Hercules: A Matter of Trust (5 page)

E
mily's eyes snapped open, and she looked at the clock by her bed. Three thirty-five in the morning. Ten minutes before her alarm was supposed to go off.

Ten more minutes to sleep? Never!

She kicked off her covers and jumped to her feet, her heart pounding with excitement as she looked out the window. The lights were on in the barn already, and horses were calling for their breakfast.

The big horse van was pulled up next to the barn, headlights on, the growl of the engine so loud in the silence of early morning. She closed her eyes and let the sound of the motor rumble through her, the deep rattle that could be nothing but a horse van on the
morning of the show, ready to take them off to another fantastic day.

She squealed and hugged herself, then grabbed her robe and sprinted for the bathroom.

 

Eight minutes later, Emily ran into the barn, her garment bag over her shoulder and a duffel bag with her boots and other gear in her hand. She'd put her chaps on over her new breeches to keep them clean and was wearing paddock boots so her freshly polished tall boots wouldn't get scuffed.

Uncle Rick was there already, filling hay nets with hay for the trip, and Aunt Debby was making the rounds with grain for the horses that were going. The lights in the barn cast a warm glow against the darkness of the night that was still hovering.

There were the fresh scents of hay, of clean shavings, and fresh water, and everything was perfect. “Hi!”

Uncle Rick glanced up. “You can toss your stuff in the head of the van. Then go wrap Sapphire and Moondance and get them ready to go. Bell boots for both of them to protect their front feet.”

“Of course!” Emily ran to the van, grabbed a hand-hold, and wedged her foot on the front tire, then hauled herself up the four feet to the head. There was
already a stack of hay bales lodged inside, along with six red water buckets and a number of fully stocked brush buckets that she guessed simply stayed in the van for horse shows—and suddenly she knew the day was going to be great.

This might be a hunter/jumper show with different rules and clothes and a different coach, but it was still a horse show, and this was her territory. This is what she loved.

It didn't matter if she was showing in Maiden or that she wasn't allowed to ride Sapphire. There was magic in the air, and great things were going to happen today, for sure!

She hummed happily as she hung up the garment bag with her new jacket, then tucked her duffel beneath it as she'd done so many times in the past. Then she brushed her fingers over her new choker pin as she turned back to the door of the van and thought of her mom. Had she started in Maiden, too?

Emily giggled as she swung down out of the van and headed toward Sapphire's stall to wrap his legs for the van ride. She was willing to bet that her mom had also started in Maiden if she'd been riding at Running Horse Ridge at the time.

Sapphire stuck his head over the door and whickered
when he saw her coming.

“Hiya, beautiful.” She patted his nose and peeked at his braids, hoping he hadn't rubbed them out during the night. Some horses had to be braided on the morning of the show, because they would rub their braids right out during the night, and you never knew what kind of horse you had until that first time you braided him.

Emily stood on her tiptoes and inspected her braids. Still tight.

She grinned and knew then that everything was going to be all right. Better than all right. It was going to be
perfect
.

 

Emily perched on the bed in the back of the horse van's cab, peering out the windshield as they pulled into the show grounds. Aunt Debby was driving, Alison was riding shotgun, and Emily was in the back with Meredith.

Meredith's parents were coming later, but she'd needed a ride to the show, so she'd squeezed in with them.

The sun was bright and shining as they turned into a dirt driveway that led into a massive field. It was so massive she couldn't see the other side of it. It was more like a fairground in the middle of the woods than a field.

They were almost two hours late due to an accident on the highway, and Aunt Debby was stressing because they'd all missed the preshow warm-up that had run from six thirty to eight thirty. It was, apparently, a chance to jump the courses in an unjudged warm-up, and Emily was seriously wishing that she'd had the chance to practice before tackling the course in the Maiden class. Les was totally into being prepared, and it would have been nice to get in some more practice.

Not that she could do anything about it, right? No point in freaking.

Aunt Debby turned the van off the dirt road and began to bump over the grass toward the other vans. There were two rings off to the left with jumps. Instead of fences, they were marked with white stakes and orange tape strung between them, clearly no more than temporary rings in a field that was empty when there was no horse show going on.

The place was packed with vans and people and dogs and horses. Emily had missed this energy so much! “This is
awesome
.”

The announcer's voice echoed over the fields, and Emily could hear him announcing the start of the Large Pony Hunters and the Maiden—“Maiden!” She sat up. “It's starting now?”

“Yep. The flat class is first on the list here. Meredith, your class is up first, too,” Aunt Debby said. “Start getting ready now, girls. It's going to be tight.”

