Wild Hearts

by Jessica Burkhart

  “You’ve got to start advertising now,” Dad said. “Is this flyer okay?”

  “It’s perfect! When did you do this?”

  “I’ve been working on it for a couple of days. I told you I’d help, so here’s the first step.”

  “This is great, Dad. Thanks.” I hugged him.

  “No matter what people say, I want to do this,” he said, going back to his computer.

  “What’re you talking about?” I put down the flyer and sank into the couch.

  “Some of the guys hear things when they’re at the diner or bars,” Dad said. “I guess, according to some people, if I help my daughter at all during your fundraiser, I’m doing it for my image.”

  “I’m sorry, Dad,” I said. “That’s not fair.”

  “I don’t care what those people think because they aren’t important to me. You are. I care what you think. What you think of me as your dad.”

  “I think you’re doing okay,” I said, my voice soft.

  The trailer was quiet except for the whirr of the printer. Dad cleared his throat.

  “Did you or Logan start a press release yet?” he asked.

  Reaching into my book bag, I pulled out my spiral notebook. “I tried, but the library books on publicity were confusing.”

  “Then let’s do it now.” He motioned me over to the computer and I pulled up an empty chair.

  Dad reached for his phone and dialed Mom. “Hey, hon, Brie and I are working on her horse project. Want to come over? Good. See you in a few minutes.”

  Dad and I were sitting in his office working on my project. That was a first. Mom pulled up a few minutes later and we studied the marketing books. We munched on Chex Mix and downed some of the Red Bulls in Dad’s mini-fridge. The countdown to the event was on!

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

  A man on foot is not a man at all.

  The next day, I straightened an already straight pillow on the couch. I was alone in the house and Mom and Dad were on their way back from the airport with Kate. I was so excited to see her that I was going stir crazy!

  Tires crunched on gravel. Doors slammed and I ran from the living room and skidded to the front door.

  I reached for the handle just as it started to open.

  “Hi!”

  “Kate!” I squealed. I threw my arms around her California-tanned body.

  “Brie!” She grabbed my wrists and held me at arm’s length. “You look great!”

  Kate took my hand and twirled me in a circle. We laughed and squeezed hands. When she spun me back around to face her, I realized she’d changed, too. Her hair was a soft shade of honey blond, and blue contacts made her once-green eyes pop against her tan skin.

  “Both my girls look beautiful,” Mom said, her smile stretching across her face. She motioned for Dad to follow her with Kate’s bags and I slung my arm across my sister’s waist. Kate was wearing low-slung jeans and a preppy, but pretty, sparkly white sweater.

  “You have the boyfriend glow,” Kate said, bumping me playfully with her hip. “You’re going to share every little detail. I’m the press—I have to know!”

  Laughing, I led her toward the guest room. “I’ll tell you later,” I said. “It’ll take a while.”

  “I bet,” she said, quieting down as we neared the bedroom door. Mom busily directed Dad where to put Kate’s bags and I had a vision of her turning down the bed and placing a mint on Kate’s pillow. Mom loved it when we were all together. It was a rare occurrence these days when we weren’t separated from my older sister. We were a family again and Lost Springs was home.

  It didn’t take long to get Kate settled. She wasn’t an LA drama queen about her clothing—she was photographed in tabloids and said to have amazing taste in clothes. Kate never told her secret, though. She shopped only at thrift stores and went outside of Hollywood to a Goodwill store, where she bought designer pants for $2.99. Kate always kept an eye out for photography things, purses, and candles, for Mom and me.

  With Mom and Dad safely out of hearing distance, she pulled me onto her bed and the sisterly chat-fest began. She knew bits and pieces about Logan and the mustangs from what I’d told her on the phone, but telling her in person was so much more fun.

  “How did this happen?” Kate asked. “I live in LA and can’t find a decent guy. You move here and find a cowboy!”

