Blue Ribbon Trail Ride

by Miralee Ferrell

  Kate nodded. “Okay, I guess.” She turned toward Colt. “But I still think Melissa or Colt is the best choice. He’s always so laid back and sensible about everything, and Melissa’s in charge.”

  He held up his hand. “Tell you what. While you’re in there, Melissa can tell me how it’s done, and I’ll do the next one. Promise.”

  Melissa tipped her head to the side. “You need to do this one, Kate. Your family knows the owner, and I don’t. Quit worrying. You’ll do great.”

  Kate squared her shoulders and faced the entrance to the store, feeling as if she’d been sent to the principal’s office. The worst Mr. Jacobs could do was say no and kick them out of the store for bugging him, right? And maybe one or two business owners would care about their cause and bless them by contributing prizes. There was no way she’d find out unless she tried. She wasn’t sure how she’d gotten saddled with this responsibility, but maybe it was only right that she be the one to talk first, since it was her brother they were trying to help. The thought of Pete lifted her spirits, and she strode forward with more confidence than she’d ever thought she could muster.

  Mom’s voice halted her several yards from the car. “Kate? Want me to come too?”

  Kate wanted that more than anything at the moment, but she shook her head. “Thanks. I’m good.” This was her idea—hers and her friends’—and she’d do it with their help, or not at all.

  Fifteen minutes later Kate and Tori came out of the store. Kate felt as though she’d won the biggest prize ever offered at any horse show. She waited until they were almost to the car, then twirled in a happy circle. “Awesome!”

  Her mother’s expression went from serious to excited in a second. “Good news, I take it?”

  “Yeah!” Kate grabbed Tori and swung her around. “We nailed it!”

  Melissa laughed and gave Kate a high five as she spun past. “You mean you nailed it. Colt, you’re going to have to work your tail off to beat what Kate did.”

  Colt’s eyes sparkled. “Yep. That’s a fact. I say we let her be our spokesman from now on. Why take a chance of messing things up when we have Kate on our team?”

  Kate sobered and stopped in front of him. “No way. You said you’d do it next.”

  “I know, but you just got an awesome pledge. I was hoping for maybe twenty-five.”

  “All I did was think about Pete and other kids like him, and it made me realize I was being silly to worry about what I’d say or what the owner would think. I forgot about me and kept thinking about how great it will be if we raise enough money so Pete and at least one or two other kids can go to that camp.”

  Kate’s mom slipped her arm around Kate’s shoulders and squeezed. “How wonderful, honey. I’m proud of you.”

  Tori grinned. “That’s so cool—and you didn’t act even a little bit scared when you were talking. I’m going to remember that next time I have to do something that freaks me out. I’ll think about somebody else instead of myself, and maybe it’ll help.”

  Kate smiled. “Trust me. It works.” She turned to her mother. “We’re on a roll. Do you care if we hit the other businesses in Odell while we’re here, since it’s all of a block long? It’s not like we can get lost or anything.”

  “Sure. Go for it. I brought a book. But I have a suggestion that might make it go faster. Since Colt offered to go next, and you did so well, Kate, how about you split into two teams, and the two of you be the spokespeople next time. Then Melissa and Tori can do it if they want a turn.”

  Tori kicked at a rock on the pavement. “But what if we—or I—don’t want to? Is that bad?”

  “Not at all.” Kate’s mom patted Tori’s arm. “Not everyone likes or is good at the same things. It’s okay if you’re there for moral support. How about you, Melissa?”

  “Yep, I don’t mind talking. Since Kate did so well, and Tori would like to be there to help, how about I go with Colt, and we’ll switch off?”

  Colt shrugged. “Sure. Works for me. We’ll take one side of the street, and you girls take the other. We’ll meet here at the car when we’re done.”

  Kate and Tori stayed on the side where the grocery store was located, while Colt and Melissa crossed the road and went over the railroad tracks to start at a business a little north of the store.

  Tori shuffled along behind Kate until Kate swiveled and stopped. “What’s up?”

  Tori ducked her head. “Sorry I’m being such a scaredy-cat.”

