Ten

As it transpired, however, ‘the next time’ was a long time coming. Jaden didn’t show up the next day, which didn’t really surprise me. But after three days, I began to worry; that was the longest he’d stayed away since school had let out. I called his cell a few times, to no avail. I considered calling the club to see if Jaden had been there, but I didn’t want to raise questions if he wasn’t going to work. The thought that he might drive all the way down there and not even see me was unexpectedly hurtful. I resolved to put some more emotional distance between us — this wasn’t healthy. I’d start right after I saw him again.

On Wednesday I sent him an email. I kept it short, the tone light, but he didn’t respond, though I knew he read his mail on his phone throughout the day. My worry grew. His His social media accounts hadn’t changed. I checked my chat window as much as possible, but Jaden was never visible. I texted him once, too, in case he was having Internet issues, but I knew that was a stretch.

Jaden Foster:

how’s the bruise?

Téa:

gone. like u. where u been?

Jaden Foster:

around

Téa:

i’m going 2 practice with Lucas tomoro

There was a long pause, and then:

Jaden Foster:

calling

I stared at the word for a minute before getting up and pacing by the phone. It rang a second later; I picked up on the first ring.

I hesitated, unsure of what to say. He spared me the trouble of finding something.

“Why are you practicing with Lucas?” There was a hint of disapproval in his voice, enough to make me defensive.

“Gee, I don’t know, maybe because my regular coach has been AWOL for the past week? I’ve still got a horse to train, you know. What have you been doing all this time, Jaden?” My voice was subdued now, almost pleading.

“Oh, for crying out loud! So you got mad and thought about smacking me — I hate to shatter your illusions, but that hardly makes you special. I think about hitting you all the time. And at this rate, I may well do it when you finally show yourself. But it doesn’t make me run and hide and abdicate all my responsibilities.” It came out louder than I’d intended.

There was a long silence. I closed my eyes, cringing. I’d gone too far, again. I heard a small chuckle, then what might have been a sigh.

Jaden showed up early the next morning. I was sweeping up after the morning feed when he strolled in.

“Hi,” he said, sounding perfectly normal. The shadow of an impish smile was on his face. “Should I duck?”

I hadn’t fully realized how much I missed him, but now that he was in front of me I had to stifle the urge to throw my arms around him. I told myself to get a grip. His eyes grew pensive as he watched my face.

He put his hand on my shoulder, and without thinking I covered it with my own. I heard my heartbeat go up in volume.

“I’m sorry, too.” My sincerity must have shown on my face; for once, I truly regretted my recklessness. “What I did was really stupid.”

His mouth tugged up at my uncomprehending look. “Téa, the fact that you can’t see injustice done without being galvanized into action — even if it is ill-considered, dangerous action — is not a character flaw. On the contrary, it shows how compassionate you are.”

“One could argue that I didn’t show much compassion for Davis.” I was joking, trying to distract myself from my racing heartbeat. I liked what he was saying far too much. I was afraid he’d be able to read it on my face.

He grinned and took his hand back. I drew a shaky breath, saddened and relieved at the same time.

“You’ll be glad to know that Davis has been officially expelled from the polo club. I suspect quite a few people will thank you for that.”

“Jaden, do you think... will I be kicked out, too?” I asked him anxiously. I’d been worried about that, in the lulls between worrying about Jaden’s absence. A maneuver like mine was completely unacceptable in polo; normally, a player would likely be banished for attacking another player as I had done. Another thing I hadn’t thought of, at the time.

“No. Even if they were so inclined, I have some pull with the owners. You’re safe.” He winked at me.

Even though we were speaking again, I barely saw Jaden that week, as he was teaching a clinic at the Toronto Polo Club. Stacey’s party was on Sunday, and the Saturday before I went to get a haircut, the final step in my makeover. Julia had insisted that I go to her hairstylist, so Teri and I drove all the way to Oakville. We picked up Julia and cranked the tunes on the drive.

Julia’s stylist was in a trendy salon. When the hairdresser was done I turned my head, admiring my new cut from all angles. It was short and funky, parted on the side, with long bangs that fell just over my right eye. A few soft tendrils curled around the top of my neck, which was otherwise completely exposed — quite a change, since my hair had flowed halfway down my back when I came in.

