Mare Stare

By Mary Kit Caelsto

Ari is hiding something and Cora doesn't like it. With all the changes at Noble Dreams, Cora struggles to settle in and move in new directions. It'd be better if her partner were walking right beside her. But she has her doubts, and if Ari isn't on board, then everything is at risk when it comes to their farm and their relationship.

Most of all, Cora strives to support Ari after her assault. She seeks help, so she can be a better person and a better partner. She's tired of getting the "mare stare" from Ari and things are going to come to a head. The question is, what's in the future for Noble Dreams and will Ari and Cora make it together?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mary Kit Caelsto
• Release date: Dec 1, 2020

Book preview

< Mare Stare >

Noble Dreams 14

Mary Kit Caelsto

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Also By The Author

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Mare Stare

Fox Hunt Inn

Steady On Course Preview

Correction on Course Preview

Spins Are Wild Preview

About the Author

The scanning, uploading and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated. Permission is granted to make ONE backup copy for archival purposes.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

MARE STARE

Copyright © Mary Kit Caelsto, 2020

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

Cover Art ® 2020

Cover art by My Author Home

Book formatting by Epona Author Solutions (http://eponaauthorsolutions.com)

Electronic Publication Date: November 2020

This book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the author.

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Also By The Author

Equestrian Women’s Fiction

Noble Dreams Series

Steady On Course

Standing On Course

Correction On Course

Walking On Course

Course Perfect

Shadbelly Faults

Husband On Board

Double Clear

Riding Double

Rompers and Rosettes

Crossed Rails

International Obstacles

Baby Green

Mare Stare (Coming Soon)

Western Star Series

(women’s fiction w/ romantic elements)

Spins Are Wild

Turn And Burn

In The Chute

Back In The Saddle

Winning It All (Coming Soon)

Sweet Equestrian Romance

Shiloh’s Second Chance

Racehorses and Romance

Riding Home

Claiming His Irish Trainer (Coming Soon)

Fantasy/Magic Realism

The Musimagium

Hidden

Tonic Chords

Of Songs & Horns

Of Songs & Paperwork

Chasing Neptune’s Cat

Draco Magus

The Pegasus Project

Pegasus In Flight

Tempus Magic

Radio Arcanum

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Visit https://marykitcaelsto.com/newsletter and sign up for Mary’s newsletter. She offers free serial stories – one equestrian and one fantasy – to her subscribers.

Get even more free stories by becoming a Patreon at https://patreon.com/marykitcaelsto.

Chapter One

Cora listened to Ari’s truck rumble down the gravel driveway as she headed into town—again. Cora sighed and stepped into the barn to double check supplements for all the horses and do a bit of tidying up in the tack room. It’d gotten a bit messy again, and the white board needed updating with the schedule. A farrier visit and a vet visit made next week busy, and she needed to let everyone know. If only she knew what Ari was doing in town. It made no sense. Some days she returned with feed or bedding or the odds and ends that always seemed to be needed on the farm. But other days she returned empty handed with a soft smile that told Cora her partner was up to something.

She shoved back the misgivings taking hold in her gut and told herself that nothing was happening. Ari had been a model partner, helping with the farm, bringing in some new horses to train, even helping Zahra place some of her retrained off the track thoroughbreds. Loving and supportive, they’d merged into a real time since Ari’s issues with her friend. She’d come out of her shell, and though the show year was winding up a bit differently than she’d planned, Cora had big dreams for next year.

She jotted down the supplements that needed refilling on her phone’s note app so she could email Linda about Ivy’s joint support and reorder what she needed for her horses, then went to the tack room. It didn’t take long to wipe down the table, wash out the glasses in the sink and tidy things up. A quick sweep and the room was free of tracked in sawdust and dirt.

She paused and reflected on the almost too-tidy tack room. Last year it’d been a jumble of tack, the white board full of notations for extra lessons and plans for future shows. She sprayed cleaner on the white board, then wiped down last week’s lesson schedule, pretty light, and the brief notation Sara had made about Rose’s needing to stay in yesterday morning because the vet was going to come out and do a reproductive check. Cora shook her head. Babies popping out all over the place, or so it seemed. First Linda had her son, who was an absolute cutey, and whether his father wanted it or not, was totally a barn baby who would be riding horses. He loved reaching up, cooing, as he touched a horse’s neck or pat a body, always under the watchful eye of one of them. Now, Sara appeared to be taking Leandro up on his offer to breed her mare to his stallion. Just last week, she’d shared a picture with them of Leandro and Siobhan. They’d made quite a splash in both the Irish and Argentine horse racing scenes.

Changes. She both welcomed and worried about them. Some older teenage students and a couple of new boarders had helped the barn’s income, so even if Sara eventually took Rose to her place, things would be all right financially. Then again, with Mark and Eva’s good-natured teasing about show seasons, and Mark’s keeping a close eye on the year end points meant that they might get something at the banquet this year. For his sake, Cora hoped he’d receive the best new rider award. He had come a long way, and though the two of them, along with Cora, still went to shows nearly every weekend, they proved themselves by being in the ribbons time and time again.

Ari hadn’t gone with her to the last show. Cora paused, mid-wipe of the board, and frowned. Cleaning solution dripped down the front. The lemony-cleaning smell filled the air, and it took her a moment to clear it away. She finished cleaning the board, then put the supplies down and stepped back. Ari hadn’t gone with her to the last few shows.

Someone had to stay back at the barn, she supposed, and make sure everything ran clearly. And yet, these were just day shows. They left about 6 and got back about 8. Nothing to worry about when it came to dealing with feeding, since Linda and Sara had offered to help. She hadn’t asked if they’d needed to or if Ari took care of that too. Maybe she should.

No, she’d been down this road before, and it led to nothing but frustration and heartache. They’d been good—really good except for this and Ari’s trips into town. She had to believe it was for a good reason. There was no way around it. If she did otherwise, she’d be the one in the wrong.

Of course, if you talked to her, you could get the answers, Cora muttered to herself as she opened her tack locker and pulled out her saddle. It needed a good cleaning, and something about the smell of leather and glycerin soap cleared the mind. She set it on the stand, got the cleaning gear from the cupboard, and put it on the table. She was giving Buster the day off, and the other horses needed a rest too. Today would be a good day to get this chore done.

She lost herself in the rhythmic motion of cleaning and wiping off the soap, then working conditioner into the leather. Black grime coated her hands, even though she cleaned the saddle regularly. Inspecting the stirrup leathers, she noticed a worn spot and made a mental note to check and see if she had a backup pair. If not, she needed to buy some. Always something to do on the barn.

Tires crunched on the gravel drive. Her heart leapt. Ari? But no, the vehicle parked close to the barn and sounded too small to be their truck. She glanced at the clock, noticing it was about time for Linda to arrive, and sure