Page 114 of Holding Hope

“I’m saving those horses,” she snapped. “What do you think I’m doing? I can’t wait for tomorrow or whenever my dad decides to get the authorities involved.”

I nodded, grabbed the nearest saddle, and hefted it into my arms—barely.

Clarke froze. “Okay, now it’s my turn. What are you doing?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” I gestured between the saddle and myself. “You can’t do this alone.”

She crossed her arms. “Yes, I can. And I’m breaking the law—I don’t think you want to be involved⁠—”

Balancing the saddle on one arm, I placed my free hand over hers. “You don’t have to do this by yourself. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. And I love breaking the law. You must not really know me.”

Clarke laughed—a short, surprised sound—and I smiled.

“I mean it,” I said softly. “You want to do everything alone, but as long as I’m around, you won’t have to. I won’t let you.”

A blush crept across her cheeks, blooming warm and pink. “Well… if you’re helping, you need a different saddle.”

I looked down at the one in my arms. “What’s wrong with this one?”

“That’s for English riding—the stuck-up, big-city kind.” She grunted as she lifted it from my arms and hung it back on the wall. “This one—” she grabbed a heavier, broader saddle “—is for Western riding.”

I followed her to Apollo’s stall, trying not to make it obvious how much I was struggling under the weight. Clarke entered slowly, hand outstretched. Apollo sniffed her palm, found no treats, and returned to his feed bucket.

Without a word, she took the saddle from me and set it on the blanket. Saving these horses meant everything to her—enough to risk her reputation, her safety, her future.

Would her parents understand? Would they be proud? Would mine?

The sound of boots on concrete snapped me from my thoughts. Colton appeared first, cream hat low over a face carved with anger and determination. Ethan followed, jaw tight, brows drawn low. I’d never seen either of them like this—and it scared me.

Delia trailed behind them, red hair wild. “Clarke, I didn’t mean to tell, but you know how hard it is for me—especially when I know you could be putting yourself in danger.”

“I’m not going to be in danger,” Clarke said sharply, though her voice trembled at the edges.

I noticed. I always noticed.

“I’m going with her,” I said firmly, directing the words at Colton. “She won’t be doing this alone.”

His blue eyes snapped to me, and I immediately wanted to curl into a ball and roll away like a potato bug.

“Oh, you’re going with her? Wow, that makes me feel so much better.” He leaned forward. “Tell me—are you going to leave her when it starts to feel too real again?”

The words hit like a slap. I blinked once. Twice. Hard. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t hurt. It didn’t hurt.

I inhaled deeply. Delia gasped. Clarke froze. Ethan murmured something to his friend.

“Either help us,” I said, voice trembling but steady, “or get the fuck out of my way. You can hate me for what I did, but right now we’re wasting time. These animals don’t care what happened eight months ago. If we don’t save them, they will die.”

Silence fell. Clarke looked like she wanted to applaud.

Colton exhaled, rubbing a hand over his mustache. “You’re right. I’m⁠—”

“I’d rather you didn’t,” I cut in. I didn’t need an apology he didn’t mean.

The group split, saddling their horses. Fifteen minutes later, all five of us were riding toward Hanover’s stables.

We kept a steady pace, me bringing up the rear on Apollo. The golden horse did his best to keep me upright, though I could tell he wanted to race ahead.

What was I doing? I could barely ride. How was I supposed to help free a dozen horses from a notorious exotic-meats dealer?