Dreaming of Tomorrow Page 10

  That was the subject of some discussion, almost a fight, when David realized that Emily was riding almost daily with Nicole, and the young horse which they just called junior, was her usual mount.

  “I didn’t know you’d be upset that I was riding Junior,” Emily explained after she had Junior out and saddled. “Nicole said it would be okay.”

  “She should have known better, or at least asked me,” David grumbled. “But you haven’t been hurt, so I guess it’s okay. Anyway, it wasn’t your fault so I shouldn’t be mad at you.”

  “Are you worried that this horse is going to hurt me? Is he mean?” Emily was incredulous as she mounted. “He’s been very good with me!”

  “Yes, I would have been a little worried, but Nicole is a good rider and she would know how to teach you. Don’t get me wrong, Junior’s not a bit mean, he’s very good-hearted, but he’s also very green.” David smiled into Emily’s eyes. “That means he’s not very well trained, and he may be a little unpredictable. You say you haven’t had any trouble with him?”

  “No,” Emily grinned, patting his neck, “he’s as gentle as a kitten. A very big kitten.” Junior was about eleven hundred pounds.

  “What have you been doing with him? Riding in the arena or trail riding?” David asked.

  “Mostly riding in the arena, we work along the rail then I watch Nicole work her horse and then I copy her, only much slower.” Emily grinned.

  “Copy her?” David’s voice rose slightly.

  “I ride the same patterns around the poles and barrels that she does only, like I said before, much slower.” Emily looked defiant and a little hurt. “Is there a problem with that?”

  “I’ll let you know after I see you ride him around those same patterns.” David smiled. “But please understand this: if there’s a problem, it’s Nicole’s problem, not yours. In the meantime, why don’t you help me pick out a new name for Junior?”

  “Nicole said he already has a registered name, Midnight Raider,” Emily ventured.

  “True, I’d hate to go around calling him Midnight. It’s just not the right name for a sorrel horse, and if I call him Raider I’d wind up being Raider’s rider, and that sounds tacky.” David grinned. “Of course as long as you’re riding him, you’ll be Raider’s rider.”

  “I’d be proud.” Emily grinned, thrilled. “I’d be proud to be Raider’s rider.”

  “So, Raider’s rider, run the pole bending pattern for me,” David commanded.

  He watched as she ran the first of the four courses that he had marked out so that they could be set up easily in the larger arena. It was called pole bending, and Nicole had left it up the last time they’d ridden. The course consisted of a row of six poles spaced twenty feet apart. All the rider had to do in this variation was weave through the poles up and back. Emily trotted the horse through the pole bending course, then she gathered her courage and went through the course again, this time at a gentle lope.

  “So,” David asked, “when do you run him?”

  “That wasn’t a run?” Emily asked.

  “No, that was a lope.” David laughed even as he instructed her. “Try it again, only faster. I’ll time you.”

  Emily pushed the big horse through the course again, this time quite a bit faster. David turned on the electric timer.

  “How did I do?” Emily asked.

  “Really well. You looked smooth and he was just skimming the poles, not wasting any movement. Your time was 16.5 seconds, which is just about right for a practice session at this stage of his training. Now I’m going to take Nicole’s horse through.”

  He ran the course on Nicole’s horse in a decent time of 10.2. Emily was amazed that he was so much faster than she was.

  “I took almost twice as long as you did, and I thought I was going so fast.” Emily was slightly put out. “How do I get him up to speed?”

  “The same way you get to Carnegie Hall.” David grinned.

  Emily thought for a while before she remembered the old line, “Practice, practice, practice?”

  “You’ve got it,” David told her. “And I think you’re getting good enough to skip the trot through and the slow lope, just go for the half speed run like you did today, unless he starts giving you a problem. Time yourself and don’t try to beat me or Nicole, try to beat yourself. You’ve set a time of 16.5, so aim to beat that next time. Just don’t push him too hard here at home, work on keeping him calm and relaxed, under control, okay?”

