by Andrea Young
Now using a lead line with a section of chain over his nose for added control, Finny led Sky to the arena. He danced at her side. She worked on his manners, insisting he walk next to her, not in front or back and not banging into her every other step. At 17.2 hands and thirteen hundred pounds, he was not fun to bump into.
Finny and Joe had found that Sky was willing to learn, but his attention span was extremely short.
Out in the arena Finny slowly let out slack in the lunge line. Sky had taken to bolting when lunged and they’d worked long and hard to get him to behave like a gentleman. So far so good. Sky was walking. Finny gave a cluck and Sky bounded off at a trot. He was a fancy mover; he had the kind of motion judges like to see in the show ring. Muscle that sprang from nowhere rippled under his shiny coat and his luxurious tail fluttered in the breeze. Finny could spend the rest of her life just watching her beautiful horse and have no regrets.
“Look at him go. His stride is huge!” Joe said, leaning on his crutch, watching Sky trot by.
“They want big strides in jumping horses. I sure hope he can jump.”
“I don’t have much experience with jumpers, but he looks like he could do anything,” Joe said.
Finny brought Sky back down to a walk and led him toward the gate.
“We should saddle him in here,” Joe said. “If he doesn’t like it we’ll have more room to handle him.”
“I’ll go grab the saddle.”
Once Finny was gone Joe whispered into Sky’s ear. “You be a good boy, Sky; make Finny happy. She’s the sweetest person on earth and the best owner you’ll ever have, so behave.” Joe gave Sky a pat just as Finny rounded the corner with the saddle, minus its stirrups. He’d get used to the saddle first before being introduced to stirrups banging his sides.
“Okay, rub him with the saddle pad first, all over his body. With as much as he’s been groomed it shouldn’t bother him.” Joe was right—Sky didn’t flinch. After a few moments he looked bored.
“Okay, lay it in place then do the same with the saddle.”
Finny did as instructed and two minutes later Sky stood quietly with a saddle on his back for the first time in his life.
“Can you believe it? He has a saddle on!”
“That was the easy part. Now the girth. Rub his belly where the girth is going to touch.”
Finny did and Sky moved around a bit but soon settled down.
“Okay, put the girth on loose.”
“Like this?”
“Yep, you got it. Now walk a few steps.”
Sky walked along quietly.
“Okay, now tighten it just enough for him to feel it, then walk some more.”
Again, Finny did as she was told and Sky behaved like a gentleman.
“He’s so perfect, look at him.”
“Finny, so far there’s no pressure. He may act up once he feels some, so be careful. Go ahead and tighten it one more time.”
Finny did and Sky flicked his ears back and forth and swished his tail hard.
“I don’t think he likes it.”
“He’s not used to it. Give him some time. Walk him again.”
“Is it too tight?”
“No, he just feels it now. Keep walking.”
Finny moved forward and Sky began to dance next to her.
“Let him loose. Give him time to deal with it on his own.” Joe could sense the horse was going to act up. Finny unhooked the lead and got out through the gate of the arena just in time. Sky exploded away and let out the biggest buck Finny had ever seen. Within moments he was tearing around the arena like a rodeo bronc. The saddle stayed snugly where it belonged.
For five solid minutes Sky bucked, ran, and reared but nothing dislodged the saddle.
“He looks so mad. We need to stop him so we can get it off,” Finny said, wringing her hands with worry.
“No, let him deal. It’s not hurting him. What you said is right—he’s mad.”
“Is that normal for a horse to get so mad?”
“Not really, but Sky being twelve, growin’ up with people instead of other horses, makes him a little harder to understand.”
Sky, finally tired from running, stopped and reached around to bite the hated saddle.
“Have you ever seen a horse do that, Joe?”
“Bite at a saddle? No, never.”
Talking in soothing tones, Finny went to Sky, clipped on his lead, and removed the saddle. Once it was off all was forgiven and Sky was happy. Finny walked him out of the arena, then turned him out in the pasture to graze.
“I still say today was a milestone.”
“It was.” Joe smiled and leaned on the fence. He adjusted his immobilizer to make it more comfortable.
