Bree's Challenge

Chapter Three "Doctors and Riding"

Exmoorpony: I'm sorry I posted it as a new chapter. But I didn't know how else to ask readers if they wanted to continue or not unless I posted that. But now I know! Thank you for sticking with my story!

Ash222:Thank you! I will update as much as I can!

Jessica Mcmillen; Thank you for all your reviews on my stories! I would love to reply back to you but since you're a guest I can't. But I wanted to thank you! I will update the other stories as soon as possible. On the story: Mine, I know there's an age diffence but she's almost 18 so I thought it would be okay. Hope you don't mind.

Disclaimer: I only own my characters!

Bree Pov

Monday, August 16th, 2009, Five AM

I jumped out of bed when my alarm went out and stumbled into the nightstand. "Ouch." I murmured as I fumbled for the light. I finally turned my lamp on and went to my dresser. I put on jeans, a black t-shirt and my blue converses, I grabbed a sweatshirt because I knew it would be cold out right now.

I left the house as quickly as I could, going straight to the barn. Len was just saddling up Jazzman and I smiled. After greeting Len, I gave Jazzman a gentle pat on his neck. "Hey Jazzy, you ready to run this morning?"

Jazzman snorted as if to say 'You know it!" I laughed at his enthusiasm and I heard Mike's voice. "You're up!"

I turned to look at Mike who was walking in the barn with Chad. "Morning Mike, Chad." I greeted them cheerfully .

"Morning Bree." Chad smiled at me. "You recovered from last night?" Chad teased me.

I groaned. "I'm not going to live that down am I? It was a sad movie, alright!"

Mike and Chad chuckled. "You're never going to live that down." Mike clarified, still chuckling.

"Why don't you do something useful like go out there and ride your horse instead of teasing me.." I mumbled quietly but I still think they heard me.

"I'm gonna go get Coffee out of her pasture." I told Len as Mike led Jazzman out of the barn and Chad fed Indigo.

Len nodded and Chad spoke. "You mind if I come along?" Chad asked.

I shrugged and Chad tagged along. Coffee nickered to me as soon as she saw me and I couldn't help but smile widely. "It's a nice thing when they start to greet you, isn't it?" Chad said.

I nodded—still smiling—and grabbed Coffee's lead rope off the gate, hooking it to her halter. Coffee followed me slowly to the barn and Chad dumped her feed for me. Coffee went straight to her feeder, obviously hungry.

"You hungry pretty girl?" I crooned to her as she ate. I leaned on the stall door and just watched her eating.

"So, today you're going to the doctors right?" Chad asked as we stood there.

"Yep. Hopefully everything goes well and I'll be able to ride this afternoon." I smiled, excited.

"Well if I'm not around this afternoon—which I should be—here's my cell number and you have to text me to tell me if you're going to ride or not. I want to be here to see your first time riding." Chad handed me a piece of paper with his number.

I blushed. "I'll have to call. I don't have a cell."

"Oh but you do." I heard Gene's voice. Chad and I turned around to see him holding a medium sized cell phone. "Your father sent you one. It's all set up for you and you have unlimited everything which includes texting, so he expects you to use your phone."

Chad smiled at me and I smiled back. "Well I guess I can text you then, Chad." I laughed.

"Wonderful." Chad and I spent the next fifteen minutes standing by the track and learning how to work my phone. It was full touchscreen, obviously one of those "smart phones" and was pretty awesome.

I noticed it had a camera so I turned it towards where the sun was rising slowly and captured a picture. It turned out perfectly. "I officially love this phone." I said as I showed Chad the picture.

"That is a good picture." Chad agreed.

"Glad to know you two are paying attention!" Mike called out as he trotted towards us on Jazzman. I snapped the picture quickly with the sunrise behind them.

"Yeah, Bree's phone is more exciting than your riding Mike...sorry." Chad grinned.

Mike glared at Chad and I. I just giggled at his face, but then showed him the picture of him and Jazzman. "See, it takes great pictures."

"Well that picture is pretty nice.." Mike said. I smiled.

"Is anyone else getting exercised this morning?" I asked as I put away my new phone.

"Indigo is on a small break for today, Gunner will be doing a slow canter, a few others will be working out." Mike said as he dismounted Jazzman. I watched the rest of the workouts and helped cool out Gunner, he was such a playful horse. I gave him one more treat as I let him into his paddock for some grazing time. I looked over at all the horses grazing in the fields and I felt happy. It was so nice here and I loved seeing the horses.

