29- The Champion
“Daddy he’s beautiful,” Beth whispered, moving to touch the large thoroughbred on the neck. The animal jumped and reached out to bite her. Beth pulled back, glancing at her parents.
“He’s a little feisty,” Jason said with a sheepish grin. She glanced back at the horse.
“What’s his name?” she asked, quietly, watching the way the horse stood stiffly. There were light scars on his left shoulder and neck, and he had a huge white star on his forehead. He was a gorgeous dark bay.
“He doesn’t have one. Beth, he’s for you. Your mother and I just couldn’t leave him there,” he explained.
“Why not? Why do I have to deal with him?” she demanded, glancing from her parents to the horse and then back again.
“They were going to send him to the glue factory if somebody didn’t take him. He use to have a lot of talent at three day eventing, but he had an… accident with his rider one day,” Jess said.
“What happened? Maybe if I know I can figure him out.” Her parents hesitated.
“They were attacked by a mountain lion. It was in California, and his rider died. The horse managed to escape, but he’s been like this ever since.” Beth took a deep breath, and her parents were expecting to hear her say no.
“I’ll try. Let me see his lead. I’ll take him up to the barn.” Jason hesitated.
“Beth are you sure? He can be quite a handful,” her father said.
“He won’t get any better if I don’t try. Let me see his lead.” Jason handed it to her, and the horse tried to take off. She tightened her grip, pulling him back by her shoulder. “Let’s just walk big guy,” she murmured. He walked by her side, trying to bite her left shoulder.
“Beth are you sure you don’t want a cradle to put on him?” Jason called. She shook her head.
“Nope. Listen big guy, somebody already beat you to the shoulder. Come on, quit it.” Amazingly the horse stopped and pranced beside her toward the barn. Jason watched them, then glanced at Jess.
“Do you think it was a good idea to give him to her?” Jason asked. Jess nodded, a small smile appearing on her face.
“I think it was an excellent idea. With King and this one, she’ll be able to keep her mind off of everything else. Come on, let’s get up to the house.”
Two weeks later Beth placed a saddle on her new horse’s back, tightening the girth slowly. He turned his head and looked at her with cautious eyes.
“You remember this. Just trust me handsome, we’ll only work on the longe line today,” she murmured. She put on the longing equipment and led him toward the arena. They went in and Beth clipped the longe line onto the halter. She let him walk around her for a few minutes and then said, “Trot boy!” He hesitated before breaking into a smooth, flowing trot. She smiled and watched as he went around her several times. “Canter!” she called. He did it with no problems, then stopped when she told him to. She switched the longe line to the other side and did it all over again. When he had done it on both sides she walked over to him and fed him a large sugar lump.
“That looked really nice honey!” Jess called from the rail. Beth turned and smiled, patting him on the shoulder gently.
“Thanks Mom, but we still have a long way to go. We’ve been working up to that for two weeks.”
“He’s still got it in him, you’ve just got to build up his trust in his rider again.”
“I know. I’ll see you later Mom. Isn’t Daddy going out to look for a horse?”
“Yup. He told me to tell you that Rachel called, and she wants you to spend the night.”
“OK. I think I’ll lead this bonehead over with me. I don’t think he’ll let anyone else feed him yet. Tell Dad I love him.” Jess nodded and walked from the barn. Beth led her horse back to his stall and untacked him. “Be right back big guy, I’ve just gotta’ get my stuff.” He started at her with big eyes and Beth grinned, giving him one more pat before jogging up to the house.
Rachel jogged out of the house when she saw her friend leading a horse up the driveway.
“Are you ok?” she called. Beth smiled, patting the horse reassuringly.
“I’m fine. He just isn’t ready to be ridden yet. I need to be the one to feed him, so I decided to bring him with me. Do you have a stall that isn’t near too many other horses?”
“Yeah. What’s wrong with him? He looks old enough to be ridden.”
“He just doesn’t trust too many people or things right now. He’s getting there though.” Rachel glanced at the horse and shook her head.
“I think you’ve got some explaining to do. Come on, let’s get him down to a stall. I’ll warn Dad and Mom about him. I think we have a cradle we could put on him.” Beth stopped walking, looking at Rachel seriously.
“Rachel, he doesn’t need one. He just needs someone to be patient with him. It took me awhile to gain his trust, but he’s really a sweet horse.”
“Fine, I’ll just tell mom we have a violent horse in the barn. What happened to make him such a psycho?”
“He was on a trail ride with his rider in California, and a mountain lion mauled them. His rider died, but he got away.” Rachel rolled her eyes.
