Fear of Falling by Catherine Lanigan Page B

class.”
    â€œI so wished I could have afforded classes for you, too,” Julia said despondently.
    Olivia reached out to her. “It’s not that, Mom. I never felt bad about it. I didn’t care about riding. I cared that I was there. I got to touch the horses and talk to them. I took pictures of them on those disposable cameras I bought with my allowance.”
    Julia gave Olivia’s hand a little squeeze. “And Sarah, being your number one fan, posted the photo. I’m sure it was phenomenal.”
    â€œOne of my best,” Olivia admitted. “Sarah alone has had over a hundred likes on it. People I don’t know are Tweeting it and sharing it. It’s been a nightmare.” She didn’t want her mom to know she was also enjoying the attention.
    Julia was quiet for a long moment before she said, “It’ll blow over. Things like this always do.”
    â€œI’m not so sure. Rafe wants to race Rowan professionally. He said that he didn’t want people who might also be judges or reporters to see photos of Rowan before he was ready to be presented publicly. Rafe and his father had talked about trying to get Rowan into the trials for the Kentucky Derby, at the very least.”
    Julia’s mouth fell open. “You left that part out.”
    â€œPretty bad, huh?” Olivia asked glumly. “He’s going to hate me forever.”
    â€œAnd so what if he does? You take some photographs of him at the rehearsal dinner and the wedding and—” Julia brushed her palms against each other “—pffft. You never see him again. Frankly, I don’t remember ever seeing him in the deli. As far as you’re concerned, he’s out of your life.”
    What Julia said was true. Rafe could be out of her life forever. But if she was honest with herself, that wasn’t what Olivia wanted.
    Despite the accusations he’d hurled at her the night before, she would never forget the feel of his arms around her when he’d pulled her back from Rowan’s stall. When they’d spoken in the stable, she’d never felt quite so alive. The air had seemed electric and yet the conversation had been easy and comfortable. She’d felt as if she could talk to him forever about horses, photography—anything.
    Olivia didn’t want a couple of photo shoots to be all there was between her and Rafe. She wanted more.
    A great deal more.
    And that terrified her.

CHAPTER TEN
    W HEN M ADDIE CAME into the deli a few days later with an armful of posters for the Indian Lake Horse Race Fundraiser, Olivia agreed to post them in the front window. She was wary about associating the deli with the sport that had almost ruined her and her mother, but the fundraiser was for the hospital. Olivia and Julia had always volunteered their time and talent to the hospital’s foundation; it was one of Indian Lake’s largest employers, and the doctors and nurses often treated people in need at no charge.
    â€œI knew I could count on you,” Maddie told Olivia. Maddie served on the fundraising committee. “I figure that between your deli and my café we can get the word out to half the town. Oh! And Nate told me to thank you for your help.” Maddie handed her the Art Deco–style posters that Isabelle Hawks had designed.
    Olivia studied the watercolor illustration of jockeys on Thoroughbreds crossing a finish line. “It’s not much. These are beautiful.”
    â€œThey are, aren’t they?” Maddie agreed. “Makes me want to take up horseback riding.”
    A chill snaked down Olivia’s spine, and her ears filled with her father’s curses and screams when his horse lost at the track.
    Will this pain never go away?
    Olivia struggled through the mire to focus on her friend. “Is there anything else I can do to help?”
    Maddie was thoughtful for a moment and then put her hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “As a matter of