Hopes

by Linda Chapman

  “What the ruddy hell do you think you’re doing?” Ann Turner’s voice snapped out.

  The mare jerked her head up. Ellie swung around to see Ann and Katie both staring at her. Luke was spreading his hands apologetically.

  “Get your hands off my flamin’ horse! I’ll be talking to your uncle about this!”

  Ellie felt desperate. She’d done her best, hopefully given the mare some relief, but Lexi was still hurting.

  “Please don’t take her in the class,” she pleaded. “She really has injured herself—you must have her checked by a vet.”

  Ann went red with rage.

  “And with that, I think we’ll say goodbye,” said Luke hurriedly. Grabbing Ellie’s shoulders, he steered her away.

  “You didn’t give me long enough!” Ellie protested.

  “Gratitude please? I gave you five. What were you doing anyway?”

  “Just trying to help. That horse is in pain.”

  “From what Katie was saying she is a pain,” commented Luke. “They haven’t been able to put the bridle on her all week. I reckon they won’t be keeping her.”

  Ellie had an idea. “We should get Uncle Len to buy her. She’s lovely. She’s injured—that’s the only reason she’s playing up. Will you help me persuade him? He’ll listen to you more than me.”

  “So, not only have I got you away from Ann and stopped her killing you and had to spend five minutes talking to her, you now want me to persuade Len to buy a horse? What’s it worth?” His eyes teased her suddenly. “A kiss?”

  Ellie felt heat rush into her cheeks. “I’ll … I’ll buy you a can of Coke.”

  “Gee, now how can I refuse that?” Luke said dryly. To Ellie’s intense relief, they had reached the trailer and she ran the last few strides.

  Sasha had Gabriel tacked up. “Where have you been?”

  Luke grinned. “Aw, have you been missing me that much, Sash?”

  Sasha shot him an unamused look. “It’s almost your class.”

  “Then isn’t it lucky I arrived just in time? Thanks for getting Gabe ready.” Luke grabbed his hat and took Gabriel’s reins. The bright bay hunter nuzzled him affectionately. Luke glanced at Ellie. “Now, do you think you can avoid getting into trouble for five minutes? Or am I likely to come back and find you’ve decided to pick a fight with half the show ground?”

  Sasha looked curious. “What?”

  “Ask that headcase there!” said Luke cheerfully as Ellie glared at him. “See you later. And, Ellie …”

  “Yes?” she said warily.

  “I still think a kiss would persuade me!”

  Ellie’s cheeks blazed as Sasha swung around and stared at her.

  “Later!” With an infuriating grin, Luke rode away.

  Chapter Two

  AFTER HAVING TO ANSWER Sasha’s curious questions and completely deny that there was anything going on with Luke, Ellie tacked up Barney, the next pony she was riding. It felt strange to get him ready. Her cousin Joe, Len’s son, had always ridden him before, but Joe was now in Canada, working on a yard that specialized in natural horsemanship techniques.

  “I know you miss him, don’t you, boy?” Ellie said, patting Barney’s liver-chestnut neck. “Me too.” The pony picked up the bottom of her T-shirt in his teeth and pulled it up, exposing her tummy.

  “Hey!” Ellie exclaimed, hastily pulling it down and checking no one had seen.

  Barney snorted, sending a splatter of water droplets all over her.

  “Barney!” Ellie could have sworn Barney winked. He was the cheekiest pony in the yard and if not watched would undo his stable door and the doors of the ponies around him, and let them all out. Ellie hoped he’d behave for her in the ring. “You’d better!” she warned him.

  Barney gave her a wounded look, as if to say, Would I ever do anything else?

  Leaving him tied with a double knot, Ellie got changed and then rode him to the working-in area. He strode out, his ears pricked. He loved competing and had a brilliant jump. As a working hunter pony, Barney had to tackle a course of jumps and would be marked for how well he jumped them, as well as on the individual show where the judge marked his conformation and way of moving. The working hunter pony class was Ellie’s favorite because it gave her the chance to jump. She loved showing, but she secretly dreamt of being a show jumper one day.

