Free Rising Star by Karen Webb

of why she was here. Should of just let her keep going down the
beach, she sighed and brushed sand off her face, as Catalina danced
in front of the cameras.
    “ Whew, that girl sure can
ride,” Jake said, wiping his brow. “I thought we were going to have
to chase them all the way to San Francisco.” He knew the horse and
he’d seen her take the bit and run. He was very impressed with
Selena’s smooth handling of the situation.
     

Chapter 14
     
     
    Matthew Mason had stopped by an actor
friend’s house for brunch. Several other young, well-known actors
had shown up and it had gotten noisy inside. Matt walked out onto
the balcony overlooking the ocean for a bit of fresh air and to
enjoy the peace and beauty of the beach. He thought about Selena as
he stood there quietly. He’d had no contact with her since New
Mexico. He knew a relationship would be difficult given their
different worlds and the distance between them. He’d done his best
to forget her, but so far he’d had no luck. She crept back into his
mind constantly and he was picturing her standing beside him right
now, her big, beautiful violet eyes—her long hair blowing in the
ocean breeze as she stared across the Pacific. He was thinking how
much she would probably enjoy this view, when he was startled by a
movement down on the beach. A white horse was racing up the beach
toward him at breakneck speed with a young girl in a flowing white
dress on its back. His mouth dropped open as the girl turned the
horse down on the beach in front of him, right into the ocean, and
then slowed it to a trot as she rode back the way she’d come. It
had looked like Selena on that horse! Was he missing her so much he
was seeing her everywhere? But no, even though it was some
distance, he remembered the way she’d sat her horse, as if she were
glued to it, as if she and the horse were one. This girl had
Selena’s long thick hair and had handled that horse like a rodeo
queen. Matt started down the stairs and trotted south along the
beach, wondering if he could ever catch up to the girl on the white
horse. “I must be crazy,” he chuckled to himself as he trotted down
the beach in the direction they’d gone.
     
    Selena sat on the horse in front of the
cameras, still in the edge of the waves. She heard both cameras
click, click, click until finally one of the men called out, “Okay,
we got it Selena.”
    She rode Catalina onto the beach and was
about to dismount when she saw a tall man walking briskly down the
beach toward her little group.
    “ It never fails,” one of
the cameramen said huffily. “Always some tourist, hoping to get a
peek at a model or movie star.”
    But Selena didn’t think so. She knew that
purposeful stride and the tall, proud way Matt carried himself. She
sat her horse and watched in disbelief as he approached.
    “ I’m sorry sir, this beach
is closed.” Betsy had stepped in front of him and put her hand up.
Selena watched her hand drop as she recognized Matthew Mason. He
had never taken his eyes from Selena as he reached Betsy and she
saw the smile creep across his face and reach his blue eyes,
setting off the mischievous twinkle. He strode on past Betsy, and
Selena dropped to the ground, her damp evening gown clinging to her
slender form as he looked her up and down. “Hi,” he said, his grin
growing ever wider.
    “ Um, what are you doing
here?”
    “ Well,” he drawled. “I was
at a friend’s house and I saw a white horse with a dark-haired
beauty racing down the beach. I had to pinch my arm; I thought I
must be dreaming. What are you doing here?”
    Selena laughed nervously. “I’m working.” She
nodded her head toward the cameras, then looked back at Matt’s
steady gaze. His blue eyes gleamed with mischief.
    Why is he looking at me like that? As if
he’s never seen me before. Her stomach knotted again under his
intense stare and she felt a little tug at her heart as she stared
back.
    “ Come on Selena, we have to
get you