“You know, I think it’s about time that you and Dominick stop milking this mountain thing. It’s getting a little old. What really happened to him.” Beth turned and started to walk away. Dominick blocked her path.
“Rachel you should shut your mouth. You have no idea what happened up there,” he said, his voice even. Rachel shrugged.
“I know that it’s been almost nine years, and you two are really pushing it. Everyone still feels sorry for you and I’m sick of it.”
“Well I’m sick of you complaining about Jake and all the other guys that dump you! That’s nothing compared to what happened up on that mountain. You’re so stuck up and self absorbed, you could care less,” Dominick said, his voice beginning to rise. Rachel shook her head, hands on her hips.
“You don’t need to stick up for her. Everyone knows you like her,” she muttered.
“Would you two stop it? I’m so damn sick of everyone being ridiculous. Maybe I actually can’t stop thinking about what happened Rachel. Maybe I don’t care if he sticks up for me… someone needs to.”
“Don’t be such a baby,” Rachel retorted. Beth looked as if she’d been slapped in the face.
“Don’t be a baby? I’ve got news for you Rachel, you have no idea how hard life can be yet. I’ll give you a clue though. Life gets hard when you’re eight years old, and you’re lost in the middle of the woods and you have no idea if anyone will ever find you. Life gets hard when you fall off the edge of a cliff. Life gets hard when you regain consciousness only to hear your horse screaming. Life gets hard when you have a mountain lion on top of you ripping your leg apart. Life is hard when you lose your leg and pretty much everything else that matters to you. So you should just shut up until you have a real understanding of how life is, because I’m pretty damn sick of you whining about your boyfriends.” She turned the horse slowly, talking to him calmly. Dominick went with her.
“Are you ok?” he asked quietly. She glanced at him, shrugging her shoulders.
“I guess. She’s suppose to be my best friend, but she has no idea where I’m coming from. She thinks a tragedy is losing her boyfriend or missing her favorite show on TV. She has no idea what she’s talking about.” He nodded, moving to put his arm around her. The horse jumped, then reached out to bite him.
“He’s just a little angry at the world right now. I can’t really blame him… he’s dealt with a lot too.”
“What do you mean.” She led him outside slowly.
“He was attacked by a mountain lion two years go. His rider died.”
“He’s a lot like you,” he observed.
“He had a terrible experience with a mountain lion,” she said.
“He’s got scars on the left side of his neck and on his left shoulder… just like you. He’s bitter, so were you for awhile. I think he’s a lot like you.”
“I guess so. I need to get going, I can’t stay here tonight after that.”
“Any more nightmares?” he asked. She laughed bitterly, her eyes searching his.
“That’s a stupid question. It’s like asking if the sun came up this morning. I’ll see you later.” She led the horse down the driveway, talking to him softly.
Beth walked downstairs the next morning, pulling her curly blonde hair into a pony tail.
“I thought you stayed at Cotey’s last night,” her father said, glancing up when she walked into the kitchen.
“Rachel and I had a fight, so I decided to come home.”
“You didn’t walk home after dark did you?” Jess demanded.
“Nope, I was only there about twenty minutes. It just wasn’t a good day for a sleepover. I’m going down to longe the champ.”
“The champ? That’s an interesting name Bethy, where’d you get that?” Jess asked.
“You told me he use to be a winner, so champ. That isn’t what I’m going to call him for good.”
“Be careful with him sweetie. He still might have a few kinks,” her father reminded.
“A few? More like a billion. He and I are two of a kind though,” she said. Her parents smiled, watching as she walked out of the house.
Beth walked down the aisle in the barn, smiling when the horse’s head appeared over his stall door and he nickered.
“Hey champ, you hungry? I overslept,” she murmured, patting his neck.
“He let me feed him,” David said, coming up behind her. Beth turned, smiling at the long-time stable hand.
“That’s great. What a good boy. Are you getting use to other people beside me?” she asked the horse.
“He still isn’t too sure of me, but he’s getting there.” She grinned and let herself into the stall.
“Could you get me my longing equipment?” she asked.
“Sure. I’ll get his grooming kit too.” She glanced at him over her shoulder.
“That’d be great. Thanks David.” He nodded, walking toward the tack room. He returned moments later, and stood in front of the stall. Beth went to the animal’s head and talked to him quietly while David handed her the grooming kit.
“There ya go. All the other stuff will be out here. I don’t think he’d take too kindly to my coming in there.”
“Probably not today, but maybe some day.” He laughed.
