“Nice try, but as I stated, it’s a surprise, so if you want to know what it is, just be ready at nine.”
“But what should I wear?”
Fair question, Gareth thought. “Wear jeans and t-shirt, and maybe bring a light jacket. We’ll be outside mucking about, so maybe a pair of trainers?” Kelsey brightened, “I brought my paddock boots, would they work?” Gareth couldn’t help but smile. “Perfect! Get plenty of rest as I think you’re going to need it.”
* * *
After breakfast, Kelsey excused herself from the table, as she wanted to change into her paddock boots and pull her hair up in a ponytail. As she slipped on her boots she thought of home, but the feeling didn’t make her as homesick as it did earlier in her stay. She was grateful she had been able to get over her initial feelings about Gareth, that silly fear that shook her at the first experience meeting him. She felt firm and happy in their friendship, which had never been more real to her than with what she lived through with him Friday night. I can’t believe that I imagined either one of us would be so immature as to make this into something complicated, she thought. Gareth is a good guy and a good friend, and I’m so glad to have more going on during this trip than just schoolwork. I couldn’t have asked for better. With that, she walked into the bathroom to find a hair tie.
As Kelsey finished getting ready upstairs, Gareth and his mother sipped their morning cup of tea together. “What are you up to this morning, Gareth?” Camilla asked with a smile.
“Kelsey’s been working so hard, and I thought a surprise visit to the York Riding Academy would be just what she needed.”
“Ah,” Camilla responded. “And how did the party go Friday night?”
Gareth's smiled immediately and began to blush. “It was okay. Kelsey nearly lost her liver to the alcohol fairy, but I was able to take care of her.”
Camilla stared blankly at her son before she raised her hand to her mouth, never once tearing her eyes off of him. “Oh my Lord, how did I not see this until now?”
“See what?” Gareth responded in a defensive tone.
Another moment passed when Camilla leaned into the table and whispered, “Gareth, you’re in love with her.” Staring back at her, Gareth threw his napkin on his plate and pushed his chair from the table, taking his dishes into the kitchen. Camilla gave him a moment and then walked into the kitchen where she found him standing in front of the sink staring out the window.
Another beat of silence fell until Gareth finally spoke up. “I am. I am in love with her, Mum. From the day she arrived, I’ve had to work exceptionally hard not to make a total ass of myself, because I’ve fallen for a girl who is in love with someone else.” She could hear his voice catch and saw his breathing hitch. “I decided that making memories with her was the best that I was going to get.” Camilla walked up behind him and affectionately held his arm. Before she could speak, they heard Kelsey come bounding down the stairs.
“Okay, I’m ready!” Kelsey stopped hard when she walked in on Gareth and Camilla. “Oh, did I interrupt something?”
“Not a thing. Let’s go,” Gareth said, grabbing his car keys. Kelsey looked at Gareth and then his mother, who appeared as if she’d seen a ghost. As they walked to the car, Kelsey looked back at the house. Then, before sliding into the car, she looked at Gareth. “Are you sure everything is okay?” Holding the door open for her he responded, “Everything is fine. Now are you ready for your surprise?” Kelsey smiled as she nodded yes. “Alright then, off we go.”
The fifty-minute drive through the English countryside took Kelsey’s breath away. Even the giant billowy clouds made it more magnificent as the sun’s rays pierced through them, sending gold fire across the fields, spilling over the stonewall fences that stretched the country side. “I cannot get over how beautiful it is here, Gareth. How old do you think some of those stone fences are?”
“Many of them date back centuries, as they were boundary dividers that the farmers used.”
Kelsey sighed, “Who knew it would become such a work of art, thousands of years later.”
Gareth smiled, “There you go again, sounding not eighteen.”
“Oh yes, well I will get right on that, sir,” she said with a laugh. Just as their banter ended, Gareth looked ahead and saw a large sign he’d been told to watch for. Kelsey, who was squinting, began to read the sign aloud. “York…Riding…York Riding Academy?!” she yelled, eyes large with delight and a smile so wide that Gareth didn’t think it possible. Looking at him, she asked, “Gareth! Is this my surprise?”
