Starting Gate

by Bonnie Bryant

  “The Saddle Club should do great,” said Carole. “I just hope Veronica cooperates.”

  “She probably won’t, but what else is new?” Stevie grinned as the waitress handed her a bowl of pastel-colored ice cream covered with dark brown sauce, white goo, bright green chips, and the promised red cherry.

  “I just hope we haven’t forgotten anything,” said Lisa as she took a swallow of chocolate malt.

  “Did you get suntan lotion for the wonderful tan you’ll get?” asked Carole.

  Lisa nodded. “My mother already packed it.”

  “Did you get an autograph book for the thousands of movie stars we’ll see?” asked Stevie.

  Lisa nodded again. “I’m bringing something even more wonderful than that.”

  “What?” Stevie and Carole asked together.

  “I’ve got Skye Ransom’s phone number. I read in a fan magazine that he’s filming a movie about racehorses. Maybe when he’s not shooting, he can come and watch us compete.”

  “Wow,” said Stevie. “That would be great. We haven’t seen Skye in a long time.”

  “Maybe we could go visit him when we’re not competing, too,” said Carole. “It would be fun to be on a movie set with him again.”

  “I think this is going to be one of our greatest trips of all time!” said Stevie.

  “Me too,” agreed Carole. “I only hope our horses enjoy it half as much as we will!”

  “LOOK DOWN THERE, Stevie!” Carole teased. “It looks like Darrell and our horses!”

  Stevie shifted little Maxi Regnery to her left knee and leaned across Carole’s seat. Thousands of feet below them, on a thin gray ribbon of highway, Stevie saw what looked like a bright red horse trailer, crawling along like an ant.

  “You really think so?” Stevie lifted one eyebrow in curiosity.

  “No.” Carole laughed and shook her head. “Even if Darrell were the best horse driver in the world, I don’t think he could possibly have driven our horses this far west.”

  “Yeah, Stevie,” said Lisa from the aisle seat. “We’ve already begun our descent to L.A. Darrell’s probably still trying to figure out how to get to Richmond.”

  “Don’t say that, you guys!” Stevie cried. “If our horses don’t show up, then this whole trip will be a total waste!”

  “Calm down, Stevie,” said Carole. “We’re just kidding. Mrs. Reg assured us that Darrell would turn the truck over to a more experienced driver in Richmond. Our horses are probably rolling through Arkansas right now, munching hay and listening to Mozart.”

  “Yeeoowww!” Stevie jumped as Maxi chomped down on one of her fingers. “And little Maxi is up here, munching on me!”

  “Sorry, Stevie.” Deborah Regnery leaned up from the seat behind Stevie, where she was sitting. She clapped her hands and held out her arms for Maxi. “I should have warned you—she’s cutting teeth and chewing on everything. I’ll buckle her into her seat now.”

  “No problem.” Stevie laughed, rubbing the four small tooth marks on her finger. “Just as long as she doesn’t act like Belle and mistake me for a carrot!”

  The plane gave a small lurch, and the pilot’s voice came over the intercom. “Ladies and gentlemen, please keep your seat belts fastened for our final approach to Los Angeles International Airport. We should be landing in approximately fifteen minutes. Currently, the weather in Los Angeles is clear and seventy-eight degrees. We’ve enjoyed having you on this flight, and hope you’ll fly with us again soon.”

  “California, here we come!” Stevie grinned at her friends as they all tightened their seat belts and prepared to land.

  A little while later all seven of them hurried through the huge Los Angeles airport, trying to get to the right baggage carousel. Max had Maxi in a carrier on his back, and the little girl’s eyes popped at the activity swirling around them. All sorts of people hurried past—bearded men in turbans, three women dressed in bright yellow saris, two men wearing black cowboy hats and carrying big guitar cases. Lots of different languages and accents floated through the air.

  “This is nuts,” whispered Stevie as a man carrying a big silver vulture-shaped kite almost ran into a flight attendant.

  “No.” Carole laughed. “This is California. Keep your eyes peeled. We might see somebody famous.”

  Peering curiously at everyone who wore sunglasses, they hurried down a long corridor until Max pointed them to the carousel where their luggage would be unloaded.

