After Being Kicked Out, I Became the Queen My Family Can't Reach novel · Chapter 12 of 24

Chapter 12: The Gold Cup

Four hundred people lined the Redmond mile at two o'clock, and every one of them was watching me.

Behind the finish post, the silver crown sat on a velvet cushion on a little table.

My father stood beside it in a gray morning coat, not looking at me.

I sat on Corsair at the post with eight other riders on either side.

Nicolette was three horses down on Silver Bell, in a white-and-gold jacket, her mouth a hard red line.

Abel stood at the rail, because Jude had walked him there by the arm.

He held my mother's old crop, the one I had carried out of this house at nineteen and handed him to hold before the race, and he had polished it so the brass cap shone.

He gave me a small nod.

I had checked everything twice.

Girth, bridle, bit, reins.

My mother's saddle sat on Corsair's back like a second skin.

I had run my thumbs down both stirrup leathers in the barn and found nothing.

The starter raised his flag.

I hummed.

The flag fell.

Corsair burst out of the line, and the roar of the crowd hit my back.

I let him go.

I stayed wide of the rail and out of the traffic.

I felt the black stallion stretch under me, ears pinned, his whole body singing.

At the first turn, a bay colt cut across my nose.

I sat down and hummed, and Corsair rode it out with a shake of his head.

At the half-mile pole, we were fourth.

At the far turn, we were second, a length behind a gray.

Silver Bell ran on my right flank, and Nicolette's white sleeve flashed at the edge of my eye.

She'd been waiting.

I saw her shift her weight and lean in.

Her left boot swung out and slammed into my knee.

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