For The Love of Horses (Pegasus Equestrian Center) by Vincent Diana

Author:Vincent, Diana [Vincent, Diana]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2013-10-14T16:00:00+00:00

*****

Oh, my poor, poor boy, Tess moaned inwardly watching River run away, even as her face creased into a deep frown with wrinkled brow and her mouth tight; the angry expression the only way Tess knew how to disguise her emotions in front of the hired hands.

“I do not feel good for Reever,” Manuel said, stating simply what they all were feeling.

“No, neither do I,” Tess admitted, her frown contorting into a deeper grimace in order to hold back tears. “Well, let’s leave them alone for awhile. Sierra is the best thing for him right now.” Tess looked at her watch. With the distraction of Corazón’s departure, Tess knew Sierra had not been able to ride her assigned horse. Tess’s scheduled student after Mary had called this morning to cancel since her horse had lost a shoe, and Tess made a sudden decision. “Enrique, which horse was Sierra supposed to ride today?”

“De leetle black one, Fala,” Enrique answered.

It always amazed Tess that Enrique, who could barely speak English and she knew certainly couldn’t read English, always knew which horses were expected to go out on what days. Maybe Manuel read the schedule to him, but even so, he remembered perfectly. “Could you bring her in and tack her up for the trail?”

“Si, claro,” he answered and eagerly turned away, leading Max, glad to have an excuse to escape the thick melancholy air surrounding them all.

It had been a few years since Tess had ridden on trails. She spent her riding time schooling the horses in the arena and over jumps, leaving the conditioning trail rides to the kids. Now on the back of Fala, who willingly walked out at a brisk pace, even breaking into a trot that Tess allowed her to keep up for a short distance; she realized how much she was missing. Trail riding was so much more relaxed for both horse and rider. The rain had subsided to barely a mist that Tess actually found soothing in her present mood. Not having to concentrate on the correctness of Fala’s position and gaits, she could let her mind wander, or even think of nothing at all; just breathe in the fresh smells of wet evergreens and damp vegetation in the surrounding woods.

Manuel and Enrique were bringing in the last of the horses by the time Tess returned from the trail. “River and Sierra haven’t come back yet?”

Manuel shook his head no.

Enrique stepped out of the stable to take Fala’s reins from her. “I take care of dees one, Mees Tess.”

“Thank you.” She gave Fala a pat on the neck, and then steeling her nerves and replacing the stern look on her face, set off on her search.

She found Sierra and River in the old stall by the lower paddock sitting together on the ground and clinging to each other, and his dog lying at their feet. River’s anguished sobs had finally subsided to sniffles but he still could not raise his head.

Oh dear. Tess’s heart contracted in sympathy, but such displays made her very uncomfortable.

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