Ben grinned. “Remember to write that in your review—”
Ben clapped a hand over his mouth. But it was too late. . . .
“What review?” Mr. Ross asked.
Willa rolled her eyes at Ben. Busted!
“We heard a mystery travel critic is staying at Misty Inn,” Willa told Mr. Ross. “We deduced it was you. Is it?”
Mr. Ross stared at Willa and Ben, and then laughed. “I wish I had such an adventurous job. I’m a fifth-grade teacher, which actually can be adventurous at times.”
“A teacher?” Ben said.
“Really?” Willa asked.
“Really.” Mr. Ross chuckled. “But don’t worry. I won’t give you homework.”
Willa believed Mr. Ross’s story about his niece. She also believed he was a teacher and not a mystery travel critic. But it seemed Ben still had to be sold.
“If you’re a teacher, why were your phone calls so serious?” Ben asked. “And why do you need a briefcase? It’s summer and most teachers are on vacation.”
“Those calls were to my sister about the pony,” Mr. Ross said. He pointed down to his briefcase and added, “I brought papers for identification—just in case I need them to buy a pony.”
Ben nodded, and Willa smiled at Mr. Ross. “You’re a good uncle for buying Taylor a pony. And I’m glad she’s better.”
Suddenly—
“Welcome, folks.” The auctioneer’s voice boomed from his stand. “It’s a fine day for a pony auction!”
“Here we go,” Willa said excitedly.
The first pony, a little pinto colt, was led into the corral by two saltwater cowboys. The auctioneer spoke so fast, it made Willa giggle.
“Three hundred dollars—three hundred on the left, do I hear three hundred fifty? Three hundred fifty. Three hundred fifty to Eddie. . . . Do I hear four hundred? Four hundred, four hundred. . . .”
Hands and fingers were raised and bid spotters pointed them out. Willa looked over at Mr. Ross, his hands at his sides.
“Aren’t you going to bid?” Willa asked. “That pony seems to have a gentle nature.”
“He is nice,” Mr. Ross agreed, “but something tells me he’s not right for Taylor.”
The bidding went up to two thousand dollars until the auctioneer shouted, “Do I hear two thousand three hundred? . . . Anyone? . . . Two thousand three hundred—sold to the woman in the orange Orioles cap!”
Cheers rose as a woman in the ball cap jumped up waving her arms. As the little pony was led out of the corral, Willa hoped he would have a good home.
“Maybe the next pony will be the one,” Willa told Mr. Ross. But when Willa looked back at the corral, she gulped. The next pony up was—
“Catalina!” Willa whispered. “Ben, it’s her!”
What happened next caused the crowd to roar with laughter. Catalina broke away from the cowboys and began scampering around the ring.
“She did it again!” Willa gasped. “She escaped.”
The cowboys had no luck catching Catalina. She finally stopped to nibble some grass growing along the fence. That’s when the cowboys took hold.
“Looks like we’ve got a little firecracker, folks!” the auctioneer boomed to the laughing crowd. “And a mighty cute one too!”
Willa glanced over at Mr. Ross, who was grinning and leaning forward. What if Mr. Ross bought Catalina? She’d be brought back to Misty Inn. Yuki would see Catalina and think she was hers. Willa would have to tell Yuki sooner or later, but Yuki seeing Catalina would make it much, much worse. Willa had to do something. Fast.
“Mr. Ross?” Willa said quickly. “That pony is very, very frisky. She’s probably too lively for Taylor.”
“You’ve never met Taylor.” Mr. Ross chuckled. “Now that she’s well, she’s a bundle of energy, just like that foal.”
Mr. Ross stood to get a closer look at Catalina. Willa grabbed Ben’s arm. “Ben, we can’t let Mr. Ross buy Catalina,” she hissed.
“Why not?” Ben whispered.
“Yuki will see her and get upset,” Willa said. “Just do whatever you can to stop him.”
Ben wrinkled a puzzled nose. “Okay, I’ll try.”
