Still.
As I stood there, staring at the phone and wondering how this was all going to play out, I got a text alert. Digging my phone back out, I laughed out loud at the picture of Chelly shoving a burrito in her mouth. “What you’re missing,” Emmie had written on top of the photo.
I returned her text, telling her I was on my way.
~ ♥ ~
After last period I hurried up to my dorm room to get changed for practice. I was pretty enthused to get started in something that I now knew I could maybe be good at. That and the excitement over getting back on a horse took the edge off the Brady situation and the Dad situation and now even the Dean situation, at least for the time being.
A tiny part of my brain worried that I’d run into Brady at the stables, but a bigger part knew that even if he had reason to be on campus, he’d have gone out of his way to make himself scarce, knowing I’d be around.
As I quickly unbuttoned my shirt, realizing I didn’t have a lot of time to get ready and get to practice, I thought it would still probably be a good idea to check out Janette’s e-mail just in case there had been any special instructions she hadn’t mentioned back at the stables. I opened up the e-mail and double-clicked her message to give it a quick glance.
To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Subject: Practice
Message: Greetings! Hope you’re having a great week-end! Now that Coach Fleming is returning, let’s get started with our show jumping practices. We’ll be meeting every Monday and Wednesday at 4pm and Saturdays at 7am. Please let me know asap of any conflicts, although the dean assures me these times won’t conflict with any of your CSAs and that you are all live-in on the weekends.
See you tomorrow!
Janette
p.s. Brick, I’ll assign you a horse tomorrow since I won’t be bringing in Guinness for practices. He doesn’t travel well and best he stay back at my center.
Wait. What?
I looked up to the ‘to’ line and sure enough, Brick Coolidge was copied on the message. The guy from the derby. Why had he been copied? Was he coaching us? No, that couldn’t be since he’d been in the same category as me in the competition. So he was in practice with Vanessa and me? I mean, he was nice and I didn’t actually have a problem with it, but I was kind of tired of dealing with boys. Even cute horse-loving equestrian boys. No, especially horse-loving equestrian boys.
Sigh. Nope. No breaks at all.
I shut down my computer and turned away to finish getting changed because there wasn’t much I could do about it other than just go to practice and focus on my riding.
~ ♥ ~
I was deep in the zone, getting Charlie saddled up and ready for practice. When I heard the tapping of boots approaching, I could tell immediately it wasn’t Brady by the cadence of the footsteps.
“Fancy meeting you here,” said a low, sexy voice from behind me.
Knowing it wasn’t Brady, I was relaxed as I looked over my shoulder to see Brick standing there smiling at me. What a flirt.
I laughed. “You’re going to have to do a lot better than that,” I said.
He lifted an eyebrow. “No good?”
I shook my head and returned to getting Charlie ready for practice, pulling his girth tight and doing up the buckles. “As cheesy pickup lines go? That was weak.”
“Come here often?” he tried.
I snorted and didn’t even bother looking at him. “Next.”
“Okay, how about this one: I love your smile; want to go out with me sometime?”
My hands froze on the leather straps for a second before I finished with Charlie and turned to look at the boy standing behind me. He was smiling, but his expression was hopeful. God, he was serious. Seriously cute, too. If only my heart wasn’t so broken right now. And Brady wasn’t still holding it.
“That was better, but no thanks,” I said, trying to smile so he wouldn’t be offended.
“Oh,” he said, his face falling a little. “You have a boyfriend?”
“No,” I said. “I’m just not into dating right now. Nothing personal.”
He gave me a look that basically said turning him down could be nothing but personal, so I changed the subject. “So why are you here, anyway?”
He hesitated but seemed to shake off the tension. “I was taking private lessons at Janette’s center since Westwood doesn’t have an equestrian program, but now that she’s training here, this is easier.”
“Right. Makes sense,” I said.
“Except I don’t get to ride Guinness,” he said with a frown. “I really love that horse.”
