For The Love of Horses (Pegasus Equestrian Center)

by Diana Vincent

  River met her eyes with a smile and told her how proud he was that she had stayed calm and ignored Felicity’s silliness. “She settled right back into her work and that’s because of your riding.”

  They went clean in stadium, but again, Sierra had a refusal cross country, and they did not finish in the ribbons.

  Katrina and Calliope had a decent dressage test, but Calliope took a rail down in stadium and she refused at a drop jump on the cross country course. They also had time penalties cross country. Out of ten entries, they placed sixth.

  No one was surprised when River and Meridian placed first.

  It was a disappointing day for Tess, for neither Pegasus team placed. River’s score was not enough to place the junior team in the ribbons, and on the adult team, Candace and Moonshadow were the only ones to place, coming in fourth.

  “Calliope hardly ever refuses,” Katrina said from the back seat as River started up the truck attached to the goose-neck horse trailer, loaded with all the Pegasus horses. “But she took one look at that bank and froze. I think I’m going to need to work on drop jumps at home.”

  At her mournful tone, Sierra turned to commiserate. “Yeah, I saw that. I’ve never seen Calliope look so startled. And she’s taken drop jumps before. But you two did great in your dressage test.”

  “Yeah, her shoulder-ins were really good,” River added, sensing how discouraged Katrina sounded.

  “Thanks, you two,” Katrina said with a laugh. “What about the rail Calliope took down in stadium?”

  “Katrina, she looked tired to me. That jump was right after a sharp turn and I just don’t think she picked up her impulsion. You took off at the correct spot, but she just didn’t pick up her hind end.”

  “Do you think Calliope can handle intermediate?” Katrina asked in a worried tone.

  “She can do it but it’s not going to be easy for her. Have you been getting all your conditioning rides in?”

  “I missed two days the week before and one day last week,” Katrina admitted, looked very chagrined.

  “She’s going to need to stay in top shape to handle this level,” River warned her.

  “I know…well, I won’t miss any rides once school ends, but it’s so hard to fit everything in right now.” She turned her attention outside her window, trying to formulate a speech for her cheerleading coach so that she maybe could skip at least one practice to ride instead.

  “I haven’t heard from Laila,” River said in a low voice as he steered the rig out onto the highway. He tossed Sierra his phone. “I had it off while I rode. Can you check and see if she’s left a message?”

  “Yes,” Sierra replied, keeping her own voice quiet and then suppressing her excitement said, “she texted and says, horse entered, call me.”

  As soon as they pulled into the stable yard and River parked the rig, he stepped away to call Laila, letting Sierra and Katrina start opening the latches and the ramp to unload the horses.

  “It should be possible,” Laila began after they greeted each other. “Caroline rode Cory in six classes and she also rode another horse in two classes. Another woman was there with a third horse and she also rode in several classes. I think she might be Caroline’s mother. There were two grooms taking care of the three horses. Most of the time one or the other was around the stalls getting one of the horses ready or finishing up with one. Caroline and the other woman never came around the stalls. They had some kind of portable pavilion set up with a table and chairs and a cooler full of food and drink. There were two girls hanging around, probably Caroline’s friends, but neither one rode. The grooms didn’t appear to actually be guarding the stalls; they were just doing their work which kept them around. But at the lunch break, they left together and were gone about twenty minutes. There was one other time at the end of the show when both grooms left, one to go to the restroom and the other to the snack stand. They were both gone about ten minutes that time. Then they both came back and loaded the horses into a trailer. Caroline and all her group had already left.”

  “Sounds like I might have a chance.”

  “Especially if I’m here to give you the all clear.”

  “Thanks, Laila, I owe you,” River said.

  “Yes you do,” she agreed, laughing.

  “The next time she shows him,” River said, his face set in determination, “I’m getting him.”

  *****

  The next hunter/jumper show listed on the schedule was a week later. Laila again agreed to go to the show, and River and Sierra prepared to put their plan into action as soon as they received word from their ‘field agent’.

  “He’s not entered,” Laila informed when she called the morning of the show. “I waited through the first two classes just in case Caroline and company came late, but there’s no sign of them here.”

  Disappointed, Sierra asked River to keep Laila on the phone while she checked the competition calendar. “There are two shows with jumping classes next weekend, one on Saturday and one on Sunday,” she said as she studied the listings. “The Sunday show would be perfect; it’s at the fair grounds and you could get there in about fifteen minutes. It’s also where the last jumper show was held, and chances are that’s where Caroline will go since they’ve been there before.” She pointed to the events on the paper and River asked Laila if she could try again next weekend.

  “She’s up for it,” he said after disconnecting. “She says she can check out both shows.”

  “We also have another dressage show on Saturday,” Sierra reminded him.

  “Oh yeah.” River frowned, thinking about missing his chance to get Cory. “What if she goes to the Saturday show and we’re stuck at the dressage show?”

  “Then we just have to wait.” As his face fell in discouragement she added, “We have to do this right if we’re going to get away with it. River, I know our chance will come soon.”

  Saturday arrived, and Sierra and River took Fiel and Pendragon to the dressage show.

