Free Dreams by Linda Chapman Page B

points as anything else. Ellie walked up to it. She could barely see over the top. Could she really jump it?
    For a moment she wondered what Joe would say if he’d been there. She could almost hear him telling her not to even try it, that it would be stupid.
    She hesitated, then walked back to the collecting ring where Luke was holding Gabriel. “You ready for this?” he asked.
    She took a deep breath. “Oh, yes.” She couldn’t wait to get into the ring. The atmosphere of the show had taken her over. Stroking Gabriel’s warm neck, she watched as the first competitor was called in.
    When it was her turn Ellie rode into the ring, her heart in her mouth. Gabriel was excited to be in there again. The seated area was now full with people and she could hear Gabriel’s snorts echoing through the quiet air as she rode around, waiting for the bell to tell her to start.
    Just keep jumping , she thought, excitement gripping her.
    Be sensible , she heard Joe’s voice again in her head. She pushed it away.
    Luke was standing in the cafe. He grinned and gave her a thumbs-up and she grinned back. The next minute the bell was ringing out and she was off. Gabriel raced towards the first jump—a small spread, then over the gate, the parallel bars and then the big double. All thought of being sensible had vanished from her mind now. She turned Gabriel again and again, facing him at the fences, aware of the points racking up. The urge to win was beating through her, the desire to jump faster, bigger…
    Suddenly she found herself at the top of the ring with the choice between the wall and the small spread again. She didn’t hesitate. Gabriel thundered towards the wall. Ellie had never jumped anything so big in her life. It loomed in front of her, red, white and massive. She held her breath as Gabriel sank back on to his hocks and then he was soaring through the air, clearing it easily. It felt like a lifetime before they landed and she tensed, waiting for the fall of bricks, but there was nothing apart from the sweet sound of his hooves as he cantered on. She’d done it! Elation surged through her, and in the final seconds she turned towards the double and flew over both fences one more time, landing just as the bell rang to end her round.
    Gasping for breath, eyes shining, patting Gabriel over and over again, she rode out of the ring. Luke leaped over the fence to meet her. “God, no one else has even attempted the wall.” He looked amused and impressed. “That was awesome, Ellie!”
    Slithering off, she threw her arms around Gabriel. “He was brilliant!” She felt like she had fireworks going off inside her.
    “Told you—I knew you’d enjoy it.”
    Ellie enjoyed the moment when she went into the ring to collect the red first-place rosette even more. She led the lap of honor and cantered out, feeling as if every cell in her body was buzzing. She was so glad she’d listened to Luke and gone to the show, so glad she’d just gone ahead and done it. Whatever happened, whatever trouble she got in, she’d always have that night. It was the same as when she’d bought Spirit. She knew she shouldn’t have done it, but she hadn’t listened to that sensible bit of her brain and was so glad she hadn’t.
    “So, it makes up for not going out tonight?” Luke said as they led Gabriel back to the trailer.
    “Definitely! I loved it!”
    “Knew you would.” He tapped his nose. “See, I know everything.”
    “Yeah, yeah,” she teased, rolling her eyes. “You know everything. ”
    “I do, babe.”
    “Babe?” She looked at him and then burst out laughing, on such a high she simply couldn’t be bothered to be angry with him. “You called me babe!”
    He had the good grace to look a bit ashamed. “OK, sorry, you are so not a babe.”
    “What am I then?” she said curiously.
    “A nut-job! You must be, you took Gabriel in the Gamblers’ Stakes and won.”
    Their eyes met and they grinned. Ellie walked Gabriel back to the