Cinderella's Cowboy

Chapter Eight

They are easily entertained especially if when it comes to guys that they like. I finish the stalls and start to water the horses it is not time to feed yet but then I don’t have to do it later. I start to tack up Patty when I hear Paige and Jordan calling me. I go to the arena and they point to the gait.

Me: What did you want me to open it for you?

Jordan: Well duh why else would we call you for?

Jordan and Paige send me daggers for not bowing to their command.

Me: To take care of your horse for you?

I offer up as a suggestion.

Paige: Well we want to go on a trail ride with Dylan.

No duh I thought you wanted to take a trip to the moon.

Me: Can’t you open it yourselves? All you have to do is pull it open. I’m sure Dylan would love to show you how it is done.

Jordan: Well he doesn’t need to we asked you to.

I know in the western world they have trail classes which consist of challenges like; putting a coat on while on your horse, moving a bucket, opening gate, or walking over bridges. If Dylan is truly in that world this should be no problem.

Me: Come on Dylan show them how it is done.

I have no idea why I am pressuring Dylan like this. I am mad at him for some reason I can figure out why.

Dylan: I can’t.

Me: Why not?

Dylan: It is the only thing in trail classes that we can’t do every time we try to open a gate she flips out.

Me: Well you should get a trainer for her.

I walk over and open the gate wide. Then head back to Patty I was planning on going for a trail ride with her after the twins get off but if they are going on one too then I will just let her out.

Dylan: Maybe I will, would you like to join us?

I was not expecting that.

Me: Um…

Jordan: I’m sure she has other things to do.

Dylan: I thought I saw you tacking a horse up.

Me: I was.

Dylan: Then join us we can wait for you.

Crap, crap, crap, this was not planed. I leave the arena and go to Patty. She seems content just standing in the cross ties. I put on her bridle and grab my helmet. We walk into the arena and to my surprise the twins and Dylan are still there. He really must want me to go with him. I check Patty’s tack then hop on. I walk over to where everyone else is and we head out to our trails.

Me: So how did your guys ride go?

Jordan: It was great our trainer said that we should excel tomorrow.

Me: That’s great.

Paige: What did you think Dylan?

Dylan: You guys are really good riders you should do great.

Jordan and Paige: Thanks.

I am not going to be able to do this. Listening to this is horrible I should have just said no and un-tacked Patty. All I wanted was a nice peaceful ride by myself. As we leave the arena I close the gate behind us. The twin are on either is of Dylan paying no attention to me, I could leave now and they would never know. They start to head down one trail so I turn to another one. Dylan looks back and catches my change of course.

Dylan: Where are you going Whitney?

Me: I was just going to split off here.

Dylan: Why?

Me: Well I was hoping for the alone time and Pattie can’t keep up with you guys if you decide to race or anything like that.

Jordan: Yeah she is one of the older horses here.

Paige: Just let her go she will be fine.

Like they even care they just want me to leave them alone which for once we have an agreement on.

Me: Besides you still need to learn all of the trails it will go faster if you guys lope.

Dylan: I good with going slow.

Just let me go God damn it, can’t you see that I just want to be alone. I look at the twins they are getting annoyed but not at me. They know that I did not want this, they are mad at Dylan.

Paige: She is fine really we can show you.

Say okay, say okay. Let me go by myself!

Dylan: Are you really sure?

Me: Yes.

Thank God!

Me: I will see you guys back at the barn.

Jordan: Okay.

We go our separate ways and I start to relax as their voices fade. Even though I am now alone I do not plan on riding that long. The twins are going to need me when they get back to un-tack their horses and I just wanted to clear my head a little. Pattie is a good horse to do that on. She is clam and never spooks at anything. I swear I could ride her through a haunted house and she wouldn’t blink an eye. Jaime has done a great job keeping her in shape. I can tell that if I wanted her to I could ask for anything and she would do it for me but I won’t. I just want to walk. Jamie lets me ride Pattie whenever I want. When my dad died I stopped riding for a week not even Lilly could cheer me up. Just seeing her made me think about the long hours my dad and I work with her. Jamie could tell that something was going on with me so she made me get on Pattie. I put up a strong fight but eventually Jamie won. She may be really nice and all but when she gets mad it is scary not even Olivia would take her on.

So I got on Pattie and we just walked. Nothing else we walked for a long time I went on every trail I knew, I went to the pond, I even went to Sam’s. By the time I got back to the barn it was dark and I was all out of tears. I went back into the arena and saw Jamie standing there with Lilly. I realized that Lilly must miss my dad as much as I did and that giving up on riding meant giving up on everything he stood for. I hopped off of Pattie and ran over to Lilly giving her a big hug and promising that I would never abandon her again. Jaime helped me realize that life went on and I didn’t have to stop living just because my dad did. Now I ride Pattie to remember that everything is going to be okay and everything has a reason or just to think.

We go further down the trail and my mind wanders to the guys in my life. Sam and his dad do so much for me and I love them for it. I know that if anything were to happen to me they would be there for me until the end. That is friendship and family for you, unconditional love. Moving on to Tom, he really is something. I have spent half of my senior year and part of my junior being harassed by Tom’s perverted comments and jokes. But what I saw at his party makes me think he was not who everyone said he was. He lost his cockiness when he realized that I won his bet. He turned into a guy that was nervous being around me. If only he would have started out like that then he could have stood a chance.