Putting on his right blinker, he slowed the car and pulled onto the long driveway that bobbed and curved its way around the hill to the stable. “Yes, it is.” They pulled up to a giant stone stable, the likes of which Kelsey had only ever seen and read about in magazines.
Kelsey took in the flurry of activity. There was a sand ring where youngsters on their ponies were enjoying a group class. In the other ring, there was what looked to be a private dressage lesson going on. Getting out of the car, Kelsey was gobsmacked and could barely speak as she never dreamed of experiencing her favorite hobby during this summer trip. She was here to study; riding a horse in the picturesque British countryside was never an option for her. She turned to Gareth who came up behind her and gently placed his hand on her shoulder and, in a concerned tone, asked, “Are you okay?”
After taking a moment to clear the knot in her throat, Kelsey was finally able to respond. “I’m more than okay, Gareth.” Just as she finished speaking, a man with a sun-weathered face, in riding pants, English riding boots, and dark polo approached them. “You must be Gareth and Kelsey.” Reaching out his hand, he introduced himself, “I’m Archer Livingston, head Riding Master. Kelsey, I understand that you ride back in the states and that you’ve been missing your weekly hacks through the fields?”
Kelsey could only smile and nod yes; she was so overwhelmed that she was trying desperately not to miss any of the details of all that was happening. Archer laughed, “I believe you’re the first American girl I’ve met who’s had so little to say!” They all laughed, and Kelsey finally breathed what felt like was her first breath in ten minutes. “I do miss my weekly hacks, Mr. Livingston, very much so.”
“Well, your friend Gareth here has arranged an afternoon of hacks and picnics if that is alright with you?” Astounded, Kelsey looked back and forth between both men. “I cannot think of anything that sounds more lovely.”
“Wonderful! Let me introduce you to your horse.”
As they walked towards the stable, Kelsey turned to look for Gareth. “You’re coming along as well, right?”
Gareth couldn’t help but smile when he responded, “And miss this adventure? Not for all the tea in China!” Standing at the cross ties, Gareth watched Kelsey groom Higgins, who would be her horse for the afternoon. He watched as she talked to him as if he were another person. Then she wrapped his legs and added bell boots and then the saddle pad and saddle and then the girth. Just before adding the final piece of the bridal, she gathered her hair into a net that Archer had provided and put on her helmet. Gareth had to grin. She looked so happy. If he’d known that this was going to make her this thrilled, he would’ve arranged the event weeks ago.
As she removed the cross ties and the halter, Kelsey glanced at Gareth with a puzzled look on her face. Leaning with his shoulder against the stable door, he asked her quietly, “What? What is it?” As she continued to put the bit in the horse’s mouth, she looked over at him and asked, “Do you even know how to ride?”
Gareth chuckled, “As a matter of fact I do, and you can thank my sisters for that.”
“Really?” she replied.
“Yes, really. When I was twelve, as a part of my Saturday morning sporting activities, riding was a requirement. My sisters trained to ride when they went through their horse phase. Thankfully I never fell off and broke any bones, and my parents finally let me focus on football the following year. But, my sisters’ horse obsession pre
pared me for a day like today, so that, to me, is the bonus.”
Kelsey smiled, “Well we shall see how good your seat really is and if those lessons paid off won’t we?” Archer came around the corner to see how Kelsey was coming along and was pleased at what he saw. “Fine job there, Kelsey. Gareth, your horse, Digby, is outside with the stable hand. We can follow you out and all make our way to the mounting block. We’ll ride for three miles through Grangers Field and then stop by the river where we can picnic and make our way back.”
After rechecking girths one last time, Kelsey, who was hardly able to contain her excitement, was the first to mount. Once Gareth was on Digby and Archer on his horse, they both came along beside Kelsey and Higgins. “The kitchen crew will meet us by the river with the Land Rover and have lunch prepared in a couple of hours. Are you ready to see the English countryside on horseback, Kelsey?”
With a smile that stole Gareth’s heart, Kelsey confidently responded, “Absolutely.”
