Chapter 3
three
. . .
Axel
I made an effort to attend Sunday dinner at my aunt Ellie and uncle Keaton’s house because I’d missed the last two. They lived next door to my parents, and we’d been going to Sunday dinner there for as long as I could remember.
A week had passed since Wren had come to work for me, and it was a relief to have someone taking over the books, since the work had been piling up. But having her there was difficult to process for too many reasons.
I’d been restless ever since she’d started, and the weekend had been a bit of a reprieve.
I’d basically grieved the loss of my relationship with Wren over the last two years. It was probably the most meaningful relationship I’d ever had in my life, and the loss of her had been difficult.
And now she was back in Rosewood River and working for me.
Ignoring her was difficult but necessary.
“I love hambies,” Melody said as she lifted her hamburger up and took a bite.
Everyone chuckled as we continued passing platters of potato salad and corn on the cob around.
“Are we not talking about the elephant in the room?” my mother asked, and I glanced up to find her watching me.
“Ahhhh… are we referring to the fact that Wren Waterstone is not only back in town, but also working for Axel?” Rafe said with a raised brow.
“I don’t think it qualifies as an ‘elephant in the room,’ since we’re all aware that she’s here, so there’s no secret to uncover.” I forked some potato salad and popped it in my mouth.
I didn’t want to talk about it.
Our relationship was complicated.
Wren was not only my best friend; she was also a part of me in a way that I couldn’t explain, in a way I actually didn’t realize until she’d walked out of my life.
“I haven’t met her yet,” Lulu, Rafe’s fiancée, said. She hadn’t grown up in Rosewood River. “But Emilia said she’s amazing.”
“She’s always been really sweet, and famous in the equestrian world.
I haven’t seen her yet since she’s come back home,” Emilia said.
She and my cousin Bridger had just moved in together.
“I just hope she won’t blame me for what they wrote about her and her family in ‘The Taylor Tea’ yesterday.
You know, some people think I have a say in what goes in that column. ”
More laughter bellowed around the table.
For the longest time, Bridger had been convinced that Emilia was the author of “The Taylor Tea,” the anonymous gossip column in the local newspaper, and he’d been brutal to her about it.
Emilia’s family owned the Rosewood River Review, so people just assumed she had a say in what they printed, which was not the case.
But my radar was up now that they’d mentioned something being written about Wren and her family.
“What did the article say?” I asked, trying to feign indifference.
Easton looked at me. “You didn’t read it?”
“I worked a long day yesterday, so reading a gossip column isn’t high on my list at the moment.” But it sure as shit was now.
Wren and I had exchanged minimal small talk over the last few days. We were both obviously making an effort to avoid one another.
At least I was.
I’d kept pretty good tabs on her during the time when we didn’t speak, even calling the hospital daily to check on her after her accident, pretending to be a family member.
But that didn’t mean I knew how to handle her being back.
“Well, I found the article very upsetting on her behalf, and I don’t even know her.” Henley reached for her wine glass and shook her head. “Easton said she was always with that horse.”
Henley hadn’t grown up here, either. She and my cousin Easton were getting married over Labor Day weekend.
Everyone who grew up in Rosewood River knew about Wren and her love for her horse, Wrax. The horse she’d just won the world championship on a few months ago.
“Did something happen to Wrax?” I asked, unable to hide the fact that I needed to know as my gaze moved around the table, and I didn’t miss the way they all shared a look.
What the fuck is going on?
I’d grown up with that horse as well.
“Read him the article,” Easton said, glancing at the girls as if he didn’t want to be the one to do it.
“I’ll read it,” Lulu said, pulling it up on her phone.
“‘Hey there, Roses, the tea is overflowing today, so you might want to buckle up. Our favorite equestrian and recent world champion is back in town, but the surprising thing is she didn’t ride in on her favorite horse. Nope, she came by plane, all by herself. Word in the horse world is that she no longer has her beloved four-legged bestie, as he was sold from right under her nose.’”
“It’s brutal,” Archer said. “Read the rest. He should probably know what’s going on, even if he wants to act like he doesn’t care.”
Lulu raised a brow at me, and I nodded.
She cleared her throat and started reading again.