Julia nodded, grinning. I heaved a sigh of relief. Regardless of the awkwardness of having to distance myself from Jaden, at least I would face the party tomorrow with my head held high.

Julia spent the night at my place to help me get ready. She didn’t trust me to do my own makeup, which was probably wise since I rarely wore any. She and Teri went for a trail ride in the morning while I taught my lessons; by one o’clock, though, she dragged me into the house.

Two hours later, I did see her point. After showering I had donned the pale yellow dress we had found. Teri tied the halter top into a flat bow on the back of my neck, and I examined myself critically in the mirror. Though the makeup Julia had applied was very light and barely noticeable, it seemed to highlight my features just right — large eyes gazed back at me from a small, elfin face with high cheekbones. My mouth looked fuller, softer, and shone petal pink. The fabric of the dress clung to my admittedly unimpressive curves, at least making it appear I had some. My shoulders and back were bare almost to my waist, showcasing my now-uniform tan. I watched a smile grow on my reflected face; I hardly recognized myself. My girlfriends were right, looking good did make me feel stronger. Like maybe I could handle seeing Jaden, and have the strength to shut him out.

We went downstairs. I guess I wasn’t the only one to register Seth’s open-mouthed expression because Teri and Julia both sported huge grins as they said goodbye. Seth looked me up and down carefully, taking in everything from my makeup to the anklet of small white stones above the pink-painted toenails.

“What’s going on, Sis?” he asked suspiciously. “Why are you all... done up?”

He smiled back reluctantly. “Okay, so you look good. Way too good, in fact.”

Dec blew into the room in his usual last-minute rush. “Are you ready? Let’s go before-” He stopped in mid-sentence when he caught sight of me; I felt myself flush and fidgeted nervously while he absorbed my appearance. I looked down at his approach.

“Téa... honey, you look,” He cleared his throat. “Is that the new dress you bought?”

“Yes.” I looked up at him, feeling uncertain; the expression on his face was one I’d rarely seen there. It was... tender.

He placed his hand on my shoulder somewhat awkwardly. “I can’t believe how grown-up you look. And how... well, you look really nice.”

I got increasingly nervous as we approached Stacey’s. I told myself I was merely concerned about potential reactions to my new look, but in truth, I was only worried about one relative’s reaction. To add to my nerves, I was also feeling guilty about caring what he would think, and hoping that I could act natural around him. We followed the interlocking stone path into the backyard. Fortunately, it was a warm day for May, and I was comfortable in my light dress.

Stacey was having a separate, much bigger sweet sixteen party for her friends, so this one was mainly family. About a dozen people were already in the large yard, including my uncle Peter. I felt my gorge rise; since hearing about how he had treated Jaden as a child, I felt a strong antipathy toward him. Jaden was nowhere in sight. I noticed everyone was fairly dressed up — a lot of summer suits and dresses — and was very glad I’d had Julia’s and Teri’s help to get ready.

“Omigod Téa, look at you! You look amazing!” Her enthusiasm was so genuine that I felt a pang of remorse for the condescending way I sometimes thought of her. Who was I to judge her for being interested in things I considered shallow? I was obsessed with my own cousin, I wasn’t in a position to judge anyone. As Stacey grilled me about my new look we were joined by her cousin from Uncle Robert’s side of the family. I remembered him vaguely from another gathering.

“Ethan, silly, it’s Téa! My cousin, remember? Which makes her your second cousin, so don’t get any ideas.” She giggled.

“Téa, seriously?” He smiled at me. “You’ve certainly changed since the last time I saw you.”

Ethan was cute. He was a darker blond than Seth, somewhat stocky, and a few years older than me. We had just started talking when I felt something behind me — my hairs stood on end; I knew without turning that Jaden had arrived.

Stacey looked over my shoulder. “Aunt Paloma!” She went to greet her, and as I turned to follow her progress I caught sight of Jaden.

