“See, fine,” Esther told me as she handed me his lead rope. “Now go put him back in his paddock. We’ll have to work on getting him into a stall later.”
“I think he’s just fine in his pen,” I said. I wasn’t too keen to have him run off again anytime soon.
“Oh and Emily,” Esther called out after me. “Sally sent something for you.”
“She did?” I said. “What?”
“You’ll see.”
We put Bluebird in his paddock with hay and fresh water. The kids were still fussing over him and stuffing carrots into his mouth as I ran back to the trailer.
“What do you think it is?” Mickey said. She sounded as excited as I was.
“I don’t know.”
“Here girls, help me with this,” Esther was lugging a wooden tack trunk out of the trailer. “Sally said that this is for you.”
The trunk was a deep rich mahogany with navy trim and brass edging.
“It’s gorgeous,” Mickey whispered, running her hand over the lid. “What do you think is inside?”
“I don’t know but it sure is heavy,” I said as the three of us lugged the thing into the tack room.
“Go on,” Mickey nudged me. “Open it.”
The lid creaked open and inside was everything I had ever wished for. It was just like the trunk that Esther had when she was competing on the show circuit, except that everything was in pony size. There were wool coolers and shipping boots, a tub of different bits and a wooden grooming box full of soft brushes.
“Wow,” Mickey said. “Bluebird is going to look awesome at his first show.”
“He already looks awesome,” I said. “Because he’s mine.”
That afternoon I didn't have a problem taking Bluebird through his paces. We walked and trotted and cantered and I even managed to get a flying lead change out of him on the diagonal.
"He looked amazing," Mickey cheered. "Are you going to jump him?"
I patted Bluebird’s sweaty neck. "I think I’ll wait for Sally," I said. "Not because I'm scared," I added. "But because I don't want her to miss out on anything."
It was a couple of days before Sally finally showed up.
"Sorry it took me so long," she said as she got out of the car.
"It's okay," I beamed.
She was wearing jeans and a fitted navy shirt. I couldn't help noticing that she had paddock boots on and I wondered if maybe she was hoping to get in a ride on Bluebird herself. If she was, I didn't mind. I had a beautiful trunk full of all the things I'd ever dreamed of thanks to her.
"Thank you for sending all that stuff over," I said.
"You're welcome. It's not like I can use it now anyway. I don't need pony things anymore and I'd rather see it all go to good use than sit there gathering dust."
Bluebird whinnied when he saw us coming.
"Still won't go in a stall, huh?" Sally said.
"We haven't tried," I said. "I didn't want to risk another episode like last time. Esther's patched the fence but there is so much else to do right now that it's not a fantastic job. He could get over it again if he really wanted to."
"He used to jump out of his paddock all the time," Sally laughed. "One time I woke up to find him outside my bedroom window."
"Don't tell Esther," I said. "She's already still kind of mad at us. If she finds out she has an escape artist on her hands, I don’t think she’ll be amused."
"Don't worry, it will be our little secret," she said.
We groomed Bluebird together. Sally knew all his little ticklish spots and how to get him to pick up his feet with just a squeeze of his pastern. It was like hanging out with a cool older sister. I couldn't help thinking that maybe this is what it would have been like if Summer was still alive but I pushed the thought from my mind. I didn't need any dead sisters clouding my vision right now. I was about to jump my own pony for the first time.
Esther was in the ring setting up a little course. Sally went over to help her, showing her how Bluebird liked his striding and how to arrange the jumps to get the best out of him. I thought Esther would be kind of mad. She didn't like people telling her what to do but soon they were both laughing and smiling as I warmed Bluebird up.
"Check it out," I whispered to Mickey as I rode by.
"Amazing," she said.
"So do you think you're ready?" Esther finally called out.
"Absolutely," I grinned, and I was.
Bluebird pricked his ears as I cantered him towards the first jump.
"This is it boy, don't let me down," I said.
I closed my legs around his sides and sent him on to the first jump. When Sally said he had an unorthodox way of going, she wasn’t kidding. As soon as Bluebird saw the jump, his head went straight up in the air and he nearly smacked me in the nose. I just went with it, there wasn’t much else I could do and just as Sally had said he would, he soared over the tiny jump with his chestnut ears pricked.
The camp kids, who were hanging on the rail, started to cheer. Bluebird pranced sideways when they clapped as we went past. Everyone was just as happy as I was that Bluebird was jumping again.
Esther and Sally took turns giving me directions. A little more leg here, a touch of hand there and don’t forget to give him his head. It was the best jumping lesson I’d ever had. Not because I jumped the moon and kept all the rails up because to be honest I did neither. I made some mistakes and so did he. After all, we were still getting to know one another. But it was the simple fact that the pony underneath me was my own. I couldn’t stop grinning.
“He likes you,” Sally said as I finally dismounted, my legs feeling a little weak. “You have quiet hands.”
“Thanks,” I said. Then swallowed my pride and added. “Do you want a ride?”
She reached out a hand and stroked his sweaty face. He turned and rubbed his foamy mouth all over her jeans. She laughed.
“No,” she said. “I don’t want to confuse him. Besides, I told you, he’s your pony now.”
