Fadedwords

A Bad Spring (part 1)

            It had been a bad spring for Emily Bradshaw.  Her head trainer had left, right before several large and lucrative horse shows, and without a word of warning.  Her champion jumper had come up lame after a simple morning workout session.  Her daughter had turned 13, and had begun to act 13.  And to top it all off, her husband had run off.  It had been a bad spring indeed.  Emily tossed her pen down and rubbed her temples; the books were leaning toward the red end of things.

            “Mrs. Bradshaw, someone is here to see you,” a voice said.  Emily looked up and smiled wearily at the young groom standing in the doorway.

            “Who is it Michael?”

            “Said his name is Jason Sutton… he’s here about the trainer job,” Michael explained.  Emily perked up a bit, tossing her thick black braid over her shoulder.

            “Send him in,” she said.  Moments later Jason Sutton stepped into the office.  He was fairly tall, and Emily could tell just by looking at him that he’d been on a horse nearly his whole life.  His body was lean and fit, and he was deeply tanned from working outdoors.  His sandy brown hair fell across his forehead, making him look younger than he probably was.

            “Mrs. Bradshaw, I’m Jason Sutton,” he said, holding out his hand.  Emily couldn’t hide her shock when he spoke; he had an English accent.

            “You’re British,” she said as she shook his hand.  Jason laughed.

            “Yes… although I haven’t lived in England in quite some time.”

            “How on earth did you end up in Virginia?” she asked, motioning for him to sit down.

            “After I finished my BHS training I came back to the states.  I got a job in New York, and then followed a client as her private trainer as she worked the show circuit.  We recently had a disagreement, so I quit.”

            “What was the disagreement?” Emily inquired.  Jason looked at her evenly.

            “She wanted to drug her horse after an injury so he would get through a show, and I refused.  She decided to go through with it anyway,” he explained.  Emily thought about this for a moment, glancing out the window.

            “I’d like to see you ride,” she said finally.  Jason nodded.

            “Of course you would, and I’d like to see you ride,” he replied.  Emily gaped at him; nobody had asked to see her ride in years.

            “Me?  Why?”

            “Rumor has it that you were quite good… good enough to be in the show ring yourself.  No sense in us paying riders to ride your animals in a show if you’re perfectly able.” Emily stood up and started toward the door.

            “Thankfully I pay my trainer to simply train the horses, not to worry about how much money I spend.  Come on, let’s see how you are,” she said, walking out.  Jason frowned, but had little choice but to follow her. 

            Emily watched as Jason cantered around the ring on a large warmblood named Gothika.  The big gelding had a tendency to rush jumps if not kept in check and under jump if not strongly urged.  Finding a middle-ground with him took some finesse, and not many people could get him in order their first few rides.

            “Do you have a feel for him?” Emily called.  Jason eased Gothika to a walk and came to the rail.

            “I think so.  What would you like to see?”

            “Just go over the jumps, twice clockwise and twice counter.  I just want to see your form and ability.” Four jumps were set up, two on either side of the ring.  They were about three feet tall. 

            “Alright,” Jason said.  Emily watched as they cantered a circle and then began.  The first time around was rough as Jason realized the horse’s quirks, but the next three times were flawless.  Emily had scarcely seen Gothika go better, let alone for a complete stranger.

            “That’ll be fine!” she called.  Jason trotted over, leaning down to pat the big bay’s neck.

            “So what’s the verdict?” he questioned, smiling down at her.  Emily put her hand on Gothika’s muzzle, smiling as he lipped at it.

            “The job is yours if you want it.  I have a couple young horses that need a good start, one injured that’ll need to work back up to show ready, and then several proven horses that just need some consistency and structure.  I’ve assigned riders on a schedule that I can get to you, but you can change anything you don’t like.  Just let me know what you’re doing.  The trainer’s apartment is above the garage.” Jason nodded, still smiling as he dismounted.

            “Thanks Mrs. Bradshaw.  When do I start?” Emily took the reins from him.

            “Monday at six.  Call me Emily,” she said.  He gave a nod.  “Stop by tomorrow to get your keys,” she added, leading Gothika back to the barn.  Jason watched for a moment before walking back to his truck, still smiling.

            Jason moved into the trainer’s apartment that Friday.  It was dark when he finished, and it was also hot in the apartment.  He stepped outside and gave a sigh of relief; it was much cooler out than in.  He walked along one of the paths that led past the exercise rings and the barn.  As he passed the arena, a noise caught his attention.  The big sliding door was open, and he could see a horse and rider moving around the large indoor arena.  Jason stepped closer, but was careful to remain in the shadows.  Emily was riding a large dapple gray mare around the ring at a canter, and her position was absolutely flawless.  There were several large jumps set up, and occasionally, as if an afterthought, Emily would take them.  The horse beneath her never took a wrong step or got out of control.  They floated around the ring as one… and Emily never stopped smiling.  Jason had never seen anything more beautiful.  The duo finally came to a stop, and the mare tossed her head.  Emily laughed.

            “Enough for tonight Jezzie.  I’ve kept you up past your bedtime,” she said as they walked around the ring to cool down.  Jason stood there until long after they had left the ring, wondering why she needed to hire anyone to train or ride her horses. 

            Monday morning at six a.m. Jason was up and out in the training ring.  His first horse of the day was an unruly five year old named Independence.  After twenty minutes in the saddle, Jason had to agree that the name suited the horse.  He simply wanted nothing to do with being ridden, and spent a good deal of time trying to get his rider out of the saddle.

            “None of that,” Jason murmured as the big chestnut reared up and gave another buck.  He urged strongly with his legs, keeping firm contact with the colt’s mouth as well.  After another fifteen minutes, Independence finally settled in and began to work diligently.  Jason made him put in a good workout before cooling down.  “Good boy Indy,” he said, placing a firm pat on the animal’s neck.

            “That looked pretty good,” a voice said.  Jason looked up, surprised to find a young girl watching him closely.

            “Thanks.  He has a mind of his own.” The girl smiled, tossing her long black hair over her shoulders.

            “Yes.  Mom says he takes after me.  We’ll be quite the pair someday,” she replied.

            “Mom?  Are you Emily’s daughter?”

            “Yup.  Independence was my Christmas gift this year… but she wants someone to work him into shape before I start training on him.” Jason looked at her carefully.  She was wearing a pair of faded jeans, a t-shirt, paddock boots, and had a pair of leather chaps tossed carelessly over her shoulder.  She looked as if she’d never been away from a horse farm.

            “How would you like to work him into shape yourself?” Jason asked. 

            “I’m not sure… isn’t that what Mom pays you for?” He grinned then.

            “I train horses and people.  He’s your horse; you may as well have a hand in training him.” She considered this for a moment.

            “OK,” she said finally.

            “What’s your name?” he asked.

            “Elizabeth,” she replied.

            “Well young Lizzie Bradshaw, you get here early tomorrow and we’ll start training your horse.” She smiled a little.

            “OK.  Bye Mr. Sutton.”  She walked off, never glancing back.  Jason shrugged and dismounted.

            “Strange owners you have Indy,” he murmured as he led the prancing horse back to the barn. 

            That afternoon Jason was lounging on a bale of hay, eating a sandwich.  He glanced up as Emily walked by, leading a gorgeous black and white paint. 

            “Who’s that?” he asked, nodding his head toward the horse.  Emily stopped and gave the horse a pat.

            “His name is Lancelot… Lance for short.  He was a gift from my husband.” Jason noticed the way her eyes clouded over with the mention of her husband.

            “Nice gift.  Your husband has good taste.” Emily frowned slightly, thinking to herself, ‘Yes, great taste in 18 year old girls.’

            “In horses he sure does,” she said instead.  Jason decided not to push that topic any further.

            “Taking him out for a ride?”

            “I think I’m going to take him out to the cross country course; he likes that fast-paced kind of action.” The horse was tacked up, and Emily was wearing breeches and black leather high boots. 

            “Would you like some company?” he inquired.  Emily thought for a moment, looking almost tempted.

            “Thanks, but no.  I’ll be back in an hour or so,” she said, starting to lead Lance away.  Jason stood quickly and jogged after her.

            “Wait a second!  It might do some good to have someone watching how he’s going… I could ride along-side., just watch how he’s taking everything.” Emily smiled a little, but it didn’t reach her eyes.       

            “I’ll know how it’s going when I get back and watch the tape,” she said.  His eyebrows shot up.

            “You’ve got a live feed to your course?” he demanded incredulously.  Not many privately owned, smaller stables could afford such a luxury.

            “Yup.  It was one of the first things I put in.  I figured it’s easier to have that than the distraction of someone riding alongside me to tell me how I’m doing.” They were silent for a long moment.  “How’re the training sessions going?” she asked suddenly.  Jason smiled.

            “So far so good.  That one rider you’ve got… Michelle?  She’s a pain right in the ass isn’t she?” Emily laughed, putting her helmet on and clipping it into place.

            “Not many people care for her personality, but she’s a beautiful rider.  She’s won a lot of shows for us… which is probably why she is so cocky.” Jason gave a shrug.

            “She’s not that good,” he murmured, thinking of the previous Friday and her ride in the arena.  Emily clucked her tongue and started back down the aisle.

            “She’s top ranked… and my horses like her.  So do the judges.  I’ll see you later Jason!” she called as she disappeared.  Jason plopped back down on the bale of hay, wondering again why she was so private about her riding.

            Elizabeth Bradshaw watched as Jason finished hooking a longe line to Independence’s bridle.  The young horse danced to the side as the stirrups were let down, but Jason seemed not to notice.

            “How old are you Miss Lizzie?” he asked.  She glanced at him.

            “I just turned 13,” she muttered.  He smiled.

            “Ahh, the teen years.  How long have you been riding?” She gave him a look that suggested how silly a question he’d asked.

            “Since… forever.  Probably since before I was born.  I’m not as good as Mom though… nowhere near.”

            “She’s got a couple years on you,” he replied with a grin.  Elizabeth shrugged.

            “You haven’t seen her ride though…” she trailed off, glancing off into the distance before continuing, “My Mom is so good that it’s hard to breathe when you watch her.  It’s like she’s part of the horse.  You can’t teach someone to ride that way… trust me; she’s tried to teach me.” Jason noted the change in her voice, a sense of disappointment and failure mixed with sadness.  He gave her shoulder a nudge.

            “Nobody says you have to ride that way.  We’ll work with old Indy here and see what you’re made of.  Come on, up you go.” Her eyes shot up, big and suddenly scared.

            “I can’t ride him!  Are you crazy?” she demanded. 

            “I’m not sure what you mean,” he said, tilting his head to one side.  “He’s yours isn’t he?”

            “Yes, but…”

            “And you want to help train him?”

            “Yes, but…”

            “And you’ve been riding since before you were born?”

            “Yes, but…”

            “Then what’s the problem?” Elizabeth was glaring at him, annoyed with being cut off so frequently. 