As the bidding began, Catalina stayed calm, turning her head from time to time to the crowd.
“We’ll start with two hundred dollars—do I hear two hundred dollars?” the auctioneer boomed.
Willa was relieved the bidding started higher than fifty. But her worries weren’t over yet.
“Three hundred fifty . . . three hundred fifty. . . . Do I hear four hundred?”
Mr. Ross raised his finger. He kept raising his finger as the bids for Catalina went up to eight hundred dollars.
“Do I hear nine hundred? Nine hundred?”
“Look!” Ben shouted. “They’re bringing in a giraffe.”
“A giraffe?” Mr. Ross asked, looking around. “Where?”
Ben finally shook his head. “It’s just a pony with a long neck. Sorry.”
“Nice try,” Willa whispered to Ben.
Willa chewed on her thumbnail as the bidding went past one thousand dollars. Then one thousand five hundred. Then—
“Two thousand!” the auctioneer shouted. He swung around, pointing straight at Mr. Ross. “Sold to the man in the straw fedora!”
Mr. Ross leaped to his feet and cheered for his niece’s new pony. Willa was happy that Taylor would be getting her own pony. But how would she explain it to Yuki?
Yuki had her heart set—no matter how ridiculous it seemed—on Catalina. And not going on any more photography trips with her mother.
“I’d better find your grandfather to help me out,” Mr. Ross told Willa and Ben. “And see if he’s ready to head back to the inn.”
Willa wanted to tell Mr. Ross that the foal’s name was Catalina but decided not to. Catalina was the name Yuki had given her. And the pony wasn’t Yuki’s, at least not anymore.
After Grandpa Reed came over, Mr. Ross left to fill out some papers. Willa and Ben watched as Grandpa Reed loaded Catalina into his trailer. She seemed tuckered out after so much running around.
“Mr. Ross said he’ll meet us at the inn,” Grandpa Reed said, carefully closing the trailer door. “In the meantime, let’s get this little spitfire to a stall.”
Willa and Ben rode in the backseat of Grandpa Reed’s truck as it rambled back to Misty Inn.
“How are you going to keep Yuki from seeing Catalina, Willa?” Ben spoke quietly so Grandpa wouldn’t overhear.
“I don’t know, Ben,” Willa admitted. “I’m hoping Yuki will get back too late today to see Catalina going into the barn.”
Willa didn’t want to think about tomorrow—she’d worry about that when the time came.
Once at the inn Grandpa Reed opened the trailer and the foal scampered out. Willa and Ben held her tightly as Grandpa Reed slipped a newly bought harness around her head.
“What next, Grandpa?” Ben asked.
“For me?” Grandpa Reed asked. “A cold glass of your dad’s iced tea would be nice.”
“I’ll help you get it,” Ben offered.
Grandpa Reed turned to Willa. “Will you be okay bringing the pony to the barn?”
“Sure, Grandpa,” Willa said, holding the harness. “I’ll give her some fresh water and hay, too.”
As Willa walked Catalina toward the barn, she couldn’t wait to introduce her to Starbuck.
“Starbuck is from Assateague Island too, Catalina,” Willa told the foal. “So you have a lot in common.”
Suddenly—
“Willa!”
Willa glanced back. Running toward her with a big smile on her face was Yuki!
“You got her. You got Catalina!” Yuki shouted happily. “I knew you could do it, Willa.”
Yuki reached Catalina and wrapped both arms around her neck. “I told Mom I wanted to get back early, and I’m glad I did!” she said. “Thanks, Willa—now Catalina is my pony at last.”
Willa held the harness as Yuki buried her face in Catalina’s s
oft coat. How could she tell Yuki the truth? How could she not? She truly had no choice.
“Yuki,” Willa began gently, “Catalina was bought at the auction today . . . but she’s not your pony.”
Yuki looked at Willa. She was shocked.
“Not my pony?” Yuki asked slowly. “What do you mean she’s not my pony?”
