I take a cursory look in the mirror attached to my dresser and sigh. I pull my hair back into a ponytail. “I was wondering, since your family is close by and all, why do you live on campus?”
“Well, my parents travel a lot. But I’m not a trust-fund brat. Those kids, it’s just easier for their parents to toss money at them than to have them at home. For my parents, my dad is a movie producer and my mom”—she is blushing.—“is an actress. See, they just feel that because of my commitment to my horse, Fairmont is the best place for me. They don’t have to worry about me here, and when they’re home, I always visit on the weekends. In fact, you should come with me this weekend. My mom is going to be home from her location shoot in Sweden and my dad is in town, too. Thought I’d go up on Friday night. But wait, it’s parents’ weekend. Is your mom coming?”
“Not this time. She can’t. The flight is expensive. Maybe I’ll go up with you, but I kind of wanted to ride Harmony outside of a lesson. We seem to be having a hard time connecting.” I had planned to take Harmony on a trail ride. I thought it might be a good chance to see if the mare and I might bridge the gap between us by going out on our own for a bit.
“I’m only going up Friday evening for dinner. My parents are great, and they love when I bring friends home.”
“Okay then. Sure. Thanks.”
Why am I being standoffish with her and Riley? Got to let my guard down. I realize this, I really do. But it’s not easy. “Can I ask who your mom is?”
She blushes more deeply. “Erika Martín.”
“Oh my God! Erika Martín! She is so beautiful and an amazing actress. I loved her in A Time to Despair when she kills the bad guy! She’s your mom? I can’t believe it!” I look at Martina’s face. I frown. “Sorry. This probably the exact opposite of how you want people to act around you.”
Martina nods but with a smile. “It’s okay, really. I just don’t like to make a big deal out of it. That’s why I waited to tell you. I’ve had my share of grief around here because of who my parents are.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, as we enter the cafeteria.
Martina gives me a head nod toward the DZ.
“Let me guess… jealousy issue?”
“Something like that.” Martina waves at Riley, who is already waiting at our usual table.
I can’t help but take note of the watchful eyes of the DZ turning to look our way. It’s a quartet of frosty glares—Alicia, Shannon, Lydia, and Emily. The guys in the DZ are less involved in the drama. Except Nate Deacon, who is always ass-grabbing the girls in the DZ and then winking at me. Oh yeah. That just totally turns me on. That guy is such a tool. I have taken the tack of ignoring him. Hasn’t seemed to faze him one bit. He wiggles his fingers at me in a slight wave.
I start to turn away from the DZ table, and I see that not only are the girls and Nate watching us, but so is Tristan. Only he isn’t glaring. There is something else in his eyes, and I feel a rush go through me.
Martina is sure that Riley has a thing for me, although he hasn’t abandoned his position as Shannon’s “go-to guy” to join our little threesome. Riley is obviously super good-looking, and a ton of girls at the school want to go out with him. He has now been nothing but nice to me, but I just don’t feel it. To be honest, I don’t feel it from Riley either, despite Martina’s insistence of his crush on me. Granted, when Austen kissed me at my going-away party, that threw me for a loop, too, but we had been flirting back and forth since the eighth grade, so I can sort of wrap my brain around that. But not Riley. It just doesn’t ring true for me.
Then there’s Tristan. Since he found me in Harmony’s stall passed out, I have been having a tough time getting him out of my mind. I want to. Trust me. I really do. The last thing I need or want is a boyfriend. Guys bring trouble. Relationships cause problems and interfere with goals and hopes and dreams. I know this from experience. I was there as a ten-year-old to pick Mom up after Lane left us. Just left…
I know I will have to deal with my so-called father. He runs in equestrian circles on the East Coast, and if I continue to pursue my goals, Lane and I will eventually have a face-to-face. But for now, I just cannot afford to let him, or any guy, get in my way. Including Tristan.
