Chapter 13

Cortland

The dinner exceeded my expectations. I was worried that it wouldn't be impressive enough for a first date, but it turned out to be a hit with Austin. She found it to be a romantic gesture, which was a huge relief for me. Since we were at a horse show, it was difficult to plan a traditional date like picking her up from home and going to a fancy restaurant. We couldn't determine a specific time to get away because we didn't know how many entries there would be.

Before wrapping up for the day, I had one last run to make. I made sure to ask Austin if she wanted to wait for me in the trailer, as she was recovering from an ankle injury, and I didn't want to risk any setbacks. However, she declined and opted to grab her belongings and watch me from the stands. I appreciated her willingness to still get some work done while taking the time to rest and recover.

I felt a sense of gratitude when she expressed interest in watching my run. Her own run was impressive, and her horse seemed