Page 44 of A Billionaire's Secret

“Where is he?” I asked Edward.

“Back at the stable,” he confirmed. “He’s waiting for you.”

I hurried my steps and turned them into a slow jog at seeing Tony, Victoria’s trainer, by Desert Rose’s side.

“Tony, I apologize. I had to drop my daughter off someplace else,” I huffed.

“Hi, Mr. Forbes,” he greeted me.

“Oh, please call me Christian,” I ordered. “Now, where do we begin.”

Tony’s eyes darted up and down my body, examining my attire, and nodded in approval. “We can work with that. The first thing I always suggest is to dress comfortably.”

He pulled the rein, and Desert Rose approached me. “Next, and most important in this sport—you have to establish a connection with the horse.”

“Hey, hold up,” I backed away. “I don’t have any intentions of doing this a sport. Not at my age, anyway. I just want to get up on this thing and slowly get from point A to point B,” I emphasized the word ‘slowly.’

“Yeah, you said that when you called and hired me. I get it,” Tony confirmed. “Even so, it’s best if you and the horse establish a genuine connection.”

Reluctant at first but slowly letting his words sink in, I extended my hand and stroked the side of Desert Rose’s face. She fluttered, making my hand pull away.

“She’s just responding, don’t worry,” Tony smiled uncomfortably. He had probably never worked with anyone as stiff as me.

The idea to call Victoria’s trainer had popped into my head a few days ago while thinking of ways to impress her. I knew that nothing else would make her laugh harder than seeing me on a horse. And I craved her laugh so badly. Enough to make me do the unthinkable—overcome my fear and attempt riding this beast.

With a few clumsy moves, I finally mounted Desert Rose. I looked down at the stirrups, unsure how to adjust them correctly, but with Tony’s help, I managed to get myself situated. As the horse began to move, he felt a bit unsteady, swaying back and forth with the horse's gait. I gripped the reins for dear life and focused intently on my balance.

“How am I doing, boss?” I yelled out to Tony, whose eyes intensely focused on me.

“Keep going,” he ordered bluntly, seemingly annoyed by my existence.

A smile lit up my face as I became more comfortable, and my muscles began to ease. I could feel the horse’s power and might beneath me, making me feel secure and confident. Our movements became more fluid and natural, and I immersed myself in the experience, letting go of my fear.

After a few rounds of slow strut under Tony’s patient supervision, I dismounted the horse, accomplished and proud. My legs shook as the built-up tension in my muscles started to unwind. Sweat beads dripped down my forehead as I peeled off my helmet and smoothed my hair.

“When’s our next session, Boss?” I beamed with anticipation.

“Uh, I’m not sure, I’ll have to check my calendar,” Tony stuttered, slowly walking away with Desert Rose’s rein in his grip.

“None of that! I’m a serious client, you need to put me on your books as a regular,” I demanded.

Tony looked over his shoulder, examined me with piercing eyes, then turned back around and hurried his step.

“So, your daughter is not racing anymore? What happened?” He asked out of the blue.

His question startled me, and I paused my step. “Um yeah, you know, she’s onto the next hobby.”

“That’s pretty strange, seeing how she won the Kentucky Stakes,” his brows furrowed, making me question where he was going with that comment. “She seemed like she was just getting started, you know?”

Fuck, does he know something?

I fished out my phone from my back pocket and pretended to look at it while I gathered my thoughts.

“Oh crap, I have to make an urgent phone call,” I lied through my teeth.

Tony stared at me suspiciously but then finished grooming Desert Rose, fed her some hay, and gathered his belongings to leave.

“She’s a fine horse,” he complimented her as he took one last glance in her direction. “Such a pity that she won’t be racing anymore.”

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