Trouble Me: A Rosewood Novel

by Laura Moore

  RIDING HELPED restore Jade’s equilibrium. There’d been very few times when it hadn’t, the exception being the pitch-dark days of her adolescence, days filled with death, betrayal, and self-loathing. Luckily, her world was a lot brighter now, and having four ponies to ready for her lesson program, three horses to train, and the additional tasks she helped with at Rosewood—whether riding or longeing an extra horse or two or helping Ned with one of the yearlings—left her with little downtime to worry about anything else in her life, including Rob Cooper.

  She spent Sunday working with the new ponies herself, putting them through their paces to keep them alert and well schooled. Since having them relaxed and mellow was as important as ensuring they were well schooled, she rode them early so they’d have plenty of time to graze, romp, and roll in one of the pastures as well. She wanted happy ponies to greet the kids when lessons began.

  Then she moved on to the equines that stood taller than 14.1 hands. Owen and she had devised a schedule for his gelding’s training. Jade worked with Cosmo every other day, with Owen taking the remaining days, riding him while Ned, Travis, or she coached him. Cosmo was a great horse, big and playful and athletic. He was smart too. At age five, he already understood that once he’d blown off a little steam, he had to settle down and pay attention.

  And when she coached Owen on him, Jade could tell that Ned had pulled off a brilliant match when he’d encouraged Owen to buy him. Owen had made enormous strides as a rider in learning how to ride a green horse. He was already as proud as he could be of Cosmo. Their bond would only strengthen over the years. Considering that before coming to Rosewood, Owen had never even ridden, it was pretty cool that they’d made a convert to their horse-mad equestrian community.

  She wasn’t a Luddite; she loved her iPod and iPhone and booted up her computer every day. But she’d rather spend her day with her butt in a saddle than splayed in a chair staring at a computer screen. Knowing that at Rosewood she and her sisters were helping to keep the connection between horse and man alive and strong was incredibly rewarding. No modern technological gadget could touch that.

  In much the same way that she enjoyed teaching children because they were fun and open to learning, she enjoyed the challenge of training young horses like Valentine and Carmen, the two mares Travis had assigned her along with Cosmo. Like the gelding, they’d just turned five and had an abundance of talent. For this reason, Travis and Margot had decided to bring them along in their training. Selling a horse that had already won in the show ring or had its jumping skills brought to the next level could only boost the farm’s reputation as a source for exceptional prospects.

  A full Thoroughbred, Carmen had enough rocket fuel to take her rider roaring across the countryside and soaring over every fence they came across. The only hitch was that three-day eventers also had to perform basic dressage maneuvers, movements that involved control and precision.

  Jade’s job was to fine-tune Carmen’s jumping skills and develop her confidence in executing the dressage movements required at the first level in three-day eventing: yielding to the rider’s leg (which demonstrated a horse’s suppleness), circling, coming to a halt, shortening and lengthening the stride at the trot and canter, and changing the length of the rein at the trot and canter.

  Of all the exercises, this last was where Carmen had the most difficulty. Being a “hot” horse who liked speed and lots of it, she viewed a relaxed hold on the reins as license to fly. Getting the mare to maintain the same pace throughout when all she wanted to do was move like a high wind whipping over the plains required all of Jade’s skill and patience.

  That afternoon when she jumped Carmen, she concentrated on the approaches to fences and keeping her rounded as they galloped between them. In addition, she practiced another exercise that involved pacing: half halts. Half halts were used to collect a horse several strides before the takeoff for a fence and were an essential technique for show jumping, where jump courses often were designed with tight corners and tricky approaches.

  Travis, who’d come down to the outdoor ring to watch her jump, had set up a small course of four fences for her: two set at four strides apart and the other pair at a distance of five strides.

  The goal of the day was to get Carmen to add or eliminate strides as she negotiated her approach. A big jumper, Carmen had no problem eliminating strides between the fences. She responded beautifully when asked to pick up steam quickly, moving into a full gallop between the sets of jumps. The half halts Jade asked for were more problematic. Carmen initially resisted, straining at the bit.

