Mom nodded. “You stay here. I’m going to cover the other side of the road. Be sure you check the ditches and behind any big clumps of brush.”
“Shouldn’t we check with the neighbors up the road?”
“Dad’s taking care of that. He said the sheriff is sending a deputy to each house close by to ask if they’ve seen Pete.”
“Good.” Kate left the edge of the road and circled a clump of five fir trees. “Pete? Come out if you’re hiding. It’s time to go home.”
They’d covered half the distance before they spotted Tori and her mother coming toward them, each on opposite sides of the road. Kate bounded forward and halted beside her friend. “Did you see anything?”
“Not a thing. Sorry, Kate. Has Pete run away before? Where do you think he’d go?”
Kate’s mother and Mrs. Velasquez joined them in time to hear Tori’s question. Kate looked at her mother. “He’s never run away, and I have no idea where he might go. Do you, Mom?”
“I’ve been thinking about that ever since we left the house. If he didn’t go to Tori’s house, there’s only one other place he’s walked to, since we always drive to church.”
Kate stared at her mother for a long moment, then blurted what she knew her mother was thinking. “My horse.” She motioned to Tori. “I took Pete for a walk one day, and we took carrots to the mare we found in the paddock. I told him I wished she could be my horse someday.”
Mom’s face set in firm lines. “I didn’t know you told him that, Kate, but it makes sense. He’s been talking a lot about Kate’s horse lately. I thought at first he meant the horse cake you had for your birthday, and then that he was thinking about the job you turned down at the barn.” She glanced at Tori’s mother. “That the girls turned down.” She turned her attention back to Kate. “Now I think he might have been talking about the mare. Let’s get over there as fast as we can, and I’ll call your dad and let him know where we’re headed.”
Kate’s heart thudded. She could barely breathe. Was it her fault her little brother ran away and put himself in danger? She hadn’t told her mother the complete truth. She never should have taken him to see that mare.
Chapter Ten
The girls moved from a fast walk to a jog, with their mothers following close behind, as they closed the distance to the pen containing the mare. What if Pete wasn’t there? Would Mom fall apart, and would Dad yell at Kate? He’d never really yelled in his life that Kate could remember, but Pete had never gone missing like this either.
Tori nudged her in the side. “Are you praying? God’s going to help us find your brother, you know.”
Kate stared at her new friend, both grateful and ashamed that Tori had to remind her. “I feel awful. I haven’t really prayed since we started. I keep thinking it’s my fault. I wanted a horse so bad, and I told him I wished the mare would belong to me someday. I’m not sure Pete understood she isn’t mine. He’s been worried about her since I brought him over. He loves animals, even if he doesn’t talk much.”
Tori nodded. “Yeah, I know what you mean. Pete seems like a good kid. There’s more than one person at school with an autistic brother or sister.”
“I know,” Kate said. Her mom tapped her on her shoulder, and she glanced back. “We’re almost there, Mom. Right around this next corner.”
“Let’s hurry up. We don’t have time to visit.” Mom’s normally happy tone was edged with fear.
Kate bit her lip. “Sure. Come on, Tori. Let’s run the rest of the way.”
The girls increased their pace to a steady, smooth run, and Kate was surprised to see both her mother and Mrs. Velasquez keeping pace behind them. “Wow, your mom can move.”
Tori grinned. “She used to play softball and still runs every morning.”
They rounded the final corner, and Kate’s heart dropped to her toes. The mare stood next to the fence, but there was no sign of Pete—not from what she could see.
They were still at least a hundred feet away when Mom gasped and raced past Kate. “Pete. Peter! Baby, are you okay?”
A dark-green mound on the ground near the post moved, and Pete sat up. It looked like he’d curled into a ball under the lowest rail. Kate arrived a few seconds after her mother, in time to see her scoop Pete into her arms and hug him. It didn’t seem to matter to her that Pete didn’t reply.
Kate patted his back. “You okay, bud? You’re not hurt, are you?”