He was staring at me. His eyes traveled slowly down my body, then back up. I felt flooded with heat, and yet a shiver passed through me. As I watched, his jaw clenched, his eyes narrowed, and his hands balled into fists. I was confused by his response but had no time to ponder it, because Aunt Paloma came right over to hug me hello.

“Téa, darling, you look wonderful!” She kept one arm around me as she turned to her son. “Jaden, you didn’t tell me what a lovely young lady Téa’s grown into,” she chided him. “All he talks about is what a natural you are at polo,” she confided, rolling her eyes.

“Oh, well, I do love polo,” I said inanely, stealing a glance at Jaden. I felt uncertain after his odd reaction. The anger was no longer obvious, but he was undoubtedly tense, still standing a good six feet away from us.

“Of course,” he said, sounding very natural. He loped over smoothly; as he bent to kiss my cheek I met his eyes — they were burning with some intense emotion, and it wasn’t a good one. I dropped my eyes quickly, flustered. His nearness and irresistible scent did nothing to help my nerves, either. I was rigid with tension as he walked away.

I agreed with a sigh of relief. I had no idea what had just happened, but I felt weak in its aftermath.

Keeping my distance from Jaden turned out to be easy — he was avoiding me. That was the only conclusion I could come to. I hung out with Ethan, Stacey, and Seth; when I stole glimpses of him, Jaden seemed completely absorbed by other family members. Once or twice I thought I caught him just looking away, but that could have been my imagination. I tried hard not to look his way too often.

It wasn’t until after dessert that we even spoke. The temperature was dropping as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon.

At my nod, he took off his jacket and draped it around my shoulders. I’d been noticing this odd phenomenon all afternoon — even though I was the same person I’d been yesterday, ever since I had shown up with my newly feminine appearance, people had been treating me differently. As if I were suddenly fragile. Even Dec was more solicitous than usual, to my utter astonishment.

“I donated it. I discovered this organization that makes free wigs for kids with hair loss... it seemed like a good cause to go short.” I kept my gaze away from Jaden, but I could feel his lingering on me.

“Are you coming on Friday?” Dec asked from the next table, drawing Jaden’s attention away. I relaxed as Jaden shook his head.

“Not until late, a friend of mine is opening an exhibit at a gallery.” He looked at me. “It’s Ryan, actually,” he told me with seeming reluctance.

“I will.” He watched me for a minute, his eyes reserved. “Would you like to come?” he asked abruptly. “You and Seth, I mean,” he glanced over at Seth.

“Really?” I was surprised he would ask, considering he hadn’t said a word to me all evening. He noticed my hesitation and sighed. “I know he’d be glad to see you again. And his work is worth seeing.”

He gave a ghost of his normal smile. “Leave it to me.” He went to sit by Dec.

By the time we left it was all arranged. I said a warm goodbye to Ethan, who hugged me tightly. Without his company as a distraction the party would have been even more uncomfortable. I couldn’t believe I had hardly spoken to Jaden at all. My plan to distance myself from him was obviously working, but my success left me feeling painfully empty.

There was only a month of school left, so in theory, I should have been studying a lot more, but I was hopelessly distracted that week. I only saw Jaden once; he dropped in on Wednesday before heading to the club to play in the weekly practice game, or club chukkers, as they were known. We exchanged a few polite words, hardly looking at each other.

“Well, Téa,” Dec announced during dinner, “you’ll be happy to hear I’m taking your advice and building more paddocks. Including a pasture with a run-in shed, so we can keep some horses outside during the winter.”

“And Jaden is helping,” Dec added. “So he’ll be staying here four or five nights a week.”

“It’s the least I can do since you refuse to accept board money for my horses,” Jaden told him.

I felt Seth’s eyes on me, but I couldn’t look at him. I was too afraid my face would reveal my dismay. Jaden in my house five days a week — how was I supposed to keep a safe distance from him now?

After a phone consultation with Julia, I decided to wear my edgiest top and jeans to the art gallery. Seth drove into the city; I probably wasn’t very good company, as I was still preoccupied with the coldness I’d felt from Jaden on Sunday. It was strange, we’d been so close these past few months — had I imagined the distance on Sunday? I shook my head, I’d find out soon enough.

The art gallery was a long, narrow space. I found myself scanning the room for Jaden as soon as we were inside, but I didn’t see him.

