Page 44 of Christmas at Sturcombe Bay
How contrary was that? She hadn’t wanted him to kiss her, so why was she so annoyed that he had just walked away?
Dammit, maybe she should just use him as a rebound fling to get over Glenn. Although she really didn’t need to get over Glenn. She was over him already, apart from a lingering annoyance with herself that she hadn’t dumped him the first time she’d caught him cheating. Or at least the second. At least then she’d have been spared the cost and complications of cancelling the wedding.
A clatter of horses’ hoofs on the lane below her window drew her out of bed. She crossed to the window and drew the curtainaside. Liam and Cassie were riding up from the beach, side by side, Cassie laughing at something he’d said.
Love. It seemed to work out for some people, but not for her.
She stood watching for a few moments as the couple turned in through their front gate and rode across the yard. Then, giving herself a mental shake, she shrugged into her dressing gown, picked up her towel and washbag, and hurried over to the bathroom.
Half an hour later, refreshed from her shower and having scoffed a bowl of cornflakes in the kitchen, she was strolling down the lane to the Ellis’s pretty cottage.
The gate into the stable yard was latched, and she remembered the importance of latching it again behind her. Cassie was walking a horse in a wide circle round the yard. She wasn’t holding the bridle, the horse was just following her, peering over her shoulder as if curious about what she was doing.
Jess waited quietly and as Cassie turned, she smiled a greeting.
“Hi, Jools . . .” A quick frown, then she laughed. “Oops, sorry. Hello, Jess.”
“Hi.” Jess laughed, dismissing the mistake. “I hope I’m not in the way. I saw you through the window, coming up from the beach. I’ve got the morning off, and I thought I’d just come down to say hello to the horses.”
Cassie’s smile widened. “You’re more than welcome. They all like saying hello to people. Well, maybe not Sykes at the end there. He can be a bit grumpy.”
Jess glanced around the yard. There were a dozen sturdy brick-built stables in one block, and three more in a separate wing, with a corrugated iron roof and wooden split doors. Only a couple of them appeared to be occupied, the horses peering out like nosy neighbours looking for gossip.
Beyond the yard she could see a long grassy paddock, shaded by trees, where horses, ponies and a few donkeys were contentedly grazing.
“Julia said you’re taking on the care of the horses from the rescue society,” she remarked.
“That’s right. It’ll take some of the weight off everyone else. I worked with horses in Montana, on a dude ranch. Great fun.” She laughed. “The guests all loved my English accent. They thought it was ‘real cute’. And they did some rehabilitation work with horses that had been traumatised by bad treatment or accidents.”
“Is that what you’re doing now?”
“Uh-huh.” She was still walking slowly around the yard, the horse following her closely. Even to Jess’s inexperienced eye the animal looked thin and badly out of condition. “This is Cody. He came to us a month ago. He’d been really badly neglected, but he’s coming along nicely now, learning to trust me. Aren’t you, my luvver?”
The horse nodded his head as if agreeing with her.
“How many horses do you have here?”
“We’ve got fifteen rescues in at the moment, as well as our own. Plus the ponies and donkeys. The society has another couple of dozen living out in foster homes. We usually keep them here for a while to begin with, so Liam can assess them and we can build up their health if they need it. Then some of them can be loaned to people we know are reliable. But some are retired and will be with us long-term.”
“It must cost a fortune.”
“Not really. They’re mostly out to grass. And Tom Cullen supplies us with organic feed. Plus we have a group of regular donors and some support from a couple of charities, and a regular GoFundMe page attached to our website. Do you ride?”
“Horses? No.”
“Would you like to?”
“Could I?”
“Of course. Jools said you ride motorbikes.”
“I used to.”
“Well, you should get the hang of horses dead easy then.” She patted the nose of the horse that was following her. “Good boy, Cody. Want to go back to your field?” She glanced back at Jess. “Come on, let’s choose a ride for you.”
Jess followed Cassie over to the five-barred gate which led into the paddock where the horses were grazing. As she climbed nimbly onto the gate, several of the horses lifted their heads and ambled over to greet her.
“You could try Bella,” Cassie suggested. “She used to be with a riding school, so she’s used to novices and she’s very sweet natured.” She singled out a russet-coloured mare with a white streak down her nose. “Come on then, Bella. Do you fancy a little outing?”
