08- How Cotey Helped Jess
“Cotey would you come downstairs for a minute?” Sam called. They had been married for a little over six months. Cotey put down the pen she’d been writing with and walked out of the bedroom. When she reached the top of the stairs she took a deep breath.
“Do I need to come down there or can you talk to me like this?” she asked.
“Pick up the phone in our room. Jessi is on the phone and she says she needs to talk to you,” he replied. She smiled and went back to their room and picked up the phone.
“Hey Jess, what’s up?” she asked. There was a moment’s hesitation.
“Dad’s going out of town and I told him I was going to stay at your house because I didn’t want to be alone,” the girl explained quietly.
“I’ll get the spare room set up now. When will you be here?”
“Probably before dinner. Daddy’s plane leaves at four, so a little after that.”
“OK. Are you coming to ride or just to have company?” Cotey asked.
“Both I guess. Mostly to ride Magic and visit with her. Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re my only sure way to get in the saddle.”
“I’ll forgive you. See you letter Jess.” Cotey put the phone down and went back to the desk to continue to work.
“What did Jessi want?” Sam asked as he walked into the bedroom. She turned and smiled up at him.
“She wanted to know if she could spend some time here while her father is out of town.”
“I’m guessing it has little to do with spending time with us,” he muttered.
“She wants to ride, and she wants to spend some time with us.”
“I wish her father would come around. She was such a great rider.”
“She still is Sam. When she rides Magic while she’s here, I’m amazed. She has such raw talent.”
“You’ll find a way for her to ride won’t you?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.
“I’m going to try.” He gave her a quick kiss before starting to leave.
“I’ll be down at the barn working some horses,’ he said.
“Bye.” Cotey looked down at the paper in front of her and sighed.
At dinner that night Cotey smiled at Jess. The girl was wearing a pair of GAP jeans and a periwinkle blue GAP tank top. Her long blonde hair was in a braid that hung to her waist.
“Where exactly did your father go?” Cotey asked as she passed the rolls to Sam. Jess shrugged.
“Kentucky I think. Of all the places in the world, he has to go to Kentucky and leave me here,” Jess muttered.
“He’ll come around Jessi,” Sam assured her.
“Thanks Sam. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to go behind his back and lie.”
“You’re a good kid. Your father’s just concerned… and he has pretty good reason. Riding is dangerous.”
“Everyone falls off. A broken wrist is really no big deal… I was lucky.” There was silence at the table as everyone thought of Cotey’s near-fatal accident the year before. “Cotey can I talk to you alone for a minute?” Jess asked suddenly.
“Sure. Why don’t you go upstairs and wait for me in the guestroom? I’ll be there in a second.” Jess nodded and went upstairs.
Cotey walked into the guestroom and sat down on the bed next to Jess.
“So what’s up?” she asked. Jess smiled and shrugged.
“You know how overprotective Daddy can be… and I’m eighteen. I like this guy who’s a couple years old than I am. I don’t think Daddy would let me get involved.”
“You should talk to him about it. I mean… it’s really not up to him. You’re not a minor anymore. You can even ride without his permission if you want.”
“I couldn’t ride in front of Daddy, he’d never forgive me. I respect his wishes enough to keep it a secret.” Cotey laughed.
“I don’t know how respectful that is, but whatever works.” Jess smiled.
“Can I ride for awhile?” Jess asked, standing up.
“Sure. Ride in the arena, the outdoor ring is a little too icy for riding. Do you have riding clothes?” Cotey asked.
“Yup. Dad doesn’t even know I still have them, so I had to sneak them. I was in this show a couple weeks ago and took the blue.”
“Crystal let you ride her horse for her didn’t she?”
“Yeah. She sprained her ankle so she asked me to do it. The papers said that Crystal had won, and Daddy asked me if she’d ridden with a sprained ankle. I just said yes.”
“Alright. I’ll come down to the barn in a bit to see how you’re doing.” Jess nodded and watched as Cotey left the room.
The next morning Cotey awoke to the sound of hoof beats outside. She got out of bed slowly, careful not to wake Sam, and went to the window.
“Oh my God,” she whispered. She yanked on a pair of jeans and pulled on her hiking boots, jogging outside as she pulled on her jacket. Jess was mounted on Jeeves, one of the most valuable horses in the barn. “Jessica what do you think you’re doing?” she demanded. Jess pulled up and looked at Cotey with raised eyebrows.