“Hi there,” Chris greeted us, smiling. “Thanks for coming, Ryan will be happy to see you.” My return smile was genuine. I’d forgotten how friendly he was.

“I’m so glad to be here, I can’t wait to see his work. Oh, this is my brother, Seth.” I remembered to introduce him after he elbowed me.

We weren’t of age, but it wasn’t as though this was a bar. An art gallery wasn’t going to get raided for fake IDs.

Chris was back in minutes with two glasses of white wine. I didn’t really like wine, but hey — I was in the city on a weeknight, at an art gallery, seeing an exhibit by an artist I actually knew. Those were some pretty exciting firsts for me, I wanted to do the other new things that went along with them. Seth and I started off at the front of the gallery, while Chris wandered off to mingle. I quickly realized that Ryan’s work was incredible. We were admiring the third painting along the wall when a long arm reached over my shoulder and plucked the wine glass out of my hand.

“I doubt Dec would be very impressed if I brought you home drunk,” Jaden said.

I spun around, my heart racing. I noticed my mouth was dry too — when had Jaden’s presence started making me nervous? I’d gotten used to his touch making my body overreact, but he wasn’t touching me now. This was getting downright ridiculous.

Jaden looked phenomenal. He was always frustratingly gorgeous, but I usually saw him at the barn, when we were both working and dirty. Tonight he looked like he belonged in a magazine spread for urban fashion.

He smiled at me, but it wasn’t with his usual warm affection. His eyes remained cautious, appraising. They flickered quickly over my clothes, and I felt suddenly self-conscious about what I’d worn. I hoped I looked okay.

“Hand it over, Seth.” He held out his hand for Seth’s wine. “One of you has to drive home tonight, and I took responsibility for the pair of you, remember? I should have my head examined.” The grin he gave Seth seemed totally natural, I noticed with a pang.

He wandered off, drinking the confiscated wine and stopping here and there to chat. He seemed to know a lot of the people here... people who were all older and more sophisticated than me, I thought wistfully. Seth and I turned back to the canvases, but it wasn’t long before his attention wandered. I could see him shooting glances at a girl sitting on a circular leather couch in the middle of the gallery; she was probably in her early twenties, and very pretty. She looked at home in an art gallery. I smiled. Seth didn’t have a physical ‘type’, but a girl like this one would naturally capture his interest. The fact that she was older, and in a unique — for us — setting would just make the challenge that much more fun for him.

He flashed me a grateful smile before heading off. I did feel a bit self-conscious once he was gone and scanned the room for Jaden again, but I didn’t see him. I couldn’t help thinking that the fact he hadn’t returned yet meant that our presence — well, my presence — wasn’t that important to him. Which was a good thing, I tried to tell myself.

I pointed him out, cozying up to the pretty girl on the couch. “He saw something he liked.”

“Well, he’s a real cutie, I’m sure he’ll have no trouble making friends,” Chris laughed. He linked his arm through mine. “C’mon, I’ll show you around. Ry wants to see you, too.”

Going through the gallery with Chris was fun. He was good-looking, chatty and gregarious; he introduced me all around and made me feel at ease. When I confessed that I didn’t know anything about art, he laughed and threw his arm around my shoulders.

“It’s nice to have someone admit they don’t know about it for a change, we get so many posers coming to Ry’s shows.” His eyes were a very light brown for someone with an obvious Asian background. I was wondering about his ancestry when I felt eyes boring into me. I turned around. Jaden was across the room in a small knot of fashionable people — mostly women, I noticed. I gave him a tentative smile, and he half-smiled in return. Chris, his arm still wrapped around me, followed my gaze.

I tried to hide my sinking feeling. It was true, obviously, but that’s not what made Jaden so incredible. Well, it wasn’t the only thing, but it was the one element that ensured he would always be surrounded by girls, most of whom would be more beautiful, exotic, or accomplished than me. Not that it mattered, I reminded myself.

“Téa’s worried that she doesn’t know anything about art,” Chris informed him after we’d said hi.