“How’s the leg? A few more days and that will come off. I bet you can’t wait.”
“I’m so ready. The last couple of weeks it hasn’t hurt or anything. I just want to ride again.”
“I can’t wait to see you ride. I bet you’re awesome.”
“You know who was great? My dad. He’d gentle the rankest horse in a day. My mom used to say he was half cowboy, half magician.” Finny saw Joe’s face turn from happy to slack, breaking her heart.
“I’m sorry, Joe.”
He gave a half smile, then stood up. “I’m gonna start on the stalls. How long will you be at Silver Spur?”
“Most of the day. Are you sure you’re okay doing everything here?”
“Oh, yeah. I’ve gotten good at moving around with this thing.” Joe tapped his brace.
“Okay, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Finny hated to leave but she had to. She slid though the fence and waved good-bye.
The feed store truck was pulling up Silver Spur’s long driveway. Finny hurried so she could help Dale unload the bags of feed into the feed room. She also knew he’d be distracted because most of the girls at the barn had a crush on him. Finny wasn’t surprised when Olivia and Josie were already by the feed room waiting. Dale backed the truck up to the door and hopped out. He was sixteen, tall, blond, and handsome. His feed store job and the high school football team kept him musclebound and fit.
“Hello,” Dale said to the gathering group of girls.
“Hi, Dale,” Josie said. “What’d you bring?”
Finny did her best not to smile. Josie’s crush was glaringly obvious.
“Grain, grain, and more grain,” Dale said, hefting two bags at once over his shoulders. Finny could only handle one fifty-pound bag at a time. Dale climbed the stairs and dumped the bags on the floor of the feed room.
“Thanks,” he said to Finny as she passed by with a bag.
“So you go to Chesterfield High, right?” Olivia asked.
“I do.” He answered politely but had to keep moving. There were several deliveries to do.
“I go to Collinwood Prep.”
“Do you?” Dale stated. Again, polite and no doubt used to twelve-year-old barn girls with crushes. Finny tried not to laugh. Chesterfield was where she attended school. Elsa and her buddies called it the “last chance school for losers.”
Finny began to pour the bags of grain into the metal feed containers. If they left the grain in the paper bags, the mice would tear them open to feast.
By bag ten she was getting tired and Dale kept bringing more. Carl was nowhere to be seen, so Finny knew she had to be the one to get this done.
When Dale dropped the last bag he hesitated, then began opening bags and helping Finny pour them into the feed bins.
“It’s okay, I know you’re busy. I got this.”
“It’s no problem.” Josie and Olivia were soon joined by Audrey, Clara, and Raine. They all watched Finny and Dale work while peppering Dale with questions. He worked fast and had no problem lifting the heavy bags or answering the girls’ endless questions with good humor. With Dale’s help all the grain was stored in less than fifteen minutes.
“Have a good day, ladies.” Dale waved and smiled before hustling to his truck.
“Than
k you!” Finny yelled after him. Josie had a dreamy look on her face as she grabbed Olivia’s arm and walked away.
“What do you think, Clara, Dale cuter than Finny’s non-boyfriend?” Audrey said, not at all trying to hide her mocking tone.
“Hard to say. No-bo Joe was pretty sweet.”
“No-bo Joe! Clara, that’s classic.”
Finny had to push past them to get out of the feed room. As much as she wanted to say something back, she knew better and wasn’t going to jeopardize her ability to work there.
Finny took her job list from her pocket. Again it was daunting. She needed to groom, wrap, and turn out all the horses that weren’t getting training rides today. That was sixteen. Finny picked up a jog. That was only one chore out of twenty-five.
Vel Moore pulled into her drive and parked behind her house. She spotted Joe with her two retired horses, Max and Stella, in the wash rack. He was bathing Stella and Max was drying in the sun, his coat now sparkling white.
“This is a nice surprise.” Joe jumped when she spoke.
“Sorry, Joe, didn’t mean to sneak up on you.”
“Hope you don’t mind. I was just done cleanin’ and all. I figured it’d be okay to bathe ’em.”
