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“I’ll be back at the estate by Monday morning, ready for work, then.”
“I look forward to seeing you there, brightening up the landscape once again, Ms. Preston,” Trey replied as he walked me to the door of his office. He held his hand out to me and I shook it. Our business today was concluded.
I took the elevator down from the penthouse and was safely on the ground floor in the lobby of Trey’s building when I called Gina. Things didn’t go exactly as I planned, but they could have gone worse.
“Gina, can you pick me up, please.”
“I’ll be there in five minutes.”
“Hurry,” I said, my voice faltering.
CHAPTER 29
I'd been feeling more at peace since the blow-up with Trey that had sent me packing to Atlanta because I realized that I truly loved him more than I could ever have imagined loving someone in my life. But I wouldn't abide his need to control me. Of course, there was also the matter of his avoidance of love and commitment, and general mistrust in all human beings. The emotional roller coaster had ended. I wanted an even keel even if it meant cutting Trey out.
I successfully avoided him for several weeks. The dressage training with Derringer was going well. Mark and I were able to pick up where we'd left off. The test was less than one week away. Mark continued to work on the choreography. He felt that both Derringer and I had the potential for a more advanced technical routine. We'd increased our training schedule from four hours to a total of six hours per day. Spending that time with Derringer each day made me feel close to Trey, and so exhausted I'd fall into bed fairly early each night, happy for the escape.
Tonight though, something had woken me from my sleep. My eyes flew open. I could hear the horses in the stable making a ruckus. My alarm clock told me it was 2:15 a.m. I was starting to regret taking the cottage that Ray'd vacated. Although the proximity to the stables made me feel safer, it was also louder, in particular when something was riling the horses at this time of the morning.
Finally, realizing that it wasn’t going to stop without some intervention, I got out of bed, pulling a pair of shorts on over my panties. I was sure the horses wouldn’t mind my attire of shorts, tee shirt, and boots. I found a flashlight in the drawer of my nightstand and tested it, rushing out the door.
A slight breeze blew, crickets chirped. In the distance, an owl hooted. There was a light on in the tack room. If someone was in there, I wasn't going in until I knew who it was. I couldn’t imagine any legitimate reason for someone to be in there so late with no foals due for months.
I crept alongside the stable and peered in to the corner of the window. The light was on in the tack room but it was empty. I moved directly in front of the window so that I could view the entire room. No one was visible. I suppose it was possible a light had been left on, but that wouldn’t explain the horses’ behavior. I opened the barn door just a crack and peered inside. The horses had quieted somewhat, but I could see that Derringer was restless. It was then that I heard his smooth and silky voice.
“Derringer buddy, how’s my girl been doing?” Trey’s voice slurred drunkenly. I’d never heard him like this. “Did you see my girl today, huh? Well, I didn’t. I haven’t seen her for quite some time. Are you keeping a good eye on her for me? You'd better have my back on this one, Derringer. You let me know if that son-of-a-bitch Montgomery fuckin’ touches her, you hear? No one can touch her except me. Isn’t that right buddy?”
I stifled a giggle; sharing his feelings with a horse was so not Trey!
“Who am I fuckin' kiddin’?” he asked the horse. “She won’t let me touch her anymore. You know why? I’m fucked up, that’s why! I smother her, I fucking smother her. I can’t help it Derringer, I love her. You know what that’s like, buddy? I guess not, seeing that you’re a gelding.”
Trey started chuckling to himself. “You know what Derringer? I’d been better off to have been gelded, too. Then I wouldn’t be fucking missing her so much like I do and want her every minute and think about her every second.” His voice trailed off. “I just love her, you know man? Not like Tess. It’s totally different with Tylar. You get it don’t you? Yeah, I know you do. I can tell you like Tylar on your back more than you ever liked Tess. It’s the same way with me buddy. I don’t want her riding anyone else. I can’t be with anyone else since I’ve been with her.”
I paused by the door. The conversation from man to horse had stopped. Trey must've passed out. I opened the door and quietly went into the stable. I walked down to Derringer’s stall. Trey was passed out in the straw, his legs out-stretched; an almost empty bottle of Jack Daniel’s tipped over in his right hand.
I hurried over to him. I talked to Derringer, patting his hindquarters to move him over towards the other side of the stall. I bent down and looked at my beautiful, passed-out Trey. This was a different Trey; a vulnerable one, not the one I knew. I brushed his hair back from his face, calling his name.
“Trey, it’s me. Trey, you need to get up and get out of Derringer’s stall. Can you hear me?” I reached over and shook his broad shoulders with my hand, becoming increasingly alarmed; his head bobbed a couple of times. Finally, I shouted, “Trey!”
His head jerked up; sapphire eyes blinking, he squinted at me. “Tylar?”
“Yes, Trey, it’s me. I’m here to help you up, okay? You need to get up and get out of Derringer’s stall.”
A slow drunken grin crossed his face, his dimple showing. “You…you’re gonna help me up, Tylar?” he asked, still grinning.
“I will Trey. I need you to help me though. I can’t lift you.”
“You won’t have to, baby,” he said, “I’m perfectly able to get my drunken ass up and outta here.”
He pulled his leg back and leaned forward to lift himself up. I had him by the shoulder, gripping him as best I could. He lunged forward, and practically fell directly underneath Derringer. He was now in a worse position than before. I had to get someone down here to help me get him up and out of harm’s way.
“Trey,” I said, loudly, “you need to get out from under Derringer, damn it!” He started to move, scooting back toward the side of the stall. “Trey, I’m going to call Mark to come down to help me get you up, okay? I’ll use the phone right over there on the wall. Do not move please.”
In an instant he'd whipped his arm around, grabbing my booted ankle. “No,” he snapped, “I don’t need that son-of-a-bitch to help me up, do you understand?” He was furious. He reached up, grabbing the side of the stall and hoisted himself up, holding on to my leg with his other hand to steady himself. He stood in front of me, staring with an intensity that I'd never seen before. He flung the Jack Daniel’s bottle into the aisle where it hit a post and shattered. He staggered past me and out of the stall. I hurried behind him, latching the gate on Derringer’s stall.
Now it was my turn to be pissed. I followed him down the aisle and into the tack room. “What'd you think you were doing out there?” I demanded.
He raked both of his hands through his unruly hair and went to the small refrigerator in the tack room. He retrieved a bottle of water, twisting the top off and taking a long drink. He poured some of the water into his hands, cupping it and then splashing it onto his face. He was trying to clear his head, I could tell. Trey didn't like being vulnerable, and the fact that I'd witnessed it would never sit well with him. He shook the droplets of water out of his hair and turned to me, giving me a look that made me feel like my heart was being ripped out.
