By Fault Page 2

  It took only a few more minutes to reach the showgrounds. They were about a week early for the start of competition, but when they pulled into the parking area, Vince was reassured that they weren’t the only ones to arrive so early. Vince had wanted the time to get Xander acclimated to the weather, considering that it was warmer than Xander was used to this time of the year. Just to take one variable out of the competition equation, and in case they hit bad weather on the drive. Others must have had similar ideas. There were half a dozen other trailers in the parking area, but only two other horses already in Xander’s stable row, which was one of several barns on the showgrounds.

  Getting settled in went pretty smoothly, Vince thought, despite having to deal with the paperwork and security that went along with competing at the international level. Even though he was American and competing on American soil, the fact that many of the other competitors in his classes were from all over the world made those classes subject to the international ruling body of the sport. At such a high level, the horses were worth many thousands of dollars, making them business assets as much as animals. Security made sure that only those directly associated with each horse could access the stables.

  Xander settled in well too. Vince decided to give him some time to relax in his stall before working him in one of the lunging arenas.

  “Want to go for a walk?” he asked Dustin. “He’ll be fine for a few minutes.”

  Dustin nodded. “I’d like to see some of the area.”

  They encountered a few other people as they walked across the showgrounds, and Vince enjoyed the peaceful quiet of the place. He was tempted to reach for Dustin’s hand several times, but the same caution he felt at every show held him back. The last thing he wanted was to create any issues with other competitors, because Dustin would be the one to deal with the most responses. Vince was the rider, the one most people wouldn’t think to directly take issue with at this level of competition. But Dustin was the groom and had to stand on the sidelines by himself while Vince rode. He would be alone in the stable most often while Vince was occupied with other things, including filling out paperwork or doing the interviews for equestrian news sites after a major win. Despite having told Dustin he was fine with Dustin making their relationship known in response to the almost stalker-like fans online, actually being public about it at a show felt different. When they were alone in the trailer was one thing, because the windows were small and very high up, plus they were both generally quiet by nature. Outside the trailer, though, he felt utterly exposed. The thought of stirring up any drama and leaving Dustin to face it while Vince was untouched by it directly terrified him.

  “I love that there are so many palm trees,” Dustin commented.

  Vince pulled out of his worrisome thoughts. “Why?”

  Dustin shrugged. “I guess because they remind me that I’m in a place where it doesn’t get as cold as it does back home. It’s still December and I’m wearing a T-shirt.”

  Vince smiled. “That’s a good point. But it makes me wonder if we packed sunscreen.”

  “I did,” Dustin answered with a nod. “A bit of sunburn would be okay though because, hell, how often can I say I got sunburn in the winter? Not that I’m saying sunburn is a good thing.”

  “I see your point there too,” Vince said, still smiling. “Right ahead is where most of my classes will be.”

  They walked between empty sand arenas toward a cluster of small buildings. A large gap between the buildings led into another arena, and the gap was crossed by a wooden bridge that marked the arena in which the international classes were held. It wasn’t blocked off, so Vince walked into the shadow of the bridge to look at the arena he’d seen pictures and videos of online.

  The sand footing appeared very good to Vince’s eye, though maybe a little dry for the time being—it would be watered down for softer footing during competition. The sand was striped with drag lines from the tractors, though footprints broke the pattern in a couple of places. Several disassembled jumps were neatly arranged around the arena, waiting to be set for their next use. Rows of blue seats lined the left side and the side straight across from the gate, while the right side was taken up by the open seating of a restaurant, though the restaurant looked more like a massive white tent than a building. It was still the kind of “dinner and a show” that Vince would have preferred himself. The same type of massive tent stood behind the rows of seats to the left of the arena, and Vince could see that a few smaller ones were being assembled behind the seats straight across from where he stood.

  “I’ll have a pretty good view from here,” Dustin observed. “Unless too many other people are down here.” He leaned around the wall to his right to look at a stretch of the arena where two jumps were sitting. “Or if you have to come over here,” he added.

  Vince drew him back and pointed to a massive black screen rising above the far left corner of the arena. “That should help.”

  “I guess it would. I’ll be able to watch you kick ass no matter where you are in the arena.”

  Vince could see the glitter of excitement in Dustin’s deep green eyes. He knew there were no people nearby; in the distance he heard the rhythmic beeping of a truck in reverse, and birds called to each other from the trees, but he heard no human voices. So he pulled Dustin deeper into the shadow of the bridge and kissed him. He forced aside his concerns for the time being while he held Dustin close and drew the kiss out into one that was sweet and lingering.

  “Thank you for being here with me,” he murmured against Dustin’s lips.

  Dustin smiled. “Someone besides Xander has to have your back. And I really enjoy it,” he added. He slid his hand down Vince’s back and gave him another quick kiss.

  Vince held him for a moment longer before asking, “Do you want to see the view from the top?”

  The look Dustin gave him was somehow both amused and curious. He raised one hand to point up at the bridge under which they still stood. When Dustin laughed he had to laugh too.

  “Yeah, let’s go,” Dustin finally answered, smiling.