“‘Apparently, Daddy Dearest is not happy about the recent fall his princess took, nor does he feel that the horse is her ticket to the Olympics. From what I’ve heard, he didn’t think twice before shattering her dreams. So no one knows if she’s back in town by choice or if she’s just here to straighten things out with her family, because according to public record, a certain mama bear has filed for divorce from her overbearing husband.
Either way, our favorite equestrian is back working for her bestie, but the two don’t seem to be as cozy as they once were.
In fact, sources claim that they appear to be treating one another as strangers.
For those of us who are from Rosewood River, that seems as unimaginable as seeing our girl on foot and not on horseback.
But life is full of surprises, isn’t it? ’”
The table was completely quiet as I sat there processing her words.
Wren’s father had sold Wrax? That made no sense. He’d bought her that horse. That horse meant everything to her.
She’d competed for years on that beautiful thoroughbred.
I blew out a breath. “I can’t imagine how she’s feeling if this is true.”
“You’ve been working with her all week,” Emilia said. “How does she seem?”
I thought about it.
She did seem different, if I was being honest.
But I’d just assumed it was because she still despised me.
“Wounded. Maybe even a little broken,” I admitted, and a dull ache settled in the center of my chest. “I thought it was because she was uncomfortable around me. I didn’t know this was going on.”
It didn’t matter that Wren and I weren’t what we used to be, because I could still feel her pain.
We’d always joked about it growing up. When I’d taken a bad fall off my horse in eighth grade, the paramedics thought Wren had been hurt because she was on the ground next to me crying as if she were the one in pain.
Whether we were speaking or not.
Whether she was beside me or thousands of miles away.
I felt Wren’s pain.
If she hurt—I hurt.
And vice versa.
I couldn’t fucking believe that her father would do this.
Sure, he could be an arrogant prick sometimes, but this was next level.
“Is she still competing?” Emilia asked, breaking the awkward silence.
I rubbed my face and blew out a breath. “No idea, but not sure how you train when you don’t have a horse. And I’m fairly certain she was forced to take a break after her accident.”
But I didn’t have a fucking clue what was going on with Wren Waterstone outside of what I’d read in the press.
Because it wasn’t my business anymore.
She wasn’t my business anymore.
So why the fuck did I care so much?
I’d tossed and turned all night, thinking about Wrax being gone and wondering why Wren had really come home. I downed a second cup of coffee and threw on my cowboy hat as I headed outside. The only good thing about not sleeping was that I could get an early start to work.
I made my way across the drive to head to the warehouse. My gaze moved to the Bronco parked off to the side, and I wondered why she’d be here this early in the morning. She didn’t have a key to the warehouse, and there was no sign of her outside.
I heard voices coming from the barn and figured it was probably Butch, my ranch hand, since he was the only one who was usually up at this time of day.
He tended to the horses and the chickens, making sure everyone was fed first thing in the morning.
He cleaned the stalls and managed the property for me.
He walked out carrying a large bucket as he headed for the hose.
“Morning, Axel,” Butch said. “I think the horses prefer a pretty lady over a grumpy old man.”
“I’m guessing you’re right.” I clapped him on the shoulder as I made my way into the barn.
The barn had twelve stalls, and at the moment, I had six horses. My property had somehow become a sanctuary for sick animals or those without a home. I had the space for it, so we’d had our maximum of twelve horses not that long ago, until we’d found the right homes for them.
“I’ve missed you, Honey,” Wren said, her voice smooth as silk. I paused outside the stall and watched as she stroked my girl. She was a gorgeous American Quarter Horse, and I’d had her for a long time.
I cleared my throat to let her know I was standing here, but she didn’t turn around.
“I got here early and didn’t want to wake you. I hope it’s okay I came out here,” she said, somehow just knowing it was me standing behind her.
“Of course it’s okay.” I took a moment to appreciate the view.
She wore a pair of black shorts, showing off her long, golden legs, complemented by a denim vest and a pair of cowboy boots.
She’d always been a quirky dresser, and her mom used to give her a hard time, but she’d always been so comfortable in her own skin.
She didn’t give a shit what anyone thought.
We’d always had that in common. Her long blonde waves ran down her back, and she slowly turned to face me.
There was a sadness in her dark brown eyes, and that wasn’t the norm for her. At least it hadn’t been in the past. I was used to seeing fire there. Determination. Confidence.
