Home at Last
Page 5
“Dad is inside cooking up a storm,” Willa said.
“Do you have to say ‘storm’?” Ben asked. “If it wasn’t for this dumb snowstorm, I’d have a whole long weekend with Winesap.”
“Sorry,” Willa said.
It was Wednesday morning. Willa and Ben stood on the porch waiting for the Lundgrens to arrive. But Ben was in no hurry. . . .
“Maybe the Lundgrens’ car will get stuck in the snow,” Ben said, “for the whole weekend.”
“Ben, that’s horrible,” Willa said.
But she couldn’t blame her brother for being sad. Just yesterday he was over the moon to have Winesap all weekend. Today he was getting ready to give him back.
Mom had done her best to explain why: “Mrs. Lundgren is afraid the storm will keep her from picking up Winesap on Sunday. So she wants to drive Winesap home in the trailer tomorrow after her son gets home from college.”
Ben had stared at Mom, then said in a soft voice, “I’m not feeling so well again.”
With that, Ben left the barn, hurried straight to the house and up to his room. Later Willa had knocked on his door with a dinner tray, but Ben pretended to be asleep.
This morning Ben seemed better but still not over it.
“Grandma Edna and Grandpa Reed probably hate this storm too,” Willa told Ben. “Their flight to Hawaii was canceled.”
The sudden sound of crunching gravel and ice made Willa and Ben turn toward the driveway. Through a haze of snowflakes, Willa and Ben watched a Jeep drive up the shoveled driveway. Hitched to it was a small horse trailer.
“Great,” Ben muttered under his breath.
Mom walked outside, zipping her down jacket. As Mrs. Lundgren got out of the car with Matt, Mom said, “Here they are. Let’s get it over with.”
Mom carefully stepped down from the porch. She walked ahead to the Lundgrens, Willa and Ben trudging behind.
“Well, hello, Dunlaps,” Mrs. Lundgren greeted, squinting through the falling snow. “First off, thank you for taking such good care of Crispin.”
“Crispin?” Ben asked.
“Isn’t that the name of an apple?” Willa asked.
“Sure is,” Matt said. “After we got Crispin at the pony auction, he would lean over the fence to eat apples from our neighbor’s tree. I thought naming him after an apple would be a good fit.”
“I named him Winesap,” Ben said. “I mean, for while he was here.”
“Winesap?” Mrs. Lundgren repeated.
“Seriously?” Matt asked.
Willa held her breath. Would they make fun of the name Ben chose? Instead—
“What a unique name for a pony,” Mrs. Lundgren said.
“Why didn’t I think of that one?” Matt chuckled.
Mom rubbed her gloveless hands together and said, “The snow is really coming down. Would you like to see Winesap?”
“Lead the way,” Mrs. Lundgren said cheerily.
Ben and Willa followed Mom and the Lundgrens to the barn. They passed the field now covered with snow. Willa knew she’d miss seeing Crispin there.
“Here we are,” Mom said, pulling open the barn doors.
Willa could see Starbuck’s ears tilt toward them as they filed inside. Crispin gave a hearty whinny, then tossed his mane.
“Looks like someone is happy to see you,” Mom told the Lundgrens.
Matt walked straight to Crispin’s stall. “Hey, boy,” he said softly as he stroked the pony’s muzzle. “Whatcha been doing while we were away?”
“Listening to stories,” Ben blurted.
“Stories?” Matt asked.
“Winesap—I mean, Crispin—loves science fiction,” Ben explained. “I read to him every day except when I got sick.”
Ben walked to Crispin’s stall. He ruffled the pony’s mane and said, “He also liked the music I played him on my dad’s phone. Mostly classic rock.”
“Crispin likes rock?” Matt asked with a grin. “No way.”
“Ben took good care of Crispin,” Willa told the Lundgrens. “Really good care.”
“I can see that,” Mrs. Lundgren said. “You know, Ben, you can visit Crispin any time you want.”
“Thanks . . . but no, thanks.” Ben sighed. “It would be too hard to keep saying good-bye.”
Everyone stared silently at Ben. Until Matt said, “Mom, I think I found a new home for Crispin.”
“Where, Matt?” Mrs. Lundgren asked.
“Here at the Dunlaps’,” Matt said, smiling at Ben. “The little dude reminds me of me when I got Crispin.”
Willa gave a little gasp. She turned to Ben, whose jaw had dropped a mile.
“You mean . . . you want to give me Crispin?” Ben asked.
“Sure,” Matt said. “I still have two years of college left. Then I’ll probably move to the city.”
Matt smiled at Crispin and said, “Can’t exactly keep a pony in a studio apartment, right?”
“Right,” Willa said, smiling. Ben was too excited to say another word.
“Well, I think it’s a super idea,” Mrs. Lundgren said.
Ben turned to Mom. “Can I keep him, Mom?” he asked excitedly. “Please?”
