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Chapter 8 - Addy

I called my dad out to watch Mason as Kevin and I brought the horses out into the yard. The day was quickly turning over to evening and the temperature was finally cooling to the point where goosebumps ran up my arms. Even so, I shrugged out of my cardigan sweater. I didn't want anything to hinder my speed.

With the heel of my boot, I drew a line in the dirt.

"This is the start and finish line," I explained. Kevin looked at me cooly, his hands wrapped around Moonshine's reins. "Like I said, three laps around the barn. Whoever crosses first, wins."

Kevin nodded. With the experience of someone who could mount a horse in their sleep, I placed my boot in the stirrup and swung myself over, tucking my dress as ladylike as possible around me. I was surprised to see Kevin mount Moonshine just as easily (of course he had the added benefit of jeans).

"Alright," my dad said with a smile. I was pretty sure this was the most excited thing that had happened around the house since the time that I almost caught my hair on fire at Thanksgiving three years ago. "On the count of three."

Mason's little voice chimed right in with my dad's thunderous one.

"One...two..."

"TREE!" Mason shouted.

I didn't waste any time. With a heel to the side, Robin Hood took off.

I had a clear lead as we rounded the barn. With the first lap complete, I knew that I would soon be enjoying my morning rides through the fields again.

My cockiness subsided halfway through lap number two. Moonshine caught up to Robin Hood and they ran side by side. I looked over and saw Kevin grinning at me. With a tap of his heel, Moonshine jumped out in front.

I leaned forward as far as I possibly could, digging my heels into Robin Hood’s sides. His speed increased and soon I was leading by a neck as we started lap three. I could practically taste victory. I laughed as I remembered the scowl etched on Kevin’s face as he scolded me for trespassing on his property. It would feel so good to gallop around without a care in the world while he sat in the cabin pulling his hair out.

I became so caught up in my thoughts that as we rounded the last corner of the barn, Kevin caught up with me once more. I put myself completely forward, the wind lifted the back of my dress.

“I forgot to tell you,” he yelled. “I really like that dress. And those lace undies.”

One of my hands flew to the back of my dress. Robin Hood sensed the slackening of the reins and slowed up slightly. By the time I urged him to speed up, Moonshine and Kevin flew over the line I had drawn in the dirt.

“YAY DADDY!” Mason cried as Kevin brought Moonshine to a halt. I watched Kevin scoop Mason up into the saddle with him. They did a victory lap; Mason whooped with glee.

I was numb from shock. I had lost.

And worse than that, Kevin had obviously been focusing on my ass to notice the detailing of my underwear.

What the hell did that mean?

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“Thank you for the nice evening,” Kevin said as he shook my dad’s hand a little while later. Dad broke into a huge grin.

“Anytime,” my dad said enthusiastically. I scowled. After taking several minutes to think about the implications of Kevin liking my dress and seeing my underwear, I had concluded that it was his form of sabotage. If he would have kept his mouth shut I would have won, hands down. Now I was going to be subjected to running the horses around in boring circles for their daily exercise.

“Thanks for the race, Addy,” Kevin said.

For Mason’s sake, I held my tongue. My pride was smarting. I nodded.

“No problem,” I said quietly. Kevin frowned slightly, then looked at Mason.

“Alright. Let’s say goodbye, buddy,” he said.

“Bye Addy!” Mason said. I couldn’t help but smile at him as he started waving. “Bye Santa!”

Dad and I watched from the doorway of the barn as Kevin walked to his car.

“You know,” I said. “It’s probably not a good thing for him to keep calling you Santa.”

Dad laughed. “Oh, it’s not hurting anyone. I take it as a compliment.”

I watched dad tug on his beard thoughtfully. He headed towards the house but then stopped and turned his gaze to me.

“I’m proud of you,” he said. I looked at him in surprise.

“Proud of me? Why?”

Dad smiled. “When you climbed down from Robin Hood I thought you were going to punch him in the stomach. I think you took your loss gracefully.”

I scowled again. “He played dirty.”

“Did he?”

“Yes! He…he…” I trailed off. It seemed stupid to defend myself by explaining that he had distracted me with an underhanded underwear tactic. Instead, I stomped past him into the house and into my room, flinging the white dress over my head.

I was never wearing the dress again. The summer magic was ruined.

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The next morning I woke early. I put on an old flannel shirt that I had gotten at the Goodwill and a pair of my dirtiest jeans. I spent a couple hours mucking out the stalls and giving the horses fresh hay and water. I grumbled the entire time I walked the horses around the barn. They stomped impatiently; they wanted to run as much as I did.

I was brushing Puck when Dad walked into the barn. He was dressed for work.

“You coming to the office today?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m taking the day off. All the typing and filing is caught up.”

He smiled. “Are you going to stay here all day and pout?”

I nodded. “That’s my plan.”

He leaned over the stall door and kissed my cheek. As his footsteps died away, I sank down onto an overturned metal water pail.

I had made a bet to stay invisible and I planned on keeping it. If that meant spending every day at home in the barn until I got wind that Richardson had left town, then so be it.

I was a woman of my word.