Trail Ride

by Bonnie Bryant

  “You like horses?”

  Stevie let out a yip of surprise, which startled the animals. They threw up their heads and snorted, ears pricked in her direction.

  The boy standing next to her was tall and thin. He had longish dark hair and deep brown eyes. “I didn’t hear you come up,” she said a little nervously, suddenly wondering how smart it was to go walking at night in a strange neighborhood without telling anyone where she was going.

  “Yeah, I could tell by your reaction,” he laughed.

  Nice laugh, Stevie thought. “You could have made a noise or something,” she said, determined to hide her uneasiness.

  “I did, actually, but you were mesmerized. Never seen a horse before?”

  “Of course I have,” Stevie said scornfully. “In fact, I own one.”

  “You do? That’s great!” He smiled.

  Nice smile.

  “I own two,” he told her.

  Is he trying to impress me? Let’s see if he really knows anything about horses or if he’s only pretending. “Really? What kind? Thoroughbreds? Geldings?”

  The boy looked disappointed. “I thought you said you owned your own horse.”

  “I do.”

  “Then you should know that a Thoroughbred is a breed of horse, while a gelding is a male horse that’s been fixed.” He turned away from her. “Good night.”

  Stevie felt ashamed. She had tried to trick him into revealing himself as a horse fraud, and instead it looked as if she was the pretender. “Wait!” she called and hurried after him. “Look, I’m sorry. I’m from Virginia, and I’m visiting my cousin here, and she pretended to like horses in order to tease me and I fell for it and I felt like a fool, so when you said you had two of your own, I automatically didn’t believe you and decided to test you, which was incredibly rude of me and I’m really sorry.” Stevie hadn’t intended to say that much, but it all came out in an uncontrolled rush.

  The boy considered her for a moment, then laughed and held out a hand. “I’m Will.”

  Really nice laugh. “Stevie,” she said, shaking his hand.

  “One question. Do all the people in Virginia talk so fast?”

  Stevie blushed. “Or so much? No. But I haven’t had anyone to talk to in days.”

  “Would you like to meet my horses?”

  Would I! “Are they very far from here? I really shouldn’t go much farther without telling my parents.”

  “How about I bring them to you?” he suggested with a grin.

  “You’d do that?”

  “I can tell you’re suffering from a lack of equine companionship. As a fellow rider, it’s practically my duty to help if I can.”

  Stevie laughed. “Will it take long?”

  “Not if they’re in a good mood.” He winked at her, returned to the fence, and let out a series of low, lilting whistles.

  To Stevie’s surprise, the two horses that had been grazing lifted their heads and trotted obediently over to where Will waited at the fence. “Stevie, I’d like you to meet Honey and Sugar.”

  “These are your horses?”

  “Yep. Actually, this is my family’s farm.”

  Stevie held out a hand for the animals to sniff. “Honey and Sugar?”

  Will looked embarrassed. “I know they’re goofy names, but I promised my kid sister she could name them, and that’s what she chose.”

  “Sweet.”

  “I know,” he said with a shrug. “Honey and Sugar.”

  “Not their names. I think it’s sweet that you let her name them.” She laughed. “And even sweeter that you kept the names after she did.”

  He reddened and stared at his shoes.

  Before long Stevie found herself describing Pine Hollow Stables; her horse, Belle; and, of course, her Saddle Club friends.

  Somewhere during the conversation, Will invited her to sit on one of the horses. “We’ll be more comfortable.”

  Stevie didn’t need to be asked twice, and with barely a pause in her story, she slipped onto Honey’s back. It was pure heaven. It almost felt like coming home. She had a sudden rush of emotion, and for a moment she was afraid she’d burst into tears in front of her new friend. She had been so miserable and lonely for the last few days, Will’s simple act of kindness almost overwhelmed her.

  Will talked, too, telling Stevie about life on the farm and his friends and school, but mostly they talked about horses.

  The two of them circled the field, never breaking out of a slow walk, but it was enough.

