too busy working or doing other things.
Now the introductions were made, neither Luke nor his dad seemed to know what to say. Richard stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“Where’s Angela?” Luke asked briefly.
“Your mother’s still at the hotel. You know she doesn’t like getting up early. She’ll be here to see you ride later, though. Twelve thirty, Len said.”
Luke nodded.
“So how was your first class?” his father asked.
“I couldn’t go in.”
“Wisp injured himself,” Ellie added.
Luke’s father didn’t even bother to ask if the pony was OK. “You’ve got a decent chance of winning your next class, though, haven’t you?” he said to Luke, who shrugged.
“Maybe.”
“We should go,” Ellie put in hastily, feeling the tension growing in Luke by the second. “We need to sort the horses out. We’ll see you later, Mr. Black.”
“Yes. I’ll be at the ringside for your class,” Richard said to Luke.
Luke gave the smallest of nods.
“Come on,” said Ellie, remembering her promise to help him escape from his parents when he needed to. Luke didn’t say anything as they led Milly back towards the hill. Ellie stole a glance at him. His expression was brooding.
“So,” she said. “Want to talk about it?”
“Nope.”
“He didn’t seem that bad,” she volunteered.
Luke swung around, bitterness clear in his eyes. “Oh no, he’s not that bad. Not unless you’re a six-year-old boy who loves your dad so much you beg him to come out with you or let you go with him, but then you’re constantly told no, he’s too busy. Just as he was always too busy when I was seven, eight, nine and ten, as well. And then I just became a bother to him when I didn’t get along at school and his time was ‘wasted’ by my head teachers calling him in.” Luke glared. “He pushed me to one side all the time I was growing up, Ellie. How do you think that felt? He never wanted to spend time with me. Weekends he was working. Holidays he was traveling and I was sent to Len’s. He had no time for me then. I don’t want him in my life now!”
He strode on ahead of her. Ellie pulled Milly into a trot and caught up with him. She felt the hurt radiating from him in strong, hot waves. She touched his shoulder, knowing there was nothing she could say to make things better. Just as for horses, sometimes all she could do was be there to hear them. She couldn’t change the bad things that had happened, but she could help by understanding.
“It’s awful,” she said softly. “I agree. I’m sorry it was like that. It shouldn’t have been.”
Their eyes met and for a moment it was as though she was seeing deep down inside him, all his usual barriers down. He let out a deep breath. “I don’t normally talk about this stuff.”
She shrugged, knowing he wouldn’t want her to make a big deal out of it. “You’ve listened to me enough in the past. It’s OK.”
He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick, warm hug. “Thanks. Though I don’t want to talk about it any more. But thanks for listening and not saying anything stupid.” He smiled, looking more like his usual self. “Tomorrow I shall repay you by celebrating your birthday in style.”
“What? At the disco?” Ellie teased.
“I might even treat you to a burger if you’re lucky—with cheese!”
She rolled her eyes. “Wow, I can barely wait!” They grinned and walked together up the hill to the stables.
Chapter Eight
LUKE’S TEASING MOOD DIDN’T last for long. When he arrived on Barney for the start of his class, both his parents were standing at the ringside with Len, his mother in a black-and-white zebra-print dress. She was very slim and glamorous, with long, glossy brown hair and smooth skin.
“She looks really young,” Ellie said to Luke as he brought Barney over to where she was standing.
Luke raised his eyebrows. “It’s amazing what Botox, the odd nip-and-tuck and hours at the gym can do. I hope she
Now the introductions were made, neither Luke nor his dad seemed to know what to say. Richard stuffed his hands in his pockets.
“Where’s Angela?” Luke asked briefly.
“Your mother’s still at the hotel. You know she doesn’t like getting up early. She’ll be here to see you ride later, though. Twelve thirty, Len said.”
Luke nodded.
“So how was your first class?” his father asked.
“I couldn’t go in.”
“Wisp injured himself,” Ellie added.
Luke’s father didn’t even bother to ask if the pony was OK. “You’ve got a decent chance of winning your next class, though, haven’t you?” he said to Luke, who shrugged.
“Maybe.”
“We should go,” Ellie put in hastily, feeling the tension growing in Luke by the second. “We need to sort the horses out. We’ll see you later, Mr. Black.”
“Yes. I’ll be at the ringside for your class,” Richard said to Luke.
Luke gave the smallest of nods.
“Come on,” said Ellie, remembering her promise to help him escape from his parents when he needed to. Luke didn’t say anything as they led Milly back towards the hill. Ellie stole a glance at him. His expression was brooding.
“So,” she said. “Want to talk about it?”
“Nope.”
“He didn’t seem that bad,” she volunteered.
Luke swung around, bitterness clear in his eyes. “Oh no, he’s not that bad. Not unless you’re a six-year-old boy who loves your dad so much you beg him to come out with you or let you go with him, but then you’re constantly told no, he’s too busy. Just as he was always too busy when I was seven, eight, nine and ten, as well. And then I just became a bother to him when I didn’t get along at school and his time was ‘wasted’ by my head teachers calling him in.” Luke glared. “He pushed me to one side all the time I was growing up, Ellie. How do you think that felt? He never wanted to spend time with me. Weekends he was working. Holidays he was traveling and I was sent to Len’s. He had no time for me then. I don’t want him in my life now!”
He strode on ahead of her. Ellie pulled Milly into a trot and caught up with him. She felt the hurt radiating from him in strong, hot waves. She touched his shoulder, knowing there was nothing she could say to make things better. Just as for horses, sometimes all she could do was be there to hear them. She couldn’t change the bad things that had happened, but she could help by understanding.
“It’s awful,” she said softly. “I agree. I’m sorry it was like that. It shouldn’t have been.”
Their eyes met and for a moment it was as though she was seeing deep down inside him, all his usual barriers down. He let out a deep breath. “I don’t normally talk about this stuff.”
She shrugged, knowing he wouldn’t want her to make a big deal out of it. “You’ve listened to me enough in the past. It’s OK.”
He put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a quick, warm hug. “Thanks. Though I don’t want to talk about it any more. But thanks for listening and not saying anything stupid.” He smiled, looking more like his usual self. “Tomorrow I shall repay you by celebrating your birthday in style.”
“What? At the disco?” Ellie teased.
“I might even treat you to a burger if you’re lucky—with cheese!”
She rolled her eyes. “Wow, I can barely wait!” They grinned and walked together up the hill to the stables.
Chapter Eight
LUKE’S TEASING MOOD DIDN’T last for long. When he arrived on Barney for the start of his class, both his parents were standing at the ringside with Len, his mother in a black-and-white zebra-print dress. She was very slim and glamorous, with long, glossy brown hair and smooth skin.
“She looks really young,” Ellie said to Luke as he brought Barney over to where she was standing.
Luke raised his eyebrows. “It’s amazing what Botox, the odd nip-and-tuck and hours at the gym can do. I hope she
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