Breaking Down

Chapter 23

23

Gabi

We walked around the place for almost two hours. There were vending carts spread on the perimeter of the preview area, but they were selling hot dogs and sandwiches and burgers.

This sale was nothing like the ones my father—and tio João Pedro, before moving to the U.S.—put together at our ranch in Brazil.

First, we had a preview area, but it was in a special place that looked like an open stable with pavement and waiters going around offering drinks. A couple of hours later, the guests were called to the main arena: a runway of sorts lined with tables and chairs—complete with tablecloths and plates and silverware and even elegant decorations. While watching as the horses were brought to the runway one by one, and a trained speaker read the horses’ stats on a microphone, our guests had proper lunch with steak—from the prime cows raised at our ranch—and all sorts of side dishes. Plus, dessert and coffee. It was the finest auction I had ever seen, and one of the many things we did to secure the names Fernandes and Montenegro meant quality and excellence.

For this sale though, we were all called to an open arena where folding chairs had been placed. Pedro, Ri, tio João Pedro, and I took chairs, while Leo and Gui leaned against the arena’s wooden fence behind us. Many people sat on the grass in front of the chairs.

This event could even be well organized, but it lacked style.

Finally, the show started almost half an hour late.

The horses were brought two by two. There was no one speaking; we had to find the horse’s number on the sheet that was given to us upon our arrival to read the horse’s stats. The only time one of the hosts stepped forward and spoke up was to start the bidding.

“This one,” Pedro said as the light brown horse he had been looking at before was brought in before us. “What do you think, pai?” He glanced at his father. “Can I bid on him?”

Tio João Pedro narrowed his eyes at the horse, and then read the stats. “Go for it.”

Pedro opened the bid with the minimum amount—two thousand dollars.

After a heated battled with three other men, Pedro won the horse for twelve thousand.

Half an hour into the auction—and another three buys from the guys—the white mare was brought in.

A smile spread through my lips, but then the c***k of a loud whip came from the next stall, and she neighed loudly, stepping back.

Her handler tugged on her reins, hard, and finally made her stop right in front of us.

The mare’s eyes were wide—in terror. She was scared and the guy handling her wasn’t helping.

Mr. Goulding, one of the ranch owners, stepped forward. “Let’s start the bidding on this lovely mare. Do I hear a thousand?”

Whispers filled the silence of the crowd. I heard the words scared and skittish and easily spooked one too many times. Poor girl. Wouldn’t be bought because a bunch of men were afraid of training her properly? Most horses were afraid of something. You just had to have the patience to train them, to teach them there was nothing to be scared of.

“A thousand? No one?” Mr. Goulding sighed. “How about seven hundred and fifty dollars?”

Whoa! One thousand for such a magnificent horse was too low. She was worth five thousand minimum. Perhaps … perhaps the owner was asking less because he knew the rumors had spread and no one would want to buy her now.

“She’s pretty,” Ri said from my side.

“But I heard she’s too skittish,” Leo said. “Hopefully, it’s not true, though, because she’s really a beauty.”

That was it.

I raised my hand high. “Me! Seven hundred and fifty dollars.”

“Gabi?” Gui hissed from behind me.

The host smiled at me. “Very well, young lady.” He scanned the crowd. “Do I hear more? Seven hundred and fifty. Going once. Going twice.” The man sighed. “Sold for seven hundred and fifty dollars to the Fernandes lady.”

My heart soared. I wanted to jump up and go running to my mare, but I reined in my excitement and remained seated while they walked her out of the arena.

“Did you just buy a horse?” Pedro asked me.

I shrugged. “Why not? My dear Tostado is in Brasil. I might as well have one here too.”

“Congratulations, Gabi,” tio João Pedro said. “She’s gorgeous.”

I smiled at him. “Thanks.”

The guys stayed at the auction, but I couldn’t contain myself. I stood and went to find my new mare.

I tried not to think of Tostado too much, because I felt guilty. It wasn’t as if I was replacing him; that would never happen. I was just adopting another child, in a manner of speaking. Didn’t tio João Pedro and the guys have several horses each? And weren’t they here buying more? Why couldn’t I have more than one too? Even Bia had two horses.

I found the mare at the same pen she was in during the preview part of the event.

“Hey, girl,” I said, sneaking my arm through the fence bars. The mare dragged her feet to me and immediately rested her muzzle on my hand. “Aren’t you sweet?”

“She might be sweet, but she’ll give you plenty of trouble.”

I turned to the side and saw the same man from before, the one who had been looking at my mare with a friend, standing a few feet from me.

“I’ll decide that for myself,” I said, a little wary of him.

“If she wasn’t so scared, I would have bought her. Heck, I would have paid a lot of money for her,” the man said.

I frowned. “I’m glad she’s so scared then, otherwise you would have bought her and I wouldn’t have.”

Something flashed in the man’s gaze and I almost took a step back, afraid of the intense, hard glint in his dark eyes. “Are you trying to be a smart a*s?”

“I’m just stating the facts.”

Hissing, the man took a step toward me.

Then a young man appeared from the other side of the pen. “Here, Ms. Fernandes. The mare’s documentation.”

The man halted. “Not worth it,” he hissed in a low voice, then stepped around me and walked away.

