Nacho Figueras Presents Read Free

but fading into a darker red.
    She threw the shoe back into the forge for another heating.
    At the end of the day, Noni and her older brother Alejandro had been in the barn office discussing the pony with the sand crack in her hoof. Alejandro had been effusive in his praise, telling her that he had picked that pony’s feet that very morning and completely missed the injury.
    “I am in your debt, Noni,” he’d said. “That crack would have been a disaster if you had not caught it in time. What can I do to thank you?”
    Antonia had shrugged him off. It was her job, after all, but her brother laid a hand on her shoulder and met her eyes with a warm smile. “Come, hermana , there must be something you would like.”
    Antonia’s heart had beat a little faster than usual, and she’d thought, Now’s the time. She took a deep breath and tried to seem as casual as possible when she’d said, “Maybe we can just, you know, play a little stick and ball together sometime? Even get Sebastian out on the field, too?”
    Alejandro had looked surprised for a second, and then his smile had grown even wider, and he’d opened his mouth to answer her, and Antonia had been filled with a breathless hope, when the door to the office had banged open and Pilar had come charging in. Ignoring Antonia completely (as she always did), Pilar had started in on Alejandro in rapid-fire Spanish about what he was going to wear to Lord Henderson’s party that night since the dry cleaner had failed to return Jandro’s good tuxedo on time.
    And just like that, the moment was gone. Jandro had rolled his eyes and shrugged at Antonia before plunging into a good-natured argument with his mother. Antonia, after catching an impatient sideways glare from Pilar, had stood there for just one more agonizing moment before she gave up and left the office.
    For a brief time later, talking to Enzo after she’d helped him off the ground, she’d felt a little better. But then he’d gone and reminded her of Hendy’s party, too, and all her disappointment and anger had flooded back.
    She’d driven straight home to her shop, lit up her forge, and started making horseshoes.
    She opened the door to the forge and caught up the partially made shoe in her tongs. Holding it in the air, she stared at it for a moment, chewing her lip. It was pulsing and alive—exactly the right temperature, she could tell by the yellow-orange color—as pliable as clay, ready to be thrown onto her anvil and hammered into something useful.
    Instead, Antonia reached over and plunged the half-done work into her water bucket, extinguishing its heat and glow with a steamy hiss. Then she threw the thing, dripping, cold, and worthless, into her scrap pail, took off her safety glasses and apron, and shut down her forge.
    “Luna, Mojo,” she called.
    A black and white mass of fur curled up in the corner of the shop untangled itself into two separate huskies, one fluffy white, one glossy black, but both with the same slanted ice-blue eyes.
    “Come on,” said Antonia, giving her thigh a little pat as she left the shop.
    The sisters, tongues lolling, obediently trotted after their mistress. Next time, Noni thought as she strode into the soft Florida dusk, she wouldn’t let Pilar Del Campo stop her. Next time, she wouldn’t hesitate. She would make her move.

Chapter Three
    E nzo was at the foot of the stairs at the back of the barn, heading up to his apartment, when a figure riding a black Ducati motorcycle pulled up next to him.
    Enzo smiled as the rider took off his helmet, revealing a young blond man with a friendly grin. “Mark Stone,” said Enzo. “It has been a while. Nice bike.”
    Mark dismounted awkwardly. “It’s new. Still getting the hang of it.” The motorcycle began to lean, and he caught it just before it fell. “Obviously.”
    Enzo laughed. He had always liked this young Internet genius. Enzo had given him polo lessons when Mark had substituted for Sebastian on the Del