Free Spirit

Chapter Sixteen

A knot in my stomach tightened as the vet examined Spirit's healed wounds. 

"They're looking good," She explained, sounding impressed. "You've been changing his bandage every few hours?"

I nodded- I'd hardly been keeping my eyes off Spirit since the day I'd found him in the woods.

"Is he clear?" I was surprised by how shaky my voice was.

The vet smiled. "Clear." She confirmed. "If you have any problems, call me." The vet smiled at me and nodded at Uncle John before slipping out of the barn. 

I threw my arms around Spirit's strong neck. "I love you, boy." I whispered.

"Dinner's in 10," Uncle John chuckled, leaving me and Spirit alone. 

-

"Is he clear?" A voice behind me startled me. 

I turned around. It was Jacob.

"What do you care," I snipped, knotting my fingers into Spirit's mane. 

"Look, Amy," Jacob began. "I'm sorry about the other day. I shouldn't have shouted. It's just, well... it's not that I don't want you to ride Spirit, but... I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'd be worried about you if you did, because, well... I care about you Amy. A lot." He smiled at me sheepishly. 

The knot in my stomach rose to my throat. Did Jacob just confess he liked me? I could feel my cheeks flushing red, so I turned away from Jacob and looked at Spirit. 

"So..." Jacob said, breaking the awkward silence. "What do you say?" 

Say something! I commanded myself.

 "Georgia?" When I finally turned to face him, I didn't meet the warm, friendly eyes of Jacob. Instead, Georgia's cold steel eyes bore into mine.

She was back.

-

"What are you doing here?" I snapped, standing in between a confused Jacob and pouting Georgia. 

"I'm here to collect my horse," She narrowed her eyes at me, her lips curling into an evil smile. 

"What do you mean?" I questioned, my heart pounding angry in my chest.

"I mean, I'm here to collect MY  horse." She pushed me aside and unlatched Spirit's stall. 

"This horse." She pointed at Spirit. Spirit.

"I think you've got the wrong horse," Jacob interjected, standing protectively beside me. "Spirit is Amy's horse."

"No," Georgia corrected. "'Spirit' is my horse now. My father bought him off of your Uncle." 

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Spirit couldn't be Georgia's horse. He couldn't. I balled my fists and stormed out of the barn. Jacob tried to drag me back, grasping my wrist as I turned to go, but I wriggled out of his grip. 

Pushing the barn doors aside, I suddenly saw Uncle John standing beside a tall man, who looked the polar opposite to my Uncle. He wore crisp white breeches and long black boots. I noticed him holding the keys to the slick black SUV beside him, which towed a horse trailer.

"What's going on?" I screamed, hot and angry tears welling in my eyes. "Why are these people claiming to own Spirit?"

"I'm sorry, Amy," Uncle grabbed my hand. "I just don't have the money to afford to keep another horse, and when Mr. Walker and his daughter offered to buy and keep him at their stables... it was an offer which I couldn't pass up."

"You liar," I squawked. "You said you cared. You said you CARED." Suddenly, I couldn't stop the tears from coming. 

"I had no choice! This money could do a lot for us, for the ranch!" Uncle persisted. But I wasn't listening. I felt my knees buckle and I collapsed. Crying, and burying my head in my hands, I heard Jacob running up beside me, his strong arms suddenly around me. 

I then heard voices- Uncle John's, Jacob's- he sounded angry, shouting at John, Mr. Washington's, even Georgia's.

But they were all muffled and blocked out my my ranging thoughts.

Spirit was leaving me, just like my parents did. It was happening all over again, all the emotions were coming back.

 He was leaving me to live with Georgia- that brat... 

And he was never coming back. 

I honestly felt like crying while writing this chapter. Spirit's gone and sold. 😭😭

I would hate to be Amy right now- it's bad enough even writing her spiral of emotions rn 🫢

But hey, at least it's a longer chapter...