Emily immediately started unzipping her chaps, wishing she'd kept her gear bag in the cab with her. Her heart was pounding, adrenaline kicking in as she quickly untied her paddock boots. She nearly tipped over when the van lurched over a rut in the field.

“I'll get Halo,” Alison announced as Meredith calmly pulled out her jacket and began to put it on.

“I'll get the numbers and meet you guys at the ring,” Aunt Debby said.

Emily glanced around as the van lumbered to a stop and realized there was no one left to help her with Moondance. Yikes! She was on her own! The van doors flew open, and everyone jumped out. Aunt Debby took off at a run across the fields while Alison yanked the ramp out of the van.

Emily bolted across the grass and hauled herself up into the head, where Meredith was already getting her tack.

Meredith tucked her hair under her helmet. “Good luck, and have fun. You'll totally dominate.”

Emily shoved her hair into a ponytail and threw on a hairnet, then squashed her helmet onto her head.
“Yeah, good luck, too.”

“Oh, it'll be fun.” Now ready, since she'd had her stuff in the cab of the van with her, Meredith grabbed her tack and a brush box and climbed down, leaving Emily behind to get her boots on, find her jacket and gloves, and get her tack.

“Ack!” She was never going to make it!

She hadn't even gotten her boots on when Alison hollered from outside. “Emily! Toss me your saddle and bridle. I'll tack up Moondance for you!”

“Really?” Gasping with relief, Emily grabbed her saddle and bridle and ran to the door. Alison was standing below, arms up, holding on to Moondance's lead shank. Meredith was just disappearing between two vans, trotting Halo briskly along the grass. “Thanks!”

Alison nodded. “No problem. Team effort at shows.” She grabbed Emily's tack and threw the saddle over Moondance's back. “Hurry up, though.”

“Right.” Emily raced back to her gear, hooked the boot pulls over the tabs, and yanked on her second boot. She slammed her heel into the floor to get it all the way on. “Come on!” Having boots that fit like a glove was great once they were on and looking good, but getting them on in a rush…not so good.

The leather finally slid over her calf, and she wrenched
the boot pulls out, grabbed her jacket and gloves, and leaped down. Alison was just tightening Moondance's noseband as Emily buttoned her jacket. “Leg up?”

“Yeah, thanks.” Emily bent her left leg at the knee and Alison hooked her fingers below Emily's knee.

“On three,” Alison said. “One, two, three.”

Emily leaped on “three,” and Alison easily tossed her on Moondance's back. “Okay, so you're going to the ring closest to us.” Alison checked Moondance's girth, then tightened it another notch while Emily adjusted her jacket. “My mom will meet you outside the gate with your number. Then your class with Sapphire will be right after, so ride Moondance straight over to the other ring, and I'll meet you there with him.”

Emily nodded. “You'll get him ready?”

“Yep.” Alison patted her knee. “Now, go!”

Go.
Emily grabbed Moondance's reins and spun the horse toward the ring, nudging the big gray mare into a trot while Emily frantically tried to organize her grip on the reins. Moondance's head was up, and her tail was frisky, swishing around with excitement as they rode past numerous vans and horses, blankets flapping, dogs racing around, everyone shouting and laughing and getting ready.

Moondance shied to the left as a girl came running
down a ramp just as they were passing a van, and Emily nearly lost her seat in the move. “Okay, girl, calm down.” Emily patted the mare's neck as she looked ahead and saw a bunch of horses entering the ring closest to her. Her class was starting without her! “Shoot!”

She kicked Moondance into a canter, and winced at the sound of Les's voice in her mind screaming at her for not doing a proper warm-up. As if she had time! Moondance's gait was lumbering and bouncing on the grass, especially since she wasn't at all balanced, and Emily rose into a half-seat, perching above the saddle to make the canter more comfortable. She'd have to sit at the canter once the class started, but for now—

“Emily!”

Emily hauled Moondance to a stop as Aunt Debby raced toward her waving a white cardboard number. “Here!” She tossed it up at Emily. “We don't have time to tie it on. Just use the clip to hook it to the back of your collar.”

Emily quickly hooked the cardboard number to her jacket as Aunt Debby tightened her girth once more. “Okay, Emily, take a deep breath and calm down. Once you go in the ring, you have all the time in the world, okay?”

Emily nodded, watching the horses in the ring
moving, walking and trotting as they all warmed up. “I have to go.”

“You'll be fine. Your flat work is outstanding.” Aunt Debby stepped back. “Relax!”

Relax. Ha! Emily kicked Moondance into a trot, and they jogged straight into the ring as the judge called out for everyone to walk.

Emily let out a quivering sigh of relief as she convinced a jittery Moondance back to a walk.

They'd made it.

