Namely those involving the second location Lennon mentioned in passing, before things started to morph beyond a casual hookup. Chances are Blake already knows about those plans since he’s a local and I’m not, yet. Just in case he doesn’t though, he won’t hear it from me.
“Alright, keep your secrets,” he says when I don’t answer.
I flash him a coy wink.
“You’re gonna need that cockiness if you want to steal Lennon away for a whole weekend.” Blake chuckles, standing and stretching like he just woke up. I know the feeling – riding every day is tough on the body. “Going to the Solstice party?” he asks.
“The Solstice Party?” I squint up at him.
“Have Lennon tell you what it is. Maybe he’ll go with you. See you around.” He holds out his fist.
I bump mine against his and lean back against the bench as he strolls off, his words playing over in my mind.“See you around.”They feel sort of prophetic.
It might be premature, but there’s one way to guarantee I get that detour back here in between each of my events. One way that might even offer a long-term solution for life after I’m done with thecompetitions. I pull out my phone and dial the number I pulled off theFor Salesign when I drove into town.
***
The realtor, a cheery brunette, navigates the bumpy soil with ease in her fancy-looking flip flops and skirt, despite having to take two steps for each one of mine. I don’t have to increase my pace to keep up, but just barely.The commissions on this place must be a pretty penny.
“How many horses do you have?” she calls over her shoulder as we make our way to the barn, which is really more of an arena. It'smassive.
“I don’t.”
Her stride falters and she turns to face me about thirty yards from the oversized structure.
“You don’t?” She shifts her bottom lip sideways to blow a strand of hair off her face. “Why are you looking at horse property, then?”
“I don’t have to keep horses on it, right?”
“Uh, no.” Her brows draw together, and I see her lips working to form another question, though she never asks it.
“Good to know.”
She cocks her head to the side and studies me a moment before resuming her trek to the barn.
“The interior is 20,000 square feet, which is the standard size to accommodate a full jumping course.” She unlocks the door yet pauses in the threshold, casting me a sheepish look. “That’s what the previous owner used this place for. I forgot you don’t have horses.”
“You can still give me all the dimensions and details.” I give her a reassuring smile, hoping that will settle her nerves since my comment about not wanting horses clearly confused her.
“Okay.” She nods and steps inside, gesturing for me to follow.
As we walk the perimeter, she gives me all the specs, pointing out a few bonus features like the bathroom and kitchenette at the far end, which will come in handy when you don’t want to trek all the way back to the house for a break, or if I add bunks so kids can stay here if they don’t live nearby. Best of all, two large garage doors line the far wall, which can be opened to truck in dirt and equipment.
“I can do whatever I want in here, right?” I look around the space, envisioning a different kind of jump track, and maybe even a foam pit like gymnasts use to practice tricks over a soft landing before trying to do them on the bike.
“I suppose so. As long as it doesn’t violate the zoning requirements for the land.”
“And this is currently zoned commercial and residential, right?” That’s not a deal breaker, but if it’s already zoned for commercial business that’d make it a heck of a lot easier to convert this place into a training facility where I could teach riders how to do what I do.
“Right. The previous owners ran a business housing and training horses here.”
“Perfect” I bite the inside of my cheek, so I don’t burst into a full-on grin. “Let’s go check out the house.”
She locks up and we make our way to the residence, which sits about fifty yards to the side and slightly in front of the barn area. It’s positioned to capture the views around it without putting the barn structure in a direct line of sight, which means you can see the mountains from virtually every direction through the floor to ceiling windows in the great room and dining room.
The kitchen is dated but livable, although I’d probably want to do things differently if given the chance. I’ve never had a real kitchen before—not since I was a kid, anyway—and it seems to me there’s a lotmore that could be done in this space. Like a pizza oven. And a freezer that’s just as big as the fridge. I make a mental note to ask Lennon what else to include since he’s the restaurateur.
Down a hall to one side are three bedrooms, each with their own bath, and in its own separate wing is the master, which has a bathroom as big as my entire camper. There’s also a giant mud room, an office, and a game room in the basement. It’s a little much, but when you’ve lived the past several years in a five hundred square-foot box, there’s no reason not to spread out where you can. Though, spreading out brings its own challenges.
