When We Meet Again.

Chapter 13: Amry

I haven't seen Alek since the night of the fire and he texted me. His friend also called me to have me come over because Alek was freaking out and pulling his hair. When I got there, his friend had him tied to the bedposts. His hair was disheveled from pulling at it with his hands. I woke up on his chest but had to leave to take care of my horses. He promised me he wouldn't drive because I could smell the alcohol on his breath. I made a trip into town to pick up a bag of feed for my foal. The feed store has a diner part too. I grab the bag of feed and put it over my shoulder. As I checkout, I feel eyes burning holes into the back of my head. I turn to see Alek sitting there with his family and sister. As I give the cashier my card, I feel arms wrap around my legs. I look down to see Amora looking up at me. "Hi." She says to me, I say hi back. She sticks her arms up and says "Please pick me up." I smile at her and pick her up. I set her on my hip and got my card back from the cashier. I hoist the bag of feed onto my other shoulder and turn to see Alek there.

"Want me to take her?" I shrug and move my shoulder near his. Amora latches onto his arm and he sets her on his hip. "Want to join us?" Alek asks me, "Sure. I've got to take this to my truck. If I take a call during, it's because I have a mare foaling and my dad is with her." Alek nods and he follows me out to the truck. I unlock the truck and sit it in the backseat. He follows behind me to their table. He introduces me to his parents. "So, Amry, what do you do?" His father asks, "I race barrel horses and own my own herd of horses. As we speak, one of my horses is in labor so if I get a call I probably have to take it. I don't mean to be rude if I take the call from my dad." His dad, Adam, nods. "This is my best horse for going around the barrels." I show them a picture of Pegasus. Pegasus is a leopard appaloosa stallion that is wonderful in the arena. His mother has a very hostile attitude the whole time despite her son, husband and daughter seem to like me. "So, how is Dixie?" His mom, Eleanor, asks Alek. "I'm not sure. The last I heard she was in jail awaiting trial." Eleanor looks shocked. "Jail? Why? Why haven't you gone to see her? She's perfect for you."

It sounds like she really likes Dixie. "She is in jail because she was involved in a plan to burn down a barn and steal a horse. She also used me to get the horse." Eleanor nods, "You should still go visit her instead of hanging out with the girl beside you." She says that with disapproval and disdain. My phone rings just after she says that and it's my dad. "Sorry, I got to take this." I excuse myself and hang out by the door. My dad tells me the mare needs help. I tell him I will be there in a few minutes. I head back to the table, "I'm sorry, guys, but that was my dad telling me the horse in labor needs assistance. I really need to go. It was nice meeting y'all." I shake the dad's hand but when I go to shake the mother's, she doesn't grab my hand. "Can I come with you?" Amora asks me, "That's up to your parents because I wouldn't be able to watch you." Alek says, "I could take her." I nod, "If it's okay with them, meet me there. I have to go." Eleanor joins the conversation, "This meeting is about your football scholarships not that girl's horse. You need to focus on that and not her." She directs this at me, "And you need to stay away from my son." I roll my eyes, "I do not have time for this. I do not know why you don't like me. I have been respectful to you the whole time we met. So argue over me, then, I'm going to prevent the loss of my horse's and her baby's life. And Alek, why don't you go visit the girl who tried to steal my horse for her baby and was involved in the plan to burn down my barn. I've been nice this whole time, Mrs. Eleanor, you have brought me to say these words." I just leave and head to my truck.

I back out and see Alek standing there heading to his truck with Amora. He is behind me as I head towards home. When I get there, I shut off my truck and hop out. On the way to the barn, I pulled off my flannel shirt, revealing the tank top underneath. I grab my supplies from the tack room and go to the stall. I see my mare, Addie, standing and kicking in discomfort. When she sees me, she comes trotting towards me and wraps her head around me. "Hey, girl." I murmur. She removes her head from my body and licks my cheek. She pushes my body to her rump with her head. I put on my glove and start to see what she's doing. I feel a hoof, leg and head. I feel the smooth shape of the shoulder. I need to push the baby in to find the other leg. I slowly push the foal inside and find the other foot. Quickly slipping it in place, I find the other leg and her head. When that is done, I grip just above the foal's hooves and pull when the mare pushes. After 3 pushes, we have the head and front legs out. The mare lies down and one more push the baby comes sliding out. Addie stands to see what happened but she licks me instead of the baby. I back away and she nearly tramples the baby to get to me. "Dad, can you get the halter on her?" He grabs the halter by the door and ties up Addie. I grab a wheelbarrow and with help I get her into it. I bring her over to Addie but she wants nothing to do with her. I just pulled the foal out and set her in a stall. Addie rejected hers and now I have a newborn foal that will be hungry soon.

I called my vet to see if any mares had lost a foal and luckily one had a stillborn this morning. They bag the afterbirth from the mare to rub onto my filly and transport the mare to my farm. The mare is a beautiful palomino appaloosa mare. I pay them a thousand dollars for her and they watch to see how they interact. After covering the foal in afterbirth, we blind the mare with fabric and give her a sedative. The mare does not show aggression to the filly and eventually we take the blindfold off before watching from a distance. Time passes by and they get along well. The filly tried to nurse and the mare let her. The mare, Daisy Duke, loves the little filly. Alek and Amora spent the whole day here. At the end of the day, a car speeds into the drive and the well manicured woman I met today is stepping out of the car. Alek's dad follows behind, sending me an apologetic look. "Honey, I told you, people fall in love with people that someone might not approve of. Our son is in love and happy. Can't you see it? Even Amora loves her, she asked her to pick her up like they were sisters. Amry is a good girl and has a wonderful heart." Eleanor turns on her husband. "Luke. Where is this girl going to go? Is she going to leave her horses to follow him to college? He needs someone who isn't going to hold him back."

Alek pulls me into his side and Amora on the other side starts playing with my hair. He interrupts his mother, "I've told you, a faraway college is not something I want. Everything I want is here." I hear a whinny from the back of the barn and hooves stampeding towards us. "Come into the barn guys." I run into the barn and grab a lasso. The others follow me inside and I go back outside, shutting the barn door. A black horse stops a few feet from me and his nostrils flare. I'm standing there when the stallion rears. I prepare my lasso to catch him the second his front feet hit the ground. I start swinging the lasso and when his feet hit the ground, I swing it over his head. It settles over his neck and he squeals in anger. He tries to run but I'm able to drag him over to post and wrap the rope around him.

He settles down a bit and I am able to get close to him. I go into the tack room through the door on the other side and grab a halter for him. As I get close to his face, I see scars and open wounds on the corner of his mouth. Faint scars litter his body. The hair on his nose is rubbed off and he is wary of me. I called my brother out of my house. He helps me move the stallion into a paddock and he yanks the lead rope from my hand but luckily my brother grabbed the rope. He quickly unclips the rope. Meanwhile my hand is bleeding slightly. I go to the tack room to wash my hand off in the sink. I go through the door where it connects to the barn. I overhear the mother saying, "Is it even safe to be here? That crazy horse just came in here." Alek has his back to me and he jumps when I speak up. "That was an abused and terrified horse. He has been poorly treated by his previous owners."