Besides, who am I kidding? Tristan has no interest in me, probably nothing but pity for the new girl that his obnoxious girlfriend enjoys giving a hard time. He hasn’t really said much to me since he found me that day on the ground. He’s in my barn management class, which I think is interesting because it requires a lot of work, and most everyone knows that big money does not come from managing a barn. People usually do it because they truly love the horses and hard work. So I have to admit that Tristan’s interest in the course has made me wonder a little more deeply about him. Or is he like Nate Deacon, who had no choice because he hadn’t been able to get his first option in an extracurricular class?
Martina and I go through the line opting for our usual salad—then I add a bowl of mac and cheese. We make our way to Riley and sit down.
“My ladies,” Riley says in a silly, deep voice. “About time you bitches arrived.”
“Hey, pimp daddy.” Martina giggles.
He smiles. “You guys look over our history project? I suck at those kind of projects. This school is so big on team crap. I hate it.”
“Oh come on, Ri. It won’t be that hard,” I say. “Why don’t the three of us do it together? Mr. Howard said we had that option.”
“I know, but don’t you think the team choice is harder?” Martina comments.
Our history teacher, Mr. Howard, has given us our first major assignment for the quarter. We can choose an event in history that could not have occurred or would not have happened as it had without horses. We then have to present the project as a film piece or something art-related that we put together with both an oral and written report—or it could be as if we were presenting the news on TV. I kind of think it sounds cool. Never in a million years would a project like this have been assigned at my old high school.
The other option is to take the individual choice and do the complete history of the horse, and present it in report form with visual aids. I think that sounds kind of boring, and also kind of easy to half-ass it. I like a challenge.
“Think of it. We could do some kind of documentary. The three of us could look into different areas and present it. What if we did something about the Olympics and the history of horses in the Olympics? We could interview Newman Becker. I mean, he’s right here on campus, and don’t we all have that one goal in common?” I ask.
“What goal?” Riley replies.
“To go to the Olympics? Isn’t that why we’re here?”
“Not all of us,” Martina says.
Riley shakes his head. “I like riding and I love my horse, but I can’t say that’s my ultimate goal.”
“It’s not really mine either,” Martina says. “I’m here to learn all that I can about horses and riding, but eventually I want to go into film like my parents. For now, this is what I love, though.”
“Okay. It seems I’m a lonely minnow in the big ocean of ambition.”
They laugh.
“But if you really want to go into film, Martina, isn’t this a good idea?” I ask.
“It sounds hard, though.”
“We’re here because it’s supposed to be easy?”
“Ah, you are a smart one, Vivvie. One of the three dozen things I like about you.” Riley winks at me.
My stomach knots. I can’t deny the guy’s cuteness factor, but all I want is a friend. I swear. “Good. So, you guys are in?”
We all toast to our project.
“You know, you aren’t the only one who has Olympic dreams,” Riley says.
“Oh yeah?”
“Lydia does, too.”
And as if the DZ queen has telepathy, she is, at that moment, in earshot of our table, getting a refill on her diet soda. She flips around and saunters over. “My name is being uttered among you. Why?”
“I was just telling Vivienne here that like her, you have the goal of the gold,” Riley says.
Lydia pauses before saying anything and pointedly looks at my dinner. “I’m not too worried about competition from Scholarship.” My name for her little group, the DZ, has not fallen on deaf ears; they in turn pinned me with the name Scholarship.
“Not now, or in the future,” she continues. “It’s obvious that you won’t be able to stay fit enough to compete at high levels. I mean, come on, Vivienne—macaroni and cheese? Keep eating like that, and there won’t be a horse who will want to pack your fat ass around.”
Riley places a hand over mine and Martina grabs the other, probably figuring that I am about ready to stand up and shove Lydia’s face into the pasta.
“Lydia, don’t worry about my diet,” I say. “What you should worry about is our first event. It’s in what? Two weeks? Then we’ll see who winds up with a blue and who might actually have the potential to go all the way.”
She turns on her heels and heads back to her zone, where she immediately begins planning my demise, I’m sure.
