Chapter Fourteen #3
I kind of adored Atticus. I always felt he and I could be good friends, but the truth was, his and Sage’s animosity toward one another had put a wall between us.
Sage was my best friend, and as much as she seemed like a tough cookie, Atticus had really hurt her, and she hadn’t been able to move on from it.
Sage had to be my priority. But you couldn’t help but like Atticus.
He was like an electric heater, being around him made you feel warm.
As Sage approached fence ten, the one with the Liverpool, I could see determination on her face. But as predicted, as soon as Fefe spotted the water, the mare balked, thrashing around, looking for freedom.
“A strong reaction to the water there,” the commentator said.
I held my breath as Sage fought with Fefe to get her under control.
Fefe did everything in her power on the approach to run out and avoid the fence, but Sage was cool, calm, and collected.
She succeeded in getting her over without a refusal, but “That will cost Miller some time on the clock,” the commentator said, taking the words straight from my mouth.
Once she was past the Liverpool, Sage calmed Fefe down, and when she cleared the final fence, I couldn’t help but cheer and clap.
“Well played, Miller,” Atticus said under his breath, but I could hear the genuine happiness in his tone.
The camera panned to Leon, who was cheering from the viewing point.
Sage’s smile was infectious, and she patted Fefe on the neck, leaning down to kiss her.
Jasper came on the screen next, smiling as he clapped too, then Leon from the viewing plinth, nodding his head in satisfaction.
She’d done it. Sage had gotten a clear on her first Grand Prix five-star course. The first from Team Knighton to ride, and ride she had!
I waited for her at the entrance to the practice ring. I jumped off Huxley and wrapped my arms around her when she dismounted from Fefe and saw me standing there waiting. “You were amazing, girl!” I said and crushed Sage to my chest.
Sage pulled back. “It’s electric out there, Hals,” she said, and butterflies swooped in my stomach again. “I can’t wait to do it again!”
Leon came toward us and tapped me on the back. “Back on Huxley. Keep him warm,” he said, and I climbed back onto my horse. Atticus came over. Sage smirked. “You see that?”
Atticus shrugged. “I saw you nearly lose it on the water,” he said, then cantered off and cleared the higher practice fence with ease.
Sage muttered something unintelligible under her breath.
I focused on the practice ring, then when Julie O’Shay from Ireland entered the main arena, I was up next.
Leon opened the practice ring’s gate, and I was lost to a fog in my head as I walked Huxley to the in-gate.
“Not too sharp a turn on fence five,” Leon was saying.
I nodded but was only half listening. I watched Julie turn into fence ten, and her horse bucked as it saw the Liverpool.
Unable to keep her seat (which was usually exceptional), Julie fell, crashing through poles to land in the water with a loud thud.
Emerald Hill, her prize-winning gelding, took off around the arena.
I held my breath as I waited to see if she was okay.
Medics ran toward her, but Julie quickly got to her feet, holding her hand in the air to signal to the crowd she was good.
“That fucking water,” Leon said. It was true; out of all the fences today, it was the water jump that had caused the most problems. A flare of panic sparked in my chest, but I tried to quell it.
Horses sensed your emotions, and I didn’t want Huxley spooked.
But it was harder to regain calm than I’d expected.
A flash of movement from my left suddenly pulled my attention. I sucked in a shocked breath when I noticed a familiar crop of dark hair and stubble on chiseled cheeks. Jasper looked up at me as Julie walked out of the arena, her groom having caught her gelding and led him out too.
Shards of ice trickled through my veins when I smelled sandalwood and mint. His scent alone was enough to soothe my frayed nerves. What was he doing here? What did this mean?
Focus.
“Huxley likes the water,” he said, and I caught Leon nod in agreement at him over my saddle. Jasper’s dark eyes locked on mine, bringing another wave of calm to my nerves. “You’re going to nail this, Angel. Trust me. I’m rarely wrong about these things.”
I nodded, unable to speak. Angel . . . Jasper had left the safety of his private box to stand beside me and talk me through this. I opened my mouth, wanting to say something, anything, just to hear him speak again, but Leon patted Huxley’s rear, and said, “You’re up, Hallie. Best of luck.”
