Colt grinned. “Romeo sure is happy to be here, and I am too. Your barn is going to be a lot more fun than the one I was at when Romeo first arrived from Montana.”
Kate’s interest perked. “What was wrong with that one?”
He shook his head. “The owners at Mountain View Equestrian were great, and the people were friendly. But it was a lot more expensive than yours, and I heard the price went up again. That’s the main reason I left. The other reason was the trainer who led the Pony Club and a couple of the members were kind of snooty.” He glanced around, then leaned toward them and lowered his voice. “Melissa used to board her horse there.”
Tori straightened. “Why isn’t she still there?”
Kate grimaced, wishing yet again that Melissa had chosen anywhere else to go but here. “We should tell her your spot is open at the other place you just left. She sure doesn’t want to be here.”
Colt shrugged. “I’m not sure why she isn’t happy here. All I know is the place where she used to be is very particular about everything. All the members of the Pony Club have to do a lot of extra stuff with their horses. They’re expected to clean their stalls out two or three times a day—well, not totally clean, but strip them once and pick them the other two times when they need it. They scrubbed their water buckets every day, brushed their horses’ manes and kept ShowSheen on them so they didn’t tangle, kept polish on their horses’ hooves, and lots more stuff. I wasn’t part of their group, so they didn’t make me do it all. A lot of the kids looked down on me because I wasn’t taking care of my horse the exact same way they were.
“I cleaned my horse’s stall once a day, but he was turned out for several hours in an outside paddock when I couldn’t ride, so it wasn’t like he was standing around all the time. And his mane is supershort—I keep it pulled—so he didn’t need ShowSheen.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “Wow! That’s crazy! I don’t see why they require all of that. I mean, it’s your horse, and you should do what you think is best. As long as you’re feeding and watering and exercising him, of course. No horse should be neglected, but it sounds like they expected a lot.”
Colt nodded. “That’s what I thought. The barn’s owners didn’t have rules, but they supported the club. I don’t imagine it helped that I homeschool, and I’m not one of their crowd either. Not that they were ever mean. I was mostly ignored and treated like I didn’t know much or didn’t exist.”
Tori rolled her eyes at Kate. “Sounds like how Melissa treats us at school. You suppose it has anything to do with her being part of that crowd?”
Kate gave a slow nod. “I suppose it could. But I still don’t get why she’s not there if she liked it so much. I thought she’d leave for sure after she got upset about Rufus spooking her horse in the arena the day she came.” She glanced at Colt. “Did Tori tell you about that?”
“Nope. What’s the deal with Rufus?” He dug in his pocket and extracted something, then held it out to his horse. The gelding snuffled, his nostrils flaring, and snatched the treat from Colt’s open palm. “Greedy, aren’t you?” Colt chuckled and pulled out another treat.
“What’s that?” Tori asked.
“Homemade horse treats. Mom and I make them, and Romeo loves them.”
Kate peered at the brown treat lying on Colt’s palm. “Cool. Give us the recipe.”
He offered the last one to Romeo, then swung around and glanced from Kate to Tori. “What did I miss with Melissa?”
Kate sighed, hating to admit Rufus had been in the wrong, but she had to be fair. “My dog got loose. In fact, we found out Pete untied him, but Pete didn’t understand. We’re supposed to keep Rufus in the house or tied up while horses are out or boarders are riding in the arena, at least until he learns what’s off limits. But he got into the arena while Melissa’s horse was there, and she totally came unglued! I mean, she lost it big time. She was running around screaming at Rufus, hitting him with her lead rope, and acting all crazy.” She shook her head. “Rufus was wrong, but I think she overreacted. And Mom made me apologize.”
Colt wrinkled his brows. “Why? What did you do wrong?”
Kate’s shoulders slumped as the memory returned. “I guess I got a little mouthy. At least Mom thought I did. Okay, I kind of did. Melissa made me mad.”
Tori hitched a little closer to Kate. “I didn’t blame Kate for the way she reacted. I mean, Melissa isn’t the easiest girl to be around, and she’s not a bit friendly. She’d already made it superclear she didn’t think this barn was good enough for her horse, and she didn’t want to be here.”
