Nothing but Trouble

Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

I SETTLED MY crash helmet onto my head as Connor led Folly beside me on the way to the arena.

She seemed placid enough, but I couldn’t help being worried by her size. What if she decided she didn’t want me on her back? When Connor halted the horse at the entrance, a big part of me wanted to carry on walking, right out the gate and down the road. A gentle stroll, a quiet country pub, maybe a light lunch while I waited for Grant to come and pick me up.

My nerves weren’t helped by the sight of Annabel on a beautiful champagne-coloured horse, cantering tidily around the arena. She must have mucked out as well, but she’d certainly come through the ordeal better than I had. Marion yelled instructions at her—turn here, speed up, hands together, heels down—and she followed them all perfectly. I didn’t even know how to get on the bloody nag.

“Your turn,” Jenny called.

I forced myself to unclench my hands and pasted a smile on my face that I absolutely didn’t feel. My legs wobbled as I plodded beside Folly onto the sandy surface.

On her way out, Annabel gave me a condescending look before turning her charms onto Connor.

“Will you be in for lunch?” she asked with a simpering smile.

“Sure will.”

She took off her helmet and fluffed up her hair. Nope, she’d barely broken a sweat, despite all the complicated moves she’d been doing. “I’ll save you a seat.”

I caught Connor staring after her as she walked away, her spotless white breeches moulded to her like a second skin with no sign of a VPL.

“Connor, can you give Ella a leg up?” Jenny asked, making both of us snap our attention back to her.

“A what?”

“It’s to get on the horse,” he explained. “Face the horse on its near side then bend your left leg at the knee.”

I did that, and he put one hand under my knee and the other on my ankle.

“What are you doing?”

“When I count to three, jump.”

I had no time to think. As he lifted, all I could do was spring up as hard as possible and try not to shriek too loudly as the momentum almost took me over the other side of the horse. Somehow, I managed to keep my bottom in the saddle, and as I whispered thanks to someone up there for the break, I leaned forward, flung my arms around Folly’s neck, and clung on like a shopaholic guarding my bargains from the sale rail.

Hoots of laughter came from the side of the arena. Annabel and Felicity were hanging over the fence, tears streaming down their cheeks at my expense. Connor chuckled as well, and even Jenny was trying not to smile. I closed my eyes and tried to block them out.

Why had I thought I could succeed? I might as well admit defeat on Edith’s list right now. First the driving disaster, now this…this…nightmare. I could go to Payright and beg Barry for my old job back. If I bought him a couple of dozen donuts, he might find it in himself to forgive me.

“Honey, you need to sit up,” Jenny said.

“I can’t. I’ll fall off,” I mumbled into Folly’s fur.

“You won’t, I promise. Connor’s got hold of Folly, and I’m right here to catch you if you wobble. Do you think you could try?”

Oh, what the hell? If I was going to land on my arse, I might as well get it over with. I forced an eyelid open. At least the sand was soft. Maybe I wouldn’t break any bones when I hit the deck?

I shifted my grip to Folly’s mane, tangling my fingers in her wiry hair, then pushed myself skywards.

Connor looked up at me, the top of his head level with my waist. “You okay?”

Well, I thought I might be until I made the mistake of looking down. I closed my eyes again. Who wanted to see their end coming?

Connor’s fingers closed around my thigh, and I jumped like I’d been burned.

“Ella?” The amused look he’d worn before had been replaced by worry.

“I’m scared,” I admitted.

His expression softened. “You won’t fall.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Well, if you do, I’ll catch you. How about that?”

In that case, sliding off didn’t seem like such a bad option.

“What now?” I asked in a small voice.

“We’ll get Folly to walk. I’ll keep hold of her—all you need to do is sit there. Can you manage that?”

“I think so.”

Jenny clicked her tongue and the saddle lurched underneath me as Folly ambled off. As promised, Connor stayed at my side, and when we’d gone twice round the arena, I began to relax slightly. By relax, I mean I loosened my grip enough for some feeling to return to my fingers.

“Are you ready to try holding the reins now?” Jenny asked.

No. Not in a million years, but I wasn’t about to say that in front of Connor. I’d come across as incompetent enough already.

“Okay.”

Let go of the mane, Ella. I tried, but no…no… Connor had to reach up and un-peel my fingers before positioning them on the leather.

“Now, the reins are attached to Folly’s mouth,” he said. “So don’t pull on them too hard, or you’ll hurt her.”

I was careful to keep a very light contact as we moved off again. Poor Folly. She was an angel for putting up with me, and I didn’t want to make it worse.

After we’d done two more laps, Jenny told me to give a gentle pull.

“She stopped!”

“That’s what’s supposed to happen. Now squeeze with your legs.”

I did, and she started up again. “Did I do that?”

“You did. Let’s practise a few more times.”

By the time we stopped for lunch, I’d become quite proficient at starting and stopping, and nobody was more surprised by that than me. Maybe I could do this after all?

“How do I get down?” I asked Connor. After my exertions this morning, I’d developed quite an appetite, and surely Folly wanted some food as well?

