As Summer turned to Autumn, Ryan's feeding plan for Buddy took effect, and the gelding was glossier and stronger than ever. His black coat deepened to blue-black, and shone over his muscled shoudlers with the look of mercury on top of oil. He had grown a little, but his growth spurt settled and he stood a shade over 17.2 hands high.Although he still jumped with a style all of his own, and still often skated and slipped with out the aid of studs on his big flat feet, he grew more confident at each event, bringing credit to Ebony and Ryan's efforts. To Ebony's delight, ryan had taken a keen interest in the gelding's welfare, and Ebony had settled into a routine of a Tuesday afternoon visit to check the gelding's weight and rations, and also consulting with the vet about supplements and possible vitamin deficiencies he may have developed due to prelonged mal-nutrition.
Harrison of course was delighted at this turn of events. From the day he had introduced Ryan and Ebony, he had seen the sparks fly between them, and had immediately designated himself “Match-making Fairy”, much to Ebony's red-cheeked protests. Although clearly, he was being made redundant, as Ryan and Ebony seemed to be orchestrating their own relationship quite well on their own.
It was on such a Thursday that Ebony trundled in the driveway from having a quick chai-tea with Dale, and picking up some hoof oil and worming pastes at Webster's, and found Greg, Lisa, and Ryan parked at the barn.
“Hey guys! Didn't expect to see you all here! How were 9 Blue today for you Greg? They were so ratty yestderday! It's so hot, they just want to be down the beach, not stuck inside doing maths! I let them finish their worksheets out on the seats under G-block, because of the breeze – did they tell you?”
“Yep – that was a great idea!” said Greg nodding, “it was a bit cooler today. They were ok. I think they're all a bit over the heat!”
Ebony nodded her agreement and fumbled around in her handbag for her keys. She dropped it clumsily and a volcano of bobby pins, old receipts, shredded tissues and – gasp – tampons came spilling out onto the ground. Ebony blushed furiously and tried to gather it all up as quickly as she could. Lisa snorted, and began to help, as did Katie and Cameron. Before anyone noticed, Cameron had picked up a tampon and held it up to Ryan. “Is this chalk?” he asked, and Ryan looked with amusement at Ebony who wanted the world to swallow her up.
“Yes Cam – it's very special chalk. In its own wrapping and everything.”
“Can I draw?”
“Darling, Aunty Eb needs that for school. You know like Daddy's chalk” Lisa quickly interrupted, putting the tampon safely back into Ebony's handbag.
“That's nothing like what I use!” Chuckled Greg and Lisa laughed and slapped him quickly on the arm.
After what seemed like an eternity, Ebony found the keys, pulled open the roller door and busied herself getting tea and coffee with her back to her guests, trying not to die from embarrassment. Why me? She thought in exasperation. Why now? Why infront of Ryan?
“Jesus Christ!”
Ebony turned with a tea bag and spoon in hand to see Lisa, Greg and Ryan gaping at the purple monstrosity squatting in the corner of the barn.
“What in the wide-world-of-sports is that?” said Lisa pointing.
“Oh, it's Mum's.” shrugged Ebony, laughing at their gaping faces “she had it given to her, and she's got nowhere to put it.”
“Whoa” said Greg, “mind if I take a look?” Ebony shrugged and waved her hands toward the van before helping Cameron to sit up on the couch.
“You want a drink Buddy?” she asked him, “Katie: Want a drink?”
“Duice?”
“Cam, what do you say? Yes please, Aunty Eb. And water will be fine.” Lisa corrected him.
“Yes peas”
“What lovely manners! I think I do have some juice anyway... apple, I think. Coffee Ryan? Lisa?” Eb ferreted around producing two plastic tumblers and a bottle of apple juice.
“No thanks Eb, we just dropped in to give you those maths books and papers you leant to Greg to set the year 10 half-yearlies. And the kids nagged us to come see Boss, Buddy and Spud.” Spud wagged his plumy orange tail in agreement and sat at Ebony's feet having heard the fridge door being opened.
“I will - sure.” said Ryan.
“It's not as bad as it looks outside on the inside,” said Greg coming back from inspecting the caravan and dusting his hands off on his trousers.
“Thank god” laughed Ebony handing a mug of coffee to Ryan.
Greg laughed. “No, it's clean and quite well-kept inside, but there's a bit of damage in one corner of the roof, so you should probably keep it in here incase it leaks.”
“It does, I am.” replied Ebony.
“It's got a little bed, some cupboards, a little sink, it's quite cute and cozy actually. They gave it to her, you said? Good score.”
“We better head off Greg, and get some things for dinner” said Lisa, standing up and looking at her watch.
“Chippies?” Said Katie, and Cameron nodded hopefully.
“No, not chippies” said Lisa rolling her eyes, and gathering up the children's hats and cups.
