Page 28 of Reining Her In

C H A P T E R T E N

Constance

“My God, Constance. What the hell is wrong with you?”

My father’s accusatory tone only layers on the humiliation. I charged in the back door of the house, only to find my parents there in the living room with Travis.

I’d managed to tug a t-shirt on that I’d left in the car, and crumpled the sheet and stuffed it in my bag. But I know my hair looks like I’ve been in a gang bang and I’ve never been this disheveled in front of my parents, let alone Travis.

“I’m not feeling well.”

“Dear, what—” My mother puts on her best everything-is-fine voice but I can clearly see in her eyes she knows everything is not fine. She switches gears as my father grumbles some apology to Travis. What he is doing here is just another in a day of what-the-fucks.

“Travis is on his way out of town, but he stopped by to bring something. Something for you, dear.” My mother’s sticky sweet voice hurts my ears.

“What?” The words barely make any sense. This entire scene doesn’t make any sense. “What is he doing here? It’s barely seven o’clock in the morning.”

My father and Travis are sitting there sipping coffee like this is an everyday occurrence.

“I brought you something, like your mom said.” Travis is on his feet.

“I thought you were out of the state at a competition?”

“Nope. I was, but I had something more important to do.”

My father follows Travis to his feet. My eyes are stinging, hot with the tears I cried all the way here. The throbbing still between my legs, the memory of toppling Reed over and onto the floor, makes the prickling in my eyelids turn to a burning that I’m afraid I can’t hold back.

“Come out to the arena,” my father orders.

My parents’ estate has an indoor riding arena and ten stall barn. I’ve had horses of my own since I was young, but once you start getting up into the higher levels of competition, it doesn’t make sense to keep your horses at home, so it’s been years since I had a horse of my own here that I rode in competition. I keep two of my older horses that have retired here, but that’s it.

I give a glance toward my father, whose eyes tell me to do as I’m told, so grudgingly I follow the group out the back door and into the golf cart. Travis takes the driver’s seat like he’s a member of the family or something. And I’m sure he wishes he was as well.

By the time we get to the arena, I can already see the lights inside are glowing and there is a horse trailer and truck sitting outside that don’t belong here.

“What’s going on?” I ask anyone that might answer as we all pile out of the vehicle.

My father walks on without answering me, stepping proudly inside the arena. I follow behind like the child I am around him.

Inside the arena, Travis turns to me with an overly sweet smile that makes me want to hurt him. “Here you go.”

A groom is walking around with a jet black warm blood, at least seventeen hands high if not more.

“Since Ruby will no longer be suitable, Travis has found you a new champion.”

“Ruby is fine. She just had a bad day and —”

“You will not ride that mare again,” my father snaps. “You will not embarrass me on a weak, undisciplined mount. Travis worked very hard to find this gelding for you on such short notice. I’ve already sent a trailer to pick up Ruby at that new barn. Your mother should not have let you move in and agree to be trained there without consulting me. I pay the bills – I make the rules. Travis has arranged for a buyer for Ruby. This is your new mount.”

My head is buzzing. I watch as my father juts his hand out to Travis, who accepts it with a proud shake. My mother is fluttering around and whispering things in my ear but I hear nothing.

“Back on the horse as they say, right?” Travis is next to me now, that same twisted smile on his face as my father looks on.

“What?” I shake my head, incredulous at this whole spectacle. I bite my tongue because there is so much more I’d like to say.

“Time to get on the horse again, Constance.” My father stares at me with that look. “You can’t show weakness. If you are a champion, then show me. I’ve spent my time and millions of dollars on your career, now prove to me you still want this. This new horse is the most expensive, best quality mount you’ve ever had. You better do as you’re told and prove it was worth it.”

My fingers are shaking. My heart isn’t beating. I’m being sucked down into some vortex that has me unable to breathe or respond. It’s how I always feel when my father talks to me like that. I become this pathetic little girl who does as she’s told by Daddy without question.

---