Book 2: Horse Play (Pin Hawthorn Love Story)

Chapter 9

Penelope's P. O. V:

"Penelope!" Mia calls, causing me to pause and turn back to her. "Where do you think you're going?!"

"I can't let Pin miss this!" I reply.

"Why not?! He's riding with the enemy!" Mia exclaims.

"He's my boyfriend, I absolutely refuse to leave him behind, and it's not about sides, Mia! This is Pin's big moment!" I tell her.

"I don't care about Pin. We need to win Nationals, Penelope," Mia says.

"And we will," I say with a promise in my voice, my hazel brown eyes pleading. "Please, Mia? I need to do this!"

"Fine," Mia says finally after a moment, nodding her head. "But you'd better not miss the ferry."

"Tell my Grandpa, Stacy, Ash and David I'll be there," I say, gratitude on my face as turn back around and resume running for my boyfriend's house. I fist pump the air. "Team Bright Fields!!"

I make it to Pin's house in around twenty minutes. By the time I reach the top of the hill, my legs were burning and my lungs were screaming for air.

I spot Pin painting a wooden post sky blue outside his house and walk up to him, trying to regain my breath.

"Pin," I call, but he doesn't look at me. "Pin, what are you doing?"

I stop beside him as he mumbles, still running the brush over the post, "The post isn't going to paint itself."

"Yeah, sure. The little things... the coach for Junior Nationals is about to leave," I tell him pointedly.

"So?" He mutters.

"So? You're not on it," I say. "Okay, look, I dot know if you're scared to leave the island or if you're trying to prove a point, but right now is not the time to go all Pin on me." Gazing at me silently, Pin digs his hand in his pocket and hands me a folded postcard. It just says "Sorry," with mum written on it. I give Pin a sympathetic expression. "Your mum took off again?"

"A few hours ago," Says Pin as he resumes painting. "I was thinking about getting that one framed. Remind me to never get my hopes up again."

"You know what?" I say. "You should frame it." Pin flicks his blue green eyes at me questioningly. "As a reminder you never run away." He averts his eyes. "When people need help, you stick around. And when a horse is sick, you stay by its side until it gets up. You put everyone else first, Pin. Today is about you."

Ted says from behind me, "You won't change his mind, you know. He's as stubborn as you are."

Pin shakes his head and dips the brush into the bucket before he resumes painting.

Ted walks inside the house as I throw up my hands in surrender. "Okay! Alright, fine! If you aren't going, I'm not either." I take up a brush and start painting.

"Pippa, you need to go ride for the team. They need you," Pin urges me.

I ignore him as I continue to paint the post sky blue.

"So you're blackmailing me?" Pin asks.

"Yup!" I reply, giving Pin a serious expression as I pause in painting. "You can't miss this."

Pin continues to gaze at me as I give him a pointed look. A grin slowly stretches across his lips, which I return with my own. He finally puts his paintbrush in the bucket and dumps the bucket on the ground, making my grin wider.

Ted comes back out with Pin's bag as he tells him, "Take Elvis. I'll follow behind. Bring him back."

Pin grabs the saddle while I get the bridle and we tack the Haflinger up at lightning speed. We grab helmets as I sling Pin's bag on my back so it doesn't get in the way when I ride behind him, my arms latch tightly around Pin's waist as he canters swiftly for the dock.