  “Okay, what am I doing wrong?” she asked, bringing Carmen back to a trot.

  “You held her back a fraction too long on that last go-around. It allowed her to think about the bit too much,” Travis said.

  Jade nodded and, picking up the canter, tried again, concentrating on releasing the reins more quickly after the initial check. The second attempt was markedly better.

  She glanced over to the middle of the ring, where Travis was leaning against a wall jump.

  He nodded in satisfaction. “That was good. Your hands were clean and fast, and she listened to you. This time around, let’s have her put it all together. Take the first fence at a trot again and remember to sit deep in the saddle to maintain the vertical, so she really gets back on her haunches. I’d like to see her take off from right here,” he said, and walked over to the fence he’d selected. With the heel of his field boot, he drew a line in the sand about three feet in front of the fence.

  “When she lands, bring her up to full speed in as few strides as you can manage. Once she’s there, give her a half halt and bring her down a notch to take the last two fences.”

  Before gathering her reins, Jade took a minute to empty her mind of everything except what she planned to ask Carmen to do and where. This was the last set they’d jump today, and she wanted to end it on a positive note for the young mare.

  The reason Travis and Ned had such hopes for Carmen’s future as an eventer was that, in addition to her speed, stamina, and huge jumping ability, she was as bright as a newly minted penny.

  When they took the small-jump course again, Carmen was ready and willing to give the changes in pace Jade asked for, and she took the jumps with her usual confidence.

  As Jade brought Carmen back down to a walk, she patted her sweat-coated black neck enthusiastically and then moved her hand up to scratch the mare just above her withers, a spot Carmen loved to have tickled. Jade was still patting and praising the mare when Ned entered the ring with Valentine.

  “You about ready for this sweetheart, Miss Jade?”

  “Your timing’s perfect, Ned.”

  “How’d Carmen go?”

  “Jade had her going real well,” Travis answered for her.

  “Tuesday will be a lot tougher, when we start to work on leg yields with her,” Jade said. The session would be a short one so Carmen’s brain didn’t fry from overtraining.

  “Nah,” Ned replied, shaking his head. “She’s starting to get the hang of it. I bet she’ll do it just fine at the walk, maybe even at the trot—not that there’s any rush. Most important thing is not to get her scared about tripping over herself as she crosses her legs to move sideways. We’ll take as long as we need until she figures it out.” He pulled out a white fleece saddle pad that he’d carried tucked under his left arm. “Want to hop off her so we can put your saddle on Valentine?”

  “Sure thing.” Jade dropped her stirrup and let her boots hang, enjoying the stretch to her hamstrings and calves. “Thanks for bringing Valentine down, Ned.”

  “No problem. Tito’s got Night Watch tacked for you, Travis. And Margot said she’s going to ride Brown Betty in the indoor ring so Betty doesn’t get distracted.” Brown Betty, a striking liver chestnut, was one of their best four-year-olds and, as Mystique was her dam, a favorite of Margot’s. Jade had a hunch Margot was going to keep the young mare at Rosewood no matter how many offers she received. And that
was fine, Jade thought. Once she was sure her dual career as schoolteacher and riding instructor was a reality, she planned to someday fall in love with one of their horses and claim it for her own.

  It was far better to fall in love with a horse than with a man, she told herself a tad defiantly, for just then Rob Cooper appeared in her mind’s eye, all lean, muscled body and piercing blue gaze.

  For Pete’s sake, she thought with a snort. This was ridiculous. Rob did not belong in her brain. She was busy.

  “Did you say something, Jade?” Travis asked.

  “Nope.” She put a fist to her mouth and pretended to cough. “Got a bit of dust in my throat.” Bringing Carmen to a halt, she bent at the waist and swung her right leg over the saddle to dismount.

  Landing lightly on the ground, she lifted her saddle flap, unbuckled the girth, and pulled the saddle off Carmen’s steaming back.

  At least Rob hadn’t stormed her consciousness while she was negotiating fences astride Carmen, she thought. But that was small comfort. She’d always been so good at ignoring guys before.