  Laughing, we shifted on the bed. “You’ll find one,” I said. “Wait till a big celeb stops by the set and try to snag him.”

  “Oh, yeah, right,” Kate said, rolling her eyes. “I tried to flirt with Collin Chang last month and he completely blew me off. Actors.” Kate shook her head, then sat up super-straight. She looked at me sideways.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Something,” she said. “What haven’t you told me?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  Kate stared at me.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, laughing.

  “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”

  “Oh, my God! How did you—”

  “It’s a gift,” Kate said, smiling. She rubbed my arm. “He feels the same way?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, he does.”

  Kate was always able to do that. She could be goofy one minute and serious and big-sisterly the next. Sometimes I forgot she was eight years older than me, but when she acted like this, it reminded me I could tell her anything and she’d give me good advice.

  “Love is a big, scary, wonderful thing,” Kate said as she stretched her legs onto the sage-green bedspread. “You can always talk to me anytime.”

  I grinned. “Oh, I know. I’ll tell you more later.”

  “Deal!” Kate shook my hand and laughed. “Anyway, what press do you have for the event?”

  I counted them off on my fingers. “We’ve got the local paper and radio. Maybe the Lost Springs TV station will cover it, if we’re lucky. The radio is a one-man gig run out of some guy’s basement, but at least it’s something.”

  Kate nodded and ran her fingers through her long hair. “You’re almost like a new sister.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The old Brie didn’t have the sparkle the new Brie has. You always went along with whatever Mom or Dad did and never had your own thing. I’ve never seen you care about something like this before.”

  So she did notice. I’d noticed the change, too. After months of being around Logan and being here, I’d finally found something I cared about. Maybe I’d always been a closet horse person.

  “It’s different,” I said, taking a Sephora lip gloss from her purse and opening it. “I’m not doing photography like Mom or business like Dad.”

  “I’m proud of you,” Kate said. “I ran off to Hollywood to cover celebs with road rage and you’re saving horses. How bad does that make me look?”

  “Please,” I scoffed. “You’d still be Mom’s favorite if you raged with them. She loves you.”

  Kate grinned and pulled a box out of her closet. “She’ll love me more once I give her this kick-ass camera bag. It’s from the new Dooney & Bourke line for the working woman.”

  “It’s gorgeous!” Carefully, I took the bag and turned it over in my hand. The pliable bag was a glossy black with Dooney & Bourke’s signature logo emblazoned on the side.

  “After we finish our Carter-Brooks reunion, you’re taking me to meet Logan and see the horses, right?”

  “Promise,” I said.

  “Dinner, girls!” Mom called from downstairs. Kate and I eyed each other and leaped to our feet, tearing off down the hallway to be the first one in the kitchen, like we had done when we were kids. It felt good to be a family.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

  Never work for a man with electricity in his barn. You’ll be up all night.

  Because Kate had absolutely refused to bike to Pam’s in the heat, she’d borrowed the Explorer and was driving us there. While we had been getting ready to leave, Kate had reminded me that we needed to leave at least half an
hour early to “beat traffic.” Her brain was still stuck in LA. The only traffic here that could delay us pretty much fell to tractors.

  I rubbed my eyes, still a little sleepy. Kate and I had been up most of the night talking until we had passed out. Kate had wanted to know everything about Logan. I worried, at first, about boring her. But she assured me that if she was over boy talk, she would tell me. She was the perfect big sister—telling her had been so much fun. I was glad I’d saved so much about Logan for her visit, because talking over the phone wouldn’t have been half as fun.

  I shifted my eyes to my sister, then back to the road. I ran my hands down the royal-purple fitted tank top Kate had insisted I wear. The front was covered in rows of small purple sequins. She had ignored my protests that dressing up for the barn was insane. I hadn’t been able to stop her from wearing a navy blue dress with teensy polka dots and a Peter Pan collar.

