The Dating Series

by L. P. Dover

  His jaw clenches. “There are so many reasons, Bri. He did something underhanded with Maximus and I couldn’t stand for it.”

  “What?” I gasp. “What did he do?” I’ve never heard anything involving Maximus.

  Colby huffs. “When Maximus was born, I knew he’d be a derby winner one day. I went to your father about striking up a deal with the owner to rent him, but he went behind my back and tried to buy him outright and take him away from his mother. I lost all respect for him after that.”

  “Oh my God. I didn’t know.” How could my father do that? Does it surprise me? No. I just wish I had known. “So, this whole thing has been a misunderstanding.”

  Colby nods. “That’s what it looks like. I never wanted to leave you. I knew that as long as I worked for your father, he wouldn’t see me as anything more than a horse trainer.”

  “You’re more than that,” I say.

  He nods. “I know, but he doesn’t. There’s no way he’ll ever approve of me. To be honest, I don’t care if he ever does. I know my worth.”

  My thoughts are everywhere. I’m angry at my father, angry at myself. Tears stream down my cheeks. “I assumed the worst and I’m sorry. So much time has been wasted.”

  He wipes away my tears. “It doesn’t have to be that way anymore. Things can change.”

  “What about my dad?” I ask. “He’ll make things difficult if he finds out about us.”

  Colby smiles and brushes a thumb across my lips. “I’m not worried about him. But if you are, we can keep it a secret … for now.” He winks and gets to his feet so he can slip on his jeans. Then he hands me my clothes. “You might need these.”

  “Thanks.” I get dressed quickly and slip on my hat. “I should probably get back to the gala.”

  Colby pulls me into his arms. “Everyone will be missing you.”

  I look into his eyes. “What happens now?”

  He kisses me gently. “Don’t know, but we’ll figure it out. We always did.”

  Five

  Colby

  It’s another day and another event where I’m on the outside, looking in. To everyone, I’m a kid who left a generational job to start my own career. Sure, Maximus has won a lot of races, but until I can prove myself as a horse trainer and win on the biggest stage, I’m nothing. A nobody. And I need to be a somebody if I’m ever going to be more than a stable boy fuck to Brielle.

  She’s different from the other socialite daughters who are running around and spending daddy’s money. Brielle works. She goes into an office every day or travels, depending on what is going on at the ranch, but she has her own responsibilities and collects a paycheck, unlike some of these women you are lingering around with their martini’s or mint juleps. And at the end of the day, Bri is more comfortable in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. That’s the woman I fell in love with. The one who used to sneak over to my house, sit on the porch and share a cold one with me.

  The one making the rounds now in a yellow, knee-length form fitting dress with matching bow on top of her head, with her hand resting on another man’s arm, is not the Brielle I know. As I stand here and watch her with her father by her side, she laughs at whatever joke the man in the group in front of her has said. Of course, Brielle knows everyone in the room. Her mother used to give her, along with my parents and anyone else representing the family, a binder at the beginning of the year, with pictures of every player in the racing world so they could memorize the people attending these parties because embarrassing the Armstrong’s would be a grave injustice. I was never privy because by all accounts I shouldn’t be here. Yet, here I am, holding my own . . . or focusing on Brielle as she moves through the crowd.

  After the tryst in the stable, which even I can admit was fueled by pure lust, anger, the long-standing love I have felt for her, and a bit of revenge aimed toward Mr. Armstrong, I have barely seen Brielle. The couple of times she’s come by the stables, I’ve been busy or there are too many people around who know her. She’s cautious and I get it, but I also want to be with her and seeing at these parties on the arms of another man, is truly bothersome.

  “Mr. Hensley?”

  I turn at the sound of my name. Approaching me, is Evie Stephenson, daughter of the President of Churchill Downs. Quickly, I set my drink down, wipe my hand on my pants and extend it to shake her hand. “Ms. Stephenson, it’s always a pleasure to see you.”

  “Please call me Evie. How are you enjoying the party?”