“I wanted to talk to you Beth. My son and daughter are going to be coming up and staying with me. Their mother just died of cancer and I was awarded full custody. Would you be willing to show my son…” Beth cut him off.
“Don’t ask me to do anything. He’ll ask me if you asked me to do stuff with him, then I’ll feel guilty and he’ll feel like he’s a burden. I’ll just do whatever comes to mind. How old is he?”
“Almost seventeen. My daughter is five, and she’s really looking forward to coming here. She loves animals.”
“Where does she live now?”
“New York City… not a great place for animals. I’m concerned about my son; he was very close with his mother and he loved the city. This will be a hard adjustment.”
“I’ll do what I can to help. When are they suppose to get here?” she asked, tossing a brush back into its bucket.
“Later today. I just thought of it when I saw you.”
“Alright. I’ve got some stuff to do, but I’ll try to introduce myself this evening. Maybe they’ll even see me jumping King. I haven’t worked with him much since I got the champ.”
“Have you figured out a name for him yet?” Beth shook her head, pulling her long curly hair into a low ponytail.
“Nope. I can’t think of anything worthy of him yet.”
“It’ll come to you. Have a nice ride, I need to get up to the house and make sure everything is ready.” Beth waved and then got her saddle and finished tacking up.
Beth watched the horse go around her, smiling broadly. As he moved around she could see her parents standing at the rail.
“Do you think I should try him out?” she called. They exchanged a quick glance.
“Whatever you think honey. I’ll get you a bridle if you want,” Jess replied. Beth nodded.
“Nothing too strong!” she called. Her mother nodded and walked down the aisle. Beth led the horse to the wall, standing far enough away so that he couldn’t reach her father. Jess returned and handed her the bridle, watching as Beth put it on him. She let her stirrups down and swung quickly into the saddle. He stood quietly until she asked him to walk.
“Be careful Elizabeth,” Jason said. Beth laughed.
“Walk on champ,” she whispered. They moved forward smoothly. After several times around at a walk, she asked him to trot. She posted low in the saddle, smiling as he moved forward with ease. They cantered after that, and the smile on her face grew as she felt the evenness of his gait. She pulled up after another moment, smiling at her parents.
“That looked great,” her father said. She nodded, dismounting and running her stirrups up.
“It’s a start,” she said, patting him on the shoulder with a grin. He nickered softly and she clucked her tongue as she led him down the aisle toward his stall.
Beth jogged up the steps of her front porch, pulling her hair from its ponytail. She went into the house, sighing with relief when she felt the air conditioning. She kicked off her boots and went to the piano. It was almost four, and she still hadn’t practiced her new music.
“Mom are you home?” she called, plopping down on the piano bench. She didn’t get an answer. “Thank goodness, I needed some quiet,” she muttered, taking out her newest music. She began to play, but was interrupted soon after by a knock at the door. She went and opened it, finding a tall, dark haired boy.
“My father sent me down here. Are you Beth Fute?” he asked.
“Yup. Who’re you?” He shrugged, turning and staring out at the pastures with sad eyes.
“I’m David’s son,” he muttered.
“What’s your name? I don’t want to go around calling you David’s son all the time,” she said, smiling. He turned to look at her with cold eyes.
“Anthony. Anything else Beth?” he demanded, his tone harsh.
“Only one. Why don’t you leave now and come back when you can stop being such a jerk,” she said.
“My father didn’t tell me you had a temper,” he said with a grin. “Can I come in?” he asked, giving her a smile. She nodded, opening the door so he could walk past.
“It’s a little different from New York City, isn’t it?” she asked, sitting down on the piano bench again.
“Yeah, just a little. Do you play?” he asked. Beth nodded, glancing at her music.
“Yup. I’ve been playing since I turned eight,” she said. He looked at her, but it was clear his mind was somewhere else.
“My mother played,” he said quietly.
“Do you mind if I play a bit? I’ve got a lesson tomorrow, and I need to have these pieces under my belt.”
“Sure.” Anthony sat quietly as she played, watching her hands as they moved over the keys. He moved closer and turned the page when she was at the end of the last measure.
“Thanks,” she murmured, continuing. When she was done he grinned.
“You play very well,” he said.
“Thank you.
“How old are you?” She looked up at him with big, blue eyes.
“Almost seventeen. My birthday is in December. What about you?”
“I’ll be seventeen in August,” he said. They were quiet for a long moment.
“Do you feel like going to the barn with me? I need to work with one of my horses for a little while.”