Chapter 10
WILLA ALMOST STARTED TO CRY. But, instead, she took one deep breath, then another, and finally spoke.
“I couldn’t buy Catalina, Yuki,” Willa explained. “But a very nice man did buy her for his niece. Her name is Taylor.”
Yuki stared at Willa. Now her eyes were filling with tears. “Catalina can’t go to someone else,” she cried. “I named her!”
“I know you did,” Willa said. “But now Taylor will love her too. Her grandparents have a farm just like mine do.”
“But I always wanted a horse,” Yuki insisted. “You knew that.”
“Horses are great,” Willa agreed. “They’re also hard work. You have to water, feed, and groom them more than once a day. And muck their stall, which can be gross sometimes.”
Catalina tossed her mane as if to agree.
“I don’t have a stall,” Yuki admitted with a sigh. “We live in an apartment building.”
“I used to live in an apartment too, Yuki, in Chicago,” Willa said. “There was no way I could ever have had my own pony there.”
Willa patted Catalina’s withers with a smile. “Ponies need exercise, too. And this little pony is going to need a ton of exercise.”
Yuki sniffed back a chuckle. “That’s for sure,” she said. “But what will I do without my own pony? I can’t just read about them all the time.”
Willa didn’t know how to help Yuki, until something suddenly clicked. . . .
“Yuki?” Willa asked. “Did you ever ride a horse?”
“Does a carousel count?” Yuki asked glumly. “My mom would never let me ride a real horse. She is always too nervous I’ll get hurt or grow too attached to one. And there’s a riding academy right in our neighborhood.”
There is? Suddenly Willa had a pretty good idea how she could help.
“Yuki, let’s put Catalina in a stall and feed her,” Willa suggested. “Then let’s go talk to your mom.”
“About what?” Yuki asked.
Willa smiled as she turned Catalina toward the barn. “You’ll see,” she said.
Starbuck seemed over the moon to have a brand-new roomie. She whinnied at the first sight of Catalina as Willa led her inside the barn.
Yuki forced a smile as she helped Willa feed and water Catalina. Willa knew it must have been hard for her, knowing that Catalina would belong to someone else.
The moment they got back to the house, Willa shared her plan with Dad, Grandpa Reed, and—most important—Mrs. Iori and Yuki.
“Riding lessons? For Yuki?” Mrs. Iori exclaimed.
“Oh my gosh, yes!” Yuki said upon hearing Willa’s idea. “Can I, Mom? Please?”
Mrs. Iori had been showing her portfolio of nature photographs to Grandpa Reed on the porch. She shook her head and said, “You know how I feel about horses, Yuki. And how would you go with me on photo shoots when you’re busy with riding lessons?”
“That’s just it, Mom,” Yuki said. “Taking pictures makes you happy, but riding horses will make me happy. And while you watch me take my lessons, we’ll be together.”
“Who knows, Mrs. Iori?” Willa piped in. “You might want to take riding lessons yourself.”
Mrs. Iori stared at Willa. “Riding lessons? Me?” She laughed. “I wouldn’t last three minutes on a horse.”
“You might surprise yourself, Andrea,” Dad said, pouring Grandpa a fresh glass of iced tea.
“As a matter of fact,” Grandpa Reed said, “I know just the place for you and Yuki to take your first lesson.”
Willa knew too. “Miller Farm,” she stated. “Grandma Edna isn’t just a super vet, she’s a great riding instructor, too.”
“Mom? Please?” Yuki asked.
Willa held her breath, waiting for the answer. Finally Mrs. Iori shrugged and said, “Why not? Maybe I can take some pictures of the animals at the farm.”
“And maybe ride one of our biggest animals,” Grandpa Reed said with a grin. “A nice, gentle horse.”
Yuki smiled from ear to ear. She still didn’t have Catalina but was getting the next best thing—a chance to be around ponies and ride them too.