“You don’t need to know about it to appreciate it,” Ryan reassured me. He was soft-spoken, and I liked his unassuming manner, especially considering how unbelievably talented he was. “You just have to know what you like.”

“Well, I love everything here. You’re now officially my favorite artist,” I said. Ryan walked me around and talked about his creations. I found myself having a good time, even though Jaden’s conspicuous absence was always on the periphery of my awareness. And then, suddenly, he was there. With a blonde.

The infamous ex-girlfriend. I tried hard not to let my face betray my shock as Summer air-kissed Ryan. She was stunning, of course. Tall — maybe five foot nine — and slender, with the kind of soft physique you only see on someone who has never developed their muscles. Her light ash-blond hair fell straight past her shoulder blades, and large grey-blue eyes dominated the pretty face. Her whole appearance, from makeup to clothes, was very polished.

Jaden turned his gaze onto me. I couldn’t read the look he gave me, it seemed almost angry, though I had no idea what I could have done to deserve it.

“And this is my cousin, Téa,” he introduced me. I felt the weight of his stare as I shook hands with Summer; I had no clue what I said to her. Summer flitted off to join some friends.

“I invited her because I thought she could help you,” Jaden said to Ryan. “She has a lot of social contacts — gallery owners, agents. She’ll do you a favor, for my sake.”

I had a hard time concentrating after that. I hung out with Ryan, and occasionally Chris, and tried to deny how bothered I was by Summer’s presence. I watched surreptitiously as Jaden joined her in a circle of what were surely mutual friends of theirs. He brought her a glass of wine; the smile she gave him as she took it was almost giddy. Luckily for me, Chris and Ryan were both very easy to be with and didn’t seem to notice my distraction.

Toward the end of the evening, Ryan and I were collapsed on the round white sofa where Seth had earlier joined the pretty girl. They had long since disappeared somewhere — probably downstairs; it turned out there was another floor to the gallery, where more of Ryan’s brilliant works hung in various rooms. Ryan and I had really bonded that evening. He was so kind, with an unexpected, barbed sense of humor. Even though he was in his early twenties, he looked much younger with his dimples, big curls, and bright new-penny eyes. I glanced over at him and smiled. My smile dissolved, though, as I caught sight of Jaden over his shoulder; at the look on my face, Ryan swiveled around too.

Jaden and Summer were in the corner. As I watched, he put his hands on her small waist and drew her toward him. The look on his face was one I’d seen only once before — with Brianna. I sat frozen, feeling the blood drain out of my face, as he lowered his head slowly until their lips met. She seemed to respond with enthusiasm and soon had her arms wrapped around his neck. I tore my eyes away, feeling an echoing tear somewhere deep in my chest. I was gasping, staring at the fists clenched in my lap; my entire body, though shaking, felt leaden and cold. How could I have been such a complete, total, deluded idiot?

“Well, that sucks ass,” he said with feeling. “C’mon, let’s go get drunk. I’m sure there’s some wine left.”

I nodded gratefully, and we headed for the makeshift bar at the back of the room. I was halfway through my third glass and feeling pretty tipsy when I found it being pulled away yet again. This time, however, I held on.

I wish I could, I thought to myself. The sight of him caused the pain in my chest to flare fiercely; I was going to be stubborn but Ryan came to my rescue again.

“It’s best to humor him when he gets like this, sweetie,” he told me conspiratorially. He gently took my glass away and handed it to Jaden, giving him a cold look for good measure. Jaden’s eyes widened in obvious surprise.

I shrugged. “I don’t know, I’m not his keeper.” I giggled at my own weak joke — wow, I must have been tipsier than I’d thought.

“Great,” he growled. “Stay here.” He jabbed at the spot where I was standing with his finger and turned on his heel, presumably to find Seth.

Jaden eventually came back with a chastised-looking Seth trailing behind him. He walked us to our car without saying a word. Once I was buckled into the passenger seat, though, he leaned down and inspected me, frowning.

“I’m fine,” I said shortly. I was starting to feel pretty nauseous, truth be told. I thought he was going to berate me for drinking, but he straightened up silently, looking troubled.

