Page 8 of Riding High

‘It’s everywhere.Face, torso, limbs, back.’

Shit.A red face to go with her pale red hair, fabulous.The only good thing is that the guy from earlier– Number Three, Jed, the Big and Sexy polo player– wasn’t looming over her anymore.

‘I rifled through your purse to get your name, and to see if you had any meds in it.By the way, I’ve given you an antihistamine injection, quite a strong one, and it should kick in soon,’ Mick told her.‘And you and I need to talk about your obsession with Hyun Bin.’

Eden blinked, off guard.‘What?’

Mick held her phone to her face, it opened and up popped the face of the gorgeous K-drama star.Oh, God, how would she explain this?Few people understood her obsession with K-dramas, and no one but her looked at her phone.‘Um…’

‘I mean Hyun Bin is super sexy, but Daniel Henney as al’Lan Mandragoran is my guy-at-night fantasy.Also, Hyun Bin is married.’

Sadly.

Mick recognised K-drama stars and watched her favourite fantasy series?Would she marry her?

‘We’ll talk hot guys and about how incredibleWhen the Phone Ringswas?—’

Oh, man!‘The twists, the turns!’

‘—later,’ Mick continued, her expression now serious.‘Can you tell me what happened?’

Eden nodded, her mind slowly clicking into gear.‘My eyes started watering as soon as I got here.It got worse the longer I stayed in the stable.The hives erupted after I patted the horse.’

Mick held her wrist before looking up at the hovering EMTs.‘Her throat isn’t closing, and her pulse is normal.Youguys can go back to the field.’When they moved off, Mick shifted back, wrapping her arms around her bent legs.

Eden couldn’t help it and reached under the hem of her dress to scratch her thigh, but Mick grabbed her hand before she could make contact.‘Scratching will make it worse, just breathe through it, okay?’

Easier said than done.

She recalled the world turning wavy and remembered it going black.She rubbed the back of her head, wincing at the ridge of a welt forming there.‘I don’t feel like I hit my head.’

‘You didn’t, Jed caught you before you hit the deck,’ Mick told her.‘He called me, and I came up from the big house.You should start to feel better soon.’

‘I feel like a walking nerve end,’ Eden muttered.‘And so embarrassed.’

‘No need,’ Mick replied, her brisk manner a complete contrast to her grubby shirt and ragged denim shorts.‘So, I’m pretty sure you are allergic to horses.’

‘I am?’

‘You haven’t felt like this before around horses?’

Eden winced.‘I’ve never met a horse before or been in a stable.’She sighed at Mick’s raised eyebrows.‘I’m a city girl, and horse-riding lessons weren’t in the budget.Or even on the radar.’

‘Ah.’Mick’s eyes darted over Eden’s face.‘You’re still pale and your eyelids are drooping.’

Eden nodded.They felt concrete heavy.‘I’m so tired.’

‘That’s a side effect of the antihistamine,’ Mick said, standing up dusting off her shorts.‘How did you get to Elmsleigh?Did you drive?’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well, you’re not going to be able to drive anytime soon, because you’re basically drunk on meds.Can you call someone to drive you home?’

Eden looked at her hands and then shook her head.She had friends, but no one close enough to drive ninety minutes to pick up her sorry self.And her mum, well, she wasn’t available, in any way, anymore.Even if she was, she’d say that Eden was an adult now, and it wasn’t her job to pull her out of tight spots.

Eden thought that she knew what it was like to feel lonely, but at this moment, far from home and feeling woozy, the depth of her isolation was a mental slap.Just sometimes, not often, the acute, almost physical ache for a connection was debilitating.She closed her eyes and blinked away her tears.Feeling unknown, invisible and disconnectedsucked.

‘Right,’ Mick briskly stated, ‘Let’s go with Plan B.’