“Lean forwards, swing your right leg over the back of the saddle, then slide down, but...”

Eager to prove I was a good student, I did as he said. Too late, I realised I’d left my feet in the stirrups and tumbled, landing right on top of him. Jenny leapt forwards and grabbed Folly as Connor twisted so he landed underneath me. An “oof” escaped his lips as I squashed the air out of his lungs.

“I’m so sorry!”

I tried to scramble off him, but he had his arms wrapped around me. A few long, long seconds passed before they loosened enough for me to roll away.

“I was going to say ‘don’t forget to take your feet out of the stirrups.’”

He got to his feet first and as an afterthought, offered me his hand. I took it, and any sparks I might have felt were doused by the wave of embarrassment that rolled over me.

Stupid, clumsy Ella.

I took the seat furthest from Connor and Annabel at lunch. She monopolised him while the others chatted away in…well, it bore a passing resemblance to English but all the terms—martingale, oxer, numnah, pommel—passed right over my head. Rather than admit I didn’t have a clue, I concentrated on eating June’s sausage and mash. I’m sure it was delicious, but it turned to sawdust as I chewed.

“My hands hurt from Chardonnay’s reins,” Annabel said to him after an enthusiastic discussion on the merits of Devoucoux saddles versus Hermès. “Could you help me find some different ones?”

“It’d be my pleasure.”

They walked close to each other as they left the room, with Connor opening the door to let Annabel go through first. I know that shouldn’t have hurt, but it did. All my life I’d craved the ability to fit in like Annabel, but once again, I’d found myself stuck in the corner as life passed me by. How could I change that? The rare occasions Jaz had convinced me to try resulted in disasters like Mike. Perhaps being one of the in-crowd simply wasn’t my destiny, no matter how much I might wish for it?

After lunch, we had a break of a couple of hours, and I escaped to my room, finding comfort in solitude and a book. There was nothing like trying to solve a good mystery before the heroine did to keep my mind occupied. I could have a bit of excitement, even if it was all in my head.

The afternoon session came around all too soon. At least this time I managed to get on board and sit up almost straight away. Connor plodded round with Folly while Jenny drilled me over starting and stopping, then turning left and right by squeezing on the reins. By the end of the session, I’d done a rather wobbly circle, and I was quite proud that I’d kept my eyes open the entire time.

“Do I need to get a crash mat?” Connor asked as I prepared to dismount.

I checked my feet were clear of the stirrups. “No, it should be okay this time.”

I slithered down and, by some miracle, ended up on my feet. Compared to Felicity and Annabel, I didn’t feel as if I’d done much, but every muscle ached and my eyes kept trying to close of their own accord. All I wanted was dinner and sleep.

“We need to bed the horses down for the night now,” Connor said once I’d taken the tack off Folly.

A groan escaped at the thought of more work, especially the stinky kind. I was about to pick up the wheelbarrow when my phone pinged. Saved by the bell.

Or maybe not. It was a message from Terry.

Terry: You could have warned me you had a new boyfriend. He woke me up and threatened to chop my nuts off before I managed to resolve things.

For a second I felt bad, but when I realised Terry was still crashing in Edith’s porch my sympathy evaporated. More so when Mike followed up with another text seconds later.

Mike: Ella, I can’t believe you haven’t given your brother a key to your house. It’s inhumane to make him sleep in the shed. I’m disappointed in you.

Those...those...those...assholes! Terry was sleeping in Edith’s summerhouse? That was my little sanctuary in the warm months. I’d set it up with a couple of comfortable loungers and a bookshelf, and Edith and I would sit out there to catch the last of the evening sun. Now Terry had violated that. I wanted to rip his scrawny bits off myself.

And as for passing himself off as my brother, well, that made me want to skewer his testicles and barbecue them.

Not only that, the fact Mike had found him there meant he’d been prowling around the back of my house again, and that alone gave me the creeps.

But what could I do? I was miles away.

“Problems?” asked Connor.

I jumped at the sound of his voice. I hadn’t heard him creep up behind me. What was I supposed to say? He already thought I was an i***t, so I figured one more thing couldn’t make it any worse. I might as well tell the truth.

“My stalker texted to say my ex is living in my shed.”

There was a silence-filled pause before Connor burst out laughing. “You had me going for a second.”

“It’s true.”

He stopped laughing. “You’re not serious?”

I nodded miserably. “It’s a long story.”

“I’m all ears.”

“Uh, it’s really not that interesting.” I didn’t particularly want to rehash my failed love life for a man whose pheromones probably caused girls several counties over to suffer restless nights.

He opened his mouth, maybe to try and convince me, but the sound that hit my eardrums was Annabel’s whine.

“Connor, there’s no more coarse mix in the bin in the feed room and Chardonnay’s hungry. Would you help me?”

“Sure thing, sweetheart.”

As the pair sauntered off, I took the opportunity to put Folly to bed and escape, happy I’d survived at least the first day in equine hell.