  Finally Stevie knew she had to get back to her family; sooner or later she would be missed. “Thanks, Will. I think you saved my life,” she said earnestly. “Or at least my sanity.”

  Will looked embarrassed. “Any time. If you get trapped at your cousin’s house again, feel free to come over.”

  Stevie hurried back to the party, which was in full swing. The first person she bumped into was Dava, who was chatting with Alex.

  “Well, well, Cinderella returns to the ball,” snickered Dava, looking down her nose. “Except it looks like the clock has already tolled midnight.”

  Stevie thought about how disheveled she must look. The humidity had caused her hair to curl riotously, her sleeves were rolled back, her clothes were covered with little hairs, and she was certain she smelled of horses. She smiled blissfully.

  “What’s with her?” Dava demanded of Alex when Stevie didn’t respond to her taunt.

  Alex took one look at his sister and knew. “She’s found a horse,” he said. “You been riding, Stevie?”

  “Uh-huh.” Stevie couldn’t wipe the contented smile off her face.

  “Not a chance,” Dava declared. “The only horses around here belong to …” She frowned and sniffed the air. “You have been riding!” she accused Stevie. “Wait until I tell the owners. You are going to be in major trouble!”

  The smile left Alex’s face. “Cut it out, Dava. Stevie wouldn’t ride someone’s horse without permission. And what are you, anyway, some kind of professional tattletale?”

  Stevie felt a surge of affection for her twin. “It’s okay, Alex. As a matter of fact”—she allowed herself a slight smile—“I did have the owner’s permission.” She turned her back on Dava. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an e-mail to write.”

  Stevie left them with her head held high and a spring in her step. She had taken a bareback moonlit ride on a horse in the company of a handsome stranger. Lisa and Carole were going to have to work hard to top that!

  “COME ON, YOU lazy thing,” Lisa called to Chocolate. “An early morning ride will do you good.”

  “We’re not even going to saddle you,” Carole told Berry as she led him through the gate.

  The two girls had decided on a prebreakfast bareback ride to watch the sunrise.

  Lisa managed to get a hold of her horse. “I wonder how Kate is? It feels kind of strange doing this without her.”

  Carole slipped the bridle over Berry’s head and offered him the bit. “We can do it again tomorrow if she’s feeling better.”

  “You know we hang horse thieves around here,” Paula said. She was standing in the opening of the barn holding a grooming kit.

  Lisa felt herself flush as though she had been caught doing something wrong. “We thought we’d take a ride.”

  Paula shook her head.

  “We can’t take a ride?” Carole asked.

  “You can do whatever you want,” Paula assured them. “But you’ve picked the wrong time to do it.”

  Lisa was puzzled. It looked like a beautiful morning to her. “We have?”

  “You ought to be going tonight. We’re expecting a meteor shower.” Paula delivered the news with all the enthusiasm of someone announcing a garbage strike.

  “Thanks for the information. We’ll be sure to go out tonight then as well,” Carole said.

  “Two pleasure rides in one day.” The wrangler shrugged. “Some people have got the life. It’s back to work for me.” She trudged off.

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sp; Lisa stifled a giggle. “Nice of her to tell us.”

  Carole was grinning, too. “Come on. We’d better get going or we’ll be late getting back for breakfast.”

  They headed for lookout point, the highest spot on the ranch, knowing from experience that the sunrise from there would be spectacular. On the way, they passed a herd of horses kept for the use of the guests. The girls agreed that watching them grazing in the predawn gave them a sense of tranquillity they missed during the school year back in Willow Creek.

  The dawn was everything they could wish for—the mountains turning pink and yellow as the sun rose over the craggy peaks, the air crisp and fresh.

  They made it back to the ranch in time for the breakfast feast that Mrs. Devine provided each morning. Helping herself to a second serving of steak and scrambled eggs, Lisa noticed Carole lethargically pushing her food around her plate. “I can’t believe you’re not hungry,” she said. “Early morning rides always make me ravenous.”

  “I was thinking about Kate. Her mom must be pretty worried if she called the doctor.”

