CHAPTER THREE
(chapter title – Rescuing Hope & The New Friends)
The four of them mounted Aladdin, Croissant, Sirius and Neptune before going off in search of Hope. Courfrayac and Joly had cell phones, so each girl went with one of the men. Sara went with Joly and Ella went with Courfrayac.
"I hope we find her!" Ella kept saying.
"We will. Just stay positive." Courfrayac told Ella, looking over at her. He placed a hand lovingly on her knee and squeezed it. Neptune flattened his ears and Ella gave him a quick jerk on the reins.
They rode until sundown, only stopping to get some lunch, use the bathroom and call both Marius and Enjolras to let them know what was happening. As they drove to get their daughters, they told Courfrayac and Joly that they would keep an eye out for Ella's beloved horse.
"She can't have gone far – I mean with her bad leg, right?" Ella questioned.
"Even horses with bad legs can surprise you how fast they can go." Courfrayac told Ella, keeping his eyes forward.
"Excuse me, is this your horse?" a gentleman asked. Courfrayac turned around in his saddle and saw a scared looking gray horse being held by its halter. "I saw her running through my fields and caught her."
"Thank you, sir. She's actually my horse. There was a storm last night and she got scared." Ella explained, snapping a lead rope to Hope's halter. Hope threw her head up and held up her left back leg. Ella dismounted Neptune and ground tied him before seeing what was wrong with Hope. "Easy, pretty girl. You're okay."
"Looks like there was some damage to her leg. If I can get her to come with me, I'll take her to the vet in my horse trailer. I'm Gabriel Javert, but please call me Javert." The man – or Javert – introduced himself.
"I'm Ella and this is my dad's friend Courfrayac." Ella introduced herself and Courfrayac. Courfrayac called Enjolras, Joly and Marius before turning his full attention back to Ella.
"It's nice to meet you, sir." Courfrayac told Javert as he shook his hand.
"The pleasure is mine. I was telling Ella I could take Hope in my horse trailer and take her to your vet, if you want." Javert told Courfrayac.
"That would be wonderful. We go to Dr. Cole out on Tennessee Road. Thank you." Courfrayac told Javert. Ella remounted Neptune and watched Javert walk off with Hope limping behind him.
"I'll meet you there." Javert told Courfrayac.
Courfrayac and Ella heeled their horses into a canter and were back at the barn in half an hour, Marius, Joly, Sara and Enjolras were waiting for them.
"We found Hope, but she's hurt really bad. Our neighbor, Javert, is going to take her in his horse trailer and meet us at the vet." Courfrayac told Joly. The two of them got in their car, along with Ella and Marius.
"So, what's wrong with Cosette?" Joly inquired as Ella and Marius squeezed into the backseat. Ella looked out the window and saw Sara and Enjolras following them in their car.
"Turns out she doesn't have food poisoning – she's pregnant and about four weeks along." Marius answered. Ella smiled and hugged her dad.
"I wonder what she's gonna have." Ella pondered.
"I don't care as long as its healthy, happy and all the limbs are intact." Marius answered.
"Tell her we said congratulations." Courfrayac told Marius, squeezing Joly's hand.
"I will." Marius told his friends.
They arrived at the vet office a short while later. Dr. Cole came out to greet them as Marius, Ella, Courfrayac, Joly, Enjolras and Sara piled out of their cars.
"Courfrayac! Joly! It's great to see you to again!" Dr. Cole greeted the two men, hugging them. Dr. Cole had short blond hair, green-gray eyes, was a little taller than Courfrayac and hailed from England.
"It's good to see you, too, doctor," Joly told the doctor. He then turned to his friends, "this is Marius, Ella, Enjolras and Sara. Everyone, this is our good friend Dr. Matthew Cole."
"It's nice to meet all of you," Dr. Cole said as a horse trailer came up the drive. "Is this your horse?"
"She's mine." Ella spoke up. She told the vet all about Hope as Javert led her carefully down the ramp.
