I Can't Believe my Eyes!

Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Daren had to go back to school to get his homework so I decided to go to the barn. Even though Boomer was dead the smells of the barn always made me feel better. I got in my car and drove to the barn. It was a shorter drive from Dad’s house than my apartment so It only took ten minutes to get there. When I got there, there was only two other vehicles. Harry’s white pickup truck and George's blue pickup truck. If George was here maybe I could get a lesson in. My arm was better and didn’t hurt as bad anymore. I got the cast off last week. I walked into the barn and saw Harry talking with George. I walked over to the two older men and greeted them.

“Hello Samantha. I haven’t seen you around lately. Is everything okay?” Harry asked.

Harry was always like my father. He was concerned when I didn’t show up on a regular base and always looked out for me.

“I’ll tell you later,” I told Harry before turning to speak to George, “Do you have time to give me a lesson today? I’ll pay extra.”

“Of course. I always have time for my favorite student. Go tack up Boomer and I’ll see you in the arena in fifteen,” George told me. George walked off before I could tell him Boomer was dead.

“Harry does he know that Boomer’s dead?” I asked.

“Actually follow me. I need to show you something,” Harry said.

What could Harry possibly want to show me? I followed Harry down the aisle to Boomer’s stall. There was something in Boomer’s stall. As I got closer a bay horse with a star just like Boomer’s popped it’s head out. It took me a second to register. It was Boomer! She was alive. I turned to Harry with a smile on my face.

“I thought she was dead,” I spoke.

“That’s what everyone thought. Tristan drugged her so it looked like she was dead. Then he wrote in fake blood on her sides. He was supposed to take her out of the barn but instead he took her to where they held Cassandra as hostage. The cops found her when they searched the place,” Harry told me.

I nodded in understanding. I was happy that Boomer was alive. I walked into her stall and wrapped my arms around her neck. I brushed her and got her ready for the lesson. I looked at the time and saw that I had ten minutes to warm her up. I walked her to the jumping arena outside. George wasn’t there yet so I moved Boomer to the wall and started to warm her up. Boomer listened to every signal that I gave her. I could feel that she was excited to be working again. I hadn’t been able to work her much in the last couple of months. Luckily though for me Tristan had to lunge her every second day if I didn’t come out. Mom paid the grooms to work my horse. I don’t think that she knew what she was paying for but it doesn’t matter cause she abused me. She still has to pay for it cause that’s what the court ordered. They said she had to pay for our extracurricular activities and pay Daren and I two thousand dollars a month. She also had to help pay for health care and education. Even though Dad is richer than some people he still can’t pay for everything on his own.

I didn’t know George had walked into the ring till I went to cross the arena and he was standing in the way. I slowed Boomer to a walk and walked up to him. I stood beside him and waited for him to explain what we are going to do. It was jumping day so George gave me a course of eight jumps. He gave me the cue to begin the course. I gave Boomer the cue to canter and she jumped right into the canter. I pointed her straight at a blue and white vertical. The vertical wasn’t very tall but it was skinnier than the rest of the fences. I felt Boomer start to duck to the right but I put my right leg on her and pushed towards the fence. I saw a perfect spot and when we were at that right spot I asked for Boomer to jump by squeezing her sides. Boomer lifted her front feet and pushed off the ground with her hind legs. We soared through the air and landed on the ground. We cantered to the next fence which was a black and orange oxer with planks. When we were in the perfect spot I squeezed her sides again telling her to jump. Boomer once again lifted her front legs up and pushed off the ground. We cleared the fence with ease. We cantered over the next couple of fences effortlessly. I cantered Boomer to a triple bar oxer that was set fairly high. I knew we had to come in close to make it clean over the oxer. I tried to collect Boomer but she fought against me. You can never win a fight with a horse. They weigh way more than you. Boomer ended up winning and she lengthened her stride. She normally does that when I take a hold of her. We were coming too fast into the oxer. There was no way we could clear it. We either had to come really close into the oxer and deer hop it or we had to take off really long but we might take the top rail off the oxer. If we were a more experienced pair and had jumped bigger fences and wider oxers then we could take off long there was no doubt about it but we weren’t. This was way longer and higher than we ever jumped. We had to take off long cause if Boomer deer hopped the fence she could get really hurt. I asked Boomer for the long spot. Boomer picked up her front feet and pushed off the ground. I let Boomer have her head over the fence so when we landed I wouldn’t pull on her mouth and make her mad. I felt her jump the fence with ease. I loved Boomer she always tried her best and she practically had springs in her shoes. She could jump the moon and that wouldn’t even be high enough for her. I smiled when we landed. I know what George will say about that fence but I was happy that Boomer got us out of that mess safety. We finished the rest of the course with ease. I walked Boomer back to George and saw Cassandra smiling at me. She gave me a nodded. I smiled and turned my focus back on George.