Unbridled Love

My name is Millie Margaret James.

Margaret is my Grammy’s name. I’m fourteen years old, love horses and drawing, and have the best Mum, brother, friends and family. Except my Dad. Mum kicked Dad out a few years ago as she discovered that he had been having affairs for their entire relationship. But that’s enough about him.

My friend Lucy is also my second cousin, our Mum’s are cousins and our grandmothers are sisters. My Mum is a nurse and also runs our small farm. My brother Jacob, is two years older then me and he always has something funny to say. When we were little, people thought that Jacob and I were twins because we have similar features and he was short until he hit puberty three years ago.

This weekend is going to be amazing. It's the first time I'm competing in the Open Ladies Barrel race, but it's also the final round for the championship. I obviously won't qualify for the Open championship but I'm currently forth on the Junior Barrel racing championship list.

The Tamworth rodeo is three days and nights of action packed rodeo events as it's a national final rodeo. Our nations best cowgirls and cowboys will throw everything on the line in a battle of speed, agility and determination across all junior and senior rodeo events including saddle bronc, bull riding, bareback, steer wrestling, barrel racing, rope and tie, breakaway roping, steer undecorating and team roping.

We are gonna stay with my aunty, uncle and cousins on their farm. They only live five minutes out of Tamworth, which is where this weekends rodeo is. Uncle Brian is my Mum's big brother, he competes in the steer wrestling, and the rope and tie.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive for a bit?" Jack asks Mum.

"It's okay Jack, I'm used to it and I've been driving this route since Brian and Melinda bought the farm 15 years ago," Mum replies.

Jack is our neighbour, well was. His parents live next door to us. Jack moved out when he was eighteen, he's twenty one now. He taught me how to ride and convinced my parents to get me my own horse when I was six. My pony, Star, is living out her retirement with our 60 sheep. She's nineteen now and I'm too big to ride her. I have a new horse now, his name is Jasper. Jasper was Jack's sister's horse's foal. I've had him for five years now. Jack and his Dad, Alan, broke him in for me. Not that it took much, it was love at first sight for Jasper and me.

My twelve year old cousin Matthew is competing in his first junior steer riding event tomorrow so Grammy has come to watch too. Both my Mum and uncle grew up on a big cattle farm and attended lots of rodeos with my grandpa, so it wasn't a big surprise to my Grammy that her children both wanted a similar life for their families.

"Okay Jasper. Let's do this boy," I say leaning forward in the saddle and patting my beautiful dark brown quarter horse on the neck.

"The next young lady is well known in the barrel racing scene here in New South Wales. Please give a big round of applause to the 14 year old pocket rocket from the coast, Millie James," The announcer says excitedly and I hear people erupt with cheers.

I take a deep breath and give Jasper a kick with the heel of my boots to enter the huge indoor arena. Adrenaline is pumping through my veins, but I'm focused. I've been doing this since I was eight. We round the three barrels in a clover pattern and I make Jasper gun it for the gate.

"17.08 seconds for Millie James. That's the fastest so far folks. Next up is another of Millie's cousins. We started out with her fourteen year old cousin Mackenzie Moore, a local girl who scored a time of 19.11 seconds. Now lets see what big sister and cousin, seventeen year old, Mercedes Moore can do," The announcer says.

I stay close to the ring to watch Mercedes, as I'm still sitting on Jasper.

"Ooooo," The crowd says as Mercedes knocks over a barrel and I wince. I feel for her, it always makes me feel like crap whenever I knock a barrel over.

"17.80 seconds for Mercedes Moore but with a penalty for the barrel her new time is 22.80 seconds. Bad luck Mercedes." The announcer says.

Mercedes approaches me shaking her head. "You did good Moorzy," I say to her.

"Thanks Mil. I think you've won the section though. The last two girls haven't raced before," she replies.

"Well lets hope you have better luck in the open," I say.

"Ha, Mum's gonna whoop my arse," Mercedes chuckles out. "But with the time you just scored, I think you're my Mum's biggest competition."

"Only if I don't knock a barrel over," I laugh.