  Sierra had just entered the warm-up ring with River at the rail to coach her, when Laila called. As she finished a few figure eights, encouraging Fiel to warm up his muscles with an energetic trot, she noticed River talking on his phone.

  “Easy…good boy,” she murmured, as she sat deep to bring Fiel down to a walk. As she approached River he had already re-pocketed his phone and waited for her to come close enough to hear.

  “Caroline’s not entered,” he told her, walking alongside the rail.

  “I’ll bet tomorrow then,” she said, “better for us.” She then urged Fiel back to trot and finished warming up, glad to be able to now concentrate fully on her ride.

  River rode only one test, intermediate I, and placed first. Mrs. Galensburg left that day much happier. Sierra rode again third level, test one, and was pleased they had improved their score from the first show, although she still did not place in the class.

  *****

  Sunday, both Sierra and River waited anxiously to hear from Laila, prepared to put the final step of their plan into action if Caroline had entered Corazón in today’s show. They had just finished turning out all the horses when Laila called.

  “She’s here and it looks like the only horse she’s riding today is yours. Her mother isn’t with her,” Laila told River over the phone. “The lunch break is at noon. There’s only one groom here.”

  River left with the trailer at eleven-thirty, but returned in less than an hour with a long face. “Corazón was never alone,” he explained to Sierra. “Caroline rode him in three classes, and then the groom loaded him up and they left. It looks like all the jumping classes were just in the morning.”

  Disappointed, they both returned to their chores.

  *****

  High school gossip usually didn’t interest Sierra unless it concerned someone she knew and cared about. When Katrina came over to sit with Sierra and Allison one Monday at lunch time, they could tell she was ready to bubble over with steamy news.

  “Did you he
ar about Luke and Justin?” she asked with her eyes wide in an ominous expression.

  “What?” Sierra asked. She could care less about Justin, but Luke, a boy she had briefly dated her freshman year, was someone she still considered a friend.

  “I heard, Katrina,” Allison answered, “but nobody knows what really happened and I don’t think we should spread rumors that could hurt someone if it turns out not to be true.”

  “What?” Sierra asked again, now very interested.

  In spite of Allison’s glowering looks, Katrina eagerly told her story. “They were busted at a party Saturday night, for underage drinking and possession of cocaine.”

  “Luke was arrested?” Sierra asked in alarm. “But I saw him in calculus this morning.”

  “He was released but he still has to face charges. Justin is still in jail.”

  “How do you know all this?” Allison asked. She had already heard the rumors or variations of stories of a wild party over the weekend, but she didn’t think anyone knew what had really happened. Apparently nobody else from their school had been at that party.

  Katrina named off her sources, none of which sounded very reliable.

  “Luke seemed like his usual self this morning,” Sierra commented to Allison as the two of them made their way to the library. “I can’t see him involved with cocaine; Justin definitely, but not Luke.”

  “Yeah, I agree.”

  Sierra had one more class with Luke in the afternoon, and when he caught her looking at him with a worried expression, he smiled at her, and then after class came up to her.

  “Hey, don’t look at me like I’m a criminal,” he said, smiling his friendly grin.

  “I’m sorry, Luke; that’s not how I’m looking at you,” Sierra apologized, blushing.

  “It’s true I was picked up by the police at that party; I guess you heard about that. But they released me and I’m not charged with anything. The truth is, Justin called me that night asking me to pick him up because he was too drunk to drive. We really don’t hang out anymore, but you know I was best friends with him through all our school years, right up until he started weirding out last year. I felt kind of obligated to go pick him up. I had just arrived at the address he gave me and was inside looking for Justin when the police came. Talk about bad timing!”

  “Oh Luke, how awful!”

  “It wasn’t so bad. The police believed me, especially since I consented to a blood alcohol test which was negative, and my parents verified I had been home all night until I received the call from Justin, and I told them where I was going. Also, Justin told them the truth about me.”

  “That’s a relief. I really didn’t believe what I was hearing about you.”

  “So, uh, are you still going out with that guy…um, the one who rides?”

  “Yes, I’m still going out with River.”

  Luke gave her a look of chagrin, but then laughed and they said goodbye.

  *****

  Over the next few weeks, Sierra had never been so grateful for intense studying as she concentrated on final papers and exams as her junior year came to an end. Now she appreciated that her habitual study routine allowed her to tune out her worries over River and Corazón. Studying and the time with horses was the only peace she had.

  Because studying did not provide the same distraction for River, Sierra practically insisted that he have dinner with her every night and stay after so she could help him get ready for his finals. He agreed, for he knew he couldn’t concentrate on his own. Nevertheless, it was a difficult time for both of them. River complained, procrastinated, allowed his mind to wander, and after the first two hours, he slammed his book shut, stuffed it in his school back pack and left.

  River had confessed to her that his grades had fallen this last quarter as he just couldn’t concentrate on homework while so distracted with worry over his horse. He was in danger of flunking at least two classes if he didn’t pass his finals. Sierra couldn’t bear the thought of River repeating his junior year while she was a senior.

