I retightened Winny’s girth and with Kally’s help, sprung onto Winny’s tall back. It felt natural to be in the saddle again. Kally wiped the dust off my boots while I gave myself a mental examination. Sucking in a breath, a dull throb registered in my chest. “Really whacked myself on the saddle, didn’t I?”
Kally laughed. “Uh, yeah. I was pretty sure you were going to fall off. Looked pretty painful.”
“I promise it is,” I said, rubbing my sternum.
With our entourage behind us, we clip-clopped down the aisle to wait to be given the go ahead to return to the arena.
“Folks, the judges have confirmed the final placings and we’ll be pleased to present the top three finishers, all ladies this year,” the announcer boomed. “In third place, we have Katie Welsh on Speeding Bullet!”
Katie gave Bullet the spurs and he was out of the gate like a racehorse, galloping in front of the cheering crowd. Katie beamed and waved happily, circling around and eventually pulling Bullet to a decisive stop in front of the group of judges and sponsors waiting at the center of the arena. A few of them wiped sand from their lapels and Katie, hiding a laugh behind the back of her hand, apologized.
“Second place goes to Nadia Wells on her bay mare, Headed for the Win! She’s done well, ladies and gentlemen. This was her first four star event and I imagine she’s quite pleased with her placing. Let’s give her a round of applause.”
My heart fluttered in my chest at the compliment. As I readied Winny for a sprint around the arena, Mike ran forward. “Wait!” he called.
I turned to him, and he reached up and put his warm hand on the back on my neck, pulling me down into a tender but passionate kiss. My insides did somersaults and I wanted to melt off the saddle into his arms. “Good job,” he said with a devilishly charming smile.
“Thanks,” was all I could manage to croak. I swore to myself I would never take a kiss from him for granted again and leaned down for another quick peck. Once he stepped back, Winny and I were off.
I blinked as we exited the shadowed tunnel into the bright noon sunlight that bathed the stadium. I took a moment to enjoy the wind whipping around my face and the warmth of the sun on my skin. Then, raising a hand and giving a broad smile, I acknowledged and thanked the crowd. Mom whistled shrilly, much to the annoyance of those around her. She didn’t care. It was her daughter who’d done so well.
Transitioning Winny down into a trot, I reined her to a halt next to Katie. We laughed about Bullet’s sliding stop and waited for Gloria to make her appearance.
“Finally, Gloria Reed and Chaos have taken first place!” said the announcer happily. “This is their first win as a pair and Gloria’s second first place win at the Regalia, the first of which she achieved five years ago.”
Chaos tugged on the bit excitedly and burst into the arena. Gloria held her hand high but smiled only slightly, condescending to the show’s patrons. She was right where she expected to be.
Gloria pulled up right beside Winny and I but did not look our direction. The audience continued to clap a few moments longer before silencing while Carlos passed out awards and draped silken ribbons over our horses. We shook hands with the judges, technical delegates, course designers and sponsors, gracious accepting their congratulations. Then the earsplitting roar from the fans started again.
I turned to Gloria. “I know what you did,” I stated matter-of-factly between a broad smile I held for the crowd. “You’re not going to get away with this.”
“With what?” she said without the slightest hint of concern.
“How you cheated. How you sabotaged Belle and Gretchen’s stirrup and put sponges in Winny’s nose so she couldn’t breathe.”
Her thin lips curled into a wicked smile and her midnight black eyes twinkled evilly. “Prove it.”
Carlos stepped forward and shouted over the crowd, “Ladies, you may take your victory lap, Gloria first, please.”
Chaos led the way and Winny and Bullet quickly followed. Though I managed to wave to the crowd and play my part, I solemnly made a vow. I will, Gloria. You just wait and see.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I think that’s everything,” Kally said, standing and stretching, her hands massaging the small of her back.
“You are quite the organizer,” I said. Lifting the lid of my tack box, every brush and comb and pick in its own place. “Tidy too.”
