Read Online Hercules: A Matter of Trust by Heather Brooks - Free Book Online Page A

class. Les was totally into being prepared, and it would have been nice to get in some more practice.
    Not that she could do anything about it, right? No point in freaking.
    Aunt Debby turned the van off the dirt road and began to bump over the grass toward the other vans. There were two rings off to the left with jumps. Instead of fences, they were marked with white stakes and orange tape strung between them, clearly no more than temporary rings in a field that was empty when there was no horse show going on.
    The place was packed with vans and people and dogs and horses. Emily had missed this energy so much! “This is awesome .”
    The announcer’s voice echoed over the fields, and Emily could hear him announcing the start of the Large Pony Hunters and the Maiden—“Maiden!” She sat up. “It’s starting now?”
    â€œYep. The flat class is first on the list here. Meredith, your class is up first, too,” Aunt Debby said. “Start getting ready now, girls. It’s going to be tight.”
    Emily immediately started unzipping her chaps, wishing she’d kept her gear bag in the cab with her. Her heart was pounding, adrenaline kicking in as she quickly untied her paddock boots. She nearly tipped over when the van lurched over a rut in the field.
    â€œI’ll get Halo,” Alison announced as Meredith calmly pulled out her jacket and began to put it on.
    â€œI’ll get the numbers and meet you guys at the ring,” Aunt Debby said.
    Emily glanced around as the van lumbered to a stop and realized there was no one left to help her with Moondance. Yikes! She was on her own! The van doors flew open, and everyone jumped out. Aunt Debby took off at a run across the fields while Alison yanked the ramp out of the van.
    Emily bolted across the grass and hauled herself up into the head, where Meredith was already getting her tack.
    Meredith tucked her hair under her helmet. “Good luck, and have fun. You’ll totally dominate.”
    Emily shoved her hair into a ponytail and threw on a hairnet, then squashed her helmet onto her head.“Yeah, good luck, too.”
    â€œOh, it’ll be fun.” Now ready, since she’d had her stuff in the cab of the van with her, Meredith grabbed her tack and a brush box and climbed down, leaving Emily behind to get her boots on, find her jacket and gloves, and get her tack.
    â€œAck!” She was never going to make it!
    She hadn’t even gotten her boots on when Alison hollered from outside. “Emily! Toss me your saddle and bridle. I’ll tack up Moondance for you!”
    â€œReally?” Gasping with relief, Emily grabbed her saddle and bridle and ran to the door. Alison was standing below, arms up, holding on to Moondance’s lead shank. Meredith was just disappearing between two vans, trotting Halo briskly along the grass. “Thanks!”
    Alison nodded. “No problem. Team effort at shows.” She grabbed Emily’s tack and threw the saddle over Moondance’s back. “Hurry up, though.”
    â€œRight.” Emily raced back to her gear, hooked the boot pulls over the tabs, and yanked on her second boot. She slammed her heel into the floor to get it all the way on. “Come on!” Having boots that fit like a glove was great once they were on and looking good, but getting them on in a rush…not so good.
    The leather finally slid over her calf, and she wrenchedthe boot pulls out, grabbed her jacket and gloves, and leaped down. Alison was just tightening Moondance’s noseband as Emily buttoned her jacket. “Leg up?”
    â€œYeah, thanks.” Emily bent her left leg at the knee and Alison hooked her fingers below Emily’s knee.
    â€œOn three,” Alison said. “One, two, three.”
    Emily leaped on “three,” and Alison easily tossed her on Moondance’s back. “Okay, so you’re going to the ring closest to us.” Alison checked