"I'LL BE BACK in a little while," Justin told her as he mounted up. He grinned his crooked grin. "Try not to get into too much trouble, eh?"

Rain gave him a dirty look, and he couldn't help but laugh.

"And don't smoke," he called over his shoulder.

Rain stood a moment, trying to figure out exactly what she was supposed to be doing. Suddenly, she remembered Tom had wanted to speak with her, and she rushed to his office.

"Ah, Rain," Tom said, glancing up at her. "Come in, come in. How are you doing?"

"Just fine, sir," she replied.

"Well, I just figured I would go ahead and give you a schedule, since you will officially start teaching today." He rummaged through a pile of papers and handed her an manila envelope with her name scratched on it. "That will tell you when you will be working, when everyone else will be working, who you will be working with, if anyone, and what you will be doing."

"Great," Rain replied.

"I also heard from Justin that you have a horse you would like to bring here."

"Uh, yes," she answered nervously. She forced herself to lift her chin and look confident. "My five year old."

"I have a couple of free stalls in the main barn, but that's all I have. All the boarding stalls are filled at the time." Tom looked up from his paperwork. "I hope that's suitable."

Rain smiled ever so slightly. "We're not picky," she assured him.

Tom nodded slowly. "Do you have a general idea of when he'll be arriving?"

Rain hesitated. "Well, the people he's with now…they- they don't exactly know yet. But I would guess… maybe two weeks?"

Tom removed his glasses and gave her a friendly smile. "Well just let me know, and we can get everything arranged properly."

Rain gave a somewhat twitchy nod. "Thank you, sir." And she turned and left.

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RAIN LOOKED DOWN the barn isle and saw what she assumed were her students for the day. One, a young blonde haired girl, perhaps 15 years old, emerged from a stall on the right. A thin, sleek dark bay Thoroughbred followed closely behind her. Another girl who seemed only slightly older came from a few stalls down, and together they left the barn and headed for the arena. Rain pulled back her dark hair, took a deep breath, and headed in the same direction.

When she arrived at the arena, the two girls had already mounted. Rain entered through the main gate and closed it behind her.

"Hello," she greeted them as cheerfully and amicably as possible. "I'm Rain White and-"

"Oh so you're the new girl," the blonde one said.

"Uh, yes that's-"

"Best rider on the east coast," the other said in a sly manner.

Rain swallowed hard. "I was that at one time, yes. But now I'm here. And I'm here to teach you

so-"

"Doesn't seem like you can just stop being the best rider," the blonde rudely interrupted.

Rain ignored the statement. "Let's go ahead and start with your names."

"I'm Leslie," the blonde one told her. She motioned to her friend. "And this is Carole."

"Well, its very nice to meet you both. Are these your own horses?" Both girls nodded. "Fabulous then." Rain perched her sunglasses on top of her head. "I've just got a few things I'd like to go over. I'm new here so I don't really know you or your horses or your levels of riding quite yet, so forgive me for that. Just let me know if you don't feel comfortable doing something; I don't want anyone to leave here scared or on a bad note. I won't tolerate abuse; so that means I don't want to see a whip or spurs used as punishment, and I don't ever want to see you punish your horse through his mouth. And most of all, if you've got an attitude, leave it at home." Rain looked both girls in the eyes before pulling her sunglasses back down. She started for the center of the arena. "I enjoy a debate as much as the next person, but I expect everyone in my classes to treat myself, other students, and their horses with respect."

Leslie and Carole just stared at her, and she wasn't sure if they had comprehended a word she had said.

"Well, let's go ahead and get your horses going at a working walk on a loose rein," Rain ordered.

Both girls did as instructed. Rain suddenly felt very good. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all.

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"HE JUST WON'T do it!" Leslie exclaimed, dropping her reins in exasperation.

"Could you just try it one more time?" Rain pleaded. "I'm sure you can get it this time. Just keep him up in your hands, and make him wait. He's rushing, taking a huge spot to the jump, and then getting all flustered about it. Just keep him together."

Reluctantly, Leslie started to trot and then picked up the canter.

"More together, more together… Leg into hand," Rain told her. "And now wait. Count to the jump. I don't care if he knocks it; make him wait."

Chance, her horse, cantered spiritedly towards the vertical, but Leslie held him as she had been told. The distance was close but exactly what Rain wanted.

"Perfect!" Rain told her. "Did you feel that? You didn't let him run to the jump and he waited. That was great."

Leslie nodded humbly.

Rain glanced at her watch. "Okay that's about it for today, girls. I'll see you next week." She started for the gate.

"You're a good teacher," said a voice from a stall on the right. Rain peered in and saw Justin untacking his horse.

"Yeah, well things would have gone better if I hadn't been so distracted."

"By what?" Justin asked.

Rain sighed. "Well, I was just trying to figure out how a man from Jersey came to have a British accent."

Justin laughed and loosened his cinch. "That's a very good question." He gave her a quick glance then looked down again. "My father was from London. I was born there. I told you that." He looked her directly in the eyes. "Why? Do you not like it?"

Rain shook her head. "Of course I like it. Otherwise I wouldn't be standing here listening to it." She reached into her back pocket and consulted her schedule. "Where the hell is there a cross country field?" she asked him, checking to make sure she had read correctly.

"Remember when we went out the other morning and we took the path to the left instead of the right?" he asked her. "Well, if you take the right path you end up at the course. It's more of a practice one, really, but it's suitable."

Rain shrugged, folded the paper, and replaced it in her pocket. She watched Justin a moment longer, then slipped outside. Once she was far enough from the barn, she lit up. It really was a horrible habit. And she could stop if she wanted to (she had once before when she was younger, but started up again). But the fact of the matter was that at the moment she didn't want to.

For a long while she leaned against the fence, inhaling deeply and releasing the smoke from the corner of her mouth. Sighing heavily, she let her head drop and she stared at the ground.

"I won't tell Justin if you don't," said a voice behind her. Her head shot up and she met Effrom's eyes. He himself slipped a cigarette out of his pocket and came up beside her on the fence. "Got a light?" he asked, and she fished him her lighter from her pocket.

"Too bad he already knows," Rain told him, flicking the ash off on the fence.

"Eh, don't let it get to you. He's only a tight-ass about this one thing. Don't know why exactly…"

"As if he's never smoked a day in his life…"

"Well, knowing him, he probably hasn't."

Rain gave a snort of laughter. "I don't believe that for a second.

For a few moments they blew smoke together silently.

"So you like it here?" Effrom asked her. He looked down at her, waiting for his answer, and Rain suddenly noticed how much taller he was than her.

"I do," Rain told him. "I've missed it all so much…"

"Missed what?" he asked curiously.

Rain hesitated. "Er- you know, the busyness of a riding facility. It's nice."

"Oh right. Justin told me your father is a trainer… racing is it?"

Again Rain hesitated, trying to figure out just how to explain-

"I'm sorry," Effrom apologized, catching on slightly. "Bad subject…"

"No, no it's fine," Rain assured him, her eyes softening. "It's just that… both my parents died quite some time ago."

Effrom was taken aback by the way she said it. Her voice had been so matter-of-fact, so lay-it-on-the-line that he wasn't quite sure how to respond.

"That sucks," he finally said. He bit his lip in embarrassment.

To his surprise, Rain laughed.