            “My Mom would kill me!  It’s not safe to ride him.”  Jason looked at her seriously, surprised at her fear.

            “I didn’t think you’d be scared,” he said, starting to put the stirrups back up.  Elizabeth took an indignant step forward.

            “I’m not scared,” she said angrily.  He glanced at her over his shoulder.

            “No?  Then why won’t you get up there?  What’s the worst thing that’ll happen?” When she didn’t respond he said, “You could fall off.” She shot him a withering look.

            “I’ve fallen off hundreds of times,” she muttered.

            “OK.  So you’re not scared, and you’ve fallen of hundreds of times… so let’s do it.  I’m not going to ask you to do anything you’ve never done before… I’m just going to help you train your horse how you want him trained.” Elizabeth wrinkled her brow, deep in thought. 

            “What if he freaks out?” she asked.  Jason turned and looked at her seriously.

            “Now I know if you’ve been riding as long as you say you have, you’ve ridden a horse that’s freaked out.  We’ll deal with it together and teach him not to do that.  Come on, you can do this.  I saw pictures of you with blue ribbons all over your Mom’s office.” After another moment Elizabeth slid her helmet onto her head and clipped it into place.

            “OK.  But if he freaks out and kills me, my Mom will kill you,” she muttered.  Jason laughed a little as she stepped forward and put her hands on the saddle flaps. 

            “If you don’t want to ride him you don’t have to… but he’s not going to kill you,” he promised.  Elizabeth focused her attention on the saddle.

            “Just give me a leg up already,” she said.  Jason did as she said, looking up at her when she was sitting in the saddle.  She put her feet in the stirrups and gathered her reins. 

            “Alright, I’m just going to let the line out and he’ll walk around me.  Any foolishness from him I want you to use your voice and gentle but firm contact with your hands and legs,” he instructed.  Elizabeth nodded, but didn’t say anything.  Jason moved to the center of the ring and picked up his longe whip.  Independence picked up an easy working walk and moved around him placidly for several minutes.  Jason noted how sturdy her position was, especially her legs; it looked as if nothing could get her out of the saddle.  Someone had taught her very well.  “Ask him for a trot… be ready for some nonsense!” he called.  Her signal wasn’t visible to him, but Independence’s reaction was.  The colt lunged forward and kicked out his back legs.  Elizabeth stuck with him easily though.  “Continue urging with your legs… and keep constant contact with his mouth.  Let him know you’re up there!” Elizabeth did just as she was told, riding through the bucking for several moments until Independence realized he was going to have to go forward.  “Good Lizzie… check your lead.” At this she shot him a glance.

            “Check my lead?  He just put on a bucking fit and you want me to check my lead?” she demanded incredulously, giving an imperceptible glance down before correcting her diagonal.

            “If you’re going to do it, do it right.  You just need to adjust his behavior and then get back on track yourself… that wins shows young Bradshaw.” She rolled her eyes, but continued to post.  “Have him extend a little bit… good,” he said as they went past.  After several more minutes he called, “Collect and sit!” The transition would have been lovely, had Independence not picked that moment to duck in and rear up.  Jason thought for sure she would be unseated, but despite losing both her stirrups she urged the big horse forward and collected his stride enough to comfortably sit the trot.  When they were moving forward easily, she found her stirrups again without breaking stride.  Jason shook his head slowly… this kid was good.   “Alright, I want a nice and easy canter transition!” he called.  She gave a slight nod and Independence broke into a smooth canter.  “Great Lizzie!” She smiled.

            “He never acts up going to the canter… knows he’s going to get to move,” she replied.  Jason nodded as they went around him. 

            “Alright, ease to a walk.” The downward transition was bumpy, but Elizabeth stayed collected in the saddle and they were soon moving around at a nice walk.  Jason called for Independence to stop, and he went to the animal’s head.  As he switched the longe line to the other side, he glanced up at Elizabeth.  “So… tell me again what your problem was with riding him?”  She shrugged.

            “I don’t know… just didn’t think I could handle him,” she said softly.  Jason gave her calf a quick pat.

            “Ridiculous!  You’ve got him going nearly as well as I did yesterday!” he said with a grin as he went back to the center of the ring.

            “Nearly?  I think he’s going pretty well!” she shot back.  He laughed again and continued to call directions.  Neither one noticed Emily watching from the barn.

            Late that evening Jason saddled his own horse, Merlin, and then led him into the arena.  He’d worked all day with Emily’s horses and thought it was about time his own got some exercise. 

            “Come on you big lug, let’s go,” he said to the 17 hand tall black thoroughbred gelding.  The horse was laid back and nearly unflappable; Jason often referred to him as “bomb-proof”, which was surprising given his flighty breed.  It seemed that nothing frightened the gentle giant.  He’d taken the time to set up a simple jump course in the arena before bringing Merlin in, and the horse pricked his ears forward at the sight of jumps.  If there was one thing he liked more than sugar cubes, it was jumping.  Jason often wished he had the time to show in between training, for he knew that Merlin would be in the ribbons consistently.  He swung into the saddle and took a moment to check the girth before moving off at a walk.  He moved up the straight side of the arena and then turned down the center line, leg yielding to the left down the center.  Merlin crossed his legs over expertly until they were at the opposite wall and moving straight.  Jason smiled to himself; Merlin’s lateral work was just beautiful.  The continued at a walk, and then came up the center line again, this time yielding to the right.  Merlin completed this too with ease, and they soon broke into a steady working trot.   He completed some serpentines, twenty meter circles, and change of directions before working on extensions and collections.  After about twenty minutes Jason pulled up and gave the big animal a break.  “You’re moving nicely Merlin,” he murmured, giving him a pat.  Merlin tossed his head and gave a low nicker.

            “He’s gorgeous,” a voice said.  Jason turned, surprised to see Emily standing at the rail.              “Thanks.  How long have you been watching?” he asked.  She gave a shrug and rested her chin on her hand.

            “Not too long.  His lateral work is great… simply effortless.  How long have you had him?”

            “Since birth.  His mother belonged to a farm that I trained at in England… they went out of business and couldn’t afford to pay me what they owed me.  I said I’d take him as payment.”

            “I bet they weren’t too happy about losing him,” she said.  Jason smiled a little.

            “He wasn’t much to look at as a baby… legs looked weak, and he seemed to be kind of dumb.  They wanted high strung animals that would ‘really perform’ in the ring.  So they didn’t know what they were losing.”

            “And you did?” He shrugged, wiping sweat from his brow.

            “I was pretty sure.  He’s only proven me right… which makes him worth how much he eats.” Emily laughed.

            “I’ve never seen him in any shows around here, or anywhere else for that matter.  Why not?”

            “Don’t have time to ride him and train everybody else.”

            “We’ll have to makes some time for you.  It’s a shame you haven’t been able to do that; you’re a beautiful rider.” He actually blushed, as if no one had ever told him that. 

            “Thanks,” he said.  Merlin gave a snort then, reminding both humans that he was there and had things to do.  “I better take him over the jumps at least once or he’ll never forgive me,” Jason said.  Emily nodded.

            “Mind if I watch?” she asked. 

            “You’re the boss,” he replied with a grin.  She watched as he and Merlin moved off at a walk and in the far corner of the arena picked up an easy canter.  The moved over the jumps with ease, and Merlin’s ears stayed pricked forward.  If horses could smile Emily was sure Merlin would have been grinning ear to ear.  She could tell that the pair had been together for a long time… they seemed able to read the other one’s mind.  When they finished he trotted over. 

            “That was lovely,” she said, smiling as Merlin swung his head over the railing and nudged her shoulder.

            “He makes me look good,” he said modestly.  Emily smiled but thought that it wasn’t the horse making him look good.

            “I saw you working with Elizabeth and Independence today,” she said suddenly.  Jason nodded slowly.

            “Yeah… I hope you don’t mind.  She seemed interested in helping out, so I thought I’d get her up there taking an active role in his training.” She nodded, looking up at him seriously.

            “I was pretty impressed,” she murmured.

            “Why?  Lizzie did all the work.”

            “Elizabeth hasn’t ridden since her father left in February… at least not that I’ve known of.  And she hasn’t wanted anything to do with Independence, especially riding him, since her father bought him.  She knew before I did, I think, that her father wasn’t all here.” Jason did the math in his head; it had been four months since Elizabeth had ridden, four months since Mr. Bradshaw had left.

            “Well I’m glad I inspired her to get back up there.  She’s a good rider,” he said finally.  Emily nodded, patting Merlin’s neck.

            “Yes, she is.  It’s unfortunate really, because she doesn’t think she is.  Having David and Emily Bradshaw as your parents sets the bar kind of high.” Jason looked surprised.  “You didn’t realize who I was, did you?” she asked. 

            “No,” he said, embarrassed.  Emily Bradshaw… formerly Emily Gatlin.  She’d been considered for the Olympic team years before, but a bad accident had put her out of commission.  She had been ranked the number one rider in the United States, and some had considered her the number one rider in the world.  She and David Bradshaw had married soon after her accident.  He too was internationally renown for his grand prix level dressage. 

            “I’ve been out of the limelight for quite some time now… it’s my horses and riders that get the attention these days.  Although, David is still pretty popular,” she murmured.   Jason nodded, thinking of a large show in Maryland that very April in which David Bradshaw had taken top honors in the grand prix exhibition.  What surprised him most, though, was that no one was talking of the split between them. 

            “I wish I had realized before,” he began.  Emily raised an eyebrow.

            “Why?  Knowing that I’m Emily Gatlin doesn’t really change much.  You’re still my head trainer, and it’s your job to turn my horses and riders into winners.” He was silent for a long moment.

            “Can I ask a question?” Emily glanced away from him for a long moment.

            “I can’t promise an answer,” she said finally.

            “Fair enough.  You’re Emily Gatlin… famous for your riding ability and for your way with horses.  Why on earth are you paying people to do what you could do better?” She smiled a little.

            “You know about my accident?” He nodded; everybody knew about her accident.  She had been 18 years old… quite young to be in Olympic qualifier events.  Everyone knew she belonged there though.  She had been riding in a cross country event on a rainy, cold morning in Ireland.  Her horse was young, only 6, but they had had great success all season.  There was a big water jump on the course that day, and all the riders had been struggling with it.  The horse was required to jump up onto a plank in the middle of the water, and then jump back in to the water before getting on to solid ground again.  Getting on to the plank had gone fine for Emily and her horse… getting off had been an entirely different story.  Emily’s horse had slipped, falling forward and landing partially on the plank and partially in the water.  Emily had, for the first time ever (according to the media), lost her balance.  She hit the plank with her head and left shoulder, and had gone sprawling into the water.  Her horse had panicked as his reins tangled in his legs, and in his thrashing he had hit Emily, for she too was tangled in the reins.  Her knee had been shattered, she had torn the rotator cuff in her shoulder, dislocated her arm, and had a severe concussion.  Her horse had been put down when it was discovered he’d fractured his leg.