  “You mean I get to keep riding him?” Emily’s eyes glowed.

  “Sweetheart, as far as I’m concerned he’s all yours.” He leaned over to kiss her, then he jumped off and handed her the reins. “Let’s practice quadrangle.”

  “I don’t know that one very well,” Emily admitted, watching David move the poles using green markings that he had painted on his arena fence as guides for placing them.

  Pete walked over to watch too. “Are you okay, Daddy? Is this too tiring for you?” Emily asked. “Are your allergies acting up?”

  “No, I’m fine, Sweetheart. That new antihistamine the doctor gave me seems to be working,” Pete told her. “In fact, I was going to ask David if I could help him with the tape measure.”

  Pete ducked through the fence and walked over to David. Soon he was indeed helping David measure the course, which consisted mainly of a seventy-five foot square, with two timing poles twenty feet apart in the center. The practice session went well although Emily was right, neither she nor Raider were very familiar with Quad. After that, David set up the barrel race, the most well known and basic gymkhana event while Emily went over and got her mother off Target and put him away.

  “Did you enjoy your ride, Mom?” she asked.

  “Of course, I always enjoy riding Brownie,” her mom replied. “I am a little stiff though. I think I’ll go sit down.” She went over to sit near Pete on one of the folding chairs David had placed next to the arena.

  David and Emily went through the barrel course one time each. Emily was several seconds slower than David.

  “How on earth does it feel to go as fast as you do?” Emily asked, gasping. “Even at this speed I feel like I’m flying.”

  “There’s a way I can show you but it’s probably a little dangerous. Are you game?” David challenged.

  “Sure.” Emily’s chin went up. “What do I do?”

  “Follow me as close as you can, we’re going to do what we call fox and hounds, which is a sort of a follow-the-leader barrel race. First we’ll trot through, then lope, then half speed. Lastly, if your horse seems to have a clue as to what’s going on, we’ll run it. You’ll have to be careful to avoid having a collision with me, so it’s best if you stay as close as possible. Think you can do it?” he asked.

  “I think so, we’ll see how it goes at the slower speeds.” Emily was determined.

  At the slower speeds everything was smooth. David felt like Raider had the idea of what was going on so they talked it over and agreed to try it at almost full speed.

  “Stay as close to me as you can,” David instructed. “And stay alert, we don’t want any accidents.”

  The ride went well in spite of the fact that Raider tried his equine best to beat the more experienced horse David was on, instead of being content to follow behind. The best time Emily had run on her own was 26.4 so she was amazed when the exhilarating ride ended to find out that their combined time, from the time David crossed the starting line until Emily crossed the finish line was 20.1.

  She steadied Raider who was now prancing and tossing his head. “Wow! That felt wonderful!”

  “Do you think you could be my partner at a horse show?” David asked, grinning widely.

  “Me? Really? I’m nowhere near experienced enough.” Emily smiled back softly. “But thanks for asking.”

  “Emily, my love, I wouldn’t ask you if you weren’t good enough. I can’t believe how far you’ve come in such a short time.” David reached out and almost pulled her off Raider, kissing her f
irmly. “So will you?”

  “Yes.” She was mesmerized by his use of the phrase “my love” but she managed to kiss him back before Raider danced away.

  Chapter Twelve

  “Whoa, boy.” She patted the big horse tenderly, calming him and praising him.

  “That was great, Emily! I can’t believe how good a rider you’ve become in such a short time!” her father called out. “You’re fantastic!”

  “Thanks, Daddy.” She beamed.

  “Let’s skip speed barrels; I think these two have had enough. We can put them on the hot walker and have a cold drink while they cool off,” David suggested.

  “Sounds good to me,” Emily agreed.

