Riding to Win

by Bonnie Bryant

  Carole hurried to his side. “Judy didn’t get here yet, did she?” she called to him breathlessly. “I’m on my way to bring Prancer in right now.”

  “Never mind that,” he said, turning to her. “Judy called. An emergency came up at the other farm, and she probably won’t make it over here today after all. So you might as well leave Prancer out for the moment. She could use the fresh air, and we have plenty of other things to do before it’s time to bring everyone in for the evening feeding.”

  Carole nodded, thinking of the three days—two and a half, really—remaining before the Colesford Horse Show, and the million and one tasks that absolutely, positively had to be done before they loaded up the horses on Saturday morning. “That’s for sure,” she told Max. “So what do you need me to do first?”

  “Sorry that took so long,” Alex said breathlessly, rushing over to the bleachers at the edge of Fenton Hall’s soccer field, where Lisa was perched on the lowest bench. “We were, like, a half hour late getting started because of a student council assembly, and then when it was almost time to quit, Coach decided to have all of us run some extra laps just because a couple of the guys started calling each other names.”

  Lisa tipped her head up to receive his quick kiss, then glanced down at her watch. “That’s okay,” she said. “I didn’t mind waiting. But we probably don’t have time for TD’s now if you want to be home on time.” She couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed that there was so little time left before Alex had to be home. She had been anticipating this date—if you could call it that—all week long.

  She had also hoped they might have enough time to stop by Pine Hollow on their way back home to pay Prancer a quick visit. Lisa had never made it over to the stable the day before. After speaking to her father, she’d been forced to sit for what felt like forever and listen to her mother rant and rave about how she was ruining her life. By the time Mrs. Atwood ran out of steam, it was already getting dark. Besides, after her upsetting conversations with her parents, Lisa wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere.

  Alex collapsed on the bench beside her and peeled off his shin guards. “I think you’re right,” he agreed. “But that’s okay. We can still hang out for a few minutes right here if you want.”

  Lisa smiled at him. “I want.”

  “Good.” Alex grinned at her, then leaned over for another kiss.

  After a moment or two Lisa gently pushed him away. “Enough,” she said. “We don’t have much time, and I want to hear what’s new with you. Have your parents decided how long you’re grounded for yet?”

  “Nope. They still won’t say. So basically, the only thing new with me is the calluses on my hands from shoving that stupid vacuum all over the house. What’s new with you?” Alex grabbed her arm and squeezed it fondly. “I can’t believe I haven’t even talked to you since the weekend.”

  Lisa had a hard time believing that herself. It seemed like she spent a whole lot more time figuring out when she might be able to see her boyfriend these days than she did actually seeing him. It was a good thing she saw Stevie at the stable, or she might not even know Alex’s soccer schedule. “Well, I guess my only major news is that I told Mom about my college plans the other night like I planned.” Lisa shook her head grimly as she remembered that conversation and the one that had followed. “She didn’t take it very well. Neither did Dad, actually.”

  “Really? What did they say?”

  Lisa sighed and leaned against his shoulder, appreciating the feeling of his warm body through his T-shirt. “Let’s see, where do I start?” She slipped her arm around his waist, not minding that his shirt was slightly damp with sweat. “They said I should have talked to them before I mailed back that form. That I made my decision too fast and for all the wrong reasons. And basically, that I’m doomed to a life of poverty and woe.”

  She expected Alex to leap to her defense and try to make her feel better. Instead he was quiet for a few seconds. “Well, obviously that poverty-and-woe one is bogus,” he said at last. “But I guess maybe you can’t totally blame them for the other stuff.”

  Surprised, Lisa turned and looked into his face, searching his eyes with her own. “What are you saying?” she asked tentatively. “You almost sound like you agree with them.”

