about us, Stick,’ he’d said, leaning against Mum. ‘The favourite child will stay behind and take care of our mum.’
He’s such an idiot sometimes.
But secretly, I knew he was pleased that he and Mum are having an evening together. He has already got a stack of DVDs and snacks ready. As a special treat, he’s requested fish fingers, mash, peas and cheese sauce for dinner. Each to their own.
There’s a toot from the lane. Rachel’s arrived. Her dad is dropping us into town and collecting us later, our very own chauffeur. I’m running downstairs two at a time, not easy in ankle boots with heels. I glance in the full-length mirror on the wall in the hall as I pass. My jeans and cropped jacket are an improvement on my usual mucking-out clothes, I’m thinking. Mum and Ed are waiting by the front door.
‘You look very nice, darling,’ says Mum. She’s staring quite hard at my mascara, though.
‘You look very nice, darling,’ echoes Ed, air-kissing me.
‘Have a lovely time,’ adds Mum.
‘Don’t come back too early,’ says Ed, shooing me out of the door.
‘Charming,’ I say, messing up his hair as I leave.
Rachel has got out of the car and gives me a hug. She’s wearing jeans and a long, leather jacket. Her hair is down and almost reaches her waist. She looks totally different out of her stable clothes, too.
‘Hi,’ she says, excitedly. ‘You look great. And I hope you’re hungry,’ she adds. ‘I’m starving.’
‘Hi, Mr Holmes,’ I say to Rachel’s dad, as I get into the back seat. ‘Thanks for picking me up.’
‘Hello, Jodie,’ he replies. ‘You can call me Mark, you know. Rachel has been telling me that you’re a horse whisperer.’
‘Oh, not really.’ I’m trying not to blush. ‘I bought a horse at auction – he’s a bit of a handful. Rachel’s been brilliant, helping me with his training. I rode him today for the first time.’
‘That must have been great,’ says Mark. He’s looking at me in his rear-view mirror. I nod and smile.
‘It felt a bit like climbing Everest,’ I tell him, after thinking about it for a moment.
‘Samphire has a real bond with Jodie. It’s amazing, after the state he was in,’ says Rachel.
‘Do you ride?’ I ask her dad. He and Rachel exchange glances. She pulls a face at me.
‘He sat on a horse once,’ she says. ‘Facing thewrong way.’
‘I prefer things with engines that do as they’re told,’ Mark laughs.
The drive into town takes about ten minutes. I’m sorry when it’s over – the three of us have been chatting and laughing the whole time. Mark drops Rachel and me outside Mamma Lemon’s pizza restaurant, toots and waves goodbye.
‘He’s really nice, your dad,’ I tell Rachel.
‘Yeah, although Mum doesn’t always agree when he’s making loads of noise in the garage. He’s got this thing for old cars.’ Rachel is looking at the menu behind the glass. ‘Mmmm, smell those pizzas,’ she says, taking my arm. ‘Make sure you leave room for the chocolate brownies, Jode. They’re as big as the plates, no kidding.’ She demonstrates with her hands.
‘Thanks for everything today,’ I tell her as we open the door.
‘I really admire what you’re doing,’ she replies, unexpectedly. ‘You should be proud of yourself.Samphire’s a big challenge, but he’s going to be incredible by the time you’ve finished with him.’
‘I hope so,’ I say.
‘I know so,’ Rachel states. ‘Now, it’s my treat, remember, so you can have anything you want. It’s not every day you climb Everest.’
Chapter Fifteen
I’m flying, following the curve of the hill, the September wind blowing with full force into my face. I lean further into it, feeling tears on my cheeks and autumn air rushing to the back of my throat when I breathe. I am curled, aerodynamic, focused on the landscape around me. To my left, acres of red-orange bracken and spindly gorse, as far as the eye can see. To my right, tall conifers, standing to
He’s such an idiot sometimes.
But secretly, I knew he was pleased that he and Mum are having an evening together. He has already got a stack of DVDs and snacks ready. As a special treat, he’s requested fish fingers, mash, peas and cheese sauce for dinner. Each to their own.
There’s a toot from the lane. Rachel’s arrived. Her dad is dropping us into town and collecting us later, our very own chauffeur. I’m running downstairs two at a time, not easy in ankle boots with heels. I glance in the full-length mirror on the wall in the hall as I pass. My jeans and cropped jacket are an improvement on my usual mucking-out clothes, I’m thinking. Mum and Ed are waiting by the front door.
‘You look very nice, darling,’ says Mum. She’s staring quite hard at my mascara, though.
‘You look very nice, darling,’ echoes Ed, air-kissing me.
‘Have a lovely time,’ adds Mum.
‘Don’t come back too early,’ says Ed, shooing me out of the door.
‘Charming,’ I say, messing up his hair as I leave.
Rachel has got out of the car and gives me a hug. She’s wearing jeans and a long, leather jacket. Her hair is down and almost reaches her waist. She looks totally different out of her stable clothes, too.
‘Hi,’ she says, excitedly. ‘You look great. And I hope you’re hungry,’ she adds. ‘I’m starving.’
‘Hi, Mr Holmes,’ I say to Rachel’s dad, as I get into the back seat. ‘Thanks for picking me up.’
‘Hello, Jodie,’ he replies. ‘You can call me Mark, you know. Rachel has been telling me that you’re a horse whisperer.’
‘Oh, not really.’ I’m trying not to blush. ‘I bought a horse at auction – he’s a bit of a handful. Rachel’s been brilliant, helping me with his training. I rode him today for the first time.’
‘That must have been great,’ says Mark. He’s looking at me in his rear-view mirror. I nod and smile.
‘It felt a bit like climbing Everest,’ I tell him, after thinking about it for a moment.
‘Samphire has a real bond with Jodie. It’s amazing, after the state he was in,’ says Rachel.
‘Do you ride?’ I ask her dad. He and Rachel exchange glances. She pulls a face at me.
‘He sat on a horse once,’ she says. ‘Facing thewrong way.’
‘I prefer things with engines that do as they’re told,’ Mark laughs.
The drive into town takes about ten minutes. I’m sorry when it’s over – the three of us have been chatting and laughing the whole time. Mark drops Rachel and me outside Mamma Lemon’s pizza restaurant, toots and waves goodbye.
‘He’s really nice, your dad,’ I tell Rachel.
‘Yeah, although Mum doesn’t always agree when he’s making loads of noise in the garage. He’s got this thing for old cars.’ Rachel is looking at the menu behind the glass. ‘Mmmm, smell those pizzas,’ she says, taking my arm. ‘Make sure you leave room for the chocolate brownies, Jode. They’re as big as the plates, no kidding.’ She demonstrates with her hands.
‘Thanks for everything today,’ I tell her as we open the door.
‘I really admire what you’re doing,’ she replies, unexpectedly. ‘You should be proud of yourself.Samphire’s a big challenge, but he’s going to be incredible by the time you’ve finished with him.’
‘I hope so,’ I say.
‘I know so,’ Rachel states. ‘Now, it’s my treat, remember, so you can have anything you want. It’s not every day you climb Everest.’
Chapter Fifteen
I’m flying, following the curve of the hill, the September wind blowing with full force into my face. I lean further into it, feeling tears on my cheeks and autumn air rushing to the back of my throat when I breathe. I am curled, aerodynamic, focused on the landscape around me. To my left, acres of red-orange bracken and spindly gorse, as far as the eye can see. To my right, tall conifers, standing to
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