  She got off Raider and unsaddled him, putting his saddle in the barn and leaving his blanket to dry off upside down in the sun. She pulled off the horse’s headstall and rubbed his head, scratching all of the places where he had gotten a little sweaty under his bridle. She haltered him then watched while David hosed off both horses and used a sweat scraper to remove most of the water. He put the horses on the hot walker.

  The hot walker had a center pole with four arms radiating out form it, and at the end of each arm was a chain hanging down with a snap at the end. David snapped each horse to an arm and turned on the hot walker so that the center pole turned slowly causing each horse to walk in a small circle. The hot walker could be used to cool off a hot horse after a workout or to keep a horse moving until he dried off after a bath.

  Emily went in and showered quickly then walked into the kitchen to get some iced tea and lemonade. When she got back outside she found that her parents and David had moved up to sit at the patio table. As soon as they had all gotten comfortable and Emily had served everyone with their choice of tea or lemonade, Nicole arrived.

  “Hi everyone, how was the ride?” Nicole breezed in.

  “We had a great time as soon as I got over the shock of finding out that Emily here was riding my green horse through gymkhana courses,” David said with a trace of steel in his voice.

  “Oops!” Nicole was unrepentant. “I guess I’m in trouble. How did she do?”

  “She was great, especially when we ran fox and hounds with,” David shot her a look that was pure trouble, “me on your horse.”

  “You’re dead meat, buddy.” Her fabulous eyes narrowed.

  “Right after you, sister dear.” His tone was deceptively mild.

  “I think I’ll go in and get things ready for dinner.” Emily decided that cowardice was the better part of valor.

  “I’ll feed your folks while David finishes taking care of the horses.” Nicole smiled, stopping Emily’s retreat into the house. “Don’t worry, we won’t kill each other.”

  David went to the barn and fed Target. He also put hay and grain into the stalls for Raider and Nick’s horse, checked the water for all three horses, and made sure the stalls were clean. He turned off the hot walker and both horses instantly peed, as if they’d been fighting the urge for hours, but he knew it was only a form of equine protest. He unsnapped Nicole’s horse and gave him a slap on the hindquarters. The horse headed straight for his stall. He unsnapped Raider and led him into the barn. He removed the horses’ halters before making sure all three stall doors were tightly shut.

  Soon David and Emily were on their way to dinner while Nicole fed her parents and took them home.

  Over dinner Emily started a conversation. “David, how do you keep your horses so well mannered when so many of the horses I saw at the horse show were so high strung?”

  “I believe that even a gymkhana horse should be a pleasure to ride so I put a lot of effort into training them to have manners, and I try to differentiate between times when they’re going to be asked to run and everyday rides by changing both my equipment and my attitude. Also, I don’t run them all out every time I get on them. Once they know an event I just practice enough to keep it in their minds, and I seldom run full out at home, even if it looks like I did today. I ran Nicole’s horse but I didn’t push her. See the difference?”

  “I see, and I think you’re right. At the horse show it seemed like some of the kids were speed freaks like their horses.” Emily smiled. “It’s okay for them, but I like your way better.”

  The waitress brought their dinners and they dropped the conversation to eat. Sitting there over the empty plates, having a last glass of iced tea, Emily asked another question that was bothering her.

  “Why is Nicole so concerned about overweight people?” Emily asked. “Her concern is great but a little unusual, especially for a model. Most people who are in terrific shape seem to look at heavy people as if they were seeing their worst nightmare.”

  “Ask her. I think she’ll tell you,” David replied. “It’s tied in to her reasons for wanting to quit modeling. I’m glad she’s helping you, though.”

  “I’m glad for her help, of course. It’s good to have a friend like Nicole. I do have a big question, though.” She paused, hesitating before she asked, “If I go all out with the diet and exercise how will it affect our relationship?”

  “What do you mean?” David was puzzled.

  “A lot of times when someone who’s as heavy as I am goes on a diet, people around her feel threatened. They wind up trying to sabotage the diet. Some men even have a special attraction for large women. In fact, for one of those men, I’d be considered too skinny.” Emily grimaced. “Can you believe it?”

