Silver Spurs

by Miralee Ferrell

  Kate shrieked, not at the second-place win, but at what that meant for Melissa and Capri. “I can’t believe it. I cannot believe it!” She grabbed Tori and hugged her so tight, her friend gave a little squeal. “Sorry.” She released her and stepped away.

  “And finally, first place, as well as the high-point winner for this show, earning a set of silver spurs, is Melissa Tolbert, riding Capri, owned by Kate Ferris. If Kate Ferris is in the crowd, could you please come join Miss Tolbert and Capri?”

  Kate’s heart jolted, and her feet froze in place.

  Colt hissed at her and gave her a shove. “So get moving. You are Kate Ferris, right?” His happy grin woke her up, and Kate crawled through the bars, praying she wouldn’t faint.

  She jogged across the seemingly endless expanse of grass, then came to a stop beside Capri’s shoulder. Joy like nothing she’d ever known filled her, and she whispered under her breath, “Thank You, God, so much.” She stroked Capri’s shoulder, not caring that it was sweaty. Right now she could lay her face on it and cry, she was so happy.

  The young girl presenting the ribbons came forward and handed Melissa the blue rosette and an open box containing a pair of burnished silver spurs. Melissa stood still while a photographer snapped a picture of the three of them, then she leaned toward Kate, extending the ribbon. “This is Capri’s. She earned it, not me. You’re one lucky girl, Kate, and I’m honored I got a chance to ride her.”

  Kate accepted the ribbon with trembling fingers, hoping she wouldn’t drop it. This was more than she’d ever expected. Nothing in the world could ever top this.

  Epilogue

  Kate, Tori, and Colt lounged on the grass next to the fence surrounding the outdoor arena. Kate snickered and pointed at Tori’s hair. “You’re no longer a dark brunette. You have white highlights.”

  Tori made a face. “Well, you have white freckles all over your face and hands, so I guess we’re even.”

  Kate narrowed her eyes at Colt. “How come you don’t have any paint anywhere, huh? It sure looks like you’ve been loafing while the two of us have been working.”

  Colt leaned back on his hands and smirked. “Nope. I happen to be a professional, while you girls are amateurs, that’s all. Leave it to a guy to do a job right.”

  Kate picked up her brush and flipped it at Colt. It didn’t have much paint on it, but a few dozen tiny drops flecked his face, hair, and neck. She giggled and grabbed his brush before he could. “Professional, huh? Well, this girl is faster than you are, so there.”

  He gave a pretend glower, then laughed. “Guess you won that one. Hey, have you guys seen Melissa since the show? It’s been three days, and she hasn’t been around that I’ve seen.”

  Kate made a face. “As far as I know, she hasn’t been here at all except once when I was gone. I’ve been wondering if she’s going to move her horse somewhere else, or maybe she’s sick or something.”

  Tori smoothed her palm over the grass beside her. “Seems kind of weird after you let her ride Capri and all. I know she thanked you at the show, but I thought she’d at least come around afterward. I didn’t even get a chance to see her spurs.”

  Kate nodded. “Yeah, I know. I’ve been wondering if she’s going back to how she was before. You know, she made her mom happy, got what she wanted by winning the points she needed to move on to the next level, and now she’ll be a snottier Melissa than ever.”

  “Anything’s possible, I guess,” Colt said.

  Kate handed him his brush and picked up her own. “We’d better get this fence finished. I promised Dad we’d do it today. He and Mom want to get this place dressed up and make some improvements. We made enough from the show to buy stall mats for all the boarders’ stalls.”

  “Cool.” Tori dipped her brush in the paint can and swiped it across a rail. “Hey, who’s that?” She pointed at a car driving into the parking area.

  Kate shaded her eyes against the sun. “I’m not sure.”

  They waited until the door opened and a figure stepped out of the passenger seat—one dressed in old jeans and a scruffy T-shirt. “Melissa,” Kate breathed. “She must have come to change Mocha’s leg wrap. Mom said she came one other day, but I missed her.”

  The girl didn’t head toward the barn but strode toward them, hands in her back pockets. She glanced from one face to the other and smiled, then started to giggle. Kate stiffened. This was exactly what she’d expected. The high-and-mighty Melissa Tolbert intended to make fun of how they looked. “What’s the problem?”

  Melissa sobered and pulled a paintbrush from her back pocket. “I brought my own. If I help, will you promise not to turn me into a towhead, like Tori?” Her eyes sparkled as she glanced at Tori, then back to Kate.

  “Huh?” Kate shook her head, not certain she’d heard correctly. “How did you know we were painting? I’m sure you don’t carry a paintbrush with you wherever you go.”

  Melissa grinned. “I called and talked to your mom. I asked what you guys were doing. I was going to see if you wanted to go have a Coke or something, but she said you were all painting the fence. So I decided you’d get finished faster if I helped. But not unless you promise not to make me look like him.” She pointed at Colt this time and giggled again.

  Kate couldn’t believe her ears. “Seriously? You want to help us?”

  Melissa’s smile faded. “If you’ll have me.”

