Lucky Break (11 page)

Rebecca poked her head in the room. ‘You girls ready?’ she asked in her soft drawl. ‘We need to be done by eleven.’

She had told them when they arrived that the ranch had taken a last-minute booking for a group trail ride – one of the many ways she supported all the horses – and the guests would be here at noon. ‘There’ll be tons of beginners, so once we show Ivy the basics, you girls can come on the trail ride, too,’ Rebecca had said.

Ivy wasn’t convinced. But here she was, dressed exactly like she’d been horse-riding forever. She
took a deep breath. ‘I’ll try anything once.’

The three of them clattered down the stairs and into the stable.

Ivy tried not to be scared, or scary, but the horses started shuffling away from her and snorting.

‘Maybe I should wait outside?’ she asked hopefully.

Rebecca gave her a sympathetic look. ‘OK. I’ll tack up for you. Let’s just find you a good helmet.’

Ivy tried on several in the tackroom until Rebecca was satisfied, then she went to wait outside the stable. When Rebecca and Olivia came out, they were leading Coco, Honey and a horse that Ivy hadn’t met before named Topic. She was light brown with a black mane, tail and legs, and she had a white patch on her forehead.

‘She’s gentle and very tolerant,’ Rebecca said.

You mean huge
, Ivy thought.

Rebecca showed her how to hold the reins, to lead her.

‘Hold them right here, under her chin and keep your arm extended, so she has room to walk beside you.’

Ivy gulped and grasped the leather reins. She looked into Topic’s huge eyes and thought,
Please don’t freak out!

Topic snorted and walked on, practically leading Ivy instead of the other way around. Ivy walked across the dirt and gravel towards the ring, feeling a little short of breath to be so close to such a strong creature.

So far, so good
, Ivy thought.

Ivy stepped into the riding ring that was encircled by a white-painted fence. Despite the sunny day and clear blue sky, all she could think about was the headless horseman, thundering through the dark after his victims on his
terrifying horse.

‘Great job!’ Rebecca said, with a big smile. ‘How did that feel?’

‘Uh … not as bad as I thought,’ Ivy said. But walking next to a horse was one thing. She was dreading what was coming next.

‘Oh, good,’ Rebecca said. ‘Time to mount up!’

Ivy gave a weak smile.

‘You’ll be fine,’ said Olivia. ‘Just think of her like a motorcycle.’

Ivy had always wanted to ride a big black motorcycle, dressed all in leathers. Maybe this wouldn’t be so different. She would just be higher up, on a living creature that might choose to throw her to the ground.

‘Olivia will hold Topic’s head to keep her straight and I’ll be right here to help you,’ Rebecca said. Olivia spoke steadily to Topic as Ivy tried to build up courage. ‘First, take the
reins in your left hand and, with the same hand, grab a lock of mane.’

‘Really?’ Ivy said, cautiously following her instructions. ‘Won’t it hurt her?’

‘No, no,’ Rebecca said. ‘You won’t be putting your weight on it. Now, put your left foot in this stirrup. Grab the saddle here with your right hand.’ Rebecca patted the back of it. ‘Ready?’

No, no, no!
Ivy wanted to scream, but she forced herself to nod.

‘On the count of three, swing your right leg over. Try to land gently and not hit the horse with your leg.’ Rebecca smiled, and the thought flashed in Ivy’s mind that this would be just the moment to have her mom here. ‘You can do it.’

Ivy closed her eyes.

‘One, two, THREE!’ Rebecca and Olivia counted together.

Ivy hauled herself up and swung her leg over.
When she opened her eyes, she was amazed to be sitting in the saddle.

‘Oh my darkness,’ she breathed.

Topic shifted her weight underneath her and Ivy felt a rush of adrenaline. She had done it! She was riding a horse! Well, OK, technically it was sitting still on a not-moving horse, but she never thought she’d get this far. Then she looked at the ground and realised she was pretty high up.

Gulp.

‘Perfect!’ Rebecca called up. ‘Olivia, you mount up and we’ll go on a little walk.’

Olivia got up on Honey easily, and Ivy felt better having her sister at the same height.

Rebecca started to lead Topic around the ring, and Ivy was amazed. Topic didn’t seem to mind her at all. Ivy had no idea what to do or how to control her, but the horse hadn’t bolted or
freaked out. The steady rhythm of her plodding was soothing.