“Sure. Let’s stop and get my sister on the way, she’d love to see the horses.”
“OK, let’s go.” She pulled on her boots, then led the way toward the barn.
Anthony put his sister, Megan, on his shoulders so she could see. Beth was riding King around the arena at a canter, heading for a jump. They cleared it, moving on toward a two-jump combination. King gathered his hind legs and shot over the first one and then she shortened his stride between the jumps before clearing the next. She patted his neck, looking toward the next jump. It was a simple four foot fence, but King didn’t like the look of it. He skidded to a halt, and Beth gripped with her knees, but slid over his shoulder anyway. She landed on her feet with a thud, then fell to her butt. She stared up at King, a wry expression on her face.
“Are you alright?” Anthony called, jogging toward her. She glanced at him.
“I’m fine, we’ll just do it again. You can go back to the rail with Megan.” He turned and walked away. Beth rolled up her breeches, sighing with relief when she saw that her prosthetic was still in one piece. King was staring down at her, seemingly confused that she was on the ground. “Let’s go dopey, we need to finish this,” she murmured. She swung into the saddle, then did the course again. This time King went over everything. She trotted to the rail and smiled down at Anthony and Megan. “Do you want to ride him?” she asked. The girl smiled.
“Can I Tony?” she asked, her voice hopeful.
“If you really want to Meg, but be careful. Dad would kill me if you got hurt.” Beth dismounted and doubled the stirrups over.
“OK Megan, bend your left leg and reach up and hang on to the saddle. I’m going to hand on to it and count to three. When I reach three I want you to jump, ok?” Megan nodded, and then did just as she had said.
“Wow, he’s tall,” the little girl whispered. Beth laughed.
“Yeah he is. Let’s go for a walk.” Megan nodded, smiling when the horse began to move. Beth led her around several times before she stopped. “That’s all for now, but next time we’ll try trotting. How does that sound?” Megan smiled, letting Beth help her from the saddle.
“That sounds fun. When can I ride again?” she asked excitedly.
“How about this Monday? I’ll ask your Dad if I can start giving you some lessons,” she said.
“Really? Wow, Tony isn’t that great?” she asked happily. Anthony shrugged indifferently.
“I guess. Come on Meg, let’s get back up to the house. Dad’s going to be worried,’ he muttered. Beth stared at him, not understanding what she’d done wrong.
“Is something the matter?’ she asked. He shook his head.
“No, not really. I just thought you were different, but you’re not. See you around Beth,” he said, walking out of the barn with Megan. Beth sighed, leading King toward his stall.
Her phone rang that night and Beth answered, “Hello?” There was a brief pause.
“Beth, it’s Rachel,” a tentative voice said. Beth sighed, plopping down on her bed.
“What do you want?” she asked. She heard Rachel take a deep breath.
“I need to talk to you. Can you come over?”
“Nope. You haven’t needed to talk to me for the past week, so why now?”
“Because I realized how stupid I was being. Come on Beth, please come over?”
“I have an appointment with Doctor Sheridan in twenty minutes Rachel, so I can’t make it tonight. I’ll talk to you later.” She hung up before Rachel had a chance to say anything else.
Doctor Sheridan smiled when Beth walked in and sat down in the chair across from her.
“How is everything Elizabeth?” she asked. Beth shrugged, glancing out the window.
“I don’t know. The nightmares still won’t go away… neither will my thoughts when I’m awake. It isn’t as easy as I thought it would be… then again nothing is easy.”
“What have the nightmares been about lately?”
“They always start out and I feel myself falling, and I wake up when I land. Then when I go back to sleep I’m laying on the ground, looking up at Dominick. In some of them the mountain lion is on top of me.”
“I want you to start writing down what’s happened all day before you go to bed. What were your thoughts, when you thought them, what you ate… anything that might be important.”
“So you want me to keep a journal?” Beth asked. Doctor Sheridan nodded slowly.
“Yes, if that’s what you want to call it. I’m going to start meeting with you on Saturdays so I can read the journal. Then I’ll drop it in your mailbox Sunday morning on my way here.
“Why do you want to read it?” Beth demanded.
“Maybe it will help us figure out a way to work past the nightmares. It’s worth a try don’t you think?” Beth paused for a moment and then nodded. “OK, let’s talk some more about what’s been going on lately.”
On Monday David walked Megan down the aisle in the barn. She was wearing a pair of rubber boots, a pair of jeans, and a T-shirt. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a French braid. Beth was in King’s stall, getting ready to take him out to the cross-country course.
