Merger to Marriage (Boardrooms and Billi - By Addison Fox Page 0,36
spent outdoors and exercising.”
“I think I’m starting to get a sense of things. Where are they looking to put the new structure?”
“On the opposite side of the barn, away from the residences.”
“The build request is pretty straightforward.” Holt pulled his horse to a halt and Mayson did the same, coming to a stop next to him. “The real problem is the way the land’s been donated and the stipulated family approvals that are required to make changes.”
“Do you think they’ll be able to get around it? The owners are good people. Ed and Sabrina are doing good work here.”
“I’m sure they are, but if Ed can’t convince his brother to make a different decision, I’m afraid they’re not going to be able to make the changes they’d like.”
An irrational spurt of anger shot through her system like a geyser as her hands whitened around the reins. “Damn it, but it’s just so unnecessary.”
“Mayson?” When she didn’t respond, Holt said her name once more. “Don’t get upset. We’re here to figure some things out.”
She took a deep breath, willing herself to calm. She could already feel Tabby stamping her feet beneath her at the show of irrational anger. “I simply can’t accept someone waving power like it’s a flag. Ed’s brother is ruining the opportunity for something truly good because of his own selfishness.”
“I wish I could say something that would make it better. In the meantime, it’s probably best to suggest to Ed and Sabrina they think about putting their expansion plans on hold or they look for an alternative piece of land. Something they can manage themselves, without anyone else’s interference.”
She knew it was irrational and that getting upset wouldn’t help, but her ongoing frustration with the situation with the charity coalesced into a ball of helpless anger, roiling away in her gut. Before she could calm down and get herself in check, the stress-fueled acid in her stomach changed, rumbling through her midsection with the force of a tidal wave and she immediately began to feel nauseous.
“Mayson?”
She caught sight of Holt’s concerned gaze a moment before she simply acted, moving solely on the instinct to get off the horse. With stiff, jerky movements, she overcompensated on the reins, accidentally pulling Tabby’s head too hard. The animal’s initial skittishness toward her anger ratcheted up another notch, and she felt the shift in the large body beneath her a split second before Tabby began to move.
Her thighs gripped the saddle hard as the horse took off, the muscular body flexing beneath her with a combination of unexpected speed and the desire to remove the irritation from her back. A hard scream echoed from her throat as Mayson found herself flying along the perimeter of the fence, wind whipping at her as she rode the out of control horse.
In the distance, she heard Holt and his horse behind her, the thunder of hooves a heavy counterpoint to the slamming of her pulse in her ears. Images flashed through her mind as she fought to gain control of the moment. The warm faces of the children as they greeted her that morning in the cafeteria. Holt’s serious gaze as he pointed out various things on the trail. The ride up to the camp that morning as the bright sunlight shone over the Hudson River when they drove the West Side Highway out of the city.
Underneath all of it pounded a ruthless fear that gripped her throat with icy claws.
“Mayson!”
Holt’s frantic shouts ensured he was still behind her, and the heavy gallop of hooves was closer than before. She felt Tabby’s muscles bunch, sensing the horse was getting ready for another burst of speed before a heavy whoosh of air pressed along her side. Holt reached out, his large hand snagging at the reins she held on to with an iron grip. Immediately, she felt the change in Tabby and braced her thighs for a hard stop.
The moment ended nearly as fast as it had begun. Holt’s steady hand and firm touch on the reins pulled Tabby to an easy stop as he pulled his own mount to a halt.
“Mayson?” Holt’s eyes were wide as he turned toward her, a glaze of fear covering the hazel and turning them a dark shade of green. “What the hell happened?”
A hard breath stuck in her throat and Mayson struggled to find the words as the reality of her precarious ride filled her thoughts. “I…I don…don’t know. I got sick and all I wanted to do