The Riding Master (33 page)

Rayne nonchalantly shrugged. “I think you’re reading way too much into my relationship with the man.”

“You know I’m right.”

Rayne urged Bob along. “I have to get ready for the competition.”

“I hope you’re ready for a showdown, Rayne.”

“Bob’s ready.”

“I wasn’t talking about that kind of showdown,” Rebecca objected with a grunt.

After clearing the shade of the barn, Rayne led Bob out into the early morning sunshine. “Never mind her,” she mumbled to the horse. “We’ve got a blue ribbon to win.”

But as she rode toward the warm up area, Rayne kept looking over her shoulder for Trent. Suddenly, she was terrified that what Rebecca had told her might actually be true.

***

Atop Bob and decked out in her tight white jodhpurs, shiny black boots, black velvet riding hat, black jacket, and white, high collar shirt, Rayne memorized the course posted for her jumping class outside the show ring gate. Nervous butterflies danced in her belly as a competitor on a dapple-gray gelding took a turn over the fences.

“You better keep off his neck when you’re clearing the water fence, otherwise he’ll tip the edge,” a smoky voice directed next to Bob.

Over Bob’s right shoulder she saw Trent with a condescending sneer plastered on his face. “Remember to give him at least three full strides before that touch and go,” he added, gazing up at her.

“Thanks for the tip.” She watched the leggy gray in the show ring knock down a pole on the blue and white double oxer fence.

“You know I’m still your boss, and I want to make sure you win this.”

“I realize that.” She kept her eyes on the ring, evading his devastating gaze.

“So the least you could do is listen to me.”

“What makes you think I’m not listening to you?”

“Because you’re not looking at me.” He slapped her right boot, making Rayne’s eyes turn to him. “Take him slow through the course, and try to stay clean over the fences. You need a clear round to make the jump-off.”

“I’m not an idiot, Trent. I know what I need to do.”

He smirked at her. “Could have fooled me.”

“Are you finished?”

“No…win this class, otherwise I won’t show you my surprise.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “What surprise?”

A round of applause from the audience kept Rayne from getting an answer from him.

“You’re up,” Trent clamored, and led Bob to the entrance of the show ring.

She leaned forward in the saddle to him. “What surprise?”

Entertained by her curiosity, his grin deepened. “Only if you win.” He patted Bob’s round rump. “Now get in there.”

Rayne was glancing angrily back at him as she rode in the gate. She became so distracted by his promise of a surprise that she almost forgot which fence to jump first. Gathering up her reins, she straightened her back and took in a calming breath. Rayne reviewed the fences set up throughout the interior of the wide ring, going over the course in her head. She could hear the murmur of the crowd, and smell the aroma of dust and horses in the air. Somewhere in the distance a single horse whinnied, breaking into the stillness of the show ring.  

“All right, buddy, let’s rock.”

Urging Bob into a canter, she deftly circled him around the front portion of the ring, making the customary courtesy circle expected of all competitors before starting the course. When the first fence loomed before them, Rayne forgot all about Trent, Rebecca, Foster, and the world outside of that white fence railing. It was just her, and Bob, and all those jumps that mattered.

They cleared the first hurdle resembling the green and white barn of the host stables, and then cantered on to the water jump. After taking three more fences, she looked ahead to the touch and go Trent had warned her of. Trent. She wanted to laugh at loud at his last minute coaching. She cleared the first part of the touch and go, let Bob’s feet just touch the ground, and encouraged him on to the very close second fence, not letting him take a stride. After clearing two more jumps, she spied the last one on the course; a big three-tiered monster that all the other horses had knocked down.

“Last one, Bob. Let’s finish clean.”

Bob’s pace quickened when he saw the last fence. She held the reins steady, curtailing his exuberance, wanting him to let loose right before the imposing hurdle so he could use his energy to jump up and over. Three long strides before the fence, she slacked up on the reins to give him his head, and Bob responded. He charged the last three strides to the fence, and just in the right spot he took to the air, forcing his body upward with his powerful hind end.

Rayne always loved this feeling, the moment of flight when she and the horse were one over the jump. Making sure she did not put too much of her weight on his shoulders, she hugged the saddle with her knees as they descended over the other side of the wide fence. When his feet hit the ground, Rayne wanted to shout out loud. He had cleared the entire course, and they had the first clean round in the competition.

Applause roared through the air as soon as they were over the last jump. Rayne patted Bob’s neck as they cantered to the ring entrance. Slowing him down, she performed the final customary exit circle to show the judge that she had complete control of the horse, and headed to the gate.

As soon as she left the ring, Trent was there, clapping enthusiastically. “Couldn’t have done it better myself.”

She directed Bob to the side of the entrance. “That’s a first, admitting someone bested you, the riding master.”

He came up to her and patted her black boot. “You bested me the moment we met, Rayne.”

She dismounted and went around to Bob’s head, keeping one hand on the reins. “Don’t talk like that, Trent.”

“Why not?”

Rayne removed her black velvet riding hat, letting her honey-blonde hair fall about her shoulders. “I told you, it wouldn’t work between us.”

“So you’re just going to let Selene win.”

She became acutely aware of his wide chest, and how the top buttons of his white polo shirt were open, offering a peek of his tanned chest. “What has Selene got to do with us?”

He folded his thick arms over his chest, distracting Rayne even more. “Lisa told me everything when she came over that day…about how Selene had arranged for her and Foster to be at that party. She also confessed that Selene had said I was anxious to return to Shelby Stables, and that’s why she showed up with the offer. Lisa assumed I was interested in returning to her bed, as well. When I confronted Selene about all of her lies, she had no choice but to admit to it.”

She shifted her focus to Bob, standing calmly beside her. “You confronted her? When?”

