Page 11

Chapter Ten

At two o'clock, we met up with Bennett Carrington at the stables, which were nestled in a grove of eucalyptus trees just beyond the edge of the resort, the scent of horse feed and fresh hay mingling with the salty ocean breeze. A long, whitewashed barn with neatly painted blue shutters gleamed under the midday sun. Horses stood in outdoor pens, their ears twitching as stable hands moved between them, saddling and brushing the sleek animals.

The air was alive with movement and sound: the soft nickers of the horses, the rhythmic scrape of brushes, and the distant crash of waves against the shoreline. Bennett Carrington, now dressed in a casual button-down shirt, well-worn jeans, and boots, introduced us to the three influencers coming on the ride.

Talia Berensky was a pony-tailed brunette in her mid-twenties, wearing skin-tight jeans and knee-high boots. Her social media channels focused on wedding venues—the best and craziest places to hold a ceremony. Kat Lewis, a thirty-something former model with flawless makeup, wore her long blonde hair in a thick braid that fell halfway down her back, and her white jeans and gauzy top were probably more appropriate for a cocktail party than a trail ride. Her channels focused on budget-friendly luxury travel deals for honeymooners. And, finally, there was Tyler Reed, an attractive brown-haired man in his late twenties, who wore faded, ripped jeans, a T-shirt, and a baseball cap. He had a camera hanging on a strap around his neck and a phone in his hand, more than prepared to capture the entire experience for his social media, which focused on active, adventure travel ideas.

It was clear why Bennett wanted them here. They were worlds apart from the media professionals we’d mingled with at Victor’s villa—these influencers were dynamic, creative, and perfectly attuned to their followers’ desires. If Bennett’s vision was to modernize the Carrington brand and attract a new generation of travelers, this was how he’d do it.

"We’re excited to see what you’ve planned for us," Talia said, her polished voice cutting through the ambient noise of the stables. "I'm already thinking about weddings on horseback. Luxury meets the Wild West."

"Exactly," Bennett said. "I like that line a lot." He tipped his head to me. "You should remember that, Lauren."

"I will," I said. "It's a great hook. I hope everyone will have a good time, and Andrew and I are happy to help you capture whatever mood or scene you think will be good for your posts."

"Let's get everyone saddled up," Bennett said, leading his group toward the horses.

"Looks like a good crew," Andrew commented.

"I'll say. Three of the biggest influencers in the travel and wedding industry. Bennett is actually pulling his weight for a change."

"I wouldn't say that to him," Andrew said dryly.

"Oh, trust me, I won't. I try to talk to him as little as possible. Luckily, Megan is the one who has to deal with him. He's not the easiest person to work with. He's very entitled, and he hasn't had a lot of practical marketing experience, which is why I'm surprised he pulled this together. But Megan said he's starting to sound more committed to actually working for the company instead of just waiting to inherit it, so I guess that's a good thing." I paused, surprised when I saw Harper and Colin walking toward us.

"Oh, good, we're not too late," Harper said.

"I didn't realize you were coming."

"Andrew invited us," Harper said. "It's okay, isn't it?"

"It's fine," Andrew said. "I texted Bennett. He said the more, the merrier."

"Great. Because I love to ride," Harper said.

"Let's check out the horses," Andrew told Colin. "And don't worry, ladies, we will get the slowest horse we can find for Lauren and the fastest horse we can find for you, Harper."

"Perfect," Harper said. "I like a wilder ride."

Both Colin and Andrew laughed at her words, and I couldn't help but smile. Harper was far better at flirting and having a provocative personality than I was, which meant she'd be good to have on the trail ride. She was friendly and outgoing and a good representative for the hotel. Colin was also charming and a good talker. Add Andrew into that mix, and I might not have to say much at all, which would be good since I'd probably be hanging onto the reins and praying that I didn't fall off the horse.

"Don't you hate horseback riding?" Harper asked when we were alone. "I've tried to get you to go with me several times, and you've always told me you'd rather jump off a cliff than get on a horse."

"I didn't have a choice," I said with a sigh. "I'm trying not to get too worked up about it."

"You shouldn't. It will be fun."

"It looks like you and Colin are getting along well."

"Very well," Harper said, sending me a happy smile. "My slump with men might be over."

"That's good to hear."

"Colin is going to spend the week here, so we'll have some time to get to know each other."

"I thought he was leaving on Tuesday with Jay."