            “I saw it,” he said quietly.  Emily looked up at him, stunned.  She didn’t run across too many people who had actually seen it.

            “On TV,” she said.  He shook his head.

            “No, in person.  I was at that show… with one of my BHS instructors, learning by watching.  I had picked out that jump to watch because it seemed the most challenging.” She smiled, somewhat sadly.

            “Well I’d have to agree with you there.  Something few people know about the accident, because I made sure of it… there was some pretty extensive damage done to my left eye.  I have partial vision, which makes it quite hard to handle the stadium jumps or cross country courses like I once did.  Not to mention, the damage to my arm and leg were severe.  I’m back up to passable riding, but I made a decision a long time ago that nobody would see me ride and feel sorry for what I lost.”

            “You really think they would?”

            “You saw me ride before the accident?” she asked, looking him squarely in the eye.  Hers were a deep blue that seemed to cut into him.

            “Never in person, other than the day of your accident… but on TV, yes.”

            “I am half the rider I was then.  People would notice half of my ability gone,” she said.  Jason thought back to the night he’d seen her riding in the arena and opened his mouth to mention it, but she continued before he could.  “In any case… that’s all in the past.  Riding is a hobby for me now… and paying people to win on my horses is my job.  Thankfully I’ve found a trainer who knows one end from the other on a horse, and seems to also know how to ride.  Thank you for getting Elizabeth back in the saddle… I was worried about her,” she said. 

            “No problem,” he replied.  She smiled and gave Merlin one last pat before turning and going back into the main aisle of the barn.  Jason glanced at the jumps he had set up and thought ‘Who the hell convinced her of all that?’

            In early July the whole farm was preparing for a large show in Georgia that was taking place the first week in August.  Even Elizabeth had decided to enter in a 14 and under class, although she wasn’t going to ride Independence.  In fact, she hadn’t decided yet who she wanted to ride.  One afternoon he found her sitting on a bale of hay outside Merlin’s stall, cleaning Independence’s tack.  She was scrubbing hard, and little beads of sweat were on her forehead.  He’d noticed that she’d taken a liking to Merlin the first time she’d seen him ridden.

            “You look like you’re really into that,” he said.  She glanced up, startled.

            “Oh!  Umm… no, not really,” she muttered.  Jason leaned against the stall, sliding his hand through the bars to scratch Merlin’s ear.

            “Sounds like you’re upset about something,” he observed.  She didn’t say anything.  “Wanna talk about it?” After a moment she sighed and put the saddle down.

            “My Dad isn’t going to come to this show… he promised he would and now he isn’t.  Probably his stupid girlfriend told him he couldn’t come,” she said.  Jason didn’t answer right away, as yet another piece of the puzzle fell into place.  David Bradshaw had left his family for another woman.

            “Maybe something came up,” he suggested.  Elizabeth shot him a withering look.

            “Be serious.  He said that he wasn’t going to commit his time since I can’t even commit to which horse I’m going to ride.  He said that I haven’t even been riding much lately, so I’ll probably back out.” She stopped for a moment, biting her bottom lip.  He could tell she was fighting tears.  He crouched down beside her, not saying anything for a minute.

            “You’re not going to back out though… I know that,” he said.  She nodded, sniffling a little.  “And, you’ll pick out a horse when you’re ready.  In fact, I have an idea.  Why don’t you ride Merlin?” Her gaze flew to meet his, and then she looked at Merlin.

            “What?  You’re joking right?”    she demanded.  Jason stood up slowly and opened the stall door a little and grinned as Merlin stuck his head out.

            “Nah.  It’s been awhile since Merlin’s had a challenge… and nobody gets to see how great he is.  You’d handle him just fine too,” he said.  Elizabeth was still staring at the horse, her mouth hanging open.  “What do you say?” he asked.

            “Are you sure?  I mean… he’s your horse and everything.  You should ride him.”

            “I think this time I can spare him.  You should know though… Merlin’s never been in a big show,” he explained.  She looked up at him then.

            “But… he’s amazing.  Why haven’t you shown him?” Jason didn’t answer right away.

            “You know, honestly I don’t have a really good reason for that.  Most of the time I’m just so busy teaching horses and getting riders ready for their big shows.  I haven’t been able to focus on Merlin too much, or myself.  I think Merlin would like to do stuff like that, I just haven’t had the time.”

            “You should make time.  Merlin loves you,” she said seriously.  Jason nodded, patting the big horse on the neck.

            “You’re absolutely right Miss Lizzie.  How about we make each other a promise?” he suggested.  She looked at him, a cautious look in her eyes that he couldn’t quite read.

            “What kind of a promise?” she asked.

            “How about I promise you that I’ll ride Merlin in a show next time around… and you promise me you’ll take Independence?” She took a moment to think about this.

            “Any limit on when we have to do this?” she asked.  Jason laughed.

            “Very good question Young Bradshaw.  Why don’t we say that we’ll follow through on this by September?  I think Independence will be ready for a show then, don’t you?”

            “A small one maybe…” she murmured.  He grinned and patted her shoulder.

            “We’ll focus on like… county fair for Independence.  How’s that?” he asked.  She smiled too.

            “OK.”

            “Well I’ve got time now, let’s get you up on Merlin.  We only have a couple weeks for you to get to know him.” She took a deep breath and stood up.

            “Alright.  I’ll get him ready,” she said.

            “Meet me in the arena,” he called over his shoulder as he went to set a few things up.  She gave a muffled response and he smiled to himself.

            Elizabeth led Merlin into the arena, already wearing her helmet and chaps.  Jason had set up a small jump course, as well as some ground polls in various spots around the arena.  Using a mounting block, Elizabeth swung into the saddle.  He watched as she checked the girth and adjusted her stirrups before asking Merlin to move forward.  The big horse seemed a little confused, which was understandable; Jason was the only person who’d ever been in his saddle. 

            “So something you should know about Merlin… I’m the only one who’s ever ridden him,” he said.  Elizabeth shot him an uncertain look and he gave her a reassuring smile.  “Don’t worry about it.  We already know you can handle anything old Indy throws at you. Merlin’s very laid back and not much rattles him… you’ve seen how quiet he is.  Just be firm with him, and let him know that you know what you’re doing.  Let’s start with a trot, posting,” he said.  She nodded and he watched as Merlin moved forward at an easy posting trot.  The big horse was as calm as usual, but after twenty minutes of focused flatwork, Jason could tell that he was ready to take some fences.  “Come on in to the center!” he called.  Elizabeth did as she was told, smiling broadly.

            “He’s great!  I love riding him,” she said enthusiastically.  Jason smiled too, giving his horse a pat.

            “I’m glad you think so.  We’re going to work over fences for a bit.  It’s his favorite thing beside sweet treats.  I want you to take the cross rail, come around and across the center to the low straight rail, then back around to the two foot fence.  Then come back through the center and take the low straight and take a long line to the triple combination at the far end,” he said.  She gave the course a serious look and then nodded.  He watched as she and Merlin moved out and began to canter.  They went through the course with ease, and he could see that Elizabeth was deeply focused on the task at hand.  When they landed after the combination, she cantered a circle and then eased Merlin to a walk.

            “How was that?” she asked.  He nodded slowly, giving Merlin a pat on the neck.

            “It looked fantastic.  Let’s do it again, but I’m going to raise the jumps a little,” he said, starting toward one of the fences.  “Clearly, you’re ready for some bigger obstacles.” Elizabeth smiled and gave Merlin a pat and watching as Jason moved around the ring.

            The day of the show came quickly.  Jason spent his time going from rider to rider as they prepared to enter the ring for whatever classes they were in.  Michelle, his least favorite trainee was riding in the biggest class… and it had a big payoff.  He had a sneaking suspicion that Emily might need that big payoff.  The morning went well, with all of the riders finishing top three in every class.  Jason posed in photograph after photograph with his students, holding trophies and a check here and there.  By noon they had collected nearly $5000 in prize money, and Emily was impressed.

            “I knew things were going well, but I had no idea that they were going this well.  We haven’t done so well at a show in quite some time,” she said, smiling up at him.  She was wearing a white T-shirt and a pair of jeans that looked brand new.  Her hair was pulled into a tight french braid, but it had started to come loose around her face.  She looked beautiful… something Jason didn’t really want to admit. 

            “Thanks, but I didn’t do too much. I just gave them some structure and focus… picked up on what was weak and tried to make it stronger,” he said.  Emily gave his shoulder a playful nudge.

            “You’re too modest Mr. Sutton.  Our little team of riders is putting out a good show… if Michelle can give us the same kind of performance we might just be in very good shape going into fall show season.”

            “So it’s pretty important that she win?” he asked.  Emily looked at him seriously, seeming to size him up. 

            “I… yes, it would be helpful if she won.  Don’t tell her that or she’ll bollox the whole thing up.” Jason smiled to himself, thinking that Michelle wouldn’t do anything that would make her look bad.

            “I’m fairly certain she’ll be fine,” he said.  “She’s been putting in some outstanding training sessions… quite frankly I think she could qualify for the Olympics this season if she can keep her act together.” Emily nodded slowly.

            “She is a good rider, isn’t she?  I can’t believe she’s stuck with us this far… last season didn’t go so well for us.” Jason was forced to wonder if that was due to marital problems between the Bradshaws, but he didn’t ask.

            “Well this season will be better, I promise you that.” They were silent for a moment, and he started to wonder if he’d said something wrong.  Then he noticed that Emily was looking past him, over his shoulder.  “What’s wrong?” he asked, turning to look for what had gotten her so upset.  When he looked back she was hurrying through the crowds.  “Emily wait!” he called, jogging after her.  He caught her near one of the makeshift stables, placing his hand on her elbow and turning her around.  She was crying, which surprised him.

            “I’m sorry… I don’t usually do this,” she said, laughing at herself despite her tears.

            “What happened?  Did I say something wrong?” he asked, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.  She shook her head.

            “No, of course not.  My husband is here… with his girlfriend no less,” she explained, dissolving into tears again.  Jason put his arm around her should gently.

            “Try not to let him get to you… I’m sure he’s just doing it to get a rise out of you.  Besides, he’s clearly a fool if he’s left you for anyone else,” he said.  Emily looked up at him and laughed again.

            “What a ridiculous time for false flattery,” she murmured.  Jason smiled and shook his head, but said nothing.  Emily sighed and brushed her hands over her face roughly.  “I hope Elizabeth doesn’t see them… she’ll be devastated.  I think she’s been hoping that he’ll come back, even though I keep trying to explain that I don’t think that will happen.”

            “She’s young… even though he’s disappointed her she still wants to believe in him and in the whole notion of her parents being together and happy.  That’s a hard one to get past,” he said. 