“The day after you ran out of my house. I threatened to fire her and then have Rebecca call her husband and let him know what she had been up to. After that, she was very forthcoming.” He mashed his thin lips together in a disgusted grimace. “You were right about her. She was trying to drive a wedge between us.”

The tension that had been twisting in Rayne’s gut for the past few days eased a little. “Thank you for telling me, but it really—”

“So that’s what you do,” a woman’s craggy voice intruded.

Rayne searched the crowd for the owner of that all too familiar voice.

Standing by Bob’s rump and wearing a violet, long-sleeved A-line dress that hugged her frail figure, Estelle appeared painfully out of place.

“Mother? What are you doing here?”

“Surprise,” Trent whispered in her ear.

She turned to him. “You brought her?”

“Trent and I had a long chat the other day when he came to visit me,” Estelle disclosed, stepping forward. “He told me you had a show this weekend, and when I mentioned that I would love to see you in action, he offered to have me brought here.”

“But you never wanted to come to my shows in the past, Mother.”

Estelle wiped some dust from her low-heeled black pumps. “Well, now I do. I need to see what it is you find so damned fascinating about this sport.”

Rayne’s eyes glided over her mother’s neatly coiffed blonde hair and perfectly made-up face. “I jumped a clear round.”

“Which means you’re up for a ribbon.” She nodded her head. “Trent told me. He explained it to me while you were in the ring.”

The clang of a pole falling inside the show ring made Trent careen his head around to see what had happened. A fat black thoroughbred had knocked a pole from the troublesome last triple fence to the ground.

“One more rider to go. You’re definitely going to place in the top two,” he pronounced.

Rayne took in the enthusiasm in his eyes. Determined to keep it professional, she tried to harden her heart against him, but it was not working.

When he saw her staring up at him, Trent cleared his throat and waved to the practice area beside them. “I’d better go and check on Selene and the other riders. They’re getting ready to start the dressage portion of the show in the back ring.”

“Sure.” Rayne situated her riding hat on the pummel of Bob’s saddle. “And thanks for the help.”

He smiled at her, but it lacked his usual sparkle. This smile was all business. “That’s my job,” he gruffly replied, and then with one last pat on Bob’s rump, he walked away.

As he ventured across the busy practice ring, his black hair bobbed about in the brisk October breeze as his short brown riding boots kicked up the dust around him. When Rayne’s eyes settled on his firm butt beneath his brown riding pants, that familiar tingle came alive in her gut.

“So you want to tell me why you ran away from him? Seems to me you’re still real interested, Raynie.”

Rayne’s right hand squeezed Bob’s reins as she confronted her mother. “Why did you tell Foster about Trent and me? From the way he told it, you were trying to get us back together.”

“Together? Ha!” Estelle cackled. “I got a hold of Foster to get information on real estate agents. He was the one who asked me about you and Trent. He went on and on about seeing you two at that party, so I told him the truth. I can’t believe he said anything to you.”

“He did more than that. He showed up at my house. Even apologized for sleeping with Connie, and pleaded for a second chance.”

Estelle’s nostrils flared. “I hope you told him to go to hell.”

Rayne’s mouth fell open. “I’m confused. Don’t you want me to get back together with my rich ex-husband?”

“No, that’s not what I want. Foster Greer never made you happy, and it’s time you find someone who does.”

“I didn’t think you cared about my happiness, Mother.”

Estelle’s shrewd blue eyes studied her. “I know I haven’t been a mother to you, Raynie. I won’t stand here and pretend we’ve had a good relationship. I wish I could take back many of the things I’ve said and done, but I can’t.” She shifted closer to her daughter. “I’m not asking you to forgive me; I don’t want that. I simply want to spend whatever time I have left trying to have a relationship with you that isn’t founded in anger.”

Rayne bit down on her lip, struggling to keep the tears from her eyes. “Why the sudden change of heart, Mother? We’ve been going toe-to-toe since the moment I was born.” She sniffled. “Why now?”

Estelle tugged at the strap of her black leather purse slung over her arm. “When Trent showed up on my doorstep and invited me to this horse show, I laughed at him, knowing you would hate having me here, but after a while he made me see that perhaps I was wrong.” She paused and watched as the last of the riders in Rayne’s event entered the ring. “He told me a lot of things about you, and…he made me realize how little I know about you. We talked for quite a while about you and him, and about my drinking. He said it was never too late to try with you, and that my biggest mistake would be not trying at all.”

Rayne played with the reins in her hand. “I can’t believe he went to see you.”

“I may be an old fool who has been blind to a lot of things in life, but I still know love when I see it.” Estelle edged her daughter’s head up. “And that man loves you.”

Rayne lowered her mother’s hand from her chin. “Even if he did love me, it can never last. He’s a man who has been with a lot of women. He’ll grow tired of me and move on, just like he has done in the past.”

“You’re wrong, Raynie. He’s a better man than Foster. Foster was only motivated to help others when it suited his needs; Trent’s not like that. He didn’t visit me with the hopes of getting the two of you back together. In fact, he never mentioned it. He did it for you. He wanted me here for you, and all the things he said were for your benefit and mine. He gained nothing by doing any of this.”

A loud crashing noise came from the center of the show ring. Rayne turned to see that the last entrant, a strawberry roan with a silver tail, had just knocked down two poles from one of the double oxer fences at the start of the course. Rayne’s heart soared with relief; she had won the event.

“Does that mean you’re the winner?”

“Yes, Mother. I’ve won the blue ribbon.”

“Congratulations. Now don’t you think there’s someone you should share this victory with?”

Rayne contemplated the green and white barn behind her and then her eyes traveled to the back ring. In the distance, the dressage competitors were warming up outside of the white railings of their show ring.