“There are good ones here,” I said, feeling slightly defensive for no reason.
He nodded behind me. “Like this boy, here?”
“Yeah,” I smiled. “This is Charlie. But he’s mine. Well, not mine, but I ride him.” Wow, there is really something wrong with me, I thought. How did Brady ever find me interesting?
Brick held up a hand in surrender. “I get it. Janette said I’m to ride Poppy anyway. Have you ridden her?”
“No,” I said. “But you’ll like her. She’s very sweet.”
“I like sweet girls,” he drawled, making me think he wasn’t talking about Poppy.
I rolled my eyes. “You’re talking about a horse. That has to be the worst pick up line yet.”
He smirked. “Maybe, but I made you laugh; no better way to pick up a girl.”
Oh, you’re good, I thought.
“Come on, Brooklyn,” he said, nudging my foot with his. “Let me take you out.”
I glanced down at the toe of his boot against mine, feeling slightly breathless because he was so near. Not because he was convincing me, but because it suddenly felt like he was too close. I was getting claustrophobic with him crowding me that way.
“No,” I said, bringing my eyes back up to his. “Thank you, I mean, it’s flattering, but no. I’m not dating. Okay?” I hoped my voice communicated that I was serious and not just playing hard to get.
Apparently not. “Oh come on,” he said, stepping half a foot closer, which just amped up my anxiety. He was still smiling, but I started to panic and backed up into Charlie’s flank.
I opened my mouth but before I could say anything...
“You heard her, Coolidge, back off.”
I knew that voice from the first syllable. Brady.
My head snapped toward him. He stood there legs spread wide in jeans and a sweater, his arms folded across his body, looking angry, which, I’ll admit really works for him. My breath was taken away both by how he looked and that he was there, saving me. Not that I needed saving, but still, there he was.
“Fleming,” Brick said with a nod.
Brady’s stormy expression didn’t falter. “Leave her alone. Don’t make me remove you from campus.”
“We were just chatting,” Brick said, turning to me and giving me a look like: do you believe this guy?
Brady took one step toward us and I realized I had to say something because other than being a little bit persistent, Brick hadn’t crossed any lines. At least not yet, but still, I could handle myself. “It’s fine...Coach Fleming. We were just chatting. But Brick has to go get Poppy ready for practice.” I looked at Brick pointedly.
He looked between Brady and me before he shrugged and told me he’d see me in the arena. Then he turned and ambled down to the other end of the barn.
I waited until he turned the corner out of sight before I glanced at Brady. “He didn’t do anything wrong.”
He lifted an eyebrow, like he could read my mind and knew I’d been panicked.
“We were just talking, but...he was just too close and it made me feel a bit claustrophobic.”
“He didn’t touch you?”
“No.”
His stormy expression didn’t soften at all. “You let me know if he do
es anything wrong.”
I didn’t think it would come to that; he’d just been flirty. “You said he was a nice guy,” I said.
His eyes slid from mine before he exhaled loudly through his nose and said, “Yeah, well, you don’t always know people as well as you think you do.”
And then before I could even think of what to say to that, he was gone.
~ ♥ ~
“So, wait,” Chelly said, closing her eyes, her fork heaped with cherry pie halfway to her mouth. We were at dinner, which I’d barely made it to after showering and changing after practice. Chelly and Kaylee were across from me and I’d squeezed in between Emmie and Celia, who had made room for me when I’d finally arrived.
Chelly shook her head, the pie falling off her fork as she opened her eyes and looked at me. “You’re telling us you have another love interest.”
I rolled my eyes. “No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m just telling you what happened.”
She went on, interrupting me like I wasn’t even there. “Because what you’re saying is that this Brick guy hit on you. Another guy.”
I looked at Kaylee who was smirking—nope, I wasn’t going to get any help from her. “No. I mean, yeah, he did, but he was just flirting. But what I’m trying to tell you is that Brady chased him off.”