            “You sound like you’ve got some experience with that,” she said.  He nodded slowly.

            “Yeah… my father and mother split up when I was about Lizzie’s age.  It’s one of those things that kind of rocks your whole foundation.  I came to terms with it though, and so will she.  It’ll just take some time.” Emily nodded.

            “The first show she’s been to in nearly a year and he has to show up with his 18 year old mistress.  Good lord… talk about a media spectacle.  He knows that they’ll be all over this.  I can see the headlines now: ‘David Bradshaw leaves Former Equestrian Star Emily Gatlin for an 18 year old ballerina.’  Does he have any idea what that will do to his daughter?” she asked. 

            “Probably not,” Jason said honestly.  “If you want the truth, his brain probably isn’t doing too much of his thinking right now.” Emily smiled, a real smile.

            “If you want the truth, his brain has never done much of his thinking,” she replied.  Jason laughed and gave her a tight hug.  For a moment she didn’t hug back she was so surprised, but then her arms slid around his waist.  “Thank you for listening,” she said as he pulled away.  Jason nodded, reaching up to brush a tear from her cheek.

            “Anytime.  Let’s go find Miss Lizzie, it’s about time for her to ride,” he said.  She nodded and they walked off together into the crowd.

            Elizabeth was just finishing with Merlin when her mother and Jason walked up.

            “Hello sweetheart, how’re you doing?” Emily asked.  Elizabeth shrugged as she tightened the girth.         

            “OK.  Could you wait by the in-gate Mom?  I get more nervous when you’re here before I ride.” Emily smiled a little, knowing that she’d been the same way when she was younger. 

            “Of course.  I’ll see you before you go in,” she said.  She glanced at Jason and whispered, “Give her a little pep talk.  I’ll see you at the in-gate.” He nodded and watched as Emily strode away before turning back to Elizabeth. 

            “Want me to leave too?” he asked.  Emily shook her head, glancing at him over her shoulder.

            “No.  Could you get his bridle on?  He’s so darn tall… too much of a hassle wearing this get-up,” she said, motioning down to her riding habit.  She had a lovely pinstriped jacket and a pair of custom breeches.  Her leather high boots looked almost new, and she had on a sleeveless white stock shirt under her jacket.  Her long hair was pulled up into a hair net, so as to be completely out of the way in the show ring.  She looked impeccable.

            “Sure thing.  You look well turned out… and I think you’ll do great,” Jason said.  Elizabeth nodded, leaning against the wall and looking down at her feet.  After a moment he asked, “Something wrong Young Bradshaw?” She looked up at him, and he knew before she told him what was wrong.

            “I saw my Dad… and that teenager he’s dating.  Did he think we wouldn’t notice that he’s here and with her?” she demanded.  Unlike her mother, Elizabeth wasn’t going to cry.  She was too angry to cry.  Jason sighed.

            “Your mother and I saw him too,” he replied.  Elizabeth nodded, stepping forward and checking her girth again.

            “He came just to get her upset… you know that right?  He has no interest in seeing me ride, but getting her worked up is always a good time for him.” Jason frowned a little then, wondering if it was something that David Bradshaw had always enjoyed doing… even before he’d moved out.

            “You really think he doesn’t want to see you ride?” She stepped back to stand by Merlin’s head and gave him a serious look.

            “My Dad could care less if I ever ride.  Dad only loves a few things… winning, young women, and making my mom feel like crap.  He’s really good at all of those things, and usually he combines them into one big ‘fun’ occasion.” She sounded far too old for someone so young.

            “Well then we’ll have to make sure he doesn’t see your Mom upset… and also that you win today won’t we?” Jason said, slipping the bit into Merlin’s mouth. 

            “What does my winning have to do with him?” she demanded.

            “Absolutely nothing, and that’s why it’ll be so great when you win.  Come on, you’re up soon,” he said.  Elizabeth followed him wordlessly. 

            Emily was standing by the in gate when Elizabeth and Jason arrived.  He gave her a boost into the saddle and she sat still as he buffed her boots and made sure Merlin looked perfect. 

            “I want you to ride him just how you’ve been riding him the past three weeks… confidently and securely.  Trust him and he’ll trust you,” Jason said.  Elizabeth smiled a bit.

            “Will do,” she said.  She gave Merlin a pat and glanced at her Mom.  “How ridiculous do I look on this horse?  I don’t have enough leg,” she said.  Emily put a gentle hand on her daughter’s calf.

            “You look beautiful, and you’re going to be great.  I’ve seen some of those workouts you’ve put in on him… and I’m impressed Liz,” she said.  Elizabeth blushed.

            “Thanks Mom.” Her number was called then, and she said, “Be back in a few.” They watched as she and Merlin trotted into the ring.

            “She’s always so nonchalant about shows,” Emily murmured.

            “You’re a nervous shower?” he asked, standing beside her at the fence.  Emily laughed a little.

            “Terribly nervous, though you never would’ve known it.  You could usually find me in a bathroom five minutes before on-deck time, tossing my cookies.  I get nervous for Elizabeth every time she rides.” Jason smiled. 

            “She’s going to do great,” he said.  They were silent for a minute, watching as Elizabeth rode to the center of the ring and saluted.  “She knows he’s here,” he said.  Emily’s gaze flew up to his and he put a reassuring hand on her arm.  “She’s fine… just angry that he came and with the company he brought with him.  She’s worried about you though.” In the ring Elizabeth had begun to canter and they were approaching their first jump.

            “She doesn’t need to be… I’m fine,” Emily lied.

            “No you’re not… but that’s OK.  I told her we’d have to be sure that she wins and that David doesn’t get the satisfaction of seeing either of you upset.  So work with me on that,” he said.  Emily smiled a little and turned all of her attention to the ring.  Elizabeth and Merlin were moving around the ring with ease, clearing the jumps confidently.  Merlin had his ears forward, and it was clear to everyone how much the big horse loved to jump.  They cleared the course easily, and the audience cheered loudly as Elizabeth trotted from the ring. 

            “Honey that was amazing!” Emily exclaimed.  Elizabeth glanced at Jason and rolled her eyes.

            “It was alright Mom,” she replied, patting Merlin’s shoulder. 

            “I’m with your Mom on this one Young Bradshaw… you had him going nice.  Not a bad fence out there.  I think you’ve got this in the bag,” Jason said. 

            “Thanks guys,” she said.

            “So you picked a horse I see,” a voice said.  Elizabeth looked past Jason and frowned at her father.  He was standing beside a stunningly beautiful young woman. 

            “Told you I would,” she muttered.

            “Not one of ours is she?” he asked. 

            “No, he’s not one of Mom’s,” she shot back, stressing the fact that all the horses on the farm belonged to her mother.  It was a fact that everyone was well aware of, much to David Bradshaw’s dismay.

            “Well where did you get him?” David demanded, glancing toward Emily.  His former wife had stepped up and was standing with a reassuring hand on Elizabeth’s boot.

            “He belongs to me Sir,” Jason said, extending his hand.  David Bradshaw simply looked at the outstretched limb.

            “The new trainer?  Interesting choice in horses Elizabeth… why didn’t you bring Independence?” Elizabeth sighed.

            “He’s not ready yet.  I’m showing him in September.” Her father nodded, glancing at his girlfriend.

            “Independence is that ridiculously expensive horse I told you about… gave him to Elizabeth for Christmas last year and she hardly touches him.”

            “Maybe that’s because I knew he was a bribe to keep me quiet about your slut girlfriend,” Elizabeth replied angrily.  David turned angry eyes on his daughter, but Emily spoke first.

            “Elizabeth, I won’t tolerate that language.  Please apologize to your father’s… friend,” she said, glaring at her husband and his girlfriend.  Elizabeth frowned for a moment.

            “I’m sorry,” she spat out.  There was a moment of awkward silence. 

            “David, it was good of you to come.  It’s been awhile since Liz has shown, and I’m glad you could see her today when she was so poised and focused,” Emily said finally.  He looked at her, surprised at her attitude; she didn’t seem the slightest bit upset. 

            “We had some free time between my shows, so I thought I’d stop down and see how things went,” he muttered.  Emily forced a smile.

            “Well it’s great.  I didn’t really introduce you to our new trainer.  David this is Jason Sutton.  Jason this is my husband David and his friend….” she trailed off, searching for a name.

            “Melissa Addesso,” the girl said.  Jason shook her hand, but didn’t bother with David’s.

            “Nice to meet you both.  We should probably get a sheet on Merlin and wait for ribbons to be announced,” Jason said.  Emily and Elizabeth both nodded.

            “Nice to see you David,” Emily said with another fake smile that seemed to fool everyone.  He simply nodded. 

            “Bye Dad,” Elizabeth muttered, trotting away.  Emily and Jason followed, and when they had turned a corner toward the barn he put his arm around her shoulder.

            “Great job,” he said.  Emily smiled a little.

            “Thanks,” she said softly.

            They trailered the horses back to the farm late that night.  Jason drove, knowing that both his employer and young Elizabeth were exhausted from their long and emotionally taxing day.  As they drove the hour and a half to the farm, Jason glanced to his right.  Elizabeth was asleep with her head on her mother’s shoulder.  Emily, however, was wide awake.  She was staring out the window, watching other cars as they drifted by.

            “It was a good day,” he said, keeping his voice down so he wouldn’t wake Elizabeth.  Emily looked at him and smiled.

            “Overall, it was a very good day,” she replied.  Michelle had won her class, earning over $25,000 for the farm.  All of the other riders had done well, and Elizabeth had placed first in her fourteen and under class.  She had a beautiful ribbon and trophy to show for all her hard work. 

            “She was excited when she won, wasn’t she?” he asked.  Emily nodded slowly.

            “Winning was harder for her before… it wasn’t fun like it was today.  You’ve made training fun for her, and that was never the case before.”

            “Did she train with her father?” he asked. 

            “Most of the time.  Even when I was working with her, he’d watch.  You saw today how critical he is… and he was worse when he was teaching Liz how to ride.  She was forever worrying about doing things perfectly and not making him angry with her for some silly little mistake.  By the time she was five, he had her dressing out for lessons.  She had to get into breeches, tall boots,  and a polo shirt every time she rode.  He expected her to act like a grown up… a professional.  She was just a kid that wanted to ride, but he kind of sucked all the fun out of it.  Eventually I had to tell him to leave her be.  It was a fight, but I won it.  It’s one of the few I ever won with him.”

            “It’s clear that she loves to ride… I’m glad he didn’t suck that out of her,” Jason said.  Emily glanced down at her sleeping daughter. 

            “So am I,” she murmured.  There was a long period of silence as they each thought about the day.  “Thank you for listening earlier… and for being there to listen to Liz.  I don’t think she feels like she can come to me right now with some of this stuff, and I worry about her bottling it up.”