It was a tortuous drive home. I tried to be happy for Seth, who’d had a great time and was hoping to see the gallery girl again, but my thoughts were roiling muddily. Jaden was following behind us in his car; he was spending the night, which meant I would have to face him in the morning. My stomach curled with anxiety at the thought. Jaden was right — I needed therapy, but not for the reasons he thought.

I awoke feeling awful the next morning. And it wasn’t just because my head was pounding and my stomach queasy, either. I’d managed not to throw up until after we got home, and had crawled into bed exhausted, but sleep had eluded me... and even though I hadn’t been thinking too clearly, I had reached a conclusion about Jaden’s distant, cool behavior of the past week. An appalling, humiliating conclusion, but one that made sense. He must have realized how I felt about him. It wasn’t surprising, really — my body gave me away every time he came near me. So, having guessed my totally inappropriate feelings for him, he was pulling away from me. I wasn’t sure whether he was simply upset, or whether he was making it clear that — obviously — there could be nothing between us. Either way, it would explain why he kissed Summer right in my line of sight. Not that he needed any excuses, I remembered, cringing.

I was utterly mortified at the thought that Jaden knew. I wanted to avoid him, to hide, but we were playing club chukkers that afternoon. I considered faking illness, but then he’d think I was ducking out because I was hung over, which was a weak and pathetic excuse. Crazy as it seemed, I still didn’t want him thinking badly of me. Thinking worse of me, I should say.

I stayed in bed as long as I could before tottering to the washroom. The morning dragged by. I didn’t see Jaden, which was a relief, but I knew I couldn’t avoid him all day. He was in the kitchen when I went in for lunch. I said hi without meeting his eyes.

We treated each other very politely as we got lunch together. I wasn’t very hungry — my stomach was still uneasy, as was I. Jaden noticed my lack of enthusiasm.

“You won’t have the strength to play if you don’t eat more than that,” he admonished. He sounded so much like his old self that I glanced up with a smile half-formed on my face. Our eyes locked for a brief second, and I was taken aback at the unhappiness I saw in his.

“I’m going to drive,” he said abruptly. “Piba’s sore, and I don’t need Kermit today. I’ll meet you there.”

I nodded, surprised. We had always ridden to the club together, and I couldn’t imagine why he was giving Kermit a day off on a weekend. He must really want to avoid being alone with me. I felt hot with embarrassment as I finished bridling Schweppes. Well, I wouldn’t impose my presence on him. I resolved to be as indifferent toward him as possible — that should help restore his peace of mind.

I only played in the first chukker, and it didn’t go well. I was distracted, my head hurt, and I felt weak, but worse than any of those was the shame I felt at playing so badly in front of Jaden. I was relieved to ride off the field when it was over.

“You look sad, muñequita,” Mateo commented. He was riding a horse I didn’t recognize. I had discovered that ‘muñequita’ meant ‘little doll’. I was less than overjoyed with the nickname, but I didn’t want to antagonize Mateo by saying anything.

I looked up at him, surprised. Mateo had warmed up to me considerably since I’d avenged Belita, but this was the first time he’d actually sought out my company.

We rode around the thin line of trees to the practice field. We started hitting the ball up the field, taking turns, though I missed a lot more than he did. Mateo turned out to be a good coach; he was harder on me than Jaden was, but I appreciated that. I was used to demanding teachers, and I liked to push myself.

“You’re bending your elbow again!” he reproved me when I’d hit the ball only to see it, once again, roll only a few feet. “You won’t get any force behind your swing like that. Here.” He rode up and demonstrated a full swing. “You see how I lean to the right? Do that, and keep your arm straight.”

“Yes! You got it in the air!” he congratulated me. He rode up for a high five. I had just slapped his hand, grinning broadly, when Jaden rode up. His expression was stony.

“Okay,” Mateo replied lazily. He looked over at me and winked. “See you later, chiquita.”

“Shouldn’t you be going home?” Jaden’s words were clipped, his face tense. What was he mad about now? I hadn’t done anything.

“With help from Mateo.” The angry mask slipped for an instant, and I thought I saw hurt in his eyes before he looked quickly away.

“Jaden...” His name was a plea; I hated the tension and awkwardness between us. His golden-brown gaze met mine, and in that instant, I could have sworn he hated it, too. Then the hardness returned.

