After a quick rap on the doorframe Noodle strode in and flopped on the bed Next to Ivy. She had bits of straw in her hair and her work clothes on. Ivy groaned lightly and Evie wondered if they\u2019d drank a little too much last night when they sat in the kitchen giggling like little kids. Gossip had flown around the kitchen like dust in an arena. Still, Evie needed her Aunt, and fate had her Aunt here at the house.
\u201cAunt Ivy?,\u201d She spoke softly but loud enough to be heard. \u201cI need you, wake up\u201d If Ivy couldn\u2019t help her with her Mom, then no one could. Evie wanted this horse with all her heart. When the heart speaks, you follow it.
“Yeah, Noodle, what’s up?” Ivy looked a little bleary and felt worse, but there had been way too much wine the night before. She was usually up, dressed, and making coffee by this time in the morning.
Noodle flopped next to Ivy on the bed. As wakefulness came she realized that the kid had said “Aunt Ivy.” Rather than her normal snooty “Madam Genevieve.” Shit must be serious.
\u201cMom is being unreasonable and I need your help.\u201d she offered plaintively. \u201cI want to adopt a mustang and she is just not having any part of it. \u201c She sighed, a mimic of Kivi\u2019s sigh. \u201cI want to enter into the local training contest, the prize is 15k and a new custom saddle. I could put the money away for school.\u201d She started to get excited again \u201cAnd it would build character, responsibility and hone my young horse skills. Plus, trick training!\u201d
Ivy chuckled. “Okay, so how long has it been since you’ve backed a horse? Do you know how? Not a lot of people do, yanno.” Ivy shrugged, pushing her nighty strap back up as it slithered off her shoulder. “Has she said what her objections are?” Noodle was sure her aunt was on her side, because the older woman sat up straighter in bed, seemingly ready to crush any problem that stood in Evie’s way. The teen’s enthusiasm was contagious, after all. “Young horse skills” indeed! ~
\u201cI helped Mom back Zeus and Mags. I\u2019ve also done halter breaking, and ground manners on every horse we\u2019ve brought through since I was like 8.\u201d Evie grinned \u201cAll Locke Ranch horses ground tie \u201c She mimicked her mom and then laughed. \u201cMags is coming nicely in Reining and I did that myself. She\u2019s in rookie classes now!\u201d In a mercurial topic switch, Evie moved back to her Mom\u2019s objections.
\u201cMom doesn\u2019t like Mustangs. You know that are lovely to look at but can really disrupt grazing land and blah blah blah.\u201d
“Well, you know how she gets about protecting grassland. Moo cows and all that. And she has a point\u2026” Her face scrunched in thought. “But mustang round-ups TAKE horses off the range.”
\u201cOh that\u2019s true\u201d Evie blurted
“What are you planning to use this horse for? I would think if you’re not planning to breed – well your mom can’t have that many objections.”
\u201cOkay, hear me out. One of the girls at school, Sandy, rides an Arabian in endurance races. I know Mustangs can do that really well. So, my plan was to train for the competition and then do Endurance with him. I was planning a gelding. I\u2019m so over mare stare. Hippy is beautiful but she\u2019s such a mare\u201d She chewed her lip with another Kivi mannerism.
“So are you sure you don’t want an Arabian to train?” Ivy asked.”Or are you out for that Mustang prize money?”
\u201cI\u2019ve read every book about Mustangs at the school library and the inter-library loan program. I have half a dozen books in my room. I do not want an Arabian. I want a Mustang.\u201d she tilted her head a moment, \u201cThough the money is good too. So, will you talk to Mom for me?\u201d
“Sure thing. But you do realize what a huge undertaking this is, right?
\u201cI do, and I\u2019m ready!\u201d Evie threw her Aunt a hug
“I have your back, Mademoiselle Evelyn.” Ivy heaved herself out of the bed. “Let\u2019s go talk to your mom.”
\u201cYou go without me. I\u2019m afraid I\u2019d blurt something out and ruin your hard work. I\u2019ll come down after I shower\u201d Evie hated that sometimes her mom intimidated her.
After her shower, she went to sit in the living room. Country music rang out from the speaker of Alexa. She daydreamed while sitting there. She dreamed of a nearly white horse, a little on the stalky side. She dreamed of riding in the competition with her bombproof, ground tying trick horse and could not think of a better horse to ride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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