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“Deborah?”

“Our press secretary. Now that we’re officially courting, we’ll still keep things quiet until it’s time for a formal announcement to go out. But in the meantime, with the interest already generated from my father’s ball, we thought it would be best to give them another crumb to keep them satiated and at bay.”

Officially courting? Did I miss something? He hasn’t asked me to be his girlfriend yet.

But maybe that was just implied?

“Oh,” I say, the reins growing tight in my grip. “I didn’t realize so much was happening behind the scenes.” A small bit of frustration seeps into my tone, but I paste on a demure smile. “Will we need to release a statement with the photos?”

Lock keeps sauntering along. “No. And if we do, Deborah will handle it.”

I can read between the lines. It’s nothing that concerns me, and I should just drop it.

Ire bubbles my blood, but I quickly tamp it down. It’s one less thing for me to have to worry about. And best to be left to the experts.

So I pivot to a different part of the conversation. “So our courtship.” I swallow. “It’s official, then?”

Lock gives me an odd look. “Yes? I thought that was obvious.” The way he says it, with an undercurrent of condensation, rubs me the wrong way.

“It’s just that we never discussed our next steps, or have used the title boyfriend and girlfriend yet.” I attempt to laugh and lighten my statement, but it falls flat.

“I thought we were both on the same page about where this is heading.”

“We are.”

His hands tighten around Maximus’s reins. “Then what is the issue?”

“There isn’t one. I was… just confused and trying to get clarity. But it’s all cleared up.”

Lock stares straight ahead silently. I regret even prodding at it.

There really shouldn’t be an issue. I don’t know what I was thinking even implying that I’m questioning him, or what’s being done on our behalf. My mother would be livid right now if she knew I had pushed back at all.

I know better.

The amount of times I’ve told myself that lately should be enough to finally make it stick.

We come around a bend and the stables appear in the distance. An idea pops into my head, knowing our time is coming to an end.

Desperate to lighten the mood, I pull Alice a little closer to Maximus. “Those are the stables up ahead, correct?”

Lock nods. “We’re almost done with the loop.”

I adjust my thighs to get a better grip on Alice. That familiar buzz I felt on the cliff radiates, making my fingers tingle and my gut swirl. We need something to break this tension. I don’t want to end the ride like this.

I hunch forward but keep my head up and eyes fixed on the stables. “Race you to the finish!”

I squeeze my feet into her sides at the same time I slacken her reins. She takes the command immediately and shoots off. I cry out, my laugh joyous and free as we cleave the wind. My braid flops against my back with each jostling movement of Alice’s steps. It’s not a full sprint but fast enough for the wind to bring tears to my eyes.

We’ve covered almost half the ground before I chance a look over my shoulder to see if Lock and Maximus are gaining ground, but they’re a mere speck. Disappointment cracks through the elation of our gallop.

I check once more before I prepare to slow Alice down, to see if maybe he was trying to pull a fast one on me, but nope.

He’s still far back, seemingly riding along at the same pace as before.

I pull back on Alice’s reins when we reach the edge of the fence where the other horses wander around. She slows to a trot, then to an even walk. A water trough is on the other side of the stable, and Alice strides right for it. As soon as she stops, I dismount. I relish the ache in my thighs and lower back, so familiar and so long forgotten.

I stroke her neck while she drinks, holding onto her reins until someone comes out to take her.