  Colt grinned. “Fine by me. But you have to fit in, or no can do.” He flipped his brush at her and smirked. “Now you look like the rest of us, and we’d be happy to have your help.”

  She rolled her eyes and dipped her brush in the paint can, then held it up threateningly. “I have a pretty good aim, so I’d be careful if I were you.” She shook it at him and laughed, then turned toward Kate. “I owe you big-time,” she said in a serious tone. “My mom was ashamed when she found out you’d overheard us and sacrificed your classes for me. When I told her you guys were painting and said it was the least I could do to say thanks, she drove me here. I hope you’ll forgive me for the way I’ve treated you guys. I’d like to be friends, if that’s possible.”

  A sense of peace washed over Kate. She tugged on Melissa’s free hand. “Sit. We’re lazy painters, but we can use all the help we can get.” She flashed a smile. “Besides, you can never have too many friends.”

  … a little more …

  When a rockin’ concert comes to an end,

  the audience might cheer for an encore.

  When a tasty meal comes to an end,

  it’s always nice to savor a bit of dessert.

  When a great story comes to an end,

  we think you may want to linger.

  And so we offer …

  P.S.—just a little something more after

  you have finished a David C Cook novel.

  We invite you to stay awhile in the story.

  Thanks for reading!

  Turn the page for …

  • Secrets for Your Diary

  • Colt’s Favorite Horse Cookies

  • Author’s Note

  • Acknowledgments

  • About the Author

  • Sneak Peek at Book Three: Mystery Rider

  • Books by Miralee Ferrell

  Secrets for Your Diary

  Secret #1

  Kate, Tori, and Colt all share a love of horses. But they share something else too. All three have been treated as if they don’t exist by the “popular crowd.” Kate’s the new kid at school, Tori is from a low-income home and doesn’t look like everyone else, and Colt is homeschooled.

  Have you ever felt ignored at school or at any other activity? How did you handle that feeling? Did being ignored make you think of yourself differently? How did you respond to those in the in-crowd as a result? Who helped you during this tough time? What did that person say or do that made a d
ifference?

  Note from Kate

  Sometimes we feel all alone—like no one else has ever experienced what we’re going through. Believe it or not, your parents and teachers were your age once and probably went through something similar. And the Bible says that Jesus experienced rejection and pain too. Don’t ever be afraid to talk to Him or to an adult you trust about hard things you’re dealing with. There are people who care and want to help.

  Secret #2

  Kate feels a flicker of jealousy when Colt and Tori think Melissa does a good job jumping Mocha. Tori notices Kate’s reaction. A short time later, when Tori and Kate discuss Melissa, they have no idea she’s listening. They’re joking, but Melissa doesn’t take it that way. She flings back, “I can’t imagine being friends with either of you, or why you’d think I’d care to be.”

  Have you ever overheard someone talking about you? How did that make you feel? Or have you been caught talking about someone else? What did the person you were talking about say or do? Why do you think Melissa said what she did? What would you have said or done if you had been Melissa?

  Note from Kate

  Many times people say things because they’re hurting and don’t want anyone to know. Before you get angry, take a minute and put yourself in their place. They might have had a horrible day or come from a bad home life that makes them want to hurt others. Praying for them can make a huge difference in how you feel about them, and it might even help them change too!

  Secret #3

  Melissa’s actions, in general, drove Kate crazy. After all, who would want to hang out with a girl who is as snotty as Melissa? But then Kate is surprised by Melissa’s gentle treatment of Pete, feels bad that Melissa took a bad fall and got spooked, and overhears the pressured conversation between Melissa and her mother. Those three events begin to change Kate’s view of Melissa and why she acts the way she does.

  When has a person you don’t like very much surprised you by doing something kind? Tell the story. How did that event change your view of that person? When bad things happen to people you don’t like, how do you respond? Do you feel bad, like Kate did? Or do you say to yourself, Well, she/he deserved it? How might you respond instead so that you, like Kate, can make a friend?

  Note from Kate

  Try an experiment. Find someone who’s not kind to you and do something nice for that person. Don’t do it hoping he or she will change but because it’s the right thing to do, and you never know if your actions might make a difference in that person’s life. I know it’s not easy to be kind to someone who’s mean, but if nothing else, pray for him or her and ask God to work a miracle—in your life or the other person’s.

  Colt’s Favorite Horse Cookies

  Colt enjoyed baking treats for his horse. You can too. Here is his favorite, easy recipe.

  What you’ll need:

  *2 cups flour

  *2 cups oatmeal (uncooked, regular oatmeal, not “quick oatmeal”)

  *2 cups shredded carrots

  *2 tablespoons white sugar

  *2 teaspoons salt

  *1/2 cup water

  *4 tablespoons corn oil

  *1/2 cup molasses

  *2 mixing bowls

  *Pam (or some other liquid baking spray)

  *2 cookie sheets

  Extra, if desired:

  *1 apple, finely diced into pieces (but cookies fall apart more easily with the apple in it)

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray cookie sheets with Pam.

  2. In a bowl, mix the flour, oatmeal, carrots, sugar, and salt.

  3. In the second bowl, mix the water, oil, and molasses.

  4. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir well with a spoon (or your fingers for fun!).

