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From the quick glance I took of the salad, I could see it wasn’t what I was used to. There were things in it that I didn’t recognize. The meat might be lobster. I wasn’t sure. The small amount of lettuce wasn’t normal lettuce, and it sat on top of chunks of avocado. I didn’t care about the food though. I wanted to hear about my mother.
“Fresh lobster,” Garrett said, as if he were reading my thoughts. “Many believe Maine has the best lobster, but there are those who argue they haven’t had Florida lobster.”
I had never had lobster. Sure, I’d seen it on television and the cooking shows I would watch on the public broadcasting station, but I had never been able to afford something like lobster. Garrett took a forkful and held it up before putting it in his mouth, as if showing me it was safe to eat.
I decided to try it since that was where his focus was at the moment, then get the conversation back to my mother.
Melanie hadn’t told me much. Her details had been sparse. I realized now just how sparse they had been. She’d never mentioned my mother knowing Garrett Hughes.
The salad was indeed delicious. I took several bites while listening to Garrett engage Kenneth in conversation about the upcoming race. I’d been hearing about the Belmont Stakes at the stables. I knew nothing about horse racing, except what I heard among the trainers and jockeys at the stables. Interrupting their discussion didn’t seem like a way to get Garrett to tell me more about my mother. While I waited, I drank my water and finished the salad.
A few times, I glanced over at Trev or Saxon to see who they were speaking to. The girl between the two seemed to be more interested in Trev than Saxon, and I wondered if it was always that way. Trev had more money, and his family clearly held more power.
Blaise was speaking with the lady on his other side. I was happy to be ignored. Especially if my only option was to speak with Blaise. My eyes met Trev’s as I reached for my water. He winked at me, and I smiled back at him. It would have been a much more pleasant dinner if he’d been the brother on my right.
Who had chosen where we sat anyway?
“Careful. The senator’s daughter doesn’t like competition,” Blaise said close to my ear.
I stiffened, startled, then turned my head to see he had leaned close to me. He’d not wanted anyone to hear what he was saying.
I glared at him. “She doesn’t need to worry.”
Blaise raised his eyebrows, as if he didn’t believe me. “Why is that?”
I set my glass down and placed my hands in my lap, fighting the urge to ball them into fists. “Like I told you before, Trev and I are just friends.”
The corner of Blaise’s full lips curled up slightly. “Then, act like it,” he replied before leaning away from me and reaching for his drink.
I wanted to yell at him or use my fist to pound on his arm. Not that it would do much good. His arm looked as if it were made of stone. Very nicely carved stone. Even under the tux he was wearing, his broad shoulders and thick, muscular arms were hard to hide.
The servers arrived again in unison to take away the plates in front of us. It was so smoothly and efficiently done that I wondered if they had to train for this sort of job.
“Have you tested Madeline’s riding skills?” Garrett asked.
My head snapped to attention, and I looked from Garrett to Kenneth and Melanie. He appeared to be speaking to them both. About me. It seemed rude, considering I was sitting right here. He could have asked me this question. It was as if I were a child who was unable to answer questions about herself.
Melanie smiled softly at me in a reassuring way.
“She’s not ready to get on a horse just yet,” Kenneth informed him. It seemed odd for him to be answering when he barely knew me. Yet he smiled as if he knew every detail about my days at Moses Mile.
Garrett frowned and turned to me. “You don’t want to ride?” he asked me, as if this was unheard of. Something completely foreign to him.
“Until I arrived at Moses Mile, I’d never seen a horse up close. I’ve warmed up to them, and I do trust a few, but I’m not sure I trust myself not to panic and spook them,” I explained.
He glanced over my head and looked at Blaise. “Teach her,” he said.
Blaise? Teach me? Uh, no thank you.
Blaise didn’t reply, but Garrett seemed pleased, so I assumed he had nodded his head. I looked back at him with my own frown this time.Had he agreed to that? Why?I’d rather Trev or Saxon teach me. Blaise glanced at me for a brief moment, then turned his attention back to the lady on his other side.
“Blaise is the best teacher you could have. He can outride my best jockey, and he outweighs him by forty pounds,” Garrett assured me with a smile.
The soup was brought next, and I didn’t even taste it as I ate. My thoughts were on Blaise and getting out of lessons with him. Besides, Garrett wasn’t my keeper. Why did I have to do anything he said?
The entrée was enjoyed by everyone, it seemed, and I managed to respond to those who spoke to me without sounding like an idiot. Melanie seemed off, however, and her gaze kept finding mine. I wondered if she, too, was thinking of a way to get me out of lessons with Blaise. I sure hoped so.
Once dessert was taken away, the band began to play again, and people were making their way to the dance floor. Saxon stood, and my eyes went to his. His mouth curved into a crooked grin, and I knew what was coming next. I watched him as he made his way around the table, then stopped behind me.