Pete shook his head. “Your horse is hungry.” He squirmed in his mother’s arms until she set him down. He dug into his pocket and withdrew a carrot. “Pete brought food.”
Kate knelt in front of him, not caring that the moisture on the grass seeped through her jeans. “Why did you come without me? You could have gotten hurt all by yourself.”
“Kate is sad she can’t work at the barn.”
“But I still would have brought you over here if you’d asked me to.” She touched his cheek, but he pulled away.
“No. I gonna bring Kate her horse.” He took a long piece of twine from his pocket.
Mrs. Velasquez edged closer. “That horse is too big for you, Pete. It might have stepped on you if you let it out of the pen.”
Pete twisted his hands together. “Kate teach me.”
Mom glared at Kate. “Did you let him lead that horse?”
“No! I showed him how to hold his hand flat and feed her a carrot, that’s all. I’d never do anything that would put him in danger.” She tried to look in Pete’s eyes, but he turned his head away. “The horse is too big for you to bring home, bud. But thank you for caring.”
“Kate work at the barn and learn. Pete learn too.”
Kate glanced at Tori’s mom and her mother, not sure what to say. This was the most her brother had ever said at one time. She was thrilled but also a little bummed that she couldn’t assure him that what he’d said would happen.
“We’ll talk about it later, okay, Pete?” Mom took his hand, and he didn’t resist. “Are you ready to go home now and have some lunch?”
He dropped his head, and his favorite tuneless half-dozen notes came through his tightly pressed lips. Her little brother had gone back into his own safe world, and who knew how long it would be before he’d come out again.
Mrs. Velasquez touched Tori’s shoulder. “Honey, would you and Kate mind taking Pete and going ahead of us so I can talk to Mrs. Ferris?” She swiveled toward Kate’s mom. “If you don’t mind, that is?”
Mom hesitated, then nodded. “That’s fine, as long as they stay close where I can keep an eye on him. I don’t want you to get more than a couple of steps ahead, okay, girls?” She withdrew her cell phone from her pocket. “Before we go anywhere, I’ll call Dad and let him know we found Pete. It’s not far to the house, so I’ll have him meet us there.”
“Sure, Mom.” Kate took Pete’s hand. He didn’t respond in any way as her hand gently took his, but he didn’t pull away, and Kate released a happy sigh. Kate sure was glad Mom insisted they stay close and not get too far ahead. She secretly hoped to hear what Tori’s mom wanted to discuss.
When her mother got off the phone, they struck off up the road, and the gravel crunched under the two women’s feet behind the girls and Pete. Tori shot Kate a warning with her lips extended in a shhh motion, and Kate gave an ever-so-slight nod. It was obvious Tori wanted to listen too, and Kate was more than good with that. With the mood Pete was in, he wasn’t going to say a thing to break the stillness.
Mrs. Velasquez cleared her throat. “I am so sorry for all the worry you’ve gone through today on account of your little boy. But I don’t understand why he came here. This isn’t your daughter’s horse, is it? Have you agreed to purchase the horse from the owner?”
“No. We’re not even sure who owns it. My husband has been asking around.”
Kate held her breath, praying her mother would say Dad planned to buy t
he mare when he found out.
“Kate’s been so worried because the mare is thin, and she’s right. Whoever owns it isn’t taking proper care of her, although I was happy to see the mare had been fed and the water tank was full.”
Kate stopped and whirled, pulling Pete with her. “I didn’t see any hay. How do you know that, Mom?”
Mom leveled a stern gaze at her. “You shouldn’t be interrupting, but considering it’s so important to you, I’ll let it go this time. You were focused on Pete, but while you were talking to him, I noticed a lot of fine pieces of hay littering the ground inside the lean-to. It looks like the mare’s been fed lately, so someone must be caring for her now.”
“But she’s still too thin, and her hooves are in terrible shape, like they haven’t been trimmed for months. They’re long and starting to break, and her coat and mane are rough.”
“Yes, I noticed all of that, but at least we can be grateful she’s being fed.”