  The aim that afternoon, though, was to qualify Barney for HOYS—the Horse of the Year show—which would take place in October. There were two big shows in the showing season: HOYS and the Royal International Horse show, which was on in a week’s time. Barney had already qualified for the Royal International. As well as the class that day being a chance to qualify for HOYS, it was a practice run for the following week, although it hadn’t been decided yet if Luke or Ellie would ride him. Ellie could feel the butterflies in her stomach. Barney had won so much in the last two years with Joe that if he went in the ring and didn’t perform well today, it would be completely obvious she was to blame.

  Ellie really missed Joe being on the yard. She sighed. There had been so many changes in the last year, leaving New Zealand for England when her parents were killed in a car accident; becoming best friends with Joe and then losing him when he was sent to Canada; buying Spirit and discovering her gift for communicating with animals, and then, last month, having to say goodbye to Spirit when he was put to sleep. That had seemed impossible to bear, but he had come back to her and she could talk to him still.

  She and Barney started warming up. The working-in area was full of ponies and horses trotting and cantering around. Three jumps had been put up in the center and people were taking it in turns to practice over them. Trainers watched with critical eyes, while grooms hurried about putting finishing touches to the ponies’ coats. Ellie smiled at a few people and said hi. She knew most of the other riders now from the shows she had been in. Week after week she found herself facing the same people in the ring, and she was beginning to work out who was friendly, who wasn’t, who she could chat with and who would ignore her.

  Luke had told her that the week of the Royal International would be good fun. It was one of the few shows that Len stabled the ponies and horses at and Luke and Ellie would be staying there all week with the other show teams. It would make a change from the usual yard routine back at High Peak Stables and Ellie was really looking forward to it. Her very first international show. The only downside was that she’d be away from Spirit for the week.

  Feeling Barney pulling eagerly at the bit, she let him trot on. When she was happy with how he was moving, she rode over to the ringside. The intermediate working hunter class was on and Luke was waiting by the ropes for his turn.

  “How’s it going?” Ellie got off for a few minutes to give Barney a break.

  “Not a bad course. I’ll walk it with you before you take Barney in. I’m right at the end of my class.”

  “Do you need me to fetch Sasha?”

  Each rider usually had a trainer or groom with them to help untack the horse after the individual show before they did the conformation section.

  “It’s all right, Len’s coming over. He’s in a good mood. Carey got the HOYS ticket on Alfie in her class and Melissa came third.”

  “Oh, brilliant.” Carey Moss and Melissa Williams were two of Len’s clients; they had horses who competed in the intermediate classes.

  “He’s schmoozing Veronica Armstrong at the moment, hoping she’ll buy a new horse, I think.”

  Ellie smiled wryly. Veronica Armstrong was a very rich client who owned quite a few of the horses on Len’s yard, including two ponies her annoying children rode.

  “Talking of new horses, there’s that gray mare,” said Luke, nodding behind Ellie. Ellie looked around and saw Katie Turner riding over on Lexi. The mare had a tight martingale on that kept her head down. She was fighting against it, plunging around and shaking her head. People scattered out of the way as she came ricocheting across the collecting area.

  “She’s never
going to jump, Mom!” Katie exclaimed.

  “Make her!” Ann Turner snapped, her face looking more like a bulldog’s than ever.

  Katie brought Lexi to a halt. The mare fidgeted unhappily as she waited to enter the ring. The steward unclipped the rope, letting Katie in.

  “Whoa!” said Luke as the mare leaped forward with a massive plunge.

  Ellie could hardly bear to watch. She thought her healing had helped slightly, but there was no doubt in her mind the horse was in pain still. Katie moved her into a canter. Going forward around the ring, the mare seemed to settle down as Katie rode around the outside of the jumps, waiting for the signal to start.

  Ellie bit her lip. She didn’t have a good feeling about this. “She’s not going to jump.”

  Just then a gruff voice snapped behind them. “What the hell are you doing, Luke? You’re up next but one. Get Gabriel moving!”

  Ellie and Luke saw the stocky figure of Len striding towards them.

  Luke started backing Gabriel up.

  Len caught sight of the gray mare in the ring.

