Page 48 of Young at Heart

Chapter Eight

Juliet

I called in at the stables this morning before school. Billy is slowly starting to put on some weight, but I know it will be a long process.

I have been reading up on refeeding horses that are under weight. Non horse people think it is easy. Just feed them! I wish it was that easy. Instead, it has to be done slowly or it can make the horse ill. He is allowed hay, and twice a day I give him a mash made from special weight gain foods. I wish I could give him treats, apples, and carrots as freely as you can most of the other horses, but I know it won’t be forever.

I have been taking him out on the lead rope. Walking him around the stables and introducing him to everyone. He is so sweet and walks so nicely. I hope that he continues to have such nice ground manners when he is recovered.

I can see slight changes in him. His eyes look brighter. He holds his head just a little higher. His coat still looks dull but that will start improving soon. I am careful when I brush him, I hate feeling his ribs against the brush, that I can feel his hip bones protruding. When he arrived his mane and tail were plaited but when I went to undo them, I found that it must have been like that for a while. When I tried to take the plaits out, I found that the hair in both mane and tail was badly knotted and tangled.

Every time I lifted the brush to his mane, he would pull his head away and try to turn. Like everything else it has been a slow process getting him to feel comfortable with me brushing through them. This morning was the first time he stood and let me brush both without him twisting and turning. It was amazing and felt so good to have him start to trust me.

I try not to think about when I will be able to ride him. It won’t be this summer, if I’m lucky I will be able to do some groundwork with him and get him fit enough to be able to start gentle hacks in Spring. Every time I speak to my granddad, I feel like I have to reassure him that everything is okay, and to be fair it is, it’s just not what I was expecting. I thought I would be saddling my horse up a day or two after his arrival and trying him out in the arena, maybe even a jump or two. And I know that will all come.

After the stables I rushed back home, showered, changed, and grabbed my bag. I wish I could just skip school; I feel like that most days, but my mum would kill me. I do want to do well at school, I want to work with horses when I leave school and know I need good grades to get a place at equine college. I’ve been looking at courses and haven’t decided yet what exactly I want to do because there are so many options. I wanted to go straight from school on an apprenticeship or an introductory course, but my mum insists I do basic A-Levels first. She says that way I have more options if I ever change my mind.

Lunch time can’t come soon enough.

I walk out into the sunshine. This morning’s classed felt like they would never end. I spot Emma standing, waiting for me, we always meet up for lunch along with a couple of other riding school girl’s. As I walk over, they are already in the middle of a conversation.

“Hey Juliet, what do you think about the new riding school hunk?” The girl that speaks is in the same year as me. Megan is not someone I would consider a friend, she is on livery, her horse is a few stables away from Billy. She isn’t the friendliest person at the stables to put it politely. She always has to out-do everyone else. If you spend twenty pounds on a new saddle pad, hers has to have cost fifty and have some special feature.

“What hunk?” I search my memory trying to remember if I spotted anyone new. Then I hear Emma chuckle.

“Juliet isn’t a fan of Romeo.” Amusement is evident in Emma’s response.

“Seriously? What is wrong with you? Have you seen him? I spotted him watching me the other day when I was cleaning out Dancing Firefly. I was just telling Emma she should let him know that if he wants to ask me out, that I would say yes.”

“And I was telling Megan that the only person he has ever asked me anything about is you.” Emma raised her eyebrows as she spoke.

“I don’t care who is asks out. Honestly, I have no idea why he would be asking about me, we don’t get on. He gets in the way, he’s rude, and he doesn’t like horses. Why would I be interested in him?”

“Because he is gorgeous and single. He doesn’t have to like horses, he just has to be around to carry saddles, and help with things like that at shows. The fact he hangs around waiting for his aunt all the time shows he doesn’t mind doing it.”

“He hangs around because he doesn’t know anyone around here yet, and his Georgia doesn’t like him staying at home on his own.” Emma responded.

“I know. I could help him forget his problems. I mean I’m not saying I would make him forget his mum’s dead, but I could make him forget all those girls he left behind.”

Emma looked at me, her eyes narrowing,

“I don’t think there is anyone special he is trying to forget in terms of a girlfriend, he’s never mentioned anyone. He has never been around horses before and they make him nervous, that isn’t the same as not liking them. He has asked about Juliet, but not once has he ever asked anything about you or anyone else on the yard.”

“Well, all I know is, that he’s interested in me and I’m going to make it happen.”

Megan pulled out her phone and showed us a photo she had taken of Romeo filming his aunt as she rode around in the arena. In the corner of the photo a second horse could be seen entering, a white head just peeping into the picture. I knew exactly when that photo had been taken, I knew who the horse was, and who was riding it. I knew because the rider was me, and he is looking directly towards me.