She stroked his face now as she struggled against the need to cry. The pressure was building and building inside her until she felt like she would explode. Her whole body was shaking from the very core outward. She wanted to run away from the feeling or curl up into a tiny ball and disappear. But she felt unable to do either one of those things. She put her hands over her face as if to hide.

Bacchus put his chin on her shoulder and gently pulled her to him until she was tucked against his shoulder, and he curved his big, thick neck around her as if to hold her there. Leah pressed her face against the horse’s warm body and sobbed and sobbed until she thought she would drown in her own tears.

Then Maria Gracida was there beside her, putting an arm around her shoulders, drawing her back away from her horse and into the comfort of a human embrace.

Leah struggled to rein in the flood of emotions. She was embarrassed to cry in front of Maria. She felt stupid, but she couldn’t help it. When Maria asked her what was wrong, she said she just didn’t feel well. It wasn’t exactly a lie. She told her she had stomach cramps and she just wanted to go home.

Maria tried to call her mom, but got the answering machine, and drove Leah home herself.

“Do you want me to wait with you until your mom gets back?”

Leah already felt like a fool. She knew Maria had lessons to give and horses to ride. She’d been enough of an inconvenience. All she really wanted to do was go back to bed and pull the covers over her head, and not come out until the world changed for the better.

“I’ll be fine,” she said. “I’m just really tired, that’s all.”

Her boss looked unconvinced, but torn at the same time. She glanced at her watch and frowned. “I should wait.”

“I’m just going to go to bed,” Leah said. “I’ll make sure all the doors are locked. Mrs. Enberg will have a cow if you’re not there for her lesson.”

The Gracidas were not wealthy people. They made their living from their ranch, from Maria’s teaching and training business and Felix’s polo school. They couldn’t afford to lose a fussy wealthy client because Maria was a no-show for a lesson. And the last thing Leah wanted was to be the cause of more trouble.

“I’m going to call and check on you,” Maria said, reluctantly moving toward the door. “I want your mom to call as soon as she gets home. Okay?”

Leah promised.

She locked the door behind Maria Gracida as she left.