Colt turned around, his back to the fence and his elbows propped on either side. “There’s something I should probably tell you about Melissa.”
Chapter Six
Kate narrowed her eyes, wondering at Colt’s tone. “Tell us about Melissa. How well do you know her?”
Colt leaned over, plucked a blade of coarse grass, and stuck it between his teeth. “Not well, but I can probably explain why she freaked out when your dog spooked her horse.”
Tori’s brows rose. “I know she was worried Rufus might hurt Mocha, even though that didn’t seem likely. Was there another reason?”
He shifted the grass to the other side of his mouth. “Yeah. She got unloaded a few weeks ago.”
Tori wrinkled her nose. “Unloaded? I don’t get it.”
“Dumped. Bucked off her horse.”
Kate cocked her head. “But what does that have to do with Rufus?” None of this made sense, but she was willing to listen.
“She was riding in the outdoor arena. Apparently her last gelding got spooked easily. One of the barn cats took off at a dead run through the arena and darted right under Melissa’s horse. He didn’t run over the cat, but it scared him half to death, and he started bucking. She’s a good rider, but it was so sudden, she must not have had time to prepare. She got launched and landed pretty hard. I kinda wonder if that’s why they sold him. She went without a horse the rest of the time I was there. Maybe that’s why she’s here—they may have rented her stall to someone else.”
Kate winced. “Ouch. Was she hurt bad?”
“She got the wind knocked out of her, the same as Tori when she fell off Capri. But she probably hit a lot harder. It’s a good thing the arena had been plowed the day before and was soft. Plus, she was wearing her helmet, or she could have had a serious head injury.”
Tori nodded. “That’s what my mom told me. Her brother got hurt the same way years ago, and he wasn’t wearing a helmet. She told me she’ll never allow me to ride unless I have one on at all times.”
“Yeah,” Colt said. “That’s one of the rules at Mountain View Equestrian Center. You wear a helmet, or you don’t ride.”
Kate smiled. “We decided that before we opened our barn. Mom said the insurance would be sky-high if we didn’t. New boarders have to sign an agreement. But how about Melissa? What happened?”
“People caught her horse and checked her out. She got her breath back and stood, but she was pretty wobbly. She wanted to get back in the saddle, but the owner wouldn’t let her. Said she needed to have her mother take her to the doctor.”
“Did she?” Tori asked.
“I don’t know. She left right after that and didn’t come to the barn again for a few days. I think it spooked her so bad, she was afraid to get back on. I’ve heard of that happening.”
Kate felt sick. “Now I see why she got so mad. She wasn’t on Mocha, but it must have brought back bad memories. Now I feel awful for getting angry at her. I’ve heard you’re supposed to get back on a horse as soon as you get dumped, or you might lose your nerve and not ride again. Do you know if Melissa still rides?”
“Don’t know for sure. Not long after, I switched to the other barn where you guys worked. We couldn’t afford Mountain View, and I had a chance to work off part of my board instead of taking lessons, l
ike you. It was a nice barn and I would have stayed there, but it’s going to be more hanging out with friends here.”
Kate shuddered. Would Tori have the same problem now that she’d fallen off a large horse and refuse to ride again? “We’ll have to be nicer to Melissa when she comes.” She turned to Tori. “Want to see if Mom will help you ride Capri? She can make her go slow, and I’ll walk along beside her if you want. I’ll bet Colt would even ride at the same time in the arena. It would be fun!”
Tori gazed with wide eyes from Kate to Colt and back. “Thanks, but not today. Maybe next time I come, okay?”
Kate’s heart took a dive toward her riding boots and seemed to stay there. Her best friend was afraid of horses, and it was all her fault. And now Melissa was afraid as well, and she wasn’t even a friend. Trouble sure came all at once lately. Kate hoped this was all the trouble they would have to deal with for now. She couldn’t take a lot more.
A few days later, Kate bounced up and down, giddy with excitement. Grabbing Tori’s hand, she swung her around in a circle. “Can you believe we get our first lessons with our new trainer today? I can’t wait!”
