“Fourteen seconds!” Rodrigo called out.
“Yes!” I celebrated while rubbing Athena’s neck.
I heard the loud revving of the engine and saw Riley sitting in his truck halfway down the drive. He had been watching me, I realized. He watched as Athena and I ran the course. His window was open, so I knew he heard Rodrigo call out the time. He heard that I had beaten him by four point seven seconds. The revving of his Ford truck told me he was pissed. He revved it one more time and then peeled off down the drive, going at a reckless speed.
Let him crash that pretty truck. Let his father rip him a new asshole. I loved to see his father reprimand him. It seemed like that was the only part of his life that was fair. He came from money. His father owned this farm, and it was pretty successful. Riley never went without anything. He had the newest trucks, the nicest riding equipment, and all the girls he could ever want. He didn’t have a job, except to compete professionally in the rodeo circuit, when he wanted. He spent all night partying at clubs and sleeping with nameless women.
It was fitting that his father would give him shit for the one thing that really seemed to matter to him, partying.
The truth was Riley didn’t think he needed anyone. He didn’t have much parenting and was used to people walking out of his life. Why I had expected him to one day change and confide in me was beyond me. I was just the girl who took care of the horses, the girl his father felt sorry for.
William, Riley’s father, liked me more than his own son—at least I thought. It was just another reason Riley resented me. I didn’t care, though; at least Riley had a living parent. I had none.
While his father wasn’t the nicest person, he expected the best from his son. Riley got his rocks off by upsetting his father. He loved to see how far he could push him. Over the years, Riley got away with a lot of stuff, but I could sense things were changing here at Golden Reys Farm.
William was more interested in breeding racehorses than he was in racing them. Depending on the horses, you could make fifty thousand dollars by studding out one horse to one mare. You’d have to own a triple crown winner to ask that much, but William was ambitious and had plans to acquire one. People were willing to pay more than I made in two years just for a horse with good genes.
Riley, I gathered, was more interested in keeping Golden Reys on the rodeo circuit map. He and his father had a shouting match about it last spring, right here in this little dirt arena. I almost wanted to go back to my trailer and grab a bag of popcorn to watch. I knew it would infuriate Riley, but I didn’t want to disrespect William. He did pay my checks and helped me out with adulting things here and there.
Athena and I ran the barrels a few more times before I led her out to the trails. I called out to Rodrigo and told him not to wait up. He should head back to his family who were probably waiting on him. His wife and two little girls adored him, and I couldn’t blame them. Rodrigo was a good man. He treated horses well, he’s respectful, and he was always giving me good advice.
He might tease me, but in my heart of hearts, I knew he really did care about me. He was the father figure I could use in my life. Not that William didn’t help fill that role; it was different now that he was my boss.
I took Athena out on the trail that headed back toward my stream. Golden Reys Farm was two hundred acres, with only seventy-five acres being maintained. There were one hundred twenty-five acres of woods behind the house, with several different trails. I entered the path marked with blue spray paint. A tall oak stood guard next to the path, wearing the paint proudly. This path would take me down to the lake. While I wouldn’t linger, I just wanted to hear the sound of the water flowing.
Riley had really gotten under my skin today. Not only did he push Tigger too hard and too far, he scared the shit out of one of the mares who was due to deliver a foal any week now. It was not wise to startle a mare like her, and it really pissed me off. I wasn’t sure if he did it to get under my skin or if he really had no regard for horses. It was probably a combination of both. I couldn’t stand him.
As long as I could remember Riley had been a jerk, even as a freckle-faced kid. He had made fun of me that my parents were just stable hands. To him, these were lowly positions and ammunition to use against me. His father had never bothered to discipline him as a kid, and he was paying for it now. Riley’s mother left when he was just a small child. He was maybe four of five, just barely old enough to remember her. I couldn’t even remember what she looked like now.
She preferred a life in the city, rather than the slow life on a high-class farm. I wasn’t sure what all that fuss was about, because this farm and these trails were my escape.
I wasn’t certain, but I thought he had a huge chip on his shoulder when it came to women because of his mother. He only had two consistent women in his life to take it out on: his step-mother and me. He wouldn’t dare insult her, knowing that might be the straw that could break his father’s back.
I thought back to what Riley had said earlier. Sure, I wasn’t a big-shot rodeo star. Girls didn’t follow me around from stop to stop to watch me compete. They didn’t ask me to take photos with them or autograph their bras like they did to Riley. I was lucky to only compete sporadically. I never had the opportunity to gain a following of any type. I didn’t make much money from it in the first place. But what I did make I managed to save.
When I had enough money saved, I wanted to go to veterinary school. I wanted to specialize in horse care. Horses might be in the blood of the Reys family, but I ate, slept and breathed equestrian life. I cared for these horses wellbeing more than anyone else in the history of this farm. I was sure of it.
The sun was going down as I brought Athena back to her stall. I put away her tack, brushed her down, left her some hay, and closed up the stable behind me. I walked to my trailer about two hundred yards away from the barn. It wasn’t big or fancy like the main mansion, but it was home.
I lived there in solitude, and before that, I shared the place with my parents. Those were happier times. Now I lived in comfortable silence. I only answered to Mr. Reys and the horses, and I preferred it that way. I really didn’t even have any friends. That was another consequence of knowing Riley Reys and making my way onto his shit list. He was vicious to me in school. Some followed his lead and bullied me, while a vast majority avoided me to avoid any secondhand retaliation from Riley.
Looking back as an adult, I knew that I let him do this, in part. I was quiet and shy. The idea of going out and having to convince others to be my friend seemed terrifying. Riley’s rage and jealousy were just the icing on my cake of solitude. Now, being alone was comfortable; being alone was my solace. I didn’t like people, I didn’t like crowds, and I didn’t like attention of any sort.
I had lost many things in my life, and most of it was Riley’s fault. He thought he had reasons to hate me, but I had more reasons to hate him. So many more. The only difference was that he hated me first, and my reasons were validated. His were the workings of a confused eight-year-old boy.
I walked over to the freezer and pulled out some Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. I settled in on the couch, in my dirty clothes and all, and turned on Netflix. I was eager to forget any and everything about my life. I’d rather watch someone else’s shit show.
Two
Riley
“Fuck!” I said after rolling up with windows to my truck.
Emma once again got into the arena to show me up and put me in my place. Just like her mom had forced her to do seven years ago. This time she wasn’t on my horse; she had her own.
I wouldn’t have said I was “jealous” of Emma, but I wished I had her passion for horses. I didn’t have much passion for anything other than chasing tail and winning titles.
All of my problems stemmed from Emma, and I couldn’t seem to get rid of her, no matter how hard I tried. She wass more persistent than an STD.