“Yeah, but for how long? Mom, what guarantee is there she’ll get fed tomorrow or the next day?” Kate pleaded. “I’m going to come by here after school every day next week and check on her.”
“I don’t have a problem with that, but you and Tori and Pete need to get moving, or Dad is going to worry.”
“Okay.” The girls started walking again, but Kate kept an ear tuned behind her.
They covered some yards in silence before Mrs. Velasquez spoke again. “How did you learn so much about horses? Aren’t you afraid? I would have been screaming if my little boy had been lying so close to that horse’s feet.”
“Thankfully he wasn’t under the rail and inside her pen, or I might have been. You can never completely trust any horse, but learning ways to be safe and how to handle one takes much of the risk away.”
“You mean like the girls working at the barn?”
Kate held her breath, even more afraid to miss Mom’s answer this time around.
“Yes, exactly. That’s a very controlled environment. They’d be cleaning stalls and grooming horses that are tied up, all under supervision. You asked how I know so much. I was raised around horses. My dad had a small stable. Nothing like the one where Kate and Tori want to work, but we had several head that he boarded. We didn’t have a trainer or anything fancy, but I rode for years before I went away to college.”
“Why did you quit? Or do you still ride?”
“I enjoyed riding, but it wasn’t important to me like it is to Kate. It’s her dream and passion. Mine was to get married, raise a family, and be a good mom.”
Pete dragged his feet against the gravel, kicking rocks and shuffling. Kate glanced at Tori, who peeked sideways at her, then Tori looked back at her mother.
“Tori told me that Kate refused to take the job at the barn if Tori couldn’t do it too.” Tori’s mom sounded somber and a little sad.
“Yes, Kate told me she made that promise.”
“I don’t want to see your girl not be able to follow her dream because of my fear.”
“Do you mind if I ask why you’re afraid?” Mom’s words were dipped in kindness.
“It’s hard to talk about, but yes, I’ll tell you. My little brother fell off a horse when he was young. He was in the hospital for a long time with a head injury, and I was sure he’d die.”
“But he lived?” Mom asked.
“Yes. He was riding in an open field, and he kicked the horse in the sides to make him run. The horse tripped in a gopher hole. Miguel flew over his head and struck a rock. You see why I don’t want Victoria to ride?”
Mom was quiet for a minute before she replied. “I can understand why you’d be afraid, but there’s something you haven’t thought of.” She drew in a long, slow breath. “I imagine if your brother had taken lessons, he wouldn’t have forced his horse to run across an open field that he wasn’t familiar with, especially if he wasn’t a good rider. The instructor might have kept him in an enclosed area while he learned to ride, the way Tori would be if she worked at the barn. Tori and Kate will also be required to wear helmets when they ride, to protect their heads from injury.”
Tori’s mom murmured something that Kate didn’t hear. She wanted to whirl around and beg Mrs. Velasquez to reconsider, but she knew what her mother would say. It wasn’t her place to interrupt again. Instead, maybe this would be a good time to pray as Tori had suggested.
Chapter Eleven
Kate’s dad met them a block from their house and knelt in front of Pete, gently gripping his upper arms. “Are you okay, little guy?”
Pete nodded but kept his face averted. “Want to save Kate’s horse. She’s hungry. Pete’s hungry too.” He tugged away from his father and marched toward the house, but Mom grasped his wrist. “Not so fast, Peter. We’ll all stay together, all right? No more going off by yourself.”
Dad grinned at Mom. “I guess he’s fine, huh?”
Mom nodded. “I’ve never been so grateful for anything in my life. He gave us all a scare.” She turned to Mrs. Velasquez and Tori, who’d stopped close together. “Thank you both for coming and helping us search. You’re wonderful neighbors, and I hope”—she directed her words toward Tori’s mom—“that we’ll become friends.”
The other woman nodded and smiled. “Si. I feel the same way. You must come visit sometime. My home is humble, but you will be welcome.” She placed her arm across Tori’s shoulders. “I will think on what you have said and talk to my husband again. May I call you later tonight?”