Tori loosened her fingers from Kate’s and smiled. “I’m going to watch this time. It’s not like you have a lesson horse yet. As soon as you do, I’ll take lessons here, since we aren’t taking them at the other barn anymore.”
Kate stopped in her tracks. “Tori, I’m so sorry. Why didn’t I think of that?” She slapped her forehead. “I’ve got to talk to Mom about finding a lesson horse. I know we’d use one a lot, and it would earn its keep if we did. It’s not fair that you’re working here and not getting anything out of it.” A sudden idea swept away the guilt, and she clapped her hands. “I know! I’ll do the first half of the hour on Capri. By then she’ll be tired and behaving herself, and you can use her the second half, okay?”
Tori shook her head. “Nuh-uh. No way am I robbing you of your first full lesson with our new trainer. You’ve looked forward to this for weeks. I can wait till next time.”
Kate studied her friend. Tori was one of the kindest, most generous people she knew, but was this refusal coming from that or because she was still afraid to ride? Just a couple of days ago, they’d gone back to their old barn, since the owner still owed them an hour lesson for the work they’d done before giving notice. Tori had climbed on Lulu reluctantly but didn’t refuse. Of course, Lulu was a lot smaller than Capri, but that didn’t mean Tori would want to get back on Capri anytime soon.
Kate narrowed her eyes at Tori. “Do you promise to ride Capri half the lesson next time and keep doing it until we get a good lesson horse?”
Tori hesitated, then nodded. “I promise.” She grinned. “As long as nothing bad happens between now and then.”
Kate shivered even though she knew Tori was joking. “Nothing’s going to happen. I even saw Melissa riding Mocha in the indoor arena.” She frowned. “Only at a walk and trot for about thirty minutes, but at least she’s riding him. That’s positive.”
Tori smiled. “I’m glad. She hasn’t been mean lately either. In fact, she said hi to me recently.”
“Wow! That’s a huge improvement!” Kate beamed at Tori and linked arms with her. “Come on, let’s go tack up Capri. Colt should be here for the Western lesson by the time the English one is half over.” She winked at Tori. “I can’t believe how insulted he was when we told him he should ride English.”
“I know.” Tori giggled. “‘Are you kidding? Me in a pair of breaches? I’d quit riding before I’d wear a pair of those things.’” She did a nearly perfect imitation of Colt’s voice.
Kate broke out in a full laugh as she tugged Tori toward the tack room. “I’d have my camera handy if he did! Come on, we don’t have a lot of time to get ready.”
An hour and a half later, Kate, Tori, and Colt stood at the low rail separating the alleyway from the indoor arena, enthralled at the sight playing out before them. Kate sucked in a quick breath. “My lesson was great, but I want to learn to jump! Capri is trained for it, but I’m not. I’m going to ask Mom when I can start taking lessons that teach more than flat work. It’s not like I don’t have the basics down.”
Colt gave a lopsided grin. “Yeah, but there’s a lot more to jumping than leaning forward and letting your horse pop over the rails. I don’t ride English, but I’ve watched it at the other two barns where I boarded my horse. From what I’ve seen, you’ve got to have supersteady hands, excellent balance, the ability to post and change leads easily, and a sense of timing for the jumps.”
Tori gazed at him openmouthed. “Wow. You know a lot.”
A slow flush climbed from his neck to his cheeks, and Colt ducked his head. “Nah. It’s hard not to hear stuff when you’re cleaning stalls right next to the arena. I always seemed to be there when jumping lessons took place, that’s all.”
Kate turned to the arena again. “It’s not a very big class yet. Just four riders. Melissa and three women I don’t know. One of them boards her mare here, and I think Mom said the other two trailered their horses in for the lesson. Melissa’s mom agreed to let her take a group lesson to start, then she’s going to take private ones after this.” She grinned at her friends. “That should be way cool!”
Tori huffed. “Those jumps aren’t very high. The horses can practically step over them. What are they, about two feet, if that?”
Kate nodded. “Eighteen inches. The instructor can raise the height of the rails all the way up to six feet if she wants to, but she told Mom she plans to start everyone out low, even if they say they know what they’re doing and want to go higher.”