  “Nice-looking horse,” he commented, his gray-blue eyes narrowing assessingly in his weathered face.

  “She belongs to the Turners. But I don’t think they want to keep her. You should buy her,” Luke called as he started to circle Gabriel around the collecting ring.

  The starting horn went and Katie cantered Lexi to the first fence. The mare’s head shot up as she saw the jump, a panicked look on her face. Ellie knew if she tried to jump the pain would be really bad, particularly with the tight martingale holding her head down. Lexi seemed to sense this too. Reaching the jump she stopped, her back legs skidding underneath her. Katie fell forward on her neck.

  Lifting her whip, she gave the mare three whacks and turned her around, hitting her again. But there was no way Lexi was jumping the fence. She refused again and again, pain in her eyes. On the third refusal, the horn went off and the horse was eliminated for stopping three times. She plunged her way out of the ring with Katie looking red-faced and furious.

  Luke rode over. “Told you, Len. Buy her. Ellie took a look at her earlier and reckons she’s just injured and can easily be sorted out.”

  “That was a total embarrassment!” said Katie, riding over to her mother and dismounting. “First fence elimination. I don’t know why we ever bought her!”

  Ellie could see the unhappiness on Lexi’s face now she was out of the ring. “Poor thing,” she whispered.

  Len looked at her. “So, you’ve got one of your hunches about that mare?”

  She nodded.

  Len eyes narrowed. Ellie wondered what he would do. There was no love lost between them, but she’d had too much success with her “hunches” as he called them for him to completely dismiss what she said.

  “Hey, Ann. Is that animal for sale?” he called. “I’ll buy it from you.”

  “Will you now?” Ann Turner said belligerently.

  Len wasn’t fazed. “Yes.” He named a figure. “Well?”

  “I paid twice that,” Ann replied, scowling.

  “It’s just been eliminated first fence. That’s my only offer.” Len turned.

  “No, wait!” Ann said hastily. “OK. Done. You can take it with you today. The sooner we’re shot of it, the better.”

  Len went to the horse and looked her over. Ellie saw the faintest of smiles flicker at the edges of his hard mouth. If Ellie was right that the mare was just injured and could be healed, he’d made a good bargain and he knew it.

  Ann caught sight of Ellie and frowned. For a moment, Ellie thought she would say something to Len about what had happened earlier, but she seemed to decide not to. She’d got rid of the horse and seemed happy enough with that. Looking at the dapple-gray mare, Ellie felt her heart leap—she couldn’t wait for a chance to communicate with her properly and hopefully really help her. But for now there were other things to think about. Luke rode up. It was almost his turn in the ring.

  He halted Gabriel beside her and she instinctively checked the bay horse’s girth.

  “Thanks.” Luke looked supremely cool. Whereas most people were anxious before a class, Luke never seemed affected by nerves. He was in his element when competing, perfectly focused and with an innate understanding of how best to show a horse off, whether it was jumping or working on the flat.

  Ellie wiped his long leather boots. “Good luck.”

  “Thanks. Can you check the bridle too?” When Luke was about to enter the ring, his usual flippancy dropped and he became serious and attentive to every detail—every speck of dust had to be removed, every bit of leather secured neatly and tidily. Ellie preferred him when he was like this, when he seemed to really care and not mind about showing it.

  The steward released the rope to let him in.

  Luke moved Gabriel forward, his body perfectly balanced in the saddle. Ellie couldn’t help thinking of the contrast with Lexi. Whereas the mare had fought her rider, Gabriel had his ears pricked and was striding out.

  “Go, Luke!” Ellie breathed as the starting horn went and Luke turned into the first jump. She needn’t have worried. Luke maintained perfect control and Gabriel flew around the course at a steady gallop.

  “Good riding,” Len said, nodding his head appreciatively as Luke and Gabriel cleared the fourth jump. Ellie knew he saw a lot of himself in Luke—his focus, determination and winning attitude. It was why he had taken an interest in him right from the start, when Luke was a young boy.

  Luke was certainly riding a foot-perfect round. Gabriel was acting like the perfect hunter, eager but in control, his stride adjusting perfectly to meet the different fences. As they landed after the final fence with a clear round, Luke grinned and thumped Gabriel on the neck.

