~* ONE *~

"Happy birthday to Bekah! Happy birthday to you!" Bekah smiled at the group of singing friends. It was her twentieth birthday and she had invited a bunch of her friends over to celebrate. “Now make a wish and blow out the candles!” shouted Madi, Bekah’s younger cousin.

Bekah inhaled deeply then held her breath for a second as she thought about her wish. She knew the wish’s never came true, but it was still fun to do. “There is nothing I really want,” she thought. “but I’d love to have Freedom Valley be a success!” She blew out the candles and smiled as her friends all shouted and applauded their congratulations.

Bekah and her cousin Madi had not seen much of all their friends since the death of their parents.

Madi’s mother had died giving birth to her and Bekah’s father had left when she was just a baby.

Then, one almost a year ago, Madi’s father and Bekah’s Mother had been heading out one night to go to a office party, when they were killed by a out of control truck driver.

They died instantly on impact.

For Bekah and Madi, life had just started getting back to normal. They now lived together at Madi’s fathers ranch, but even though they had been like sisters before they’re parents deaths, now they fought a lot and didn’t get along as well as they used to.

Bekah cut the cake and it was served and passed around.

The yard of Bekah’s and Madi’s home was filled with the lively chatter of dozens of people. Bekah sat quietly on the front steps.

“Hello Bekah.” Bekah looked up and saw Ms. Hendricks approaching her. She sat down next to Bekah. “Now that you are twenty, how would you feel about coming to work for me at Crystal Acres?” Bekah’s eye’s widened in surprise. Crystal acres was known across Canada for their top quality Arabian and Thoroughbred jumpers and dressage champions. “We could really use another good trainer.” continued Ms. Hendricks. Bekah was to stunned to reply, but soon came to.

“I….I would love to,” she stammered as she cleared her thoughts. “but Freedom Valley will be opening in a few months, and I have a lot of work to do, so I should really stay here. I’m sorry, but I’m sure Madi would love to do it. She’s just as good with horses am I am.” Ms. Hendricks nodded. “I have no doubt that she is, but she’s only eighteen. I don’t know if I want someone that young working for me. I guess, though, if she really knows what she’s doing, I could allow it.” Bekah nodded and Ms. Hendricks said goodbye, stood up and walked over to Madi.

Bekah grinned as she watched as Mad listened to Ms. Hendricks. Within seconds, a huge grin had spread across her face and she was shaking Ms. Hendricks hand.

Later that night, after the guests had left, Madi and Bekah were cleaning up the yard.

“Bekah.” said Madi suddenly. “why did you turn down that job?”

Bekah sighed as she picked up a stack of paper plates and tossed them into the trash can. “I want to focus on opening the rescue right now. I can’t have other things distract me from my main goal.” Madi’s jaw fell open. “Main goal!?” she let out a small laugh. “Bekah! Ever since we were kids all you could ever talk about was how you could not wait till you were older so you could work for Ms. Hendrickson!” “I know.” sighed Bekah. “I just thought that the job would be better for you. Seeing as how you have so much spare time now.” Madi stopped cleaning and looked at Bekah, an expression of shock crossed over her face.

“What do you mean by that Bekah!” she exclaimed! “Are you saying I do nothing around here!”

“I never said that!”

“No, but you implied it!”

“Madi, how you could think I’d imply that…..”
Madi cut her off. “Don’t talk to me right now.”

Madi picked up the trash can, stormed up the front steps and into the house. Slamming the door behind her.

“How’d that happen?” thought Bekah.

“Bekah, Phone.” called Madi as she held her hand over the receiver on the phone.

Bekah quickly put down the book she had been reading in her room and ran down the hall to where Madi was impatiently waiting with the phone.

She handed the phone to Bekah and walked away.

“Hello?” asked Bekah.

“Hello? Is this Rebekah Lockwood?” asked the voice on the other enc.

“Yes.”

“Hi, my name is Chloe Daniels. I was told that you are going to be opening up a horse rescue soon. Is that true?”