"Jay is staying, too, but the woman he brought with him left this morning. Jay didn't seem unhappy to see her go. In fact, I think he might have a little crush on Allison. They were huddled together for a while before Andrew arrived."

I frowned. "You were with Allison? I thought she was working on designs for the hillside villas."

"She mentioned something about that. I think she's going up there this afternoon to look at one of the units. She asked Andrew if he wanted to come, but he said he was tied up here, and that's when he invited Colin and me to come along. You know I love horses. And I thought you might like a friend."

"Are we back to being friends?" I couldn't help asking.

She gave me a sheepish look. "If I didn't completely blow it yesterday. I don't know what was wrong with me. Everything about the wedding bugged me. I felt so envious, and I couldn't seem to shake it. I was a bad bridesmaid, and I am sorry about that. I wouldn't blame you if you didn't forgive me."

Harper's apology seemed sincere and heartfelt. And it wasn't like she'd done anything that terrible beyond a few snippy comments here and there. I didn't believe she'd vandalized the suite, not just because she wouldn't do that, but also because she'd been more interested in getting to know Colin than ruining my wedding night.

"We're good," I said.

"Great." She blew out a breath of relief. "I want us to be friends, especially since Colin and I are getting closer. I think I could really like him, Lauren."

I was happy to see the light back in her eyes, but inwardly, I felt a little wary of their relationship because of Colin's close friendship with Andrew. I didn't want anything to get messy between the four of us. But I could hardly deny her a chance at love when she'd supported me—well, tried to support me, anyway.

"Are you okay with that?" Harper asked, reading my silence with some concern.

"Sure. Absolutely. If you're happy, I'm happy."

"Well, it's only been a day, so we'll see how happy I can be. But Colin is very cool. He likes to travel, and he has been to so many places. I love listening to his stories. When he goes to a new city, he said he always tries to find a hidden gem of a restaurant, something off the beaten path where no tourists go. He told me about this amazing place in Paris that he discovered a few months ago. He said he had a crepe to die for. He painted such a picture of that trip; I felt like booking a plane ticket when he was done."

As Harper rambled on about Colin and crepes, my mind kept running one word back and forth— Paris . "Did Colin go to Paris with friends?" I asked when she finally took a breath.

"He said Allison was there. I don't know who else. Why?"

"No reason."

"You don't like her, do you?" Harper asked, giving me a knowing look. "She's a little too pretty and too friendly with Andrew."

"I don't want to talk about her, and it looks like our horses might be ready to go."

As Andrew waved to us, we walked toward the barn. He gave me a confident smile when we joined him and Colin. "I have the perfect horse for you, Lauren. Her name is Sally, and she's that beautiful gray mare who, according to the stable hand, is very calm, easygoing, and will not be difficult to ride. If anything, she'll go too slow."

"Slow is good," I said as Andrew led me over to the horse.

I gave the horse's nose an awkward pat as Andrew suggested I say hello. Then he helped me into the saddle. When I was set, he got onto his horse, and I tried to take several deep, relaxing breaths as I waited for Harper, who was taking her seat on a horse that was already prancing and dancing, but Harper seemed incredibly comfortable with the energy. I wished I could feel that confident and relaxed, but I was too caught up in praying that I wouldn't fall off. Sally wasn't doing a damn thing but patiently waiting to go, but I could still feel the power of her body beneath me, and the slightest sway made me grip the reins tighter.

Finally, we were off, with one stable hand named Kyle leading the group from the front, another guy named Reece at the back. Andrew, Harper, and Colin were behind me, Bennett and the influencers in front of me. My horse fell into line with the others, and as a few uneventful minutes passed, I tried to breathe deeper and enjoy the scenery.

The trail wound its way up into the hills above the resort. We passed by the villas under construction, and I wondered if Allison was working in the model, but everything seemed very quiet in that area since it was Sunday and there were no workers around.

As we moved beyond the villas, we took a path flanked by golden grass and scattered wildflowers. Eucalyptus trees arched overhead, their leaves whispering in the breeze, and the salty tang of the ocean grew sharper as the trail climbed higher. Below, the resort spread out like a postcard, its white buildings nestled against the deep blue of the sea.

Andrew rode beside me whenever the trail allowed, his easy smile and encouraging words helping me feel slightly less like I was about to fall off. "You’re doing great," he kept repeating, and I was starting to think he might be right.