“Of course. I’ve been so busy at work I haven’t had the time.”
“I’m happy to take care of them. All of ’em, if you want.”
“Whatever you can do is great. And Joe, please help yourself to the food in the fridge. I’m tight on money at the moment, but the least I could do is feed you. Oh, and Finny says you can trim and shoe. I could pay you for that. The farrier I got now is retiring.”
“Thank you, ma’am . . . Sorry, Vel.” She gave him a smile. Getting him to remember to call her Vel was taking a while, but he was getting there.
“I’m going to make us both some lunch. Come in when you’re done.” Vel turned away before Joe could decline her offer. She knew he had to be hungry, but she also knew he wasn’t comfortable around her and she was hoping to change that.
By five o’clock Joe was getting worried about Finny. He went to the fence line and spotted her heading his way through the trees. She looked exhausted.
“What are they doing to you over there?” he asked as Finny slipped through the fence.
“Pretty much all of my work and Carl’s. I swear I never see him anymore.”
“Anything here left to be done?” Finny asked, still ready to work if needed.
“No, all done. I just fed, too.”
“Ready to head back to the trailer then?”
“You bet. I wish Vel was here to give us a ride. You look dead.”
Finny smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “No biggie. I just want to say hi to Sky before we head off.” Seeing her horse clean and happy re-energized Finny. She filled Joe in on her day at Silver Spur as they walked to the trailer.
When they arrived at the mobile home, a brand new “For Sale” sign was staked out on the lawn.
“Oh no! What if my mom went inside or around back? I’m so dead.”
“No, you’re not. I make sure no one can tell anyone’s been here before I leave. And I wanted to surprise you, but I fixed the backyard.”
“How’d you do that?”
“Tools in the carport. Two big pieces of siding, too. Everything’s fixed, you’d never know,” Joe said proudly.
“Joe, you are a life saver, thank you!” Finny jumped up and grabbed him in a hug. Joe’s whole body locked tight. Finny quickly let go. Trying to think of anything to break the sudden awkwardness, she stammered, “I, uh . . . bet Vel would let you stay with her if you can’t stay here and she can help you enroll at the high school.”
“High school? I haven’t been to school since I was eleven.”
“You’re kidding. What did you do? How did you learn stuff?”
“Learned all kinds of things. How to ride, break, rope, work cattle, tend sheep, shoe horses, mend fences. I can heal a horse that’s sick, or hurt. I can fix cars, trucks, tractors, anything with a motor. I know most of the drivelines through the country and how and when to run them. I can hunt, fish, and track a missing animal for miles if we lose one. I know how to survive the desert in the summer and the mountains in the winter. I watched my uncle and how he handled his business. So I know how to lie, cheat, and steal if I had a mind to.”
“Wow . . . that’s more than I could ever do.”
Joe laughed. “I don’t know if those things will get me anywhere these days. A lot of the old-timers I used to know said the world changed and there’s no going back. Cowboys will soon be extinct like the dinosaurs.”
“I hope that’s not true.”
“If I had my wish, I’d just work with horses. Gotta figure out how to get paid to do it.”
“Me, too, Joe. I want to be a trainer and teach people to ride and go to horse shows just like Jeff next door.”
“He any good?”
“I think so. He wins a lot. He costs a lot.”
Joe nodded and sat on the couch. He stretched out his right leg and eased back into the cushions. Finny glanced at her watch. She wanted to hang with Joe but knew she had to get home. She turned and looked at him, wondering how he felt. Wondering if he wanted her to stay or if it mattered either way. She wished he were a little easier to read.
“I’m going to head for home.”
“Okay.”
Finny searched his face for signs he wanted her to stay. There were none.
“Do you get bored here all by yourself with no TV or anything?”
“Bored? No, I like it here. It’s peaceful.”
“That’s good then. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“See you tomorrow.” Joe stood when Finny got up to leave. He waved, and then closed the door. Finny made her way back to her house. Maybe tomorrow she’d ask how he felt about things. If he asked, What things? she’d just say, I don’t know. Things.
