Born In The Saddle - Quicksilver Stud - Book 1 (#wattys2016)

Chapter 23

I hadn't heard a thing from my mum since she'd yelled at me. I knew her and Jack were staying at a B&B in one of the nearby villages. Maggie had spoken to her briefly but I guess she didn't feel comfortable staying at Hoxley.

But wherever she was she hadn't called. And I just couldn't bring myself to dial her number. If I was going to speak to her I wanted to do it face to face. Maybe if my feeble words failed me I could show her my best 'I'm sorry' face and all would be right again.

The following day I spotted the hire car parked near the house for a couple of hours. She must have been in there with Maggie. But it had disappeared again by the time I went in for some lunch.

Amber spent every minute of the day tip toeing round me. You'd think I'd just been diagnosed with some incurable illness and she felt she had to nurse me or something. Although there was something more than that. Amber had spent all morning chewing furiously on her bottom lip - a habit she had when she had something to say, usually gossip, but she was trying to be good and keep it in.

At least one thing was going right - training. Clay was back to his typically tough regime. But the Showcross was so close now he decided it was time for us to tackle a proper course. He set out a short route with markers and made us walk it, striding out every fence as though we'd never seen it before. If mum puts the brakes on my hopes of riding this may be the closest I get to competing round a full course so I had made the most of it.

Amber was happy enough, scrambling round with just one little refusal where Phoebe was naughty and skipped out the side door. But Blaze was a star. He flew round the course, eating up the ground and making nothing of whichever obstacle was put in his way. The thought of taking him to the Showcross and storming round like that in front of the Pony Club lot would be incredible. Clay's words flooded back into my head. If I wanted to do this I'd have to fight for it.

'Let me give you a hand.' Amber said over Blaze's door as I finished up brushing him down.

'I'm good thanks. Just need to put the tack away.'

'No worries, I'll take this.' Enthusiastically she dragged the saddle off the stable door and practically skipped down to the tack room. I followed with the bridle at a more sedate pace.

'There's some ice lollies in the common room freezer.' She babbled as soon as I walked through the door. 'Fancy one?' She added, while whipping the bridle from my shoulder and putting it back on Blaze's hook.

'Erm, actually I was gonna head back to the house. I'm kinda tired.'

'Oh, but I thought we could just hang out for a bit. You don't have to do anything. We can just chill. Come on it'll be fun.' Amber was so full of energy that it was exhausting just watching her. I don't think she'd have taken no for an answer so I decided the less painful route would be to just do as I was told.

'Sure, why not.' I conceded.

'Great, come on....' My cousin grabbed my hand and virtually dragged me back up the yard.

'Amber hold on a minute....can I at least get my breath ba....'

'HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!' Several voices shouted at me through the common room door and I froze on the threshold, totally confused and trying desperately to gather my wits.

'What the.....???'

Birthday? Oh my god what day is it today? Who the heck forgets their own birthday???

'Happy Birthday to you....Happy Birthday to you.....'

Guess that shows how preoccupied I've been recently. It also explains what's been on Amber's mind all day. I'll have to remember to congratulate her on keeping it in.