Show Days (Show Jumping Dreams ~ Book 32)

by Claire Svendsen

  “Circle him,” Rae called out, trying not to sound mad.

  She was a good instructor and never lost her temper, something that was a rare thing to find. Even Missy would occasionally let an annoying client or a misbehaving horse get the better of her but Rae seemed to have the patience of a saint.

  “Ride him to the fence and let him figure it out. If he gets there wrong, it’s not your fault,” she said. “He has to learn from his mistakes.”

  “We can’t afford any mistakes,” I grumbled under my breath.

  But she was right. When I stopped trying to micro manage every aspect of our ride and let Bluebird settle into a rhythm, he stopped messing up the distances and started jumping the way I knew he could, which meant that I’d been the one getting in his way.

  “Maybe I should let you jump the course by yourself tomorrow?” I said as I patted his neck.

  We’d just jumped three big fences that some of the more experienced riders had been over on their hundred thousand dollar horses and cleared them all. Rae didn’t say anything but I knew that she was impressed.

  “I think you have a good chance to place tomorrow,” she said.

  “Place?” I laughed. “We’re going to win.”

  “Don’t get cocky,” Rae said. “If you think you’re better than everyone else out there, you’ll lose.”

  “Okay,” I said with a shrug.

  I wasn’t sure what she wanted from us. Whatever happened to positive reinforcement and imagining that you were a winner? Imagining that you were a loser didn’t sound like a recipe for success.

  “She means if you get cocky you’ll be over confident and you’ll mess up,” Shelby said later when I told her what Rae had told me.

  “I’m not cocky,” I said as I put my pony away.

  “Sure you’re not,” she said.

  I’m pretty sure she was being sarcastic.

  CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN

  I thought I wouldn’t sleep at all, even though Shelby let me have the bed but I was asleep almost as soon as my head hit the pillows. I dreamed that I was riding Bluebird in the big Grand Prix, even though we were supposed to be riding in the speed class. The other riders were pointing and laughing at us, sitting up high on their horses and looking down their noses at the kid on her pony.

  When we rode into the ring it was clear that something was wrong. The jumps weren’t big, they were enormous. As big as houses. I didn’t even think the other riders would be able to clear them but there was a guy coming out of the ring to a round of applause. He smiled at me and his teeth were gold. It was the guy, the unnamed guy that Missy was dating. I’d nicknamed him Brad because he seemed like a backstabber and I thought that was an appropriate name for one even though I had no idea.

  “Good luck,” he said, smiling and showing those weird teeth, all glinting in the sunlight. “Don’t die.”

  “Thanks, I won’t,” I said.

  “Good,” he called over his shoulder as he rode past me. “You don’t want to end up like your sister.”

  My stomach felt like there was a rock sitting in the pit of it. How did he know about Summer? Obviously Missy had told him but that wasn’t fair. It was none of his business.

  I rode into the ring feeling like we were actually going to our death. Bluebird would never jump those fences and I wasn’t sure how I was expected to ask him to. But I cantered him up to the first jump anyway. I couldn’t even see over it, a large solid red wall. Bluebird tried to jump it like the honest pony he was but ended up crashing through the whole thing, scattering red bricks everywhere. We crashed through every jump. I kept wondering why I didn’t pull up or why Bluebird didn’t refuse but it was like we were both determined to get round, even if we weren’t going to leave any of the fences up at all.

  We came out of the ring leaving a trail of poles and brush in our wake. Standards had fallen, plastic plants had been scattered to the wind. No one was clapping. They were laughing at us, their faces grotesque like clowns in a circus act, all distorted by makeup and prosthetics. Big noses and unusually large chins all fake and rubbery looking.

  “I told you that you couldn’t beat her,” Shelby told me. She was wearing a wedding dress and had the veil pulled down over her face. “You were supposed to help me get ready.”

  “Was I?” I said, sinking to the ground. “For what?”

