Knowing that we had done it.
Just a small-town girl and the best horse in the world.
When his feet came down, tears fell from my eyes.
I knew no one would know with the way the rain was coming down.
But I knew.
I was overcome with emotion. This was more than a win.
It was a defining moment in my life.
I saluted the judges as the crowd moved to their feet and cheered in a way I’d never experienced.
I stroked the side of Wrax’s neck and leaned close to his ear. “You did it, my boy.”
I chuckled as he whinnied and shook his head.
I made my way toward the exit, and I saw Coach Sharky and my father, their faces beaming as they clapped and howled.
And a few feet off on his own was Axel. A wide grin on his face.
A mix of joy and pride.
And I was completely at peace.
thirty-six
. . .
Axel
Photographers were rushingaround Wren and Wrax, and I stood back. Coach Sharky and her father managed to get themselves in most of the shots.
The rain was still coming down hard, and her dark eyes found mine through the downpour. Just like they always did.
She’d done it.
My girl was the biggest badass I’d ever known. When she set her mind to something, she didn’t let anything or anyone deter her.
She’d gotten her mojo back.
She had nothing else to prove to anyone. I saw it in the smile that had spread across her face as she sailed over the final jump.
I unzipped the front pocket of her backpack to find the phone I’d tossed in there, as I could hear it ringing. My family was on standby, waiting to hear from me. When I dug inside, I noticed a small, rectangular box. I turned it slowly and saw the red letters across the front.
A pregnancy test.
I stared for a long moment, my heart thudding against my chest.
A mix of hope and fear.
Hope that Wren was carrying my child and fear that she didn’t want to be pregnant. Why hadn’t she told me about it?
I shook off the feeling. This was not the time or place to make assumptions.
I zipped the front pocket of the backpack and pulled out my phone just as the score was announced, and it was clear that Wren had won.