  “Whew!” gasped Deborah, taking Maxi in her arms. “That was quite a stroll.”

  “You got that right.” Max checked his boarding pass to make sure they were in the correct place. “How many bags are we waiting for?”

  “One for me,” said Stevie.

  “One for each of us,” added Lisa and Carole.

  “I’ve got three,” replied Veronica, carelessly shrugging her shoulders.

  “Well, we may as well make ourselves comfortable.” Max sighed. “This will probably take a while.”

  The girls sat down and waited for their luggage to roll onto the carousel. “Let’s make some plans,” said Lisa, leaning back in her seat. “Today is Tuesday. We’ve got two whole days to enjoy California before the horses get here. What should we do?”

  “We could go and watch some of the other events at the rally.” Carole glanced at her watch. “It started fifteen minutes ago.”

  “That would be fun,” agreed Stevie. “But we’ll be spending most of the weekend there already. It might be cool to do some other California-type things until the horses get here.”

  “Like go to Disneyland?” asked Lisa, waving back at Maxi, who was playing peekaboo from her mother’s arms.

  “Yes. And Knott’s Berry Farm,” Stevie suggested. “Both those places are lots of fun.”

  “And don’t forget the La Brea Tar Pits,” added Carole.

  “Oh, who would possibly want to see a bunch of old fossils when you can go shopping?” sneered Veronica. “My mother told me there are some wonderful new shops on Rodeo Drive.”

  “I don’t think my budget will allow shopping on Rodeo Drive,” Lisa answered with a sigh.

  “Mine won’t, either,” said Stevie. “Anyway, shopping sounds like a waste of perfectly good California sunshine.”

  “Look!” Carole cried, her brown eyes wide. “Do you see what I see?” She pointed to the other side of the baggage carousel, where a tall, white-haired man in a blue blazer was holding a sign that had THE SADDLE CLUB printed on it in bright red letters.

  Stevie shook her head. “I must be having an attack of jet lag. I could almost swear that says ‘The Saddle Club.’ ”

  Lisa looked at the sign. “It does say ‘The Saddle Club.’ I just had my eyes checked last month, and my vision’s twenty-twenty.”

  Stevie looked at her friends. “Do you think Skye could have found out when our plane was landing and sent someone to meet us?”

  Carole shrugged, but Lisa giggled. “I think all he had to do was read the e-mail I sent him!”

  “Lisa!” Carole cried. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “I don’t know.” Lisa grinned. “I guess I wanted it to be a surprise. Also, I wasn’t sure how often Skye checked his e-mail when he’s making a movie.”

  “Well, go over and tell that guy we’re The Saddle Club,” Stevie said. “Who knows what Skye might have in mind?”

  “Okay.” Lisa left her purse with Stevie and Carole and walked over to the dignified-looking man. They chatted for a few minutes, then they both walked back to the baggage carousel.

  “Everybody, this is Stephan,” said Lisa. “Skye’s chauffeur.”

  “How do you do.” Stephan smiled at the girls and shook hands with Max and Deborah. “I have strict orders from Mr. Ransom that I am to drive you all to your hotel.”

  “No kidding?” Pleasantly surprised, Max looked at the girls.

  “That’s correct.” Stephan smiled again and handed Lisa a sheet of monogrammed Skye Ransom stationery. “In fact, Mr.
Ransom insists that you call him as soon as you get your riding jackets hung up. That’s the way he put it.”

  Lisa looked at the phone number written on the piece of paper. “Cool. Is this where he’s making his new movie?”

  Stephan nodded. “That number connects you with Mr. Ransom’s private trailer.” He stopped speaking and looked over as the first suitcases began to appear on the carousel. “I believe your luggage may have arrived.”

  The girls jumped up and ran over to the carousel. A few moments later they all met up again, each carrying one suitcase, except for Veronica, who was struggling with two large bags. Stephan wrestled with her third one, a boxy thing that could have held a small piano.

  “Is this everything?” Stephan asked, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

  “That’s all my things,” Veronica said archly.

  “Well.” Stephan tried to smile as he lugged Veronica’s bag toward the door. “Right this way, then.”