“Riding. Is something wrong?”
“Yes. Get off now,” she ordered. Jess dismounted and looked at Cotey.
“What did I do this time?” Jess asked, following Cotey as she led Jeeves back to his stall.
“Is he wearing snow shoes?” Cotey asked. Jess shook her head slowly.
“I guess not.”
“Do you realize that you could’ve been hurt, or he could’ve broken his leg? He could have slipped, and it would’ve been your fault for being careless! It’s the middle of December… you know better than to ride a horse outdoors when it’s icy like this.”
“He wasn’t going to slip,” Jess muttered, taking the saddle Cotey handed her.
“What if you had fallen? All I need is for your father to find out I’ve been letting you ride. He’d never forgive either one of us.”
“I’m sorry. I just missed riding him so much.” Cotey sighed, raking her fingers through her long hair.
“Next time just ride him in the arena. OK?” Jess nodded and walked form the stall.
Cotey glanced up as Jess walked into the office later that day.
“Have you seen Sam today?” she asked. Jess shook her head and sat down.
“Nope. He said he was going to be up in the loft, but I haven’t been in there today.”
“Alright. I’m going to go see if I can find him.” Cotey stood and walked down to the loft. She climbed the ladder and smiled when she saw her husband. He was stacking hay carefully, and after a moment took a break and looked out across the farm. Cotey walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“Hey,” he muttered.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Not really.” She moved so she was standing in front of him, looking up at him with concerned eyes.
“Don’t lie to me. Something’s bothering you, so why don’t you tell me what it is?” she suggested.
“I guess I’m feeling a little jealous,” he replied. She frowned.
“Of what?” she murmured.
“Everything. We never do anything together anymore. We never fool around, we don’t go out together, we don’t ride together… it bothers me.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.
“I’m sorry. I guess I haven’t been thinking about much else but work lately. Forgive me?” He smiled and kissed her.
“If you’ll go out with me tonight,” he said. She laughed.
“It’s a deal Mr. Giran,” she said. He smiled and took her hand, leading her from the loft.
Cotey stood at the arena rail, watching Sam ride his horse Miami. The horse was a sixteen hand tall warmblood that had natural talent for dressage. Unfortunately, Sam didn’t know much, and he wanted to turn the big horse into a jumper.
“How’s he being?” she called. Sam frowned and shook his head in frustration.
“He’s refused the rail several times… I’ve gone over it by myself more than he has,” he muttered. Cotey stifled a grin.
“Want me to try him?” she asked. He rode over and dismounted.
“Be my guest. I haven’t’ gone over a jump without my horse in years.” Cotey mounted and adjusted the stirrups before asking Miami to move forward. The horse sensed the change in rider.
“How about we work on some dressage first big guy? Then we’ll do boring stuff like jumping,” she murmured. She asked for a trot, and after several times around asked for extension. They went around a few times before she asked for a canter. After a moment she collected it. After several more times around they halted. “Now, let’s get this jumping out of the way before we do some more fun stuff,” she said. They began to canter again, and she moved toward the first jump. Miami started to tense up and she smiled. “Relax big guy,” she murmured. She gave him a tap with her crop and he went over the jump with ease. The rest of the course went very well, and when they finished she dismounted. Cotey removed the saddle.
“I thought you were going to do something else,” Sam muttered.
“He deserves some bareback time after being such a good boy,” she said. She used the mounting block to remount and she moved him through some more simple dressage. Eventually they were doing the Spanish waltz. When she was done she patted his muscular neck and dismounted. “I told you he could do it Sam,” she said. Jess had just walked up.
“Yeah,” Sam muttered, turning on his heal and stalking away. Cotey glanced at Jess.
“Take him for me will you?” she murmured, jogging after Sam.
Cotey walked into their bedroom and found him sitting on the floor by their bed, his head resting against the mattress.
“Would you mind telling me what exactly I did wrong?” she asked, sitting down next to him.
“You didn’t do anything. I’m just trying to figure you out.” Cotey frowned.
“What do you mean?” He looked at her with confused eyes.
“I keep asking myself how you do it. You can get on any horse in the world and just ride it like it’s the easiest thing in the world.”
“That’s my job. Why is that such a bad thing?” she asked. He didn’t answer so she asked, “This is all about Miami isn’t it?” She sat down next to him and he put his arm around her shoulders.
