Mystery Rider

by Miralee Ferrell

  Suddenly a scream bounced from the living area all the way up the stairwell. Kate dropped the box and ran down the stairs. Melissa’s frantic voice met her as she hit the bottom step.

  “Kate, Mrs. Maynard is dead!”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Two hours later, Kate and her mother, Colt, Melissa, and Tori and her mother stood in a room at Providence Memorial Hospital in Hood River, where Mrs. Maynard lay tucked in a bed, her small frame not even filling half of the narrow surface.

  A doctor patted her hand. “Your friends can stay another ten minutes. Then I want you to sleep. You’re lucky it was only a mild stroke. I’ll release you in a few days if you improve, but you need at least three or four weeks of rest before you try to do much at home. I’ll be back in a couple of hours to check on you. Call the nurse if you need anything.” He exited the room without looking back.

  Kate edged closer to the bed as another wave of relief swept over her that their new friend wasn’t dead. Finding Mrs. Maynard slumped in the chair and not being able to wake her had brought Melissa to tears and near hysteria. “What can we do to help?”

  Mrs. Maynard gave a weak smile. “You are all so wonderful to offer. First, I want you girls to get the boxes you brought down from the attic. Those banners are yours to use as you’d like to. Now that Sam is dead, it’s just my cat, Milton, and Starlight. Could you see that they’re fed every day? And Tori, would you continue to brush Starlight and exercise him like you offered until I can get home?”

  Tori swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek. “Yes, ma’am. I’d love to. Would you like me to lunge him in his pen?”

  “Hmm … I was thinking … Do you girls have a trainer you trust?”

  Kate looked at her mother, who nodded. “We have a lady who comes to our barn and gives lessons, both private and group, a couple of times a week. She’s really good.”

  “That’s what we need, then. Mrs. Velasquez, would you allow Tori to take lessons on Starlight, since Mrs. Ferris trusts the trainer? I’d like you to take him to Kate’s barn until I’m well enough to care for him again. I’ll pay for the trainer and his board, if that’s acceptable. Joshua and I had a special little nest egg set aside for emergencies, but we never spent it … Now seems like the perfect time.”

  Tori stared at Mrs. Maynard, then swung her gaze to her mother. “Please, Mom? He’s a sweet, wonderful horse. I promise I’ll do everything the trainer tells me to, and I won’t do anything silly.”

  Mrs. Velasquez paused, then asked Kate’s mom, “What do you think?”

  “Our trainer is very competent and careful. She can assess Starlight when he arrives and decide if it’s safe for Tori to ride him. If not, Tori can work him from the ground.”

  “I’ll agree to that. Tori, I know you love this horse, but I’ll hold you to your promise to follow the trainer’s instructions.”

  Tori looked like she wanted to jump up and down and whoop, but she merely grinned. “Absolutely. Thanks, Mom. And thank you for trusting me with your horse, Mrs. Maynard. I won’t let you down.”

  “Thank you, dear.” The older woman rolled her head on the pillow and closed her eyes. “I think I’d better rest now. I seem to be quite tired all of a sudden.”

  Kate’s mom squeezed Mrs. Maynard’s hand and leaned close. “We’ll be praying for you. And I want you to know that I alerted the police about the teens who have been harassing you. They’re going to keep an eye on your place.” She straightened, then beckoned to Kate and her friends to follow.

  Colt was the last one to leave, and he closed the door behind him. “I feel sorry for her. I wonder if she’ll ever be able to live at home by herself again.”

  Melissa sucked in a long breath and then released it. “I’m thankful she’s alive and can talk. I was so scared when I found her unconscious. The doctor said she’ll be able to go home if she gets stronger, but she can’t do much on her own anytime soon. How will she take care of herself?”

  Kate looked at Tori, who gave a slow nod as though she knew exactly what Kate was thinking. “I say we take turns bringing food and cleaning her house. It’s not like one person who’s in bed or on the couch most of the time will mess it up, but we can do her dishes and vacuum—stuff like that—and water her flowers.”