“Yes, why?”

“I have a horse here that desperately needs a new home.”

“Is there anything wrong with her?”

“No. She had been my mothers horse, but she died a few months ago. I thought I could care for the mare, but with my work and collage, I just can’t find the time to give her the care and attention she needs.”

“Ok, well, we’re not open yet, but I guess I could take her off your hands.” said Bekah hesitantly.

“Oh thank you so much. When can you come get her?”

“Is two hours good? I’ll need to get things ready for her first.”

“That will be fine. I’ll give you the directions.”

Bekah wrote down he directions to Chloe’s very carefully, not missing a single letter or word, then she said good bye and hung up the phone.

“So, what did they want?” asked Madi coldly.

Bekah sighed, hoping her causing would not continue to be mad at her. “I have to go pick up a horse.” she simply said.

“Oh, so I guess you’ll need some help getting a stall and paddock ready?” asked Madi.

Bekah nodded. “Could you help?”

Madi smiled. “Of course.”

“Ok, so turn left on this street.” Bekah said quietly to herself as she drove her truck and horse trailer down a long dirt country road.

“Look for number twenty two thirty.” she told Madi.

Madi nodded but said nothing.

“There.“ said Madi A few minutes later. She pointed to a sign with the house number on it . The sign stood at the end of a long driveway. On wither end of the drive way, were long rows of trees.

Bekah turned the truck down the driveway.

When they reached the end, she stopped the truck and she and Madi jumped out.

Bekah looked around.

The mare had a very large run in shelter and a large boxed stall inside the barn for winter.

There were tree’s scattered around the large two acre field that the mare lived in.

A small creak ran through it and there was a large bucket of clear water in the shade, where it would stay cool in hot weather.

The mare was grazing on the lush green grass of her pasture. Her dark bay coat was perfectly groomed and well kept. She was not too thin or too fat, she was in perfect condition.

“Hello. Rebekah Lockwood?” asked A young woman as she walked over to Bekah. She was fairly tall with long black hair and large glasses that sat in front of her green eyes. “Yes.” Bekah nodded. “Hi. I’m Chloe Daniels.” she said cheerfully. “Nice to meet you.”

“You too.” said Bekah. “This is Madison,” she pointed to Madi, who had started walking over to a large field where the mare was standing at the fence. “my cousin, she’s going to help us load up your mare.”

Chloe nodded. “That’s fine. Do you want to help me get her ready?”

“Ok.” Bekah followed Chloe over to the small barn.

The mare nickered warmly to Chloe and reached her neck over and nuzzled the girls outstretched hand. Chloe laughed and stroked the mare lovingly.

Bekah could see that she and the mare had gotten close.

Chloe walked into the barn and came out a few seconds later holding a purple halter and matching lead.

She opened the paddock gate, slipped the halter onto the mare and led her out.

“She should load easily, Mother made sure that she was trained by some of the best and was perfect at many things.” Chloe choked on the words.

She handed Bekah the lead as Madi let down the ramp on the trailer.

The mare loaded easily and Madi shut the back and locked it in place.

“I have plenty of hay, feed and tack that I can have delivered to your ranch if you like?”

“That would be great. Thank you.” Bekah smiled appreciatively. “Here is my address.” she wrote it down a piece of paper and handed it to Chloe. Chloe took it and tucked it in her jeans pocket. “Thanks, Oh, I forgot to tell you, her name is Lassie. My Mother loved that name, so if you would not mind keeping that as her name, I would really appreciate it.” Chloe was trying to hold back her tears as she spoke of her Mother.

“Of course.” said Madi and Bekah together.

“If you like, you can come visit her anytime you like.”

Chloe smiled. “Thank you.”

Madi and Bekah got into the truck and started back down the driveway.

Bekah took one last look in her rear-view mirror. She could see Chloe standing there, waving goodbye, her face was red and tear were streaming down her face.

Bekah sighed and turned her attention back to the road as they turned back onto the road and started back to Freedom Valley.