  Upon returning from their ride they had learned that Kate was not only still running a fever but had been sick to her stomach during the night. Mrs. Devine had left a message for the doctor, but he hadn’t returned her call yet. “Moms always worry too much. I’m sure Kate will be back on her feet tomorrow.”

  Carole pushed her half-eaten breakfast away. “In the meantime, that leaves us on our own today. Got any ideas?”

  “Feel up to a little honest work?” Paula asked from her place down the table.

  “What did you have in mind?” Carole asked.

  “I have to ride out to check on some of the free-range horses to make sure none of them are hurt or sick. Kate mentioned you were studying with a veterinarian. I thought you might find it interesting.”

  “That would be great, Paula,” Carole told her happily. “Thanks for asking.”

  “Mind if I tag along, too? Lisa asked, not wanting to be left out. “I’ll try to keep out from under foot.”

  “Suit yourself,” Paula told her. “See you in a little while.”

  “Gee, I’m overwhelmed by her enthusiasm,” Lisa said, feeling like a third wheel on a bicycle.

  “Actually, I think she’s warming up,” Carole said.

  “Don’t be hurt, Lisa,” Mrs. Devine told her. “A ‘suit yourself’ coming from Paula is practically an engraved invitation. Carole’s right, she must have taken a real liking to you two.”

  Lisa and Carole helped clean up the breakfast dishes, then decided to quickly check on any new e-mails from Stevie before going out to meet Paula.

  “A horseback ride with a boy,” Lisa crowed as she read. “Sounds as if things are looking up for Stevie. I’d like to have seen the look on Dava’s face when she found out.”

  Carole raised her eyebrows. “I’d like to see the look on her boyfriend Phil’s face when he finds out.”

  “Nobody’s more faithful than Stevie,” Lisa declared. “Besides, this thing was probably exactly what she needed to restore her confidence.”

  “Shall we tell her about our ride this morning?”

  “Of course,” Lisa said automatically, then had second thoughts. “Just be sure to tell her how cold and wet it was.”

  “Cold and wet?” Carole protested. “It was beautiful.”

  “The last time we got happy news from Stevie, it turned out her cousin was playing a nasty joke on her, remember? What if this new relationship turns sour?”

  “Hmmm,” mumbled Carole. “Good point. There was dew on the grass.”

  “Dew is very wet stuff,” Lisa told her with a wink. Carole nodded. “Very wet.”

  “And if that morning breeze had kicked up a little more, it definitely could have been cold,” added Lisa.

  “True,” said Carole. “Wet and cold.” She broke into a conspiratorial grin. “You’re learning fast, Lisa.”

  “WE ALWAYS KEEP a small herd of horses near the ranch for the use of the guests,” Paula explained as they rode. “But we also have a group of animals that are allowed pretty much the run of our range. Every now and then I need to check on them.”

  “There they are!” Carole exclaimed.

  Lisa followed the direction she was pointing and saw the horses down in a shallow bowl of grassland, grazing peacefully. A movement on the hillside caught her eye. “It’s the stallion,” she said, awestruck.

  The horse stood above the herd on an outcropping of rock, nobly watching over his charges below, eyes and ears alert for the smallest signs of trouble. The wind rippled through his mane and made his long tail flutter as he eyed the newcomers warily.

  “He’s checking us out,” Paula told them in hushed tones. “He knows me, but not you. Let’s give him a chance to make up his mind about you.”

  After a few minutes of intensive staring, the stallion moved off, snatching a quick mouthful of grass here and there as he continued his patrol.

  “Guess you guys passed muster,” Paula told them, nudging her horse forward. “He’s a smart one, that Shot Gun is.”

  Lisa could hardly believe her ears. Unless she was mistaken, that had sounded suspiciously like a compliment. “Is that his name?”

  Paula nodded. “Yep.”

  “Do they all have names?”

  “Nope.”

  For a moment Lisa thought that was all Paula was going to say.

  “Only the special ones,” Paula finished by way of explanation.

  “What do you carry in your medical bag?” Carole asked after a long silence.