“Hi Beth!” Megan exclaimed. Beth turned, smiling when she saw them.
“Hey Megan, I didn’t think you’d be here today,” Beth said, glancing at David.
“Well, I talked to Tony. Megan was really looking forward to it, so I made the decisions. I’m going to be out working with some two year olds for your mother, OK?” Beth nodded, watching as he walked from the barn. Megan smiled up at her.
“So can I ride him today?” she asked excitedly.
“You sure can. Let’s go get you a helmet, then we’ll start.” After the girl was mounted, Beth began teaching her the correct riding position.
“Why do you have to sit so funny?” Megan asked. Beth laughed, shrugging her shoulders.
“You mean with your heals down? Keeping them down helps keep your balance. It also helps keep you on when your horse is being bad. Remember when I fell of last time?” Megan nodded.
“We were really worried.”
“Well if my heels hadn’t been down, I might’ve gotten my foot caught in the stirrup.”
“Oh,” Megan whispered, her eyes wide. Beth smiled, patting the girl’s leg gently.
“Don’t worry. As long as you keep your heels down that won’t happen. I’m going to clip a longe line to his bridle, then you’ll be steering him around me in a circle.”
“OK.” Beth did as she said, and watched as King moved around her in a wide circle. After about ten minutes Beth called for a halt.
“Do you want to try to trot?” she asked. Megan nodded.
“Sure. What do I have to do?” Beth grinned.
“Just sit there, keep your heels down and try to keep your hands by his neck. I’ll lead you for the first few times.” She went to King’s head and hung on to his left rein, clucking her tongue as she started to jog. “Trot King,” she said. Beth glanced behind her and saw that the little girl was jostling around, but smiling. Beth grinned too, knowing it would just take a little time before the young girl got the hang of it.
Dominick rode into the stable yard, spotting Beth instantly. She was riding her new horse back and forth along the edge of the woods. The horse was moving stiffly, his eyes wide.
“What’s she doing?” Dominick asked her father. Jason sighed, shaking his head.
“Driving me nuts. She’s been working on that for two weeks, but that horse hates the woods,” Jason said, his voice slightly worried. Dominick watched as she posted to the animal’s stiff trot, her face drawn and serious.
“She’s doing alright with him though. He’s come a long way… it’s only been a month.”
“I guess you’re right. What’re you doing over here today Dom?” he asked. Dominick dismounted, running his stirrups up.
“I came to practice with Beth, but I probably should’ve called first.”
“Might’ve been a good idea. She just started working with him, and after she’s done she’s taking Megan to the mall.”
“Who’s Megan?” Dominick asked, leading his newest mount toward the barn. The horse was a twelve year old, black standardbred that was talented at jumping and dressage.
“David’s daughter. Beth’s taken a liking to her, so she’s bringing her shopping. David is giving her some money to get her some new clothes.”
“Didn’t she come with any?” Dominick kidded.
“She doesn’t have anything to wear around the farm all summer. I guess she needs play clothes and that kind of thing. I told David that I knew no better authority on buying clothes you can be around a barn in.” They both laughed, Dominick turning to watch Beth.
“Well I think she’s doing a great job with that horse. She has more guts than I ever will,” he observed. Jason nodded, following the young man to the barn.
Beth led the champ into the barn, patting his neck excitedly. She smiled at her father.
“He finally went without jumping away from the woods, at a posting trot too. I got him to go at a sitting trot twice. I’m going to go cool him down and give him a special treat. Where are those sugar cubes with the molasses in them?” she asked.
“Top drawer of the desk. Just remember to put them back, or those stupid cats your mother insists on keeping will get to them.” Beth laughed, leading the horse into his stall.
“Have you figured out a name for him yet honey?” Beth nodded.
“I think so. What do you think of Lion Heart?” Jason smiled, gazing at the horse.
“I think that’s perfect. Do you want me to get one of the sugar cubes for you?” She nodded, setting the saddle on the ground outside the stall door.
“Yeah, if you don’t mind. I want to kind of hurry, Megan’s waiting. She was so excited about going shopping, David told me she didn’t sleep last night.”
“Dominick is down in the arena. He came over to practice, but I told him you were going out.”
“He’s still here?” she asked. Jason nodded.
“Yeah, he wants to set up a time to practice. I’ll be right back.” Beth continued to groom, then took her saddle and bridle into the tack room. When she retuned, her father was waiting with the sugar cube. Beth took it from him and laid her palm out flat. Lion took it eagerly and Beth grinned.
