Boot Camp (Show Jumping Dreams ~ Book 24)
Page 11
But it didn’t matter. My good, happy Thanksgiving vibe had gone and it had been replaced by cold, hard dread. If things weren’t going well for Missy then of course she was going to take it out on us. She was going to blame us even though she was the very reason that we’d had to leave, which was why the Fox Run crew were mad.
People didn’t like it when the person who was in charge of their horse's care was kicked out and replaced by someone else. Even if they did already know Missy and even though she had helped my father run the farm and taught lessons, it wasn’t the same. The rumor mill would have swirled up all kinds of reasons why we had left and why Missy had taken our place and the people who knew what had really happened wouldn’t exactly feel any better towards Missy than the ones who didn’t.
“I can’t let her take the foal,” I said. “That is who she’ll try to take and she can’t have him.”
“Don’t worry,” Jordan said, grabbing my hand. “We’ve got this.”
THE END
COMING SOON
SHOW JUMPING DREAMS #25: SECOND CHANCES
Second Chance Farm has given Emily and her father a place to retreat and regroup. They have put time and effort into making it a working farm again and it is paying off. People want to come and board with them and take lessons. So many people that they can hardly keep up, which is great, only their first boarder doesn’t think so. Molly Sugden seems to think that since she’s put a lot of money into the place already, it should stay as her own private playground and that won’t work if Emily and her father are going to make a proper business out of Second Chance Farm.
And Missy has relented in her bid to crush Emily and her father and given her the ride on Socks so with her team horse back on their farm, she is finally ready for the December show. It will be the first team outing and a chance for Emily to prove that she didn’t just earn her spot on the team but that she deserves it.
Only an away show with Jess isn’t exactly how Emily wants to spend the week before Christmas, even if it is a charity show. Jess isn’t too happy about it either, especially now that the two girls are neighbors. Jess doesn’t care that co-operation is what the Junior Olympic team is all about. She just wants Emily kicked off the team so that the alternate can take her place.
SECOND CHANCES: CHAPTER ONE
The Fox Run trailer rumbled down the drive and pulled to a stop. Jordan and I stood there holding hands, ready to protect our herd. I knew that there was only one reason they would come here and that was to take one of our horses away. Missy wouldn’t send the trailer for anything else. And for a moment I almost thought that she had come herself to gloat at the fact that our barn didn’t have stalls and that our horses lived outside but then I saw Henry get out of the truck.
“Henry,” I cried. “What are you doing here?”
I forgot about the fact that he’d probably come on a mission to destroy us and rushed forward to hug the old groom.
“I’ve missed you,” I told him.
“Well now,” he said, patting me on the back and then pushing me away. “That’s enough of that.”
“I don’t know what came over me,” I said, stepping back.
“The moment has passed now?” Henry said.
“Yes, it’s passed,” I replied, nodding.
“Good,” he said with a smile. “I’ve missed you too.”
“We’ve missed you but we’re not about to let you take any of these horses away with you,” Jordan said as he came to stand next to me.
His voice was gruff like he was trying to sound older and tougher than he was. Jordan was tall and muscled but I was still pretty sure that Henry would beat him in a fight.
“Keep your pants on,” Henry said, looking at Jordan like he was a five year old who had just put up his fists. “I’m not picking up. I’m dropping off.”
“Dropping off?” I said, wondering if Faith had talked her brother into bringing his horse Wendell here as well. “Dropping off what?”
But as we went around to the back of the trailer and Henry let down the ramp, I saw the familiar bright bay rump and white markings of my team horse, Socks.
“Hey boy,” I cried.
He nickered and Bluebird answered him and then all the horses looked in the direction of the trailer with pricked ears and eager faces.
“What is he doing here?” I said.
“Like I said, dropping off,” Henry told me as he unloaded Missy’s horse. “I ain’t supposed to say but between you and me she couldn’t do nothing with the animal.”
“Oh,” I replied, feeling kind of bad for Missy but glad all at the same time.
Jordan helped Henry unload a couple of tack trunks with all Socks’ stuff in them and then Henry was gone with a brisk wave, mumbling about how he couldn't stay to chat because he had too much work to do back at the farm.
“See?” Jordan said. “You didn’t need me at all.”
But Socks stiffened beside me as we heard the clatter of hooves out on the road and I looked up just in time to see Jess ride into view on her big horse Valor. I knew that it wasn’t a coincidence that she just happened to be riding by. Jess didn’t go out on trail rides or do fun things with her horses. She’d ridden here on purpose, whether to gloat or scold me I wasn’t sure but whatever she had to say, I didn’t really want to hear it.
“Maybe you’d better stick around,” I told Jordan.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire Svendsen fell in love with horses at age two when she got her first pony. The only trouble was that it wasn’t a real horse, it was a rocking horse. From that day on she begged, pleaded and bribed for lessons, riding clothes and a horse of her own. She had to wait and work really hard to finally get her first real horse but when she did, it was a dream come true. Over the years she has trained horses, given lessons and even run her own stable.
No longer able to ride due to injury, Claire lives vicariously through the characters in her books. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll find her hanging out at the barn with her retired Thoroughbred Merlin who loves carrots, apples and bowing on command.
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COLLECT THEM ALL
Other books in the Show Jumping Dreams Series by Claire Svendsen
#1 Secret Rider
#2 Pony Jumpers
#3 Winter Blues
#4 Star Pupil
#5 Sale Horse
#6 Last Chance
#7 Hunter Pace
#8 Turf Wars
#9 Beach Ride
#10 White Horses
#11 Trick Pony
#12 Off Course
#13 Winter Wonderland
#14 Gift Horse
#15 Half Halt
#16 Young Riders
#17 Show Time
#18 Beginner’s Luck
#19 Chasing Ribbons
#20 Double Standards
#21 Stable Vices
#22 Jump Off
# 23 Dark Horse
#24 Boot Camp
(COMING SOON) #25 Second Chances
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