Dad eyed Mom, but she simply said, “Thank you. That would be nice.”
Kate could barely keep quiet. She wanted to grab Tori, drag her to the side, and ask what she thought. Had Mom changed Mrs. Velasquez’s mind about Tori working at the barn, or was she only going to call to invite her mother to tea or something just as boring?
Tori met her eyes and barely hunched one shoulder.
Kate mouthed two words, praying her friend could read lips. Call me.
Tori raised her hand. “Later.” She touched Pete on the top of his head. “’Bye, Pete. No more hunting for horses, okay? If you want to go over there again, you ask me or Kate, and we’ll take you if your mom or dad says so.”
Pete kept his chin tucked against his chest and rocked from his toes to his heels and back again, humming his favorite melody.
A couple of hours later, the phone rang, and Mom picked it up before Kate had a chance to grab it. She listened for a moment, then handed the receiver to Kate. “It’s Tori.”
“I’ll take it to my room.”
Her mother nodded, and Kate raced across the living room.
“Hey, Tori, what’s going on with your mom?” Kate blurted out even before she got her door closed.
“Well, hi to you too.” Tori broke into laughter on her end of the line.
“Come on, spill! I’ve been dying since I got home.” Kate flopped against her pillows.
“She changed her mind. She said yesss!” Tori yelled out the last word.
Kate held the phone away from her ear and grinned. Slowly she returned it and listened to make sure Tori wouldn’t scream again, although she wanted to let out some whoops herself. “No way! Seriously? Oh man, I can’t believe it!” Kate sat up and then threw herself against the pillows again. “Wow! Did she say why?”
“Yeah. We had a long talk after she talked to my dad. He told her he didn’t see any reason why I shouldn’t work at the barn. When Mom saw how upset Pete was and listened to what your mom had to say, she couldn’t say no. I am beyond excited!”
“That makes two of us. It’s probably too late tonight, but I’ll call Mrs. Wilder in the morning before we go to school. Just think … we’ll be starting at the barn in two days.” There was a long silence, and Kate wondered if Tori had hung up. “Hey? You still there? What’s up?”
“Yeah, I’m here.” Tori paused, then, “Do you think she’s stil
l going to let us work if we don’t call until tomorrow?”
Kate could barely contain her excitement. “Dad told her he’d appreciate another day or so, and she said it was okay, so I think we’re good.”
“Whew. I’d better go. Mom’s giving me ‘the look,’ but I’ll sleep a lot better tonight knowing we get to do this. And that your brother’s safe too, of course.”
Kate sobered. “I know. And tell your parents thanks for me, will you?” She disconnected and headed back to the living room to hang up the phone. At last things were going their way. Now if she could find a way to rescue that mare, life would be perfect. Even if Mom thought someone was feeding the horse, she was still too thin and obviously neglected. It wasn’t right leaving her cooped up in a small pen with only a rickety lean-to for shelter and feeding her whenever someone happened to remember. Not right at all.
And Kate intended to do something to change that.
Chapter Twelve
When Kate and Tori stepped into the barn on Tuesday afternoon, they met Mrs. Wilder, her face beaming. “I’m so glad you made it, girls. I was hoping nothing would happen to change your decision between yesterday morning and this afternoon. I hired another person to help clean stalls and groom as well, and I’ll introduce you in a bit.”
Kate peeked at Tori, wondering what she thought of this new turn of events, but her friend didn’t reply. She hadn’t heard any of the girls at school talking about working at the barn. It might be nice to meet another girl their age who loved horses as much as she did. Of course, it could be an older person too.
Kate smiled at Mrs. Wilder. “We can’t wait to get started.”
Tori nodded. “I’m sorry it took us so long to make a decision. My mom wasn’t sure at first how she felt about me working around horses.”
Mrs. Wilder cocked her head. “And she’s all right with it now?”
A Horse for Kate (Horses and Friends Book 1) Page 6