“Nice comeback, Vivvie!” Martina says.
“Thanks.” I force a smile. The thing is that as much of a bitch as Lydia Gallagher is, I’ve watched the girl ride—she can ride. She has a talented horse, and she also has talent. I look down at my high-calorie meal and pray that the words I just threatened my nemesis with aren’t ones that I will be eating.
RILEY
CHAPTER thirteen
Riley has decided to do something bold to make it clear that he isn’t returning into Shannon’s arms, or to what Vivvie has coined the DZ. He loves that she’s done that and finds it amusing. He knows Lydia and her sidekicks are not happy with him, but Shannon is still attempting to hook him back.
He likes Vivienne Taylor and her smart mouth. He likes that she doesn’t let Lydia and her group get to her. In all honesty, he likes Vivvie. She isn’t pushy or clingy. She’s smart and sweet, and like him, she is at Fairmont for what seem to be the right reasons.
He is there to learn, too, but he also knows deep inside that his reasons might not be as noble as Vivvie’s. Riley has a real need to escape his family. He can’t take his father’s sermons and lectures. His parents are unrealistic and judgmental—strict and condescending. He plays nice and he plays along, but when he’s at home for breaks, all he wants to do is get back to Fairmont.
His father, in particular, is intimidating and difficult. Riley had been shocked when they agreed to allow him to attend Fairmont. But the few thousand miles that separated Riley and his family in Virginia was still not enough. Riley is already making plans for after graduation. He knows he’ll be cut off from his family’s money once he put his plans into fruition, but he also knows that if he doesn’t take the risk, he’ll never get out from under their heavy thumb.
As they leave the cafeteria, Riley touches Vivienne’s shoulder. “Um, can you walk with me? I want to ask you something.” He smiles at Martina.
“You guys go on. I have to get back and finish my Spanish homework. We can get started on our project later.”
“Sounds good,” Riley replies. “Vivienne?”
“Yeah. Great. Okay. I have a lot of homework too, but sure I can walk with you. Where are we going?”
“Why don’t we go see our horses?” Riley asks. He’s nervous, and he really hopes that what he wants to ask Vivienne won’t ruin anything between them. Like everything in his life, Riley needs to play this close to the vest, and hope he can keep it all together. “It’s so nice out here,” he says.
“It is,” Vivienne replies.
“You like it here?” he asks.
“The DZ keeps their cauldron stirring, but other than that, what’s not to like? It’s beautiful. The classes are interesting. The horses are amazing. It’s a big adjustment, though. I’m not used to all of this, uh… wealth.”
“It can be overwhelming. I suspect that being the kid on scholarship brings an extra layer of pressure.”
“It does. But how about you? Why did you decide to come to Fairmont? I can’t believe I just assumed everyone here wants to be an Olympian.”
“Well, there are lots of kids here who have some pretty high expectations when it comes to their riding. But I doubt there are many who will get even close to making it to the Olympics, though.” He stops and looks at her, takes in how her blue eyes sparkle. “But I think you will.”
“Really?”
“I’ve been in the lessons with you. You are that good, and Lydia should be that scared.”
“She’s good, too.”
“True. But I’ve seen some spectacular riding on your part. Harmony doesn’t look terribly easy to ride. That’s probably why Kayla paired you with her. She knew you could handle her. As far as Lydia goes, I think in anything in life, you only get so far on talent. Attitude and drive matters about as much. You have the total package, Vivvie.”
“And you are good with the compliments, Riley Reed. So, you know what I want from this place, but you still haven’t told me why you’re here.”
He does something in that moment that he has learned to do, and do quite well. He hates doing it to Vivienne, who he cares for, but does it anyway. He lies. “I’d like to train horses. Yeah. I want my own facility and business some day. I love being around them. So… it’s what I want to do.”
The lie isn’t about his affinity for horses but about his reasons for being at Fairmont. Vivvie chose to come to Fairmont. Riley escaped to it. Through the last few years, he has discovered that he has no other choice.
