A short time later all eleven horses were waiting inside the riding ring, tied to the fence posts with halters over their bridles. They certainly looked colorful and inviting in there, and she did not fail to notice the many drivers who slowed down on the highway to get a look at them.
Just as she shut the gate to the ring behind her, Alex looked up to see the first car turn into the driveway. "Lance! They're here!"
Fanny went trotting into the yard, barking at the visitors as she always did, but Lance called her back and made her stay close beside him.
"Mrs. Lowe! Welcome to Sandbar Stables!" Alex walked straight over to her as Jonni Lowe and three other people got out of the dark green van.
"Glad to be here," said Jonni in her now-familiar raspy voice. "This is my husband, Ted Lowe," she went on, nodding towards the big man who got out of the driver's seat, "and my cousin, Bobbi Lowe.
"And this," said Jonni, as the other man got out of the van, “is my brother, Lee Ellis."
Lee walked over and held out his hand to Alex. "Pleased to meet you," he said, as they shook hands. "This is quite a nice place you've got here."
"Yes, it is. And I'm so glad you're all here." She walked with all four of them towards the riding ring.
"Nice string you have," Lee commented. "Don't know if Jonni mentioned it, but I actually learned to ride here as a kid."
"Oh, did you! Welcome back."
"I know you haven't been here long. Are you thinking of selling the place?"
Alex almost laughed. "Oh, I've had to think of it, because I've had so many offers! But–"
"I'll make you a very good offer myself. I'd like to have it for sentimental reasons. I knew the Normans, and was sorry to see them go. I'd keep it open as a beach riding concession. I think it deserves to stay."
She smiled at him. "I think it does, too, Mr. Ellis. And thank you for saying so."
Just then, three more cars drove in, one right after the other. Alex hurried over to greet them. Jeanie Turner was there with her older daughter, Mary, who looked about ten. And even before the drivers got out, Alex recognized Stuart Gray's white Lexus and Lisa Bell's little red Ford.
Fanny barked and barked, but ran back to Lance when he ordered her to do so. "Ready to mount up?" Lance said to Alex.
"Almost," she said. "We've got one more. Sue Wood. But I don't see any more cars."
"Well, maybe she changed her mind."
"Oh, I hope not. I'm really hoping she'll have a good time and then persuade her husband that–"
Just then, a movement at the back fence caught her eye. Fanny took off towards the gate that led to the lane, barking loudly. Alex looked up to see a small woman with short brown hair come walking through the gate. "That's her," said Lance.
"Oh, good! Then, yes, let's get everyone mounted up!"
She took the group inside the riding ring, as the horses turned their heads to look at them. "Okay, now, let either me or Mr. Donovan check the saddle girth before you get on to make sure it's tight enough. Mr. Ellis, I know you're experienced, so we'll put you up first. We're giving you Swifty, right there with the English saddle."
"That's fine with me. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was an old racehorse," said Ellis, untying Swifty and leading him into the middle of the ring.
"We think he is! Lance says he's got a lip tattoo."
"He was on the track, then." Ellis swung up, and Alex was glad to see Swifty standing quietly. "Go ahead and get everybody else up. We'll be fine right here."
Alex and Lance went to work getting the rest of the group mounted up. Stuart Gray got Truck, who was big and quiet and needed no guidance to follow the horse in front of him. And she'd given Lady, the blaze-faced chestnut mare with white front stockings, to Lisa Bell.
Alex helped Lisa get on and then walked to the next rider, noticing that Lisa and Stuart seemed to hit it off right away. Well, they were both buyers for hotel chains—they'd have a lot to talk about.
Suddenly Alex wondered if she'd done the right thing by inviting the two of them out on this ride. She may just have given them the perfect opportunity to cook up some kind of scheme that would force her out, and together they would reap the benefits.
She hoped she hadn't just made a terrible mistake.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was too late to stop the ride now, and Alex still had more people waiting to get on their horses.
Sue Wood had seemed very quiet and shy, but took an immediate liking to her horse, Pearl. "Ooh! He's so pretty!" she exclaimed. Pearl was a tall, elegant, cream-colored gelding who was always calm and never got excited over anything.