  “Emily, you really hurt my feelings. You should know by now that I’ll support you whether you go on a diet or not. I’ll be here whether your diet is successful or not. I want to be with you more and more as time passes and I suspect that this feeling is only going to get stronger. I already want to make love with you.”

  “David, I’m sorry. I always seem to be taking my own insecurities out on you. You’re very important to me and having someone like you in my life is very new to me.” She reached out and covered his hand with hers. “As for making love, I’m not quite ready yet, and my beliefs, well. . . It’s as sin.”

  “I know, I believe that too,” David said with some regret, “but I do want to make love with you.”

  “But I do know you want me and I realize that you accept me as I am, really I do, but I don’t quite accept myself. At least not entirely.”

  “Are you saying that you won’t really love me until you reach some weight goal? Or hit a certain dress size?” David’s eyes blazed. “That’s crazy! I don’t want to wait that long!”

  “I’m glad you’re not willing to wait that long, neither am I. I’m just a little hesitant about my body, and I’m new to this love business.” She stroked his hand. “Please be patient.”

  “Okay. But please, try to get over your fears as soon as you can. I’m trying to be patient, but it’s all an act.” David grinned. “Right or wrong, sin or not, I’m as impatient as hell.”

  “I wouldn’t want to take advantage of your patience.” Emily grinned. “I just want to take advantage of your body, when it’s right. And soon, I will be ready soon, I promise.”

  They took a short drive after dinner, mainly to be alone. Finally, parked on a road out in the country, David took her into his arms and made a powerful argument in favor of red hot passion.

  Over the next three weeks they had more dates, more rides, and more quiet times spent in each other’s arms. Luckily, her father seemed to be holding his own. One day, David came over when Emily was out shopping and he had a long, quiet discussion with Pete.

  “Pete, I want to talk to you about Emily when she’s not around,” he began. “I want you to know that I really care for her, heck, I love her. It’s not just . . .”

  “I know, I can see it when I see you together,” Pete said softly, “but I don’t think Emily realizes it, not really. She’s got so much on her mind. I’ve been praying that I could see her in love, see the man who would love her, before I died.”

  David was too wise to deny Pete’s illness. “I’d like to have you at our wedding, but I d
on’t think Emily’s ready for that yet.”

  “I’d love to be there to walk her down the aisle, to see her married and in love. It would be the answer to my prayers,” Pete said, smiling sadly. “I’ll admit, I was losing hope before she met you; I’m learning that prayers and faith work miracles. Whether I’m at the wedding or not, I’ve had a burden lifted from my mind now that you’re in her life. It makes it easier on me.”

  “Pete? Emily’s birthday is Saturday, right?” David fought to hide tears.

  “It is.” Pete smiled. “You have something up you sleeve, I can see it in your eyes. So what have you got in mind to surprise her with?”

  “I have an idea.” David walked over closer to Pete. “I know she wants a puppy and I know that you have allergies. I talked to my vet and she suggested I talk to your doctor and see if it would be safe, for you, to get her a hairless puppy. She even knows of a Chinese Crested puppy that would be ready for her new home on Emily’s birthday.”

  “Are those the dogs that are so ugly they’re cute?” Pete laughed a bit. “That’s a great idea. Emily would love that.”

  “And one more thing.” David paused. “The next weekend I’m taking the horses to Santa Barbara for a horse show. I’d like to take Emily.”

  “I’d like that, she needs to get away,” Pete said slowly.

  “Not for sex, you understand,” David told him. “And we always have an informal Church service on the show grounds for those who want to attend.”

  “That’s good,” Pete added.

  “I want to surprise her and enter her on Raider.” David asked, “What do you think?”

  “I just wish I could be there.” The older man seemed to grow frailer by the moment. “Just like I’d like to be at your wedding.”

  “I’ll do what I can.” David looked Pete in the eyes. “I promise.”