Cash spoke to Shadow in calming undertones as they trotted out of the yard, turning left down a narrow bridle path. The horse’s powerful body danced beneath him. It was obvious Shadow was full of energy, his ebony neck already even darker with sweat. He was going to give a hell of a ride that day. Cash twisted in the saddle to make sure Natalia was all right. She was talking to Mason, her mouth moving quickly, although he couldn’t hear what she was saying.

“You okay?” he shouted back.

“Yeah. It feels so good to have a horse beneath me again.”

“Well, don’t use up all your hip action on him. You’ll need some left over to ride me later.”

Her mouth dropped open, and he laughed loudly before twisting back around in his saddle. The bridle path opened into a large, rolling field with a three-foot hedge at the far end. Shadow bounced on his toes before rearing a few inches off the floor, probably sensing that Cash was about to give the horse his head. Hoping Natalia would follow his lead, Cash squeezed with his calves and loosened the reins. Shadow took off, his long legs covering the ground with ease. The cold wind whipped against Cash’s face, and his eyes began to water. The low hedge grew large as they got closer, and he urged Shadow forward. Needing no encouragement, the horse gathered beneath him, and then they were flying through the air as he cleared the obstacle with a foot to spare. Without breaking stride, Shadow took off up the hill.

They were halfway across the field when a sudden thought hit him: what if Natalia couldn’t jump? Bloody hell. He shifted his weight back, sitting deep into the saddle, and applied more rein than he would have liked. Fortunately, the training he and Marcie had been doing with Shadow paid off, and the horse began to slow rather than fight against the bit. From the corner of his eye, Cash spotted a chestnut blur shooting past.

“What are you stopping for?” Natalia yelled as she pressed on towards the next field, a five bar gate the only thing standing in her way. Mason took it from about three feet away, rising strongly on his haunches and lifting off perfectly. As they disappeared from view, Natalia’s whooping echoed across the field. Cash began to laugh and turned Shadow towards the gate, which he also jumped with ease. Natalia and Mason were already halfway across the next field, but Shadow’s breeding meant they soon caught up, and Cash and Natalia took the next jump side by side.

“Time out,” Cash shouted to Natalia, who nodded and slowly pulled Mason up. They were both breathing heavily, although the horses seemed barely affected.

“I wasn’t sure you could jump, so I panicked and pulled him up. And then you took advantage.”

“I can’t help it if you didn’t do your research properly. I have several trophies from one-day eventing, so this is bread and butter for me.”

He half shook his head. “I wonder if you’ll ever stop surprising me.”

“I hope not. You might get bored.”

He moved Shadow alongside Mason, although Shadow’s flattened ears told him he wasn’t happy with the close proximity. Cash leaned in for a quick kiss. “Can’t see that happening, sweetness. You ready to go again?”

“Yep.” She wheeled away, urging Mason on. Cash followed, but he held Shadow back. The chance to watch Natalia ride was too good to miss, and Mason was loving the ride she was giving him.

After they’d been riding for a couple of hours, Natalia said, “I’m exhausted.”

“Let’s head back.” Cash pointed to a gap in the hedge. “If we cut through there, we can hack through the village and be back at the yard in twenty minutes.”

 

* * *

 

Natalia fell asleep on the way home, and when Cash cut the engine, he couldn’t resist studying her. Her skin was pale again, her hair in disarray from the wind and the riding hat. Her mouth was slightly parted, and her chest rose and fell with steady breaths. He caught a lock of her hair and lifted it to his nose. It had that special Mason smell of wood chips, hay, and dust—a smell he adored. And beneath the horsey smell, a trace of Natalia’s shampoo remained, sweet and floral.

She stirred, and her eyes drifted open. “What are you doing?” she murmured, her voice heavy with sleep.

“Smelling your hair,” he said with a half-embarrassed grin.

“Urgh, it must stink after being crammed under that hat all morning.”

“It’s intoxicating actually.”

Cash helped her out of the car. Her gait was gangly, like a foal trying to stand for the first time, and he suppressed a smile. “You’re going to ache later.”

“I know,” she groaned.

She leaned on Cash as he inserted the key in the door. He’d pushed it open when a slight movement to his left caught his eye. He turned around, and his hands automatically balled into fists.

“What are hell are you doing here?” he said to Kinga in an icy tone that even he hadn’t heard before. He automatically pushed Natalia behind him.

“Can we talk?”

“No, we can’t fucking talk.” He turned to Natalia, whose face registered shock. “Go inside, baby. Why don’t you take a bath?”

“Are you going to be okay?” she asked him. He knew she meant Is Kinga going to be okay?

He nodded and urged her through the door. “Yes. Go on now. I’ll be in shortly.” She hesitated, so he gave her a gentle nudge. “Go, Natalia, please.”

She nodded and entered the house but not before she’d given him a worried glance over her shoulder.

He pulled the door shut and turned back to Kinga. “I’ll be changing the code to the gates, just so you know.”

Kinga lowered her gaze. “I’m sorry, Cash, but I had to come. I wanted you to know that I’m getting help. I was obsessed with you. I know that now.”

“Good for you,” he bit out. “But if you’re looking for validation and forgiveness, you’ve come to the wrong place.”

She raised her chin, her eyes glistening with unshed tears, and if it were anyone else, he’d feel a tinge of empathy. But Kinga had used up her supply.

“I was hoping… maybe once I’ve got the help I need to sort through my feelings that we might work together again.”

Cash choked out a bitter laugh. “Are you fucking crazy? No, strike that. You clearly are.” He took one step closer and loomed over Kinga. “Get off my property. Every second I waste talking to you is a second I’m not spending with my girlfriend.”

The change in Kinga’s expression almost gave him whiplash. She sneered, her lip curling upwards, and the laugh that erupted out of her held nothing but sourness.

“Girlfriend? It’s you that’s crazy. You’ll wake up soon and wonder what the hell you saw in her.”

Hate coursed through his veins. He stuffed his hands deep in the pockets of his coat because if he didn’t, he worried about what he would do—and what he was capable of doing.

“Now we see the real Kinga.” He loomed over her. “If you’re not off my property in five fucking minutes, I’ll call the police and have you escorted off.”

He spun around and pushed the door open, slamming it behind him. He watched through the window as Kinga stood rooted to the spot, and then her shoulders sagged. She trudged down the path and, eventually, disappeared from sight.

Cash slumped against the door. Natalia was right—Kinga had an illness—but that didn’t stop him hating her with everything he had. He’d spent years with that woman and never noticed the sickness inside.

He heard a noise and glanced up the stairs. Natalia hadn’t changed out of her riding gear.

“Hey,” he said. “I thought you were taking a bath.”

“It’s running,” she said as he jogged upstairs to join her. “Has Kinga gone?”

He nodded while tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “Yes. For good this time.”

And he meant it. Kinga was in the past. Natalia was his future.