“I don’t know what I’m going to do about him. When I bought him they said that he was a willing and obedient horse.”
“He is obedient and willing. You just have to give him something to look forward to.”
“The only thing he looks forward to is dressage, the one thing I can’t do… the one thing I don’t want to do.”
“Let me work with him for awhile. I might be able to get him do things without the dressage as a reward.” He nodded.
“OK.” They were silent for a long moment. “What time is dinner?” he said suddenly. She smiled and rested her head on his shoulder.
Jess was riding Magic in the arena when her father walked in later the next afternoon. Cotey held Magic as the girl dismounted.
“Daddy what are you doing home?” Jess demanded. Mr. Michaels looked at her with angry eyes.
“I came home because my business was done. Obviously you weren’t expecting me this early. Get your things together, we’re going home,’ he muttered. Jess nodded and stalked from the ring. “Cotey I trusted you to uphold my decision. I guess my trust was severely misplaced,” he said, turning and following his daughter from the barn. Cotey sighed, giving Magic a pat.
“Well that was a disaster,” she muttered.
Cotey was riding Miami two weeks later, preparing to jump. Sam had gone on a trip to find some new jumpers, so she was all alone.
“Let’s go clear big guy,” she muttered. They cleared the first few, but on the fourth one Cotey misjudged. Miami refused, spinning to the side as he did. She hit the jump with her right shoulder and landed on her right ankle awkwardly. “Come here Miami, you’ll have to help me get up and to the phone,” she said through clenched teeth. Miami stepped forward and stood quietly when she pulled herself to a standing position using the stirrup. She used the jump as a mounting block and then murmured, “Walk on Miami.” He walked forward and up the aisle toward the office.
In the hospital the doctor told her she had sprained her right ankle and dislocated her right shoulder.
“No riding for two months Cotey. I expect you to obey that,” the doctor said.
“Alright, I promise,” she said.
“We’re going to keep you overnight just to make sure you’re ok before you go home.” She nodded and watched as he left. When he was gone Cotey picked up the phone and dialed Jess’s number. Mr. Michaels answered.
“Hello Mr. Michaels, this is Cotey.” There was a brief pause.
“What can I do for you?” he asked.
“I took a spill today, and I’ll be out of commission for a couple months. Sam is on a business trip, and Carrie and Jason are in the Bahamas.”
“What are you asking me to do?” he demanded.
“To let Jess come and take care of things until Sam gets back. She’s so good Mr. Michaels, and she loves it so much. You know that she’s good. Please let her do this? There’s nobody else I’d trust with my horses.”
“Look at you Cotey. You’re sitting in the hospital. My wife is dead. I don’t want that to happen to my daughter.”
“I understand that. She could get hurt just as easily driving her car or crossing the street. Are you going to stop her from driving or walking?”
“No, I guess not.” There was a long pause. “OK Cotey, I’ll let her do this for you.”
“Thank you Daddy!” a new voice said. Apparently Jess had been listening on the other line.
“Jessica!” Mr. Michaels exclaimed. Jess laughed.
“Bye Jess, and thanks a lot,” Cotey said.
“No, thank you!” They all hung up and Cotey sighed with relief.
Cotey sat in a folding chair in the center of the arena watching Jess take Miami over jumps almost a week later. Sam and Mr. Michaels stood at the wall watching the young girl ride around.
“She really is good, isn’t she?” Mr. Michaels said. Sam nodded.
“Does Cotey even know I’m home?” he asked. Mr. Michaels laughed.
“I don’t think so.” Jess pulled up and went to the center of the ring and dismounted.
“Hey Sam!” Jess exclaimed as she led Miami from the ring.
“That looked great Jessi,” he said. Cotey was walking slowly from the ring.
“I didn’t notice you were here,” she said. Sam wrapped his arms around her and hugged her gently, being careful of her shoulder. She smiled and took a deep breath.
“I missed you gorgeous,” he said, kissing her gently.
“I have a question,” she said.
“Hit me with it.”
“You want to have kids someday don’t you?” she asked.
“Of course I do.”
“Well… someday is sooner than you think,” she said. A smile spread slowly across his face.
“Really? A baby?” he demanded. She nodded and a smile appeared on her face.
“Yes, I’m going to have a baby.”
