Free Secrets by Linda Chapman

doesn’t scare the horses in that dress.”
    Ellie glanced at him. “You OK?”
    “Sure! Why wouldn’t I be?” But as Luke rode away she saw him give Barney an uncharacteristically sharp leg aid. The pony jogged. “Walk!” Luke snapped.
    Barney, used to Joe and Ellie’s gentle riding, protested by swishing his tail and tucking his nose in mutinously. Ellie chewed her lip. Barney wasn’t the most sensitive pony, but he didn’t like to be pushed around. Luke rode him into a figure of eight, keeping his reins short and his legs on. Barney deliberately seemed to go on the wrong leg in protest. Luke, who was usually supremely laid-back and relaxed when he was riding, now looked tense.
    “Luke!” Ellie went after him. “Calm down. Don’t get wound up just because your parents are here.”
    “I’m not wound up!” he said sharply as he rode on past.
    Ellie sighed and went over to where Luke’s parents were talking to Len. “Can I have the grooming kit? I’ll give Barney a brush before he goes in.”
    “You must be Ellie,” Luke’s mother said as Len handed the basket over. “I’m Angela.”
    “Hi.” Close up, Ellie could see that everything about Luke’s mother was immaculate—her nails were painted a bright, flawless red and her make-up was perfect. She looked as if she had never been messy in her life.
    “So we’re expecting good things in this class?” Luke’s father said to Len.
    “Aye. The pony’s a cracker—he’s won almost every time out this year. It’s a difficult course, no two ways about it, but he should jump it no problem. Luke’s a good rider.” A rare smile crossed Len’s face. “Reminds me of when I was a lad.”
    “You’ve been very good to him,” Angela said lightly. “We do appreciate it, Len. I don’t know what we’d have done if you hadn’t let him come and stay with you. He’s always loved it at your house. It’s been like a second home to him.”
    First home . Ellie bit back the sharp words just in time.
    Richard turned to Len. “He just didn’t have the right temperament for boarding school.”
    “He was such a difficult child,” sighed Angela. “He really needed somewhere like your yard, Len.”
    No, he needed parents who were there for him and loved him , Ellie thought angrily. She could see exactly why Luke felt so bitter towards his parents; they talked about him as if he was a dog or a horse. She felt a rush of protective sympathy. No wonder he was wary of loving anything or anyone apart from Pip.
    Barney was jogging and pulling now. Ellie decided not to say anything but just help clean him up and get him ready.
    “Good luck!” she called when Luke finally rode into the ring.
    Luke was very tense. From the moment he pushed Barney into a canter and the pony took off on the wrong leg, Ellie had a bad feeling about the round. The fences were large and imposing, all made from rustic poles and hedges rather than the brightly colored jumps in the show-jumping classes. Usually Barney jumped beautifully, but feeling the tension in Luke, he played up, rushing at the fences and fighting for his head. Ellie groaned as he knocked fences seven and eight down, and when Luke smacked him, he ground to a halt at jump number nine.
    Ellie glanced over at her uncle. He had a face like thunder. Luke’s parents were looking disappointed.
    “Just get around the rest safely,” Ellie prayed. Barney didn’t knock anything else down, but Luke rode through the finish grim-faced. He had to ride into the second ring immediately, where the second judge was waiting to watch his individual show. Barney went on the wrong leg on his second canter strike-off. It was clear his chance in the class was completely over.
    Len strode over to help Luke unsaddle Barney for the conformation section. He looked furious. “You blew it!” he hissed. “You completely messed up.”
    “I know—all right!” Luke muttered.
    “You could have won that class. What happened in there?”
    “It