The camp kids buzzed around like flies as we took Bluebird back to the barn.
“He was amazing,” Faith whispered, reaching out a gentle hand to pat his neck.
“Yes, he was,” I said.
It couldn’t have been a better day if I planned it. The sun, the breeze, the friends gathered around and cheering me on. But as we walked back to the barn, my heart fell into my boots. Standing there with her hands on her hips was Jess and beside her stood a tall man with a balding head who I could only assume was her father.
“I want my pony back,” she said coldly.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
In books I’d read that time stood still but I never understood what it meant until now. Bluebird's reins were still clutched in my hand. I could swing onto his back and gallop away, jump the fence and hide him in Sally's barn. Or ride further, join the circus. Anything. But I wasn't going to run away because deep down I knew that wouldn't solve anything. I had to face my problems and this was a big problem but I wasn't alone. I had Sally and Esther who were both on my side. The only trouble was that I didn't know if the law would be or not.
"He's not your pony," I finally said. "He's mine."
The bald man cleared his throat and strode towards Esther, sticking out his hand to make acquaintances with the only person he obviously thought he could get through to.
"Mr. Eastford," he said, his voice gruff. "But you can call me Bill."
Esther shook his hand but she didn't return his smile.
"I'm sure you understand the predicament we find ourselves in here," he said. "You see my daughter can be a little headstrong and while I was away on business she fell out with this pony. A disagreement of sorts as you know teenagers are prone to, and in her rage, she decided to send him to the auction without my approval."
"And I bought him fair and square," I said. "I have a receipt."
“Yes, I’m sure you do,” he said, eyeing me coldly with his gray eyes. “And that’s what makes this so unfortunate but y
ou see minors aren’t allowed to put horses in the auction and they aren’t allowed to purchase them. It’s against the law. Your sale is void I’m afraid and I’ll be taking this pony back to my barn where he belongs.”
He came towards me with an outstretched hand but I backed away.
“No,” I cried. “I bought him. He’s mine. He was beaten and starved and was going to go for dog food.” I looked at Jess who was standing there with a smug grin on her face. “You don’t even want him,” I screamed. “You can’t even ride him and besides, you have another pony now. Please. Don’t do this.”
Mr. Eastford reached out to grab my arm but Esther stepped between us.
“You wouldn’t lay a hand on a child now, would you?” she said.
He crossed his arms and stood his ground, Esther now the only thing between me and the man who wanted to ruin my life.
“Don’t make this more difficult than it already is,” he said. “The girl can get another pony. My daughter wants this one.”
“She wants him now,” Sally suddenly said. “But only because she doesn’t want Emily to have him.”
“Now hang on a minute,” Mr. Eastford snapped. “Just who do you think you are, trying to sully my daughter’s good name?”
“Good name?” I laughed. “Have you actually seen the way she treats her horses? Do you even know what is going on in your barn right now? That new pony you probably bought for a bundle of cash? She’s in there with her head tied up, having her spirit broken and by the time Jess is done with her, she’ll be in just as bad shape as Bluebird was when I rescued him.”
“Nonsense,” Mr. Eastford said. “How dare you spread such lies? It’s not true, is it Jess?”
“No,” she said but her face was red. She’d been caught in a lie and she knew it.
“Go look,” I screamed. “Go look in your own barn and see what is going on.”
“Nothing is going on in my barn young lady and I’ll be taking that pony back right now.”
“No, you won’t,” I said.
“Excuse me?” he said, his face now turning as red as his daughters.
“You heard her,” Esther said. “She said no. Now unless you have a warrant or legal papers compelling this girl to give you her pony, then get off my property.”
Father and daughter stood there for a moment, mouths open and red faced. Then they both stormed out of the barn.
“But I want that pony back,” Jess whined.
“Well you shouldn’t have sold it then,” her father snapped. “Now get in the car.”
As they drove off in a cloud of dust the camp kids cheered but all I could do was hug Bluebird’s neck and cry.
“It’s okay,” Sally put her arm around me. “They’re gone.”
“But you don’t know Jess,” I said. “She’s been out to ruin my life from the first day she met me. They’ll come back and when they do, they’ll have the papers they need to take Bluebird away from me for good.”
“They can’t really do that, can they?” Mickey asked Esther.
“I don’t know,” she said. “But I’m going to make a few phone calls. Try not to worry Emily.”
That was easier said than done. I didn’t want to let Bluebird out of my sight for fear that Jess and her father would come back in the night and steal him away.
“He’ll be perfectly safe here,” Esther said. “They won’t get onto the property. I’ve changed the gate code and besides, I don’t think they are the sort to traipse around in ski masks and stealth gear.”
“Maybe I could sleep in the barn?” I asked. “You know, just in case?”
“Absolutely not,” Esther said. “Now go home.”
We left her sitting behind her desk with a worried look on her face. Deep down, I knew that she was worried. The Summer Fun Sale had been a shady affair. There were horses there that were too sick to be sold, others that looked like they might have been stolen. It wasn’t exactly a reputable affair and it moved from town to town. There was no one to talk to about sale records or proof of purchases. All I had was my tattered receipt and a pony I loved more than anything in the whole world.
