Behind me, Coco had gotten to Cupcake, squealing and fussing before Ness shushed her. ‘Settle, petal,’ she said, but I could hear that she said it with a smile. I turned around to see Coco hug Cupcake. Then she squealed all over again as Mum, Dad, Josh our older brother, Tessa and James (now the new love of Coco’s life) spilled out the back door and onto the grass. They all laughed and smiled and congratulated themselves.
‘You didn’t suspect anything?’ Josh called to me. ‘That just proves our secret-keeping powers.’
‘Proves nothing,’ I yelled back. ‘Except that if you were in on this, it’s a total miracle we didn’t find out.’
‘I knew,’ said Coco, looking smug.
‘You did not.’ I gave her a grin. ‘You’re like me. You knew nothing.’
‘You’re right.’ She did a fake pout and made a face at James, who gave her the big, droopy, adoring eyes he’d had on for two months now, ever since she’d run away at midnight, had fallen off her horse, had been rescued by James, had puked on his lap and then had started going out with him.
‘He seriously should have told me. He’s in big trouble for that.’
She walked quicker, pulling Cupcake after her, heading towards James. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. That’s like, so mean.’
I watched her grin and smile and act all ridiculously flirty with him until the others had reached them, and then there was so much laughing and chatting and, ‘Can you believe it?’ and, ‘Were you really surprised?’ that I stopped still and looked at Fozzles.
‘Let’s get out of here,’ I said.
It took me four and a half minutes to tie her to the fence, run back up to the house, grab the new saddle and the rest of the tack and put it on her, and then find a helmet and buckle it under my chin.
I pulled Mum out of the circle of happy people. ‘I’m going for a ride,’ I said.
She looked at me, boots on my feet and helmet on my head. ‘Already?’
‘Totally. No time to waste.’
She smiled. ‘There’s never any stopping you.’
I shrugged and went over to Fozzles, who was waiting patiently at the fence. I put my foot in the stirrup, ready to swing up, but then thought better of it. I pulled it out and ran back to Mum and hugged her. ‘Thanks Mum. Thanks so much. And tell Dad thanks too. Apart from moving here,’ I gestured around at the farm, ‘this is the greatest thing that has ever happened to me.’
She held me close for a second or two. ‘I love you, Charlie. You’re my best oldest daughter.’
I laughed. I was only older than Coco by one minute and forty-six seconds, but believe me, I’d used every single one of those seconds as leverage throughout my life. ‘That’s because I’m the only one.’
‘Yes, but you know you’re special. And I’ll always be here for you. You know that, right?’ She looked down, into my face. She was still just a bit taller than me, but hopefully not for too long.
‘I know, Mum. Because everything’s A-OK, right?’ I made a silly face at her and used the phrase she always used to say to me when I was little before she tucked me into bed.
‘A-OK,’ she said back, also in a silly voice, and made an ‘okay’ sign with her fingers. Round thumb and first finger, and three happy fingers sticking up.
‘And now I’m going. Fozzles and I need to run.’
I swung onto my, my! horse’s back and adjusted the reins. ‘Trot,’ I said, and Fozzles took off into an easy lope down the hill and out through the gate.
‘Bye.’ Coco’s voice reached me on the breeze, but I didn’t yell back. She was with James, and anyway, the wind was rushing past my face, and my hands and heart were filled with birthday sunshine and horse love. All I wanted to do was to run and ride, leap and gallop.
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