right audience, I think word of mouth might be terrific ⦠Travis, are you still there?â
âYeah.â
âHave you told anyone?â
âThereâs nobody here to tell.â
âOh. Well, Iâll write soon and let you know when Iâll be there. Can I have your new address and phone?â
After he hung up he dialed Mom. Sheâd be nuts. Heâd like to see the look on Stanâs face. There was nobody home. He called Joe. Heâd be nuts. There was nobody home. He called Ken at the office and his secretary said he was in a meeting. Travis was having trouble breathing. He walked around and around in circles.
Motorboat jumped up on the sofa and Travis grabbed him and shook him. âI sold my book! I sold my book!â
Motorboat twisted loose and ran.
He might as well tell Caseyâsheâd be down at the barn by now. He might as well tell her, sheâd find out anyway.
He had to tell somebody.
Jennifer and Kelsey were hanging on the arena rails.
âHey,â he said. âGuess ⦠Whatâs going on?â
Casey was riding the Star Runner. He had never seen her ride him before. She was cantering him around in a small circle while a lady stood on the side.
âMore inside leg, Case. You need more bend.â
âWhatâs going on?â he repeated. He kept looking at the Star Runnerâs face. He could swear it was seething with rage.
âOh, look at that frame!â Kelsey sighed. âHeâs so beautiful.â
Beautiful, yes. Breathtakingly beautifulâbut for a second Travis had a cold, irrational fear: This was no flesh-and-blood animal at all, but something demonicâ¦
Casey sat deep in the saddle, using her whole body, back, legs, shoulders, to maintain that hold, her will against his will.
âCaseyâs taking a riding lesson?â
âDressage,â Jennifer said. âItâs a real technical form of equitation.â
âGood, Casey. Very good. Downward transition to a walk.â The instructor dropped her voice as Casey came up to talk.
âI just donât see how Casey can stand it. He just hates all this. Heâs never going to love her.â
Travis was remembering some of the stories heâd been hearing around the barn, about the Star Runner, bits and pieces he hadnât paid much attention to before.
How heâd been a lunatic horse, practically given away off the racetrack, how heâd jump out of his paddock to race alone in the pasture. Caseyâs biggest fear was heâd kill himself running one of these hot daysâhe didnât know how to stop running. The kids wouldnât go near him. Only Robyn was brave enough, or stupid enough, or stoned enough, to groom him. Heâd bitten one of the handlers at the track, tearing off a chunk of fleshâCasey herself had a scar on her forehead, heâd reared up on her while she was leading him. Casey, laughing, called it the mark of the beast.
âDonât be silly, Jenna,â Kelsey was saying. âCasey doesnât care if he loves her.â
Casey rode next to where they were standing, her face abstracted and intent.
âCasey, you donât care if the Star Runner loves you, right?â Kelsey asked.
Travis couldnât believe she had the nerve to break in on Caseyâs exhilaration. He knew the feeling. Like walking to the front step after a good chapter and finding the guys blithering about getting laid, getting drunk.
Casey didnât have time to connect to what she was saying before Kelsey went on, âYou just want him to love jumping, right?â
Travis said, âShe wants him to do it because he
can
do it.â
Casey stared at him for a second, startled.
Okay, he thought, staring back, I do know you better than anyone else does. Think that over, lady.
He turned and walked off. He didnât want to tell her about the book right now. Jennifer and Kelsey would get silly
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