“You’d better get home, or Dec’s going to change his mind about allowing this.”

The year’s first big polo tournament was the following Sunday, and our whole family, as well as our friends, were going to watch Jaden play.

“There’s a dress code,” Jaden reminded us over lunch on Wednesday. “You’ll have to wear a dress again, Téa.” The look he gave me was carefully neutral.

“So what’s your handicap now, anyway,” Dec asked, spearing a piece of broccoli.

My fork fell onto my plate with a clatter; at the same time, I felt my mouth drop open. Jaden gave me a startled look.

“Of course it means something to me — I’m learning the game, aren’t I? I’ve been doing some-”

“Research, right,” he finished for me with a small smile. “And what have you learned?”

“Lots of things. Including the fact that the highest-ranked player in Canada has a handicap of six goals.”

He shrugged. “Well, I’ve mostly been playing abroad. Maybe that causes some confusion, but now that I’m here...”

“You’re the highest-ranked player in the country,” Dec finished, looking impressed.

Well, that’s just great, I thought sourly. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any more impossible to ignore him.

Kabir and Teri rode with us in Dec’s truck on Sunday, and Julia met us there. The facility, just north of Toronto, was easy to find, but parking was a mite harder. We circled amongst the Jaguars and Porsches for a few minutes before finding a spot.

“Wow, I’ve never seen so many high-end cars in one place,” Seth said excitedly. “Did you see the Maserati, Sis?”

I was wearing a pretty, summery dress that Julia had lent me, but when we found her she took one look at me and towed me to the washrooms to put some make-up on.

“Why didn’t you do it at home?” she scolded, “that’s why we bought it.”

Fortunately my short hair didn’t require much styling, or doubtless she’d be re-doing that, too. When she was satisfied with my appearance we joined everyone at the table that Jaden had reserved for us under a large white tent beside the polo pitch. Stacey and her parents were already there, along with Gran and Aunt Paloma.

Jaden was winding his way between the tables, stopping occasionally to shake hands with various people. He was wearing a navy polo shirt with a white ‘3’ on it, along with the required white pants and brown boots. He looked stunning.

Jaden shook his head. “No, I’m playing for a team I rode with last year, the Davenport Daemons. David Davenport is the patron, and he hires a couple of pros for every tournament.”

I became aware of a familiar sound, it was getting louder but before I could identify it Jaden continued, “There he is now.”

I swiveled around to follow his gaze as a helicopter landed in the adjoining field. All eyes in the spectator tent turned toward it as Summer Davenport and her father climbed out and headed our way.

I didn’t want to watch, but it was as though I couldn’t help myself. An inexorable force drew my eyes to Summer as she approached Jaden. She started to put her arms around him; he kissed her cheek quickly and deftly stepped around her to shake hands with her father. David Davenport was older than Dec, his hair mostly grey, but he gave an impression of fitness and energy. Jaden introduced us all before the Davenports left to mingle.

As he was turning to go Jaden said, “Oh, if anyone has questions about the game, ask Téa — she can probably answer you.” He faced me for the first time that day. I strove to keep my face expressionless as he scanned me briefly before wheeling abruptly and leaving the tent.

Teri and Julia looked at me; I’d already shared the details of my evening at the art gallery with them.

It wasn’t until Jaden left that I realized I’d been digging my nails into my palms. I looked around the tent, trying to distract myself. The aura of wealth and privilege was unmistakeable. This was Jaden’s milieu, and he was clearly at home here. He had gone to private schools and played polo throughout high school. Even though we were members of the same family, we moved in very different social circles.

“So what’s the big deal about Jaden being ranked ‘eight’?” Seth interrupted my train of thought.

“Well, polo players are ranked on a scale of minus two to ten goals,” I started explaining, feeling a bit shy as everyone’s attention focused on me. “It’s called a handicap. But ninety percent of players are ranked between minus two and two goals, and most players go pro once they’ve reached a rank of three. Eight is actually very high.”

As if to underscore my words, the announcer started to introduce the teams. The players rode forward one by one as their names and numbers were called, but when he got to Jaden the announcer deviated slightly.

