My Second Chance

Chapter Thirteen

We got home quite late that night but that didn't stop Chloe from putting her work clothes on and heading straight out into the barn. She had been lucky. Most mares don't foal during the day so no foals had been delivered that day. I changed too and went out to see Ava and Buck. Chloe had taken over ownership of Buck from Frank so he was now hers but she had given him to me on loan because she knew that I loved him and she didn't have time for him as well as all of the other horses. As soon as he saw me, he nickered and waited patiently for me to get to him. Chloe had allowed him to be moved into the stable next to Ava's so I had my favourite horses right next to each other and they got on really well. Ava was like a mother to Buck. I hugged him and he instantly knew that something was wrong. As I leant against his neck, I let my tears flow and he let me weep in his neck. As I stood there, I didn't hear Chloe come around the corner.

"Do you want to go for a ride?" she asked.

I looked at her and nodded. I groomed Ava quickly and tacked her up. Chloe was quicker than I was but that was because she was riding tackless on Tommy. She preferred to guide him with her legs. I hadn't been out to explore the farm before so I had no idea where we were going. She led me down a small country path, the sides painted with flowers and trees. It was very beautiful here. We walked down the path before we came out onto the top of a big hill. The view took my breath away. It was so beautiful. I was so spellbound that I didn't see Chloe get of Tommy and retrieve an old guitar from a nearby tree. She sat down on a tree that had fallen across the path. I got down from Ava and tied her reins to a tree. I sat down next to Chloe and looked at her.

"When my father died," she said," I would come up here a lot. He bought me my guitar several years ago as a birthday present. Whenever I feel upset or down, I just come up here and sing. No one knows about it."

I watched her staring at her guitar and noticed that it had her initials on it.

"Can you play for me?" I asked, desperately wanting to listen to her beautiful voice again.

She stared at me and then plucked a few chords on her guitar. She began to sing my favourite song: Hallelujah. I sat and listened until she had finished. I loved the way her voice rolled through the hills, as if they had been singing there for a hundred years. When she had finished, she put her guitar back in the tree and we sat in silence for several minutes, watching the sun go down before I said," Why did we never meet before? Why did my father never mention you? He must have known."

"Yes, he did know. Years ago, before either of us were born," Chloe said," Our father's had a big fight and your dad moved up to London, met your mum and had you and Elliot."

"How did you know that?" I asked.

"One day, I came in from riding and Dad was very drunk," Chloe began," He had been at a friends stag party, you see and he was just sitting on the sofa, crying. I asked him what was wrong and he said that he missed his brother. He told me everything. But we have met before. Once. You came with him and Elliot when you were small."

Our day trip! That man and his daughter in the shop were Chloe and her father. I can't believe I could have been so blind. Dad never did like that man. I should have realised that something was a bit fishy then.

"That was you in the shop," I said.

Chloe grinned and nodded. "Yes. I didn't know that it was you either. By that point, Dad hadn't told me he had a brother. It was too late by the time I found out."

I stared at her and she said," We should probably go. I don't want to leave the mares for too long."

I nodded and fetched Ava. As we headed back down the rocky path, I turned to Chloe and said," Thank you for everything."

She nodded and smiled.