  I checked my pony for cuts and bruises but despite running through every fence in the ring, he’d come through relatively unscathed.

  “My wedding of course.” She shook her head and the veil swirled around her like mist. “Rae says you need to go and ride in the class you were supposed to because you have to make it up to her now,” Shelby said, picking up a bouquet of flowers. “I have to get to the church.”

  “What church?” I called after her but Shelby the bride had already gone.

  Rae appeared, grabbing Bluebird’s bridle and hooking on a lead rope.

  “Come on,” she said. “If you are done with your theatrics this time.”

  “I don’t need to be led over,” I told her.

  “Yes you do,” she said.

  We reached a small ring where tiny children were being led around on lead ropes like the one Rae had clipped onto us. It was a lead line class, the entrants all five or under. They looked so cute in their oversized jackets that they were supposed to grow into with their braids and ribbons but I didn’t belong here. I knew I needed a step down but this was too much.

  “I can’t go in this class,” I said.

  “Why not?” Rae said.

  “Because I’m a show jumper,” I told her indignantly, my voice small and high.

  “Maybe one day,” she said with a smile. “Now heels down and look up.”

  I was staring down at my hands, my small baby hands. They fluttered up to my hair where I had my own braids tied with ribbons and suddenly I wasn’t on Bluebird anymore. I was sitting on my old pony Pudding, the one that was sold when Summer had her accident and suddenly there she was, hanging on the fence and cheering me on like I was in the biggest class in the world.

  “You’ve got this Emily,” she cried.

  I could see her clearly. Her long, blonde hair, that infectious smile. I waved, even though I knew I wasn’t supposed to and she waved back and then it wasn’t Rae leading me anymore, it was Dad.

  “Don’t wave,” he whispered. “You want to be a big girl, don’t you?”

  I nodded solemnly and tried to remember if it was heels down and eyes up or eyes down and heels up. Not that it mattered. We lined up and everyone got a blue ribbon. It was my first. I hugged my pony around the neck as Dad led us out of the ring and then Summer came over and hugged us too.

  “One day I’m going to be a show jumper just like you,” I told her.

  “I know you will be Peanut,” she said, grinning.

  Somewhere in the background I caught sight of my mother, hovering like a fly and wringing her hands. She looked nervous or sick or maybe both. I waved my ribbon at her but she just turned and walked away.

  “What’s wrong with Mom?” I said.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Summer said, scooping me out of the saddle and swinging me around. “She’s just mad at me. That’s all. Now how about an ice cream to celebrate?”

  “Can we really?” I smiled, all thoughts of my mother forgotten.

  CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT

  I woke feeling unsettled and sweaty. The dream had started out like any other nightmare but it had morphed into something else, something that seemed real. Had I ridden Pudding in that lead line class? Had my father really led me around while Summer hung on the fence and cheered me on? Had my mother been so dissatisfied with her life and us even then? These were questions I needed answers too but not necessarily before my big class. Instead I got up and got to work, trying to shake the feeling that I was starting to remember things that had been long forgotten.

  “It’s your big day,” Shelby greeted me as I stumbled through the barn.

  �
��Don’t remind me,” I said.

  “You’re not chickening out, are you?” she said.

  “No way,” I replied, starting to feel a little more human.

  The horses kept me in my place as I moved from stall to stall doing chores. They didn’t care if it was my big day or not. All they cared about was getting their breakfast and making sure that there were no flies in their stalls.

  Marty had an early morning class with Roxy. I helped her to get ready.

  “I think we’re in over our heads,” she said forlornly.

  “That’s not the spirit,” I told her. “You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe that you will win.”

  “That’s just the trouble,” she said. “I don’t believe it.”

  I cheered her up and sent her off to the ring where Rae waited for her. I knew that she was a better rider than she thought she was. She just had to go for it. I tried to watch but there was so much to do that I missed her round. But I was really happy for her when she came back to the barn with a yellow ribbon.