            “I’m glad she trusts me… and that you trusted me enough to tell me what was going on.  He’s put you in a really shitty situation, hasn’t he?” She gave a little laugh.

            “I put myself here to be honest.  I knew when we got married that David wasn’t the settling down type.  I thought I could change all that if I did things just how he asked for them.  I realized pretty soon after we got married that I was at the losing end of that battle.  I also realized that once I hit twenty five, he wasn’t interested.  Liz was seven then, so I decided to stick it out, thinking that he’d come around.  He never did… and now he’s galavanting around with an 18 year old ballerina.”

            “It’s depressing if you think about it.  How old is he?”

            “Forty three,” she replied.  Jason shook his head.

            “Forty three years old and left behind a beautiful family for a meaningless and pathetic relationship with a teenager?  Yeah, I’d say that’s depressing,” he said.  Emily laughed.

            “It is a little depressing,” she agreed. 

            “It was a good day,” he said again.  She nodded, turning back toward the window still smiling. 

            Nearly two weeks later Jason watched as Elizabeth rode Independence around the ring at a sitting trot.  The young horse had come a long way in a short time, and Jason was certain it had to do with her quiet but firm way with him. 

            “Come through the center and do a simple change of lead and then pick up your right lead canter!” he called.  Elizabeth nodded and did as he said and was soon moving in the other direction.  After a few more moments he said, “Let him rest.” They had been working steadily for about half an hour, and even though it was fairly early in the morning it was already hot and humid.  “Come on to the center and get some water,” he said.  Elizabeth nodded and they came in.  Independence was still looking fine, although slightly winded from the strenuous lateral work they’d been doing that morning.  They had been working twice a day, every day, since the big horse show.  Elizabeth leaned down and took a water bottle from him, taking a big gulp.

            “Thanks,” she said with a grin.  She took another big gulp and then handed it back.  Jason smiled and set the bottle down.  He looked up at her seriously.

            “He’s been flatting really well, hasn’t he?” he asked.  Elizabeth nodded.

            “Yeah.  I can’t believe how much he’s calmed down… Mom and I were talking about how great he’s been doing last night.” He smiled, glancing away quickly.

            “I think he’s ready to go over fences,” he said after a moment.  Elizabeth looked at him seriously, and for a moment he thought she’d refuse. 

            “Me too,” she said, smiling. 

            “Well Young Bradshaw, you’re getting braver by the day,” he said, patting her leg and moving off to where some jump standards were stored.  He set up three jumps, only left the poles flat on the ground to start.  They’d been working over ground poles for about a week, and even done some raised poles.  Independence seemed to like the change, and hadn’t balked at anything yet.  “We’ll work over the ground poles first, and after a couple times around, I’ll just put them up.  I’ll go from ground poles to cross rail, to a foot or foot and a half straight rail.  If he looks OK over that we’ll talk about putting up a little bit more,” explained.  Elizabeth nodded, leaning down and checking her girth quickly.  When he was done setting up the poles he came back to the center.

            “All set?” she asked.

            “Yup.  It’s basically the same course I had you do that first day you rode Merlin… only without the triple at the far end, and not so spread out.  Take it at a trot first time through and move clockwise toward that first jump.  Then come around, turn right and take that center one on the diagonal.  Then come back around on the left rein and take the third fence.” Elizabeth nodded and gave Independence a pat.

            “Cross your fingers,” she said with a grin.  Jason laughed, glancing up as he saw Emily come into the arena.  She stood off to the side, so as not to distract Elizabeth or Independence.  He gave her a little wave and she waved back, so he smiled as he turned back to Elizabeth.  She had trotted in a circle for a moment, getting Independence focused on the task at hand.  Suddenly she came up and went over the first ground pole easily, looking to her second obstacle as she came around and approached it on a straight diagonal.  They came around again and up the opposite side of the arena and went over the third pole. 

            “Great Lizzie, nice even beat and good control.  Come up your center line and start again!” he called.  She did, and the second time around went the same as the first.  “Keep going!” he called, moving to the first jump in the set and putting up half a cross rail.  Elizabeth kept a firm hold on Independence as they approached.  “Now don’t over ride here… just act like it’s the same as a pole on the ground!  Post over it if you need to,” he said.  Elizabeth gave a quick nod and, as they approached he could see Independence half-halting.  “Good decision!” he called.  They went over the half fence, and Elizabeth went into a slight half-seat as they did.  Independence moved on and they finished the rest of the small course. 

            “Keep going?” she asked. 

            “Unless you need a break,” he replied.  She laughed and moved back down the center line to approach the first fence again.  Jason jogged over and put the fence up to a full cross rail.  “Make a circle down at that end!” he called, jogging to the center fence and putting it up to a cross rail, and then putting the last fence up as well.  “OK, see how he does,” he said, moving back to the center.  Elizabeth and Independence came up the side toward the first jump.  The chestnut’s ears pricked forward as he noticed that something was different.  Elizabeth kept her eyes forward, and when they got to the jump Independence soared over it.  She stayed with him, although he could tell she hadn’t been expecting him to see such a big spot.  “That’s good, he just got excited.  Look to your next fence!” Elizabeth looked to the center fence and came around, this time ready for the big spot.  Independence went over the jump easily, and on landing picked up a canter.  “Let him canter around the far corner, but collect back to trot up the side!” Jason called.  The moved around, Elizabeth being careful to keep things under control as they approached the final jump in the set.  They cleared this jump easily too and Jason nodded.  “Rest him for a second,” he said.  Elizabeth pulled up and let him walk on a free rein.

            “How’d he look?” she asked, stopping to take her water bottle from him. 

            “He looked great.  You collected nicely after that first jump… looks like he’s been doing this his whole life.” She grinned.  “How’d he feel to you Miss Lizzie?”

            “Great.  A little rough over the first fence, but like he understood what I wanted the last two.” 

            “You did great with him.  Willing to try it once or twice more?” A big smile spread across her face.

            “Sure,” she said. 

            “Good.  I’d like you to do it at a canter… keep it nice and even.  If he starts to get out of control try half halting… and if that doesn’t work, canter a small circle and ease him down to a trot and then get back to the course.  If he goes through it at a canter like a gentleman, canter a circle at the far end until I put the jumps to a low straight rail.” Elizabeth nodded and moved to the far end of the ring.  He watched as they cantered through the course, and was surprised at how well behaved Independence was.  When they landed after the last jump Jason moved around and moved all the jumps up to a foot and a half tall.  When everything was set he went back to the center of the ring. 

            “Ready?” Elizabeth called. 

            “Have at!” he replied.  She gave a little laugh, and turned toward the jumps.  This time went just as well as when they were cross-rails, and after landing Emily clapped enthusiastically as she came into the ring.

            “That was fantastic!” she exclaimed.  Elizabeth had eased to a walk, and had dropped her stirrups.

            “Thanks Mom,” she said.  Jason nodded in agreement, looking up at her seriously.

            “He’s ready for a show Lizzie,” he said.  Elizabeth glanced away for a moment.

            “Are you sure?  What about all the crowds?”

            “He’s ready.  You’ve got him well in hand, and he’s moving well over fences… and this is just his first time.  There’s a small county fair at the end of September.  That’ll give us a couple more weeks to train… so he’ll be more than ready.” She didn’t say anything.  “You trust me right?” Elizabeth looked back at him and nodded.

            “Yeah, I do,” she replied.  Emily watched as Jason grinned.

            “Well then we’ll enter you two in that show… a flat class and a green over fences class.”

            “Can I ride in a show like that?  I’ve been qualified in Juniors,” Elizabeth said.

            “I’ll have a talk with the judges.  There are a couple ways around it… we could enter as kind of non-ribbon qualifiers.  That means you’d be in the show but be ineligible for ribbons.  We could enter you in a hunters class, which would kind of remove focus from you… and a judge might agree that’s a fair reason for you to be in the ribbons.  Would you be OK not winning a ribbon if it came down to it?” he asked.

            “Yeah… this show is about Independence, not me,” she said.  Jason and Emily smiled.

            “Alright then.  I’ll start calling around and see what i can find out.  Cool him out and put him away.  You did a good job today Young Bradshaw.” Elizabeth grinned.

            “Thanks,” she said, riding off at an easy walk.  Jason and Emily walked from the ring and into the aisle of the barn.

            “She’s brought him a long way,” Emily said as they walked.  Jason nodded slowly.

            “Yes, she has.  She should be very proud of herself.  I wasn’t expecting him to jump so well his first day over fences, but he took to it,” he said.

            “When David first saw him, he said that this was the horse that would get Elizabeth fired up about dressage… for some reason he saw Grand Prix dressage horse in him.”

            “Funny, he hates lateral work.  That’s one of the battles we still have with him,” Jason said.  Emily nodded slowly, a smile spreading across her pretty face.

            “I know.  I get a strange sense of satisfaction knowing he was wrong about that,” she said.  They each started to laugh, continuing down the aisle. 

            Elizabeth walked down to the barn several nights later, clutching a newspaper in her hand.  She went to Independence’s stall and plopped down in the corner, brushing tears from her cheeks.  The media was having a field day with the gossip surrounding her father and his mistress.  The latest news was that the young girl was pregnant.  Three of Elizabeth’s friends had called her that night, and all of them wanted to know how she felt about her father getting some 18 year old “knocked up’. 

            “I have some great friends Independence,” she muttered.  The horse put his head down and gave her a gentle nudge.  Elizabeth gave a little laugh.  “Thanks big guy,” she said softly.

            “Lizzie?” a voice asked.  She looked to the stall door and smiled when she saw Jason.

            “Hey… just came down to say goodnight to this big idiot,” she said.  He leaned against the wall, observing her carefully.

            “Saw the paper, didn’t you?” he asked.  She laughed, even as she started to cry again. 

            “I don’t know why I’m crying… jesus, that’s Mom’s job.  He just makes me so angry.  He doesn’t even care what people say or what they say to me.  You’d think he’d care what they say to me.”

            “You’d think so… but maybe he’s just too selfish to realize what he’s doing to anyone else.  How’s your Mom doing?” Elizabeth brushed her tears away and then looked at him seriously.

            “You like my Mom, don’t you?” she asked.  Jason cleared his throat, glancing away and raking his fingers through his hair.

            “Oh… umm, no Lizzie.  Not, not like that of course… I mean, yeah, I like her as a friend of course.  I can just tell how much this upsets her, and she’s been really good to me since I got here.  I just think it stinks that someone is treating her this way, especially her husband,” he said, stumbling over his words.  Elizabeth had stood up and started toward the stall door.  She put her hand on his arm and smiled at him.

            “Thanks Jason, you made me feel better,” she said, walking away. 

            “Elizabeth!  What’d I do?” he called.  He could hear her faint laughter as she walked into the darkness of the night. 

            Jason was sitting in the main office the following afternoon, looking over some forms to finalize Elizabeth’s entrance in the September show.  Emily walked in and plopped down in a chair across the desk from him.

