Chapter 10
Cheating is in the eye of the beholder.
Hazel
I drum my fingers on the steering wheel as I sit in my car in the parking lot of Sirens & Saddles. I’m not ready for another family event. Not after the previous Sunday dinner ended with me searching for a job off the island.
I scan the parking lot for Dad’s car but don’t find it. Of course, the family farm isn’t too far away. Mom and Dad could easily walk here.
Shoot a smuggler. I’m out of excuses.
I search for my family as I walk toward the entrance but no one’s here. I check my watch. I’m five minutes late. They should be here bitching about my tardiness.
“Hazel!” Warren hollers as he approaches.
Warren is the son of the owner of the horse stables. He’s also an entitled bully who thinks that because he’s going to inherit this business, he can say and do whatever he wants. In other words, he’s an asshole.
“Warren.” I nod to him.
“I’m glad you agreed to today’s date.”
Today’s date? I never agreed to a date. Let alone one with an entitled bully.
“What are you talking about?”
He grins. “Today’s date. You and me. Out on the horses exploring the riding trails around the island. I had my assistant pack us a picnic.” He waggles his eyebrows. “It’ll be romantic.”
I hold up my finger. “I need to make one phone call.”
I don’t wait for his response before marching away. I find a secluded spot and ring Scarlett.
“Hi, Ha—”
I don’t let her finish her greeting. “What in the name of mermaids in the sea is going on?”
She sighs. “I told Dad you’d be mad.”
“There was a family discussion about setting me up with Warren the bully for a date?”
“Don’t get your panties in a twist. When you messaged me to say you’d see me today, I phoned Mom because I hadn’t received an invitation for a family day.”
“Because there is no family day. It’s a set-up.”
“It’s a set-up.”
“I can’t believe this. You were right to escape the island for a decade.”
“You’re still thinking about leaving?”
“Started sending in applications yesterday.”
After talking everything over with Miles, I knew it was time. I can’t keep living the way I’m living. I’m twenty-seven and thirty is approaching fast. I shouldn’t be living paycheck to paycheck. I want to follow my dream of being a therapist. Something I can’t do on this island.
I called around to therapy practices in the closest towns on the Mainland. Unfortunately, no one had a vacant position. Which led me to the internet and some vacancies a bit further away.
Scarlett mumbles something but I don’t understand.
“Did you swear at me in Japanese?”
Scarlett is a Japanese translator.
“I didn’t swear at you. I’m going to miss you. I haven’t been back on the island long and now you’re leaving.”
“Yeah, well, staying doesn’t seem viable when Mom and Dad are setting me up on dates with assholes.”
“You could get back together with Miles.”
“And you could find yourself waking up in bed to a clown staring down at you at four in the morning.”
“Weston would shoot you.”
“Not if I stole his service weapon first.”
“He keeps it locked in a safe.”
“His safe opens with his thumbprint.”
She groans. “Please tell me you don’t have my fiancé’s thumbprint.”
“I admit to nothing.”
“Hey, Hazel!” Warren shouts from behind me and now it’s my turn to groan. “We need to get going.”
I wave at him. “Be right there.”
“Don’t do it,” Scarlett orders.
I inject my voice with as much innocence as possible. “Do what?”
“If you leave now, Dad will just keep trying.”
“He’ll keep trying anyway.”
“Not if you tell him about your job search.”
I groan. “No, then he’ll bitch about me leaving.”
“You love horseback riding. Go have fun with the horses and forget all about this being a date.”
Warren marches toward me.
“Easier said than done,” I mutter before hanging up on Scarlett.
“Sorry.” I shove my phone in my back pocket. “I needed to reassure a patient.”
“A patient?” He snorts. “You’re a physical therapist. Not a doctor.”
Oh, goodie, the obnoxiousness has begun.
“Where are our horses?” I walk toward the stables without waiting for his answer. I’m being rude, but it’s better than slamming my fist in his crooked nose. Although, a broken nose might fix it. Something to think about.
We reach the stables and I allow Warren to lead me to a stall. “This is Ginger. I thought you’d want to ride her since you’re a ginger.”
“Very observant. I do have red hair.”
He wiggles his eyebrows. “Do the carpets match the drapes?”
I fist my hands before I punch him. Why are my parents obsessed with this jerk? I’m not the only sister they’ve set up with him. Sadie has also been a victim of their matchmaking. But she’s smarter than me. She faked a stomach bug and made retching noises in the restroom until Warren left.
“I don’t like carpets,” I say and watch as Warren tries not to swallow his tongue.
While he’s frozen in place, I open the stall and lead Ginger out. “Aren’t you a pretty girl?”