"Easy, Hope. I'm not gonna hurt you," Dr. Cole soothed as Javert held her lead rope tightly in his hands. Ella could see that she was keeping weight off her right back leg. She snorted as Dr. Cole ran a hand down her leg. "Okay, sweet girl, let's get you into a stall so I can asses the damage. Ella, want to come with me?"
Ella smiled as Javert handed the lead rope to her. Marius and Enjolras walked on either side of Hope while Javert, Sara, Courfrayac and Joly stayed outside. Every few steps, Hope would raise her head high as she put weight on her foot.
Twenty minutes later, she was in a large examining stall and was being held by Enjolras while Dr. Cole examined her leg.
"Well, she's lame and she has a nasty cut on her frog, so that's why she's refusing to put weight on it," Dr. Cole explained as he patted Hope's neck. "Where did you say you got her?"
"At an auction three days ago for my birthday," Ella said, tears streaming down her cheeks, "Dr. Cole, will she be okay?"
"She'll be right as rain in no time, sweetie. She just needs to keep weight off her foot for about a month or so." Dr. Cole told Ella.
"Can I see her?" Ella asked. Dr. Cole nodded and entered the stall with Ella. Marius watched from outside the stall. "Hope, you're gonna stay here for a while. Dr. Cole is going to take the best care of you – I just know he is!"
Hope whuffed softly into Ella's hair, which made her smile. Dr. Cole smiled as he watched Sara and Enjolras exit the stall. Enjolras gave Hope's flank a pat as he closed the door behind him.
Ella and Marius, along with everyone else, headed to their respected houses. It was a silent car ride for Ella and Marius, so he turned on the radio to a talk show while Ella stared out the window.
"Ella, wash your hands for dinner," Cosette told her daughter as she and Marius entered the house. Marius kissed Cosette and finished setting the table. "How'd it go?"
"Extremely well – we found Hope and she's going to be staying at the vet's for a while." Marius answered as Ella came out of the bathroom.
The three of them talked for a while before Ella complained that she was tired. Cosette kissed her daughter goodnight as Marius followed Ella to her room.
"I am so proud of what you did today – that was extremely amazing!" Marius praised. Ella smiled and got the supplies she needed to take a shower with.
"Thanks dad. I felt brave about what I did." Ella told her dad, hugging him. Marius smiled and hugged his daughter back.
He watched her go to the bathroom and heard the water running. He then went back to Cosette and stood behind her, kissing her neck as she put dishes in the dishwasher.
"Have I told you how lovely you are?" Marius asked.
"Only about four dozen times, but I don't mind hearing it again." Cosette told her husband, putting the last dish in the dishwasher before finding the soap and poured it in. She was about to turn it on when Marius remembered Ella was in the shower.
"Wait ten minutes – Ella's in the shower." Marius told Cosette. She turned around and rested her head on his shoulder. He looked into her eyes and kissed her ever so softly on the lips. She returned the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck, her fingers playing with his soft hair.
Ten minutes later, Ella was out of the shower and headed to her room. Marius heard the door close and went to the kitchen to turn on the dishwasher.
When he returned to the room, he saw Cosette lying on the bed, facing him. He was drawn to her like a magnet and instantly fell on top of her.
She recoiled under his weight as he removed her shirt, bra and jeans. He sat up and removed his shirt and jeans before taking Cosette in his arms.
"You are so beautiful." Marius told Cosette as he placed a hand between her legs and felt around. Cosette left bloody scratch marks on Marius' back, but he didn't seem to care as he removed Cosette's underwear and his boxers before replacing his hand with his shaft.
The two of them made love well into the night. They fell asleep in each other's arms, which is where they would stay for the rest of their lives.
Three months later
Hope's foot was fully recovered and spent most of her days grazing with her friends. Courfrayac decided that it was time for Hope to get some training in her daily schedule.
He would work her out twice a day – once in the morning before she went out in the pasture and once in the evening when she came in from the pasture.
Ella and sometimes Sara would watch Courfrayac work with the elegant horse.
"I want to do that someday." Ella whispered, not taking her eyes off Hope or Courfrayac. The two of them were over at Courfrayac and Joly's place. Sara was supposed to go with her father to the market, but Eponine had gone into labor. Enjolras promised he would call Joly later so that Sara could meet her new sister.