            “Michelle is complaining that you were too hard on her this morning,” she said.  Jason glanced up.

            “She arrived half an hour late, and unprepared to be in the saddle.  I thought, considering you pay her to ride… she should probably ride.”

            “She likely had a good reason to be late,” Emily muttered.  Jason looked at her evenly.

            “She was hung over Emily,” he replied.  With a sigh, she leaned back in the chair.

            “I was afraid of that.  Damnit!” she exclaimed.

            “Has this been a habit with her?” he asked. 

            “Not until recently.  She’s fallen in with a bad crowd, and I think she’s just too easily influenced to behave herself.  What do you think I should do?” she asked, brushing hair from her face.  It was in a pony-tail that day, and she was wearing a tank top and a pair of jeans.  She looked beautiful, despite how upset she was.

            “It’s your farm Emily… and she’s your employee.  It’s not up to me how you run things.  If she continues to show up late and hung over, she’s going to continue to come to you complaining that I’m a jerk.  I won’t put her up if she’s wasted my time and can’t be straight while she’s here.” Emily nodded.

            “I’ll talk to her and explain what I expect… what you expect, and that you have my full support in that.  If she messes up again, let me know and I’ll let her go.”

            “Who would you get to ride Tally?” he asked.  Tally was Michelle’s usual mount in shows, and few people could get the results out of her that Michelle could. 

            “I’d figure something out,” she said. 

            “Alright.” They were silent for a long moment, and Jason turned back to the forms. 

            “Are those Elizabeth’s forms for her show with Independence?” she asked.  He glanced up and nodded.

            “Yeah.  The judge is allowing her to enter in two hunter classes, and she’ll be eligible for ribbons.  I just need to fill out some more information and fax it in.”

            “Have you entered your show yet?”

            “My show?” Emily smiled.

            “As I recall, you made a deal with Elizabeth that you would show Merlin if she showed Independence.  It was part of the deal to get her to ride Merlin in that show in August.”

            “Word travels fast, doesn’t it?” he muttered.  Emily frowned.

            “Did I say something wrong?” she asked.

            “No,” he said, and then sighed.  “No, of course not.  I’m just… nervous I guess,” he said.

            “Nervous?  You’ve shown plenty of times haven’t you?”

            “Here and there.  It was never really my cup of tea… too many people staring at me and waiting for me to screw up.”

            “I’ve seen you ride Merlin… you’re not going to screw up.  Besides, you don’t want Elizabeth angry with you… so far you’ve had good experiences with her because she likes you.  If you don’t do the show you’re in for a world of trouble,” she said.

            “Wrath of a 13 year old?” he kidded.  Emily laughed.

            “Precisely.  She can be pretty tough and hard headed when she puts her mind to it.”

            “Well I never would’ve guessed that.” They both laughed at this.  “I have a couple shows in mind… just not sure which I’m going to enter.”

            “Enter them all,” she said casually.  He gave her a skeptical look.  “OK, so don’t do them all.  Pick one or two that you feel comfortable with… pick the smallest ones if you’d feel better.  You haven’t been ranked, so you can enter any show you want.  Hell, you could ride at the fair when Elizabeth rides.” She could tell by the look on his face that he hadn’t thought of this.  As a rider who had never ridden on the big show circuit, he could get away with riding in small shows.  His trainer’s status wouldn’t factor in to things.

            “That’s not a bad idea,” he murmured.

            “I mean… I’d suggest starting there.  Everyone does.  Most people know that you were never on the circuit, never got points or were ranked.  Nobody would question your starting small.  After you get your feet wet, you’ll be able to move up and do a couple medium-sized shows.  I think you’ll like the sense of satisfaction you get with Merlin succeeding like that; he’s a horse that likes to please, so he’d love it.”

            “You’re probably right,” he said.  She stood, pausing to place a hand on his shoulder.

            “Enter the fair show and then move up from there if you feel comfortable.  You’re going to do great.” He nodded.

            “I will,” he said, looking up at her with a smile.  Emily smiled too, giving his shoulder a gentle squeeze before moving toward the door.

            “I’ll go talk to Michelle… and I’ll let you know how that goes.”

            “OK.  Emily?” She turned and looked at him.

            “Yeah?”

            “I saw the paper yesterday… are you OK?” Her smile faded.

            “Yeah, I guess so.  There’s no word yet if it’s true or not, so I’m trying to just not think about it.  The media makes things up all the time.”

            “What if it is true?” She gave a shaky laugh.

            “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” she said.  He nodded.

            “Well if you need to talk, I’m here,” he said.  She smiled again.

            “Thanks Jason,” she murmured, walking quickly from the office.

            In the end, Jason did decide to enter an adult jumpers class at the fair.  Elizabeth was excited that she and Jason would be riding at the same show.  On the morning before Elizabeth was due to show, they trailered both horses to the fair grounds.  They had all decided it would be fun to camp out overnight that night and the next, and enjoy the fair in between their classes.  Emily drove the truck to the grounds, towing the trailer behind them.

            “I hope Independence doesn’t freak out with all these people around,” Elizabeth said, gazing around at the cars and people.  “And what about the noise?” she added.

            “Liz, he’s going to be fine,” Emily assured her.

            “We’ll get him out into the exercise ring a lot today, just for hand walking.  Tonight we’ll ride him, and then again tomorrow morning before the ring is set up.  He’s going to do fine, just don’t put too much pressure on either one of you.  It’s his first show; we’re expecting him to act up a little,” Jason said.  Elizabeth seemed to relax at that, and turned back to the window.  They came to a stop in front of the barn, and piled out of the truck.

            “Let’s get them in and settled,” Emily said, opening the trailer and dropping the ramp.  Merlin and Independence were standing placidly, each munching on their hay.  Jason and Elizabeth climbed in and each backed their horse down the ramp and led them toward the barn.  Emily grabbed their bridles and Elizabeth’s saddle, following them inside.  She put the bridles on the hooks outside the stalls, and set Elizabeth’s saddle on the saddle rack outside the stall.  As she turned to go back to the trailer for more, she ran into Jason.  He put his hands on her upper arms to steady her.

            “Sorry.  You OK?” he asked.  She swallowed hard and nodded.

            “Yeah, just wasn’t watching where I was going.” He flashed a grin.

            “It’s early.  Come on Lizzie, let’s get the rest of our stuff unloaded!” he called.  Elizabeth came out of Independence’s stall and followed him and her mother back to the trailer.  They each grabbed as much gear as they could hold, and then climbed back out of the trailer.

            “Mrs. Bradshaw?” a voice asked.  Emily stopped and looked at the man who had addressed her.  He was dressed in a business suit and looked terribly out of place standing outside a horse barn.

            “Yes.  May I help you?” she asked.  The man held out an envelop.  She took it from him and looked at it with confused eyes.

            “Have a good day,” he said, turning and walking away.  Emily frowned.

            “What is it Mom?” Elizabeth asked.

            “Not sure Liz.  Let’s get this stuff into the barn and then I’ll figure out what it is,” she replied.  They carried things into the barn and Emily then turned her attention to the envelop.  Inside was a thick document, and Emily only had to read the first few sentences to understand what it was. 

            “Well?” Elizabeth pressed.  Emily swallowed hard, looking up at her daughter with eyes that had clouded over.

            “It’s from your father’s lawyer… he wants a divorce,” she said softly. 

            Elizabeth stood in Independence’s stall that night, grooming him carefully.  She had already plaited his mane and tail, and he was looking lovely.  She hadn’t seen her mother since that morning. 

            “He’s looking good,” a voice said.  She glanced up and nodded when she saw Jason.

            “Yeah.  He cleans up nice,” she replied.  He watched her for a moment.

            “You alright Lizzie?” he asked.  She gave a shrug.

            “I guess.  It’s not like I didn’t see this coming… especially after all the press coverage about his girlfriend being pregnant.  Mom’s not going to be OK though, and I’m worried about her.  She doesn’t seem to get that we’re better off without him.” As usual, he was surprised by her maturity and insight.

            “They’ve been married a long time… it’s hard to let go of an attachment like that.  I think it makes it worse that your father is leaving the way he is and for the reasons he is.” Elizabeth shrugged.

            “His loss right?  I mean, my Mom is beautiful and smart… and way talented.  Although, I guess you wouldn’t really  know how talented she is.  Dad made sure that nobody would, even when she was well enough to ride again after her accident.”

            “What do you mean?” he asked.

            “He didn’t want her to ride… couldn’t stand the competition.  So he convinced her that people would notice all these ‘flaws’ in how she rides.  Not that there are any.  She believed him.  That’s why she doesn’t ride in front of anyone.  Dad made her believe that everyone would feel sorry for her, that they’d make fun of her.”

            “That’s absolutely ridiculous,” Jason said.  Elizabeth nodded slowly.

            “Yup.  I don’t remember too much of that… when he was telling her those things.  He just kind of tucked her away and he went on on showing.” They were silent for a long moment.

            “She’s going to be OK you know.  She’s a lot stronger than she realizes.”

            “Doesn’t she have to realize it in order to have it help her?” Elizabeth asked.

            “Yeah, but we’ll help her figure it out.” She looked at him seriously for a moment.

            “What if she never likes you back?  Is it still worth it to you?” Jason didn’t even try to argue with her.

            “Yes, it is,” he said. 

            It was late that night when he found her, sitting in the loft of the barn staring out at the lights of the fair.  Elizabeth had gone to bed a couple hours before, but Jason had decided to have a look around for Emily.  She didn’t hear him approach, or didn’t let on that she did.

            “Liz has been worried about you,” he said.  She didn’t look at him.

            “She’ll be fine,” she replied.

            “What about you?” 

            “What do you mean?” she asked.

            “Will you be fine?” he asked.  She shook her head slowly.

            “I don’t know,” she answered truthfully.  Jason sat down beside her.

            “Are you telling me that you didn’t see it coming?” he asked.  Her gaze flew to his.

            “That’s an awful thing to say,” she muttered.  Jason shook his head.

            “No it’s not, it’s an honest thing to say.  Friends are honest with one another, and I consider you a friend.  He left seven months ago… almost eight now, and I’m sure he wasn’t really here before that.  You’ve seen the papers about his girlfriend being pregnant… and I’ve heard the way you talk about him.  Don’t tell me that you didn’t have a clue that this might be heading your way.”

            “You don’t understand,” she said, looking back out at the fair grounds.

            “Yes I do.  I understand that your husband treated you and Lizzie like crap and made both of you feel like crap.  I understand that he was your husband for 13 years, but I also understand that he broke that bond by going outside the marriage.  I understand that you’re hurting and that you’re scared and that you feel absolutely betrayed by the one person who wasn’t supposed to betray you.  I also understand that you are stronger than this and you deserve a whole hell of a lot better than David Bradshaw has given you.” She looked at him, tears falling down her cheeks.