I was touched by how attentive he was. It was one of the reasons I'd fallen in love with him, and maybe I needed to focus on who he'd always been to me instead of the mystery man Ethan was trying to make him out to be. Although that thought reminded me that Harper had mentioned a trip to Paris, too…not that she'd said Andrew was on it, but Colin had been with Allison, and according to the receipt Ethan had shown me, Andrew had been there, too.

I didn't want to think about that now. I was on my honeymoon. I had married the man of my dreams, and everything would work itself out. Once Andrew and I got past some of these events, we'd have more time to talk, and he'd have an explanation for that trip. I knew he would.

About ten minutes later, we came to a halt at a beautiful vista point. The clearing opened onto a stunning view of the coastline, the ocean sparkling in the afternoon sun. Avalon’s harbor was visible in the distance, dotted with boats, while the rooftops of the town added a splash of color against the rolling hills. Almost everyone dismounted to take photos, including Andrew. He wanted to help me down, but I'd just started getting comfortable, so I decided to stay on my horse rather than get on and off. We were only going to be there for a few minutes anyway, and then we'd be heading back.

As the breeze picked up, Sally moved around a bit, and I started to feel uneasy, realizing that aside from our group leader, who was about ten feet away from me, I was the only other person still astride. The others were roaming around the trees and the enormous boulders, trying to find the perfect shots, especially the influencers.

Tyler seemed to be shooting video of everything and everyone, including me, while Kat was climbing up on a boulder that hung perilously close to the edge of the bluff. In fact, Reece was trying to get her to come down when I heard a sharp whizzing sound slice through the air near my ear.

Sally suddenly reared without warning, her powerful body launching upward as she whinnied in panic. I screamed, grabbing at the reins, but it was too late—she bolted down the trail, her hooves pounding against the dirt as I clung to the saddle for dear life.

Branches whipped at my arms and face, the world a blur of motion and sound. "Whoa, Sally! Stop!" I yelled, but it was no use. She was out of control, her body taut with panic as she tore through the trees with me along for the ride.

I heard shouts behind me, but Sally was running so fast I didn't know if I was hearing actual voices or the pounding of my own heart. Eventually, she'd have to stop, I told myself. But as the path got steeper and more uneven, I worried about when that might be and what might happen.

I'd no sooner had that panicked thought when the trail came to an end, the ground sloping sharply downward. Sally put on the brakes as she tried to pull up, but it was too fast, too sudden. She reared up again, and this time I couldn't hang on. The reins slipped from my hands as I flew through the air, landing hard on the rocky ground.

The impact knocked the breath out of me, pain exploding in my hip. For a moment, I couldn’t move, the world spinning around me. Sally thrashed nearby, her eyes wild with fear, but Kyle suddenly appeared, jumping off his horse to grab Sally's bridle.

Andrew appeared a moment later, his hair windblown, his eyes wide with fear, as he jumped to the ground and fell to his knees beside me.

"Lauren!" he said, his voice sharp with panic. "Are you all right?"

I stared at him in shock. "I—I don't know."

He put his hand on my shoulder. "Where does it hurt?"

"My hip, my side," I mumbled.

"What about your legs? Your neck? Your head?" he bit out, his gaze running down my body.

"I think I'm okay," I said, not aware of any other pain. "Can you help me up?" Even though Sally had calmed down, I wanted to get a little further away from the horse.

Andrew helped me to my feet. "What happened?" he asked.

"I don't know. The horse just took off."

"She never bolts like that," the young man holding the horse said. "She's the calmest horse we have."

I shook my head in confusion. "One minute I was sitting there, and then she reared up and took off." I paused. "I think I heard something whiz by my ear."

"She might have gotten stung by a bee," Kyle put in.

"Had to be something like that," Andrew agreed. "I'm so sorry, Lauren. I promised you'd be all right."

I saw the guilt in his eyes. "It wasn't your fault. I should have gotten off the horse when I had the chance."

"Sally is calm now," the stable hand said. "If you want to ride her back."

I gave him an incredulous look. "Not a chance. I'm not getting back on that horse. Do you think I'm crazy?"

"You can ride with me," Andrew said.

I didn't like that idea, either, but we were probably a few miles away from the resort, and I didn't feel up to walking. Still, I hesitated. "I don't know. Your horse looks even bigger than Sally. Maybe we could call for someone to bring a golf cart up here."

"A cart won't be able to make it up here," the stable hand said. "It's either ride with your husband or walk."

