Page 99 of Sold to Her Enemy

Did my mother lie to me? It’s the only possibility that is left. And maybe I didn’t push it because I didn’t want to bother her.

Ever since we moved to Detroit, my mother has been in a locked state of mind. She spends hours watching TV, or if she’s not doing that, she’s staring out the window. She barely speaks to me and barely eats.

I know how much my parents were in love and understood she was grieving.

But I had struggled to provide for us. Where was the money? I wish I could see my father and ask him to sort this out.

My brain hurts with these thoughts. It’s pulling from this serene moment, and I don’t want to think about my father or the past. Adrian places his hand on the small of my back and I blink back tears, giving him a smile. He gives me that sultry smile, and it’s like everything is okay between us again. We’re back to having a truce. We turn around and head back to the stables.

I take my time untacking Bogart.

“How was your ride?” Kurt comes in as I take the saddle off, with two people behind him.

“It was perfect!”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Kurt says as he takes the saddle from me, and one of his helpers comes to untack Grant.

Adrian comes up behind me, slides his hands down my waist and nuzzles my neck. “Let’s hit the showers, Mckenna. We have lunch waiting for us.”

I swallow over the rush of tears. I don’t want to say goodbye to these horses; the fear of not being around equines causes me to break out in a cold sweat. But then I remembered the 500k in my bank account that’s going to be mine tomorrow at this time.

It’s not enough to afford the equestrian facility of my dreams, but it’s enough to sit the exam and board Penelope if I can find out where she went.

I quickly rinse off in the dressing room and change into my sundress and throw on my cardigan. My complexion has more life than it has in a long time.

My muscles are sore with the familiar ache of riding.

Though I’m feeling scrambled from thinking of the future and the money problems, the ride has done me good.

Adrian meets me outside, looking refreshed. His hair sticks up in different directions, and I want to run my hands through it and fix it.

“I can help you figure out what’s going on with your father’s money.”

“Might take you up on that,” I mumble.

He slips my hand in his and gestures to a golf cart.

“Your ride, my lady.”

I giggle. It’s weird that this is the mode of transportation in a stable full of horses.

“Have you ever driven one of these before?”

He gives me that cocky grin. “Yeah. My buddies and I were known to rip it around the country club after hours.”

I can picture it and laugh, climbing on next to Adrian.

“Here we go.”

I hold on for dear life as he zips up a paved path to the right of the stables, and I slide into him as he drives up a hill, stopping at a brick cottage.

“What an unexpected place for lunch.”

“I want to do the unexpected, hellion.” His hand slides up my back to the nape of my neck, pulling me in for a long kiss.

My heart is saying yes as his tongue rolls against mine, sending shivers of heat up my spine, but my brain can’t chill out enough to decide if this is a long-held fantasy I’m trying to make true or if I’m prepared to say yes to a new reality.

20 ADRIAN

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