Sweet & Bitter Rivals by Jessica Burkhart

Author:Jessica Burkhart
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin
Published: 2023-05-30T00:00:00+00:00

Forever a Horse Girl

THE REST OF THE SCHOOL day was a flurry of classes, meeting new teachers, and finding my way to each classroom.

After classes, I changed and grabbed the bus to the stable. Rebecca had texted and asked me to swing by her office before our lesson. Sweat already prickled along my lower back, and my feet were sweaty in my boots. I’d only been outside for a few minutes too. So. Gross.

The stable grounds buzzed with activity. The outdoor pens were all occupied as riders exercised their horses on lunge lines, which were like long lead ropes that allowed the horse to circle the rider while they cued the horse from the ground. One of the lower-level instructors, Allie, was in one of the big outdoor arenas, setting up some ground poles for exercises.

I crossed my fingers that all the outdoor arenas were spoken for, because that meant we could wind up in the covered indoor arena with the pitched roof. It was my absolute favorite during the summer, because we had protection from the too-hot sun but got a great cross breeze.

As I walked into the barn, I inhaled the most comforting scent in the world: horses. The smell was a straight shot of serotonin into my brain. The mix of scents of sweet grains, fresh hay, and clean sawdust made me feel comforted. There was nothing better.

Rebecca’s office door was open, so I peered inside. She was at her desk, staring intently at her laptop screen.

“Hey, hope I’m not bothering you right now,” I said, knocking lightly on the doorjamb.

Rebecca looked up, blinking. “Oh, no, not at all!” She closed her laptop lid. “Come on in and have a seat.”

I slid into the plush leather office chair across from her and tried not to crack my knuckles. It was a nervous habit I’d picked up.

“It’s so nice to see you one-on-one,” Rebecca said. “I wanted to have some face time and see how you’re doing.”

Whew. I relaxed into the chair. I’d had no idea what this was going to be about, but it wasn’t bad at all.

“I’m good!” I said. “Glad to be back. It’s nice to chat with you, too. It’s hard to talk during lessons.”

Rebecca nodded. “For sure. I want to meet with all my riders individually, and I knew you’d be here early grooming Beau before our lesson, so I thought I’d bring you in.”

“I try not to skip any days with him if I can help it. I miss him too much.”

My instructor smiled. “I know that feeling. Are you ready for show season to start this weekend?”

“So, sooo ready!” I said, excitement creeping into my voice. “I have a lot to prove after last year.”

Rebecca shook her head. “No, you don’t, Abby.”

“Yes, I do. I bombed at the classic and didn’t do great at regionals.” I was quiet for a moment. “I let everyone down, including myself.”

“Hey.” Rebecca leaned forward in her desk chair, her warm brown eyes locking on mine. “First, you didn’t ‘bomb’ anything.

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