tragedy unfold.
Claire marched down the front porch and jerked Harley’s hand from Wyatt’s.
“It’s not enough that you find it liberating to play in the dirt, to have your hands covered in calluses, but you decided to go slumming with this trash.”
“You wait just one damn minute,” Camille shouted from behind him as Wyatt pulled Harley back to his side.
Claire lunged her hand forward, ripping Harley from Wyatt’s arm. “Did he force himself on you? Did he force you to your knees?”
Harley gasped with wide eyes. “ Mother .”
“Don’t Mother me.” She pulled Harley in the house and marched her up the stairs, throwing a glare at Garrison, who was in the foyer. “I told you, from day one. I told you. She claimed her sons were not brood stallions, but they had no issues using your only daughter as a mare. Look at her, Garrison. Just look. You’re living in the wrong decade. Clearly you have forgotten that teenage boys only want one thing.” And with that, she jerked Harley up the stairs, calling her everything from a slut to wannabe trailer trash.
Camille grasped the back of Wyatt’s arm and was pulling him back to the barn. Easier said than done —her son was taller than her at age ten, and now she looked like a rail dragging a man across the driveway, but she was furious enough to lift a building at the time. Every time Wyatt looked back, she pinched him harder. She ultimately marched him up the stairs to the barn apartment before slamming the door closed.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” she shouted.
Wyatt was too busy trying to look out the closest window, trying to make sure they were not hauling Harley away. His mind was racing with a truckload of different ways to stop them.
“How long, Wyatt!”
He gave his mother a hard stare. “How long have I loved her?”
“Do not give me that bullshit, son.”
“First sight. How long have we been a couple? The first July.”
Camille stepped back as if he had struck her. Her mind was rushing back over the years, all the times she had missed this. Her husband had told her more than once that there was something there, but she told him Wyatt had more sense about him, knew the risk, would not put himself in a position where he would get hurt.
“How long have you been sleeping with her?”
Wyatt looked away, not willing to discuss this with his mother, or anyone for that matter.
“You tell me now. You have no idea how much trouble you’re in.”
He didn’t get that. She could ground him until she was blue in the face , he just had to know that Harley was okay.
“Just now.”
“Now? Like, tonight?”
He shook his head.
“Wyatt, you are weeks away from eighteen. If they had caught you then, do you realize they would’ve put you in jail?”
“Mom, seriously.”
“I am serious, son. You cannot fuck with people like this. You cross them, and they will run you into the ground.”
“That’s not how I was raised, to back down.”
“I didn’t raise you to sleep with girls that are boarding here!”
“She’s not some girl.”
“Wyatt, Claire Tatum will do everything in her power to ruin our name.”
“Fuck her!” Wyatt yelled. “So she takes a few boarders away, a few lessons. Those people are not in our world , this is some game to them. Horse people will always come to the Dorans’.”
“You know damn well this is not about boarders.”
And it wasn’t. The Dorans were connected to several charities , most were concerned with animal rights, but not all. Having a partner such as Garrison Tatum empowered foundations that Camille’s family had either started or been a part of her entire life. Her son had risked more than his own farm with this love affair, and right now she didn’t know how to feel about that.
“I don’t give a damn about this farm!”
“Well, maybe you should . Maybe you should think of someone beyond yourself.”
“I am. Her.”
“Wyatt, we could lose it all and I don’t care. I’ve
Claire marched down the front porch and jerked Harley’s hand from Wyatt’s.
“It’s not enough that you find it liberating to play in the dirt, to have your hands covered in calluses, but you decided to go slumming with this trash.”
“You wait just one damn minute,” Camille shouted from behind him as Wyatt pulled Harley back to his side.
Claire lunged her hand forward, ripping Harley from Wyatt’s arm. “Did he force himself on you? Did he force you to your knees?”
Harley gasped with wide eyes. “ Mother .”
“Don’t Mother me.” She pulled Harley in the house and marched her up the stairs, throwing a glare at Garrison, who was in the foyer. “I told you, from day one. I told you. She claimed her sons were not brood stallions, but they had no issues using your only daughter as a mare. Look at her, Garrison. Just look. You’re living in the wrong decade. Clearly you have forgotten that teenage boys only want one thing.” And with that, she jerked Harley up the stairs, calling her everything from a slut to wannabe trailer trash.
Camille grasped the back of Wyatt’s arm and was pulling him back to the barn. Easier said than done —her son was taller than her at age ten, and now she looked like a rail dragging a man across the driveway, but she was furious enough to lift a building at the time. Every time Wyatt looked back, she pinched him harder. She ultimately marched him up the stairs to the barn apartment before slamming the door closed.
“Have you lost your fucking mind?” she shouted.
Wyatt was too busy trying to look out the closest window, trying to make sure they were not hauling Harley away. His mind was racing with a truckload of different ways to stop them.
“How long, Wyatt!”
He gave his mother a hard stare. “How long have I loved her?”
“Do not give me that bullshit, son.”
“First sight. How long have we been a couple? The first July.”
Camille stepped back as if he had struck her. Her mind was rushing back over the years, all the times she had missed this. Her husband had told her more than once that there was something there, but she told him Wyatt had more sense about him, knew the risk, would not put himself in a position where he would get hurt.
“How long have you been sleeping with her?”
Wyatt looked away, not willing to discuss this with his mother, or anyone for that matter.
“You tell me now. You have no idea how much trouble you’re in.”
He didn’t get that. She could ground him until she was blue in the face , he just had to know that Harley was okay.
“Just now.”
“Now? Like, tonight?”
He shook his head.
“Wyatt, you are weeks away from eighteen. If they had caught you then, do you realize they would’ve put you in jail?”
“Mom, seriously.”
“I am serious, son. You cannot fuck with people like this. You cross them, and they will run you into the ground.”
“That’s not how I was raised, to back down.”
“I didn’t raise you to sleep with girls that are boarding here!”
“She’s not some girl.”
“Wyatt, Claire Tatum will do everything in her power to ruin our name.”
“Fuck her!” Wyatt yelled. “So she takes a few boarders away, a few lessons. Those people are not in our world , this is some game to them. Horse people will always come to the Dorans’.”
“You know damn well this is not about boarders.”
And it wasn’t. The Dorans were connected to several charities , most were concerned with animal rights, but not all. Having a partner such as Garrison Tatum empowered foundations that Camille’s family had either started or been a part of her entire life. Her son had risked more than his own farm with this love affair, and right now she didn’t know how to feel about that.
“I don’t give a damn about this farm!”
“Well, maybe you should . Maybe you should think of someone beyond yourself.”
“I am. Her.”
“Wyatt, we could lose it all and I don’t care. I’ve
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