  “Yes!” Ellie gave him a thumbs-up and he winked at her as he rode Gabriel into the next ring, where the second judge was waiting to watch Gabriel’s individual show. Walk, trot, canter, gallop—Luke made Gabriel look as if he was an effortless ride. After that, Len helped him strip off the saddle and brush Gabriel down, then Luke completed the final phase of the class, walking and trotting Gabriel in hand. He led him out of the ring, patting him.

  “Nice work, lad,” Len said approvingly.

  “You did brilliantly!” Ellie said. Luke looked pleased.

  Len and Luke quickly saddled up the bay. Luke had been the last to ride in the class and the results were soon announced. The loudspeaker crackled into life: “First: 135, Luke Black riding Len Carrington’s Highcross Gabriel.”

  Len nodded in satisfaction. “Right, I’d better get back to the others,” he said. “But I’ll be here when you take Barney in. Don’t let him stand around too long.” He strode away. Ellie watched in delight as Luke was presented with the winner’s rosette. Another qualification for HOYS. It was turning into an

  excellent day for the yard!

  Luke led the lap of honor and galloped out. He brought Gabriel to a halt and jumped off, sweeping Ellie into a hug.

  “Well done!” She hugged him back, sharing his elation. As he released her, his eyes caught hers. For a moment, Ellie felt a click, a connection, almost like when she communicated with a horse, and she was suddenly very aware of the feel of his arms around her. Feeling disconcerted, she stepped quickly away.

  “Uncle Len’s bought that mare. We’ll be taking it home with us,” she gabbled.

  “Excellent. Will you be able to do your—” Luke grinned—“thing with her?”

  Ellie took a breath, trying to feel normal. Luke didn’t seem to have felt anything out of the ordinary just now, but for some reason she was finding it hard to focus, still feeling the imprint of his arms around her. Stop being stupid, she told herself. You can’t like Luke in that way. You mustn’t. Not only was he already going out with someone and incapable of being faithful, but he had the ability to really irritate her a lot of the time.

  “I’ll try,” she answered.

  “Cool.” Luke stretched. “Well, I’d better take Gabe
back to the trailer.” But just then a pretty girl with red hair and a tight chocolate-brown T-shirt walked past him on her way to the nearby coffee stall. Luke looked her up and down. “On second thoughts maybe I could do with a coffee first,” he said, setting off after her.

  “Luke!” Ellie exclaimed.

  He looked around in surprise. “What?”

  Ellie felt a stab of irritation. “I thought you were supposed to be going out with Anna.”

  “I am, but …” He hesitated and then headed after the girl again. “It’s a shame to deprive all the other girls in the world!” He grinned. “I’m just going to offer to buy her a coffee, Ellie. Loosen up.”

  She watched as he led Gabriel after the girl. “Hey there.”

  The girl turned in irritation, but as she took in Luke and clocked his handsome face, the annoyance turned to a smile. “Hi. Can I help you?”

  “My horse saw you passing and wanted to say hello.” Luke turned to Gabriel and spoke to him. “See, I told you she’d be too busy to stop. Now you’ve embarrassed me.”

  The girl looked amused. “He’s lovely.” She patted Gabriel, slanting Luke a look through her eyelashes. “Really lovely.”

  “He’s not the only one,” said Luke. The girl raised her eyebrows at the corniness. Luke grinned and nodded to a gray horse behind the girl. “Look behind you—that hunter over there is just gorgeous.”

  The girl giggled. “Are you getting a coffee?”

  “Oh, yes,” said Luke, his smile matching hers. “Can I buy you one too?”

  “OK. Thanks.”

  Ellie rolled her eyes. Honestly! Luke was useless at being faithful. She’d thought he might manage it with Anna Hallett. Anna was very beautiful—the daughter of one of Len’s main sponsors and clients. So far she’d seemed to be keeping Luke on his toes.

  Hang on, what’s it to you what Luke does? she thought. It’s none of your business.

  But despite her sensible words, she couldn’t stop herself feeling irritated and angry as she rode Barney away.