Kally blushed slightly at the compliment. “I know you like to know where your stuff is. The cleanliness is just an added bonus. It’s hard to get a horse clean using dirty stuff.”
I looked to Kally, who had busied herself rechecking our tack rooms for anything that might have been left behind, ignoring my blatant staring.
“I couldn’t have done this without you.”
“Huh?” she stopped and finally met my gaze.
“None of this would’ve been possible if I hadn’t had your help,” I thanked her genuinely.
Kally swelled with pride and laughed lightheartedly. “So this means I won’t be fired when we get back home?”
It was my turn to blush. I’d been pretty horrible to her on occasion and had taken for granted her skill. “No,” I chuckled to mask my embarrassment. “You’re here to stay.”
“Good. Maybe it’s time to ask for a raise,” she quipped.
“Yeah, maybe. That’s Danika’s department,” I winked.
Show jumping had ended by lunchtime but the interviews and meeting with fans had lasted several hours afterwards. I spotted the scrawny girl in the crowd who’d asked Winny for an autograph and instead had received an illegible scribble on a photo of me and her sailing over a jump. I made sure to make it up to her. Singling her out, I resigned a photo, snapped a handful of selfies together and handed over my necktie pin for good measure. She displayed a mouthful of braces in a winning grin as we strolled away.
Each of the riders was shuffled in front of the press and asked a barrage of questions. Gretchen loved the limelight and was glowing from all the attention, confidently looking right into the cameras focused on her. She knew just how to answer questions, to tug at the heartstrings or get a laugh. When her turn was up, she graciously thanked them and stepped off the stage, into the shadows.
I chewed my nails while awaiting my turn. A few of the other riders congratulated me on my placing and we chit-chatted casually. Before I knew it, I was being shoved on stage. I found my seat, front and center, and sat down. I hadn’t realized how tired my feet were until I took a load off.
Having only a few minutes per rider, the reporters began grilling me on the spot. They delved into my past, how I got started riding, my fairytale story of working student to star rider. Then, the inevitable came, and she’d held it to the very last question, probably for dramatic flair.
“How do you feel about your second place finish? Some say that’d make you the first place loser,” asked a fiendish reporter with tight, frowning lips and eyebrows that were permanently furrowed. She was goading me for an emotional response that’d make for a good story.
Unexpectedly, my eyes stung with the threat of tears. I gulped back the rock lodged in my throat and forced my lips to smile, even though it was fake. Inhaling through my nose, I looked around in desperation. How would I answer such a question? Should I spill my guts and admit disappointment? Or should I feign total happiness and satisfaction at a performance that wasn’t enough?
Then, I saw Ms. Diederich, standing proudly, her wrinkled face resolute and her watery, gray eyes trained on me. She was flanked by Danika who was elegant and graceful as ever and who never betrayed how hard she worked, always keeping up appearances. Mike stared hard and his strong jawline clenched tightly while he regarded us. When our eyes met, a little dimple appeared in his cheek as he smiled encouragingly to me. Then, I remembered my conversation with Ms. Diederich.
I leaned into the microphone and looked straight at the reporter, whose hand hovered over her paper, ready to sc
ribble down my words.
“We never really lose, do we? We either win or we learn,” I answered.
The journalists were oddly subdued as they jotted down my response. I received the usual applause as I exited the stage and waited till I was out of sight to wipe the beads of perspiration off my forehead.
“Phew!” I overdramatically sighed as Gretchen caught up with me.
“What are you so worried about? You, a rookie, almost winning the event and now, you’ve probably given the most memorable line of the entire week. You’re the Regalia’s darling.” She watched me with her pale green eyes.
“Your grandma gave me a pep talk after the stadium round. I guess she deserves the credit for the inspirational quote,” I laughed, elbowing her playfully in the ribs.