  They followed Stephan out into the warm California sunshine to a special reserved parking area close to the terminal entrance. At the far end of a line of cars stood a huge black limousine. Stephan led them to it, then with a click of a single button on his key ring, all four doors and the trunk opened at once.

  “Wow!” cried Stevie as she peered into the huge car. It had dark blue sofas instead of seats, a TV, and a midget refrigerator fully stocked with fruit juice, sodas, and fancy bottled water. “This car is bigger than my room back home!”

  Stephan grinned. “Mr. Ransom instructed me to bring the biggest car possible. He said you might be bringing a horse or two with you!”

  “Not on the plane,” laughed Deborah. “But we brought Maxi instead. She covers enough territory for a herd of horses.”

  The girls helped Stephan load their bags into the enormous trunk, then everyone settled back into the velvety seats of the car. Maxi crawled from lap to lap, content to turn the TV set on and off and play with all the shiny buttons.

  Stephan smoothly steered the huge car out on to the freeway, and they were on their way to the hotel.

  “Stephan, can you tell us more about the movie Skye’s making right now?” Lisa leaned forward on the plush sofa.

  “Uh, it’s something about horses and racetracks, I believe.” Stephan’s voice was calm, but the girls noticed his troubled frown in the rearview mirror.

  “That sounds like something Skye would be perfect for.” Carole smiled at the memory of teaching Skye how to ride so long ago in New York.

  “It does, doesn’t it?” Stephan agreed. “Too bad it’s turned out to be such a challenge.”

  “A challenge?” Stevie frowned. Skye had developed into a good rider—acting in a movie about racehorses should be a piece of cake for him.

  Stephan gave a small shrug. “I suppose some roles that look easy in the script turn out to be a lot more difficult once the cameras start rolling.”

  Stevie shared a mystified glance with Lisa and Carole. Of all people, Skye Ransom shouldn’t be having difficulty with a horseback riding role! Maybe they would have to give him some make-up lessons while they were there.

  After a few minutes, they pulled up in the courtyard of a fancy hotel. Palm trees grew around a huge swimming pool, and nearby, people in crisp white outfits played croquet.

  “Right this way,” the hotel doorman said as he held their doors open. Stephan unloaded the limo while the Easterners checked in at the front desk. Soon they were in their rooms—Lisa, Stevie, and Carole all in one big room; Max, Deborah, and Maxi in another. Veronica had insisted on having a private room.

  “I need to relax,” Veronica said as she unlocked the door to her room, which was next to The Saddle Club’s. “Riding in that limo in all that traffic was unnerving.”

  “Fine, Veronica,” said Carole. “We’ll be in our room, unpacking.”

  By the time Carole closed the door, Stevie and Lisa already had their suitcases open.

  “Okay,” said Lisa, carefully unfolding her riding jacket. “You guys can witness this. I’m doing exactly what Skye asked: calling as soon as I hang up my jacket.”

  Carole and Stevie watched as Lisa put her jacket in the closet, then pick up the telephone and dial the number written on Skye’s stationery.

  “Skye?” Lisa said, grinning as the famous, familiar voice came over the line. “Hi. It’s Lisa Atwood.”

  “And Stevie and Carole,” Stevie called with a laugh.

  “Thank heaven it’s you!” Skye sounded so relieved that Lisa frowned.

  “Is everything okay?” Lisa sat down on the edge of the bed between Stevie and Carole.

  “No,” replied Skye, his voice worried and nervous. “Everything is definitely not okay. I really need you. Can you guys come over here? Like right now?”

  “Well, I guess so,” Lisa said. “Where is here?”

  “We’re on location at Ashford Racetrack,” Skye explained over some static.

  Lisa frowned. “Is that near Ashford Farms? Where the Pony Club meet is?”

  “I don’t know about any Pony Club meet, but Ashford Racetrack is about two miles away from something called Ashford Farms,” said Skye.

  “Okay,” Lisa said. “We’ll have to check it out with Max, but I don’t see why we can’t come right over.”

  “Great!” replied Skye. “It’s a closed set, but I’ve left your names at the front gate. You shouldn’t have any trouble getting in.”

  “Okay, then. We’ll see you in a little while.”

  “Super. Just hurry, though!”

  She hung up the phone, a puzzled frown on her face.