  Alex shrugged, looking troubled. “I don’t know, Lisa,” he said. “At first I thought this whole idea of yours was totally great. I mean, I love the idea that we could still see each other every weekend.” He took one of her hands in both of his own, stroking her palm with his thumbs. “But maybe it wouldn’t have hurt for you to have waited a little longer to make up your mind. You know, checked out some of those other schools you were thinking about a little more. Talked this whole business over with your parents or whoever.”

  Lisa couldn’t believe her ears. “What is this?” she exclaimed, yanking her hand away. “I can’t believe you don’t think I’m capable of making this decision, either!”

  “It’s not that,” Alex insisted quickly. “It’s just, this could affect your whole life, you know? I’d hate to end up feeling responsible if later on you decide you made the wrong choice.”

  “What are you talking about? Why would you feel responsible?”

  “You know.” Alex blinked at her, still looking worried. “If you chose NVU because of our relationship.”

  “Is that really what you think?” Lisa cried. “You think you’re the whole reason—the only reason—I decided to go there?”

  Alex held up his hands. “I’m just saying—”

  “I know what you’re saying,” Lisa said defensively. “You’re saying the same thing Mom and Dad said. That I made a stupid decision for a stupid reason. Well, guess what? I’m not as stupid as you all seem to think. I put a lot of thought into this, and I took a lot of things into consideration. Even some things that didn’t have anything at all to do with you.”

  She jumped up and stormed toward the parking lot before he could answer. I never would have thought Alex would turn against me, too, she thought. But it doesn’t matter. It’s my life, and I’m the only one who can decide what’s right for me. Why can’t anyone understand that?

  Seven

  When Callie arrived at Patch’s stall at a few minutes after four, she found Max standing there, staring thoughtfully at the pinto gelding. Patch stared back placidly, his jaws moving steadily as he chewed a mouthful of hay.

  “Hi,” Callie greeted Max. “Is it okay if I take Patch out? I promised Maxi I’d go for a ride with her today. I thought we could ride around the back paddock if it’s free.”

  “The paddock’s free as far as I know. But you’d better not take out Patch,” Max said thoughtfully. “It looks like he may have bruised his sole slightly when Justine took him out on the trail today. I want Judy to take a look before anyone else rides him.”

  “Oh.” Callie was disappointed. “Well, that’s okay. I can help Maxi on foot, like I did last time.”

  “I have a better idea.” Max gave Callie an appraising look. “What would you think of taking out Windsor instead?”

  Callie brightened and shot Max a quick glance to assure herself that he was serious. Windsor was a calm, well-mannered school horse. He wasn’t exactly a bucking bronco or even the kind of spirited, headstrong horse that Callie had been accustomed to riding before her accident, but at least he was a little more lively than steady old Patch. “Sure,” she told Max eagerly. “I think I’m up for that.” She was pleased that Max thought she was ready to take on a new challenge. She had noticed him stopping by to watch her therapeutic riding sessions lately. And she knew that her strength and control were really improving these days—she could almost feel her body regaining more of its misplaced abilities with every passing day. It was nice to know that someone else had noticed how much she was progressing.

  Callie hurried to Windsor’s stall and soon had the big bay gelding tacked up. A few minutes later she was in the secluded back paddock with Maxi, who was mounted on Krona. The littl
e girl’s mood was even more ebullient than usual, and Callie couldn’t help being pleased and slightly flattered to think that it probably had something to do with their riding date. Callie had mostly agreed to spend time with Maxi that day because she’d thought it would be a nice thing to do for Max and Deborah, as well as a nice change of pace in her own riding. But now she realized she was glad to see Maxi for her own sake, too.

  “Ready to ride?” Callie asked Maxi cheerfully.

  “Ready, Freddie!” Maxi replied with a giggle. “What are we going to do today?”

  Callie paused to think about that for a moment, keeping a steady hand on Windsor’s reins. The gelding hadn’t given her any trouble so far, and Callie planned to keep it that way. Windsor was a popular Pine Hollow school horse because of his good manners, his impressive size, and his calm personality. But he could be stubborn sometimes, putting him off-limits to beginning riders. Callie was no beginner, though, and she knew she could handle him. Windsor seemed to know it, too. He stood quietly, flicking his ears back and forth and awaiting orders.

