Free Racing Hearts by Melissa West

silence the entire drive back to Crestler’s Key, unable to wrap her mind around what Trip had asked of her—demanded of her. She still couldn’t decide what she thought of the Trip Hamilton of today. He had a way about him, a sincerity that was hard to ignore. But then, there was that arrogance . . .
    â€œEm, we’ve sat in the car for twenty minutes now. Are we going to talk about this out loud or are you going to continue chewing away your nails?”
    Emery’s gaze dropped to her thumb, and sure enough, the nail had been whittled away to the wick. Her mama would have a few choice words about that, a habit she’d had since she was a kid that tended to reappear when she was under stress. Stress like going against her daddy for her dream, or worse, for a man that made her heart beat out of control. She’d genuinely thought her feelings were gone, healed, or at the very least under her control. Now she knew that was laughable.
    â€œI just . . . I have to tell him no, right? That I changed my mind. I mean, I ride for Carlisle Farms. I can’t just turn my back on that.”
    â€œBut the thing is . . . you aren’t riding for Carlisle Farms. Your daddy refuses to let you ride.”
    Of course her friend was right, so what should she do? Emery went to work on her other thumb, the decision too great.
    It was no secret that her riding for her daddy was frowned upon. Jockeys were hired by trainers to ride on their horses. They never owned the horse themselves. Jockeys were contract employees, paid hands. But the rules stated the jockey couldn’t own the horse. It said nothing about family. So, Daddy trained the horse and Emery worked for him. Their setup received too many sharp looks to count, especially given how much he paid her. It was a little too close to the rule, but Daddy never gave a damn what anyone else thought of him. He’d been bending rules his entire life. He knew Emery wanted to be a jockey, and being his only daughter, he wasn’t about to let her ride for someone else.
    So Emery chose her mounts, and then Beckett paid her to ride them. Only, riding for her daddy had its drawbacks—she played too safe. Sure, riding was a risk. Racing was a risk. But she never pushed herself, never took a chance on a mount, because anytime she suggested taking a chance, Daddy would turn her down. Emery loved her parents, loved Carlisle Farms, and loved every single person who worked there. They were a family, blood or water, but she didn’t really live her life, didn’t state her opinions. She did what she was told to do, ignoring her gut at times, because she was twenty-five and Daddy was the expert. For years she’d told herself it didn’t matter, but now things were different. She couldn’t get on a horse, could barely stand beside one back home, and he refused to put her back on a mount. Deep down, Emery knew she needed the change. She needed to accept Trip’s offer and prove to him she was the best rider for Craving Wind.
    But by accepting his offer, she would break her family’s hearts.
    Emery realized Kate was watching her work all this out and glanced over. “What?”
    â€œYou’re going to do it, aren’t you?”
    She bit into her pinky nail, giving her thumbs a break. “I don’t have to decide today.”
    â€œNo, I guess not,” Kate said. “But you do have to decide, Em. And the decision shouldn’t involve anybody but you.” Emery’s eyes lifted back to Kate’s, and she opened her mouth to respond as Kate cut her off. “I know what you’re going to say, and you’re right. They’re your family. That matters. It’s thick and real and it matters. But this is your life, Emery. Your career. Your future. And Trip’s handing you the opportunity of a lifetime. The best jockeys in the world would kill for this opportunity.”
    â€œYou think I should take it?”