  “The usual: antiseptic, gauze, tetanus shots, a couple of tonics. Of course, we can only do remedial first aid out here, but luckily we hardly ever need more. These animals seem to do fine all by themselves.”

  As soon as they infiltrated the outer ranks of the herd, Paula and Carole started looking for any signs of injury among the members. Lisa felt a twinge of jealousy for their skills. Although she could detect the obvious ailments like a cut or a pronounced limp, it took trained eyes to ferret out the more subtle problems. Paula was obviously experienced at it, and Carole, with her veterinary training, wasn’t far behind.

  There were times during the day when things seemed touch and go. Some of the horses, especially the ones with foals, were shy about letting the younger girls near. Paula, however, had a strong bond with them. Lisa watched with surprise as time after time the wrangler sweet-talked a mare into letting her rub salve into a wound that was in danger of infection, gave a skittish foal a vitamin tonic, or simply picked stones out of a wary animal’s hoof.

  Before long both she and Carole had developed great admiration for the usually taciturn woman.

  “Okay,” Paula said. “We’re about finished here.”

  Lisa held up a hand. “Wait.” She reigned to a halt. “Did you hear that?”

  The three of them fell silent and listened intently.

  “I don’t hear anything,” Paula said.

  “Maybe it was my imagination,” Lisa admitted, “but—” At that moment the sound came again: a groaning.

  “I hear it,” Carole cried.

  “Definitely a horse,” said Paula. “And it sounds like it’s in trouble. Good ears, Lisa.”

  Lisa felt a surge of pride.

  “Could one of the mares be foaling?” Carole asked.

  The wrangler shook her head. “I doubt it. Too late in the season. We’d better check it out.”

  Led by the pitiful noises, it took only a few moments to locate the mare. She was lying on her side, sweating and groaning.

  Paula knelt by the horse’s head and stroked her lathered neck with gentle hands. “It’s okay now, girl. We’re gonna take care of you.”

  The animal lifted her head and looked around at her flanks, then flopped back down.

  “What is it?” Lisa asked, concerned.

  “Colic,” Carole told her calmly. “Did you see the way she was looking at her belly? That’s one of the prime symptoms.”
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  Lisa may not have been an expert on horse problems, but even she knew that colic, if untreated, could kill. She knotted her hands together nervously. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “You betcha,” Paula assured her. “Get that halter off my saddle. We have to get her on her feet, otherwise she’ll try to roll and possibly twist an intestine.”

  Lisa hurried to do as she was told. “What causes this?”

  “She probably ate something that didn’t agree with her,” Paula said, slipping the halter over the animal’s head. “And since horses can’t throw up, which is what you or I would do, we’re gonna have to help her get it through her system. Okay, let’s get her up.”

  The three of them proceeded to pull, push, and prod the reluctant mare to her feet. The horse stood on widespread wobbly legs, head hanging low, periodically moaning.

  “Carole, get me that bottle from my bag. The one with the yellow label. We’re going to dose her.”

  The two girls watched anxiously as Paula proceeded to pour the contents of the bottle down the animal’s throat. “Hopefully that should take care of it. I’ll have to keep her walking for a while, though.”

  “We can take turns,” Lisa offered.

  For the first time since they had met, Paula smiled at her. “I’d be obliged if you would.”

  For the next hour the three of them kept the mare moving continuously. At the slightest pause, the horse attempted to lie down again and roll or to paw at her stomach, but as time passed it happened less and less frequently.

  Lisa was taking another turn when Paula called out, “Hold up there. Let’s take a good look at her.” She came close and ran an expert hand over the animal. “She’s stopped sweating, hasn’t tried to lie down for a while, no groaning and she dropped some manure. I think we’re out of the woods, ladies.”

  Lisa smiled with relief as Carole straightened a crick out of her back.

  “Here’s the thing,” Paula continued. “There’s another animal not far from here. He cut himself pretty bad a week or so ago, and I need to go check on him before dark. Do you think I could leave you here alone?”

  The two of them nodded.