The Suit (13 page)

I can’t help it. I chuckle a little. I’m not sure I’ve heard her curse before. “I know you’re upset, but you need that horse, Edie. He can place and that will meet one of your grandfather’s requirements.”

“Do you understand how insulting what just happened out there was to me? How much of my pride dribbled to the ground?”

“I can imagine.” I can more than imagine it. I witnessed it. I feel awful. I know she wants to be recognized for her hard work and that’s why she’s so pissed. 

But then, the source of her anger seems to shift.

“Were you ever going to share with me that you’re the son of a horse trainer?”

“I don’t know,” I answer honestly. “It’s not something I like to discuss.”

“And why is that, Suit?” She stands and crosses her arms over her chest.

I run a wide palm down my face. “Does it really matter?”

She blinks a few times and her stare meets the floor. “No, I guess it doesn’t,” she says angrily, her tone laced with sarcasm. “I mean, you only know everything about me, but what does that matter?” Her gaze meets mine again and I can see the rage roaring within her. Not only did Turner insult her, but I have, too, by not being honest about my past.

“It matters to me,” I reply honestly. I want nothing more than to help her keep this farm. But my calm and honest response does little to douse her anger.

“Did you think it was funny pretending like you had no idea what the hell you were doing, making me train you? Is all of this a joke to you? Ha, ha, let me bang the stupid, pathetic farm girl while I’m laughing beh
ind her back?” She steps toward me, fists clenched at her sides. My eyes go wide with shock. That’s not at all what I thought, but I can see how bad this looks now. She thinks I’m messing with her.

“Okay, I didn’t tell you about my past.” I hold up my hands in surrender. “I’m sorry. But you assumed I was some city kid with no idea how to do anything with my hands, so I let you. I’m not laughing at you. I swear. And what happened last night isn’t something I take lightly. I wouldn’t have sex with you all while thinking you’re pathetic at the same time, so get that shit out of your head,” I yell back, matching her volume. The m
oment has become intense as we’re both losing hold of our emotions, but Edie doesn’t back down one bit.

“I’m struggling to hang on to the only thing I have left that means anything to me, yet I welcome you into my home, which was forced upon me by the way, while I’m grieving the loss of my grandfather, and you can’t share one tiny piece of your past with me?” When she puts it like that, I realize I am a giant asshole. But I had my reasons for hiding my past and none of that had anything to do with her. I’ve worked hard to forget about my past, and while I think a lot of Edie, I’ve never owed her any explanation.

“What do you want from me, Edie? This was forced on me, too.” My voice is raised, but I can’t stop myself. Talking about my past is a sure fire way to get me angry. “I didn’t tell Turner, he figured it out!”

“I thought we were friends,” she says softly.

“For the summer,” I add. My words are like a bullet as they hit her. I can actually see that I’ve hurt her as she recoils slightly.

“Right,” she nods, her jaw set in controlled anger. “Well, since you know so much more than I originally
assumed
, get the tractor and drag the tracks for me. It’s about to rain.”

As she pushes past me to leave, I ask, “Where are you going?”

“I need some time to think.” She slams the door behind her and I stand in place feeling like a major dick.

I watch her through the window as she says something to Joey, before marching up to the house. I busy myself in the tack room, trying to organize or at the very least keep busy till she’s out of sight. I know she’s upset and probably needs some time to calm down so I get the tractor going and drag the tracks like she told me to while Glen, Trish, and Joey watch me in shock. Later, when I head up to the house, her truck is gone.

I suppose, as I sit at Earl’s downing beers, I should be celebrating. After all, Mr. Turner did agree to let me keep Night Rider and his other horses. But for some reason…I don’t feel as happy about it as I should. The only reason he allowed me to keep them is because of the suit.

Johnny Wilson.

What a joke.

I bet he thought he was so hilarious acting like he didn’t know a damn thing about horses, making me explain it all to him. I feel so betrayed and I shouldn’t. He didn’t owe me any explanation, but I thought we were closer than that.
That’s why you’re an idiot for thinking you could sleep with him and not get attached.
I chug my beer down hoping to drown out that voice inside of my head that keeps telling me,
I told you so.

“Hey, hoe,” Nikki greets me as she slides onto the barstool beside me.

“Helloooo…” I slur.

“Are we drunk already?” Nikki grins.

“Maybe.”

“How long have you been here?” she asks looking around the bar.

“Since noon.” I lift my glass and signal to Jenn, whose working the bar today, for another beer.

“It’s five,” Nikki snorts. “You’ve been here five hours?”

“Apparently.” I shrug and take the beer Jenn has just placed on the bar.

“Well, I’ll tell you what. I’ll stay and drink with you, but you have to eat something and drink a couple glasses of water.”

“I’m not done getting drunk!” I pout.

“You can still drink beer, but after you eat and drink some water.”

“Fine,” I grumble.

Nikki orders me some chicken fingers and fries and forces me to chug a glass of water. “So?” she asks as I suck the last bit of water from my glass through a straw.

“So?” I counter.

“What’s the deal, Edie?” She gives me a knowing look.

Nikki is my best friend. Of course I’ll tell her everything. “Well, the suit and I had sex last night. It was
spectacular
, by the way. My biggest client came this morning, you know, the one I really need, and he agreed to let me keep Night Rider.”

“Edie! That’s great!” Nikki grabs me in a bear hug. She smells like vanilla and in my drunkenness I realize I’m still wearing my jeans and riding boots and smell like horse ass.

“I guess,” I mumble as she releases me.

Nikki gives me a quizzical look. “Am I missing something here?”

“The only reason he let me keep the horse is because he knew the suit.”

Nikki’s brows furrow. “How so?”