Gretchen gave a heavy sigh and flicked her flaxen hair behind her shoulder. “Let’s go get something to eat before we pack up the trailer. Danika said she wanted to head back early tomorrow morning and I for one am not skipping the chance to sleep in for the first time in weeks.”
I laughed at her dramatics. “I’m pretty sure we’ll be pulling out by six. Not exactly a lot of time to sleep in.”
“Better than three in the morning. I’ve barely been able to sleep in with all these show jitters.”
“You get nervous?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’d have never guessed.”
She picked up on my sarcasm and gave me a shove. “C’mon. Let’s find Pete and Mike. There’s a hamburger and fries somewhere nearby with my name on it.”
“I am so full,” I groaned, rubbing my hand over my stomach.
“No offense, but you had an appetite like a horse. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you eat that much,” Mike said, with a lilting chortle.
“Hey!” I punched his arm lightly. “I don’t think I found time to eat all week—I’m famished!”
Mike grabbed my waist and picked me up, pretending to guess my weight, bobbing me up and down in the air. “You feel the same to me.”
“Shut up,” I giggled. “Put me down.”
Mike placed me beside him and grabbed my hand while we strolled back to the barn. The grounds were pretty well deserted now. Most of the competitors had their grooms pack up for them that afternoon and loaded their horses on transports while they flew home first class. I still preferred to ride home with Winny personally.
In the barn, Chaos and Stoney’s stalls, along with a few others, were already vacant. Isis and Winny nickered as we walked into the building. In the fading evening light, their coats both shone with a tinge of fire from the sinking sun and their dark, liquid eyes were trained on us. It was pretty obvious what both mares were wanting as they squeezed their muscular upper lips through the bars of their stalls. Treats.
I rummaged through my tack trunk, undoing a few things that Kally had so meticulously placed until I found a tin of apple flavored cookies.
“Here you go,” I said, giving Winny and Isis a handful each. The crunching as they chewed was rhythmic, almost therapeutic. Running my hand up Winny’s face to her white star, hidden under her black forelock, I silently thanked her again for our amazing ride.
“I’ll be right back,” Mike said unexpectedly. “Just need to get something out of the car.”
“Okay,” I said with a shrug. “I’ll wait here.”
He jogged out the end of the barn and disappeared toward where he’d parked his car.
I took the moment of solitude to verbalize my gratitude to Winny. “Hey girl,” I cooed, reaching into her stall. She met my hand and blew a warm breath on it before I scratched at the velvety part of her rubbery nostrils. “You were fantastic out there. I just wanted to thank you again for all of your hard work.” I continued talking, putting into words the array of emotions I’d felt over the week: hope, fear, desperation, trust, friendship.
In the middle of my seemingly one-sided conversation, a familiar voice interrupted. “Nadia?”
My heart practically bolted from my chest. I hadn’t even heard him walk into the barn, even though his boots crunched and clicked along the concrete. After a week of heightened equine senses, I wasn’t used to my duller, human ones.
“Chuck,” I gasped, clutching my chest. “I didn’t hear you come in.”
“My apologies. Am I interrupting a conversation with Winny?”
“Oh,” I chuckled and admitted sheepishly. “Yeah.”
He regarded me without speaking for a moment, then ducked his head, studying his plain, well-used cowboy boots and hiding his face behind the brim of his hat. Finally, he broke the silence.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Yeah, sure.”
“How did you bond so well with Winny? You talk to her like she understands and you know exactly what she’s feeling.” He cleared his throat, “It reminds me of that folklore I told you about the man who became a horse. Remember that one? It was way back when Winny bucked you off the day before Gallant Meadows started.”
“The guy who was unkind to horses and learned his lesson by becoming one? Yeah, I remember that story. It was a good one. As for my relationship with Winny, a lot of it has come with time,” I started. “Some of it is just that our personalities mesh. Being patient with each other helps, too. There are a lot of factors, really.” My answer was a half-truth but I wasn’t going about to tell the real story of our switching places. I’m sure I’d sound like an outright looney.