"You ready to head out Bree?" Gene called out from the barn. I turned and headed towards him.

"I'm coming! I'll meet you at your truck!" I walked into the barn, giving Coffee a kiss on the way out. Len squeezed my hand when I walked past him.

"Good luck Bree." I smiled at him.

"Thanks, Len." Gene held open his truck door for me and I hopped in. I was nervous, hopefully the doctors would okay me to ride. It was so hard being around all these horses and not riding. I had always thought horses were beautiful and now I was around them all the time.

I walked out of the doctors office with a smile on my face a little over an hour later. The doctor had not only given me the okay to ride, he said it would help rehab my knee. "Take it easy at first, no riding racehorses(he had been joking..I think), but riding slowly around a pasture will do you some good." The doctor had said to Gene and I.

"Do you think you could hold your excitement on riding so I could swing by the feed store and pick up a few bags of feed?" Gene asked as we got in the truck.

"I think I can." I hopped in the truck. Gene pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards the store.

"Maybe we'll stop for milkshakes before we head home." Gene smiled at me.

"That would be great." I said to him. I would love a mint chocolate chip milkshake on this hot day. We stopped at the feed store and picked up the needed feed and then stopped by a local burger/shake place to get our shakes. As we drove back to Whitebrook, we talked about school that was coming up. I was a little bit nervous, but I would have Ashleigh, Chad and Mike there.

I had texted Chad on the way home about being able to ride but I was still surprised to see his car by the barn. I could see Mike holding Coffee, who was completely tacked up and ready to go. I let out a happy laugh and bolted out the door as Gene parked. I walked as fast as I could to where Coffee, Mike, Chad and Len stood.

"Ready to go?" I nodded excitedly. "Dad called me when you were getting milkshakes, said to get Coffee ready 'cause you would probably want to ride as soon as you got back." Mike led Coffee over to a mounting block. I followed closely.

"Farm rule." Chad said handing me a helmet. I put it on and tightened it as needed. Mike handed me a pair of boots.

"These are an old pair of Ashleigh's she outgrew, you can have them 'cause you can't wear your converses while riding." I sat on the mounting block and swapped my shoes. The boots fit perfectly. I stood up and climbed up the mounting block and taking a deep breath, put my foot in the stirrup. I held onto the saddle and pulled myself up, it wasn't my first time riding but it had been a few years.

I adjusted my stirrups and Mike gave me the reins. "Take her around." I turned Coffee towards the track—just to get away from the barn—and rode along at a walk. Everything Mike had taught me years ago came back. After a few laps of walking, I asked Coffee for a trot. She stepped out willingly but it took me a few tries to post with her stride, my knee ached a little at first but after the second lap stopped. I pushed her into a canter and smiled as I heard Gene call for me to take it easy. Coffee had a smooth trot and canter and it felt so natural, I didn't want to stop.

"If you want to keep riding her, take her around the paddocks. At a walk or trot, no cantering." Gene called out. I turned her toward the paddocks and we trotted towards the fence. We rode for about a half an hour and then I dismounted her by the barn where Chad and Mike were waiting. Gene and Len had started on bringing some horses in for the evening.

Mike held her reins while I got down. My legs felt a little bit like jelly at first but my knee wasn't hurting which was good. "How is your leg?" Mike asked as he rubbed Coffee's neck. I shook my head.

"I feel great." I smiled at them both. "It was amazing to ride again. My knee hurt a little at first but then nothing. The doctor said riding could act as a rehab because I would be using it and putting pressure on it."

We talked as we cooled off Coffee about my riding. Keep my back a little straighter, tighten the reins a bit...Mike and Chad continued to give me pointers and I tried to remember them all. I took Coffee into her stall and gave dumped her bucket of feed for her. I patted her neck before leaving the stall. Everyone was at the end of the stable talking and I heard the cordless phone, that Gene always had on him in the barn, ring.

"Bree, it's for you!" Gene called and I walked to him to answer it.

"Hello?" I took the phone from him.

"Did you forget to call somebody?" I heard my Dad's voice over the phone and swallowed the lump in my throat.

"Sorry Dad, I've just been so busy at Gene's farm. It's been so great." I walked away from everyone and towards the paddocks where the horses were. "I actually rode today."