  Colt stuffed his hands in his pockets as they made their way down the hall to the front door. “Count me in. I’ll do the yard work if you girls bring food and clean. Tori has Starlight’s care, so she probably won’t have time to do much at Mrs. Maynard’s house.”

  “Sure I will. It’s summer vacation, and it’s not like I have a job. I’ll do my share.”

  Kate stood by the automatic door and waited for everyone to exit into the parking lot before following. “It’s so exciting that you get to work with Starlight. We’ll need to find someone to trailer him to the barn right away.”

  Tori arched her brows. “Why? It’s only a little over a mile. If you guys come with me, we could walk him there.”

  Her mother shook her head. “You aren’t handling that horse without an adult present, until the trainer says it’s safe.”

  Tori sighed. “Right. I forgot.”

  Kate’s mom pressed the remote and unlocked their Subaru Outback. After they were all inside, she turned to Mrs. Velasquez. “I’m willing to stop by Mrs. Maynard’s on the way home and walk with the girls, if you’ll take my car on to my house.”

  Tori squealed from the backseat, and Kate elbowed her. They didn’t want to push Tori’s mom and have her change her mind. Tori sobered and hunkered into the seat, but her expression remained hopeful.

  “All right.” Tori’s mom nodded. She turned to look at Tori. “But you are not to do anything with that horse until the trainer arrives. Understood?”

  “Sure. Besides, he’ll need a day to settle into his new surroundings, and the trainer comes tomorrow, right, Kate?”

  “Right. And Melissa, we should probably get to work on those banners right away too. The parade isn’t that far off, so we don’t have a lot of time.”

  This was so cool and exciting. They had banners, and Tori got to care for Mrs. Maynard’s horse. Poor lady. Kate had seen the loneliness on Mrs. Maynard’s face more than once. It was so sad that a nice lady like her didn’t have a bunch of friends to keep her company and care for her. Of course, she said most of her friends were dead or had moved from the area. Then reality hit her. Mrs. Maynard was getting old—or at least, she said she was seventy, and that sounded old to her. What if she had another stroke and died, or could never care for her house or animals again?

  Chapter Sixteen

  Five days passed before Mrs. Maynard was released from the hospital. Kate, Tori, and Colt, along with Kate’s mom, picked her up from the hospital. Kate could barely believe the change—Mrs. Maynard was so much stronger and more energetic than the last time she’d seen her.

  They helped her into the front seat of the Subaru, but she waved away the robe the nurse wanted to tuck around her. “It’s eighty degrees outside. I’ll melt or have another stroke from the heat. I’m fine. I’m just happy to be going home. That’s all I need.” She bestowed a warm smile on the nurse, who stood beside the open door, the wheelchair a few feet away. “Thank you for all you did for me while I was here.”

  The nurse leaned down and squeezed Mrs. Maynard’s hand. “You take care of yourself. We don’t want to see you back here anytime soon.”

  “That I will, my dear … That I will.”

  The nurse shut the door, and Kate’s mom started the car. She eased it out of the parking lot and headed down the hill, then smiled at Mrs. Maynard. “We’ll have you home shortly, but you tell us if you’re uncomfortable or need anything on the way.”

  “I’ll be right as rain as soon as I get home and have Milton on my lap. Tori, how are things going with Starlight?”

  “Great!” Tori bounced in her seat betwee
n Kate and Colt as Kate’s mom drove through downtown Hood River. “I’ve been grooming him every day, and I’ve ridden him three times now! The first two with the trainer there, and the last time with Mrs. Ferris, ’cause Mom trusts her to watch me while I ride. Starlight is the smoothest, gentlest horse I’ve ever ridden. I love Mr. Gray, but Starlight is even better. He’s an awesome horse!”

  Kate’s mom smiled but kept her eyes on the road as she turned right onto Highway 35. “Tori is a natural with Starlight. And he responds to her better than for me or the trainer. He’s very smart, and he seems to know what Tori wants him to do almost before she asks.”

