DARK HORSE: CHAPTER ONE
“You can’t leave,” I said.
Everyone had left. The foal naming picnic was over and everyone had gone home. Phoenix was back in his paddock with Chantilly and Bandit and we were sitting out under the trees at the picnic tables. Leftover food was littered all over and Mickey was picking up trash but she was out of earshot. Dad had gone into the office. I wasn’t sure if he knew what was happening or not.
“I have to,” Missy said. “I can’t stay. I’m sorry.”
“But I don’t want you to go. I need you.” I was begging now and starting to cry and I didn’t even care. I loved Missy. She was part of our family. She couldn’t just leave.
“Things will get better,” I said. “I know that they will.”
“Maybe they will,” Missy said. “And then maybe I’ll come back but I can’t stay right now.”
“If you leave then I’m coming with you,” I said.
“And what about Bluebird and your other horses?” Missy said. “Owen and I are going to be staying with a friend. She barely has room for us let alone all those horses and you.”
“What about Socks?” I asked, my voice wobbling. He belonged to Missy and she had every right to take him away too.
“He’s going to stay here for now, with you,” she said, grabbing my hand. “You’ll take care of him for me, won’t you?”
“Of course,” I sobbed.
She pulled me into a hug. “Maybe it will just be for a little while. Perhaps I’ll be back before you know it.”
“You’d better be,” I said.
We sat there as the sun set. I didn’t want to get up. I didn’t want things to change. But the truth was that things always changed. Sometimes they were small changes, things you hardly noticed and other times they were great big changes that ripped your world apart and you knew that no matter what you did, you could never make things go back to the way they were before.
We cleared up the mess and took care of the horses just like nothing was wrong. Mickey’s parents came to pick her up and she left, waving goodbye. I didn’t tell her what was happening. I couldn’t find the words.
I lingered down at the barn longer than I should have. I didn’t want to go back up to the house. I didn’t want to see. If I stayed with the horses I could pretend that Missy hadn’t told me anything. But when I eventually went back and opened up the door, Missy was standing there with Owen on her hip and three suitcases at her feet.
“You’re leaving now?” I said.
“She’s leaving now,” Dad said.
He was sitting on the couch, his arms crossed.
“Well stop her, say something, anything. Tell her you’re sorry,” I told him.
He just sat there shaking his head.
“I hate you,” I screamed. “I hate you all.” And I ran to my room and slammed the door.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Claire Svendsen fell in love with horses at age two when she got her first pony. The only trouble was that it wasn’t a real horse, it was a rocking horse. From that day on she begged, pleaded and bribed for lessons, riding clothes and a horse of her own. She had to wait and work really hard to finally get her first real horse but when she did, it was a dream come true. Over the years she has trained horses, given lessons and even run her own stable.
No longer able to ride due to injury, Claire lives vicariously through the characters in her books. When she’s not busy writing, you’ll find her hanging out at the barn with her retired Thoroughbred Merlin who loves carrots, apples and bowing on command.
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Other books in the Show Jumping Dreams Series by Claire Svendsen
#1 Secret Rider
#2 Pony Jumpers
#3 Winter Blues
#4 Star Pupil
#5 Sale Horse
#6 Last Chance
#7 Hunter Pace
#8 Turf Wars
#9 Beach Ride
#10 White Horses
#11 Trick Pony
#12 Off Course
#13 Winter Wonderland
#14 Gift Horse
#15 Half Halt
#16 Young Riders
#17 Show Time
#18 Beginner’s Luck
#19 Chasing Ribbons
#20 Double Standards
#21 Stable Vices
#22 Jump Off
(COMING SOON) # 23 Dark Horse
Table of Contents
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT
CHAPTER THIRTY NINE
CHAPTER FORTY
CHAPTER FORTY ONE
CHAPTER FORTY TWO
CHAPTER FORTY THREE
CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
CHAPTER FORTY FIVE
CHAPTER FORTY SIX
CHAPTER FORTY SEVEN
CHAPTER FORTY EIGHT
CHAPTER FORTY NINE
CHAPTER FIFTY
CHAPTER FIFTY ONE
CHAPTER FIFTY TWO
CHAPTER FIFTY THREE
CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
CHAPTER FIFTY FIVE
CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
CHAPTER FIFTY SEVEN
COMING SOON
DARK HORSE: CHAPTER ONE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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