"Not me – I want to ride them, either as a jockey or a cow girl." Sara replied, also whispering.
"Hey! Give me that back!" Courfrayac laughed as Hope picked up the lunge whip and ran around with it like a dog with a stick in its mouth. Courfrayac managed to get the lunge whip back and put it further out of Hope's reach.
"She's acting awfully young for a seven-year-old retired Thoroughbred!" A familiar voice greeted Courfrayac's ears. He tied Hope's lead rope to a rail along the arena and went to greet the man who had spoken. The man looked over at the girls and gasped, "this can't be Sara Thenardier and Ella Pontmercy! You two were babies the last time I saw you!"
"It would be good to tell them who you are – you're scaring them!" Courfrayac teased.
"Allow me to introduce myself – I am Raphael Grantaire, otherwise known as Grantaire. Your fathers haven't mentioned me, have they?"
Both girls shook their heads and turned their attention back to Hope.
"Who's lovely horse is this?" Grantaire asked.
"She's mine." Ella told him.
"She's a beauty! What's her name?" Grantaire asked, walking with Courfrayac into the arena.
"Hope For Tomorrow, but I call her Hope." Ella answered, watching Grantaire get a stepstool and gently massage Hope's back. She snorted and sidestepped, almost causing Grantaire to lose his balance.
"Hey, Hope. Easy." Grantaire soothed, rubbing Hope's neck. She snorted and backed up. Courfrayac untied her from the rail and held her firm.
"What exactly are you doing, Mr. Grantaire?" Ella asked, playing with her braid.
"Oh, I forgot to tell you girls – Grantaire is a horse masseuse." Courfrayac told the girls, not loosening his grip on Hope's halter.
"A what?" Sara asked, slightly confused.
"I give horses massages. Just like people get massages, horses get some, too, especially if they're old or have problems with their back or muscles," Grantaire explained. He motioned for the girls to come over so they could see what he was doing.
He started at Hope's neck and slid his arms down, digging his elbows into her skin. She pinned her ears against her head when he did that, but Grantaire ignored it. He moved down her withers and massaged her shoulders. He then went up her legs and traveled to her barrel. He then made his way up her flanks and down her back leg. He then repeated it on the other side.
Hope let out a contented nicker and nudged Grantaire with her nose as if to say 'thank you'. Grantaire smiled and patted her neck before exiting the barn. Courfrayac thanked his friend and turned his attention to Hope.
"All right, Miss Hope. It's my turn," Courfrayac told the mare, clipping the ten foot lunge line to her halter. He picked up the lunge whip and watched her walk in a wide circle around him. "Could one of you girls close the gate so she doesn't get distracted?"
Sara nodded and closed the gate just as Joly came cantering down to the arena, a huge smile on his face. He was talking on his phone to someone.
Hope pricked her ears forward as Joly entered the arena and handed his phone to Sara.
"Your dad wants to talk to you," Joly told Sara. She smiled and went to a quiet place to talk. Joly ruffled Ella's hair and watched his beloved work Ella's horse, "How's it going?"
"Trot, please," Courfrayac told Hope, gently flicking the lunge rope behind her. "Pretty good."
Sara came back a while later, smiling from ear-to-ear.
"What's going on?" Ella asked her best friend.
"I have a sister! Her name is Jolene Beth!" Sara squealed.
"Congratulations and what a beautiful name!" Joly commented. "Are you ready to see your sister?"
Sara nodded and followed Joly out of the arena. Joly waved goodbye to Ella and Courfrayac before closing the barn door.
Courfrayac finished Hope's training for the day and led her to her stall. Croissant and Dreamer's Beauty were already eating their suppers and Hope whinnied loudly. Ella had already gone to the feed room and scooped her grain into her bucket and got the flake of hay.
Ella ended up spending the night that night, after Marius and Cosette decided to have a date night before the baby came. He or she wouldn't be coming for another six months, but Ella didn't say anything.
As Ella and Courfrayac watched TV and ate Chinese food, Ella looked to her father's friend as her second dad.
She rested her head on his chest, falling asleep to the sound of his beating heart.