  “How about this?” Callie said to Maxi. “We could practice turning first. How does that sound? Do you know the right way to get your pony to turn when you want him to?”

  Maxi nodded eagerly. “First I’m supposed to look the way I want Krona to go,” she said. “Then I turn myself a little bit, like this.” She demonstrated, causing Krona to swing his head to the side. “And I slide my outside leg back and, um, loosen the other hand. Right?”

  Callie nodded, satisfied with the answer. She’d known that Maxi knew how to turn, but she knew that it was good to repeat early lessons a lot, especially with such a young student. Callie remembered her own riding instructor teaching her the same sorts of things back when she was just a couple of years older than Maxi.

  They went on to other lessons, and Callie found herself having even more fun than she’d had on Sunday. She also found herself impressed, just as she’d been then, with how well the little girl rode. Most kids didn’t have the coordination, physical or mental, to start riding until they were seven or so. But at age five, Maxi already had a better seat than a lot of the intermediate riders at Pine Hollow. Her arms were relaxed but steady, and her feet in their tiny boots were positioned correctly in the stirrups. True, she could be impulsive and sometimes careless, but that was only to be expected when you considered a five-year-old’s limited attention span.

  If she keeps it up, she’s going to be incredible when she gets a little older, Callie thought, admiring Maxi’s control as she asked Krona to start walking, then stop, then start again. The shaggy little pony obeyed every command without protest. I guess that’s to be expected from Max’s kid.

  Half an hour later they were still at it. It was partly cloudy—the storm system that had dumped all that rain on them earlier in the week still hadn’t completely cleared out—but it was mild for November, and Callie was having a good time being outside and an even better time riding Windsor. The bay gelding was a good two hands taller than Patch, giving Callie a new perspective on the world. He was reliable and usually sedate as long as his rider stayed in control, but he wasn’t a push-button horse like Patch. Callie knew she couldn’t afford to ignore him, and she was enjoying the feeling of really riding again rather than just going for a ride.

  “Okay, Maxi,” she called. “Let’s do some gait changes now. I’ll call out a gait, then you count to three and then ask Krona for that gait. Okay?”

  A few minutes later, Callie had just called for a halt and then a trot when she heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw George entering the paddock on his horse, a sleek, talented Trakehner mare named Joyride.

  “Hold on a second, Maxi,” Callie called, feeling a flash of annoyance as she realized that George was riding straight toward them. “Keep him at a halt, okay?”

  “Callie!” George exclaimed, beaming as he urged Joyride toward the paddock gate. “What are you doing here? I didn’t even know you were at the stable.”

  Callie glanced at Maxi, who had pulled Krona up and turned to see who was coming. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she caught the little girl wrinkling her nose in distaste before returning her attention to her pony.

  “Uh, hi, George,” Callie said. “Maxi and I were just taking a ride. What are you doing here?”

  George grinned. “Oh, I just happened to be in the neighborhood. When I saw you out here, I figured I’d stop in and say hi.” Taking both reins in one hand, he lifted the other and waggled his fingers in her direction. “Hi!”

  With some effort, Callie held back a snort. George could be pretty nerdy sometimes. “Okay then,” she said lightly. “Um, was there anything else? Because I’m a little busy right now, you know.…” She gestured toward Maxi.

  George barely glanced at the girl and pony across the paddock. “So how’s the therapeutic riding going? Do the doctors know when you’re going to be able to get rid of your crutches?”

  Which part of “I’m busy” didn’t he understand? Callie wondered. She opened her mouth to repeat herself, but Maxi spoke before she could.

  “Callie!” the little girl called sharply. “Aren’t you going to watch me trot now?”