Mrs. Iori stood up, tucking her portfolio under her arm. “Okay, Yuki, if we’re going to be up close and personal with horses, we’d better change into something rugged,” she said. “I still can’t believe I’m doing this.”
“Me neither, Mom.” Yuki giggled. She followed her mother into Misty Inn but not before glancing back at Willa and mouthing, “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome,” Willa mouthed back. She was about to hug Grandpa Reed when Ben stepped out the door.
“I just saw Yuki and she looked happy,” Ben asked. “Didn’t you tell her about Catalina?”
Willa had just started to explain when Ida and Elmer Green came outside.
“That iced tea looks excellent,” Ida declared. She turned to Dad and asked, “Do you make it the same way you did at the Empress Hotel?”
Dad stared at Ida and Elmer. “How did you know I worked at the Empress Hotel in Chicago?” he asked.
Elmer frowned at Ida. “Congratulations, dear,” he said. “You just blew our cover.”
“Cover?” Dad asked. “What do you mean?”
“Our real names are Roy and Lydia Davis,” Elmer explained.
“Roy and Lydia Davis?” Dad gasped. “The travel writers for Trekking Good magazine?”
Willa and Ben stared at Elmer and Ida—now Roy and Lydia. They were the mystery travel critics? No way!
“How come I didn’t recognize you?” Dad asked. “You probably ate at more restaurants I cooked for.”
“We’re masters of disguises, Eric,” Roy explained. “Mostly when we work in the city.”
“Roy’s right,” Lydia joked. “We’re actually twenty-five-year-old hipsters.”
Dad still looked surprised as he poured two more glasses of iced tea. But no one was as surprised as Willa and Ben.
“So the Greens—I mean Davises—are the mystery travel critics,” Ben whispered. “Do you think they like Misty Inn and Family Farm?”
Willa watched the Davises happily sip iced tea on the porch swing. “I think so,” she whispered back.
Now, if only Mrs. Iori would like the horses at Miller Farm.
Later that day Willa’s wish would come true. After snapping pictures of the ponies at Miller Farm, Mrs. Iori took a special liking to a gray pinto named Colette. After a little coaxing, Mrs. Iori climbed into the saddle and let Grandma Edna walk her slowly around the ring.
When the ride was over, Mrs. Iori dismounted with a smile. “That was actually fun,” she announced. “Maybe Yuki and I will take riding lessons back home.”
“Yes,” Yuki cheered under her breath.
Then it was Yuki’s turn to ride. When she saw Jake, a huge draft horse, she insisted on riding him. With the help of Grandma Edna, Yuki rode the gentle giant around the ring—even trotted!
Yuki did so well on Jake that the next day she rode another gentle pony. She rode Starbuck.
“Is it true, Willa?” Yuki asked from the saddle as Willa led Starbuck toward the beach. “I heard Catalina is keeping her name.”
“It’s totally true,” Willa said, looking up at Yuki. “Mr. Ross thinks Taylor will love the name Catalina.”
Yuki remained silent for a few seconds. She then nodded her head and said, “That’s good. Maybe Taylor will learn about Catalina’s brave Spanish ancestors, too.”
When Willa, Yuki, and Starbuck reached the beach, it was filled with people ready to watch the pony swim. But this time the remaining ponies would be swimming back to Assateague Island, their old home.
Willa leaned he
r cheek against Starbuck’s as they watched saltwater cowboys guide a herd through the white foamy waves. The pony swim festivities on Chincoteague Island would soon be over. But when Willa thought of next summer, she smiled.
On the exact same week next year, the ponies would return to Chincoteague. And if Willa was lucky, so would her new friend Yuki.
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.
ALADDIN
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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
And coming soon:
#7 Teacher's Pet
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
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www.SimonandSchuster.com
First Aladdin paperback edition March 2017
Text copyright © 2017 by The Estate of Marguerite Henry
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Serena Geddes
Also available in an Aladdin hardcover edition.
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form.
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