“I’m glad you’re coming to stay.”
Aunt Bea must’ve said that a thousand times since we first left the airport. And each time, the words cut deeper and deeper into my broken heart.
“I wish it were under better circumstances though,” Aunt Bea added.
I scowled at the road that lay in front of the car.
Another reminder of why I was coming to stay with Aunt Bea for the time being.
My parents’ divorce.
It had happened so suddenly that none of us were prepared, so my parents had asked my aunt to keep me at her horse ranch until they’d gotten into the new flow of life.
But I hated it.
Sure, I wouldn’t miss my mom and dad fighting all the time, but I just wanted life to go back to normal.
A year ago, I wouldn’t have even dreamed of my parents divorcing. We’d been so happy.
“Are you excited to get back into the saddle?” Aunt Bea asked.
I shrugged.
Actually, yes.
I was looking forward to it.
Horses didn’t argue.
Didn’t divorce.
“Here we are,” Aunt Bea announced, pulling into a driveway.
The familiar ranch greeted me. I could almost smell the horses as I rolled down the window. I loved the ranch.
But it wasn’t home. It would never be home.
“There have been some changes since you were last here,” Aunt Bea explained. “Things aren’t how they used to be—”
Before she could finish, a familiar voice spoke as I stepped out from the car.
“Mia?”
I sucked in a breath, glancing behind me to see a boy jogging toward the car.
I almost wanted to race back into the car and never come out again.
“Hi Aiden,” I whispered, tugging my blonde hair over my eyes.
Aiden and I had sort of been seeing each other last summer when I stayed at the ranch, but that ended when I had to leave.
We were both sad, so I spared us both the trouble and broke up with him.
I hadn’t heard from him since, but I didn’t blame him.
I’d broken both of our hearts.
“What are you doing here?” Aiden asked, a huge grin breaking out on his face.
“Visiting,” I muttered, not wanting to look into his green eyes. “My parents are divorcing, so I’m staying here until they sort everything out.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Aiden said softly.
I closed my eyes, wondering if this could get any worse.
“Aiden’s been working for me,” Aunt Bea said, sealing my misery. “He’s helping train new horses and exercising them.”
“Along with barn chores,” Aiden said. “My parents have been traveling lately, making up for the time work has kept them from spending together.”
Lucky, I thought glumly. At least his parents were happy.
“Got any new horses?” I asked, changing the subject yet again.
“One,” Aunt Bea said, exchanging a nervous glance with Aiden. “Would you like to see him?”
“Tomorrow,” I said. “I’m too tired.”
Aunt Bea nodded. “I’ll put your things in your room.”
They were my things, but I refused to call it my room. It was just a guest room.
My mind was racing as I lay in the guest bed that night. I couldn’t believe Aiden was working here on a permanent basis.
But I’d just have to cope.
I’d ignore him the best I could and pretend like everything was normal.
Just like I’d done with my parents’ divorce.
I refused to get attached to Aiden again.
The next morning was a blur of getting dressed and breakfast. Finally, we went out to see the new horse.
“I’m warning you,” Aunt Bea said. “This horse is … different from the other ones you’ve ridden. We just got him last week. Maybe you can sort him out.”
“How old?” I asked, pretending to ignore Aiden as he followed us.
Last summer, I’d ridden five of Aunt Bea’s horses. I wasn’t an expert, but I had gut feelings and listened to them.
Most of the time they worked.
“He’s five,” Aunt Bea replied.
We approached the training ring.
Inside the fence was a gorgeous buckskin horse, his mane and tail a glossy black. The type of horse everyone dreamed of.
But the horse was racing around the ring, bucking like a bronco in a rodeo.
I leaned against the fence next to Aiden, trying to ignore the way he glanced at me and then looked away.
“What’s his name?” I asked.
“Cloud,” Aunt Bea said.
“He’s beautiful,” I murmured.
“Purely wild,” Aiden commented. “He may be gorgeous, but he goes nuts whenever we try to tack him up. The same goes for even putting a halter on him.”
“Really?” I asked, turning to look at him.
Aiden nodded.
“Yep,” Aunt Bea confirmed. “Formerly wild horses like Cloud I can usually tack up. They actually prefer the English saddles I use. But Cloud seems to hate it even more.”
“We thought maybe he would warm up to you,” Aiden said bashfully.
I felt a blush creep up my face, and I let my hair fall down to hide it.
“Can I try saddling him?” I asked.
“Sure,” Aunt Bea replied.
“Be careful,” Aiden hurried to say.
“I’ll be fine,” I said defiantly. I didn’t have to listen to him.
I rushed to the barn, grabbing a saddle and bridle and hurrying back over.
I reached to open the gate into the ring when Cloud noticed the saddle.
He reared up and wheeled away.
I stumbled back.
“Hold this,” I said, shoving the tack into Aiden’s arms.
Free of the saddle, I opened the gate and walked in.
But the second the saddle was back in my arms Cloud began running in frantic circles.
Hanging the bridle on the fence, I held out the saddle and pad and waited.
When Cloud seemed to tire out and stop, paying attention to something outside the ring, I swung the saddle onto his back.
Then there was chaos.
Cloud went full bucking bronco, trying to get the saddle off his back. In a flash, it was on the dusty ground.
He was blindly charging around and headed straight toward me—I scrambled up the fence, barely vaulting over before Cloud galloped over the spot I’d just been standing on.
This was going to be harder than I thought.
TO BE CONTINUED …
Thank you to all who participated in Young Rider magazine’s first-ever Fiction Contest, held in collaboration with Trafalgar Square Books. Congratulations to Evelyn!