  “I’m sorry,” I say as embarrassment overcomes me. “I wasn’t aware you were hosting.”

  “Oh, I’m not.” She places her hand on my forearm and lets it linger there. “I saw you standing out here and thought, ‘there’s a smart man, avoiding all the ass kissing’ so, I thought I’d join you.”

  A waiter walks by with a tray of champagne, I reach for two and hand her one. Evie is a knockout with her long slender legs, shoulder length black hair and piercing blue eyes, but off limits. Anyone in the racing circuit knows to stay away, at least until the Belmont Stakes or Preakness. The last thing any trainer, jockey or owner wants is to find out Evie may have said something to her father about anything.

  The silence grows between us. I’m not sure what to say to her and she seems focused elsewhere. I refuse to move because I don’t want to be seen as rude. When Evie sighs, I look over at her to find her staring at me.

  “I suppose you’ve been told not to talk to me.”

  My face bunches. “It’s sort of a given.”

  “I hate my life sometimes.” She downs her drink and signals a nearby staff member for another. “Do you know what it’s like to have everyone walk on eggshells around you?”

  “No, ma’am, I do not.”

  “It’s not even the weeks surrounding the race, it’s all the time. All the ranchers, trainers, everyone in the business. It’s so stupid that they think I have any pull.”

  I don’t know how to respond. I bring the flute of champagne to my lips and happen to glance into the room. Brielle is standing near the window, watching me. I shake my head slowly and a small smile creeps over her lips. In this moment, I can fully understand what Evie is going through.

  “It must be hard, being the daughter of the most powerful man on the first Saturday in May.”

  Evie scoffs. “You know, I come to these parties and all I want to do is have a meaningful conversation but each time I approach someone, they stop talking.”

  “Sounds like you and I are the same person.”

  She laughs. “Butch Armstrong definitely has a bone to pick with you.”

  “Yeah,” I sigh. “He’ll have an even bigger one next weekend.”

  Evie plugs her ears. “No, stop. No horse talk.”

  “Fair enough.”

  The waiter approaches with another tray of drinks. He also hands me a note. I turn my back to Evie and flip open the paper.

  Meet me at the pond.

  One thing about these parties, they’re hosted at places people in the business, especially those living in Kentucky, have been to many times. I pocket the note and finish my glass. “I have to run,” I tell Evie. “It was nice meeting you. I imagine I’ll see you at the next gathering.”

  “Good luck,” she says as she walks away. Part of me wonders if she’s talking about the race or if she somehow knows I’m about to sneak down a grassy knoll to meet the woman I’ve been forbidden from seeing. Not that anyone could actually forbid me from seeing her other than her father. It’s just an unwritten rule in our society here. I’m viewed as not being good enough.

  It takes me a bit to leave the party. Every time I think I’m in the clear, someone stops and wants to talk about Maximus, which is honestly one of my favorite subjects. I do everything I can to sell investors, breeders and other people looking for a trainer on Baker Kelly and Lucky Seven Ranch. By the time I’m headed toward the pond, it’s pretty close to an hour from when Brielle sent the note to me. I’ll be lucky if she’s still there.

  When I reac
h the pond, I stand on the edge and look around. The moonlight gives of a little bit of glow, but not much. If Brielle is out here, I have no idea where she is. I walk around the edge, careful to stay on dry land. I don’t want to ruin my shoes or accidentally fall in. When I reach the side, farthest from the house, there’s a bench, and sitting there is Bri.

  “Hey,” I say as I approach.

  She jerks her attention to me and grabs her chest. A look of relief passes across her face. “I didn’t think you were going to come.”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” I sit down next to her but leave a small gap.

  Her lips purse. “You were talking to Evie. She’s on the prowl for a husband.”

  I chuckle. “Are you jealous?”

  Brielle shrugs. “Maybe I am. Evie Stephenson is lucky. She can date anyone, and no one will say a damn thing.”

  “She can’t date anyone, Brielle. There isn’t a guy in the business who will go near her, and the business is all she knows. She’s a lot like you in some ways.”

