Blue {Completed}

Chapter 22

Hayley's POV

I pass a very familiar mailbox and figure out, it's my neighbours! I feel Blue pick up his pace faster and the limping mare is struggling to keep up. But the gelding is doing fine, except his nasty scar on his neck catches my attention. My heart starts thumping faster and I feel it thumping against my chest. We start down the drive and suddenly, we hear a shout.

" Hayley?!" Cody is standing in the middle of the starting of the driveway and I jump off Blue. I run up to Cody and jump into his arms. He lets out a relieved laugh.

" Hayley! I missed you! Where were you?" He says pulling away and looking into my eyes.

" I missed you too! I actually don't quite know... About five hours away. I found Blue! I think I also found another persons horse, you know, the chestnut?" I say, looking over to the three horses walking down the drive. The chestnut breaks into a trot, but Blue stays at the mare's side.

" Hey, I know this horse," Cody says.

" his name is Patchwork. He's... Bianca's horse. I helped her train him, well, I trained him." He says and pats Patchwork's neck. He follows Cody into the barn to clean him up and I lead Blue over to the crossties, the mare follows. After clipping both in, I walk over to Spring and Rock's stalls. They both happily sniff me and Spring nuzzles me, happily. I walk back to the mare and check her teeth.

" Well, you ain't that old, your about 4 and a half. I wonder who your owner is." I say, tracing my finger near a new cut. Probably from when a roan mare bit her in her paddock, or when Max brought her into the lunging arena. I haven't seen any horse come out of there for 5 hours at the most. Some limping, others with cuts and bruises. I tried to console some, but Scott and Max wouldn't let me.

" How's it going over there?" Cody calls from in front of the crosstie. I hadn't even noticed he was finished with Patchwork. He looked better than ever! The nasty, matted mud that covered his rump was gone. He was obviously from the paddock I hadn't got to when I was still at the ranch.

" Good! Just finishing her hooves, she had a nasty little stone stuck in this one!" I point at her left hind leg that in holding. I brush off the rest of the dirt and lead her into the stall next to Blue's, who I have to get grooming!

After picking his feet out and brushing, I lead him into his stall. He stops and sniffs noses with the mare, arching his neck gracefully.

" You like her, don't ya Blue?" I pat his neck as I close the door behind me. They sniff noses again and Blue lets out an excited whinny, pawing his stall door.

" Now, don't be like that, Blue." I tease. I throw him and the mare a flake of hay and set one down in the sleepy geldings stall. Cody meets me at the barn door and I book it to my house, not waiting any longer to wake up my mom and dad! I open the screen door, but stop almost inside. It isn't squeaking!

" What?!" I say, closing and opening the door multiple times.

" I oiled it earlier."

" Ohhh." And I take off into the house. Barely kicking off my boots, I run upstairs and turn my parent's lights on. They stir in bed, mumbling words into their blankets.

" Cody! Now why would you-" My mother cuts herself off before slapping my dad in the face and shaking him.

" Wake up! Wake up!" He jumps and my mother dives out of the bed, barreling towards me.

" What?! Why are the lights-" He too springs out of bed and crashes into me.

" Hayley! Where did you go?" My mother checks my face out.

" Whew! You aren't hurt." I grab my mothers hands and kiss her on the cheek.

" I'm fine, mom. I actually don't know where I was, on a ranch 'bout 5 hours away. How were you three?" My dad now speaks up.

" We've been looking for you the past four days! You have been kidnapped by a bunch of horse thieves." My dad throws his hands up in the air.

" Really? I didn't know that. Tell me more..." I tease.

" Stop it, you two! A few minutes you've been back and you are already teasing each other. Are you hungry, my dear?" My mother asks in a sweet tone.

" No, just tired and need a change of clothes, thanks. And I've actually been home for about an hour... I rode Blue back and we have two new horses sleeping in the barn at the moment."

" What?! And you didn't wake me up, Cody?!" She turns to him. He throws his hands up but I speak first.

" Now, mom. Don't take this out on him. I just wanted the horses in." She nods, understanding. I yawn and stretch my arms out.

" Let's get you to bed." Cody says, sweeping me up bridal style. I laugh and just when we enter my door, my dads calls out;

" Hey! Cody is going home, soon." And the next thing we hear is;

" Oh, John!" And a slapping sound. We both start laughing and he turns around and covers his eyes.

" I won't look!" I chuckle and change into the warmest pyjamas I have and spin Cody around.

" Told ya!" He says with a smile. I laugh, peck his cheek and head to Adam's old room. I get down on my knees and grab his hamper from under his bed, snatch a pair of pants for Cody to wear, and shove the hamper back under the bed. You see, my mom always keeps extra clothes, in case he visits and forgot to bring clothes for some reason. I shut the door behind me and walk into my room, throw the pants at Cody, and flop onto the bed. I bury my head into the covers and yell;

" I won't look!" I hear him chuckle and soon, he jumps onto the bed. I scurry under the blankets and bury myself up to my nose. He smiles, nicely, and slinks under the blankets beside me. I turn off my light and grab his hand. He squeezes it slightly and I squeeze back. I turn on my side facing him and close my eyes. And finally drift off into the nicest sleep I've ever had.

A/N
Yay! Hayley is home! And does Blue have a crush....? Find out in the next chapter! Two updates in 24 hours?! Spring break started today... WHOPEE! I'm so happy we get two weeks off! Have an awesome spring break as well! Thanks!