The Heartbreak Horse

Because You Want to Make Her Happy At Your Own Expense.

I return to the hospital room at that. Riley promises me she’ll take a cab home (which probably means call some guy, but for the time being, there isn’t much I can do to stop her), and Zoe and Cyan need me for my car.

When I get to the room, everybody, which really means Cyan, is arguing.

“You don’t understand,” she’s practically screaming at Kate’s poor father. “She can’t just get rid of him. She hasn’t even started showing him yet, which means he won’t sell. You cannot let that horse—”

“Cyan,” Kate says tiredly.

“I’m serious! What are you, scared? Kate, you were doing well with him; you can’t throw that away now just because my brother and the bimbo—”

“Hey,” I interrupt loudly. Riley is a lot of things, but she isn’t a bimbo. The display I just witnessed made that much clear. There are a lot more layers to her than Cyan thinks. 

(I already knew it, of course.)

Cyan glares at me.

“Excuse me,” Zoe says. She doesn’t say it loudly, but everyone falls silent, anyway. Zoe has that effect on people. “I think the best thing to do for Mirage and Kate is to keep Mirage in training with Joey as the rider.”

Well, that isn’t a bad idea. I do miss riding, and I’d love to help Kate.

“I appreciate the suggestion,” her father says, “but with a broken leg, Kate won’t be able to work at Bray, which means I won’t be able to afford training—especially not for somebody else.”

There goes that.

“Perhaps,” Zoe says carefully, “there is some way Kate can still make the money, but handle other things instead.”

“Sure,” I say eagerly. “Kate, if you want to just come feed, water, and throw hay every day, that’s what, 45 minutes twice a day? I can pick up anything you can’t do.”

Kate looks all for it. “That way, I’ll be there to watch you and Mirage. Don’t worry, Dad,” she adds to her father, “Joey has a way with horses.”

That was when it hits me. A way with horses.

The best person to work with Mirage isn’t me; it’s Riley. 

She doesn’t want my help, but she might just agree to this.

“Kate,” I say. “Riley. You have to let her do it.”

Kate frowns. “The girl on the motorcycle?”

Cyan looks furious.

“You’ll understand,” I insist. I’m adamant. I’m not going to let this one go, even if Cyan wants to skin me first. “Just watch her ride, and you’ll understand.”