Page 32 of Ace of Spades
I push my hands forward against her neck, giving her the free reign to take off. She doesn’t waste a second, her hooveskicking off of the track as we take off, veering off of the drive and through the grassy field. I don’t hold back, my hand holding her reins reaching between her ears, my whole body leaning forward in encouragement.
“Come on, girl. Show me what you’ve got,” I tell her, the wind whipping through my hair as she kicks it up another notch, racing through the grounds like a bat out of hell.
A smile spreads across my face, the adrenaline giving me the thrill that I had been needing to get out of my own head. I relinquish all control, letting her take me where she chooses, my thighs squeezing tight across her middle to keep myself steady.
I let her run as far as she wants, letting her cool down on a walk back to the stables, speaking softly to her the entire time. It isn’t until we get back near the stables that a figure steps out from the shadows, blocking our path and spooking my mare.
“Dad!” I squeal, hanging on for dear life as Casino lunges to the side.
“Sorry, sweetheart—I didn’t mean to startle you, I just wanted to personally invite you to dinner tonight,” he tells me.
“Since when do I need to be invited to family dinner?” I pant, fighting to regain control over my horse.
“Well, honey, Bradley and his parents will be joining us. I don’t know what’s going on between you two, but I need you to be the good host that I know you are. His father and I are working on a deal together, and I really need you on your best behavior. Just promise me that you’ll play nice, okay?”
My stomach sinks, the thought of seeing Brad again after nearly a month of completely avoiding him making me borderline nauseous.
“Dad,” I start, considering telling him. If only my father knew just how awful of a person Brad was, maybe he wouldn’t put so much pressure on me to pursue him.
“What is it, honey?”
I sit back in my seat, pulling Casino back as she begins to prance from anticipation.
“Nothing,” I lie. “I’ll be there.”
I spend the rest of the afternoon dreading dinner, waiting until the last minute to pick out a cherry red summer dress and adopt my best behavior, taking my seat at the table and keeping my mouth shut.
I greet the Eastons as they arrive, plastering the best smile I can muster as I watch our parents exchange pleasantries. I outright ignore Brad as he joins them, making himself at home as he leans back in the high-backed chair, a shiver skating down my spine as he offers me an infuriating wink from across the table.
I thank Grace as she deposits a plate in front of me, silently eating my meal as I let the others around the table keep the conversation going. In situations like these, I know my role is to follow my mom’s lead—sit back, and let the men do the talking. We were merely here for appearances.
“So, William,” Brad’s father says. “The project for the resort is moving fairly well. I heard you were able to land that trailer park—how long until we can get it torn down?”
“Just a few complications regarding the current residents, but nothing we can’t handle. Give it a few weeks and we’ll be ready to go.”
“Wait,” I say without thinking. All eyes around the table to me, my dad’s teeth clenching behind his smile at the interruption.
“Did you have something to say, sweetheart?” he asks, a warning in his eyes.
“It’s just that—” I gulp, realizing that I need to either shut up or commit. “There’s a ton of people that still live there, and they don’t want to see it torn down. Some, from my understanding, have grown up there through multiple generations. It seems like Cedar Creek is quite fond of the place, do you really think it would be in your best interest to just tear it down and piss off the town even more?”
“The town doesn’t know what they need. Sometimes, they need to be shown.”
“But do we really think that’s the smart thing to do? I mean, why can’t we just find another place for the private airport?”
“Because this has already been settled, and it’s the best option for us.”
“But what about the best option for them? Don’t you think this is a mistake? We’re starting to look like money-hungry tyrants over here, no wonder everyone in town hates us.”
I realize my mistake as soon as the words leave my lips.
“Hailey, that’s enough,” my dad warns, my mom giving me a pleading look from across the table.
“But—”
“I said enough,” my dad yells, slamming his fist on the table and effectively shutting me up. The room goes silent, a lump forming in my throat as embarrassment washes over me.
“Sorry,” I whisper, looking across the table to find an amused smile across Brad’s face. He was loving watching me get put in my place, and I had to fight back the urge to jump across the table and strangle him with my bare hands.