  I’d gone to Mom and Dad, like I was ten, complaining that we hadn’t left yet because Kate was putting “beachy waves” in her hair. They had seemed amused and told me to just go with the flow.

  “What’s the bag for?” I asked, peering into the backseat as we headed for Pam’s.

  Kate shook her head and kept her eyes on the road. I’d never noticed how many potholes there were. “You’ll see. It’s a surprise.”

  “I’ve heard that before,” I said. “It won’t scare the horses, will it?”

  She rolled her eyes and guided the SUV into Pam’s driveway. “Don’t worry so much. Just chill.”

  “Fine,” I grumbled, getting out of the car and trying to make it to the backseat before she did. Triumphantly, she snatched the bag away from my fingers and she bounced up and down as we headed for the barn.

  We stepped inside and found Logan bent over one of the colt’s hooves, studying the work Jack’s friend had done a few days ago. We’d decided not to shoe them, but to trim their hooves instead. The shoes would have been too much of an adjustment for some of the older horses, since they’d never been shod.

  “Hey,” he said, his head popping up from the opposite site of the gray horse as soon as he saw us. “You must be Kate.”

  “Yep, and you better be the guy dating my sister, because you’re gorgeous.”

  “Kate!” I shouted, jabbing her in the ribs. Logan blushed from his neck to his ears and he cleared his throat before turning his attention back to the horse.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said, his face hidden by the gray horse’s shoulder.

  I stayed on the opposite side of the gray. I felt so dumb in the middle of the barn in my sparkly shirt.

  Logan reappeared, head cocked. He crossed his arms and let them rest on the gray’s back.

  “Is this going to be a thing from now on?” he asked. “Do we have to dress up every day before we come here?”

  “Shut up,” I said, rolling my eyes and trying not to grin.

  “I doubt that you really want me to ‘shut up,’ since I was going to say that you look beautiful.”

  I shook my head. “Thank you. I didn’t want to wear this top—it’s new and Kate got it for me and it’s totally fancy. But she insisted that I had to wear it or she wasn’t coming.”

  “Funny,” Logan said, starting around the hindquarters of the horse and coming toward me. “Kate dictated half my wardrobe this morning, too.”

  He stepped into full view. He shrugged off a Carhartt jacket, revealing a black polo. Logan took off his cowboy hat, and underneath, his usually tousled hair was combed neatly.

  “What?” I shook my head. “Logan, you look amazing. I was wondering why you had on a jacket when it’s so hot outside. But what is going on? Kate!”

  Kate slowly made her way toward us. She peered into the stalls and nodded at the fresh paint, recently swept floors, and cleaned-up aisles that Logan, Amy, and I had done to get ready for the event. “Now,” she said, her voice carrying down the long aisle. “I’ll need to lead a horse, Logan, you can shoot, and I’ll interview Brie.” She clasped her hands together. “We all look so great! Aren’t you glad that I told you to dress up?” Kate looked at me, smiling.

  “Interview?” I asked.

  Kate jangled the mystery bag and set it on top of a trunk near us. “I don’t get to see you a lot, Brie. You’re my sister and I want to do something nice for you. First, I want to shoot a segment directed at Star Access. Then we’ll start over and shoot a few minutes of footage about your event. I’ll overnight the tapes to a friend of mine who will submit them to local and statewide news channels as well as a few national shows.”

  LA smog had ruined my sister’s brain.

  “Kate.” I talked as if she were a little kid. “Access won’t care about a teensy event like this. It probably won’t even make the local news. We don’t have celebrities.”

  Kate ignored me and continued to lay out the equipment. “No, but with me anchoring the pieces, you’ll get attention. I’m not enough, of course, so that’s why we’re going to amp up the drama and make this an emotional segment.”

  Logan and I shot glances back and forth and he shrugged. “We are already dressed and here.”

  Kate’s determined face told me I wouldn’t be able to argue with her. She already had Logan’s attention with her video camera and sound equipment.