Ivy felt her heart race. She had a slightly different view of the farm. Suddenly the disapproving chickens seemed smaller and the dark wooden stable didn’t look so imposing.

‘I’m letting go now,’ Rebecca said. ‘Use the reins to point her nose in the direction you want her to go.’

Ivy felt the leather strap in her palm.

Can it really be that easy?
she wondered. She pulled a little to the left and Topic obeyed.

‘Wow,’ Ivy breathed.

Hank and John, the stable hands, were watching from just outside the fence and applauded her.

‘Go, Ivy!’ John called. ‘Ride ’em, cowgirl!’

‘See what I mean?’ Olivia called from just behind.

Ivy nodded. Suddenly, instead of demon
horses, she could imagine racing along green fields on Black Beauty …

‘Told you I’d never failed to find a horse for a rider!’ Rebecca said.

But just then, Topic tossed her head and sidestepped. Ivy hadn’t done anything. ‘Wh-what?’

Topic whinnied and pawed at the ground.

‘Steady,’ Rebecca’s voice came from somewhere to the side, but Topic was already starting to buck. ‘Steady!’

Ivy panicked; her mouth went dry and it felt hard to breathe. ‘What do I do?’ she shouted, pulling on Topic’s reins as she bounced up and down.

‘Stay calm!’ called Rebecca. ‘Steady, Topic!’

With one loud whinny, Topic reared up and Ivy couldn’t hold on. She was falling. She landed with a thud on her side and cried out, feeling a shooting pain in her ankle.

‘Ivy!’ Olivia was at her side in a moment, while Rebecca grabbed on to Topic, who was still spooking.

Ivy tried to control herself, but tears streamed down her cheeks.

‘I’m just not meant to do this,’ Ivy said to Olivia.

Her sister didn’t say anything and gave her a huge hug.

‘Are you OK?’ Rebecca had handed Topic’s reins to Hank, who had rushed over.

‘My ankle,’ Ivy said.

Topic gave an apologetic whinny as Hank led her back across the yard.

Rebecca carefully removed Ivy’s boot and looked at her ankle. ‘It doesn’t seem broken. Can you stand on it?’

Ivy stood up and put her weight on it. It hurt but wasn’t unbearable.

‘I think it’s just a little sprain,’ Rebecca said. ‘I’m so sorry – I should have stayed closer. You just seemed as natural as your sister.’

Ivy sniffled. ‘I think me and horses don’t go together.’

‘Don’t say that,’ Rebecca said gently. ‘I know that was scary, but it wasn’t anything you did that spooked Topic.’

Ivy didn’t believe her.

‘Look.’ Rebecca pointed to the edge of the ring near where Ivy had been riding a moment before. A mother duck and her three ducklings were waddling under the fencing.

‘Topic is scared of ducklings?’ Ivy asked, baffled. It might have been funny if she hadn’t wanted it to be true so much.

‘I know it sounds unlikely, but horses can get scared of lots of things,’ Rebecca replied. ‘Listen, let’s get you inside to put that foot up.
We can try again another time.’

Ivy dusted herself down. She had tried horse-riding once and, as far as she was concerned, once was enough. As she limped back to the farmhouse, Ivy had to face the fact that she would never be a horsewoman like her mother.

Ivy sat on the porch swing, with her leg up and her notebook on her lap. She was trying to write a sonnet for English class but wasn’t getting very far. She hadn’t even had a chance to look at her mother’s diary before Olivia had gone off with Rebecca, Hank and John on the trail ride.

Ivy was stuck at the farmhouse with a bruised ankle. They wouldn’t be back for hours, so she’d sent a text to Brendan:
Cowgirl sings the blues. Could use city boy to help change her tune.

Brendan had texted back right away:
Mounting my iron steed. Giddy up.

Finally, she saw the little cloud of dust coming up the long driveway.

She wanted to run to greet him, but all she could manage was a few limping steps. Brendan put his brakes on, skidding in a half-circle to a stop in the yard.

Before he said anything, he held up his phone on full volume, playing ‘I Wear My Sunglasses at Night’.

‘No more cowgirl blues, please,’ said Brendan. Then he grabbed her in a big hug.

‘Careful of my ankle!’ Ivy squealed, but she was so happy to see him.

