Where Love Grows

Girls & Horses

"Hey handsome," I walked up to the tour buses being unloaded at the studio, two lattes in hand, "missed you." Hunter kissed me before accepting the coffee.

"Perfect timing, I missed you too." He told me all about his shows on the east coast and what was next. "I got asked to join the Bluebird Cafe writer's round - one Thursday every month!"

"That's incredible," I started the car and got distracted, "ugh - stupid car."

"What's wrong?"

"Check engine light. Third time in two weeks." I looked at Hunter, "I will drive you home and go back to the dealership."

"No, let's go together." He was curious as to what was causing the light. I rolled the car into the mechanic bay while we looked around at other cars. "Have you thought about a new car?" I shrugged, looking at the window stickers of the cars on the lot. "What about this one?" It was a new model Ranger Rover HSE, "It's black on black, good since the kids are growing." I smirked and walked over  to look at the price tag.

My jaw dropped, "seventy five thous-"

"It's a nice ride," He squeezed my hand, "you can easily pay half of it down plus the trade in value of yours." I nodded.

"I'll think about it. My car isn't that old." We headed back to the bay to talk to the mechanic.

"You'll need these parts replaced." He handed a clip board toward Hunter and I. We looked over the list, a few things were small fixes but there were a few costly items on there.

"Is it worth replacing? Honestly." Hunter asked and the guy shrugged.

"Well you will keep getting the light if you ignore these," he circled two items on the list, "the others are okay for now but you would be replacing them within three months." I looked at Hunter.

"Can we get trough this now and after Australia we can look closer?" He nodded and we signed off on the repair for the necessary parts. We picked up a rental and headed home, talking about the kids and school.

"I'm going to take the Suburban tonight. Sutton and I have our riding lesson."

"How's she liking it?" He asked as we entered the house and rolled in his suitcase.

"She likes it but the pony she got last week was a bit, difficult. It's nice doing something just one on one." I helped Hunter get through his laundry before I started dinner and he went to pick up the kids. Sutton and I ate quick and headed to the barn, allowing Hunter to catch up with the boys.

"Sutton your legs are getting stronger." I said, watching her do a posting trot up the long side of the arena. She sat back and raised her hands, bringing her pony to a walk before joining me in the middle of the arena.

"Am I though? Because I feel like jello." She laughed.

"Sutton, your mom is right, you are doing a great job there with Sampson. How are you liking him?"

"Better than last week." She pat the little brown pony's neck before I nudged my horse to the rail.

"Lets see a circle down at the end Jenna and a lap of canter." I did as I was told and gave Corona another nudge and he stepped into a bouncy trot. I did a large circle before finding the rhythm to a sitting trot and asked him to canter and Amber, the coach applauded. "Very nice, back to trot, change direction." I brought him back and did a change across the diagonal before picking up the canter in the other direction. Out of breath I sat back and brought Corona down to a trot and walk, letting him catch his breath as well. "Who stopped?" Amber asked.

"Oh that was all me. I was just out of breath."

"That was so cool mom." Sutton beamed. We walked the horses around as Amber set up some trot pole exercises around the ring. "I'm glad we can do this together. You're so good."

"Thanks sweetie. I love doing this with you too." I patted Corona's black neck as he stretched and snorted happily. "I used to do this almost every day until I turned eighteen and went to school. When I moved here, I met Amber."

"Does Amy still ride?" Amber asked.

I shrugged, "I'm sure she's been out of it almost as long as I have."

"You're both doing great." She gave us instructions and we plodded around the trot poles for the better part of fifteen minutes. "Jenna, care to do a little jump?"

"Oh my gosh, mom please?" Sutton smiled.

"Nothing crazy eh!" I trotted to the rail and Amber set up a vertical. Corona sprung into the air, his ears forward, my hands following into my jumping position. We landed and cantered off.

"One more!" Amber called, hiking up the jump.

I laughed coming down the line. She doubled the height but Corona was ready, ears forward once again, bounding into the air. I landed to hear Sutton clapping. I brought the horse down to trot and let him stretch.

"That was the coolest thing." Sutton gave me a thumbs up.

"Amber how high was that?"

"That was a baby jump." She laughed, " It was just shy of a metre."

I shook my head, laughing as Sutton and I walked the horses down the driveway of the farm together before brushing them and putting them away. When we arrived home, Sutton explained in dramatic detail all the aspects of our lesson, even showing Hunter a video.

"Okay, enough about me. You did amazing." I hugged her, "go shower, then you can have a snack okay?" She obliged and Hunter looked at me, his eyebrows were expressive.

"That's so cool. Can I come watch?"

"Eventually." I kissed his nose.

"I love you, but you smell."