  In desperation to help him, she called Laila. Much of her animosity toward the girl had dissipated since Laila became their ‘field agent’, and she believed the girl genuinely cared about River.

  “I’ll come over tomorrow night,” Laila promised. “You just get him to your house.”

  Almost seven months pregnant, Laila’s shape now blossomed, and Sierra hardly recognized the girl who arrived at the cottage the next evening. She wore a plain white tee-shirt that showed off her rounded belly, a pair of plain black cropped pants, and comfortable looking sandals. Gone were the spiky dyed hair and multiple piercings. She had allowed her hair to grow to shoulder length and it waved attractively in her natural brown color. Her spotty complexion had cleared and Sierra thought her face actually glowed. Obviously, pregnancy agreed with her.

  “What baby is going to want a goth for a mother?” she explained, noticing Sierra’s not so un-obtuse scrutiny. “I’ve had a lot of fun changing my image. The only hard part has been giving up smoking.”

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to stare. You look beautiful,” Sierra said, her compliment genuine. “Do you know whether it’s a boy or girl?”

  “No, I decided I want to be surprised, because I really don’t care.”

  For the remaining nights, the two girls cajoled River into agreeing to at least two hours of intense studying. Sierra was impressed with how Laila dealt with his complaining and grumpiness. Watching them, she had to admit their relationship seemed like brother and sister, and at last, most of her jealously of Laila evaporated.

  Finally, junior year ended. Sierra again finished in the academic top ten of the junior class. River passed all his courses, mostly Cs, one C-minus, one D, and surprisingly, one B in his math class.

  Laila continued to spy, but Caroline and Corazón did not show up at any of the events on Sierra’s calendar during the last weeks of school. Maybe Caroline also had to concentrate on schoolwork.

  “Don’t worry,” Sierra tried to bolster River’s constant dark and discouraged mood. “The show calendar is packed throughout the summer. We’ll get him!”

  *****

  Chapter 18 Rescue

  I heard a neigh. Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh it was. My very heart leapt with the sound. – Nathaniel Hawthorne

  *****

  The first weekend after school let out, the Pegasus teams attended their next rated combined training event of the season.

  Since all entries with their ride times were posted a week before the show on a web site, Sierra and River knew that Dean had also entered Corazón at young rider preliminary level.

  “River, you’ve got to realize we can’t take him from a show where we’re also competing. We won’t have an alibi and it just won’t work,” Sierra said as they loaded up the Pegasus horses in the morning. Although he had given her a weak smile and a token kiss when she had arrived that morning, she knew his thoughts were on Cory and his mood very dark.

  “I know…Sierra, how can I stand around and do nothing with Dean riding and abusing my horse?” River practically moaned.

  “I think the best thing is to stay out of his way; don’t go looking for Cory. Dean expects that and wants that. If you’re around, the more abusive he will be. And how do you think you’re going to feel if Cory knows you’re there and you don’t come to his rescue?”

  “If I believed in hell, then this is it,” River said morosely.

  His tone, his expression, his posture, all wrought havoc with Sierra’s insides. She grabbed hold of him suddenly, and hugged him as tight as she could. Against his chest she whispered, “I’ll bet anything Caroline will take him to that jumper show tomorrow. Just get through today, River.”

  “I’ll try; I’ll concentrate on Meridian and you and Felicity,” he murmured back.

  Somehow, they got through the day. When Sierra explained to Tess that Corazón was here, her boss was willing to walk the course with the adult riders doing preliminary le
vel, and excused River to walk the course on his own. They all wanted to prevent a confrontation. River had moved up to junior preliminary at this event, but fortunately his ride times were far enough apart from the young rider division, that he did not have to be in the warm-up or competition areas at the same time as Dean.

  Nevertheless, Dean made sure that River and Sierra would see the horse. After his cross country test, he led the black, drenched in nervous sweat and very high-strung, past the Pegasus stalls. Sierra had to grab River’s arm and with all her strength, pull him into the empty stall they were using as a tack room.

  “One more day…one more day,” she kept murmuring to him as he got his temper under control; and she prayed with all her heart that Caroline would be at tomorrow’s show.

  Her third time out on Felicity, Sierra felt like she was getting used to the youngster’s reactions to the show grounds, and was pleased when she felt like her body instinctively responded to the young mare’s spooks by sitting deep and pushing her forward, rather than grabbing reins and tensing up herself. It seemed that Felicity did not startle at near as many things as at previous shows. Maybe she was finally tuning in to Sierra’s calm confidence, or maybe she was just becoming more experienced in dealing with a new environment. They had a good warm-up for dressage and actually completed the test without Felicity shying even once. They finished stadium clean, but to her surprise, Felicity refused a very straightforward obstacle, a thick, round log jump on a slight downhill, during cross country.

  “I don’t know why she refused,” Sierra said during the debriefing at the end of the day. “She didn’t act frightened; she just stopped. Could you see what went wrong?”

  “Her timing was off, couldn’t you feel that?” Tess said. “She wanted to take a full stride but she only had room for a short stride and she didn’t like that so she stopped.”