Page 42 of Nothing Breaks Like A Heart

I gave the horse's nose an awkward pat as Andrew suggested I say hello. Then he helped me into the saddle. When I was set, he got onto his horse, and I tried to take several deep, relaxing breaths as I waited for Harper, who was taking her seat on a horse that was already prancing and dancing, but Harper seemed incredibly comfortable with the energy. I wished I could feel that confident and relaxed, but I was too caught up in praying that I wouldn't fall off. Sally wasn't doing a damn thing but patiently waiting to go, but I could still feel the power of her body beneath me, and the slightest sway made me grip the reins tighter.

Finally, we were off, with one stable hand named Kyle leading the group from the front, another guy named Reece at the back. Andrew, Harper, and Colin were behind me, Bennett and the influencers in front of me. My horse fell into line with the others, and as a few uneventful minutes passed, I tried to breathe deeper and enjoy the scenery.

The trail wound its way up into the hills above the resort. We passed by the villas under construction, and I wondered if Allison was working in the model, but everything seemed very quiet in that area since it was Sunday and there were no workers around.

As we moved beyond the villas, we took a path flanked by golden grass and scattered wildflowers. Eucalyptus trees arched overhead, their leaves whispering in the breeze, and the salty tang of the ocean grew sharper as the trail climbed higher. Below, the resort spread out like a postcard, its white buildings nestled against the deep blue of the sea.

Andrew rode beside me whenever the trail allowed, his easy smile and encouraging words helping me feel slightly less like I was about to fall off. "You’re doing great," he kept repeating, and I was starting to think he might be right.

I was touched by how attentive he was. It was one of the reasons I'd fallen in love with him, and maybe I needed to focus on who he'd always been to me instead of the mystery man Ethan was trying to make him out to be. Although that thought reminded me that Harper had mentioned a trip to Paris, too…not that she'd said Andrew was on it, but Colin had been with Allison, and according to the receipt Ethan had shown me, Andrew had been there, too.

I didn't want to think about that now. I was on my honeymoon. I had married the man of my dreams, and everything would work itself out. Once Andrew and I got past some of these events, we'd have more time to talk, and he'd have an explanation for that trip. I knew he would.

About ten minutes later, we came to a halt at a beautiful vista point. The clearing opened onto a stunning view of the coastline, the ocean sparkling in the afternoon sun. Avalon’s harbor was visible in the distance, dotted with boats, while the rooftops of the town added a splash of color against the rolling hills. Almost everyone dismounted to take photos, including Andrew. He wanted to help me down, but I'd just started getting comfortable, so I decided to stay on my horse rather than get on and off. We were only going to be there for a few minutes anyway, and then we'd be heading back.

As the breeze picked up, Sally moved around a bit, and I started to feel uneasy, realizing that aside from our group leader, who was about ten feet away from me, I was the only other person still astride. The others were roaming around the trees and the enormous boulders, trying to find the perfect shots, especially the influencers.

Tyler seemed to be shooting video of everything and everyone, including me, while Kat was climbing up on a boulder that hung perilously close to the edge of the bluff. In fact, Reece was trying to get her to come down when I heard a sharp whizzing sound slice through the air near my ear.

Sally suddenly reared without warning, her powerful body launching upward as she whinnied in panic. I screamed, grabbing at the reins, but it was too late—she bolted down the trail, her hooves pounding against the dirt as I clung to the saddle for dear life.

Branches whipped at my arms and face, the world a blur of motion and sound. "Whoa, Sally! Stop!" I yelled, but it was no use. She was out of control, her body taut with panic as she tore through the trees with me along for the ride.

I heard shouts behind me, but Sally was running so fast I didn't know if I was hearing actual voices or the pounding of my own heart. Eventually, she'd have to stop, I told myself. But as the path got steeper and more uneven, I worried about when that might be and what might happen.

I'd no sooner had that panicked thought when the trail came to an end, the ground sloping sharply downward. Sally put on the brakes as she tried to pull up, but it was too fast, too sudden. She reared up again, and this time I couldn't hang on. The reins slipped from my hands as I flew through the air, landing hard on the rocky ground.

The impact knocked the breath out of me, pain exploding in my hip. For a moment, I couldn’t move, the world spinning around me. Sally thrashed nearby, her eyes wild with fear, but Kyle suddenly appeared, jumping off his horse to grab Sally's bridle.

Andrew appeared a moment later, his hair windblown, his eyes wide with fear, as he jumped to the ground and fell to his knees beside me.

"Lauren!" he said, his voice sharp with panic. "Are you all right?"

I stared at him in shock. "I—I don't know."

He put his hand on my shoulder. "Where does it hurt?"

"My hip, my side," I mumbled.

"What about your legs? Your neck? Your head?" he bit out, his gaze running down my body.

"I think I'm okay," I said, not aware of any other pain. "Can you help me up?" Even though Sally had calmed down, I wanted to get a little further away from the horse.

Andrew helped me to my feet. "What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. The horse just took off."

"She never bolts like that," the young man holding the horse said. "She's the calmest horse we have."

I shook my head in confusion. "One minute I was sitting there, and then she reared up and took off." I paused. "I think I heard something whiz by my ear."

"She might have gotten stung by a bee," Kyle put in.

"Had to be something like that," Andrew agreed. "I'm so sorry, Lauren. I promised you'd be all right."

I saw the guilt in his eyes. "It wasn't your fault. I should have gotten off the horse when I had the chance."

"Sally is calm now," the stable hand said. "If you want to ride her back."

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