"I won't let anything happen to you," Andrew promised.

He'd told me that earlier. Not that it was his fault, but it was difficult to trust his words now.

"Dammit," I swore, knowing I had no choice. "Okay, fine, I'll ride with you, but I want to go straight back to the stables."

"Of course."

"Where is everyone else?"

"They're already headed back to the stable," the guide said, glancing down at his phone. "My manager wants to know if you need a doctor to meet you there."

"I don't think so," I said.

"Well, if you change your mind, let me know."

"I'm going to help you up, and then I'm going to get up behind you," Andrew said, giving me another warm, reassuring smile.

"All right." It took every ounce of courage I had to climb into Andrew’s saddle, my body tense with pain and fear. His hands were strong and steady as he helped me up, then swung up behind me with practiced ease. His arms caged me in as he took the reins, his warmth pressing against my back.

"You’re safe now," he murmured, his voice low in my ear.

I didn’t feel safe. My skin prickled with unease, my mind replaying the moment Sally had bolted. What had made my horse take off like that? Something had definitely spooked her. Maybe it had been a bee. Just a freaky, bad-luck moment.

As we descended the trail, I could see the others in a pack far ahead of us, their laughter and chatter so carefree, so different from the way I felt. The scenery blurred past us: golden hillsides dotted with wildflowers, the ocean glinting in the late afternoon sun. But I couldn’t focus on the beauty. My thoughts were a tangled mess of pain and unanswered questions.

When we got back to the stables, everyone was waiting for us, their expressions filled with concern. Andrew got off first and then helped me down. When I put my weight on my left leg, I winced, biting back a gasp of pain.

"Lauren! Are you okay?" Bennett asked, striding forward with both worry and annoyance in his gaze.

I had a feeling he was more concerned with what was going to be written about this event by the influencers than how I was actually feeling. But he was trying to act like he cared. And I needed to be cognizant of my reaction and the photos that were currently being snapped by Talia, Kat, and Tyler.

"I’ll be fine," I said, forcing a smile. "Just bruised."

"Bruised?" Bennett echoed. "Did you fall off?"

"I didn’t fall—I was thrown," I corrected. The memory made my stomach tighten.

Bennett shook his head, seemingly bewildered. "I don't understand what happened. Sally is such a calm mare. I rode her yesterday, and she was too slow for me."

"Well, she wasn’t slow today when she took off like a rocket," I snapped, frustration bubbling to the surface. "Something spooked her. I heard it."

"What did you hear?" Bennett pressed.

I hesitated, glancing at the group. Harper, Colin, and the influencers stood nearby, avidly listening to our exchange.

"I don’t know…it was a hissing sound."

"Or maybe a buzzing," Andrew suggested. "It could have been a bee that stung Sally and sent her running."

"That was probably it," Bennett said with a nod, happy to have a reasonable explanation.

"I'm going to take Lauren back to our room so she can catch her breath," Andrew said.

"Good idea," Bennett agreed.

My gaze moved to the influencers. "I'm sorry to cut our time short. I hope you enjoyed yourselves."

"We did," Kat said. "Just sorry you had such a rough time, Lauren."

The others murmured their agreement.

"Thanks. I hope I'll see you again before you leave the island."

"We'll be here through the grand opening," Tyler replied. "I actually caught some of your flight on my camera if you want to see it. I was shooting you sitting on the horse, looking like a queen, right before Sally bolted. Do you want me to show it to you?"

"I don't think she needs to see it. She just lived it," Andrew said.

"I will pass," I agreed.

"We've got a cart to take you back to the lodge," Bennett said, tipping his head to the young female driver waiting in the golf cart.

"Thanks."

"Our resort medical staff hasn't arrived yet, but there's a small medical center in town if you'd rather go there and get checked out," he added.

"I don't need a doctor. I'll be fine."

Andrew helped me to the cart, and it was a quick ride back to the resort. But even sitting for that long intensified the pain in my hip. Hopefully, it wasn't anything serious. Because I really didn't want to have to deal with a bigger injury.

As we entered the room, Andrew said, "I think you're lying about how hurt you are, Lauren. You're walking like you're in a lot of pain."

"I just need some ibuprofen and maybe a bath."

"Let's start with ice. See if we can't get the swelling reduced." He paused. "I think I left the ibuprofen with Jay."

