New Beginnings Excerpt

Happy New Year, everyone! For 2017, I am going to be sharing an excerpt from each of the Free Rein novels on the first of each month. So below you’ll find a piece from New Beginnings, book 1 in the series!

If you haven’t read this book yet, you can check out a piece to see what you think 🙂

Jacqui King let her eyes follow the flight path of a large pelican as it soared above their car, seemingly oblivious to the vehicles below it. She smiled at the sight. The ten year old was excited. This was dampened only as her older brother once again spoke negatively about their current situation.
“I don’t understand why we had to move from the country in one state just so that we could spend time in the country in another state. Seriously dad, couldn’t you have not accepted the transfer at work?” Ross King asked for what felt like the millionth time to Jacqui.
The family of four had been on the road for around 10 hours, travelling interstate to their new home.
Jacqui’s father had been offered a position at work that had excited both of her parents. Unfortunately it had meant moving interstate halfway through the year and leaving behind many family members and friends.
Jacqui’s apprehension had been made smaller when her mother had talked of the 100 acre property that they would be leasing in Victoria. Her excitement had grown further still when she was told that the property used to be set up for agistment and it was Kate’s hope – Jacqui’s mother – that this would be a future possibility for the whole family. After all, a large property would be expensive and needed justification by earning its keep, Jacqui had been told.
From a young age Jacqui had dreamt of horses. Whilst living in the country in South Australia with her family, she had had opportunities to be led on friends’ ponies but that was all. It seemed that only now would Jacqui be able to pursue her ultimate dream of having her own horse – and on their property!
Tuning out her brother’s ongoing list of complaints about their move, Jacqui took in the houses and land that they drove past, hoping theirs looked as wonderful. Large brick homes stood behind well manicured green lawns, roses lining driveways in full bloom. It looks so wonderful.
Half an hour later the Kings made their way down a dead end street, Kate excitedly telling Jacqui that their property was at the end of this road. Jacqui sat up taller in the back seat, eager to see their property as soon as she could. She chanced a glance in her brother’s direction, noting sadly that he had his eyes closed and the earphones of his ipod in place.
“Here we are!” Kate breathed out excitedly, opening her door as Tony put the car into park.
Accepting a key that her husband handed her, Kate made her way quickly to the gate that was pulled shut over the driveway, a large padlock keeping it closed. An old wooden sign half hung from the gate, the name of the property on it in faded white paint. Genesis. Jacqui smiled as it seemed that her mother almost skipped in her excitement.
The padlock was unlocked quickly and Kate got back into the car. Tony drove down the curved driveway, heading for where he knew the house was.
Jacqui didn’t notice the lack of carefully manicured lawns or roses lining the drive in bloom. She was too in awe of the large open paddocks that seemed to go on and on. Just how big is 100 acres? She grinned, already picturing herself racing across them on a little grey pony. This is going to be great!
Ross awoke in time to race his sister into the house, claiming the largest of the three available bedrooms for either of them. Kate and Tony had taken the main bedroom close to the front door. Jacqui chose the smallest of the three rooms left, concluding that a smaller space of her own meant less she would have to keep clean.
She placed her suitcase on the bed that had already been made up by their mother a few days prior.
Once things had been confirmed with Tony’s job and then with this property, Kate had flown over to Victoria for a day to clean up the dusty old house. She’d also made an extra effort to make the bedrooms ready for her two children. Jacqui hadn’t liked her mother being away for a night but that was over and done with now.
She opened up the curtains that covered the one window in her room and looked out over two large paddocks that were behind the house. This place really is huge! Glancing back at her bed, Jacqui grinned.
She ran to the end of it and sat back to face the window, swinging her legs happily. And I can see right out of the window onto paddocks that will have horses in them – all from my bed!
As far as the ten year old was concerned at this very moment, things were perfect.