  “Well done,” I cried. “I knew you could do it.”

  “I can’t believe it,” she kept saying.

  “Believe it,” I said. “And next time that ribbon will be blue.”

  It was like Marty had set the stage for success and all our clients did well that day. Not everyone won but everyone placed and the colorful ribbons were accompanied by big smiles and pats on the back and Rae basically beaming. The fact that her riders were cleaning up made her look good and it made me feel good, especially since I watched a couple of our rider’s place above Fox Run clients who were riding in the same classes.

  One of the clients rode Storm and I watched enviously as the gray gelding executed a perfect double clear and earned the client her first blue ribbon. When they came back to the barn, I was passed the horse to take care of and as I patted his neck, I heard the woman talking to Rae about buying him. When Rae mentioned his price in a hushed whisper, all thoughts of buying the pretty horse flew out of my head. His sticker price was the sort of money I could only imagine if I won the lottery.

  “Sorry Storm,” I whispered as I untacked him. “But it looks like you’ll have a good home.”

  I was quickly scarfing down a sandwich later, standing near the concession stand and wondering how people managed to make enough money to buy horses like Storm, when I heard a familiar voice.

  “Eating again?”

  I spun around and there was Jordan with a big grin on his face and behind him my father, looking stern but pleased. I dashed forward and fell into Jordan’s arms. It was instinct. I hadn’t meant to. It just sort of happened. He returned the hug and then I untangled myself from his arms.

  “Don’t I get one too?” Dad said, holding out his own arms with a wicked grin.

  “Yes Dad,” I said, giving him a quick and cursory hug. “What are you guys doing here?”

  “A little bird told us that you and your pony are going up against Missy and Socks,” Dad said. “And you can’t expect to do that without a cheering section and some moral support, can you?”

  “You came all this way to cheer me on?” I said.

  My dream fluttered to the surface of my mind. Summer on the fence, her face in a wide grin as she cheered and whooped.

  “Of course we did,” Dad said.

  “Anything to make sure Missy doesn’t win,” Jordan added.

  “And then we can take you home,” Dad added. “I brought the trailer.”

  “Oh,” I said, feeling a little disappointed. “Does Rae know? Is it time already?”

  “Yes,” he replied. “She said it was fine. The show is only on for another day or two and they can manage without you.”

  I’d been hoping to watch Rae compete Infanta in the big Grand Prix and now I wouldn’t get that chance, I felt a little deflated. Not seeing things through to the end didn’t sit well with me.

  “Everything is okay back home though, isn’t it?” I asked.

  “Of course,” Dad said. “Everything is fine.”

  But there was a shadow that crossed his face. Everything was not fine. They’d come to get me because something had happened and were using the speed class as an excuse. As we walked back to the stalls, I pulled Jordan to one side.

  “Everything is okay, isn’t it? All the horses are fine? And don’t lie to me,” I added. “You have to swear that everything is fine.”

  “All the horses are fine,” he said. “I swear.”

  But he didn’t swear that everything was fine, just the horses and even though I was relieved, I still felt uneasy because it meant any number of other things could have gone wrong. Only I knew that I couldn’t think about any of them or I’d lose my mind and the speed class. I had to focus on that. Then I’d get it out of them one way or another.

  CHAPTER FORTY NINE

  When my father and Jordan first showed up I felt a little embarrassed. Like when you are at school and your mom comes over and licks a tissue before wiping it on your face. Not that my mother had ever done that but it was that same feeling. The one where you felt embarrassed by your parents even though you weren’t sure why. I guess it was a rite of passage. Part of growing up. But the thing was that part of me was also glad they were there. I now had people on my side. Reinforcements. People who were behind me. Who wouldn’t let Missy and her new boyfriend walk all over me. And Dad wasn’t being embarrassing at all. He introduced himself to Rae all professional and polite and now they were standing off to the side talking shop. Jordan had gone to get us some iced tea. Shelby looked after him longingly.