            “I just don’t know how to do this… this whole thing where our relationship just ends.  What do I do now?” she asked. 

            “You get on with living your life.  I look at you and see a woman who has been stunted and taught to keep herself hidden from the public eye… and I know that wasn’t your decision.”

            “I stopped showing because of my accident and because what people would’ve said about me if I came back.  I’m perfectly happy with the way things are.”

            “Are you really?” he demanded.  She stood up angrily.

            “Yes, I am!” she exclaimed.  Jason stood too, putting his hands on her shoulders.

            “I saw you ride… the first night I was here.  You were riding Jezzie in the arena.  I have never seen someone ride as beautifully as you ride.  I’ve also never seen someone so happy in the saddle.” Her eyes flashed angrily.

            “You had no right to watch me!”

            “You’re probably right, but I did.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of you.  I’ve trained a lot of riders Emily, and I’ve seen hundreds and hundreds of great riders at horse shows and at the Olympics.  You are better now than you were before your accident.” She shook her head, trying to pull away from him.  “I know what David did… that it was him that made you stop riding.  You probably don’t even realize it… he just made you believe what he wanted you to.”

            “You’ve been talking to Elizabeth.  She wasn’t there, so she doesn’t know what happened.  I made the decision myself.”

            “The longer you keep telling yourself that, the longer you give him power over you.  You didn’t let him only win all those shows, but you let him win your life.  Now that he’s definitely leaving who’s going to run it for you?” Emily retched away from him.

            “You have no right to talk to me this way!  Get out!” she yelled.  Jason nodded slowly.

            “I hate to see you letting this man destroy you Emily… I haven’t been working for you long, but I can see what he’s done to you.  I hope you don’t let him continue to win now that he’s decided to walk away,” he said, turning and walking out.  Emily looked back out at the fair grounds, still shaking.  She wasn’t angry though… she was thinking of the way Jason Sutton had looked at her.  Nobody had looked at her that way in a very long time… like she mattered.

            Elizabeth’s class was in the mid-afternoon the next day.  She had Independence tacked up half an hour before it was time to be on deck, and had led him out to the exercise ring.  Several other riders were warming their horses up over low cross rails.  A small crowd of interested parents and riders had gathered to watch their daughters, sons, or friends.  Elizabeth drew in a deep breath, pausing a few feet from the ring.

            “What’re you waiting for?” a voice asked.  She glanced over her shoulder and grimaced at Jason.

            “There’re too many people here right now to warm him up,” she muttered.  Jason laughed a little.

            “He did fine last night being ridden, and he’s going to do fine right now.  Have a little faith in him and all of the work you’ve done.  You both know what you’re doing,” he assured her.  She took another deep breath.

            “Just nerved up I guess,” she said, pasting on a smile.

            “You’ve had a rough day or so… and your first show on a green horse is always a little bit scary.  You’ve done a great job with Independence, and I know you’ll do great,” he promised.

            “Thanks,” she said.

            “Anytime Young Bradshaw.  Let’s get you up there and warmed up.” He gave her a leg into the saddle and quickly checked her girth and shined her boots a little.

            “I’ll be right here watching.  Just keep things easy and laid back… if you don’t let on that he has anything to worry about, he won’t know.” Elizabeth laughed.

            “Gee, thanks,” she muttered, riding into the ring.  They warmed up without incident; Independence was moving well, and paying attention to his rider.  When they rode out of the ring, Elizabeth was smiling.

            “I hate to say I told you so,” he began.  She laughed.

            “Alright, alright… he was fine.  Let’s just get over to the main ring and wait our turn,” she said.  Jason walked along beside her as the moved to the other side of the barn.  Several riders were waiting as others rode around a course of relatively low jumps.  As they came to a stop, Emily approached.

            “You look lovely Liz,” she said, looking up at her daughter seriously.

            “Thanks Mom.  You OK?” Elizabeth asked.  Emily forced a big smile.

            “Yeah, I’m fine hon.  Good luck in there.”

            “We’ll be fine,” Elizabeth said.  They waited in silence as two riders went through the course, and then her number was called.  “See you in a few,” Elizabeth murmured, trotting into the ring.  Neither Jason nor Emily spoke as they watched Elizabeth and Independence move around the ring.  The young horse moved well over the fences, and behaved brilliantly.  They went clear, and as Elizabeth rode out it was apparent how shocked she was.

            “Wonderful!” Jason exclaimed. 

            “Did you see him?  He jumped like he didn’t even notice all the stuff going on around him, and like he’s been doing it for years!” she exclaimed.

            “That was great Liz… you’ve turned him in to a wonderful little jumper,” Emily said.  Elizabeth dismounted and gave her Mom a hug.

            “Thanks for giving him to me… and for letting me take my time to ride him,” she murmured.  Emily hugged her daughter tightly.

            “It was worth the wait.  Why don’t you go get a sheet on him and we’ll wait for them to call for ribbons.  I’ll stay down here and watch the competition.” Elizabeth nodded and led Independence back to the barn. 

            “She’ll take first,” Jason said confidently.  Emily nodded.

            “Yes, she will,” she agreed.  They were silent for several minutes.

            “Listen,” he began.  Emily turned to him, shaking her head.

            “No, you listen.  I’m sorry for lashing out at you last night… I was upset and wasn’t really thinking.  You didn’t deserve to have me screaming at you.”

            “I shouldn’t have said what I did to you… it’s really none of my business.” Emily shook her head and gave a little laugh.

            “I kind of made it your business that first show we were at when I spilled the beans on my husband and his girlfriend.  And I know Liz talks to you too… you’re one of the few people she confides in.  You’ve kind of gotten caught up in our little soap opera without meaning to… and you’ve listened and been a friend to both Liz and me.  That kind of makes it your business,” she said. 

            “I’m still sorry… I know that what I said must’ve stung,” he murmured.  Emily turned to the show ring, leaning her forearms against the fence.

            “Yes, it did… but mostly because the majority of it was true and I didn’t want to hear it.  My marriage with David has been over a long time, and I’ve known it in the back of my head.  I haven’t admitted it or allowed it to register for myself, but it’s the truth.  It’s going to take me awhile to come to terms with it.  My marriage was a bad idea to begin with… and it was a situation filled with negativity.  David did treat me badly… never physically of course, but emotionally he did a number on me.  It’s hard to admit all of that,” she said.

            “Must’ve been harder to live with,” Jason said.  Emily laughed a little.

            “You’d think so, wouldn’t you?  Right now I’m struggling more with figuring out how to live without that than I ever struggled living with it.”

            “You’ll figure it out,” he assured her.  Emily put her hand on his arm, noticing that the muscles there tensed slightly.

            “I really hope that my outburst last night didn’t hurt our friendship.”  Jason smiled and shook his head.

            “Of course not.  You were having a bad night and you yelled at me for being too honest too quick.  That’ll happen a lot,” he promised.

            “Thanks for understanding,” she said.  He nodded.

            “Let’s go see how Lizzie is doing with Independence,” he suggested.  She nodded and they walked toward the barn together.

            That night Jason tacked Merlin up and led him to the warm-up ring.  There were no other riders out, and for that he was grateful.  He took a moment to adjust his stirrups before swinging into the saddle.  They moved around the ring at an easy walk for several minutes.

            “You going to plod around all night?” a voice called.  Jason turned in the saddle, smiling at Elizabeth.

            “You win one class on your foolish horse and you think you can give me orders?” he shot back.  Elizabeth laughed.

            “Nah, I was just teasing,” she said.  She and Independence had indeed placed first in their class, much to her surprise and pleasure. 

            “That’s good, because there is still much to learn Young Bradshaw.”

            “Yeah, yeah.  Quit stalling and put in some work so he’s not stiff tomorrow,” she replied, climbing on to the top rail of the fence and sitting down.  He chuckled, but knew she was right.  He moved Merlin into a trot and they went around the ring with ease.  He worked in some figure eights, circles, serpentines and lateral work before easing to a walk.  In the far corner of the ring he asked for a canter and Merlin stepped easily into the gait.  The worked for nearly 40 minutes before Jason pulled up.  When he did he noticed that Emily had joined her daughter.

            “He looks good… very cool and collected,” she said.  Jason rode to where they were sitting and smiled.

            “Well one of us has to,” he replied.  Emily and Elizabeth laughed.

            “You’ve got no reason to be nervous.  This horse would fly to the moon if you asked him to,” Emily said. 

            “I’m not real worried about Merlin,” he said with grin.

            “Well you’re an OK rider Jason, don’t worry,” Elizabeth said with a big smile.

            “An OK rider?” he asked incredulously.  The young girl giggled.

            “Alright, you’re a pretty good rider.  Geesh, you’re picky,” she said.  Jason rolled his eyes.

            “You just wait until your next training session.  We’re going without stirrups the full hour,” he said.  Elizabeth frowned.

            “You wouldn’t dare,” she said.

            “Just keep pushing my buttons and see what happens,” he said, winking at Emily.

            “Liz, why don’t you go get us some pizza or something?  I’m starving,” Emily said. 

            “Can I have money?”  Emily handed her a twenty dollar bill.

            “If that’s not enough you should still have some left over from your lunch this afternoon.” Elizabeth jumped down from the fence with a groan.

            “OK… I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she said, jogging off.  Jason had dismounted and was leading Merlin toward the barn.

            “She’s a good kid,” he said.

            “More often than not, yes,” Emily agreed.  They walked toward the barn together, and she stood in the stall doorway and watched as he untacked and groomed Merlin.  “You really are going to do great tomorrow,” she said.

            “Thanks.  I just don’t do this a lot, so I’m nerved up,” he replied.  She picked up one of the brushes and started to groom alongside him.

            “I can still remember my first show.  I was about seven, and it was just a flat class.  I wasn’t the slightest bit nervous,” she said, running the brush over Merlin’s front leg.

            “I thought you said you always get nervous at shows,” he said.  She glanced up at him and grinned.

            “Oh, I do!  That show went terribly.  My pony ran away with me and I fell off in front of about three hundred people.” Jason frowned.

            “Is this supposed to be making me feel better?” he muttered.  She stood and smiled at him.

            “This is the way I look at it: I showed hundreds and hundreds of times, maybe thousands and thousands of times when I was riding professionally… and if you add in all the times I showed when I was growing up, I bet it’s closer to hundreds of thousands.  I’ve had two shows that I remember because they were terrible.  The rest I remember because I won them.  I’d say the odds are in your favor.” He smiled.

            “Thanks Emily,” he said.  She tossed the brush into the grooming box, pausing at the stall door on her way out.

            “We’ll meet you by the truck for dinner,” she said, walking away.

            The next day Elizabeth helped Jason tack Merlin up for their class.  As they worked, they were uncharacteristically silent.  Emily came up and leaned over the door.

            “Hey guys,” she said.  They glanced up.