“Get this,” I laugh bitterly. “The suit is J.R. Wilson’s grandson. J.R. Wilson was one of the best trainers on the East Coast. One of the horses he trained won in The Triple Crown; The Kentucky Derby, and at The Preakness Stakes.”

“Shit,” Nikki mumbles.

“No, Nikki,” I seize her arm. “Not ‘shit.’ More like—
holy fucking shit
! Do you know how impossible it is to reach The Triple Crown? Freaking sheiks spend millions upon millions on horses and never see them reach The Triple Crown.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She places an apologetic hand to her chest. “Let me correct myself.” She clears her throat obnoxiously and plasters a wide-eyed, shocked look on her face. “Holy fucking shit, Batman!” Her expression fades to a smile. “Better?”

“Much,” I nod in satisfaction, laughing at her.

“Wouldn’t you have met him before? I mean you both come from horse racing farms in the same state.”

“I didn’t start going to the track until Daddy Bud got sick. Maybe a few here and there, but I always stayed behind to take care of the farm while he and Joey went. By that time, Suit’s family wasn’t racing anymore. His grandfather and parents had already passed away.” I take another gulp of water. “Daddy Bud had mentioned J.R. Wilson was a friend, but he never mentioned a grandson. If Suit hadn’t pretended like he didn’t know anything about horses, I might’ve put two and two together.”

“
Small world,” she notes. “So what else?”

“So not only has he been pretending not to know dick about horses,
my
hard work was overlooked by Turner. The only reason he’s letting me keep Night Rider is because he thinks I’m better off with the suit.”

“Well I can tell you’re very upset about this.”

“How so?”

“Well, you’re pulling a day drunk and you’ve said like four curse words in your last five sentences.”

“So?”

Nikki signals Jenn behind the bar. “Two shots of Patron, please.” Then she turns back to me.

“I thought you were trying to sober me up.”

“It’s a lost cause at this point.”

“True,” I agree, realizing how drunk I really am.

“Okay. I get it. You have every reason to be upset about the douche saying you could keep the horse because of the suit, but…”

“But what?”

“But you shouldn’t be mad at the suit. Okay. He hid where he’s from, but maybe there’s a reason for that.”

“Maybe there is,” I say, loudly. “But will he share those reasons?
Noooo.
”

Jenn slides our shots to us and Nikki thanks her. When Nikki turns back to me she pauses and looks back to Jenn who is watching us closely.

“Is there a problem, Jenn?” Nikki asks, her annoyance evident in her tone.

“It’s just funny watching the town’s Virgin Mary get hammered,” she laughs. “Of course from what I hear, you’re not so very virgin-like these days, are ya, Edie?”

Nikki smiles, but it’s not authentic. It’s more of a warning, really. She’s about to rail Jenn and I cringe. This will not be pretty. “You know what else is funny?” Nikki twirls a lock of her blonde hair between her fingers. “I think it’s hilarious how every time I see Duke, he asks me when I’ll let him tap it.” And my jaw is officially on the floor. Duke is Jenn’s boyfriend. Jenn and I are matched in expressions, but Nikki doesn’t leave either of us time to recoup.

“Fortunately for you, I don’t do overweight assholes, but maybe if you spent a little less time trying to stir up shit and focused on your own life, he wouldn’t be trying to graze greener pastures. Now, please scurry away. We’re trying to have a private conversation over here.”

Jenn looks like she might pass out. I’m sure she’d love to argue with Nikki but I think she’s in shock. After a few seconds she simply turns and heads to the other end of the bar.

“That was—”

“She’s a bitch,” Nikki interrupts me. “Always trying to start drama. I can’t stand her. Someone needed to take her down a notch.”

“You just took out her knees. Consider her officially taken down,” I snort.

“Does it make me a total bitch that it felt amazing?” Nikki laughs.

“Not at all. And what did she mean? Are people saying something about me?”

“You know. Just that you’re hooking up with the suit, but that’s because he’s living with you. Don’t pay her any attention,” Nikki assures me. I’m surprised the thought of people gossiping about me doesn’t bother me more. I should care, but maybe the suit is right. Who cares what everyone else thinks.

“I’m pretty sure she’ll never look at me again after that atomic bomb you just dropped on her.”

Nikki smiles and says, “Nobody messes with my best friend. Now back to the issue at hand.”

“You mean how the suit has hidden his past and had no intention of telling me about it?” I reiterate before I stuff a fry in my mouth.

“Don’t do this. If the suit hadn’t been there, you might’ve lost the horse. I know you want to be recognized for what you’ve done, but that will come, babe. In time. Right now, your only focus can be doing whatever you have to do to keep that farm. Don’t let your pride ruin a good…friendship. The suit can’t help who he was born to any more than you or I could.” She’s right. I don’t like it one bit, but she is. I can’t let my pride get in the way. And it’s not the suits fault either. I only wish he would’ve felt like he could open up to me, but I guess that’s foolish. Could I be more upset about the suit keeping his past to himself than I am about the reason Turner let me keep the horse? I shake my head at that thought. I can’t think that way about the suit. He owes me nothing.

I twist my face in annoyance at her. “I hate when you’re right.”

Nikki sips her beer casually before saying, “Must make being my friend pretty hard considering I’m always right.”

“Whatever you say,” I mutter, half-smiling.

“Besides, it sounds like the suit is treating you plenty good in some ways.” She wiggles her brows.

Heat grazes my cheeks. “He’s a great screw buddy.”

Nikki laughs loudly as she slides me my shot. “A toast to you my friend.” We both lift our glasses as she clears her throat. “Here’s to the people we fuck. Here’s to the people who fuck us, if the people we fuck are fucking with us. Fuck them and here’s to us!”

I shake my head. “I always knew my best friend was the classiest girl in town,” I say dryly as we clink our glasses.

Nikki winks and we throw our shots back.