  George started, and Joyride skittered away from the sound of the little girl’s shrill voice. George had to remain silent for a moment and return his full attention to his mount, talking to her and using all his aids to remind her that he was in charge. It only took a few seconds for him to bring her back under control, but once the mare was standing quietly again, her rider looked flushed and a little sheepish.

  “Sorry about that,” George said. “She’s feeling pretty fresh today.”

  “Looks like she could use some exercise,” Callie said, trying to sound tactful. “Maybe you ought to take her for a good long hack. You don’t want her to get too tight so close to a big show.”

  “Good idea.” Still George lingered, keeping Joyride standing under a tight rein, even though it was clear that the athletic mare was bursting to get moving.

  Callie wasn’t sure what George was expecting her to say or do next. He just sat there smiling brightly at her. She didn’t want to say anything in front of Maxi, but she was starting to feel irritated with his behavior. Friends weren’t supposed to make other friends feel awkward and impatient whenever they turned up, were they? “So did you want something else?” she asked him after a long moment of silence.

  George shrugged and smiled. “Nope. Like I said, I just happened to be riding by. When I saw you, I figured I’d stop by and say hi.”

  “Okay.” Callie said briskly. “Well, I guess you probably need to get back to work, huh? So I’ll see you later.” She urged Windsor into a turn and rode over to Maxi without waiting for an answer. After carefully keeping her eyes on the little girl for a few minutes, Callie finally risked a glance over her shoulder. She was just in time to see George riding away.

  Whew, she thought ruefully, feeling relieved. That was kind of bizarre. If this keeps up, I may have to speak to George again about the meaning of “just friends.”

  Forty minutes later, Callie was emerging from Windsor’s stall after giving him a good grooming when Red O’Malley called to her from farther down the aisle. “Did George find you?” the stable hand asked, hurrying toward her with a water bucket in each hand.

  “What?” Callie asked, not understanding for a moment. Why was George looking for her now?

  Red looked distracted. “George Wheeler. He was looking for you earlier. Seemed pretty important. So I told him I thought you were out back with Maxi. Did he find you?”

  Then Callie understood. Right. Just in the neighborhood, huh? she thought.

  “Yeah,” she told Red, carefully keeping her voice calm. “He found me.”

  That settles it, Callie told herself as Red nodded and hurried on his way. I’ve got to say something to George. Make it clear to him exactly what this “just friends” business is all about. She nodded to her
self firmly. I’ll talk to him tomorrow at school.

  “What’s with you?” Stevie asked her twin as he slammed the dishwasher door shut a little harder than necessary. “You’ve been looking like the grinch who stole Willow Creek ever since you got home from soccer.” She and Alex had been cleaning up the kitchen since dinner had ended ten minutes earlier, and so far Alex had barely said a word.

  Alex shot her a sour glance. “Oh yeah?” he said. “Well, I’m glad you noticed. Because it’s your fault.”

  “What is?”

  “Lisa’s mad at me.” Alex shrugged. “She came to hang out after practice today, and we ended up getting into a fight about that whole college thing.”

  Stevie grabbed a dishrag and started wiping crumbs off the kitchen table, casting her brother a curious glance at the same time. “What do you mean? What did you fight about? I thought you loved the whole idea of her going to school so close by.”

  “I was thinking about what you said,” he muttered. “You know, about how I might be partly responsible for pushing her toward NVU?”

  “Yeah?” Stevie said. “You didn’t say anything to her, did you? I told you it wouldn’t do any good.”

  Alex turned the knob to start the dishwasher cycle, then leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at Stevie. “Well, I couldn’t just let her ruin her life because of me,” he retorted. “I had to say something. I mean, she’s always saying she wants us to be completely honest with each other, right?”

  “I guess.” Stevie finished wiping the table and tossed the rag toward the sink. “So what happened?”

  Alex blew out a sigh of frustration. “What happened is she jumped all over me as soon as I tried to tell her what I was worried about. Said I was just like her parents and that I think she’s stupid or something; then she ran off without even giving me a chance to say anything else. So much for total honesty, huh?”