“But then he wouldn’t talk to you about you two?” Emmie said, thankfully getting the point of what I was getting at.
Though what I was getting at still really stung. “He took off before I could even try.” I looked down at my mashed potatoes and pushed the plate away, no longer hungry. “He’s so over me.”
“I’m sorry,” Celia said curtly, “But I don’t buy he’s over you. You can’t just say you love someone and then turn it off like a switch. He’s just hurt over what happened.”
“Was he jealous over the other guy?” Chelly asked, that mischievous twinkle in her eye. The one that scared the bejeepers out of me.
“I don’t know, maybe?”
Kaylee narrowed her eyes at Chelly. “Why?”
Chelly rolled her eyes like it was obvious. “Because if he was jealous, she can use that to make him realize what he walked away from.” She made a fishing reel motion. “Bring him back in.”
“No,” I said. “I’m not doing that. I’m not playing games with him. If he’s mad now, he’d go nuclear if I used Brick to manipulate him that way. Plus, it’s not exactly fair to Brick.” I glared at Chelly and added, “Who is not a love interest.”
“Seriously? The guy’s name is Brick?” Kaylee asked.
“You’ve never met him?” Emmie asked. “Don’t we know all the Westwood guys?”
“Apparently not,” Kaylee said. “We didn’t know that Clay guy, either.”
“Not everyone goes to all the dances or the sporting events,” Chelly said. “I would have noticed that Clay guy before.”
“Not since you hooked up with Abe. Unless that Clay guy was hiding in Abe’s mouth,” Emmie teased.
“Ew,” I said. “And like you’re not constantly attached to Danny’s face if he gets within a fifty yard radius?”
Emmie shrugged unapologetically.
“Back to you,” Kaylee said. “What are you going to do?”
“About what?”
“Not what,” Chelly said. “Who.”
I sighed. “Well, about Brick, I’m doing nothing. Not interested. And about Brady?” I shrugged. “What can I do? Nothing. He said he was done and no matter how much you might be convinced otherwise,” I said, looking at Celia. “I believe him.”
She shook her head, but kept her mouth shut.
“There has to be a way,” Chelly said right before she shoved more pie in her mouth.
“Just leave it,” I said. “Please. I can’t take any more drama. Maybe being at an all-girls school isn’t such a bad thing. I mean, I love all of you and there’s only drama when we add the boys in. I almost wish...”
“Don’t even think of finishing that sentence,” Chelly said through a mouthful of pie, her fork aimed at me. “I swear to God...”
Emmie snorted. “Relax, Chelly,” she said before turning to me. “You know what we need?”
I couldn’t even imagine what she was thinking, so I just shook my head.
“Girls’ day. Spa, decadent food, maybe some shopping. What do you say, girls?” she looked around the table and of course, everyone was nodding and looking excited.
“Can we go after my practice? It’s first thing Saturday morning.”
As her answer, Emmie pulled me into one of her big hugs. “Of course.”
I pulled back and smiled at her. “Thanks.”
“And it’s on me,” Emmie announced. “My ecommerce site is kicking butt, thanks to your brother,” she said, nodding at me. “And it will get my mother off my case if I spend an obscene amount of money at a day spa.”
Kaylee shook her head. “I’ve never known parents who like it when their kids spend money on things like spa days and designer clothes.”
Emmie shrugged. “Commercialism at its finest.”
“I’ll spring for a limo,” Chelly offered.
“Perfect. Everyone in?” Emmie asked, looking around at all of us.
Of course we all were. Who doesn’t love spa days?
Eggs Benedict Arnold
It had been well over a year since I’d had a spa day—my mom had taken me on my seventeenth birthday back in London—and I’d forgotten how amazing they could be. Though I had to admit that a spa day was way more fun with my girlfriends than with just my mom (sorry, Mom!). After several hours of massages, facials, manis and pedis and in my case, a whole new hair look, we left the day spa refreshed and rejuvenated. And really hungry. I hadn’t eaten much that morning: just an apple and a cookie before practice and between the exercise and the serious relaxation, I was ravenous. Good thing Emmie had our whole day planned and that included a reservation at her favorite restaurant in town.
