July 13th 2021

Chapter 194
Our Goals For Rivalry

Even though his other obligations over at the animal hospital would restrict his ability to get involved as much as he could be, were he at the ranch full time, Lucas appreciated the opportunity Juliet had given him in still being involved with the competition. There were certain tasks at this stage of the preparation which he could see to on his time at home or at the hospital, whenever time permitted it. He'd already seen to a few of these over the course of the week. Now, Saturday had rolled around, and before he could get into his errands for the day, he made his way to Sullivan Stables to check in with Juliet and Donna. As a bonus, he knew Nellie would be here today, and she was always so happy when any of them got to see her ride.

Getting to see Nellie Hunter ride her horse would by no means be an exclusive privilege that day, as Lucas would soon find out. Even as he was driving up toward the parking lot, he thought there was something about the way people stood off in the distance that felt odd. By the time he was out of his car and walking off toward the stables to check on Dr. Alvarez, he only became further convinced that something was happening, enough to make everyone stop what they were doing and turn their attention in this same direction. He made it just in time to get a glimpse as they sped by.

There was no mistaking Nellie and Hopper, even as he only saw those braids at the back of the girl's head. The second rider, if he was not mistaken, was Bobby Davis. This much he guessed for the fact that he definitely recognized the horse as Jewel. They were nowhere near where they ought to be if they were training. Instead, Lucas could swear that they were racing each other. This forced some people to clear a path, so that no one would get hurt, while others were trying to get them to stop. Now, they were clear of the populated area, making for the wider land of the ranch.

"Lucas!" he heard Juliet calling to him. She looked both bewildered and mad at the display. He signalled to her that he would handle it and hurried toward a nearby utility vehicle so he might hurry after the racers.

Even as he went, Lucas was going under the assumption that the two young riders had merely gone racing for the fun of it and would only later realize the trouble they'd gotten themselves into with Juliet and any number of people back where they'd started off. He wasn't exactly finding the whole thing funny himself, to be honest. They could have hurt people, caused damage, and then of course they could get hurt themselves… as could the horses. And that would not stand.

As he caught up to them however, he soon came to the conclusion that this was not a playful race and more like a grudge match. He figured that out as he found Hopper and Jewel now riderless and moving back in his direction at a puzzled pace. Further up ahead, in a display that caught him completely off-guard, Lucas could see his young sister-in-law and the Davis boy. The race had gone and evolved into a shoving match before devolving into a rolling-around, kicking and hitting and pulling fight.

Lucas acted as quickly as he could, stopping the horses and tying them to the vehicle so they wouldn't wander off before running at the pair on the ground. They were too busy shouting at each other to hear him call their names and he finally had to reach down and physically pull them apart.

"Hey, hey! Stop that, right now!" he shouted. Nellie and Bobby were both still caught up in the adrenaline of the fight and were trying to get back at each other. They were a sorry sight, the pair of them. They were very dirty with grass and mud from their roll around, with some rips and tears on their clothes. One of Nellie's braids was coming apart, the other not far behind, and Bobby's hair, usually a blond pulling toward red, was looking a lot closer to the girl's brunette tones. Both of them had some scrapes on them, standing out red, on this arm or that arm, or this cheek, or that chin… "Settle down! Both of you!" Lucas sternly demanded. He had to hold on to their arms to keep them apart. They started to talk over each other, with the shrill urgency of two twelve-year-olds trying to twist away the blame hanging in balance over their heads. "I don't want to hear it!" Lucas shook his head. He barely knew Bobby, but he'd known Nellie all her life, and right now he didn't know what to feel as he looked at her.

One of the ranch hands had come after them on foot. When she arrived, Lucas put Hopper and Jewel in her care, watching her walk off with the two horses before turning to the pair now sat on the ground, several feet away from one another and quietly sulking. They were just now getting to take in their current state, from stains, to rips, to injuries. Now that they were coming down from the energy of the fight, they were feeling it all, which might have been just as well. They'd need to come to their senses.

"You know you'll be lucky not to get banned for this," Lucas told them. It got their attention straightaway, brought their voices up, too. It was hard to make heads or tails of what they were saying as they buried one another in volume. "Stop," he told them, and they did. "Right now, I could lead you out the gate myself."

"Lucas…" Nellie looked up at him, and he almost had to look away. How was he supposed to be objective when he could see Maya in those blue eyes?

"Yeah, I'm not going to enjoy it, but I will do it if I have to," he told her. "I don't want excuses or finger pointing. You have put yourselves, your horses, the ranch, and those people back there at risk. Was it worth it? Was it? Look at each other right now, look at what you did. Was it worth it?"

The kids looked at each other, just for a few seconds, but the way they looked back down again said it all. It had been stupid, and not only did they realize it, but they were also coming to terms with what it might cost them. They both loved this place, loved riding, more than most things in their lives, and they could lose it.