  They climbed a wide set of steps to the walkway above and leaned on the wall of the bridge overlooking the arena.

  “I have a good feeling about this whole thing,” Dustin said with a smile, glancing over at Vince.

  Vince smiled back. “We’ll do our best. One day at a time.”

  LATER THAT night, though, as they lay wrapped up in each other in the surprisingly comfortable bed in the gooseneck region of the trailer, Vince had a sudden thought.

  “I hope we don’t end up wanting to kill each other.” He ran his hand down Dustin’s arm as he spoke, trying to ease the abruptness of his comment.

  Dustin lifted his head from Vince’s chest to give him a puzzled look. “Why would we? It’s not like we aren’t used to living together by now.”

  Vince smiled faintly. “I’m not really worried,” he assured him. “It’s just much closer quarters here, and we only have Xander to focus on, not all the horses we have at home.”

  Dustin kissed him softly. “I think we’ll be fine.”

  Vince cupped the back of Dustin’s head and pulled him in for a deeper kiss. “Me too.”

  But he couldn’t completely squash the tiny seed of worry in his heart that refused to die. This would certainly be a test for their relationship, even if they had been together for over two years now. If they could get through this show together, they could surely make it through anything. But would they make it?

  Chapter Three

  AS THE days passed, the other competitors began to trickle in. Very few owners, riders, trainers, or grooms seemed all that interested in making friends, though many were already friends with each other.

  “It’s like we’re the new kids in high school,” Dustin grumbled one afternoon.

  “I guess that’s basically what we are,” Vince replied. “We may have done really well over the summer, but those were mostly shows that draw the good domestic riders, not i
nternational riders. And even then, we just haven’t won enough to be worth talking to.”

  “When you competed in Canada, those were big international classes,” Dustin pointed out. “You were practically in shock when that British rider shook your hand after you won.”

  Vince shrugged. “Still, I’m an amateur rider compared to most of these people.”

  Not being a popular rider meant he had a peaceful time whenever he worked with Xander in the schooling arenas. He wasn’t being bothered by people talking to him or those who just wanted to stand at the fence and watch him. The well-known riders sometimes worked their horses together or had friends watching them. Occasionally there were even photographers, despite the rides being only training sessions.

  Vince didn’t expect to become one of those “must watch” riders himself. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be one of them. Weirdly obsessive girls online who wanted to date him were enough.

  NEW YEAR’S Eve came up so quickly Vince almost missed it, and probably would have if not for a comment by Dustin that morning.

  “Ah, Xander will miss Anna’s carrot-oat birthday cookies tomorrow morning,” he said as he helped tack Xander up for a training session.

  It was a tradition at Anderson Stables to give the horses “birthday cookies” on New Year’s Day. The mission of the stable was to retrain former racehorses, and because all thoroughbreds registered for racing were given the generic January first birthday, every horse in the barn had the same birthday. They had been giving out the homemade treats—just some oats and carrot pieces mixed in molasses—for as long as Vince could remember.

  “And we’re missing the party at home,” Vince added. “I guess we could have our own little party if we find the nearest grocery store.”

  Dustin tightened Xander’s saddle girth. “We need to do that anyway. Unless you want to start buying overpriced showground food.”

  Vince adjusted the noseband of Xander’s bridle. Xander butted his nose against Vince’s hand and took half a step forward, apparently tired of standing around. Vince held him firmly in place with a tight grip on the reins under Xander’s chin. But he rubbed Xander’s neck as he told Dustin, “I’d rather spend some extra money filling the minifridge and the snack cupboard.”

  “Do you want me to stay while you go later? I don’t want to leave Xander by himself to go off the grounds. I wouldn’t trust any of these other people to keep an eye on him.”

  Vince understood the concern. He felt it too. Their cell phone numbers were both listed on the sheet that marked Xander’s stall, but Vince wasn’t sure anyone would really bother to look in on him while they were gone. If they knew other people in the stable row better it would have been fine because they could have asked someone to look at him every so often. Vince didn’t feel right asking that of strangers, even if others might feel fine about it.

  “How about you go now?” he suggested. “I’ll be riding for an hour and it’s not like I can’t take care of him myself after. I trust you with the truck.”

  Dustin smiled and gave Xander’s neck a pat. “I’ll make sure I park as far away from other cars as I can, though. Text me if there’s anything specific you want.”

  “I will,” Vince assured him. “I’ll pay back my half. Just tell me how much I owe you.”

  Dustin laughed as he started walking away. “No.”

  Vince hated that he felt relieved by that. Thinking of money still stressed him out so badly his stomach churned every time. He pulled on his riding gloves with a sigh and rubbed Xander’s neck. Much to his surprise, Xander didn’t even flick an ear toward him. Both of Xander’s dark ears stayed pricked forward and he gazed off in the direction Dustin had gone, even after Dustin was out of sight.

  Vince smiled fondly. “Come on, you big puppy,” he said as he gently pulled on the reins.

  Xander finally sighed and began to follow Vince out to the schooling arenas.

  “YOU REALLY went all out on the shopping,” Vince observed when he saw how full the trailer’s mini refrigerator and cupboards were that evening. All were stuffed almost beyond capacity with enough to last them a few weeks if they wanted it to.

