Burning Desire

Chapter Nineteen

{ A/N – This chapter is all over the place and didn't quite go in the direction I wanted it to...but still, I hope y'all vote, comment and enjoy. }

♥ ♥ ♥  

The second I slipped out of Callum's sleek black Land Rover, Holly came bounding up to me, her usually stern exterior replaced by uncharacteristic puppyish excitement.

"Good morning!" she chirped, flashing Callum and I a wide grin.

"Looks like a very good morning for you indeed," I commented, grinning in response to my trainer's happiness.

"I've entered you and Burning Desire into your first novice competition," she gushed. "There were only a few spaces vacant but I managed to negotiate with the director and move your name up the waiting list."

I raised an eyebrow. "Burning Desire?"

"That's Brenna's show name," Callum explained.

It felt like a tropical storm was brewing in my veins; violent rainfall of icy nerves and dusty clouds of excitement twirling through my blood. Competing Brenna for the first time was both thrilling and terrifying; although it was a vital step in her training process, the exhilaration was weighed down by the fear that a new environment, more pressure and overwhelming excitement would be contributing factors to making Brenna uncontrollable.

"When is it?" I asked anxiously.

"Today," Holly replied, still beaming.

I bit my lip to stop myself from cursing as the tropical storm upgraded itself to a category five hurricane. But before I had the chance to object, Holly was ushering me towards the barn.

"Go get her travelling gear on and I'll prepare the trailer!"

"Can I come to the show?" Callum inquired eagerly. Acknowledging that his tone was a little too forward, he ran a hand through his hair sheepishly and added, "She is my horse, after all."

I shrugged. "If you want."

"I'll get her tack," he offered, stalking off towards the barn. I trailed behind him, fetching the mare's rug and some floating boots, before walking over to Brenna's stable.

"It's a big day for us, girl," I greeted, slipping into the stall. The liver chestnut mare nickered warmly in greeting and I rubbed her neck affectionately, sneaking her a polo. She began edging towards the door, eager to escape the uneventful confines of her stable and get to work.

I strapped the boots to her legs and swung the rug over her back, pausing to rub her forehead in her favourite scratch spot. It was only then that it occurred to me that I had no idea how Brenna would react to being loaded, and a whole new fear erupted inside me. I headed to the tack room to ask Callum, but he had already evacuated it. Sighing, I grabbed Brenna's headcollar and lead rope before slinking back to the mare's stable.

Brenna seemed to sense that there was a change in our usual routine, and she held her head higher than usual, ears flickering and sniffing the air for any signs that would reveal what was going on.

"We're going to our first show together," I explained the mare in a soft, soothing voice. "I wasn't expecting it either. But it's pretty important for us as a partnership, so you better be on your best behaviour."

Holly and Callum were waiting by a sleek silver horse truck, both of them with their arms folded over their chests and engaged in conversation. Holly had once again assumed her usual stern expression, but it seemed on the grave side of serious when she saw Brenna and I approaching.