CHAPTER fourteen
I’m a little confused by what Riley wants to ask me. It’s good getting to know a little more about him, but I am still curious. I have the sense neither one of us is ready to bring it up. We continue to the barns as our conversation about him wanting to become a trainer drifts into silence.
In the back of my mind I can’t help thinking that, in a few moments, I will again come face-to-face with a horse who feels nothing for me. If I were at home, visiting Dean before doing homework would be the highlight of my evening.
We walk past the lake, where a dozen ducks maneuver through soft ripples of water. In the darkening fall sky, the ripples of water makes it look as though there are thousands of coins shimmering in the reflection caused by the descending sun. Pepper and willow trees sway gracefully along the bank as the ocean breeze shifts through their leaves. The grounds at Fairmont continue to amaze me.
“What did you want to talk to me about?” I finally ask, breaking the silence and the growing tension between us.
He sighs. “I don’t know why this is so hard.”
“What’s so hard?” I ask.
“Oh God. Will you go to the Homecoming Dance with me?” he spits out.
Damn! What to say? We keep walking. I am stunned. We turn the corner into the barn breezeway. “Ri, we are friends.”
“I know.” He starting to say something else when we spot Tristan and Lydia. They’re between Harmony and Sebastian’s stalls, and neither one looks pleased.
“Come on,” Lydia says. “Why not there? It’ll be so romantic. I thought you wanted me to be happy.”
Tristan spots us and immediately takes Lydia’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go talk about this somewhere else.” He nods at Riley. “Hey, man. Hi, Vivienne.”
Lydia shoots her trademark scowl at me. I hear her say as they walk away, “Wonder what is up with those two? From Shannon to that. God.”
I close my eyes for a second.
“Forget her,” Riley says. “We both know what she is. And I like you. You’re pretty. You’re smart and sweet. Plus, you are real.”
“Riley, I don’t want a boyfriend. I’m not here for any of that. I can’t let anything or anyone get in the way of my goals.”
“I don’t want a girlfriend.”
I stop and look at him. “I am also not into the whole friends-with-benefits type of thing.”
�
��Me neither. I wasn’t even thinking it. Honest.”
“Let me get this straight. You think I’m pretty. You like me, but like me, you don’t want a relationship. And this isn’t about sex. You just want to be my friend and have me go to the dance with you.”
Now he’s openly grinning. “That’s it. I have goals, too, Viv, and I think anything more than a friendship in my life right now would complicate everything for me. But I do like to dance.”
“Okay then. But I kinda suck at dancing.”
“I don’t care. We are going to have a terrific, friendly time.”
We reach Harmony’s stall. Riley pulls a horse cookie from his pocket and hands it to me.
“She never seems interested in me or treats. Or in anything, really,” I tell him. “She’s responsive during lessons and hasn’t made any stupid moves since our first outing together, but she’s kind of—”
“Aloof?”
“Yeah. I think that’s a good word for her. This might sound weird, but I think she must have really loved her former owner—Dr. Miller. She just doesn’t want to attach to me.”
“I don’t think it sounds weird.”
“You don’t?”
“No. I think when an animal is attached, and then you’re suddenly gone from their lives, they have feelings about it.”
I’ve “talked” with enough horses to know this to be true. What I don’t understand about this horse is that she doesn’t tell me a damn thing, and I can’t tell Riley how I know this. Instead I ask: “Did you know Dr. Miller?”
“I did. I came back early to attend her funeral. A lot of kids did.”
“I take it then that she was liked by a lot of people.”
“Loved, really. I mean the lady was super supportive of our school. She understood horses in a way that I’ve never seen before. We’ve all heard the term horse whisperer, and most people think it’s kind of corny, but if there is such a thing, then I think Dr. Miller had the gift of complete empathy and communication with the horses she worked with.”
Silent Harmony: A Vivienne Taylor Horse Lover's Mystery (Fairmont Riding Academy Book 1) Page 7