“In the number three position, we are very fortunate to welcome back to Canada one of our own. I know that many of you are looking forward to watching and learning from him this year. Please welcome back, our international star, Jaden Foster!”

A rousing cheer went up, not only from the spectators but also the players on the field and the grooms on the sidelines. I scanned the grounds; people were genuinely excited at the prospect of seeing him. He truly was a star — I realized that I had never before appreciated the magnitude of his achievements. And polo wasn’t nearly as big a sport in Canada as it was in some other countries. I could only imagine the kind of reception he enjoyed there.

The game started, and watching Jaden play was a revelation. I’d always sensed a certain fierceness in him, simmering just below the surface; now it exploded into action, and seeing it uncontained was awe-inspiring. His ferocity cut a swath through the opposition, and my heart alternately stuttered and surged as one seemingly impossible maneuver followed another. He leaned so far out of the saddle that I felt as though only my prayers were keeping him mounted, he rode everyone off the ball, made shots that defied the laws of physics, and generally created total havoc for the opposition. My heart hammered throughout the entire first chukker, so that I was relieved when the riders went to switch ponies. I needed a chance to catch my breath.

I was somewhat calmer for the second chukker when, halfway through, a horse suddenly slipped, fell, and rolled right over her rider. Dec’s grip on my wrist was the only thing keeping me in the tent. The mare staggered to her feet soon afterward, but it took the rider considerably longer. Replacements were called in, the chukker resumed, and it was announced that neither horse nor rider was seriously injured. We breathed a collective sigh of relief.

At halftime, the spectators poured onto the field for the customary divot-stomping. This involved searching out the clumps of grass that had been unearthed by the ponies’ rapid stops and starts and then toeing those clumps, known as divots, back into the ground. It was a nice break, and a chance to stretch our legs.

The third chukker was almost without incident, except at one point I could have sworn I saw Jaden drop forward on Piba, clutching his right arm. The play was moving too fast for me to be sure, though, and he went on to take a savage swipe at the ball and score a goal, so I thought I was mistaken.

We were nearing the end of the fourth chukker; the game was almost over. The ponies thundered to one end of the field, and my heart nearly stopped as some of them collided — I couldn’t tell if Kermit was one of them. Suddenly several mallets went up. A horn blew, and some of the players jumped off their ponies. One of the opposing team’s players was on the ground, not moving. Medics ran onto the field, but as it turned out he was quite gravely injured and play didn’t resume until after an ambulance had taken him away. The game was wrapped up quickly after that, with the Davenport Daemons winning by a considerable margin.

We headed down to the stable area to see Jaden. He was standing by the trailer with two rather glamorous-looking girls and handed them a piece of paper just as we arrived. They seemed to leave reluctantly.

I felt my teeth snap together. People were walking by, some patting him on the back as they passed.

“You’re even better than the last time I saw you,” Dec said enthusiastically as he clapped him on the shoulder. “It was great to watch you play again.”

“Yeah, I had no idea polo was so fast,” Seth said. I tried not to feel irritated at his slightly awed expression.

Jaden’s eyes moved to my face. They were cautious, as usual these days. I crossed my arms and surveyed him narrowly.

“Well, one thing’s for sure, I’m not taking any more crap from you about how reckless I am,” I said.

He laughed — his real laugh, warm and carefree, and in an instant, I felt my defenses evaporate. He was so utterly irresistible in that moment. He started to reach for me and for a second I thought he was going to hug me as he would have done so naturally just two weeks before. Then he caught himself, and the cautious mask fell back into place. I felt the smile freeze on my face as a new tear further damaged my chest.

We saw Jaden again on Tuesday. It turned out I’d been right about seeing him clutch his arm — a massive bruise covered his biceps from shoulder to elbow. He’d gotten hit by the ball, which can reach speeds of one hundred and ten miles an hour. Dec shook his head and gave me a significant look.

“When I said I didn’t fall off and challenged you to get me off my horse?”

He nodded. “I would never do anything to hurt you, Téa.” He said it softly, holding my gaze. I ripped myself away and went back to work, shaken. I was obviously reading way too much into his words.