  Mrs. Maynard nodded. “When he’s in tune with a person, that’s how he is—he anticipates and is ready to please. I’m so glad he took to you, Tori. It makes me feel much better about not having him at home right now.” She sighed. “The doctor says I can’t care for him for a few more weeks. He’s afraid too much exertion might cause more problems, and he wants me to build up my strength slowly. Is it going to be all right if Starlight stays at your barn longer than I planned?”

  “It’s fine if he stays, but it’s up to Tori if she wants to continue working with him.” Kate’s mom glanced in the rearview mirror at Tori.

  “Cool! I’d love to.” Tori beamed. “But I’m sorry the doctor won’t let you do much. I promise I’ll love Starlight and take care of him like he was my own. I’ll brush him every day, exercise him, and feed him carrots—and anything else you want me to do.” She gave a happy sigh. “I love Starlight.”

  “And how about the parade? Did you children get the banners finished?”

  Kate leaned forward. “Yes. I wish Melissa could have come today and told you about it. Her mom has a friend who agreed to sew on the new letters after we cut them out. It says Blue Ribbon Barn, Odell, Oregon, on each side now. We named it after Melissa won the silver spurs and blue ribbon at the show this summer. We decided white would show up best against the cherry-red background. They look great! We’ll bring one over to show you if you’d like. Oh, and I’m afraid we might have spoiled your kitty with treats. I hope he won’t be too much of a pest.”

  Mrs. Maynard chuckled. “Milton has always been a pest when it comes to treats or being petted, but I love him just the same. I doubt you did too much damage.” She glanced out the side window. “It looks like we’re almost home. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed again and not have someone coming in poking and prodding and waking me up.”

  “I kept your flowers watered, and the girls weeded and did housework. If there’s anything we need to do different, we’ll take care of it,” Colt said.

  “You children are so kind to an old lady. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t come along.”

  Kate shivered as the memory rushed back of Mrs. Maynard slumped in her chair with her eyes closed and barely breathing. She’d been so sure the older woman was dead, and the image had given her nightmares for several nights, until Dad came in to pray with her. “One of us will come over every day to see you and take care of your yard and house for as long as you need us to.”

  “Right,” Tori added. “And I’ll give you a report on Starlight. Do you think you can come to the parade and watch us ride? We’d love to have you see our horses dressed up in the banners you gave us. I’m riding Mr. Gray, and he’s going to look great in red.”

  They pulled into Mrs. Maynard’s drive, and Kate’s mom parked the car. Her cell rang, and she frowned. “Sorry, guys, it’s our trainer, so I’d better take this.” She answered, then listened for a moment. “He did what? Oh no. Are you sure? Right. I’ll be home as soon as I can.”

  Kate pushed open the door and hopped out as her mother exited the front seat. “What’s going on? It’s not Pete, is it? His tutor is there, isn’t she?”

  “No, it’s not Pete.” She glanced at Tori, who now stood by Kate. “Mr. Gray has pulled up lame. We need to get Mrs. Maynard settled and go see how bad it is.”

  Mrs. Maynard opened her car door and struggled to step out.

  Colt bolted around the rear of the car and reached her before she could swing her feet onto the ground. “Hey, you shouldn’t be walking on your own yet.” He put his hand out and helped her to her feet, then turned to Kate. “You guys go with your mom. It’s not that far to my house from here. I can walk. But I’ll get Mrs. Maynard settled and call you later to see how Mr. Gray is doing. Sure hope it’s nothing serious.”

  Tori’s lips quivered. “Do you know what happened?”

  Kate’s mom shook her head. “Only that he pulled up lame while a student was jumping him, so it could be a stressed tendon. We’ll have to wait for the vet to find out. He can’t be ridden for now, and I’m guessing it might be a while before he’s cleared, if it’s as bad as the trainer thinks.”

  Kate gasped. “Oh no! You mean Tori might not be able to ride in the parade? That would ruin the whole thing. All four of us have to ride, Mom. It’s important!”

  Mom leveled a stern gaze at Kate. “I know it’s important, but so is Mr. Gray’s health. We can’t ask him to do something that could make him worse, or lame him for life. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

  “Of course not, but this is awful!” Kate looked at Tori, who seemed to be fighting tears.