  5. Form mixture into small balls and place one inch apart on cookie sheets.

  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

  These horse treats also freeze well.

  Author’s Note

  I’ve been an avid horse lover all of my life. I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated with the idea of owning a horse, although it didn’t happen until after I married. As I was growing up, my family lived in a small town on a couple of acres that were mostly steep hillside, so other than our lawn and garden area, there was no room for a horse. I lived out my dreams by reading every book I could find that had anything to do with horses.

  My first horse was a two-year-old Arabian gelding named Nicky, who taught me so much and caused me to fall deeply in love with the Arabian breed. Over the years we’ve owned a stallion, a number of mares, a handful of foals, and a couple of geldings. It didn’t take too many years to discover I couldn’t make money in breeding. After losing a mare and baby due to a reaction to penicillin, and having another mare reject her baby at birth, we decided it was time to leave that part of the horse industry and simply enjoy owning a riding horse or two.

  Our daughter, Marnee, brought loving horses to a whole new level. She was begging to ride when she was two to three years old and was riding her own pony alone at age five. Within a few years, she requested lessons, as she wanted to switch from Western trail riding to showing English, both in flat work and hunt-seat, and later, in basic dressage. I learned so much listening to her instructor and watching that I decided to take lessons myself.

  We spent a couple of years in the show world, but Marnee soon discovered she wanted to learn for the sake of improving her own skills more than competing, and she became a first-rate horsewoman.

  We still ride together, as she and her husband, Brian, own property next to ours. My old Arabian mare, Khaila, was my faithful trail horse for over seventeen years and lived with Marnee’s horses on their property, so she wouldn’t be lonely. At the age of twenty-six, she began having serious age-related problems and went on to horse heaven in late July of 2013. I ride Brian’s Arabian mare, Sagar, now when Marnee and I trail-ride. I am so blessed to have a daughter who shares the same love as I do and to have had so many wonderful years exploring the countryside with my faithful horse Khaila.

  If you don’t own your own horse yet, don’t despair. It might not happen while you still live at home, and you might have to live out your dreams in books, or even by taking a lesson at a local barn, but that’s okay. God knows your desire and will help fulfill it in His perfect way.

  Acknowledgments

  This series has been a brand-new adventure for me—one I never expected, but one I’m so blessed to have experienced. I’ve loved horses all my life and owned them since I was nineteen, but I never thought I’d write horse novels for girls. I’m so glad I was wrong!

  So many people have helped make this series possible: My friends at church, who were excited when I shared God’s prompting and offered to pray that the project would find a home, as well as my family, my agent, and my critique group, who believed in me, listened, read my work, and cheered me on. There have also been a number of authors who helped me brainstorm ideas for the series or specific sections of one book or the other when I struggled—Kimberly, Vickie, Margaret, Cheryl, Lissa, Nancy—you’ve all been such a blessing!

  But there’s a special group of kids I especially want to thank. A huge thank-you to Caitlyn Baker who was the first one to read the early chapter of this book, before I had a contract. Every Sunday after church she’d track me down and beg for more—and ask when it was going to be published. That little girl spurred me on to keep writing, and I owe her a huge thank-you for her confidence and support. Also, two different times I posted on Facebook, asking my readers if they had a child who might be willing to read a couple of chapters and give me honest feedback. A number of people responded, and I had my test group of kids. I want to thank Elly, Bella, Payzlie, Cadence, Alexis, Kyra, Hannah, Kasie, Kylie, Crystal, Amber, Haley, Annika, Katelyn, Karli, Jessi, Hailee, Camille, Kayla, and Elena.

>   Thanks also to Kayla L. Tucker, a fifteen-year-old horse enthusiast who created Colt’s Favorite Horse Cookies recipe and happily allowed me to use it in this book.

  I also want to thank the team at David C Cook. I was so thrilled when Don Pape asked if I’d consider sending this series to him to review when I mentioned I was writing it. The horse lovers on the committee snatched it up and galloped with it, and I was so excited! I love working with this company and pray we’ll have many more years and books together. Thank you to all who made this a possibility and, we pray, a resounding success!

  Thank you for taking the time to read my new series, and watch for another book in three months!

  About the Author

  Miralee Ferrell, the author of the Horses and Friends series plus twelve other novels, was always an avid reader. She started collecting first-edition Zane Grey Westerns as a young teen. But she never felt the desire to write books … until after she turned fifty. Inspired by Zane Grey and old Western movies, she decided to write stories set in the Old West in the 1880s.

  After she wrote her first western novel, Love Finds You in Last Chance, California, she was hooked. Her Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming won the Will Rogers Medallion Award for Western fiction, and Universal Studios requested a copy of her debut novel, The Other Daughter, for a potential family movie.

  Miralee loves horseback riding on the wooded trails near her home with her married daughter, who lives nearby, and spending time with her granddaughter, Kate. Besides her horse friends, she’s owned cats, dogs (a six-pound, long-haired Chihuahua named Lacey was often curled up on her lap as she wrote this book), rabbits, chickens, and even two cougars, Spunky and Sierra, rescued from breeders who couldn’t care for them properly.