The clouds hung low and created an ethereal fog up the side of the mountain where they found themselves on the trail. Going up the side of the hill and finding it steep at times, they followed the banks of the river. While it was a warm day, the cloud cover and breeze kept everyone cool. Archer told them stories of the rich history of the county, how he had worked as a young man in the Queen’s stable where he helped in overseeing the care of her Majesty’s race horses, including the famous mare Burmese. He told tales of his adventures there and at other stables he’d trained under in England. Kelsey loved hearing the stories as they dotted the hillside.
Once they reached the end of the trail, they arrived at a cottage next to the river. It had a restroom inside that Kelsey was delighted to see. As the stable hands tended the horses, Kelsey used the facilities and stretched her legs.
Taking in the view of the country side from the top of the vast hills they’d spent the morning winding through, and now listening to the sounds of the river as it flowed over the rocks and down into the valley, Kelsey stood there and absorbed every detail knowing that she’d want to be able to recall it one day. As she stood there, she was unaware that Gareth was behind her, taking her in along with the setting. After several quiet moments, Gareth cleared his voice to let her know of his presence. Kelsey turned her head halfway, catching him in her peripheral. “Come join me, Gareth. This view is too beautiful not to share with someone.”
Gareth obliged and came along side of her. His hands in his pockets, he struggled to find the words to speak, but before he could, Kelsey spoke up, keeping her gaze out over the view, “This weekend started out wrong on so many levels, Gareth, and had you not been there, I could’ve found myself in major trouble.” She paused and took a deep breath before continuing, “Then you surprise me with this. I was lost for words yesterday when I needed to thank you for taking care of me, but now…now you’ve completely swept my vocabulary clean.” Gareth let out a full laugh while facing Kelsey. She turned to meet his gaze, “Thank you, Gareth. Thank you for everything this weekend.”
Desperately wanting to touch her, he kept his hands in his pockets and, in a deep, gentle tone, responded, “You’re most welcome, Kelsey.”
“Oh, wait! I have my camera. Didn't you bring yours, Gareth?”
Archer had carried them in his messenger bag on the ride. As Gareth came back from retrieving them, the two began to shoot photos of each other: ones of them making funny faces, serious faces, fashion model faces, pouty faces, and, as best as they could, normal faces. At one point, they began laughing so hard at each other, they both had tears in their eyes. Finally, Gareth said, “Okay, let’s take one with the river and country side behind us. My arms are longer; just squeeze in next to and smile. Or you American’s like to say ‘cheese,’ right?”
Kelsey smiled and pressed her body next to his. When she did, Gareth could smell her, the soft vanilla bean scent that he wanted to drink in forever. “Okay, on my count say ‘cheese.’ One. Two. Three.” And in unison and with giant grins they both exclaimed, “CHEESE!” and laughed again. “I cannot wait to have these developed,” Kelsey laughed. “You and me both,” Gareth sighed back.
As they began to come down from their laugh together, they turned their gazes back out over to the countryside, standing in a quiet contentment for another five minutes until Archer came to retrieve them. “Lunch is served, my friends. Meet me at the tables down by the alcove and river.” Offering his arm, Gareth looked at Kelsey. “Shall we?” With a wide and grateful smile, Kelsey reached out to receive his offering. “Let’s.”
Lunch was a delicious traditional British picnic that consisted of homemade Scotch eggs, pork pie, and toasted pine nuts mixed into goat's cheese and spread over Parma ham and smoked salmon. The ham and fish were rolled in spears and then cut into mouth-size pieces. Dessert was succulent sliced strawberries with meringue and Chantilly cream served with a raspberry champagne cocktail that caused Kelsey’s face to turn green when she saw it. Gareth, who was paying close attention to Kelsey, intervened before the staff approached her and made sure that a bottled water was offered instead. Relieved, Kelsey looked over at Gareth and mouthed, “Thank you.”
After spending an hour eating and letting their food settle, it was time to mount back up and take in the view as they returned in the direction of the stables. Archer was satisfied with how well Kelsey rode, so much so that, as they found themselves back at the bottom of the hill, he posed a question to Kelsey, “Would you like to gallop and take a few of the steeple jumps on our cross country field?” Kelsey could hardly contain her excitement as she squeaked out a “YES!”