  Brielle looks at me. She looks sad. I want to comfort her, but I have no idea who is lurking in the shadows. There is too much at stake right now, especially this close to the Derby. Her father already tried to push me under the bus when it came to Maximus, I don’t want to even think about what he’d do if he found out about his daughter and me.

  I reach for her hand and she weaves her fingers into mine, but we keep a distance between us. She’s the forbidden fruit that I crave.

  “At the end of next week, we should go away. Take a trip to the Bahamas or something.”

  “Bri, unless I win on Saturday, you know I can’t afford a trip like that.” At least not a trip she would want to go on.

  “I can.”

  Ouch. I can’t look at her right now. She moves closer and caresses my cheek, tugging my chin toward her. “I didn’t mean it to sound so harsh. What I meant is, I have the funds to go, and we should, if you want.”

  I shake my head slowly. “Brielle, you know I’m not going to be the guy who can do that for a long time. I’m just starting out. We’ve known from the beginning that we live in two different worlds.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m bringing you into mine.”

  “Is that so?” I laugh and she smiles.

  Her face beams. “Yeah, I’m telling my father about us.”

  My stomach clenches because I know what I’m about to say is going to hurt her. “Please don’t.” Her expression falls and I quickly bring my hands up to her cheeks so she can look into my eyes. “He will ruin me, and I can’t do that to Baker, the staff at Lucky Seven or Maximus. I need to prove myself at the Derby, show people like your father that I’m worthy of their attention. Please tell me you can understand that.”

  Her shoulders sag, and she rests her forehead against my shoulder. “I do.” Her head rises and I can see the anger in her eyes. “I hate him sometimes. Shouldn’t he want me to be happy?”

  Unfortunately, that’s not the way the world works. “I would think so, but even my parents are the same way. My dad will hardly speak to me and if they knew about us, he would cut all ties.”

  “What’s wrong with us?” she asks.

  Slowly, I shake my head. “We are two people born on different sides.”

  “So stupid.” She leans forward and presses her lips to mine. My mouth opens, welcoming her in. Once our tongues touch, my hands move from her face, to her body, pulling her as close to me as her dress allows. I’m careful to keep my hands out of her hair, afraid of messing up her hat or making it noticeable she’s been trysting when she should be working the room on behalf of Armstrong Acres.

  All is well until someone in the darkness clears their throat. We part and I look over our shoulders. “It’s William,” Brielle says. As if on cue, the man she spends most of her time with emerges from behind a tree. Brielle straightens her dress and sits upright. When William comes into full view, she smiles at him. “William, this is Colby Hensley.”

  William steps forward and I rise. We shake hands. “It’s nice to meet you,” I say.

  “You too. I feel like I already know you.”

  Brielle chuckles and I glare at her. “I had to tell someone.”

  William sits on the opposite side of Brielle and places his arm along the back of the bench, making it look like his arm is around her. I’m trying not to feel jealous, but I would give anything to be as free with Brielle as he is.

  “Your dad was looking for you,” he tells her.

  She sighs. “Thank you for watching out.”

  He shrugs. “Of course.”

  “Yeah, thanks,” I add, even though I feel about two feet tall.

  William leans forward. “Anything I can do to help Brielle to be with the one she loves, I’ll do.” He then looks at her. “I’ll be over there when you’re ready to go back.” William rises and leaves us alone.

  Brielle takes my hand in hers and holds it to her face. “Where are you staying?”

  “At the stables. There are rooms on the second floor. I’m above Maximus’s stall.”

  “I’ll be by tonight, leave your door unlocked.” She leans forward and kisses me before running off into the darkness. I watch her until her silhouette disappears. I really like the idea of her coming by tonight, but also know I shouldn’t get my hopes up. The chances she can get in and out without being noticed are slim, but damn, it would be so worth it.