“I’ll see you later Lion, I’ve got things to do,” she murmured, patting his neck and going down to the arena. Dominick was urging a large black horse over a big fence. His form was off, and the horse was objecting strongly. On landing he pulled up, and noticed Beth standing by the rail.
“Hey Beth, what’s up?” he asked, dismounting.
“I don’t know, why don’t you tell me? Why are you riding like that?” she demanded. He sighed, leading the horse toward her.
“I have other things on my mind. Since you and Rachel fought all she talks about is you. That and the mountain; she wants to know what happened up there. On top of that, I can’t find you to practice… and we really need to,” he said, his face angry.
“So you’re mad at me now? Come off it Dominick, we’ve never had to practice together before.”
“We’re older now. We need to take more responsibility!” he exclaimed.
“You are unreal. I need to go, I’m suppose to be doing something right now.”
“That figures,” he muttered. She shook her head and then pasted a fake smile on her lips.
“Goodbye Dominick.” She walked from the barn, leaving an angry Dominick behind.
Megan held Beth’s hand as they walked through the mall. They already had a couple pairs of jeans and lots of T-shirts.
“Hey Meg, do you want to go to the tack store with me?” Beth asked. Megan looked up at her, a confused look on her face.
“What’s a tack store?”
“It’s a place where they sell saddles, bridles, and lots of horse stuff.”
“We should definitely go there!” Megan exclaimed, skipping happily. Beth grinned and led the young girl out to her car. They drove to the tack store and went in. Megan looked around in awe and Beth browsed until she found what she was looking for.
“OK, why don’t we get you a special pair of sneakers for horseback riding?” Beth suggested. Megan nodded, sitting down on a bag of grain. Beth had the girl try on several pairs.
“These feel the best,” Megan said. The sneakers were black, and had a special heel on them designed especially for riding.
“Good choice kiddo. Let’s get you a pair of breeches and a pair of half chaps. Then I’m going to use my Dad’s card to get some thing she needed.” They picked out the rest of Megan’s things, paid for them, and took them to the car. Then they returned to the store and Beth went over to the saddles. She looked at a few and then walked toward the halters and leads. A bright blue halter and lead set caught her eye. “Hey Megan, do you think Lion would look good with this halter on?” Beth asked. Megan nodded.
“Yeah, it’s pretty.” Beth nodded, picking it up and going back to the register.
Beth smiled at David when she walked in with Megan, both hands full.
“She was really great David, totally perfect wherever we went,” Beth said. Megan beamed.
“Beth was good too. She got me some really fun stuff to wear around the barn,” Megan said.
“I’m glad that you both behaved yourselves. Let’s get all this put away, then I need to get going. I promised Suzanne that I’d meet her at seven thirty. I just hope Anthony gets home in time,” David said.
“I’ll stay with her until he gets back. We can get all this stuff put away too.”
“Thanks a lot Beth. I’m going to go take a quick shower before I leave. I should be back around eleven.”
“What time do you want Megan in bed?”
“Nine thirty at the very latest. I’ll be down soon,” he said. They both nodded, going into the living room.
Beth sat in David’s living room, still waiting for Anthony to arrive. It was ten, and she was watching ER. Suddenly the front door opened. Anthony walked in, tossing his jacket into a chair.
“What’re you doing here?” he muttered.
“What’s your problem with me? I never did anything wrong, and you hate me.”
“You’re just like I hoped you wouldn’t be. Where’re my father and Megan?”
“Megan’s in bed, and your father is on a date. He asked me to stay until you got home.”
“Why did he leave her with you? Is he a complete idiot?” he demanded. Beth grabbed her jacket and pulled it on.
“Are you?” she muttered, starting toward the door. Anthony caught her elbow.
“Don’t ever call me stupid again Beth. You’re the stuck up brat, not me.”
“I’m stuck up? What on earth did I do to make you think that?”
“The first time I met you, all you could talk about was your stupid horses. All you do is ride, and you could care less about anyone or anything else.”
“I ride because I have to, because my horses mean more to me than anything else. I let Megan ride because I thought she’d like it, and I was right. Don’t you want her to be happy?” she asked in an angry whisper.
“Who cares what I want? I never get them.”
“I know about your mother, and I know that it’s awful.”
“What do you know about it? Your mother is alive.”
“Jess isn’t my real my mother, she’s my father’s second wife,” she said.
“So your parents are divorced, big deal. My mother died.”
“My real mother isn’t around,” she muttered, looking away from him.
“At least she isn’t dead,” he retorted. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes.