With a sheepish smile Gareth cleared his voice, “Well, Digby and I shall make our way over here and watch you if that’s okay. I never learned to jump.”
Kelsey laughed, “Of course, Gareth, I need you in one piece for the drive home.”
Pleased, Gareth and Digby trotted off away from the fences and came to a stop far enough out where he could watch Kelsey and Archer. Alone with his horse and his thoughts, Gareth watched Kelsey, his Kelsey, gallop through the field and move effortlessly over jumps that seemed obscenely high. She and her horse became one entity, moving and flowing together. She smiled the whole time and even let out a “whoop.” That made Gareth laugh.
Closing his eyes and breathing a deep breath, he committed this moment, another gift, to memory. Soon after, Kelsey brought him back to reality as she came trotting up beside him. Rosie cheeks, big smile, and breathless, she eagerly asked Gareth, “Well! How did I do?”
With a giant smile to meet hers, he boasted, “It was like watching a scene from National Velvet.”
Kelsey’s eyes widened as she asked, “You actually know that movie?”
Rolling his eyes, he responded, “I have sisters, remember?”
Archer came up a moment later and told them, “The last mile back to stables will be good way to cool your horse down, so if you’re ready, I’ll let you lead the way, Ms. Chapman.”
“I’m sure that I can handle that,” Kelsey beamed.
They reached the stables, and Kelsey helped to finish cooling down her horse, untack him, and groom him. Then she asked if she could offer him a few of the sugar cubes she took away from the picnic. Archer smiled and said, “Of course. I’ll meet you in the parking lot.” As she gave Higgins his treat, she whispered in his ear. Standing off to the side, Gareth could see the tears filling her eyes but didn't say a word; he just listened. “Thank you for a lovely afternoon, Higgins. I’ll never forget you.” She kissed his forelock, gave him the cubes and one last pat, and, before facing Gareth, wiped the escaping tears from her eyes. Turning, she tried to disguise her sadness in her best fake cheery voice, “Are we ready to go then?”
Ignoring her red eyes and puffy nose, he came up beside her, put an arm around her, and responded, “Yes.” Archer met them in the parking lot. Hugs and handshakes were exchanged along with thank yous. “It was my pleasure, Kelsey. You’re a lovely rider and talented horsewomen.
Don’t ever stop riding.” Kelsey could feel the tears returning; she hugged Archer again and kissed him on the cheek, then quickly walked to the car. Gareth was right behind her. Again exchanging no words, he opened the car door and allowed Kelsey to slide in.
Ten minutes into the ride, Gareth noticed that Kelsey, who had her eyes out the passenger window and her head against the headrest, was fighting to keep her eyes open. Feeling bad for her, Gareth spoke up, “Kelsey, we have an hour drive home. It’s okay if you want to sleep.” Rolling her head to the side to face him in mid yawn, she asked, “Are you sure?” as her eyes grew heavier and heavier. “Yes, I’m sure.” Before he could finish his sentence, Kelsey was out.
Gareth smiled. Carefully keeping his eyes on the road, he brought his hand up to her face to push back some of the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail and over her eyelids and nose. Taking in a deep breath, he allowed the smell of a beautiful day of adventure, countryside, and Kelsey seep deep into his car as they made their way home. Once they arrived and Gareth pulled into the driveway, he turned the car off and took a moment to watch her sleep. He realized in that moment how emotionally exhausted he was. He was going to have to tell her; he was going to tell her because she needed to know that he loved her and that he was an option for her—that he was the better option.
She was so peaceful to watch. As he stared, he thought about all the things that made her this lovely creature who’d come in and stolen his heart. She was funny, kind, so damn smart, and driven. Yes, she was young, but god she was so beautiful. He knew they could make this thing, whatever this thing was that was so special between them both, work. She just needed to give him a chance to prove it. Yes. He was going to tell her. He needed to come up with a plan. He sat there a moment longer thinking, but Kelsey began to stir and blink her eyes open.
Letting out another yawn and a stretch, she looked over at Gareth. “Are we home?”
“Yes, just. Let me come get your door.” It was half past six in the evening when they walked in the front door. Camilla greeted them, “How was your day, Kelsey?”
Dream a Little Dream of Me Page 15