E
mily adjusted her grip on her reins and eased to a deep seat in the saddle as she tried to collect Moondance. She sank into her heels and began to drive Moondance forward with her seat and her calves, trying to get the mare balanced and collected.

But before she could even begin to get organized, the judge called for a posting trot. Already?

Emily nudged Moondance into a trot, and the mare lurched forward, vibrating with energy from the frantic flight from the van. Emily whispered to Moondance under her breath, attempting to calm the mare as she tried to concentrate on her own form.

She and Moondance were right in front of the judge
when a kid on a small pony cut right in front of them. Moondance threw her head up in surprise and Emily hauled back on the reins to keep from running over the pony. She lost a beat on the trot and had to sit for a stride to get back in rhythm again.

Gritting her teeth, Emily settled again, trying to keep an eye on the crazy pony up ahead, and she managed not to get cut off again for the duration of the trot.

When the judge called for a walk, Emily was back under control—or she was until she found herself suddenly surrounded by a mass of horses whose riders had taken longer to pull their horses back to a walk than Emily and had run up on her.

Moondance jigged sideways, not pleased to be penned in, and then the judge called for a canter.

There was a thunder of hooves around Emily and Moondance as all the novice riders egged their mounts into a canter, and Moondance jumped into a canter before Emily was ready, picking up the wrong lead so Moondance was leading with her outside front leg instead of her inside! A gigantic disaster!

Emily hauled Moondance back to a trot immediately, but the mare was so fired up she took two full strides on the wrong lead before Emily could get her back to a trot. She quickly rebalanced Moondance so the horse
picked up the correct lead, and as they eased into a canter, Emily glanced over at the judge—who was staring right at her.

Had she seen their mistake? They were doomed if she had.

The rest of the class continued to be a battle. Emily had never been in the ring with so many other horses, as all dressage tests were individual. Having so many novice riders bumping into her was distracting and unnerving, especially since Moondance was just as agitated.

But Emily fought to keep her form and knew she was by far the best rider in the ring. As long as her wrong lead hadn't been seen, she knew she'd win.

They lined up in the middle of the ring, and she saw Aunt Debby holding on to Sapphire and gesturing to a ring at the far side of the field. Emily nodded, her heart starting to race as she thought of the upcoming class with Sapphire. She sighed in admiration as she watched Aunt Debby lead him toward the other ring, his muscles rippling under his glossy black coat, his braids tight and fantastic. He looked absolutely
gorgeous
.

The judge came forward and announced the sixth-place winner. One hundred twelve.

Emily realized she didn't even know what number she was wearing.

But a girl on a bay pony kicked her mount forward to take the green ribbon, so Emily figured she wasn't one twelve. Not that she'd place sixth, anyway.

Then the fifth place number was called, and a boy on the pony that had cut her off came forward to collect the pink ribbon. If he'd come in fifth after his little move, Emily knew she'd win. Yay, her! No more Maiden class!

The fourth-place white ribbon went to a girl on a pretty chestnut pony, and third place went to a girl on a very attractive bay, and Emily's stomach started to thud. Even at a walk, Emily could tell the girl had good form, and the horse was lovely. And she'd gotten third? Were there good riders in the class she hadn't noticed?

Second was a girl on a beautiful gray horse, and she, too, looked like she had nice form.

A little ball formed in Emily's belly as the judge called out number two-oh-one for first place. She clenched her fists on the reins and looked around to see if anyone else was moving forward.

No one moved.

Was it her? A spark of hope leaped in her chest, and she nudged Moondance forward…and the girl on the small pony to her left did the same.

For a second Emily hesitated, and she glanced at the
girl, her stomach dropping when she saw the big grin on the girl's face. Seriously? The girl was about six years old, and the pony didn't even come up to Moondance's shoulder.

But as Emily stopped Moondance, the girl rode out and accepted the blue ribbon from the judge.

Shut out.

She'd been
shut out
of the ribbons in a class she was too good to ride in anyway. Emily whirled Moondance toward the out gate, and then her cheeks got hot when she saw Meredith standing at the in gate on Halo, watching.

Emily bit her lip and nudged Moondance into a faster walk as she reached the in gate, but she couldn't miss seeing the sympathy on Meredith's face.

“What happened?” Meredith asked.

“A disaster.” Emily rolled her eyes, too embarrassed to admit the numerous ways she'd blown it. “I have to get to Sapphire for the model class.”

Meredith's face closed off slightly at Emily's dismissal. “Oh, okay. Good luck.”

“Thanks.” Ducking her head, Emily clucked Moondance off to a trot and started weaving across the grounds, fighting back tears of humiliation.