"Now, here's what's going to happen. We're going back there. Juliet will want to talk to you," Lucas crouched and looked from Nellie to Bobby. They looked scared now. "I will do what I can. But understand, there will be consequences."

"Yes, sir," Bobby mumbled.

"I know," Nellie slowly nodded.

"When you are spoken to, you won't raise your voices and shout over each other the way you did before. You're smart kids, both of you, so start acting like it."

The ride back from the field was a pitifully quiet one, with the pair sitting in the back. Everyone had gone back to whatever they'd been doing by now, though many of them turned to watch the vehicle go by. Inquiring as he slowed next to one of the trainers, he learned that Juliet was back at her house and would be expecting them. The parents had been called and would be on their way. Lucas looked over his shoulder and saw the kids looking back at him. Their parents…

Juliet waited for them on the porch. Lucas rarely knew her to get upset, but in this case, he would have expected no less. Nellie and Bobby both had the decency to look ashamed as he walked them up to her. They made quite a sight, the way they looked after their fight.

"Mr. Davis, you'll take the bathroom just there on the right," Juliet pointed through the door. "Miss Hunter, take the one upstairs, second door on the left. I've left some clothes for you. Wash up, get changed, and try to leave the room as you found it."

"Yes, ma'am," they both replied.

"Boots off," she told them, even as they were taking them off and leaving them by the door. They walked off where they'd been sent. Juliet closed the door and indicated for Lucas to sit with her on the porch swing. She wanted to know what he knew, so he recounted his side, how he'd found them and pulled them apart, how they'd behaved along the way. "What do you suggest their punishment should be?" she finally asked. It was his decision to make.

"If it's alright, I'd like to wait and see what happens when the parents get here," Lucas told her. Juliet accepted it.

Neither family had arrived by the time the kids emerged from the bathrooms, looking entirely more like themselves again. The first to come was Bobby, his hair still wet from washing and carrying his discarded clothing. He'd turned them inside out and folded them neatly, the better to prevent getting anything dirty.

"Mr. Friar, sir?" he asked, in a solemn but humble voice. Lucas had been waiting in the living room since Juliet had gone to check on Hopper and Jewel, looking at the pictures on the wall.

"Your parents will be here soon."

"I-I know, sir. I just wanted to say how sorry I was for what I did. It was my fault. You'll tell them that, won't you, sir?" He barely knew the boy, but he could read him enough to see sincerity. He could also see something else at the back, but nothing that would prevent him believing the words he was told.

"There's some cookies on the table in the kitchen, you go ahead and grab one or two, alright?"

"Yes, sir," Bobby tipped his head and walked off to the kitchen.

"Lucas?" Nellie spoke quietly as she came down the stairs a minute later. Her ruined braids had been converted into a simple ponytail after she'd washed her hair. The scrape on her cheek had been cleaned though it still stood out, unavoidable. It made him dread the flashback Shawn and Katy might get when they saw her, thinking of Maya and that accident of many years ago, or Gracie, not too long ago…

"They should be here any minute," he told her. He almost had to resist the urge to embrace her, to reassure her. He had to stay formal in this, impartial.

"It wasn't Bobby's fault, what happened," Nellie came up to him. He frowned. "I'm the one to blame, and I know it was wrong now, I just didn't think… I'm so sorry. You'll take care of Hopper for me, won't you?" Lucas sighed, looking to her, to Bobby just returning from the kitchen with his bundle.

"Would you two like a moment to get your stories straight?" Lucas asked, pointing from one to the other. Nellie looked back in surprise. "Apparently it's no one's fault and everyone's."

Before they could answer, the doorbell rang. Lucas went and opened the door, only to find an unexpected sight on the other side. Here were Katy and Shawn and Gracie with them, standing next to a man and woman he'd guess to be Mr. and Mrs. Davis. Standing with them, next to Gracie and causing something of an echo to the scene on the inside, was a boy identical to Bobby. Soon, he would be identified as his twin brother, Ethan. Lucas had had no idea that the boy existed.

Even as the parents moved in to find their respective bruised up child and ask them what had happened, Lucas' eyes were drawn to the non-injured twins. Gracie Hunter and Ethan Davis stood just inside the door, watching their families, checking on their 'opponent.' All the same, there was the slightest exchange between the two of them, too. They knew each other, clearly, and maybe it was Maya's influence or Nellie and Bobby's attempts at self-sacrifice, but a new narrative presented itself. Not about the race and the fight, no… Those he still couldn't explain. But their tunes had changed the moment their parents had been brought into the picture. Suddenly, they were willing to put themselves on the line, and Lucas felt he knew why. They'd done it for their twin, because they either knew or suspected what he was picking up on. Gracie, Ethan, and the budding of a first crush.

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners