Page 70 of The Only Seconds that Matter
“But it’s a huge arena,” she said, voice soft and thin.“What if I mess up?Everyone will see.”
“Everyone messes up.It’s not the end of the world.”
“I’ll be so embarrassed.”
“Take a few deep breaths and relax your shoulders.Blitz is an old pro.He’ll take care of you.”
Over the loudspeaker, they were calling for the class before Taylor’s.Victor released Taylor and followed her into Blitz’s stall, where Taylor grasped his reins and looked him in the eye before giving his head a tight hug.Ever the good sport, Blitz barely flinched.
“Don’t get your shirt all covered in horse snot,” Johnny warned.“Best start leadin’ him toward the practice ring.”
Taylor nodded and pulled Blitz out of the stall and into the aisle.There were a few horses warming up in the small arena-side practice ring, probably Taylor’s competition judging by how young they all were.Victor told Taylor to head to the end of the ring, and for the next ten minutes, he gave Taylor some brief instruction as she moved around in a circle around him.She was having a little trouble with lead changes on the figure eight pattern, so that’s what they worked on until the class was called.At that, they headed toward the main arena entrance where a small number of competitors had gathered their horses to wait for their turn.When Taylor started biting her lip, Johnny reached out to pat her leg, assuring her she’d do great.
Taylor was the third to go.When they called her name and number, she gave Victor and Johnny both a frantic look before Victor smiled waved her ahead.
“You’re gonna do great,” he assured her as Blitz carried her forward up toward the arena entrance.Victor and Johnny followed, standing back and looking out across the wide expanse of arena, mostly empty stands, and lights overhead bright enough to fry an egg.The announcer welcomed Taylor into the ring.
“Number 256, Metallic Blitz, shown by Taylor Stearns of Bixby, Oklahoma.This will be our third horse of our AQHA Youth 13 and Under Ranch Riding class.”
“She looks good, right?”Johnny asked Victor, looking rather anxious himself.
“She looks great,” Victor replied, watching Taylor easily steer Blitz over a few poles before pushing Blitz into an easy trot, then a canter.In true reining fashion, each maneuver was treated to whistles of encouragement around the ring, some of which were provided by Victor himself.From what Victor could tell, Taylor was excelling.Blitz looked relaxed, and Taylor’s posture was upright without being rigid.One would have thought she rode the horse all the time.There was an occasional flaw here or there, including a late flying lead change at the canter, but the turn on the hindquarters at the end couldn’t have looked better if Victor was riding it.When she finished, the few people watching in the stands clapped, and Victor and Johnny hooted and hollered like the embarrassing parents on the sidelines at a soccer game.
Taylor’s face was red but grinning as she headed out of the ring, and once she was replaced with the next contestant, Johnny reached up to hug her just as she reached down to embrace him.For a second he nearly pulled her off the horse, kissing her cheek and giving her back a slap so loud it was a wonder he didn’t hurt her.
“That was amazin’!”Johnny exclaimed with a wide, gap-toothed grin.
“It felt amazing,” Taylor said, then climbed her way back straight in the saddle and draped herself on Blitz’s neck, giving him a firm hug.“You were so good, Blitz.You’re such a smart boy!”
Blitz shook his head, as if sayingaw shucks.Victor dug into his pocket and pulled out a treat.Blitz was happy for the tribute and made short work of it.
They had to wait for the result, and what came back was incredible—Taylor had won second out of fifteen.She was grinning from ear to ear as she trotted back out into the ring to get her ribbon, and when she came back and dismounted, she started crying, hugging Johnny and then Blitz again.
“Silly girl,” Johnny chided playfully.“What you cryin’ ‘bout?”
“Blitz just did so good,” she wept.
“And who was ridin’ him?Oh, come on, bring it in.”Johnny pulled Taylor against him so she could cry against his shirt, then gave Victor a look that made him laugh.Victor took Blitz’s reins, and together they headed back to their stall, with Taylor hanging on her uncle and their second-place ribbon pinned firmly on the browband of Blitz’s bridle.Just one more to add to his collection.
* * *
Later in the day, the stable area grew more crowded as the general public wandered back to check out the horses and poke at them through the stall bars.Victor couldn’t help but feel that he was being watched by someone in the churn of people moving through.When he turned, he found himself coming eye-to-eye with someone who stopped his heart in his chest.At first he thought it wasn’t possible, but you didn’t really forget the face of your first love, even over ten years later, even if he had a mustache now and about thirty extra pounds.
“Diego?”Victor whispered to himself, then repeated it louder, loud enough for Diego to hear.“Diego?”
Diego’s open-mouthed stare turned into a closed-mouth one, and he took a few steps closer to be better heard.Was that the same blue baseball cap that he used to wear when he went riding with Victor?Were those the same boots?Probably not.Even Diego didn’t cling to clothes that long.But those were still his eyes, dark and sweet, ringed with thick lashes and settled deep beneath expressive eyebrows.No matter what he changed, those would be the same.
“I… I thought that was your horse I saw in the class this morning, so I came looking for him,” Diego began, voice hushed because he never spoke that loudly.“Hard to forget Blitz.I couldn’t imagine you selling him.”
“What are you doing here?”Victor asked.
“Oh, uh, a cousin’s showing this week,” Diego replied.“And her kid was in the same class Blitz was, so I…” He trailed off, his attention turning to Blitz, who had reached over the stall to nuzzle his elbow.Diego’s smile was so instant and natural that it felt like a punch through Victor’s chest.“Hola, viejo amigo.Qué has estado haciendo?”
The smile lasted a few seconds, about as long as his attention on Blitz did.But then he turned to Victor and his expression turned befuddled again.
“It really is you,” Diego murmured, staring at Victor so intently that Victor wondered if he had something on his face.
“Of course it’s me.”
