Dante’s Girl (The Paradise Diaries #1)(54)
Author: Courtney Cole

“You’re going to love her,” I tell her.  “Love. Her.  Everyone does.”

“I’m sure,” Mia says as she stares absently out the window. She doesn’t seem nearly as excited as I am. I hope she doesn’t feel threatened.  I know that I’m pretty much her only friend.

“Everything alright?” I ask.  She turns to me and her forehead is wrinkled up.

“I think so.  It’s just that Vincent isn’t answering any of my texts.  And I haven’t seen him all day.”

I look at her.  “Well, that’s weird.”

“I know, right?” She drums her fingers on the counter. “Very weird.”

“Aren’t you supposed to have another date tonight?”

Mia nods. “Yep.  So you’d think that he’d answer my texts, wouldn’t you?”

“For sure.”

Mia is silent now, moping.  I find myself getting pissed at Vincent and I don’t even know if he’s done anything bad yet.  It’s just that he’s Mia’s first boyfriend.  And he’d better treat her right or I will strangle him myself.

The last tourist group comes through and then we don’t have anything else to do and it’s lunchtime.

“Go ahead and go to the house without me,” I tell Mia.  “I think I’m going to ride the new horse over lunch.”

She looks at me dubiously.

“Really?  By yourself?”

I smile.

“Really.  Don’t worry.  I’ve done it a few times.  Where I come from, people ride horses for pleasure.”

“Yeah?  Well, you’re not in Kansas anymore—“

“Toto,” I interrupt and finish her sentence.  “Yeah, I’ve been told.  But seriously, go on ahead.  I’ll meet you back here.”

Mia leaves and I lock up the shop and make my way down to where they’re keeping Titan.  I’m sure he got his name because he is so enormous.

When I get to his makeshift barn, I see that it’s not really so makeshift.  Leave it to the Giliberti’s to do it up right.  It’s a true little barn, with stalls and troughs and everything a horse would need.   It’s even got a little tack-room filled with a saddle, bridle, curry combs and such.

I pat Titan and comb him down, then saddle him up.  He stamps his foot impatiently, like he’s been waiting for me, as I cinch the belly strap.

“I’m sorry, boy,” I tell him.  “Have you been bored down here? I’ve been busy with Dante.  But I’m here now.  And we’ll go for an awesome ride.  How about that?”

Titan seems agreeable so I swing up onto his back and we set off at a brisk walk down the long driveway of the estate.

He rides like a dream.  I’m sure he was very, very expensive.  Because that’s just how the Gilibertis roll.

Since the last group of tourists have gone and the next group hasn’t come through yet, it’s quiet and peaceful here on the estate.  The birds sing, the trees rustle, the shade feels good on my back.  The only thing that could be more perfect would be if Dante were here with me.

And I still need to give him those riding lessons.

I am thinking about that when I hear a car driving behind me.  I nudge Titan with my knees, urging him onto the side of the road.  He responds in an instant.  He has been trained very well.

But the car slows behind us and lingers.

Without looking, I motion for it to pass.  I’m riding a horse, for Pete’s sake.  I know they aren’t used to it here, but geez.  Just go around.

It doesn’t.

I can hear it back there, its engine running and it is not going around me.  Then the engine revs a little.

What the eff.

I turn around and Nate is behind the wheel.

His face is serious and his blue eyes are staring a hole in me.  He is intent on something.  But what?

And then his engine revs once more.

It’s loud and Titan is annoyed by it.  He skitters a little and I hold fast to him with my knees.

“It’s alright, boy,” I murmur to him.

But is it?

What could Nate possibly want?  If he thinks I’m getting off this horse to talk to him, he’s crazy.

He revs his engine again and this time, I turn around and his eyes meet mine.  And his are filled with something unsettling and I know that he’s not here to talk to me.

And then he revs his engine once again and this time, his car lurches forward.  He swerves slightly and bumps Titan’s rear flank with his fender as he lunges past us.

Titan bolts.  And I’m struggling to restrain him, to control him, but he is terrified and out of control. His hindquarters are digging into the ground as he fights to run.

And then he rears back suddenly and sharply, throwing his head back, and his neck slams into my face.  Hard.  My nose splatters blood onto his white fur and I can’t see because my eyes are watering and then I am flying.

I don’t think I hit the ground before everything goes black.

I don’t know how long it’s black.

But then I’m dreaming.

I see Dante, leaning in front of me.  His face is blurry and he’s worried and he’s saying something, but I can’t understand his words.  I try to tell him to come closer, but my head is throbbing with a sharp, horrible pain and I can’t.  He’s got his phone and he’s talking.

And then he leans toward me again and his hand is in mine.

And I realize that I’m not dreaming.

I can’t be dreaming because the pain in my head is too real.

And his hand in mine is real.

“Dante?” I whisper.

“Stay still, Reece,” he tells me.  He’s anxious and scared.  I can tell.  “Just stay still.”

“What happened?” I ask.  He’s kneeling next to me and he’s still holding my hand.

“Titan threw you off.”

And then I remember.  I remember Nate’s gray car and the look on his face and the fact that he purposely spooked my horse.

“Nate,” I whisper.

Dante looks at me, confused.  “Nate?  No, sweetie.  I’m Dante.”

“Nate was here.”

I settle into the grass and I don’t feel the need to move because my head hurts too much.

“Nate was here?” Dante repeats, trying to determine what I’m saying.  “Reece, I think you’re confused.  You hit your head, it’s bloody.”