Free Love and Lies (Sunshine & Shadow Book 4) by Alie Williamson Page A

usual.”
    April nodded, and left
the staff room, holding her coffee mug in both hands to warm them.
    Miss Trinity, as April
called her, was a spritely dapple-grey mare. She had the most attitude of any
other horse in the barn. The only horse that was a close second was Prime Time,
and his was an entirely different story. Needing an experienced handler kept Trinity
away from most of the actors on set. She was usually only ridden by the
stunt-riders, the experienced equestrians that bore an unlikely resemblance to
the actors. After his stint at Blue Haven, Lex had chosen to do some of his own
stunts, but April still didn’t think he was experienced enough to ride Trinity.
    The plucky mare nibbled
April’s sweater as she tacked her up, being careful not to get kicked as she
tightened the cinchy horse’s saddle. Trinity turned to bite her and April held
up her finger.
    “Now little miss, are you
gonna give me trouble today or be a good girl?”
    As she pulled on the
cinch once more, the horse reached around to bite her again.
    “Miss Trinity, you are
lucky it’s not me who’s gonna be riding you. Just don’t throw Lex, because he
won’t be happy if he gets his jeans dirty,” April said.
    “Didn’t know you thought
I was so vain.” Lex suddenly appeared at the stall door and slipped inside.
    Seeing him after avoiding
him for so long hit April in the stomach like someone had punched her. She
found it hard to breathe. His eyes were bright, his pupils small. She felt
herself drowning in them, much like the first time she had looked at them. She
felt like Icarus flying too close to the sun, bound to get burned.
    “Lex,” she said.
    “Good morning, April.”
Lex leaned over the stall door and peeked down the aisle.
    “What are you doing?”
April asked.
    “The grooms won’t leave
me alone. They follow me everywhere now.” He turned to the horse and stroked
her face. “You gonna give me a hard time again, missy?”
    “What’s she been doing?”
    “It’s like she’s bored,
if you ask me. We do the same thing over and over again on set, and by the
third or fourth time, she starts acting up, like a teenager, almost.”
    “Bored...” April mused,
looking at the horse. That could explain why she was nibbling and aggressive.
“You might be right. Let’s test that theory today.”
    “I’d be bored too if I
was you, girl. It would suck being in this box for your whole life.” Lex looked
at April. “Don’t you think?”
    April nodded. Watching
them together gave April an idea. “Let’s take her out. I’ll tack up Benny and we’ll
go on a trail ride.”
    “I don’t think we’re
allowed…” Lex said, “The gates are crawling with paparazzi.”
    “You think I’m gonna take
you down the paved road on a trail ride? We’ll go out the back, into the hills.
I’ll just clear it with Damian.”
    “I’ll tack up Benny while
you’re gone.”
    April went to find
Damian. She noticed a couple of grooms drop their heads quickly as she passed,
having obviously been eavesdropping. She hoped they would have the sense not to
follow them into the hills.
    She found Damian in Prime
Time’s stall.
    “Damian, I have an idea
for Trinity.”
    “What is it?” Damian
poked Prime Time roughly in the ribs, causing the horse to exhale a lungful of
air so he could tighten the cinch quickly.
    April winced for the
horse. She shook her head; not her business. “I want to take her and Lex on a
trail ride.”
    Damian looked at her,
raising his eyebrow like he usually did. “We aren’t in cattle country anymore,
April. We don’t go on trail rides. Just do what you’re paid to do; take the
horse in the arena and fix the problem.”
    He led the horse from the
box stall, giving him a sharp slap on the rear when he didn’t want to move.
    April followed them down
the aisle.
    “But I think that’s the
problem, Damian. She’s bored. She’s been in the arena or on set, or in her
stall, for months now. When was the last time