Page 20 of Drive Me Wilde

The barn aisle is cool compared to outside, and the earthy smell of hay and horses permeates the air. Irish snorts softly as I walk toward them. Zander is leaning against one of the stall doors with his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. I can see the top of Rio's head behind Irish's rear end.

Zander looks up. "She insists that Irish's tail be braided for the photo shoot."

"I'm sure Irish doesn't want pictures of her ratty tail floating around social media." Rio's little voice floats up over the pony.

"The last time you came for a lesson, you spent an hour braiding her mane and then you spent exactly ten minutes in the saddle before it was time to put Irish back in the barn for dinner. Maybe you'd rather just learn to be a horse stylist instead of a cowgirl."

Rio holds her hands out. "There, I'm done. Now was that so bad? And now Irish looks pretty for her pictures."

"Well, if I knew this was going to be a photo shoot, I'd have worn a better shirt," Zander says.

"Then it's lucky you're not going to be in the pictures," Rio says with a chin lift. She's got the Wilde biting retort thing down. I take no credit for it. She came preloaded. Must be in the genes.

"Are you ready to ride or what?" Zander has the thinnest patience in the world, and my kid has just punched through it.

"Yup, let's ride," she says with a cowboy drawl. Rio walks over to the hook on the wall and grabs her hat. "Oh wait, I've gotto pee. Be right back." She scurries away holding her hat on her head.

Zander turns his annoyed scowl my direction.

I shrug. "You offered to give her lessons."

"Yeah," he says. He picks up the mucking rake to clean the piles of manure in the aisle. "I went into Nev's shop this morning to get a sandwich, and guess who I ran into?"

"Uh, let me guess. Indiana Nash."

Zander is grinning like an idiot. "And how are you feeling?"

"Well, at the moment, a little hot and hungry. I'm running on half a pancake and a cup of coffee."

Zander kicked some manure my direction. "You know that's not what I'm asking."

"I don't know what you want me to say. Indi came to the house thinking the Dixons still owned it. She was wet and hungry—and don't ask me why—because she didn't tell me the story. There were some bruised ribs to go along with the story, and I tried not lose my fucking mind over the fact that some guy pushed her. This morning things fell apart in the usual way, when it comes to me and Indi, then she walked out, and I'm sure that's the last time I'll see her."

Zander put down the mucking fork. "Why?"

"Why what? Why shovel shit? I imagine because it'll pile up to the ceiling if you don't."

"Fuck off. Never mind. You know I'm asking why it'll be the last time you see her."

"Because she said she won't be staying long, and get this, Zach is already making plans to hang out with her. And yes, I hear that jealous, whiny tone as I say it. Shit, Rio is really rubbing off on me. Thought I was supposed to be influencing her."

"Of course Zach is making the move. He lost her once. He probably figures it's time to restart the whole thing again—a Zach and Indi sequel. And in this version of the movie—the villain will still be played by none other than Jameson Wilde."

"Yeah, whatever." I walk over and pat Irish's neck. "You're not going to let go of the lead rope, are ya?"

"Thought I'd smack her once with the riding crop and send the pony and the kid off over the rear fence. Of course I'm going to lead her. Your kid is not exactly a natural in the saddle. She's more interested in how she looks up there than actually riding. And stop changing the subject."

"Not changing it. Just bored of talking about it. Indi and I are like two ships passing in the night. Two pirate ships with cannons blaring." I check the cinch on the small saddle to make sure it's secure. Irish tosses her head. She doesn't care for the belt tightening.

"C'mon, high school is way in the rearview mirror now, and that day … it's even farther in the rearview."

"I doubt Indi feels that way."

Zander unclips the crossties and leads Irish outside. I follow along next to the pony. Rio is taking forever. I figure Dad's stopped to talk to her and give her some pointers. He loves to be a know-it-all.

"What about you?" Zander asks. "You still haven't let go of the guilt. It was a shitty accident."

"It should have been me that day, not her dad. She'll never forgive me for being out on that rainy road. I'll always be the reason her dad is dead."

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