            “Hey Mom,” Elizabeth said with a smile.  Jason said nothing.

            “Have you thrown up yet?” Emily asked him.  He shot her a withering look and she smiled.  “Just kidding,” she murmured.

            “Not funny,” he replied.  Emily gave him a sympathetic look.

            “You’re going to do awesome,” she promised him. 

            “I’ve been telling him that all morning,” Elizabeth said, putting the saddle on Merlin’s back.  The big horse turned his head to look at her, as if to say, ‘You’ve gotta’ be kidding me.’ Elizabeth grinned and moved to the other side to tighten the girth.

            “Did you see that Liz was in the paper this morning?” Emily asked.  Jason nodded.

            “Yeah, they had that great picture of her and Independence going over that last stone wall,” he said, slipping the bridle into Merlin’s mouth.

            “It’s embarrassing.  Independence did all the work,” Elizabeth said with a roll of her eyes. 

            “You did just as much of the work as he did,” Jason said sternly. 

            “Thanks,” she replied.  She had finished tightening the girth, and she said, “He looks ready.” Jason nodded.

            “Yup.  Let’s head on out,” he said.  He came out of the stall and slipped out of the warmup pants he’d been wearing.  Underneath he was wearing a pair of custom breeches and tall black boots.  He pulled off his sweatshirt as well, revealing a sparkling clean white stock shirt.  He pulled on his jacket, buttoned it, and then looked at them.  “How do I look?” he asked.  Emily’s breath had caught in her throat; there were few things as handsome as a man in a full habit.  It was one of her weaknesses when it came to men, which was fortunate since so few men actually wore it.  Jason looked gorgeous though, and she couldn’t quite identify the feeling developing in the pit of her stomach. 

            “You look great.  Let’s go,” Elizabeth said, starting down the aisle.

            “We’ll catch up Liz!” Emily said.  She and Jason walked slowly along for a moment, but suddenly Emily grabbed his elbow.

            “What’s wrong?” he asked.  She shook her head.

            “I just want you to take this,” she said.  She put a small, circular piece of metal in his hand and he glanced down at it.  It was a piece of silver, with a slightly raised horseshoe in the center.  “I carried this with me in every show… every show but the two terrible ones,” she said.  “The first one I didn’t have it yet, and that second one… well, I forgot it that day.”

            “I can’t take this Emily,” he said.  She grinned.

            “Sure you can.  Put it in your pocket, it’ll bring you luck.” Jason stared at it for a moment and then slid it into the pocket of his jacket.

            “Thank you,” he said. 

            “You’re welcome.  Let’s go… Liz is going to wonder what’s taking us so long.”

            Jason hung his blue ribbon on the stall door, before locking things up and walking to change.  He still couldn’t believe he’d won.  Merlin had performed beautifully, and once he’d gotten into the ring Jason had forgotten all about being nervous.

            “Hey there champ,” Emily said, falling in to step beside him.  He smiled.

            “Hey boss,” he kidded. 

            “You two looked fantastic out there,” she said.

            “Thanks,” he murmured.

            “I hate to say I told you so…” she trailed off and laughed as he gave her a nudge.

            “Then don’t,” he said with a grin.  He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out her good luck charm.

            “Here.  Thanks for the loan,” he said, pressing it into her hand. 

            “Anytime.  Glad it could get some use.” He stopped walking and she turned to look at him.  “What’s wrong?” she asked. 

            “It’d get a lot more use if you started riding again,” he said.

            “I do ride,” she replied, turning to go.  Jason caught her arm.

            “You know what I mean Emily.  I meant what I said last night… you’re good.  You’re better than you were before the accident.  People won’t feel bad for you, they’re going to wonder how you stayed away so long.”

            “I’m done with all of that… so I wish you’d just forget about it,” she said.  He released her.

            “Alright.  You can lend your good luck charm to Lizzie from now on… not that she needs it.  I’ll see you after I grab some lunch and we’ll head back home,” he said, walking away.  Emily sighed, watching as he disappeared into the crowds.

            David Bradshaw stalked down the aisle in Emily’s barn, holding a crumpled newspaper in his hand.  It had been a week since the fair, and he had been out of town at the time.  When he’d returned, he had seen his daughter’s picture in the paper.  He went into the office without knocking

            “Have you lost your mind?” he demanded.  Emily looked up, not at all surprised to see him.  She was determined, though, not to lose her composure.

            “Hello David.  I’m surprised you haven’t sent your lawyer to deal with whatever it is that you have a problem with,” she said, turning back to her work.  He tossed the paper at her and it fell open on Elizabeth’s picture. 

            “Can you explain that?” She glanced at the picture and smiled broadly.

            “I’m not sure what needs explaining.  Liz entered Independence in a small show and they won.  What exactly are you confused about?”

            “Damnit Emily, you have our daughter hacking around in crap shows!  What were you thinking letting her ride in such a worthless…” Emily cut him off, standing up.

            “Elizabeth trained Independence herself, and it was up to her where she wanted her first show to be.  He was show green, and green over fences… so she chose to get some experience there.  They did very well, and I’m proud of her for all of her hard work.”

            “Proud?  Of this back-woods hack competition?  Jesus Emily, you’ve been out of the circuit so long that you’ve forgotten what a show like this can do to a young rider.”

            “Oh David, please, give it a rest!  It was an unrated show that gave them both a little experience before moving on to bigger things.  It’s not like she’s going to go state to state riding in local fairs for God sake.” 

            “You’re damn right she won’t!  You better just shape up and get her riding the way she should be,” he said.

            “Or what?” she shot back.  He was too surprised to answer.  “Elizabeth made a good decision, and she’s proud of herself.  If you’ve come here to yell at her for it, I suggest you leave.  I won’t have you ruining this accomplishment for her.” 

            “A blue ribbon in a show like this is no accomplishment,” he muttered.

            “Funny… I happen to recall your vast collection of ribbons from when you were her age and they were all from pony clubs and 4H events.  She’s 13 years old… having famous parents doesn’t mean she should be doing what we do.”

            “We?  You don’t do anything but sit in this office and balance the checkbook Emily.  Anything Elizabeth has learned about riding has been from me… her parent that actually rides.” She looked at him evenly.

            “What Elizabeth learned from you was to constantly worry that she was going to mess up and be subjected to another one of your pious lectures.  If you’d like to know why she didn’t ride for four months you should take a good, long look in the mirror.  She was starting to despise it because of what you turned it into.  She’s only started again because she has a trainer that has shown her how fun it can be… win or lose.  Jason has…” David cut her off.

            “Jason?  You’ve gotten quite close with the hired help, haven’t you?” Emily rolled her eyes.

            “I won’t even dignify that with a response.  You’re the one with an 18 year old, pregnant ballerina living at your apartment.” They glared at one another for a few moments.

            “I don’t expect to see Elizabeth’s face associated with any more shows like this Emily.  She’s too good for them, and it looks awful for me in the press.”

            “You make yourself look awful in the press David.  I’d like you to leave now.”

            “Excuse me?” he whispered.

            “I said, I’d like you to leave now.  Last time I checked this farm was mine and so is the land.  You’re trespassing and I would like you to leave.”

            “You won’t have this farm much longer, not after my lawyers are through with you.” Her eyes flashed angrily.

            “This farm is protected under a prenuptial agreement that you signed voluntarily.  Your lawyer and mine explained to you what it meant… that the horses, land, and facilities here were protected in the case of a divorce.  My lawyer made very sure that it would be protected in a situation like this; apparently he saw what a snake you really were even then.” He knew she was right… he just couldn’t understand when she’d grown a backbone. 

            “Tell Elizabeth I stopped by.  I’ll try to make time to see her next weekend,” he muttered, stalking from the office.  Emily stared after him for a long moment before easing back into her chair. 

            Emily led her mare, Jezebel, into the arena that night.  Everyone had gone home for the day, so she had the place to herself.  She mounted up, pausing to check her girth and adjust her left stirrup.  She’d set up a fairly elaborate jump course, and knew that Jezzie would love it.

            “Let’s get going,” she murmured.  They warmed up at a walk and a trot, and finally moved up into a canter.  Emily held back on her reins, increasing her leg contact.  Jezebel collected her stride and they moved around the ring in perfect unison with one another.  After moving once around the ring Emily let the mare extend her stride.  When they had worked evenly in both directions, she eased Jezebel to a walk and leaned down to pat her neck.  “Good girl Jezzie,” she said.  After a few minutes of rest she gathered up her reins again and signaled for a canter.  They moved around the ring once at a canter, and then Emily turned toward the first jump in the course.  It was a simple oxer, set at about 4 and a half feet.  They soared over it and moved around to the next jump.  They cantered around and were about halfway through with the course when Emily noticed Jason standing by the rail.  She eased Jezebel to a walk and went to him.  “What do you think you’re doing?” she demanded.

            “Watching you ride,” he said honestly

            “You know how I…”

            “Yeah, I know you don’t like that but I’m here anyway.  You better finish with her, she looked good that first half.” She glared at him.

            “I’ll finish when you leave,” she muttered.

            “Now you’re just being ridiculous,” he said.  She knew he was right. 

            “Listen, you’re interrupting my work with her and you’re making me mad.  Could you please go?”

            “You’re the one that stopped working… I was just standing here quietly.  You should finish up,” he said.  She knew he wasn’t going to leave until she finished the course, so she turned Jezebel and asked for a canter.  She picked up where they’d left off, trying to forget that he was there.  They finished the course relatively quickly, and when she landed on the last jump she cantered around to where Jason had been standing. 

            “Where’d he go?” she murmured, looking around.  At some point during her ride he had left, and Emily was forced to wonder why.

            Elizabeth was sitting in the living room when her mother walked in from the barn.  She glanced up from the book she’d been reading and smiled. 

            “Have a good ride?” she asked.  Emily sat down on the arm of a chair, but didn’t reply.  “Mom are you OK?” Elizabeth asked. 

            “What?  Yes, I’m fine,” she said.  Elizabeth sat up and looked at her seriously.

            “You look upset,” she said finally.

            “Jason… he watched me ride,” she said.            

            “Cool.  What’d he think?” When her mother didn’t answer she said, “Dumb question.  He thought you were awesome didn’t he?  Haven’t I been telling you that you’re…”

            “I don’t know what he thought Liz.  He left before I finished.” Elizabeth frowned.           

            “Well that’s strange.  Maybe he just didn’t want to get into a big argument with you about how he shouldn’t have been watching you and all that.  You know you would’ve been on his case as soon as you finished your ride.”

            “Maybe,” she said.  Elizabeth laughed.

            “Come on Mom be serious.  Nobody could watch you ride and think anything but ‘wow she’s amazing.’  Why do you care so much what Jason thinks anyway?”

            “Oh… I don’t really.  It’s just he’s the first person other than family that has seen me ride in a very long time.”

            “Mmhmm… if you sa