  “You are not. There’s stuff I don’t like to do, but it doesn’t make me a scaredy-cat. Tell you what. You hand out the flyer, then give the people your nicest smile and pray. I’m so pumped about doing this now that I know nothing can go wrong. We’re going to raise a ton of money and send a dozen kids to camp. You just see if we don’t!”

  Thirty minutes later, Kate wished she’d kept her silly prediction to herself. They’d talked to two more businesses. The owner wasn’t at the first one, and the employee couldn’t make any decisions. At the second business, the owner said the economy had been too bad, and he was sorry, but there was nothing he could do. When Kate asked if he’d consider a ten-dollar gift certificate, he shooed them out the door saying he was too busy to talk more. Maybe they could check back another time, but not today.

  Kate and Tori met Colt and Melissa within a couple of minutes after they finished, and from the expression on both of their faces, it didn’t look like they’d done much better.

  Still, Colt held up an envelope and waved it in the air. “This isn’t anything like what you got at the first store, but I guess it’s better than nothing. The pizza place gave us coupons for twenty dollars’ worth of pizzas. The owners weren’t at the other two places.”

  Melissa sighed. “So what did you and Tori get? Another fifty dollars, I’ll bet. At least someone is good at this. We probably should have had Kate talk to everyone.”

  Warmth rose in Kate’s cheeks—not from embarrassment at the compliment but from guilt that she’d acted so excited about getting that first certificate and then bombed out so badly this time. “Naw. You did better than us. One owner wasn’t there, and the other one said it’s not in his budget.” She avoided her mother’s gaze. “You guys think maybe we should give up? We could give the grocery certificate back, and the pizza coupons you got.”

  Tori’s eyes filled with tears. “But if we do that, what about Pete? The poor little guy won’t get to go to camp.”

  Melissa crossed her arms over her chest. “No way am I giving up. This wasn’t fun. In fact, one time it was downright humiliating when an employee laughed at me and Colt and said we were just kids who were probably trying to steal money from business owners and use it ourselves. But I want to keep going for Pete’s sake.”

  Kate’s mom cleared her throat. “Thanks, kids, for trying so hard. I don’t want you to feel you have to do this. It is hard—I’ve worked fund-raisers in the past—and like Melissa said, it can be humiliating. But don’t think that all the business owners you meet will be like that employee. I’m guessing he was young, right?”

  Colt nodded. “Yeah, probably about nineteen or so.”

  “The people who matter are the owners or managers. And maybe what you need is a letter from an adult—like the owners of the Blue Ribbon Barn who are sponsoring this ride—stating that it’s a legitimate fund-raiser and how the money will be put to use. We rushed into this without thinking of everything. But in spite of that, you did well. You have a fifty-dollar gift certificate and coupons for twenty dollars’ worth of pizzas, and that’s an awesome start. Let’s have your dad draft and sign a letter, Kate, then you kids can try again. We could even design a simple website where people can check us out. Sound good?”

  Kate nodded. “Sorry for being a baby and wanting to give up.”

  Melissa bumped her. “Hey, remember what a baby I was when I didn’t want to go into Mrs. Maynard’s spooky a
ttic, and you held my hand and dragged me upstairs?”

  Kate’s pent-up breath whooshed out in relief. The more she got to know Melissa, the more she liked her. But it didn’t hurt to tease a bit, when she had the chance. She looked Melissa squarely in the eyes. “Yep. I sure do remember that.”

  Melissa’s smile faded, and Kate giggled. “And you’re the coolest ‘baby’ I’ve ever met.”

  Melissa rolled her eyes. “Oh. Ha-ha.”

  “I’m kidding, Melissa. You aren’t a baby at all, and it’s awesome you’re on our team! Now let’s get back to the house and ask Dad to write a letter that’ll convince every business owner in town to contribute to our cause. With Mom and Dad on our side, we can’t lose.”

  Chapter Three

  A week later, Kate and Tori waited in the office for Kate’s mom to return, while Colt and Melissa answered questions and helped in the main area of the barn as people arrived to sign up for the trail ride.