“Yes she is. Let go of me!” She pulled her arm free, jogging out of the house.
The next morning Beth rode Lion along the edge of the woods, posing to his trot. His ears were twitching back and forth. Beth itched his withers gently. She eased him to a halt at the path that lead into the woods.
“OK champ, let’s see if this’ll work,” she whispered. Lion flicked his ears back as she squeezed his sides. He pranced, not wanting to go into the woods. She squeezed harder, talking softly. He took a tentative step forward. The sound of sirens from the driveway made him rear up, but Beth stayed with him. “Easy Lion,” she murmured.
“Beth I need you down here quick!” a voice yelled. She turned Lion and asked him for a canter. Her father was standing in the driveway, holding King.
“Daddy what’s wrong?” she asked, dismounting.
“David’s daughter just got kicked. We need to meet the ambulance at the hospital.
“Who kicked her?” she demanded. Jason handed her King’s lead.
“He did,” he muttered, turning and jogging away. Beth handed her reins and lead to one of the stable hands, jogging toward David’s house.
Anthony was sitting on the back porch, his face in his hands. Beth walked toward him quietly, placing her hand on his shoulder.
“What do you want?” he demanded. She sighed, choking back tears.
“I’m sorry. If I had known she’d go into his stall…” she trailed off, beginning to cry. Anthony looked at her for a long moment before standing and putting his arms around her.
“It wasn’t your fault, she knew better than to go in without someone there,” he said quietly.
“I really am sorry,” she whispered. He pulled away slightly, staring down at her.
“No, I am. I shouldn’t have been such a jerk when I first got here. I didn’t realize that you were just doing what you always did.”
“It’s alright,” she said, pulling away completely. He watched as she started to walk down the steps.
“I’ll see you later!” he called. She turned, walking backwards and waving.
Three nights later the doorbell at Beth’s house rang. She answered it, and at once was pulled into a tight hug. The person holding her was spinning her around in circles.
“Wait a minute!” she exclaimed. The person stopped abruptly, putting her down. Anthony smiled down at her sheepishly.
“Sorry, but I had to celebrate. Meg’s going to be ok. My Dad called and told me that she woke up,” he said excitedly. She hugged him tightly, then pulled away to look up at him.
“That’s great.”
“Your parents said to tell you that they were going to stay in a hotel close to the hospital tonight, and that they’ll be back tomorrow.” She felt her body tighten with fear, and he saw all the color drain from her face.
“What did you say?” she whispered.
“They didn’t want to come all the way back tonight since it’s so late… so they’re just going to stay there. Are you alright?” he asked.
“You’ve got to stay here tonight,” she said, not really thinking. He gazed at her in surprise.
“You’ve gotta’ be kidding!” he exclaimed. She shook her head, walking back into the house.
“Either you stay here or I’ll stay at your house. I just can’t stay alone.” He followed her, still confused.
Beth covered up before Anthony came back downstairs, not exactly sure how to tell him she had a prosthetic leg. He came in, looking down at her.
“Where do you want me to sleep?” he asked. Beth pointed to the other couch.
“I’m going to sleep here, you can take that one. There are blankets upstairs in the closet, first door on the left.”
“Will you come help me find them?” She shook her head.
“You’ll find them,” she assured him. He pulled the blankets off of her before she could stop him. He gasped, backing up slowly when he saw that she was missing a leg.
“What the heck…” he began. She began to cry suddenly.
“I… oh my god,” she whispered. Anthony was sitting on the arm of the couch.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize,” he whispered. She shook her head, brushing tears from her face.
“No, I am. I should’ve told you before this. I got into an accident a long time ago. This is what happened.”
“Sorry about the way I reacted, I was just surprised.” She nodded and smiled a little.
“I really am sorry, I just wasn’t thinking. I forget about it most of the time.”
“It’s ok. We better get some sleep. I’ll see you in the morning,” he said. She nodded, turning over and shutting her eyes.
Beth screamed, sitting up quickly. Anthony was at her side immediately.
“What’s wrong?” he asked. She shook her head, wiping sweat from her brow.
“Nightmare. Sorry for waking you up,” she whispered, trying to rid her mind of the horrible images.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked. She shook her head again.
“No, you can go back to sleep.”
“One thing first,” he whispered. She watched as he leaned closer, letting his lips touch hers before going back to the other couch.
“Goodnight Anthony,” she said quietly.
Almost two months later, at the end of August, there was a horse show and Beth entered Lion and King. Megan was going to go with her.