“It’s fine with me,” Mom said. “And I’m pretty sure it’ll be fine with your dad, too.”
Ben pumped a joyous fist in the air. “Woo-hoo!” he shouted. “I’ve got my own pony.”
Willa smiled as she watched her brother, happy at last. His dream of owning Winesap had just come true, and it would be an amazing Thanksgiving. Now, if only her dad’s dream of having a huge Thanksgiving dinner would come true too. . . .
“Mrs. Lundgren?” Willa asked slowly. “What are you and Matt doing for Thanksgiving?”
“Aloha, Grandpa Reed,” Willa said, slipping a plastic purple lei around her grandfather’s neck.
“Does this mean I have to play the ukulele?” Grandpa Reed joked.
“You never played the ukulele, so don’t start now,” Grandma Edna warned.
Willa giggled. It was her idea to have a Thanksgiving luau, ever since her grandparents’ flight to Hawaii was canceled. All the guests at the long Family Farm community table wore a lei—the Dunlaps, the Millers, the Lundgrens, and the Starlings.
“Paisley would have loved a Thanksgiving luau,” Sarah said. “I can’t believe her flight was canceled too.”
“Well, it was nice of you to invite us to the Family Farm for Thanksgiving dinner,” Mrs. Starling said.
“And me and Matt,” Mrs. Lundgren piped in. She turned to Dad, who was placing bowls of hot biscuits on the table. “Eric, I sure hope you didn’t cook all this for us.”
“But I’m glad you did, Dad,” Ben said.
“Yeah,” Chipper said, rubbing his stomach. “I’m so hungry, I can eat a horse.”
Grandma Edna raised an eyebrow. “Excuse me?” she asked.
Chipper gulped, then quickly added, “I mean—I’m as hungry as a horse. Yeah, that’s it.”
“Just make sure you leave room for dessert, Chipper,” Dad said. “We have apple pie and pumpkin.”
“Perfect,” Willa declared.
Everything was perfect as she admired the table decorated with tiki lanterns, pine apples, plastic palm fronds, and—of course—the Dunlaps traditional paper-turkey centerpiece named Harvey.
Everyone was laughing, eating, and sharing what they were thankful for. Willa was almost certain Ben was thankful for Crispin. And in time he would become a horse expert too.
But I still know what’s best for Crispin, Willa thought as she reached for a biscuit. And the best place for Crispin—is with Ben.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to the entire Aladdin team for bringing this book to life. Karen Nagel’s enthusiasm and humor make any project a pleasure. Thanks to her and to Fiona Simpson for trusting this lifelong city girl to imagine life on Chincoteague Island. Much thanks to Kristin Earhart for her wonderful vision of Misty Inn and its characters. Her knowledge and love of horses were incredibly helpful and i
nspiring. Thanks also to Serena Geddes, whose illustrations bring so much sparkle to the series, and to Laura Lyn DiSiena, for beautifully designing the series. Last but not least, a huge thanks to my family and forever friends—you’re always there to lend support and an occasional ear for my ideas, day or night.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
JUDY KATSCHKE is the author of many books for young readers, from Ready-to-Reads and chapter books, to middle-grade fiction and nonfiction. She lives in New York City.
Marguerite Henry’s Misty Inn is inspired by the award-winning books by MARGUERITE HENRY, the beloved author of such classic horse stories as King of the Wind; Misty of Chincoteague; Justin Morgan Had a Horse; Stormy, Misty’s Foal; Misty’s Twilight; and Album of Horses, among many other titles.
Don’t miss the first book in the MARGUERITE HENRY’S series!
ALADDIN
SIMON & SCHUSTER, NEW YORK
VISIT US AT
SIMONANDSCHUSTER.COM/KIDS
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Judy-Katschke
Authors.SimonandSchuster.com/Serena-Geddes
Read all of
MARGUERITE HENRY’S
books!
#1 Welcome Home!
#2 Buttercup Mystery
#3 Runaway Pony
#4 Finding Luck
#5 A Forever Friend
#6 Pony Swim
#7 Teacher’s Pet
#8 Home at Last
This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ALADDIN
An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020
www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin hardcover edition February 2018
Text copyright © 2018 by The Estate of Marguerite Henry
Illustrations copyright © 2018 by Serena Geddes
Also available in an Aladdin paperback edition.
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
ALADDIN and related logo are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Simon & Schuster Special Sales at 1-866-506-1949 or business@simonandschuster.com.
The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at www.simonspeakers.com.
Book designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena
Jacket designed by Laura Lyn DiSiena
Jacket illustration copyright © 2018 by Serena Geddes
The text of this book was set in Century Expanded.
This book has been cataloged with the Library of Congress.
ISBN 978-1-4814-6995-1 (hc)
ISBN 978-1-4814-6994-4 (pbk)
ISBN 978-1-4814-6996-8 (eBook)