Unaware of the other man, the young boy jogged around the pen and handed a folder to me. “Check if everything is in order, then please come to the booth …” He pointed to a small tent erected between the pens. “So we can finalize your purchase.”

“Thanks.” I took the folder from him. “I’ll be right there.”

He nodded before turning around and leaving for the tent.

I opened the folder and read the first line. “Your name is Eleanor?” I asked the mare, as if she could really understand me. “As much as I think Eleanor is a beautiful name, it’s not a horse name.” I tilted my head and tried to think of a trait or something that could give her a good nickname. The first thing that I had noticed was her smooth, shiny white coat. And an idea came to mind. Bia had a black mare called Preta, which meant black in Portuguese. I could play the same game with the word white … “Branca. Your new name is Branca.”

I reached inside the pen again and ran my hand over the mare’s muzzle. “Do you like that, Branca?” The mare snorted as if amused and I chuckled. “That’s a deal, then.”

Finally, at noon the next day, I entered my apartment. Maybe because it was Saturday, I expected to see Tyler in the living room, or preparing himself some lunch in the kitchen, but the place was quiet. Lonely.

It had been almost midnight when we arrived back at tio João Pedro’s ranch from the auction. We still had to unload the horses and settle them in their new stalls, make sure they had water and feed. Tio João Pedro and tia Agnes insisted we all slept at the ranch since we were all tired. We hadn’t done much all day, but twelve hours in a car in one day was too much. I wanted to refuse, but at two in the morning and barely being able to walk anymore, I accepted. In bed, I pondered if I should send a text to Tyler about me staying at my uncle’s place, so he wouldn’t worry, but then I remembered he didn’t actually care and stopped myself.

Now, walking around our apartment, I realized I also expected a note from him telling me where he had gone and when he would come back. Which was ridiculous. I hadn’t warned him; why would he warn me? Besides our pretense, we didn’t owe anything to each other.

Still, the apartment felt too cold and big without him here.

I shook those silly thoughts from my mind and busied myself. A warm shower, a nice homemade brunch, a nap—I was still tired, some TV time, reading, researching online about polo in the area—as if I hadn’t found everything already. I also tried calling my parents online, but they still ignored me. This was getting old. What did they expect me to do? Hop on the first plane to Brazil and grovel on their doorstep? Keep dreaming …

By four in the afternoon, I was bored out of my mind.

Giving up on being alone, I donned skinny jeans, a black blouse, black cowboy boots, and drove out to Hannah’s ranch. By now, tio João Pedro should have taken Branca there, as we agreed, since Hannah would help me with Branca’s fear and hopefully make her less jumpy.

But even if it didn’t work, I already felt myself falling for the beautiful mare. A guilty pang ran through my chest, and as I parked in the ranch’s parking lot, my thoughts turned to my dear Tostado. I missed that damn horse. I would have to arrange for him to be brought here soon.

“I thought you would come over at some point today,” Hannah said as I walked in the stable. She was leaning over a stall, her hand over Branca’s neck. When she saw me, Branca’s ears perked up.

Smiling, I halted by Hannah’s side. “And why is that?”

Hannah raised an eyebrow. “New toy?”

I laughed. “You’re right.” I faced my new horse and caressed her chin. “How are you doing, girl?”

Branca neighed lowly.

“She has been a very good girl, so far,” Hannah said.

“Didn’t she get spooked by anything?”

Hannah narrowed her eyes slightly. “When kids came in early this afternoon, right after your uncle dropped her off. They were screaming and running around. I think different place, loud kids … it didn’t help her. But she’s fine now.”

“She sure looks like it,” I said in a low voice. Right now, Branca looked calm and strong. I ran my hand up and down her neck, then glanced around when a thought nagged at me. “Where is Leo?”

Hannah let out a loud sigh. “He and the guys went training.”

“On a Saturday afternoon? That isn’t like them …”

“I know, but they have a tournament coming up next weekend.”

“Oh, yeah, I had forgotten about that.”

“They will probably train all day tomorrow through Wednesday, then they leave on Thursday.”

“This one is in Miami, right?”

“That’s right.”

Miami was a big polo hub. I bet it would be easier to find a women's polo team there than here. I sighed. It didn’t matter. I had come to the U.S. to stay with my family. Polo came in second.

Hannah glanced at the clock on the wall behind us. “I have a group coming in soon.” She tilted her eyes, returning her eyes to me. “Say … why don’t you join us? This is a beginner group, so we’ll go slow, and I’ll be able to pay attention to her and see more of her behavior.”

“I like that.”

Hannah gestured to the door beside the clock. “That’s the tack room. Feel free to get everything you need.”

I dipped my chin once. “Thanks.”

The sound of hooves and voices reached my ears. Hannah and I looked out the back gate.

“And I’ve got a group returning right now.” She started toward the arena at the back. “Have to help them dismount and untack the horses.”

“I can help.”

She waved me off. “No need. Jimmy and Paul are outside. They can help me. Just enjoy Branca.”

I smiled at my mare. “I plan to.”

“Oh,” Hannah said and I snapped my head back at hers. “Speaking of enjoying … we haven’t done a girls night out in a long time. As soon as I’m done with this group, I’m going to text all the girls and we’re going out.”

My eyes widened. “Out? When?”

Her smile widened and her eyes had a wicked glint. “Tonight!”