When Finny walked into her house her mom was moving suitcases out of the garage and into the hallway.
“Are you going on a vacation?”
“Oh, hi, Finny. Yes, next weekend Steven and I are taking the girls to Magical Beginnings. They’ve been dying to go. So you’ll be staying with your dad.”
“Is that like Disneyland for little kids?”
“You could say that.”
“That’s not Dad’s normal weekend.”
“I know, but he said it was okay.”
“Hey Mom . . .”
“Yes?” Finny was getting up the nerve to ask why, when there were trips to take, she was always sent to the other parent and never included. She knew her mom would say, well this is for little kids and you’d be bored. She knew that because that’s what her father said when she asked him. Finny wanted to ask if maybe they could do something that the whole family could do together, just once so she didn’t feel so unimportant, but she didn’t, because it would be unbearable hearing that she was a mistake and a burden to them now that they had the families they really wanted.
“I hope you all have fun.”
“Thanks, sweetheart.”
Finny went upstairs to her room, lay on her bed, and let her mind wander. She gazed around her bedroom, then got up and went to the bathroom. Once there, she looked into the mirror and tapped it lightly just to feel how solid it was. Her mind went back to Joe. She wondered if he thought she was pretty. Or if, once out of sight, he thought about her at all.
Finny pulled her hair back, then up. She let it drop and stared at her face. Joe was handsome. He sure didn’t act it, though. Maybe it didn’t matter to him . . . maybe he didn’t know. Could be if you don’t have people telling you you’re handsome or pretty, you don’t know.
Next weekend was the last summer weekend before school started. Finny sighed, left the bathroom, and flopped back down on her bed. She didn’t want to waste her last weekend with her dad who acted like a stranger or a stepmother who seemed to confuse a visiting daughter with a maid/babysitter.
A fat warm te
ar rolled down Finny’s cheek. Caught by surprise, she wiped it away. She was tired of being fourteen.
Finny closed her eyes and thought of Sky and what to do next. He was coming along . . . fine. As soon as Joe was off his crutches they’d break him to ride. Finny knew without Joe’s help she’d have been lost. She had only ever ridden very broke, well-trained show horses. Even the sour ones like Tank had years of experience, and they were nothing like her giant, more dog-thanhorse-acting equine.
Finny rolled over and got under the covers. She felt unusually tired and wished she were still with Joe. She didn’t know why, but everything always felt right when he was around.
Chapter Eight
JOE WOKE WHEN THE LIGHT TOUCHED HIS EYES. He had always been a rise-with-the-sun person. He sat up in bed and pulled the sheets and blankets up around him and squeezed the soft material in his hands. Having spent most of the last four years sleeping in the back of a truck or on the floor of a camper, this was paradise.
Joe pushed the blankets away and uncovered his leg. He unstrapped the immobilizer and pulled it off, then touched his knee. The doctor had said six weeks in an immobilizer might work, but he had recommended surgery. Joe feared surgery would lead to too many questions, hence too many problems. His knee felt better. It felt solid and didn’t hurt when pressed on. Joe slid his leg off the bed keeping it straight. He let his knee bend slightly. To his delight there was no sudden, stabbing pain. Not wanting to push his luck, Joe put the immobilizer back on.
Allowing himself a moment of enjoyment, Joe lay back on the pillows. Six weeks since he’d slipped out of the truck and jumped into the horse trailer. It felt like a lifetime ago. Joe wondered how hard his uncle was looking for him or if he’d given up. He knew his uncle would want revenge. Would that be enough to keep him searching? Joe said a silent prayer to God and his parents never to be found.
With a weary sigh he looked around the modest trailer he didn’t want to leave, then got up and made his way to the kitchen. Joe examined the contents of the refrigerator. He’d have to clean all traces of food from it when he left the trailer that morning. Thinking of all the food Finny had brought him to eat over the past six weeks made him smile. Finny, hands down, was the sweetest girl he’d ever known. Thinking of her made the smile stay. Remembering how he had reacted when she hugged him made him cringe. He had just been caught by surprise. He tried to remember the last time anyone had hugged him.