  Kate danced from one foot to the other, barely able to hold still. “This is so cool! I’m glad we got the ad in the paper in time and made all the calls to the barns and horse clubs. I can’t believe we ended up with over a thousand dollars in prizes and gift certificates between the businesses in Odell, Hood River, and White Salmon. That was brilliant of you to think about going across the bridge to the Washington side.”

  Tori smiled. “You would have thought about it sooner or later. I’m so thankful our parents helped drive us around—even Melissa’s mom. That kind of surprised me.”

  “Me too. Do you suppose she’s noticing changes in Melissa’s attitude? Maybe she’s curious about what’s going on.”

  “I sure hope so,” Tori said. “From a couple of things Melissa said, she believes in God now, and she really wants to know more. We should pray for her mom.”

  “For sure.” Kate turned as her mother entered the office. “Hey, Mom, we’ve got more entry money. A lot of people are paying in cash. Are you taking it to the bank today?”

  “Not until just before five o’clock. I want to take as much as we can in one trip, rather than going two or three times a day. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I’m guessing we may have double the entries we do today. That money can go to the bank on Monday.” She walked across the office and plucked an ornate box off the shelf, then took a tiny key from her pocket and undid the lock.

  “That’s beautiful.” Tori’s gaze fixed on the box. “Is it an antique? It looks really old. And I love the deep-blue-and-gold colors.”

  Kate’s mom nodded. “Yes, it was my great-grandmother’s box. I probably should use a regular cash box, but I didn’t want to go buy one, and I already had this. It’s been in my bedroom for years, and I never use it. It’s more of an antique jewelry box—Great-Grandma got it as a wedding present—but I thought it would work well for the two or three days we need to store the entry fees.”

  Melissa stopped in the open doorway with Colt on her heels. “Wow! Cool box, Mrs. Ferris. It looks valuable.”

  Colt scratched his head. “It looks like a painted box to me. What’s so special about it?”

  Tori groaned. “Boys have no appreciation for the finer things of life.”

  He grinned. “Sure we do. Some of the finest things I can think of are desserts, long horseback rides, and going to amusement parks and hitting the wild rides. What’s finer than that?”

  Kate’s mom laughed. “Works for me. But this box has been in my family for almost eighty years, so I consider it a treasure. And an antique dealer once offered me a nice sum of money for it, although I’d never part with it. Someday, when Kate gets married, I’ll give it to her.”

  It was Kate’s turn to groan. “Seriously, Mom? That might never happen. It’s not like I have a boyfriend or even want one right now. Are you sure you want to use it as a cash box?”

  Her mom nodded. “I’ll keep it locked and in a cabinet when no one is in here.” She lifted the lid, then tucked the cash inside the box. “Any of you kids collect more?”

  “Yep.” Kate extended her hand. “That’s why Tori and I were waiting.”

  Colt did the same. “Melissa and I collected another thirty dollars. That was a great idea to let kids under twelve enter for half price.”

  Kate’s mom placed the money inside and lowered the lid, then snapped the lock in place. “Thanks. You’re all doing a super job.”

  A knock sounded at the door, and Kate turned. Mr. Abbington, the owner of a small café on the outskirts of Hood River, stood in the doorway. He was a short man with wire-rimmed glasses, and he kept pushing them up on his nose. “Sorry to interrupt.” His gaze strayed to the box, and his eyes widened. “Lovely. I say, I need to get my son signed up for the trail ride. Can someone take care of that for me?”

  “Certainly.” Kate’s mom set the box on the shelf. “Why don’t you kids see if anyone else needs help, and if not, toss hay to the horses.”

  “Sure, Mom.” Kate glanced at the man again as she left. She waited until she was out of earshot, then whispered to Melissa, “Isn’t he one of the business owners who refused to donate?”

  “Yep. I’m surprised he’s here.”

  Colt stuck a piece of straw in his mouth. “Maybe he changed his mind. He might have felt bad about his attitude and decided to donate when his son said he wanted to enter.”

  Tori hunched a shoulder. “It’s not like everyone has to donate, but if they’re going to take part, it would be nice.”