We piled back into the limo for the short drive to Le Jardinier for a late brunch.
“This is the best day,” Kaylee said, her eyes closed and her head tipped back against the high seat. “Thank you, Emmie.”
We all echoed her thanks but she waved us off. “Don’t even. It’s the least I can do for my friends. And Mom gets so crabby when I spend my allowance on charity. Speaking of...” she took out her phone and took a picture of her manicure; each nail had a little floating heart on it that she said Danny would love. “There. I’ll send that to her later and she’ll get off my case about turning into a hippie who she thinks doesn’t even wear deodorant let alone get manicures.”
“And to think, you can be a hippie and still look fabulous,” Chelly said, inspecting her own nails.
“You didn’t just call yourself a hippie, did you?” Celia asked.
Chelly rolled her eyes. “Uh, no.” she wrinkled her nose as she leaned toward Emmie. “I wear deodorant.”
We laughed.
“Speaking of looking fabulous,” Emmie said, waving her hand toward me. “The more I look at you, the more I love this.”
This being the hair extensions she’d insisted on when she’d overheard me tell the stylist that I wished for my long hair back. I’d planned just to return to my natural brown (maintaining blonde was way more maintenance than I could be bothered with) but Emmie had suggested the extensions and when the stylist had brought them out and held them up to my head, I knew I had to have them even if Emmie hadn’t made a big fuss. I felt like me again, not the girl I was in London with the short blonde cut that purposefully didn’t look like me.
I was really tired of that girl.
My friends nodded along. “You do look great,” Chelly said. “I mean, the blonde was cute, too, just this is...” she waved her hand at me.
“You,” Celia finished, smiling at me.
I smiled back at her, loving that she got it.
A couple minutes later we arrived at the restaurant and, feeling like rock stars, emptied out of the
limo. I’d never been to this restaurant before, but it was casual so we didn’t feel too out of place in our jeans. Though we did elicit some curious stares as we got out of the long black car. It had to be obvious we were from Rosewood and the locals seemed to be used to wealthy kids around here who may or may not be famous but were (in most cases) children of affluence. But they did give us the once-over, just in case.
Emmie had called ahead, so we were led right to our table but as we sat, Kaylee tugged at my sleeve. I turned to look at her, but her smile had disappeared. “What?” I asked.
“Two o’clock.”
“What?”
“Two o’clock. Against the wall.”
It took me a second to realize she wasn’t randomly telling me the time and I slowly turned my head to look through the gap between Emmie and Celia’s heads across the restaurant.
Sure enough, there was Brady, sitting at a table on the other side of the buffet. He wasn’t alone. My eyes widened involuntarily. “Crap.”
“What?” Celia asked, looking between Kaylee and me.
“Don’t look,” I whispered, which apparently was code for ‘go ahead and look.’ “Don’t look!” I said again, as loudly as I dared. Celia froze in place and then turned back to me.
“Who is that with him?” Kaylee asked, echoing the question looping inside my head.
“I have no idea,” I said, my voice sounding wooden to my own ears.
“What is going on?” Chelly asked in a stage whisper as she leaned toward us from the other side of me.
“Brady’s here,” Kaylee whispered. “He’s with someone.”
It was obvious, the someone meant a woman. Emmie and Celia gasped.
“What?” Chelly blurted out and not in her inside voice. Well, in her inside voice which amounted to something of a holler.
We all hushed her. I glanced over and thankfully, Brady hadn’t noticed. He seemed very focused on speaking with the woman across from him.
“Don’t look,” I warned as Emmie started to turn her head. Jeez, these girls!
“Who is he with?” Chelly said in her attempt at a whisper, which was loud but still better.
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