  Six

  Brielle

  It’s been ages since I’ve felt so alive. The past two days have been amazing, not to mention, exactly what I’ve needed. Colby always had a way of making all my cares in the world slip away. It’s one of the things I loved about being with him. I wish I could forget who everyone thought I was and just be myself for a little while. Growing up an Armstrong came with many obligations, ones I didn’t ask for, but was told to uphold. I have no choice but to be who my father wants me to be, especially now that my mother’s gone. I know he misses her terribly and it shows. He’s buried himself deeper into the horse circuit and it bothers me. Some days I barely recognize him, but I hope and pray each day that things get better. Today, he wants me and William by his side during the press event as we show off our prize-winning horse, Voltaire.

  Once I’m dressed in one of my exclusive William Ashton designs, I head downstairs. We stayed at my father’s house during the gala, but I’m glad that’s over. Now I can be at home in my own space. William is waiting for me in the living room, dressed in a pair of form fitting khaki pants, a light blue blazer with a multi-colored pastel plaid button down shirt underneath.

  He looks up at me coming down the stairs and smiles. “Ah, yes, the light purple is my favorite. It goes perfect with your skin tone.”

  “I love it,” I say, agreeing with him. He designed me just a simple light purple sundress with a light purple headdress to match. “Are you ready for today?”

  William holds out his arm. “Of course. I love the spotlight. You know that.”

  I snicker. “Yes, I know. I’m just shocked my dad asked for you to join us. Usually, this press event is just an Armstrong ordeal.”

  William shrugs. “Hey, I wasn’t about to tell him no.”

  I take his arm. “Smart man.”

  We walk out the door to his Mercedes and he opens the passenger side door for me. “I love your house, by the way. It reminds me of a cottage you’d see on the English countryside.”

  This makes me smile. “That’s exactly the look I wanted. My parents had it built for me as a surprise when I graduated college.”

  William chuckles and gets in on the driver’s side. “When I graduated college, I lived in a cramped apartment in Brooklyn with two other guys.”

  “But look at you now,” I say, winking. “You have the means to get anything you want.”

  “Exactly.”

  It doesn’t take long to drive to the stables. The parking lot is full of news vans and camera crews. William parks and comes around to help me out of the car. Flashes erupt all ar
ound us. I wave and smile like I’ve always done since I was a little girl. Once inside the stables, I can see Colby with Maximus, but I don’t let my gaze linger for too long. There are too many eyes around. My dad is standing by Voltaire’s stall, dressed almost exactly like William in khaki pants, a navy-blue blazer and a light pink button-down shirt underneath, while our groomer, Derek Andrews, combs through Voltaire’s chocolate-colored mane.

  Leaning close to William, I whisper in his ear. “Did you pick out his clothes?”

  A smirk spreads across his lips. “The man asked for my opinion and I gave it. He’s derby royalty and your father. I had to make sure he looked good.” My father always dressed to impress for the derby events. The fact that he asked for William’s opinion meant he thinks very highly of him. If only he could be that way with Colby. I still haven’t told my father that I know the true reasons why Colby left us. I want to because I’m disappointed with what my father did, but I can’t. At least, not yet. Not until the time is right to tell him. I don’t want to ruin anything for Colby before the big race.

  “I see you two have been spending a lot of time together,” I tease him.

  His brows lift. “Yeah, so you can sneak off with your boyfriend. I’ve had to keep him occupied.”

  I kiss his cheek. “And I love you for it. Thank you for everything.”

  “There you two are,” my dad calls out. He holds out his arms and I let go of William so I can hug him.

  “Hey, Dad.”

  “Hey, Pumpkin. You look beautiful this morning. We have a busy day today.”

  More like a busy two weeks. Today we have the press event, a luncheon, and then another cocktail party tonight. “I know,” I say. “I’m ready.”

  I let him go and he shakes William’s hand. “Thanks for coming, Will.”

  William moves closer to me. “Happy to be here.”

  The camera crews and reporters start to file in and set up their equipment. Once Derek is done with Voltaire, I take the reins. “Hey, buddy,” I say low, rubbing a hand down his muzzle. “I’m sorry I haven’t seen you in a while. You’re looking mighty dapper if I do say so myself.”