  “I decided to try some of the stuff I hadn’t seen before,” Dustin replied as he washed his hands in the little kitchen sink. “Florida is almost like another country compared to New York. They even have wine in grocery stores here. That’s so weird.”

  Vince sat down on the couch nearby with a laugh. Though the trailer was fairly small, it was comfortable for two people. There was a countertop with room for a microwave and coffeemaker. A tiny window was situated over the small sink, bordered by cabinets. The refrigerator and freezer sat at one end of the counter. At the end of the other counter was the door that led into the small bathroom, through which the stall part of the trailer was accessed. Across from the little kitchen was a little table with a short bench seat, and the comfortable couch. The bed was arranged in the gooseneck area of the trailer, the piece that jutted out over the truck bed. It was a comfortable queen-sized mattress, accessed by a couple of steps that doubled as storage. It was homey.

  “I’m sure people think it’s weird that we don’t sell wine in grocery stores. Did you get any?”

  Dustin dried his hands and plopped down next to Vince. “Some. How was Xander?”

  “Good. Definitely ready to compete next week.”

  “Can I see the list of classes again?”

  Vince leaned off the couch and pulled the sheet of paper off the wall. He handed it to Dustin, who thanked him and immediately looked it over.

  “And he’s going to be okay doing multiple big shows a week?” Dustin asked. “Some of these are four straight days of classes.”

  “The minute he gives me a sign that it’s too much I’ll pull out of some,” Vince assured him. “I don’t see why it would be too much for him, but if he tells me it is, I won’t push him.”

  Dustin nodded. “Some of these classes repeat every week?”

  “Most people don’t stay for the full twelve weeks,” Vince explained, “so each week has most of the same classes. Those would be the ones I’d pull out of if I had to. We’re in them now to keep us in form for the big classes.”

  “The Saturday night ones?”

  Vince nodded. “Mostly.”

  Dustin handed the list back. “One more week to get him ready for world domination.”

  Vince snorted as he got up to put the list back on the wall. “Right. I just want to do well enough to get my money back. And some extra to cover gas on the way home.”

  “I don’t think you have much to worry about,” Dustin assured him. He got up off the bed and went back to the refrigerator. “We should probably eat dinner. Then maybe we can watch one of the movies we brought.”

  “Sounds good to me. I’ve been meaning to suggest that since we got here.”

  Dustin had been collecting cheap DVDs of movies he had never been allowed to see growing up with his strict parents, and had brought the whole collection along in the easiest thing he could find to fit them in: a laundry basket that took up a corner of their living compartment. The collection included series like The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter, along with titles that surprised Vince, like all the animated Disney movies. Dustin had apparently also made a point to get every horse-related movie he found, including the classic Black Beauty. Vince had agreed to watch all of them with him at some point, except for any that he knew were horror movies or would be too depressing.

  That was how they ended up spending three hours watching The Fellowship of the Ring, eating junk food, and drinking a moderate amount of alcohol.

  “I can’t decide if I like Legolas or Aragorn more,” Dustin commented at one point.

  “Aragorn,” Vince decided. “He’s a horse guy.”

  “But elves are good with all animals, probably.”

  “Which is why Aragorn is better,” Vince argued. “He’s really just a horse guy.”

  Dustin gave him an amused look. �
�Should I be jealous?”

  “Nah,” Vince replied with a grin. “You’re a horse guy too. Plus, you have a better chance of looking like Aragorn than I do of ever looking like Legolas. I’m not getting my ears altered, and I’ll never have hair that long.”

  Dustin reached over to take Vince’s hand. “I’m glad. I like you better like this anyway.”

  Vince turned his hand to intertwine their fingers. “I like both of us the way we are.”

  “Good,” Dustin replied, then leaned over and gave Vince a kiss on the cheek.

  When the movie was over, they went out to check on Xander again. They found him lying comfortably in his stall, though he woke when he heard them approach.

  “It’s good he’s settled in really well,” Dustin commented. “He wouldn’t be lying down to sleep if he wasn’t totally comfortable.”

  Vince smiled fondly at Xander, who had stall shavings in his dark mane and tail. “He’s totally at home here. That’s good considering this will be home for a while.”

  As they watched, Xander slowly fell back asleep, his head drooping to the shavings. Satisfied that everything was good, Vince and Dustin returned to the trailer to finish off their two-man New Year’s Eve party. They were able to connect to the online stream of one of the TV specials based in New York City and, after the traditional ball drop, joined millions of others in sharing a midnight kiss. The kiss was sweet and intimate, and would have lasted a lot longer if both of their phones hadn’t started buzzing at them with multiple generic “Happy New Year!” texts. Vince was amused to get a few texts from the stable hands at home also wishing Xander a happy birthday. Both Vince and Dustin spent the next several minutes responding to each message with varying degrees of enthusiasm.

  With a yawn, Vince finally put his phone down and decided that any other messages could wait until morning, which was only a few short hours away. Dustin did the same moments later, snuggling into bed closer to Vince.