“Are you going to win?” Megan asked as they walked into the barn. Beth smiled, shrugging her shoulders.
“I hope so, but Lion might not cooperate today. I just entered him to see what’d happen.” Megan nodded, stopping when Beth did. Lion’s head appeared over the side of the stall door, and he nudged Beth.
“Can I pet him yet?” Megan asked. Beth shook her head slowly.
“Not yet Meg, I don’t think he’s ready to trust you that much yet. He likes you enough to let you stand so close though, and that’s a big deal.”
“I know. He’s pretty to look at too. Are you going to jump him today?”
“Yup. Come on, we’ll go find your Dad so I can get changed.” Megan took her hand and walked from the barn with her.
Lion pranced excitedly as they waited for their number to be called. Beth glanced at her parents and smiled.
“He’ll be fine once we get started,” she told them. Jason and Jess nodded, trying to smile back.
“We’re sure he will sweetheart,” Jess said, glancing at Jason. He nodded, watching as she swung into the saddle.
“Number sixty seven, please enter the ring,” the judge called. Beth smiled, patting Lion’s neck.
“That’s us champ.” She squeezed his sides and they trotted into the ring. She asked for a canter and he obeyed instantly. They took the first jump easily, then the next. The third was an easy straight rail and they sailed over it. They finished the round, going clear. As soon as applause broke out, Lion reared up and danced to the side. Beth grinned and patted his neck. “That’s alright big guy, that just means you did a good job,” she murmured, asking for a trot. When they were out of the ring she dismounted.
“Beth that was great!” Megan yelled, running toward them. Lion backed up quickly, but Beth held on to him. David grabbed his daughter and picked her up.
“Sorry Beth, she got away from me. That looked very nice,” he said. She smiled.
“Thanks David. Where’s Anthony?” she asked casually. David smiled and winked at her.
“He’s down at the track with some friends. They were going to see if they could meet some famous jockeys.”
“Did he know I was showing today?” she asked, running her stirrups up.
“Yup, Meg told him a couple times. I guess he was too busy winning big.” Beth nodded sullenly, and began to lead Lion away.
“Thanks David, I’ll see you later.” She went toward the barn, wondering what she had done.
Beth hung her five blue ribbons in her case, smiling softly. There was almost no more room in the glass case.
“Beth we’re going out now!” her father called suddenly. Beth went to the top of the stairs.
“OK. What time will you be back?”
“Past midnight, so you’ll probably be asleep. Are you sure you’ll be alright?”
“I’m sure Daddy. If not, I’ll go over to David’s.”
“Alright. We’ll see you tomorrow morning. Nice job today honey.” Beth nodded, returning to the trophy room.
At around ten thirty someone knocked on the front door. Beth went to it and opened it slowly. Anthony was there, his hands in the pockets of his jeans.
“Hey, I heard you did a really great job today,” he said. She didn’t smile.
“I did ok,” she replied. Anthony laughed, shaking his head slowly.
“I think five blue ribbons is more than ok. Dad told me that Lion was really good for you. Two blues came from him, right?” She shrugged indifferently.
“Yeah.” He looked at her with questioning eyes.
“Well I’m really happy for you. King did great too, didn’t he?” She sighed.
“What do you care?” she demanded angrily. His jaw dropped.
“I care a lot. I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, but I don’t have that many friends here. When someone asks me to do something, I usually do it.”
“You have barely talked to me the past two months. What’s the matter with you?” she asked. He sighed, turning away from her. The crickets were out, along with the moon. It was full and cast a bright glow over the stable yard.
“I don’t know. I guess I’m just being stupid. I’m not sure how to act around anyone here, especially you.” She stared at his back.
“What did I do wrong?” she asked. He faced her again, taking her shoulders.
“Nothing. I really like you. I shouldn’t like someone when my mother just died. It’s stupid I guess.”
“You like me?” she asked. He nodded.
“Is that so hard to believe?”
“Considering you acted like I barely existed, yeah. Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Why didn’t you at least hang around with me?”
“You’re always around horses, and I’m afraid of them. You’re always doing something that’s a one person thing. I didn’t think it’d be worth my while to try and get your attention. I don’t like to be disappointed.”
“Who told you that you’d be disappointed?” she asked quietly. He shrugged.
“I guess I did. I need to get back up to the house, but I’ll talk to you later.”
“OK, bye Anthony.” He smiled, leaning down and kissing her gently.
“Call me Tony,” he said, walking down the stairs and up toward his house. Beth smiled, going back into the house and up to bed.