  “What’s going on?” asked Carole.

  Lisa shrugged. “I don’t know. Skye sounded very mysterious—and very worried. All he said was that he needed to see us immediately, and to please hurry over. He’s left our names at the front gate.”

  “Gosh.” Stevie’s eyes grew wide. “Maybe he needs some extra advice on riding.” She leaped off the bed. “Maybe he needs us to be technical advisers on this film! I can see our names on the big screen now!”

  “I think we’d better ask Max if we can go, first, Stevie,” Carole laughed. “Then we can worry about who gets top billing in Skye’s movie.”

  “Okay, okay,” agreed Stevie.

  They hurried to the room across the hall, where the door was already ajar. Veronica was standing beside the TV set, complaining to Max and Deborah that her bed was lumpy and uncomfortable.

  “Hi, guys!” Max looked glad to see them as they trooped into the room. “We were just wondering if you’d like to go to Disneyland with us and take Maxi on the teacup ride.”

  Lisa glanced at Stevie and Carole. “Actually, Max, we were wondering if we could do something a little different. We just called Skye, and he really needs our help.”

  Max frowned. “What kind of help?”

  “We’re not sure. All we know is that he’s making a movie at Ashford Racetrack and wants us to come see him immediately.”

  “A real movie set? That sounds a lot more interesting than Disneyland,” Veronica cooed hopefully.

  “Well, it would be, except that it’s a closed set and Skye’s only put our three names on the guest list,” Lisa explained, hoping this wouldn’t hurt Max’s and Deborah’s feelings.

  Max smiled. “Would Skye just happen to have that same limo waiting outside for you?”

  The girls ran to the window and looked out. Stephan was standing there, chatting with the hotel doorman, the long black limo stretched out behind him.

  “I guess so,” Lisa said, amazed that someone would actually have a car waiting to drive them somewhere.

  “Well, I guess you’d better go, then, if Skye needs your help that badly,” said Max. “Veronica can come with us and take Maxi on the teacup ride.”

  Veronica made a small noise at the back of her throat. Everyone turned and stared at her. She looked pea green with envy, but there was nothing anyone could do. Her name was not on the guest list, and Hollywoo
d studios were notorious about keeping un-wanted people off their sets.

  “Then I guess we’ll see you guys later,” said Lisa. “I hope all of you have a good time at Disneyland.”

  Again, Veronica made that funny choking noise, but the girls didn’t stop to listen. A limo was waiting to drive them to Skye, and he needed them immediately.

  “OOOOOH.” STEVIE SETTLED back against the plush blue upholstery of the limo. “This is getting to feel just like home.”

  “Don’t get too comfortable, Stevie, or it’ll be tough readjusting to your usual place on the backseat of your mom’s station wagon,” Carole said with a laugh.

  “I know,” agreed Stevie. “But I can enjoy it while it lasts! All this luxury and no Veronica!”

  “She looked pretty green, didn’t she?” Carole giggled.

  “For once she was envious of something we were doing instead of trying to make us jealous of her,” Lisa replied. “I loved every minute of it!”

  They settled back and looked through the tinted windows as Stephan drove smoothly along the highway. People turned and stared at the limo as it passed, curious to get a glimpse of the passengers inside.

  Stevie chuckled. “Look! I bet everybody thinks we’re somebody famous.”

  “Well, we are famous in our own way,” said Carole. “We’re very famous to three horses that are traveling somewhere between here and Virginia.”

  “That’s right,” said Lisa. “We’re big stars to those guys!”

  After a few minutes Stephan pulled off the highway and down a long road with huge empty parking lots on either side.

  Again, Lisa leaned forward out of the overstuffed sofa. “Is this Ashford Racetrack, Stephan?”

  “Yes, it is. Racing season won’t start for another month or two, so it looks deserted.” Stephan pointed to one corner of the parking lot, where a number of trailers and sound trucks were parked. “Right now, though, it’s the perfect place to make a movie.”

  Stephan steered the big car close to the trailers. Just as he was about to turn off the engine, a young man dressed in shorts and a Skye Ransom T-shirt came running up.

  “Hi, Stephan,” he said, grinning at the older man. “Is this Skye’s precious cargo?”