But right now, I didn’t see any of those things when I looked at her.
“Honey looks good,” she said, walking toward me. “If you need any help out here, just let me know. I know you’ve got Butch, but I’d be happy to brush them or clean them up.”
I wasn’t going to sit here making small talk after learning what had happened to Wrax.
“I saw ‘The Taylor Tea.’” My gaze locked with hers.
“You and everyone else.” She shrugged as she started to walk past me.
“Wren.”
She turned around, blinking a few times, which caught me off guard. Wren didn’t break down. It wasn’t her thing. But she looked like she was fighting back tears.
“Yeah?”
“Did you know he was going to sell Wrax?”
Her eyes widened. “Of course not.”
“Why’d he do it?”
“Because I didn’t win the last few competitions.
I’ve been in a slump ever since the world championship.
And then we took a bad fall at the last competition, and my father doesn’t think Wrax is going to take me to the Olympics.
Didn’t you read the damn article like everyone else in this town did? ” she asked, her words wobbly.
I stalked toward her. “I read it. I don’t understand it. I figured you would know what the fuck was really going on.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “He sold Wrax without telling me he was doing so. A few men showed up and just took him away. And trust me, I tried to fight them off, but I was outnumbered.”
She was blinking again, fighting back all that emotion.
What the fuck was going on?
“Jesus, Wren. You fought a bunch of men you didn’t know?” I shook my head with disbelief. “What did Coach Sharky say?”
She blew out a breath. “He knew about it. It was a double betrayal. They decided this together. He thinks Wrax should be done, and apparently they didn’t think I’d ride another horse unless they forced my hand.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
“Can you buy him back?”
“I’ve been dependent on my trust fund ever since I graduated college and decided to train full-time.
” She shrugged. “My father is the trustee. He handles all large purchases. Obviously, I have another account with money that I’ve won over the years.
But it’s certainly not enough to buy my horse back.
And no sponsor is going to buy back a senior horse.
But Collin is trying to find him for me, and I’ll figure out how to get him back once I know where he is.
” Collin was her older brother and a dude I despised.
“Jesus, Wren. What does your mom say?”
“Well, my mother has filed for divorce, so she’s kind of got her own stuff going on at the moment.”
“How are you living at the house with him after what he’s done?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.
“Where do you think I should have gone, huh? I came home to find out what the hell was going on. And I’m not looking for pity.
I’m the rich girl who gets to chase her dreams, right?
It’s my best shot at finding out where Wrax is—plus, I can’t compete without a horse, so no sense staying at the training facility.
And if you want the truth, my life is an actual shitshow at the moment.
Does that make you happy, Axel?” I tracked her movements as her hand moved to circle her opposite wrist, tracing the tattoo that matched mine.
In a heartbeat.
We’d sure fucked that up.
But I recognized the movement, because she’d always trace over it when she was nervous.
“Does that make me happy? Fuck, Wren. Of course not. I might not understand why you left me, and I might be pissed off—but I sure as shit don’t want to see you hurt.”
Her mouth fell open as if I’d just said something unimaginable. “If you don’t know why I left, then you must think I’m stupid.”
I knew I’d offended her back then, but it certainly didn’t warrant blocking me and not speaking to me for all this time. We’d had a million disagreements over the years, but we’d never let them go on long.
So this was clearly different, and I wasn’t the one who’d shut the other one out, so I didn’t have a fucking clue.
And I was pissed off that she wouldn’t have taken the time to just talk to me about it.
“Negative to both,” I said dryly, just as the sound of gravel crunching beneath tires had us both turning to see Coby pulling up.
“Well, I didn’t come here to dig up the past. I’m just trying to figure out what the hell I’m going to do with my life now, and that’s plenty at the moment.” She turned on her heels and walked away.
“I’m not the bad guy here, Wren,” I hissed as I stormed past her.
She hurried past me, because the woman was competitive to her core, and she was not going to let me enter the building first.
“I guess that’s up to interpretation,” she said as she pulled the door open and stepped inside, just as I crashed into her in my attempt to beat her there.
“I liked it better when you weren’t speaking to me,” I grumped.
“Good. I prefer it that way, too.”
And just like that, we were back to hating one another.