"Right here, Jeannie," called Alex. "You've got Moonrise." He was a big, slow, black-and-white gelding. "And Mary's got Sunrise."
Mary hurried over to the little chestnut-and-white mare. "Sunrise and Moonrise!" she said, laughing. Then she frowned at Alex. "I'm not going to fall off again, am I?"
"No, no. We won't let that happen. Sunrise will take good care of you."
The last three to get their horses were the Lowe family. The raspy-voiced Jonni, who'd brought Starfish home from her back yard, got Seaweed. He was a short, stocky bay gelding who would follow along quietly. Her husband, Ted, was a big guy who'd never ridden before, so he got the reliable Tank. And his cousin, Miss Bobbi Lowe, said she'd grown up riding horses, so she got the tall, slim, racy-looking Sky.
It was time. Alex untied Ginger from the fence. She was a short stocky mare with a bright red-brown coat, very dependable according to Lance, and wore the other English saddle. Alex swung up and looked out at her group of riders, while Lance stayed on foot in the center of the ring holding Jet.
"Okay, everyone," Alex called, "let's walk a couple of laps in here first to make sure everybody's comfortable, and then we'll be on our way."
All of them slowly got their horses moving, with Alex walking Ginger among them and helping first one rider and then another. "We're only going to be walking the horses on the beach, so if you're comfortable now, you'll be comfortable out there."
Alex watched the group as they walked along inside the ring. All was calm and the riders seemed happy. "Everybody good?" said Alex. "All right, then! Let's go for a beach ride!"
Lance opened the gate of the riding ring and stepped back with Jet, watching closely as the riders filed out one at a time behind Alex.
She guided Ginger across the yard to the back gate, and they all waited again while Lance caught up, still leading Jet, and opened the gate for them.
"Go ahead," Lance said to her. "You take the lead. This is your ride."
He smiled at her and she grinned back. "Follow me!" she called and walked Ginger through the gate and down the wide lane to the beach.
Glancing back, Alex saw Lance lead Jet right next to the fence so he could stand on it and then slide onto the saddle blanket that rested on her back. She already knew that he didn't like to use a saddle, preferring to just throw on a blanket, and so that's how he was riding today.
They turned to the left, riding away from the stables and away from the marina, and started down the seemingly limitless white sand beach. The water was beautiful, as it always was, with its shades of clear green-blue near the shore and a deeper blue farther out. The sunlight glittered on the smooth surface and the seagulls wheeled and called overhead.
"Oh, this is wonderful!" cried Lisa Bell, riding alongside her on Lady. "This is the perfect way to see the beach!"
"It sure is," said Alex, grinning from ear to ear. "You'll get to see it for a mile down, all the way to Lighthouse Point, and then a mile back, and still have enough energy for your own beach fun when you get back!"
All of the horses were behaving very well, even though Alex knew it had been some time since all of them had been out together. Even though she was supposed to be leading, she could not help but keep glancing back over her shoulder.
Lisa Bell and Stuart Gray rode nearest to her, with Lee Ellis and the Lowe family right behind them. Next in lin
e were Jeannie Turner and her daughter Mary, with Sue Wood staying close to them. Following along on the huge black mare was Lance, watching everyone closely, with Fanny sticking right alongside Jet.
As they made their way down the beach, Alex began to relax a little. She noticed that they were attracting quite a lot of attention from other people along the beach, and she saw many folks watching them from the windows of the condos and hotels. Alex waved to them as they walked along.
Even people on jet skis and fishing boats slowed their watercraft to take in the sight of eleven horses—bay, black, chestnut, and pinto—walking together down the white sand beach in the beautiful morning light. Alex waved to them, too, as did some of her other riders.
Just for fun, Alex guided Ginger towards the white edges of the surf, and was delighted when the little red-gold mare was willing to get her feet wet in the water of the Gulf of Mexico. All she could think about was that if she was successful, this kind of thing would be her everyday job.
She could hear Lance talking to one of the riders. "Just sit up nice and straight," he said calmly. "Keep your heels out of her sides, so she doesn't get too fast. Remember, your heels are like the gas pedal on a car. They make the horse speed up."