Then she took a deep breath. The day wasn't over
yet. She could still do well with Sapphire and win the over fences Maiden class. Those two classes were actually more important, because Aunt Debby already knew that she could ride on the flat—except when there were a ton of other horses in the ring, apparently.
Yeesh.
What a rookie mistake to get flustered by so many horses…

Emily shook her head, trying to put the flat class out of her mind. She pictured Les standing beside her, telling her to calm down and focus, and by the time she reached the other show ring, she was completely in control.

Until she arrived and saw Sapphire already in the ring—being led by Alison?
“What?”
Emily jerked her gaze to the in gate and saw her aunt standing there, looking so proud as she watched Alison and Sapphire. “Aunt Debby!”

Emily cantered Moondance over to her aunt, almost running over two people before hauling Moondance to a stop. “Aunt Debby!”

Her aunt glanced up at her and gave her a nod before turning her attention back to the show ring. “The class was starting and you were still riding. I had to send Alison in.” She folded her arms. “He looks fantastic, doesn't he?”

Emily stared at her aunt, unable to stop the tears
from filling her eyes. “But I braided him. I spent two hours yesterday working on his coat and trimming him and practicing—”

Aunt Debby looked up again, and her face softened slightly. “Emily, I'm sorry, but Sapphire is here to be seen. That's the priority, not you being the one to show him. But as I said, he looks fantastic. Great job on the braids.” Then Aunt Debby turned back to the show. “I had a couple ask me about him as Alison was leading him in. Cross your fingers.”

“Cross my—” Emily clamped her lips shut against the urge to scream and turned back to the ring, clenching her fists when she saw Alison pat Sapphire's neck as she lined him up for the modeling.

He stood perfectly, as Emily had taught him, his ears up and alert, making him look adorable. Who wouldn't want him? Her chest started to ache, and she looked at Aunt Debby. “Who's the couple watching him?”

“Red shirt off to the right.”

Emily turned her head and saw a gray-haired man in a red shirt and jeans studying Sapphire intently. Standing next to him was a young woman…his daughter, maybe? She was also watching Sapphire, and they both looked interested.
So interested.

Emily grimaced and turned back to watch Sapphire as Meredith rode up beside her on Halo. “How come you're not showing him?”

“I was too late.” Emily couldn't quite keep the annoyance out of her voice.

“Oh, bummer. How's he doing?”

“He hasn't run over the judge yet.” He was still being good and didn't make any attempt to knock Alison down. The judge walked around him, inspecting him, and Sapphire didn't even budge.

“Just wait. I'm sure he will,” Meredith said cheerfully. “You're lucky you're not showing him. He's a beast out in the ring.”

“Really?” Emily glanced at Red Shirt and crossed her fingers behind her back. “Come on, Sapphire,” she whispered under her breath.

Then the judge said something to Alison, and Alison started walking him forward, to the end of the ring, and Emily realized it was time for the trot. Alison clucked Sapphire forward, and the two of them jogged down the straightaway. Sapphire's neck was arched, his toes pointed, and his strides sweeping. He was perfect.

Emily glanced over at Red Shirt and saw the woman nudge Red Shirt and whisper to him. He nodded.

Emily felt sick. She looked back at the ring and saw
Sapphire's head lift ever so slightly, and he got a look in his eyes….

“Oh, look,” Meredith said. “He's about to go.”

Emily caught her breath and leaned forward in eager anticipation. “Uh-oh—”

Before she could finish her words, Sapphire bolted. The reins ripped out of Alison's hands and he streaked across the ring, bucking and squealing. All the other horses broke formation and started dancing nervously as Sapphire galloped by them, nearly running over the judge. His tail was straight up, his ears were back, his head high as he sprinted around the ring, clearly having a fabulous time.

Emily couldn't help but grin as he raced past, planting a solid buck as he ran by Red Shirt, who was now walking away from the ring with his daughter. Aunt Debby muttered something as she ducked underneath the tape and ran into the ring, trying to help the judge and Alison corner Sapphire, who was easily dodging them as he continued to race around.

Emily gave him a thumbs-up as he breezed past again. “Good job, Sapphire,” she whispered. “Good boy.”

She was sure she saw him wink at her as he ran by.

“Emily!” Aunt Debby shouted. “Get off Moondance,
give him to Meredith, and get in here and help!”

She saw from the look on Aunt Debby's face that she'd seen the thumbs-up, and she winced as she threw her leg over the saddle and slid to the ground. Aunt Debby was not going to appreciate
that
at all.

But as she passed Red Shirt and his daughter, she couldn't quite bring herself to care.

Hadn't she predicted that magic was in the air? Clearly it was.