Comeback *Book One*

Chapter Thirty Two

"How was the sleepover?" Dee asks on the drive home. It is eight in the morning on a beautiful winter day. The temperature is hovering at about thirty five degrees, causing the top layer of freshly fallen snow to melt.

"Fabulous." I mutter, eyes half closed. My energy was drained and we barely slept at all last night. I have a pounding headache and remind myself to take an Advil at home.

"You riding Faith or Beau today?" Dee tears me out of my thoughts.

"Both." I quickly answer. I need to school Beau over some jumps and Faith in dressage.

"Sounds good. I'll be at the barn all day. The farrier is coming at nine and the vet is coming at three."

Dee drops me off at the house and as I open the screen door, I see mom sitting at the kitchen table. She looks up at me and smiles. Paint and carpet samples cover the whole table.

"Shopping for our house?" I ask as I take an Advil out of the medicine cabinet. I could not wait until we moved into Dee's guest house. It is a two bedroom and one bathroom house. perfect for me and mom. Mom was in a full out decorating mode. She already picked out everything for the bathroom, dining room, kitchen, and both bedrooms. I have also picked out my wall colors but she is still deciding on her wall colors and the flooring. In a few weeks, we could move in! Right now, I am sleeping in my usual guest room in Dee's house and mom switches off between our old house and Dee's leather couch. Maggie, our Pomeranian has moved in with my aunt and uncle. Sadly,we had to give her to them but I usually see Maggie about once a month at my therapy because my aunt works there.

"Yes I am? What's up?"

"Going riding." I answer as I take a large gulp of water to swallow the Advil down.

"Sounds good. See you later, honey." Mom smiles at me as I set my glass in the sink. I then run into my bedroom to change for the barn.

I change into a simple pair of tan breeches, a thick neon green hoodie, and one brown paddock boot. After grabbing my phone, I race over to the barn.

"Beau-y boy!" I say walking up to Beau's stall. He pokes his head over te stall door and allows me to stroke his muzzle. I glance at Faith, whose head is all over to stall door, staring at me. Laughing, I walk up to her stall and stroke her muzzle before heading over to the tack room.

Deciding to ride Beau over some jumps first, I collect my brushes, jumping saddle, girth, and saddle pad. After looking through my saddle pads in my tack box, I settle on the neon green one that matches my hoodie. I quickly rush out the tack room to start brushing Beau. On the other side of the barn, The farrier currently shoeing one of the stallions.

Exactly fifteen minutes later, Beau and I are walking into the indoor arena. Nobody else is in the arena and I smile to myself. A few jumps are set up in the arena, all about three feet high.

I quickly tighten my girth and pull down my stirrups. I walk Beau over to the mounting block and ask him to step forward, then i quickly mount him.

After guiding around the arena at a warmup walk, I ask Beau to trot. He flows into a nice, smooth trot and practically glides through the ring at a trot.

"What a good boy!" I pat beau on the shoulder as I switch leads across the diagonal at a trot. At the corner of the arena, I slip my outside leg behind the girth and gently squeeze him, asking him to canter. Beau easily picks up the correct lead and I canter him over a small crossrail. Then, I switch directions and ask him to canter once more over the small crossrail.

I slow to a walk and halt in the center of the arena. In my head, I design a course to jump. Once I memorize the course, I trot back out onto the walk. The first jump in the course I designed was the same crossrail I jumped earlier. I decided to trot into the course and canter off after the first jump. I turn off the edge of the arena and face the first crossrail. Once I get about two or three strides in front of the jump I sit the trot and squeeze both my legs against Beaus sides. He takes off at the perfect moment and leaves the jump at a flowy canter. I make a rollback turn to a 2'6" Liverpool. Beau eyes the jump and I push him forward with my seat and legs. With the extra support from me, Beau flawlessly makes it over the jump. I do a flying lead change to get on the correct lead and face to the next jump, a 2'9" vertical. I count strides down in my head before going into two point and releasing my hands across his neck.

For the rest of the course, Beau is a rockstar. He does everything I ask him to do and does not fuss. Not even once. I give Beau a well deserved pat on the shoulder. I then slow to a walk and kick my feet out of the stirrups. However, I do struggle a little with kicking my prosthesis out of the stirrup. I am still in the process of getting used to a fake leg, but people, as well as me, are starting to accept this. As for my mysterious attempted murderer, the police do not have a lead on as to who it is. I guess I am fine on that, I just hope they do not try anything else.

One short cool out walk later, Beau is as dry as a bone. I dismount and wrap my stirrups up. After giving him a final pat on the shoulder, I lead him out of the ring. It was time to ride Faith.

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It has been SO long since my last update :( I did not edit this chapter, so there are probably some mistakes. Stupid auto correct