Total pages in book: 90
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 425(@200wpm)___ 340(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“Are you finished?” Thatcher asked me.
I had stopped eating, and now, I had no appetite. “Yes,” I replied.
He nodded, then moved out of the booth. I took it, we were leaving. I slid out, and he began walking toward the stairs we’d come up when we arrived. We walked in silence through the downstairs and back out onto the busy street.
We had walked here so that I could experience the city, but a black limo pulled up, and Thatcher led us over to it as the driver got out and opened the back door for us. Thatcher waved a hand for me to get inside. I slid in, and instead of getting inside, too, he closed the door.
I watched as he spoke to the driver, who nodded, and then he walked back toward the restaurant we had just left. I sank back onto the smooth leather and let out a sigh as the sting in my chest grew to something that was achingly more painful. He was getting rid of me so he could go back to the blonde. Closing my eyes, I didn’t even want to watch the city pass me by as the limo began to move.
“You’re a stupid girl, Capri,” I muttered. “Stop trying to make this something it is not.”
No matter how much I loved myself, it didn’t put me in a league with Thatcher Shephard. I had to keep that in mind and stop letting my imagination take over. Fantasy and reality were two very different things.
“Capri!” Sebastian called out, lifting his hand in a wave as I walked toward the track where Miller had taken Bloodline.
I waved back while making my way toward him. He was completely different from his brother. But just as off-limits and out of my league. He also didn’t make me feel all giddy and anxious. No need in thinking about him in any way other than a friend and horse owner.
I wasn’t sure Thatcher had come back to the suite last night. I’d gone to bed after sitting on the balcony, watching the world below for two hours. This morning, the doors to the room I believed was his were closed, but they’d been closed yesterday too. He hadn’t come out, but breakfast had arrived, and with it was a note saying that the driver would be there to pick me up in an hour. The scrambled eggs and fruit had been heavy on my stomach.
I’d spent the entire ride here scolding myself for caring about where or what Thatcher was doing. Not my business. He was a sexy man with women at his fingertips, and it wasn’t like I hadn’t known that already. One nice day with him didn’t change who he was.
“Thatch not come with you?” Sebastian asked when I reached him.
I shook my head. “I’ve not seen him since yesterday.”
“Sounds about right,” he replied. “Okay, so you ready to warm him up and go a few times around?”
Miller was talking to some other man when I looked over at Bloodline.
“Yep.”
“Good. He’s ready to run.”
Miller realized I’d made it and turned to me. “Where is Thatcher?” he asked, frowning.
I shrugged. I was not that man’s keeper. Why was everyone asking me where he was? Yes, I was slightly bitter, but I was doing my best not to care.
Miller cut his eyes to Sebastian, who also shrugged.
“All right, then let’s get you out there,” Miller said, sounding annoyed.
Thatcher wasn’t needed for this. Why did he suddenly care?
The empty stands were more daunting than when they were full. Being the main focus was just more stressful. It was different from being at the ranch and taking Bloodline around. I was focused when surrounded by other horses and riders. That played a large part of it.
“You’ve ridden this track before, right?” Sebastian asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Once for Markson Stable and another for Hyton Farms.”
“Excellent,” he replied. “You know the feel of the track.”
I’d also watched so many videos of races here that I had the thing memorized. I’d noted others’ mistakes, their wins, and how they’d chosen to move into place. Timing and understanding your horse’s strengths were essential. I knew both. The Belmont Derby Invitational was normally held at Belmont Park, but it was currently under construction and wasn’t believed to be ready until sometime in 2026. The invitational was being held at The Big A.
Following Miller, I waited while our gate crew prepared Bloodline with his blinders. I made sure he saw me and told him we were gonna have a nice run before I went to mount him. The others made sure my straps were secure, then led us into the starting gate. Bloodline wasn’t always difficult at the ranch starting gate, but we often left the front open. He liked that best. Here, he needed to go in with it closed, and Miller had thought he needed to go in with a blindfold, but Thatcher vetoed that. I’d thought he made the right call, but I’d kept my mouth shut. I wasn’t the trainer or the owner.