"Well that''s good Bree." Dad paused. "I just wanted to make sure you were settling in okay and got your new phone."

Another bribe. That's right, I got it. "Yeah Dad, I got it. It's great, thanks."

"I have to get going, but I'll give you a call soon again. Bye sweetheart." I cringed and I hung up the phone. I felt irritated and was even more irritated that he was ruining my buzz from riding. I stalked off to where everyone was standing and handed Gene the phone.

"I'm taking a walk." I said going towards the track. I didn't know where I was going but I couldn't sit around and talk to everyone when I was irritated like this. I didn't want to think about my Dad or why I was here. I didn't want to feel angry or irritated right now. I felt the soft dirt under my feet and walked towards the turf part of the track. I hopped up on the rail and sat there.

I could hear footsteps behind me and I snapped at the person. "I don't want company."

"Well that's just too bad." I heard a different voice than the one I had been expecting. It was Brad. "What's up?"

I looked at him blushing. "Sorry, I thought you were Mike."

"It's okay. I can take being snapped at." Brad smiled at me. Oh man, he was so good looking, especially when he smiled. My heart thumped in my chest. "So what's got you so mad?"

"My Dad." I was completely honest. "He acts like he cares but he doesn't. He shipped me off here and now he has to call to pretend he cares." I rolled my eyes and snorted. "Yep, cause all Dad's that care ship their daughters states away from them."

Brad reached out and wiped away a tear that was rolling down my face. I hadn't realized I was crying. "I'm sure he cares Bree."

"He doesn't." I hated the sad, heartbroken sound my voice had. "If he cared I wouldn't be here and I wouldn't have-" I cut myself off. I almost slipped, gave away everything. I sighed and took a deep breath. "I shouldn't be burdening you with this, I'm sorry."

"You're not burdening me. I want to hear how you feel, we all need someone to confide in." Brad handed me a tissue from his pocket. I blew my nose feeling gratitude towards him.

"So what brings you over to Whitebrook?" I asked feeling embarrassed for my display of emotion. I swung my legs and looked down.

"Well Ashleigh isn't around and I couldn't for the life of me remember the number here so I thought I'd just stop by." Brad was looking at me. "The stable hand, Len I think, pointed me in this direction. Said you seemed pretty upset when you went walking off."

I shrugged. "Story of my life, being upset."

"Wanna talk about it? Your life?" I shook my head.

"I've embarrassed myself enough in front of you. You probably think I'm crazy."

"Not crazy, just a regular teenage girl going through a hard time." I laughed at him.

"Hard is a good word." I said as I looked down. "So why did you come over? No offense, just asking."

"I wanted to see if you wanted to hang out for awhile. A few of my father's horses are racing tonight in some small races and I was thinking maybe you wanted to come." I looked up at Brad's words.

"You mean go to the track to watch horses race?" I beamed at him. "I'd love to!"

"Then let's get going. Do you need to change? The races won't start for about thirty minutes." Brad helped my down. I looked down at my dusty jeans with horse hair all over them.

"I probably should change into clean jeans. I rode-" I broke off in mid-sentence. "I totally forgot to tell you. I rode Coffee, one of the mares here today. The doctor gave me the okay to ride."

"That's great!" Brad congratulated me as we walked towards the house. "Won't be long before Mike is putting you up on his racehorses."

I laughed. "I don't know if I want to ride racehorses."

"We'll see. I think you're the kind of girl who lives for the thrills in life and riding racehorses? That's one of them." Brad said as we stopped at the kitchen door. "Go and change. I'll wait here for you."

I walked into the kitchen and all eyes were on me. "Uncle Gene is it alright if I go to the track with Brad? A couple of Townsend Acres horses are running tonight and I'd really like to watch."

Uncle Gene smiled. "Be home by ten." I ran up the stairs and quickly changed into a pair of jeans, pulled my blonde hair into a ponytail and swapped out my shirt for a clean blue t-shirt. I put on more deodorant and sprayed a little bit of my perfume on. Oh goodness. What was I doing? I was going to a horse race track, I really didn't need to get dolled up. Oh well.

I went downstairs and grabbed my jacket. "I'll call you when we're on our way home Uncle Gene. Bye everyone!" I pushed the door open and saw Brad was still waiting, although a little bit more stiffly than when I had left. I waited til we got in his car to say anything. "Is something wrong?"