  “Colt, thank you for taking care of Mrs. Maynard.” She smiled at the older woman. “We’ll come over later and check on you. Please call if you need anything.” Kate’s mom climbed back into their car. “Hurry up, girls. The sooner we find out the extent of the injury, the better.”

  Kate stood with Tori a short distance from Mr. Gray as Dr. Alan ran his hand down the gelding’s leg and pinched his tendon, causing the horse to lift his foot. The veterinarian clamped a tool to the hoof wall close to the heel and pressed. “This final test will give me a little more information.” He held it for several seconds, then removed the tool and set the hoof back on the ground. “Walk him and then trot him in a straight line away from me.”

  He watched as Kate’s mom followed his instructions, then turned Mr. Gray and brought him back. “Good. He’s no worse than before. So far every test indicates it’s not navicular, and from what I’m seeing, I think he may have popped a splint.”

  Tori wrinkled her nose. “He did what?”

  Dr. Alan ran his hand down the inside of the long bone between the horse’s knee and his fetlock joint. “The average person might think of the fetlock joint as an ankle, and this, of course, is his knee. The bone between is the cannon bone, but there are small bones on the inside of the leg called splint bones that help support the cannon bone. A horse can fracture one of those. If you run your hand down his leg you’ll feel quite a bit of heat, so the area is inflamed. There’s also a very small bump that could get larger.”

  Tori bit her lip. “Will he be lame forever?”

  “Not with proper rest.” He turned to Kate’s mother. “You’ll need to keep him in his stall, put an ice pack on it for at least thirty minutes twice a day, and he’ll need to wear a support bandage the rest of the time. A light massage of that area could also be beneficial, if you have time.”

  She nodded. “How long will he need to be stalled and not ridden?”

  “I’ll take another look at him in ten days. Hopefully the inflammation will be gone by then. If so, I’d say another three weeks before he can have light work. Once the inflammation is gone, there’s no need for the ice, but someone will need to walk him for fifteen to twenty minutes a day until he’s sound again. Thankfully, this appears to be a mild injury, but it could still be thirty days or so before he’s under saddle again, depending on how quickly he heals.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. I have vet wrap and ice packs on hand, so we’ll get that started this evening.”

  Kate beckoned for Tori to follow her. They opened the half gate and stepped into the alleyway that divided the indoor arena from the long row of stalls. “I’m glad he’
s not permanently lame, but it sounds like we can’t use Mr. Gray for the parade.” She kicked at a clump of dirt on the rubber mat under her feet.

  Tori’s bottom lip trembled, and her eyes watered. “I guess I’ll watch from the sidelines this year. I can at least be your cheering section.” She worked to muster a smile but didn’t quite make it.

  “I’m not going to give up that easily, Tori. Somehow we’ll find a way for you to ride with us. Who knows? Maybe one of our boarders would let you ride their horse.”

  Tori shook her head. “No way. It could cause problems for the barn if something happened to the horse during the parade. Besides, I wouldn’t feel safe on a strange horse like I do on Mr. Gray. The thought of riding him in the parade was all I could handle.”

  Kate was torn between getting mad and crying. Just when they had their banners all made, they were finally friends with Melissa, and they’d solved the mystery of the horse and rider, this had to happen. She hated that Tori would be left out of the excitement and fun. Somehow Kate had to figure out a solution to this problem. “Come on. Let’s call Colt and Melissa and see if they have any ideas.”

  Tori gave a halfhearted shrug, but she followed Kate from the barn, her head bent and her shoulders heaving.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Ten days later, Kate stood at the half wall of their indoor arena beside Mrs. Maynard. She kept her voice low so Tori wouldn’t hear, although the chance of that with Tori in the center of the ring was slim. “She’s doing well, don’t you think?”

  “I do.” The older woman leaned on a cane but wasn’t as stooped as she’d been when they first met her. She seemed to have blossomed since Kate and her friends had been taking turns visiting and helping at her house. “But I’m not surprised. Starlight is beautifully trained and will respond to a rider he trusts. I could tell that Tori won his heart as soon as she spoke to him. There’s something about that girl …”