  The specter of Rob Cooper had always loomed too large in her life. Unfortunately, now she had to deal with the effects of the flesh-and-blood man, a man who knew how to make her own flesh quiver and her blood sing.

  Monday morning found her sitting in Ted Guerra’s office with a large coffee from Braverman’s perched in her lap.

  “Sorry I missed talking to you on parents’ night, Jade. I was waylaid by several parents. How’d it go?”

  She suppressed a shudder at the thought of what would have happened if Ted Guerra had interrupted Rob and her in mid-kiss. “Parents’ night? It was kind of daunting, to tell the truth.”

  He nodded sympathetically. “The first time can be pretty intimidating. And I don’t think it ever becomes anything one looks forward to, but a number of parents came up to me and told me how impressed they were by your enthusiasm. So you should be proud of yourself.” Reaching for his own cup of coffee, he took a sip, swallowed, and cleared his throat. “Unfortunately, there was some criticism.…”

  Ted paused before continuing, and in that fraction of time, Jade was abruptly glad she’d had the sense to forgo her favorite pumpkin muffin that morning. The cream cheese would have curdled in her stomach.

  “Parents’ complaints aren’t uncommon, Jade. I usually don’t bother to bring them up with my staff, but the Harrisons are a … well, a vocal family. I don’t want you to be blindsided by anything you hear.”

  Ted rose several rungs in Jade’s estimation. It was a nice feeling to realize that he was the kind of principal who looked out for his teachers—even his lowly substitutes.

  “The Harrisons? Did they ask to switch Eugene out of the class?”

  “Yes.” His face revealed his surprise that she’d guessed what they would do. She decided not to share her old history with other members of the Harrison clan and that she’d already been a target of their very vocal disdain. “So I told Eugene and Christy once again that I have a policy of not moving students—”

  “Again?” Wow, they’d certainly been busy, Jade thought.

  Ted inclined his head. “It’s clear the Harrisons have a bee in their bonnet about you teaching their son, so I’d like you to go the extra mile in providing little Eugene with lots of opportunities beyond the assignments.”

  “I’d be happy to,” Jade said with an easy shrug. “Eugene seems to like school.”

  “Hope his parents don’t ruin the experience for him.” Grimacing, Ted picked up his coffee and took a long sip, as if to wash the sour taste from his mouth. “I’m glad to see you’re not going to bear a grudge.”

  The word made her think of Rob. How funny. She’d been sure he would hold a grudge far longer than he had. “Did any other parents phone in their displeasure?”

  He gave a dismissive sweep of his hand. “Things will sort themselves out as the fall progresses. You have the trip to the apple orchard soon, don’t you?”

  She blinked, somewhat confused by the abrupt switch of topics. “Uh, yes. It’s on Wednesday.”

  “Have you got enough chaperones signed up?”

  “Yes. Deirdre Cerra’s mom is coming. I thought I might call Posey Hall’s mom, Gail, and ask if she wants to as well. She’s the class parent.”

  “How about asking Rob Cooper instead? As an only parent, it would be good for him to have a chance to see Hayley among her peers. This will let him do so in a natural way. Why don’t you give him a call?”

  That cleared things up in a hurry. Rob had called him—she had expected no less—and this was Ted’s way of trying to smooth out a wrinkly situation. While she was grateful that Ted hadn’t been willing to move Hayley out of her class, she really didn’t want Rob tagging along on a school outing. He’d invaded enough of her life.

  Ted must have noted her hesitation. “Both Hayley and the class could benefit from Rob acting as a chaperone. So often it’s the moms who accompany a class trip.”

  He didn’t need to say more. A fist squeezed about her heart as she thought of Hayley, who’d been without her mother for years now, and how she must feel on these mom-studded events. She nodded. “Okay.”

  “Good.” He checked his watch. “I’ll let you go so you can call him. They won’t have left for school yet.”

  Rob was drinking coffee with one hand and stowing the dirty breakfast dishes in the dishwasher with the other. “ ’Bout time you went upstairs and washed your face and brushed your teeth, sweetheart.”