"Okay," said a shaky little voice. Alex turned around to see little Mary Turner hunched over the saddle and looking nervous. Her mother, Jeannie, watched closely, frowning at Lance and at Sunrise, Mary's horse.
Alex caught Lance's eye, and he just nodded to her. He seemed to think the little girl would be all right, and Alex could see that Sunrise was walking calmly with the rest of the bunch. She sighed and turned around again, keeping an eye out ahead of them.
It was not long before they reached Lighthouse Point. Before she could start to turn around, she heard Lance calling her.
As soon as everyone got their horses stopped, Lance came jogging up to her on Jet. "Remember," he said, raising his voice enough for all of the riders to hear, "we're going to be heading back towards the barn now. It's real important that the horses be kept to a walk, so that they don't get in a rush to get back home. Don't pass anyone up. If you need any help, just holler for me or for Alex. Okay?"
The riders all looked at each other. "Okay," they said. "Okay."
"Good," said Lance. "Everybody turn around slowly, go past me, and keep your horse only at a walk."
The riders did as Lance told them, and in a moment all of the horses were heading towards home just as calmly as they had gone out. Alex was very proud of all of them, and was very pleased to see that the riders were enjoying the trip.
Well, most of them were enjoying it. A glance back showed her that Mary Turner was still hunched forward as Sunrise walked along, clinging to the saddle horn tightly with one hand and gripping the little mare's sides hard with her heels. But Lance was close behind her, and Alex knew that he would help the child if she needed it.
Alex noticed that Sue Wood had moved up closer to the front on the long-legged Pearl. Alex grinned at her. "Having a good time, Sue?"
"Oh, yes, I am! I rode a few times years ago as a kid, but nothing like this!"
"Nothing like a beach ride," said Alex. "I think everyone's enjoying it, and all the horses are behaving very well."
"I just love this horse," Sue went on. "I wasn't sure about it at first, because he's so tall. But he's so pretty, and so smooth!"
"Lance thinks maybe he's a Saddlebred—a show horse," said Alex. "That's where he gets the long legs and the high head carriage. And yes, he's always sweet. He's actually got a nice trot and a very smooth canter, too."
"Wow. I'd love to try that sometime," said Sue, sounding a little surprised at her own daring.
"We're going to be starting the lesson program real soon. If you take lessons, you could learn to walk, trot, and canter on Pearl in the riding ring. I think you'd really enjoy it."
"Oh," Sue breathed, "I don't know–"
Suddenly, from behind them, Jeannie Turner started screaming. Startled, Ginger tossed her head up and started to break into a trot. Alex quickly took up the reins and slowed her down, and then looked over towards the water to see Sunrise trotting quickly past them through the edge of the surf.
Her saddle was empty.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
"Stop! Everybody stop and stand still!" Lance's voice was calm but commanding.
Alex halted Ginger. She twisted around in the saddle and saw that all the other horses had stopped, too, and that Lance had leaped down from Jet and was running towards the water.
But—Sunrise! She twisted back to face the front and saw the little pinto mare trotting rapidly down the beach as though heading for home.
"Lance! What happened?" She could not see him, since he was on the other side of the group of horses.
The peaceful ride had turned into chaos. Sunrise was trotting down the beach all alone. Jeannie was still hollering. "I told you! I told you so! Now look what happened!" To Alex's horror, Fanny took off like a shot after Sunrise.
"Fanny! Sunrise! Come back!" She started to send Ginger after the horse and the dog, but Lance's shout stopped her.
"No! Don't! If you chase her, she'll just run faster! Keep everybody here. She'll turn around in a minute."
Alex quickly steered Ginger over in front of Pearl, over to the edge of the water, and there she saw Mary Turner sitting in the wet sand at the edge of the white surf, crying, while her mother yelled and all the horses moved around nervously.
Lance was at Mary's side. "Alex," he said, "I'll take care of her. Just wait right there."