A saddle pad and saddle are already on her back. I quickly check she’s comfortable with the equipment before leading her out of the stables.
“You ready to go?” I ask Warren before mounting the horse. “Which trail?”
I’d ride off without him but I didn’t check which trails are safe – trails can get flooded or overrun by sand dunes – before I arrived. Because I thought this was a fun family day.
Warren mounts his horse and joins me before answering. “The Tipsy Trail.”
I frown at Warren’s answer. The Tipsy Trail is a gentle ride for beginners or bachelorette party groups who drink too much moonshine.
“What about Rumrunner’s Ridge?” It’s a steep, winding trail the Prohibitionists supposedly used to hide the good stuff.
“Ginger’s not good with steep trails.”
“What about Whiskey Creek Run?”
“Hazel.” He scowls at me. “I’m the expert here and I have decided we’re riding the Tipsy Trail.”
I roll my eyes. If he was such an expert, he’d know I’ve been riding horses since I was five and can handle all of the difficult trails, including Bootlegger’s Bend that twists like a drunken sailor’s story.
“I’ll lead,” he says as he clicks his tongue and his horse begins prancing toward the start of the trail.
I glare at his back. At least if he leads, he can’t stare at my ass the entire time.
We ride for a few minutes before we reach the beach. Warren slows down until I’m next to him.
“How have you been, Hazel? We haven’t spoken for a while.”
“I’m fine.”
“Your dad said you’re still working at the Smuggler’s Cove Restaurant. You’re kind of old to be a waitress.”
Wow. Isn’t he full of compliments?
“I’m the hostess, and it’s part-time.”
“Part-time? Must be nice not to have to work full-time.”
Must be nice to have a daddy who owns a business where he can fart around all day and say he works full-time when everyone on the island knows he doesn’t work past three every day.
“I also have my therapy practice.”
“I thought the therapy practice was a hobby.”
I inhale a deep breath through my nose before I snap at him. A hobby? I spent six years at college for a hobby?
“Not a hobby,” I manage to mutter. “Actually, I’m searching for a new job.”
“We have an open position here. It’s part-time. It’s perfect for a woman who’s planning to start a family soon.” He winks and I nearly gag.
“I’m not planning on starting a family anytime soon.”
“You might change your mind if the right man comes along.”
“I don’t have time for a man now. I need to find a new job as a therapist. And then I’ll be busy concentrating on growing my practice and career.”
“This is the problem with women nowadays. They’re always worried about their careers when they should be busy having children and maintaining families.”
Wow. I knew Warren was a jerk. I didn’t realize he was a sexist jerk. Good to know.
“Where’s our picnic?”
“Shellshock Canyon.”
“Shellshock Canyon is at the bottom of Cannonball Hill. We can use Pirate’s Shortcut to get to Cannonball Hill.”
“Cannonball Hill is dangerous.”
“It’ll be fine.” I reach down to pat Ginger’s neck. “Ginger and I are looking forward to the challenge.”
“Pirate’s Shortcut will take twice as long to get to Shellshock Canyon than if we stay on the Tipsy Trail.”
“Not if we race.”
“Racing wouldn’t be fair. I’ll beat you by a mile.”
I smirk. “Oh yeah? Sounds like a challenge.”
“I’m not…”
I don’t listen to him. I squeeze Ginger’s sides with my calves while commanding her to ‘hup’. She gallops away, leaving Warren in our wake.
I hear him behind us commanding his horse to hurry up but I don’t turn around. I intend to win this race and show this pompous, sexist, nepo baby women are as good as – if not better – than men.
Pirate’s Shortcut isn’t exactly a shortcut but lucky for me, I do know of a shortcut to get to Cannonball Hill. I make a sharp left at Hidden Keg Hollow and cross the path of the Tipsy Trail before reaching the top of the hill.
“You sure about this, girl?” I ask Ginger. She doesn’t hesitate. She gallops down the hill as if possessed. My hair flies behind me, my heart pounds in my chest, and the smile on my face stretches from ear to ear.
This is why I love this island. I doubt you’ll find bridal paths as wild and crazy as these anywhere else in the country.
I pat Ginger’s neck and slow her down as we reach Shellshock Canyon.
“You cheated!” Warren shouts as he catches up to us.
“How did I cheat?”
“You didn’t stay on Pirate’s Shortcut.”
I shrug. “I never said I would.”
“You’re a cheater. No wonder you haven’t found a man.”
I groan. “You haven’t found a woman either.”
“I am a man. I need to sow my wild oats first.”
I already sowed my wild oats. I didn’t realize what I was doing at the time. I thought I had found the man of my dreams. The man I’d build a family with.
Miles proved me wrong.