I’m out of options. If I don’t get this part, I might have to pack it in, come back to Vermont, and teach drama at some local high school.”

Fletcher’s jaw twitched as she no doubt recognized the similarity to the plans their younger selves had made for their future, though this time they inspired less hope than dread.

“Maybe you’d love that. Maybe you want to see me fail, and I wouldn’t blame you one bit. But then it will have all been for nothing.” Winston picked up the tension in her voice or body, and lifted his head to scan for danger he couldn’t see, even if they could all feel it. “You would’ve been right all along, and I would’ve been wrong. You could bask in your superiority every time you drove past me on Main Street or bumped into me at the grocery store, and all it would’ve cost us is everything we believed in enough to sacrifice all we did.”

Fletcher looked anywhere but at Kylie as she seemed to consider the possibility.

“There’s no going back to what we were, and I’m not asking you to.” She pushed on. “But can’t we go forward together for a little way to cement the paths we’ve chosen? I can get this part. You can have the vindication of promoting the sport you loved enough to let me …”

Kylie caught herself before she went to a darker place. It wouldn’t serve her purpose today. “This film will undoubtedly raise the profile of mounted archery, and you could be a part of that on a professional level. It’ll also make me dependent on your skills. It’ll affirm we’re both doing exactly what we need to. What’s more, it’ll make sure we both stay on our own very different trajectories instead of crashing back into the same sphere with nothing to do but drown.”

“Stop selling me on something you haven’t even shared the fine print on,” Fletcher finally said. “Give me the details of what you’re asking.”

“Teach me mounted archery.”

“When.”

“I don’t have a date, but basically it’ll be about a month, two tops.”

Fletcher scoffed. “Do you know how long people train to be mounted archers?”

“Years,” she admitted, knowing even that was on the optimistic side of things.

“And in case you haven’t noticed,” Fletcher waved an arm around at their surroundings. “It’s the middle of winter.”

“I know.”

“Two months from right now isn’t nearly enough time.”

“I’m not starting from scratch. I know the basics. I can ride, and I’ve seen you shoot.”