“Those books you leant me are in your horse float, Eb – we thought we'd missed you when you weren't here when we turned up. I was gonna leave them in there and phone to tell you later tonight. Come on kiddies, say 'bye bye'” Said Greg herding the two chatting kids toward the door.
“Bye you four! Give those goats a big pat for me!”
The car finally pulled away, and Ryan and Ebony were left on the couch, together. Ebony smiled.
“So how's business?”
“Ok. Same old, same old. Actually I have some bad news, and some good news” he said cryptically raising an eyebrow and looking at her over his mug.
“Uh huh...” Ebony hesitated.
“Well, the bad news is that Cathy's had some more bad luck. Well, good and bad. The lady who was loaning her the land she's on, bought that big ugly Thoroughbred, Ringo, off her-”
“But that's excellent news!” cried Ebony, “Oh-unless she didn't get enough money for him? But she's got those other 2 babies to work on -”
“No, that's not it.” Ryan cut her off “she got the money she wanted and everything, that's all fine. But the lady bought the horse because her daughter's coming back from overseas and is taking over the property.”
“Oh no,” said Ebony slowly, “but that means...?”
“Yeah. She's got nowhere to live again.”
Ebony swallowed her tea thoughtfully. This was bad. Poor Cathy. Now she had no place to live, and nowhere to keep her horses. And by selling Ringo - sure the money would go a long way to paying off her debts and saving for a new place - but she didn't have a horse to campaign. Now how would she advertise her skills so she could get established?
Ebony picked idly at the orange dog hairs she just realised were all over her shirt. Suddenly an idea slid into her mind, like a visitor edging in the door of an open house and calling 'Hello? Anyone here? I'm just here about the Cathy-problem...'
Ebony looked at Ryan and snapped her fingers.
“She can stay here! In the caravan! Mum won't mind; she doesn't want to use it right now anyway. There's plenty of room for her horses, and we wont get in each other's hair, 'cause she can have the downstairs floor and my room and my stuff's all upstairs anyway!” Her eyes glittered happily, and then stopped. “Oh I mean, she might not want to, it's a bit rough and all...you know, with the stalls down here and...”she trailed off indicating the concrete fllors, the roller-door, and the places where the stuffing was sprouting from the tears in the couch. “But at least it would be cheap! It'd be nice to have someone here to help feed and rug horses and stuff; good company for me! I dont need to charge her rent or anything - I'm not paying any, but she can chip in for bills, and save up for a deposit for her own place...”
Ebony looked expectantly at Ryan, who grinned back. “It's a great idea! She'll be so relieved! It's not so rough – it's clean and airy and light. Better than half the flats you'd rent in the city!” he laughed. “And somehow, I dont think stalls and the horses being in at night are going to worry someone like Cathy...” He laughed. “Good, that's that problem solved. So, problem number two, the second reason I'm here”
“The good news?”
“That's right. Next Friday night, Pro-bix – that horse feed we've been pumping into Buddy – is having a charity ball night to raise money for the new animal shelter that's going in just out of town there. It's meant to be a pretty big facility, catering for domestic animals and farm animals, and having veterinary facilities onsight... anyway, it's a chariy ball. All the who's-who will be there, everyone from the horse world especially, because on the Sunday, there's a charity showjumping day. Lots of fun, good cause, all that.” He took a breath and took a slurp of coffee. Ebony felt the strongest urge to play with his dark hair that had flopped over his forhead. She took a big gulp of hot coffee and forced herself to get a grip.
“So, I thought we might go together.”
Ebony choked suddenly on the mouthful of tea as she sucked it in with a shocked intake of breath. She had to grab a tea towel to mop it off her chin and the front of her Spud-hair covered shirt. She coughed noisily, and spluttered, telling herself to breath slowly. Ryan took her mug from her hand and thumped her back.
“Are you ok?”
“Yes....yes. Sorry. Went down the wrong hole. WAY. Went down the wrong way.” Oh god.
“Right. Breath Eb. Cant have my favourite person dying on me now”
His favourite person? Ebony looked at him and he smiled back gently. “I really would love it if you could come.”
“I'd love it if I came-Uh...could come. Come with you, I mean. To the ball-thing. Oh god!” she coughed again and mentally slapped herself in the face. Idiot! Talk normally.
Ryan laughed and smiled at her. “Ok. It's settled. I want to see you in your sexiest dress. I wanna be the envy of all the men there. All the women too, come to that” he laughed, tipping the dregs of his coffee into the sink. “Right, I'm off to tell Cathy about your place, and tell all the boys at the pub that I've got a hot date to the ball”
As he left he put an arm around her back and kissed her slowly on the cheek. Ebony breathed in his spicy aftershave and put a hand on his hard abs. She felt a jolt at his closeness, could feel the warmth from his body, his hand felt hot on her hip.
“Cant wait,” he said softly.