  “Is he your brother?” she said.

  “No,” I replied with a laugh.

  Why would she think that? It was absurd. We didn’t even look alike.

  “You just have the same mannerisms,” she said with a shrug. “So boyfriend?”

  “Friend,” I said.

  “So you won’t mind if I flirt with him then?” she said.

  For a moment I wanted to tell her no. That of course he was my boyfriend but he wasn’t really. We’d only kissed once and that was it. There was no binding contract between us and it was just as well considering I didn’t know what I wanted and I almost certainly didn’t want a boyfriend and all the hassle that went with it. I just wanted things to stay the way they were, stuck in an awkward kind of limbo.

  “Have at it,” I told Shelby, knowing full well that Jordan would probably just ignore her.

  We ate lunch on the hill overlooking the big ring where a class was taking place. There was a rider going round the jumps, her chestnut horse hot and bothered. When they had refusals and were eliminated, I wasn’t surprised.

  “You ready for later?” Dad asked me.

  “Of course,” I said.

  But it was a lie. Bluebird was tired and so was I. Life on the road was tough and it had worn us down. I knew that my pony would jump if I asked him to. He’d gallop like the wind and duck between jumps but would he be good enough? Could we be a good enough team to beat Missy and Socks, who was fresh and fast? But part of me knew that it didn’t really matter. Now that my father and Jordan were here, beating Missy to restore the family honor didn’t seem so important anymore and even though I’d been sad that I wouldn’t get to stay until the end of the show, all I could think about now was going home.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  I wasn’t sure if it was the heat, the food or the fact that I now had more of an audience to watch me but I found myself throwing up in the bathroom before my class.

  “Can I get you anything?” Shelby asked gently through the door.

  “A new stomach?” I said, rinsing my mouth out with lukewarm water.

  Nothing was cold. It was going to be the hottest July on record. I longed for early mornings in November, pulling my sweater on and watching my breath float away, icy and white. It was what I clung to when the heat index was well into the hundreds and I felt like I was going to die.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?” Shelby aske
d again as I came out of the bathroom. “You look really pale and you were throwing up. Are you nervous?”

  “No,” I said. “Of course not. I think it was lunch. The food must have gone bad or something.”

  “Wouldn’t surprise me.” She shrugged. “I got food poisoning at a show once. It was so bad that I ended up in the hospital.”

  She kept on telling me about her brush with death by food poisoning as she trailed after me. I just wanted to get to my pony, get him to the ring and get it over with. I couldn’t wait to go home.

  Bluebird was standing in his stall, his coat gleaming and mane braided. Rae had insisted that the braider do him and since I’d felt so sick, I consented. Now he looked like a million bucks. Like he was a fancy, hundred-thousand-dollar pony and not one I’d saved from the meat man.

  I went into his stall and fed him a cookie.

  “We have to do well,” I told him. “I know asking you to win is a big deal. The jumps are huge and the competition stiff. So all I want you to do is your best. Okay? And I’ll try to do my best too.”

  Bluebird sniffed my hand and licked it. I kissed his sweet nose and grabbed my bridle and helmet. It was time.

  CHAPTER FIFTY ONE

  My round was early in the class. Missy wasn’t going until later. That gave her the advantage but I didn’t care. I had a plan. I knew where to shave off seconds. Bluebird was fresher than he’d felt yesterday. I’d only warmed him up enough so that his muscles were loose. We jumped the warm up fence once. I wasn’t going to waste one ounce of his energy that we could use on course.

  “When all this is over,” I whispered. “You can go out in your big field and graze and play. I promise. You’ll get time off and so will I but we just have to do this first.”

  We rode into the ring, my stomach in my throat. The jumps seemed bigger than when I’d walked the course and there were more people watching. The ring was big and the class was important. Not as important as the Grand Prix but people still loved to watch a speed class. It was where the action was. Where people might crash and burn as they rode their horses all out like barrel racers.