  Hayley lifted her glass and drained it. Noticing that she was about to wipe her mouth with her forearm, Rob cleared his throat and said, “Try a napkin.” Sheepishly, she picked it up off her place mat and patted away a thick milk mustache.

  She was sliding out from her seat at the breakfast table when the phone rang. “I’ll get it,” she volunteered.

  Rob set the mug down and grabbed the phone from the wall cradle. “Got it. You go on upstairs and get those teeth clean. The clock’s ticking. And don’t forget to bring down your school bag.”

  “As if, Dad!” Hayley said with an exaggerated roll of her eyes before racing out of the kitchen.

  Rob grinned. If Hayley had had her way, they’d have been at school half an hour ago. She’d been over the moon when he told her that she was going to have lessons twice a week at Rosewood.

  “With Miss Radcliffe?” she’d breathed, her eyes round with excitement. For the entirety of the weekend, she’d been all horses, all the time. It was a miracle she hadn’t insisted on eating only oats, apples, and carrots.

  He answered on the next ring. “Hello?”

  “Hi, um, it’s me, Jade Rad—”

  “Yes, hi. I recognized your voice. Good morning.” He waited to hear the reason she was calling, and, in the brief silence, his pulse quickened. Whatever contradictory emotions she inspired in him, he could no longer pretend that he was in any way immune.

  “It’s about the apple-picking trip to Newton’s Orchard. We need another parent to accompany us.”

  The words sounded as if they were being dragged from her mouth. Ted Guerra must have put her up to this, he decided. He glanced at the wall calendar. “It’s on Wednesday, right?”

  “That’s right. It’s fine if you can’t get away from work. Really. I can call—”

  Her patent reluctance to invite him on the outing brought another grin to his face. “Wednesday’s not a problem. I’ll trade shifts with my brother, Scott.”

  “Oh.” There was a pause. “I’ll put you on the list, then. Bye.”

  “Bye, Jade. Great talking to you.” He laughed softly as he heard an unmistakable growl of frustration just before she hung up.

  A picture of a scowling Jade sprang to mind. Inviting him as a chaperone might have soured her mood, but he’d lay odds that by the time Hayley hurried into the classroom to share her excitement at the prospect of taking riding lessons with her, she’d have regrouped. Hayley would never guess that her teacher was anything less tha
n delighted to have her dad come on the class trip.

  And that was an excellent reason to like Jade a lot.

  Monday and Tuesday were filled with Egyptian pyramids, mummies, and gods, writing prompts for the kids’ daily journals, math word problems, and making lists of all the different apples they could name and which apple recipes they liked best. Jade already considered Hayley bright, but the little girl had hurried into the classroom on Monday morning positively glowing from the dual pleasure of taking riding lessons at Rosewood and having her father accompany the class to Newton’s Apple Orchard.

  “Do you think I could bring one of the apples from the orchard to give to my pony after my lesson, Miss Radcliffe?” she’d asked, her eyes lit with excitement. “My dad said he’d help me pick a special one.”

  “An apple would be just the thing, Hayley, but I’ll want to show you exactly how to feed it to the pony.”

  If possible, her answer only made Hayley’s eyes shine brighter. “Okay.”

  At circle time at the end of Tuesday, Jade and the kids sat on the floor and discussed what they’d be doing the next day. It soon became clear that having a Warburg police officer on the trip was pretty darned exciting stuff for the boys in the class too.

  “We’ll have to be really good tomorrow, won’t we, or Officer Cooper will arrest us,” Arthur Garner said, with what Jade considered excessive relish.

  “I would hope you’d all be on your best behavior in any case, Arthur, which means that Kyle, Sam, and you will need to keep your hands to yourself. And no fake tripping so you can bump into one another either,” she said, sidestepping the question of Rob Cooper’s arresting anyone, a thought that made her distinctly queasy.

  James spoke up. “Will he bring his handcuffs?”

  She should have guessed how endlessly fascinating a figure like Rob would be for these boys. At their age, her nephew Max would have peppered his teacher with a thousand and one questions. “I don’t think so, James.”