Brad smiled at me as he started the car. "No, it's just your uncle came out and had a little talk with me about behaving myself with you. I've never gotten that talk before. I think I'm actually afraid of him."

I laughed hard. "I bet Uncle Gene has been waiting for years to do that. Poor you."

…...

I sat in the stands with Brad and his dad, Clay Townsend. Clay, he demanded that I call him that and not Mr Townsend, was really nice and we talked a lot while we watched the races. He wanted to know all about me. Brad would occasionally chime in, telling his Dad to leave me alone if I looked uncomfortable. I just gave him a look saying it was fine.

"I only want to get to know the girl a little." Clay smiled at me.

"Yeah Brad, we're just having a little fun." I teased him with a wink. Brad actually looked shocked. I turned back to where the horses were warming up. Their horse, Flame Runner, was currently the favorite even though it was his maiden race. He had good bloodlines and had proven himself in workouts according to Brad and Clay. I thanked the waiter that brought me a cup of water. A girl could get used to this treatment.

Brad subtly reached over and grabbed my hand as they loaded the horses into the gate. I smiled and held onto his hand. The bell went off and the horses took off. I watched as Flame Runner stayed in mid pack and felt myself cheering him on and yelling with Brad. When they came around the last corner, Flame Runner took off and grabbed the lead, holding onto it and winning.

We all jumped up and Brad hugged me. I hugged him back, shocked. "Let's get down to the winner's circle." Clay pulled me and Brad along with him. When we got the circle, I balked.

"I should really stay out here." Brad shook his head and pulled me in the circle to his side as the camera flashed. The photographer asked my name. "Bree Wilson."

"You know you're going to be in the paper, right Bree?" Brad asked me as he walked me back to his car.

I groaned. "Nuh uh." Brad held the door open for me and I got in.

"Yep. I can see it now. What headlines we'll make." Brad winked at me. I rolled my eyes. "Get used to it if you're going to be with me."

"Maybe I should stay away from you." I joked with him. "I hate the spotlight."

"It isn't all bad...and think of it this way if you wanted you could promote Whitebrook. You kind of already are." I looked and saw I had grabbed the jacket Mike had given me to wear. A Whitebrook jacket.

"Whoops." I blushed. "Won't that look fabulous? Me in the winner's circle with the Townsends of Townsend Acres with a Whitebrook jacket on."

"Eh, it'll make it interesting." Brad patted my knee. "Are you hungry?" I looked at the clock. It was about nine thirty.

"Well Uncle Gene told me to be home by ten." I hesitated. Brad smiled.

"Drive Thru food it is." Brad pulled into the same local burger joint where Uncle Gene and I had gotten shakes. I really needed to learn their name.

We ordered two burgers with a large fry to share and two cokes. Brad got to Whitebrook with ten minutes to spare so we sat on the hood of his Ferrari and ate our food. "So when will Townsend Prince run again?"

"Probably not til the Woodward Memorial on the twenty eighth. Wonder will probably run too, not necessarily in that race but she'll run." Brad made a slight sour face when talking about Wonder. I had to laugh and I shoved him lightly.

"Don't be such a bad sport. Wonder has heart. So does Prince, they're half siblings aren't they?"

"Yes." Brad still looked a bit sour.

"Oh stop!" I couldn't stop laughing. "Do you want Prince to just never have any competition and win all his races?"

"I wouldn't mind." Brad shrugged but I could see the smile he was trying to hide.

"I hope they don't run against each other. I really have a hard time picking a favorite." I sighed as I looked at the clock on my phone. It was ten. "I better head in so neither of us get in trouble."

Brad walked me to the door like a true gentleman. "I had a really good time tonight. I think my dad enjoyed having you there too."

I smiled. "Well I had fun with you both. Your dad is hilarious and a great horseman." I held my hand out. "Give me your cell phone."

Brad handed it over with a questioning look. I put my number in his contacts and handed it back to him. "I just got a cell phone so you can text or call me anytime you want."

"Thanks." Brad leaned in and kissed my cheek. "Night Bree."

"Goodnight Brad." I watched as he walked away to his car. It had been a great night. I hoped to do it again. Maybe Kentucky really wasn't going to be so bad. I had a lot of things to look forward too. I went in the house, stopped in to say hi to Uncle Gene and then went to bed. It had been an exciting day.

…... …...

A/N: Hey readers! So I got a chapter up like promised! Thank you for letting me know you DID want to read this still!