“Why does everything bad always happen to me?” I moaned as I slumped into the back seat of the car.
“Not just you,” Mickey said. “I have to clean the bathrooms for a month thanks to our little adventure the other night, remember?”
“I said I’d help you.”
“I know,” she said.
Mickey’s mom was still mad at us for disappearing into the night but she hadn’t thought it right to punish me seeing as I wasn’t her own daughter, even though I might as well have been. I hadn’t heard from my mom in a week. The last time I talked to her, she said that she had to take a trip for business. Something about picking up some artifacts for the museum but she sounded different. Distant. I was starting to worry that I’d done something wrong and she was mad at me. That maybe she didn’t want me around anymore.
“I think I’m going to call my mom,” I said when we got back to Mickey’s house.
But there was no answer at my house and she didn’t pick up her cell. I was still sitting there holding the phone and crying when Mickey found me.
“It’s Sally,” she said, thrusting her cell phone into my hands. “She sounds excited.”
“Hello?” I said, taking the phone and trying not to sound like I’d just been bawling like a big baby.
“Emily? It’s me,” Sally said. “Listen, I’ve been talking to my parents. I didn’t want to tell them that I’d found Bluebird because, well obviously they’re not really very fond of him but I told them everything. They know how important it is that he not go back to that horrible girl who lives next door and so they finally gave me the name of the person that they sold him to.”
I held my breath as I listened. Mickey was jumping up and down and trying to get me to tell her what Sally was saying but it was all I could do not to keep the tears from rolling down my face. Once they’d started, I couldn’t stop but people were trying to help me. Somehow I’d get through this.
“I called the guy,” Sally continued. “And he said that Bluebird was stolen from his sale barn.”
“Stolen?” I finally said.
“Yes and get this,” she said. “He was never actually sold. My parents sent him over there on consignment and then never bothered to check up on him. All that time I was begging with them to find him and they lied to me.”
“That sucks,” I finally said.
“Yeah but the important thing is that if you buy something that is stolen, you don’t really own it.”
“So Jess really does own Bluebird,” I said.
“No silly, I do!”
Mickey had pressed her ear to the phone and now she was jumping up and down and screaming. I was just standing there clutching the phone, unable to say anything. Finally Mickey had to take it and thank Sally.
“She said she’ll see us tomorrow,” Mickey said. “And she’ll bring the paperwork to prove that she owns Bluebird, not Jess.”
Mickey shook me.
“Hello!” she said. “Everything is going to be okay.”
“I can’t believe it,” I said weakly.
“Believe it. This is it. It’s over.”
We jumped up and down and ran through the house, giggling and screaming until Mickey’s mom threatened us with bathroom cleaning for life.
“Can’t you just be happy for Emily, Mom?” Mickey said as we were shuffled up the stairs to bed.
“I am happy dear, it’s just you girls are giving me a headache,” she shook her head. “Horses, I’ll never understand what you see in them.”
That night I slept soundly for the first time in a long time. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. But by morning the weight was back, replaced by the other problems that had been shuffled to the back of my mind while I was worried about Bluebird’s past and then whether or not I owned him. Now I had the horribly pressing issue of how I was going to get
the money to pay for his keep. The vet and farrier bills that were supposed to be coming in the mail and the fact that at some point Esther would expect me to pay for his keep.
“Can’t you just be happy for five minutes?” Mickey moaned as I told her my worries over our cereal.
Her hair was all sticking up like a birds nest and she had dark rings under her eyes.
“I’m happy for you and everything, really happy. But this has been the most exhausting summer I’ve ever spent. I think I’ll be glad to go back to school for a rest.”
“Did you just say that you’d be glad to go back to school?” Mickey’s mom came into the kitchen with her hair up in rollers. “Well that would be a first. Can I get that in writing?”
“Mom, you have no idea what it’s been like,” Mickey groaned. “And the camp kids, ugh, remind me to never offer to help again.”
“Well I think it’s been good for you two. You may have had a few lapses in judgment here and there but you’ve done a great job helping Esther. I’m sure she’s appreciated it more that you know.”
“Yeah but it’s been slave labor Mom,” Mickey said.
“It hasn’t been all bad,” I nudged her arm. “Teaching the kids to post and then watching as they finally caught on. That was pretty cool.”
“If you say so,” Mickey said.
I was pretty sure that if Esther ran the camp next summer, Mickey was not going to have anything to do with it.
As we got to the barn there was Jess and her father with a small, unsquished trailer and next to them stood Sally, true to her word with papers in her hand.
“She sure is persistent,” Mickey said.
“She wants to ruin my life, remember?” I groaned.
I wasn’t entirely sure that Mr. Eastford was going to take the word of a sixteen year old girl but Sally was smarter than that. She’d brought her own father along, a rather chubby man with a kindly face. But he wasn’t looking very kindly at Mr. Eastford as he shoved the papers into his hands.
“This matter has already been brought to the attention of the police,” he said. “Carson is our rightful property and there is nothing you can do about it. You bought a stolen pony. He’s not yours.”
Pony Jumpers (Show Jumping Dreams ~ Book 2) Page 9