“I admire you for that. It’s something that not many people get to that level of unity with their horses. Helena had it with several of her horses and I see it between Gretchen and Isis. I’m not even sure I’ve ever gotten to that point with any horse,” he admitted.
“Chuck,” I laid my hand on his arm. “Of all the horsemen I’ve met, you probably have the closest relationship with your horses as anyone. Boy sure thinks the world of you.”
“You think so?” Chuck smiled like a little kid being complemented by a mindful adult.
“I know he does.”
“How?” Chuck asked with a smirk.
“It’s not hard to see. Some horses tolerate their riders, but Boy, he trusts you.”
Chuck paused a moment before answering, looking like he was close to tears. “Thank you for the compliment. I mean it.”
We shook hands and he strolled out into the twilight with his hands tucked in his Levis. A solitary cricket chirped in the tepid night air and a few brown bats flitted through the light of faint moonbeams.
“Ready?” Mike panted slightly as he jogged back into the barn. A checkered blanket was folded over his arm and he grinned mischievously.
“For what?”
“Star gazing.” He took his cap off and ruffled his dirty blonde hair. “C’mon. It’s a perfect night.”
His hand was warm as he grabbed mine and pulled me along to a sloping hill near the barn. Mike snapped the blanket open and draped it over the grass then stretched out on the ground, resting his head on his hands.
“The view from here is spectacular.” I couldn’t help but notice his sweet blue eyes were trained on me and not the stars. I blushed again.
I scooted down next to him, putting my head on his elbow and my arm over his ribcage. His chest swelled with a deep breath, and I nuzzled close to him, relishing his touch.
“Nadia?” he said in a hushed voice.
“Hmm?” I asked, staring at the twinkling stars and absentmindedly trying to find constellations I recognized.
“I’ve been waiting to bring this up. I know you’ve been busy getting ready for the Regalia and have your eyes set on next year’s Olympics. I’m busy with school too, and our relationship has basically been long distance for the past few years. I’m happy with us and don’t want to pressure you into anything, and I’m okay with waiting to move forward on anything. We’ve both got a lot on our plate, but really, I think that’s kind of the point. There’s always going to be something to keep us occupied, but I’m really ready to start a
new chapter of our lives together.”
I sat up and placed my hand over his mouth, “Mike, you’re rambling.” I gave a melodic giggle and he matched me with a relieved laugh. “What are you trying to say?”
“Nadia,” he said with a faint quaver in his voice, “I’m trying to ask you if you’d marry me.” He reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring box, flipping it open to reveal a simple white gold band inlaid with brilliantly sparkling diamonds. “Danika suggested this setting. She said it’d be more comfortable to wear while riding,” he murmured.
Under my arm, his pulse had quickened. I found his apprehension adorable. I almost didn’t notice my own frame trembling with excitement.
Propped up on my arm, I saw the streaking tail of a shooting star. It was gone by the time I looked up, but it didn’t matter. I took it as a good sign. Leaning over, I pressed my mouth to his and enjoyed the warmth and sweetness of his lips. When I pulled away, Mike’s eyes remained closed for a moment before he looked up at me. I smiled back at him.
“I thought you’d never ask.”
THE END
Rachael currently resides in Indiana with her husband, children, Stoney,--a flashy paint gelding she’s had for over eighteen years—and his sassy but cute pasture mate, Dancer. When Rachael’s not writing, she’s wrangling the children, working on her farmer’s tan, hanging precariously from ladders, getting dirt under her nails, playing the sousaphone, nurturing her love/hate relationship with running and of course, riding the horses. Road to the Regalia is Rachael Eliker’s second novel in the Nadia and Winny series.
Visit The Rehomesteaders’ blog to follow along with Rachael’s adventures.
http://therehomesteaders.blogspot.com/
http://rachaeleliker.com/
Road to the Regalia (Nadia and Winny Book 2) Page 19