Colt leaned a hip against the low wall. “Smart lady. Make sure, so she doesn’t have accidents. What’s her name anyway? Is she well known in the valley?”
“Mrs. Jamison,” Kate said. “She moved here from Portland recently. I guess she got tired of city life and wanted to be in a more rural area but still somewhere there’s a lot of interest in dressage and jumping. Mom checked her out, and she has a good reputation. We put ads in the local paper to let the public know about the classes. I wish we’d gotten a better response for this first lesson, but Mrs. Jamison didn’t seem to mind.”
Colt gave a soft grunt. “If she’s good, word will get out, and more people will come. It won’t take long.”
Tori leaned in closer, staring at the arena as Melissa’s gelding increased his pace to a slow gallop and cleared a jump. “At least Melissa’s riding again—and jumping. She must not have been as scared as we thought.” She frowned.
“I can’t quite figure her out,” Kate said. “Sometimes it’s like she wants to be friendly, then quick as a cat, she switches to her old personality.” She giggled. “Sorry. It wasn’t very nice to compare her to a cat after her accident.”
Colt flicked a hand toward the arena. “Looks like Mrs. Jamison is satisfied. She’s raising the poles to two and a half feet.”
Tori squinted the way he was pointing. “How can you tell?”
“Every jump cup is set three inches apart, so you count the cups and multiply.” He grinned and bumped Tori’s shoulder. “You do know how to multiply, right?”
Tori swatted his arm. “Watch it, or we’ll make you clean all the stalls.”
He tipped back his head and hooted, then sobered as Mrs. Jamison scowled at him. “Sorry, ma’am.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I know better than that. I’m glad no one was jumping.”
They watched in silence as the instructor finished adjusting the height of the rails, then moved to her place in the center. “All right, everyone. I want Melissa to go first, then Miss Ryan, then Mrs. Hooper, followed by Mrs. Carson. Please trot your horses a half circle around the arena, then increase to a controlled canter and come down the center, taking the three jumps. When you finish, move off to the side and out of the way of the next rider.”
Kate watched with interest, wondering
if the higher rails would shake Melissa’s confidence, or if the girl would take them with ease. Melissa put Mocha into a trot, posting on the inside lead, then transitioned smoothly into a collected canter, her gelding’s nose tucked and his neck nicely rounded. Her hands were steady, and she sat the canter as though molded to the horse, moving with the rhythm and looking straight ahead. She rounded the final corner and directed Mocha in a straight line toward the first jump, then tugged on the reins and slowed him as he started to rush.
Kate could hear Melissa’s whispered assurance to her mount, then a “hup” a stride before the jump. The dark bay gelding sailed over the rail without even flicking his ears. He got to the second rail and repeated his performance, and Kate began to breathe easy. One rail to go.
The big gelding took two more strides. Melissa was in three-point position, almost standing in her stirrups, her hands gripping the reins forward on Mocha’s neck, when all of a sudden he swerved away from the rail, darting out of the jump line.
The quick sideways movement threw Melissa off balance, and she gasped. One foot came out of the stirrup, and she leaned precariously to one side.
Chapter Seven
Mrs. Jamison walked toward the horse, talking in a hushed tone as he continued to canter toward the far side of the arena. She raised her voice a bit. “Melissa, grab his mane and pull yourself upright. That’s a good girl. You’re doing fine.”
Melissa heaved herself the opposite direction and fumbled for her stirrup, then drew back on the reins and brought Mocha to a halt.
Kate knew what was coming next—the explosion of temper she’d seen in the barn when Rufus had frightened Melissa’s horse. She’d hate to be an animal that made this girl mad. Kate would bet that any minute the crop Melissa held would flay Mocha’s backside.
She didn’t realize she’d been holding her breath for several seconds, until she felt the need for air and released it, then sucked air into her lungs. She stared at Melissa, shocked at what she saw. The other girl spoke in a soft, soothing tone, stroking Mocha’s neck and patting him like he’d done something right instead of wrong.
Silver Spurs Page 4