"I have some in my bathroom bag," I told him as I headed into the bedroom. I stretched out on the bed on my good side and closed my eyes as I fought against the pain. Andrew returned a moment later with a glass of water and pain medication. I swallowed three tablets and then settled back into the comfortable mattress.

"I'm going to get you some ice," he said. "I'll be right back."

"Thanks."

As he left, my phone started vibrating in my jean jacket pocket, and I pulled it out. I'd taken it along to take photos on the ride, but, of course, I'd been too afraid to take my hands off the reins to make that happen.

A notification from my social media channel revealed I'd been tagged in a video posted by Tyler. I had a feeling I knew what it was, and while I didn't want to relive the nightmare, I was curious to see what it had looked like.

Of course, Tyler had added some fun text to the post, but I was more interested in the actual video. One second, I was sitting on my horse looking beautiful against a magnificent tree-covered hillside, and then I suddenly screamed as Sally jumped about a foot in the air. I clutched wildly at the reins before the horse took off.

Frowning, I played the video back again a few more times, pausing it right before the horse jumped. Andrew had thought Sally had been stung by a bee, but it seemed like something was moving through the air. The video was too grainy to really tell what it was, but it kind of looked like a rock.

My pulse leapt. Maybe the horse had been hit by a rock and not stung by a bee.

I played the video again, looking more closely at the first few frames where I could see people behind me: Harper, Colin, Andrew, and Bennett were all there.

If a rock had come from that direction…

My breath came fast as ridiculous thoughts filled my head. There was no way one of them would have thrown a rock at me or the horse. And maybe it wasn't even a rock.

As I heard the suite door open and close, I turned the phone face down on the bed. I didn't know why I didn't immediately show it to Andrew, why I didn't let him tell me I was imagining things. Before I could think too long about it, he entered the room, setting a bag of ice on the bedside table.

He gave me a sympathetic smile. "Let's get you out of those jeans and see what's bruised."

It made sense to look, but it hurt to move, and I was still thinking about what I'd seen. "I'll look later."

"We'll look now," he said forcefully.

"It's going to hurt."

"I'll help you, Lauren. We need to see what the damage is in case we need to get you to the doctor."

He helped me take off my jeans, and I winced as the denim moved past my hips.

"Damn," he muttered as he pulled them all the way off and tossed them on the end of the bed. "You have a hell of a bruise."

I twisted my head to see swelling around my hip bone and a large red and purple bruise developing. No wonder I was in pain.

"You might need to get this checked out."

"I don't think I broke anything and there's nothing anyone can do for a bruise. I just want to rest, Andrew."

He frowned, then got up and retrieved a hand towel from the bathroom. He draped it over my hip and gently set the ice bag on top of it. Even that small amount of pressure sent a stabbing pain from my hip to my toes, but I hoped the cold would help ease that.

He pulled a throw blanket off the chaise lounge next to the bed and put it over me with soft and kind hands. "What else do you need?" he asked.

"Nothing. Thank you."

He met my gaze and gave a regretful shake of his head. "This is not the honeymoon I wanted, Lauren."

"Me, either. But it can only get better, right?"

"I can't imagine it getting worse. What happened was such a freak accident. That a bee would sting your horse. What are the odds of that?"

"What are the odds?" I echoed, my gut telling me it had not been a bee.

But thinking about what it might have been would only make me feel worse, and my pain threshold was maxed out.

"You should rest. Hopefully, you'll feel better in a few hours. We have that bonfire tonight on the beach."

I sighed at the reminder. That was another one of the events Megan wanted to highlight for the campaign. "I don't think I can do it. I need to text Megan and let her know. She won't be happy."

"She'll have to understand."

"You should go without me."

"I don't think she wants photos of me by myself," he said dryly.

"Your friends will be there. Maybe she can take group shots, and we don't have to be the featured couple." I reached for my phone. "I can ask her."

"Put that down. I'll talk to Megan. You don't need to worry about it."

"What are you going to do now?"

"I have some work emails to answer. I also might run down and talk to the guys for a while if you don't need anything else."

"I'll be fine, Andrew."

"Okay." He pulled the curtains shut and turned off the light before leaving the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

Once he was gone, I picked up my phone and watched the video again. I didn't know if I was imagining things or seeing an actual rock hitting my horse. If that had happened, who had thrown that rock and why?

Were they trying to spook me, hurt me?

The words written on my wall last night suddenly rang through my head once more: You'll be sorry.

I was beginning to think they were going to be right.