Brendan scooped her up and carried her back to the porch. He sat her on the swing pillows and squeezed in next to her. She told him what had happened. ‘I’m sorry you got hurt,’ he said, ‘but I’m very impressed that you were up on a horse in the first place.’

‘It was going pretty well, actually,’ Ivy said, rocking gently, ‘until the Duckling Incident.’

Brendan chuckled. ‘You must be pretty determined to connect to your mom if you got up on a horse.’

‘That’s exactly the problem,’ Ivy replied. ‘Even my dad can handle a horse. I’m clearly the black sheep of the family.’

‘Nothing wrong with that,’ Brendan said. ‘You look good in black.’

‘Yeah, but, what if …’ Ivy had been thinking about it all morning. ‘What if she was alive? What if she wouldn’t get me?’

Brendan stopped her in mid-swing. ‘Don’t be silly, Ivy. You would be her daughter and she would love you. Besides, she obviously liked black because she loved your dad. Now, I want to see these terrifying ducklings.’ Brendan pulled Ivy to her feet and grinned. ‘Feel free to lean on
me, if you need support.’

Ivy led him slowly over to the pond. The three fluffy yellow ducklings were quacking along behind their mother – a happy family in an orderly line.

Ivy sighed. That was just never going to be her family.

She heard a horse whicker from inside the barn.

‘I thought all the horses were on a cattle drive,’ Brendan said.

‘All but Lucky,’ Ivy replied. ‘And it was a trail ride.’

‘Isn’t Lucky your mom’s horse?’ Brendan asked.

Ivy nodded.

Brendan looked at her. ‘Do you want to go in?’

Ivy thought about it for a moment. Lucky hadn’t shied away from her when they first met, and Rebecca insisted that the reason Topic was upset was the ducklings. Maybe she could go and
talk to Lucky. With Brendan by her side, she felt safe. ‘Let’s do it.’

They stepped into the cool barn, the smell of hay filling her nostrils as they clomped across the wooden floorboards. Lucky neighed from the back stall.

Very, very carefully, Ivy approached the stable door. Lucky poked his head out to see who it was and tossed his head.

‘He’s saying hello,’ said Brendan.

Ivy remembered Olivia whispering to the horses and decided to try it herself.

‘Hi Lucky,’ she said quietly. ‘I won’t be afraid of you if you won’t be afraid of me.’

Brendan stayed next to her as she reached her hand out to touch his muzzle.

Lucky stood still, his tail swishing. He seemed to be waiting for something.

Ivy glanced at the photos of her mom on
the wall. In one, her mom had her arm around Lucky, in a hug. ‘If I hug Lucky,’ Ivy whispered to Brendan, ‘then it’s almost like I’m hugging my mom.’

Ivy took a deep breath. She was going to get closer. She grabbed a rope off a nearby peg and pulled open the stable door. She walked down Lucky’s left side, running her hand down his beautiful white neck. He didn’t seem to mind at all. She clipped the lead rope on to his halter and took hold on his left, just like she had with Topic.

Lucky took a step out into the aisle, then another.

‘He’s beautiful,’ said Brendan.

Ivy nodded, relaxing her grip on the rope a little, as Lucky walked out of his stable on his own.

‘Wait, wait,’ Ivy said to the horse. ‘Don’t go. We’re not leaving.’

But Lucky seemed to think it was his turn for
a walk. Ivy knew she couldn’t handle him outside the stable.

‘Uh oh,’ Ivy whispered. ‘I probably shouldn’t have opened the door.’

Ivy fought back the panic. How was she going to get Lucky back in his stall? She pulled on the rope, trying to get Lucky to turn around. ‘Lucky,’ she sing-songed. ‘Come back this way.’

She tried to hold on to his lead, but as she reached out, he backed up into the wall. Ivy shuffled one way and Brendan shuffled the other, trying to keep the horse contained. But Lucky didn’t like it.

He whinnied and reared up, eyes rolling in his head as he pulled the rope right out of Ivy’s hand.

She scrambled to get it back and Brendan did, too, but that only made things worse. Lucky shook his head and reared up, just inches away from Ivy.

She staggered back and tripped, only just managing to roll out of the path of his trampling hooves as he bolted. Her hair got in her face and she shouted, ‘Lucky, wait!’ as he galloped towards the stable door.