The announcer calls out the top three riders for the Junior race. "In third place with a time of 19.11 seconds is Tamworth's own local girl, Mackenzie Moore. In second place from Narrabri is Teagan Jenkins with a time of 18.47 seconds, and in first place with a record time of 17.08 seconds for the Tamworth Rodeo Junior Barrel Race, is young Millie James," The crowd erupts in applause and cheers.

Holy shit! Record time! I can't believe it. I've got no time to rest as my cousins and I are racing in the Open Ladies race that is happening right now.

I end up coming third in the women's race. Both of my cousins knocked a barrel over. I nudged one which caused me to slow down but I was lucky the barrel didn't tip over. Aunty Melinda won.

I jump off my horse. "Jack! Did you see that!"

"I did," Jack smiles as he grabs Jasper's reigns.

"I'm so lucky it didn't fall over. But I placed in the open. My first time riding in the open and I got third. I can't believe it," I say excitedly.

"You can do anything you set your mind to baby girl," he says to me with a smile.

"Thanks Jack," I say with a big smile and hug him. I secretly love the nickname he's only recently started calling me. I hold onto him for a little longer then I should but I can't help it, I've loved him for as long as I can remember.

Later that night at my cousins' house, Jacob, Mackenzie, Mercedes, Matthew and I are planning our annual game of Hide and Seek - Farm edition.

"Jack, you should join us," Jacob says.

"Alright, but I'm not being the seeker first," Jack replies getting up out of his chair.

Uncle Brian laughs. "Good luck Jack. Matthew has been training the dog to find his sisters so don't be surprised if the dog gives away your hiding spot."

Jack laughs in response.

I've changed hiding spots three times already. The dog kept hovering around me. I was caught within ten minutes when Matthew was the seeker. I'm just about to crouch down behind the tractor tyre in the machinery shed when I feel a hand snake around my waist and another covers my mouth. I want to scream.

"Shh. It's only me," Jack whispers in my ear.

I relax immediately and turn around to look up at him. I have to crane my neck up as he is well over 180cm tall, probably closer to 190cm and I'm only 159cm.

"Over here," he whispers and grabs my hand.

He pulls us over to the bucket of the backhoe. Jack helps me climb in before climbing in himself. He lays down and pulls me on top of him when we hear someone walking into the shed. I can't believe that I'm laying on Jack. I am trying to control my breathing, my mind is turning a mile a minute.

Once we hear Mackenzie walk out and tell someone else that she didn't find anyone, Jack shuffles us so that I am half laying next to him and half on him.

It's pitch black in the back of the shed but as the shed is an open bay, no doors, and quite large, a bit of light from the almost full moon filters through. I can't see Jack's face properly but I don't need to, I'm currently tucked under his right arm with my right hand resting on his chest.

"Thank you," I whisper.

"For what? Helping you hide?" Jack asks whispering back.

I shake my head. "For coming this weekend."

"I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"But what about your girlfriend?"

"We broke up."

"Why?" I ask, as I lift my head to look at him.

Jack stays silent and I am about to ask him again when we hear Mackenzie walking through the shed and can see the light from a torch being shone around.

"I know you're in here Millie. Come out, come out wherever you are," Mackenzie calls out.

I press the fingers of my right hand on to Jack's chest and he puts his left hand on mine. We don't move. I close my eyes and just breathe in Jack's smell.

When we stop for fuel on the way home, I decide to apologise to Jack again. "Hey Jack. Umm I'm sorry for falling asleep on you the other night," I say awkwardly.

"Don't worry about it. You were obviously comfy and after all that racing, you were tired," he shrugs in reply.

"Yeah but..."

"It's okay Mil, really. I'm just glad you don't snore otherwise that would've given our spot away," Jack says with a smile.

Cheeky shit. I playfully hit his arm.

Our conversation moves to his work and his niece and twin nephews who are all starting school next week.

I came home with a new horse halter as my trophy, two hundred dollars in cash, and two medals from the rodeo. As I came first in the Junior's and Mercedes only placed sixth, it meant that I finished third overall in the Championship. Mercedes placed second. Uncle Brian came third in both the steer wrestling and the rope and tie finals. Unfortunately Matthew fell off the steer he was riding before the time finished counting down so he didn't score. He said it was still fun though. I can't wait for school to start next week after the summer holidays so that I can tell my friends all about the rodeo.