My Second Chance

Chapter Eight

As I entered the house that evening after I had tended to Buck, I found yet another banquet that Elizabeth had laid out for me. I hadn't seen Elliot that day and I didn't see him in the house when I went upstairs to wash. As I came back downstairs, I heard him and Archie come in through the door, laughing. It made me smile to think that he was enjoying himself. Then it occurred to me that I hadn't thought about Dad all day. And as I did think about it, my eyes began to tear up and go red. Today had been all about horses. They seemed to be my distraction, my saviour, especially Buck and Ava. I sniffed, wiped away my tears and entered the kitchen with my head held high.

"Hello Amy, have you had a good day?" Elizabeth asked, placing some crunchy roast potatoes on the table.

"Yes, it was very nice," I said," Chloe is teaching me how to ride."

"Is she?" Elizabeth asked in surprise," She must have taken a like to you."

My cheeks went red and I dug into my dinner. Elliot came into the room at that moment with Archie and they sat down opposite me.

"Where's Chloe?" Archie asked.

"Out in the barn," I replied," Looking after the mares in foal."

Archie nodded and said nothing else. When I had finished, I got up, fetched a plate and loaded a bit of everything onto it for Chloe. Elizabeth came out with pudding - a big banoffee pie - and she told me that I could take Chloe a piece and eat mine out in the barn if I liked. I accepted gratefully and she cut me a generous slice. I took the food into the barn and went up the stairs into the hay loft. I looked around but Chloe wasn't there.

"Chloe?" I called.

"I'm here," came a reply.

I walked around a large hay bales into a different room where there were several beds, a sofa, a fridge and a little television. I handed Chloe her food and sat myself down on the sofa.

"Do you want a drink?" Chloe asked.
I nodded and she got up and threw me a bottle of water from the fridge.

"You've equipped this place out very nicely," I said.

"Thank you," Chloe said," I come up here sometimes when I can't sleep. I have nightmares about my father."

I looked at her in surprise and there was a sad look in her eye. Then I noticed a big picture frame above the television. There was a young girl there, about five with a strong, muscular man next to her. He resembled my father in so many ways.

"Is that your father?" I asked.

Chloe nodded sadly and sighed.

"Where is he?" I asked slowly, already knowing what the answer would be.

"He's dead," Chloe mumbled," I know what you're going through and I feel your pain."

"How did he...you know?" I asked, not sure if she would give me an answer.

"He was going to collect a new mare that he had bought, a really beauty she was," Chloe said slowly," It was raining on the motorway and a car made him swerve and the car slipped, fell over and crushed his lungs. He didn't last the journey to the hospital."

"Did the mare survive?" I asked.

"She got away with a broken leg," Chloe said, picking at her food," I put her in a body brace for several months before I started to exercise her and build a trust with her."

"Who is she?" I asked.

"Ava," Chloe mumbled.