  “Logan’s going to shoot it,” she said, placing the camera in his hands. He held the camera with outstretched arms as if he were afraid of breaking it. “Don’t drop that, because I had to beg the camera operator to borrow it and he’ll be so fired if something happens to it.” Kate looked at the camera, pressed a button, and an orange light started blinking. “Okay, so here’s what to do,” Kate told Logan.

  While they worked together, I caught Frogger and brought the colt inside to groom him before he went on camera. I swapped the dusty brown halter on his head for a bright blue one. He stamped a front leg, scattering flies.

  “Aw, poor guy,” I said. I bent down and rummaged through the trunk of grooming supplies. “Here we go!” I sprayed the colt with fly spray, then continued to groom him.

  It took Kate less than fifteen minutes to get Logan used to the camera, teach him how to operate it, and select a location for the shoot. She picked the opening of the barn, with the gorgeous field and backdrop of the mountains in view if we left the big sliding door open.

  She practiced a couple of questions with me and the more she asked, the more I realized she wasn’t trying to make it into a glitzy over-dramatic Hollywood piece. She was trying to get the word out about our event, and Kate always knew what to say to get attention.

  I showed her how to lead Frogger and it felt like my chest puffed out with pride as I watched the horse that I’d trained with Logan follow my sister like a giant, gentle dog.

  “Ready?” Kate called to Logan.

  I jogged a few yards back so I was out of the way.

  “Ready,” Logan said.

  “Count it down,” Kate said, stroking Frogger’s neck.

  “Five, four, three, two, one . . . ,” Logan said, nodding at Kate at the “one.”

  “Wild, neglected horses, two teens who love them, and a race against the clock. Welcome to Star Access; I’m Kate Carter.”

  I stood back and watched Kate in action. She spun the story in a Hollywood-esque way that pleaded for national media attention for our cause. Kate asked me to lead Frogger in a circle, then come next to her for a few questions.

  “What’s your goal for this event, Brie?” Kate asked.

  “To raise money so that we’re able to ready adoptable horses for homes next summer and care for horses that will call our property their forever home. We would be incredibly grateful for any help.”

  Kate addressed the camera again. “So, there you have it. Come join us on July twenty-ninth, and save a horse!” Kate gave the event information again and signed off.

  With a satisfied grin, Kate nodded to Logan to turn off the camera.

  “Now,” Kate said. “No guarantees the tape will ever m
ake it on air, especially since it’s not typical Access material, but we’ve definitely got a shot with the local stations.”

  Logan thanked Kate and helped her pack up the equipment. Kate promised to have someone edit the tape and send it out.

  “Thank you,” I said, wrapping my arms around her in a tight hug. “This was the best present.”

  Kate hugged me back. “It’ll be even better when we get media here. Can I take you guys out for brunch?”

  “That would be great,” I said.

  Logan nodded in agreement. “Let me turn this guy out.” He took Frogger outside to the pasture.

  Kate flashed me a grin. “You better keep this guy.”

  If only she knew how much I wanted to, and how afraid I was it wouldn’t happen.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

  If you’re in this business to make money, you better have your head examined.

  Kate’s visit and planning for the fundraiser gave me little time for anything else. Mom and Dad spent some solo time with Kate while I did work for the event. I wanted to spend more time with Kate, but every free second was needed to figure out last-minute fundraiser details.

  The local media had latched on to Kate’s tape, and we were lined up for TV, radio, and newspaper interviews. Logan, pulling me aside last night, had confessed he was somewhat camera shy, and had asked if I wouldn’t mind doing the interviews. It was adorable that he was shy in front of cameras. I’d told him I didn’t mind doing the TV stuff.

  Kate left for LA on the red-eye last night and it had been hard to see her go.

  “You’ll visit again soon, right?” I asked.

  “Wherever you are, you know I’ll come,” she said, kissing me on the cheek and waving good-bye as Mom and Dad drove her to the airport.