I tore my gaze off Jasper and back to the arena.
Completing my own prejumping ritual, I checked my chin strap, checked the girth, pressed my heels down in my stirrups, then looked to Mila, who was already waiting with my water.
Smiling, she handed me the bottle, and I took a long drink.
Taking it back from me, she patted Huxley’s neck and said, “Fly, boy!” before giving me a good luck nod.
Taking a deep breath, I straightened my posture, and said, “Walk on, baby boy,” to Huxley, only for Jasper to squeeze my calf in support as I passed. Shivers broke out all over my body. His simple touch filled me with confidence.
As I walked through the tunnel to the arena, hearing the announcer saying my name and credentials and Huxley’s statistics, I felt like I was having an out-of-body experience.
Leon walked beside me, peeling off at the in-gate to watch from the viewing plinth.
My heart thundered when I saw Jasper go with him.
He left the box to watch me.
What did it mean?
As I entered the arena, my heart jumped in my chest. Taking another deep breath, I moved Huxley into a trot and circled the arena to get my bearings.
I focused on the jumps, going through the course in my mind.
“Are you ready, milord?” I said to Huxley, the audience melting away to nothing around me.
I listened to the sound of Huxley’s steady breath as we broke into a canter.
Then my nerves fell away. It was just me, Huxley, and the jumps right now. I’d visualized this course while in the practice ring, something I’d done my entire career. In my head, I’d already achieved a clear. Now I just had to bring it to fruition.
The horn sounded, telling us to begin. “We’re off, milord,” I said, as I turned into the first fence.
“You can do this, baby boy.” I gave him rein and let my boy do what he did best. As we landed, any nerves I had left turned into pure excitement.
“Amazing, milord, now we need another,” I said, as we turned to fence two.
Sage was right. It was electric out here.
As Huxley launched into the air, three, four, five times, a wide smile was etched onto my face. The sound of Huxley’s hooves on the sand was rhythmic and soothing. The hoofbeats were telling me we were actually here, living out our dream.
As we landed fences eight and nine, I leaned forward and said, “This is the Liverpool, Hux. Most other horses haven’t liked this one, but I know you can do it.
” As we cantered toward fence ten, you could feel the tension from the audience as they braced for a refusal.
But as Huxley landed, not even batting an eye at the water, we turned to the triple combination.
Clearing those with ease, we turned to the final fence.
“Now, baby boy, if we clear this fence, we will have our first ever five-star clear. I know you want that as much as I do. Let’s show these people what an amazing boy you are, hey?
” Approaching the final fence, I held my breath and let Huxley fly.
As his hooves hit the ground and the audience broke into a loud round of applause, I whooped out a happy shout, throwing my fist into the air, then wrapped my arms around his neck, peppering kisses over as much of him as I could reach.
“Good boy!” I said, letting Huxley canter around the arena.
“Her first ever clear in a five-star Grand Prix . . .” I heard the commentator say, “. . . which puts her in first place . . .” My head whipped up to the scoreboard.
We’d beaten Sage by two seconds, putting her in second place and us in first.
“Huxley!” I said, unable to stop from smiling. “You superstar!”
I headed out of the arena, only to pass by Atticus as he entered the ring. “Git ’er done, Hals!” he said, smiling, and I laughed.
“Good luck,” I said to Atticus. He winked at me and entered the ring.
Leon nodded at me in congratulations as I passed him on the plinth but stayed where he was to watch Atticus jump next.
Sage was in the tunnel, waiting for me. I dismounted and she wrapped me in her arms. “Incredible,” she said, and kissed my cheek.
Mila had taken hold of Huxley but hugged me with her free arm.
I turned to watch Atticus, only to startle when Jasper appeared before me.
He turned to watch his cousin, but leaned in close to say, “You were brilliant, Hallie.” He looked at me from the corner of his eye.
“You should be proud.” He paused, like he was fighting saying something else, before he said, “I am. So proud.”
My heart melted. Jasper stood with his arms over his chest, eyes on Atticus and Barnaby. In that moment, I wanted him to hold me, wrap me in his embrace. I felt a little cold when he didn’t.