Popular by Jessica Burkhart

Author:Jessica Burkhart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

15

TRUST YOUR GUT

LEXA AND I BUMPED INTO EACH OTHER ON the way to the stable. She looked sleek, with black breeches tucked into shiny black boots and a rust-colored shirt with satin ruching on the neckline.

“Nice timing, LT,” Lexa said.

“You too,” I said. “Want to grab Honor and Whisper and meet somewhere to groom and tack up?”

“Want to tie them to their stalls?”

Whisper and Ever were neighbors near the end of the aisle. I rubbed my palms on my dark fawn-colored breeches. “Can we go somewhere private? Quieter?”

Lexa pressed her lips together. “Of course. I know a good place. You okay?”

I shrugged. “Yeah. No. I don’t know. That’s why I want to talk to you.”

“Say no more,” Lex said. We walked into the tack room. A few younger students stood inside on tiptoes grabbing bridles off racks. Lex and I gathered our horses’ tack and left the room. We reached Honor’s stall first. The beautiful strawberry roan mare had a wide blaze and four white socks. Thanks to Lexa’s meticulous grooming, every white hair on Honor’s body sparkled. Always.

We took our grooming kits out of our tack trunks and put everything on the lids. I plucked Whisper’s baby blue cotton lead line off the hook near her stall door.

“Hi, girly,” I said, my voice soft. I peered into the stall, not wanting to barge in and startle her. Whisper faced the stall door, a hind leg cocked as she rested. She pointed both ears forward at the sound of my voice. I grinned, opening the door. Whisper walked to me, her dark eyes soft. She breathed on my palms as I ran my hands over her muzzle. It felt like velvet.

“Pretty girl,” I said. I kissed her muzzle and reached to scratch under her forelock. Tiny gray hairs fell to the bed of sawdust beneath us. “Not that you’re already not gorgeous enough, but how about we go with Lex and Honor? You deserve a special grooming before our lesson.” Whisper let out a low, barely audible nicker. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

I snapped the lead line to the gold ring under her chin and led her out. Mimicking Lexa, I put Whisper’s saddle pad, saddle, and bridle onto her back and laid the girth on the top. I picked up her sky blue plastic grooming kit with my free hand.

“This way,” Lex said. Honor swished her tail—content—and looked pretty in a plum-colored halter.

Whisper and I followed them down the stable aisle. Students were everywhere. Most of the crossties had been filled and everyone was busy. One older boy trimmed a bay’s bridle path with whirring Wahl clippers. Another guy was bent over a chestnut’s hind leg with a hoof pick. A couple of girls had tied their horses close together, laughing as they groomed them.

We passed Ever’s stall. Khloe’s bay Hanoverian mare was asleep in the back of her stall. Khloe’s advanced lesson wasn’t until after mine and Lexa’s.

We exited the stable and walked the horses over to a dirt patch with tie rings.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.