  Kate stared at the open office door from across the arena. “Did you guys notice him staring at Mom’s box? I’m glad she’s taking the money to the bank.”

  Kate finished cleaning the last stall the next morning and heaved a sigh of relief. She’d gotten up an hour earlier to get the chores done before people started arriving, and it was a good thing she had. A car door slammed in the parking area. She stowed the pitchfork and wheelbarrow, then hurried to the open doors in time to see a car heading back toward the road.

  “Hey, Tori.” She walked out to meet her friend. “I’m glad it’s you. How come you didn’t ride your bike?”

  “My mom had to run to town, so she said she’d drop me off and pick me up later, unless I want to walk home. Are Colt and Melissa coming?”

  “Yeah. Melissa called this morning and said she’d be a little late, but Colt should be here any minute.”

  A bike turned off the road, and Colt pedaled across the gravel parking area, then skidded to a stop, spraying Kate and Tori with fine pebbles. “Oops. Sorry about that.” But the mischievous twinkle in his eyes didn’t look a bit sorry to Kate.

  “Sure you are.” She brushed off her jeans, which were already covered with bits of straw and dirt. “You turn up right after Tori and I get all the work done. Slacker.” She turned and winked at Tori.

  Her friend raised her chin in the air. “We’ve been slaving away for an hour while you were probably sleeping. And we’ve signed up another ten people without any help.”

  Colt’s mouth fell open. “Seriously? Hey, I’m really sorry. I did kind of oversleep.”

  Kate burst into a laugh. “Gotcha. No one’s been here to sign up yet, and Tori arrived a couple of minutes before you did. But I did get the stalls cleaned and the horses fed. Thankfully most of the horses are out to pasture, so I only had to clean two stalls. Not a biggie.”

  He walked beside them back to the barn. “So is your mom worried about the money box after you told her how Mr. Abbington was eyeing it?”

  “She thought we were imagining things and said he’s a reputable businessman. Nothing happened yesterday, but she did take the box into the house for the night. She finished here too late to get to the bank.”

  Tori tilted her head. “So it’s back in the office for the day?”

  “Yes. Mom puts it in a cabinet, so she’s not worried about it. Besides, everybody knows this is a charity event. No way would anyone steal ou
r money.”

  A car pulled in as they were almost to the barn door, and three college-age kids got out. One of them waved. “Is this the right place for the trail-ride scavenger hunt?”

  “Sure is.” Kate pointed inside the barn. “The office is halfway down the alleyway. I’ll grab entry forms for you, and you can pay with cash or a check.”

  One of the boys pulled out his wallet. “Cash is fine. We heard there’s a lot of prizes, and that the money is going to a good cause.”

  The girl who’d gotten out of the car second nodded. “I have an autistic sister. She’s too old for the camp now, but she would have loved it when she was younger.”

  Kate’s insides warmed. “My little brother is only six, and we’re hoping he might get to go to the day camp this year. He’s why we thought about doing this in the first place.”

  They all walked into the barn together, and Kate waved toward the office. “The door is open. If you want to fill out the forms inside, you can, or you can bring them back later.”

  The girl smiled. “Gordon and I are the only ones riding. We’ll fill the forms out now.” She turned her head and looked at the outer door. “Sounds like you’ve got more people coming.”

  A man and a young girl walked in. “Is this where we get the entry form for the scavenger hunt? I need to leave my daughter so she can look over the barn and find out what she has to do, then I’ll pick her up in thirty minutes or so. I’m in a hurry. Could you get me a form right away?” His tone was sharp and almost pushy, and Kate’s hackles rose.

  Colt eased forward, standing in front of the girls. “Sure. But these people were first, so you’ll have to wait your turn, Mr. …?”

  “Creighton. I don’t have time to wait. I’m sure they won’t mind letting me go first. I need to get to an appointment in town.”

  Colt drew in a breath, but the girl held up her hand. “It’s fine. We’re not in a hurry.”

  The boy who’d been silent the entire time stepped forward. “It’s not okay with me, Lisa. We were here first.”