"But I've got to go catch Sunrise!" Alex cried, her voice shaking. "There are other people out on the beach–"
"Alex, listen to me. Walk Ginger across the beach towards the road. We're still a good ways from the barn. I think Sunrise will come back when she realizes the other horses are staying here and she sees Ginger. Go. Now. Mary's all right."
Alex looked from Sunrise to Mary, momentarily panicked. "Go ahead, Alex," said Lee Ellis. She looked over and saw him sitting on Swifty, holding Jet's reins. "Mary's all right. Just ride across so Sunrise can see you and she'll probably come back."
"Okay." Alex swung Ginger around and urged her away from the group, making her walk out across the sand towards the buildings.
"Sunrise! Hey, Sunrise! Come back here! Come back!"
Alex called out to her, but the little mare continued to trot down the beach with Fanny running after her. No doubt Sunrise had been startled and confused by the sudden disappearance of her rider, and like all horses, her first instinct was to run away from anything strange or frightening.
But just then, Alex got a little unexpected help. Fanny ran around in front of Sunrise and blocked her. The dog adopted a playful pose with tail up and elbows down on the sand. She barked at the horse a couple of times, ran towards her a few steps, and then went elbows-down again.
Sunrise stopped, startled, and looked at the dog. Fanny barked again and ran towards her. This time, Sunrise swung around towards the other horses and broke into a trot.
Fanny ran after her, barking some more and staying close to her heels. Just then, Ginger, who was standing with her head high and ears up, let out a loud whinny to her stablemate. One of the other horses—probably Moonrise—did the same. Sunrise answered and came trotting quickly down the beach.
Alex moved Ginger to intercept the wayward mare, and was able to catch hold of the trailing rein and bring her to a stop. Fanny stayed close, as though she wanted to make sure her target didn't get away again.
"Okay," Alex said, breathing a sigh of relief and guiding both horses over to Lance. "What on earth happened?"
Lance stood at the edge of the surf with Mary, who was on her feet but half-covered with wet sand and still sniffling. "She fell off!" Jeannie yelled. "That horse threw her off!"
Alex looked to Lance. "She was holding on with her heels," he said. "Once we turned around and headed for home, Sunrise finally broke into a trot. Mary bounced off into the edge of t
he water."
"That crazy horse threw her!" Jeannie yelled again. "This whole place should be shut down! This is not the first time my poor little girl fallen off a horse here!"
Lance ignored her and turned to Mary. "Okay," he said, "we've got your horse back for you. Let's get you on so we can go home."
Mary backed away from the little pinto mare. "No! I don't want to get on again! I don't like falling off!"
Lance bent down to Mary's level and smiled gently at her. "Tell you what," he said. "You only fell off because the horse trotted and you weren't expecting it. This time, Alex will lead your horse for you. That way, you can hold on with two hands and Alex can keep her at a walk. Okay?"
Mary looked down the beach, and realized it was a long way back to the stables on foot. "Okay," she whispered, sniffling again.
Lance was able to get Mary boosted up into the saddle again, and this time he gave both reins to Alex. "There you go, Mary," he said, smiling at her. "Now you can relax and enjoy your ride back."
Mary nodded. Jeannie kept on grumbling. The other riders were quiet and kept their horses still, much to Alex's relief. Then Lance led Jet over to a low retaining wall near the buildings and stood up on it so he could slide back onto the very tall mare, and finally they were all heading back to the barn.
Fanny brought up the rear, keeping a close watch on everyone until they were safely home.
***
As the group of riders walked their horses up the lane that led from the beach to the stables, Lance slid down from Jet and opened the gate for them. "Everybody go back inside the ring, and wait for us to help you before you get off."
All the riders did as they were asked, and in a few minutes everyone was safely back on solid ground. Lance and Alex slipped halters back on over the bridles and tied the horses to the fence posts once again.
Most of the group stood around talking about the ride and how much they'd enjoyed it, but Mary and Jeannie were already walking to the gate.
"Mrs. Turner!" Alex called, and hurried over to the two of them. "Mary, I'm so sorry you had a fall. How are you feeling now?"
Small Town Filly (Sandbar Stables Cozy Mystery Book 1) Page 6
