“Please, Daddy?” I ask. “I have all my homework done. And Momma won’t care as long as we’re back in time for supper.”
“All right,” Daddy says. “I do need to talk to Pa about something. I could just leave you with Uncle Bay for a while, and then come back and get you.”
I am as happy as a cow in hay!
Bump-thump-bumpity-thumpity, Daddy’s truck bounces along, making a big brown cloud of dust behind us as we head out to the country where Uncle Bay’s ranch is. Soon, I see the big gate with the Rocking Star sign on it. There’s a giant metal bull in front.
Uncle Bay has a real bull named Diablo. Diablo is famous. No bull rider has ever been able to ride him for more than one minute.
Daddy stops and lets me out. “Thirty minutes,” Daddy tells me. “Call me at Pa’s if you need me before then.”
I smile. “Got it, Daddy!” Then I zip into the barn.
Uncle Bay is inside, brushing a tall black horse. The horse’s bridle has tiny silver stars on it.
“Why, hello!” Uncle Bay says.
“I want to ride a bull!” I tell him.
Uncle Bay laughs. “Not a real one,” he says.
“Nope, not at first,” I say. “I reckon I better practice a little. How do those bull-riding boys learn to do it?
He points to the corner of the barn. “They ride that,” he tells me. There’s a fake bull in the corner. It’s made of some kind of gray metal, and it’s taller than me. It sits in a big pile of soft hay.
I head over to take a look at that fake bull. Right away, I know his name should be Thunder. He’s the same color as the sky in a storm.
I think Thunder will work for me if it works for boys to learn how to ride bulls. I’m smarter than most boys anyway.
“Tell me everything about riding this practice bull, Uncle Bay. Then I want to get on him,” I say.
Uncle Bay shakes his head. “I suppose you can’t hurt yourself,” he says. “All right, then. Hang onto the bull with one hand, and use the other one up in the air to keep yourself balanced. And squeeze him real tight with your legs, so you won’t fall off.”
I nod. “Got it,” I say. “Now help me up, please. I’m ready to try old Thunder out.”
“Is that his name?” Uncle Bay asks. “He never told me.”
“Yes, it is!” I say.
Uncle Bay gives me a boost onto Thunder’s back.
I hold on tight and shout, “Ready!”
As soon as Uncle Bay flips the switch, that bull swings me right off of him.
Thump! I land on my back in the pile of hay.
“He’s a tricky one!” I say, standing up and brushing myself off. “I better try again.”
Uncle Bay frowns. “Why are you so interested in bull riding?” he asks.
“I’m riding a bull for my event in the Wild West Rodeo,” I explain.
“Huh,” Uncle Bay says. “I never knew you were planning on competing in the rodeo.”
“Yes sir!” I tell him. “Can you boost me up onto Thunder again?”
“You know, it takes a lot of practice to win a bull-riding competition,” Uncle Bay says.
“Yep, I know,” I say. “Come on!”
He boosts me up and turns on the bull again. Thunder jerks right and left.
My pink cowboy hat goes flying. Then I go flying. Thud! I land in the straw.
Uncle Bay helps me up. “You’re not much of a bull rider,” he says. He can tell that makes me sad, and he adds, “If you promise to never get on a bull again, I promise to figure out a better plan for you.”
I brush off my behind. I’m going to have a bruise! Those bulls mean business.
I think about what Uncle Bay said. He’s a good person, and real smart, too. He’s someone you can depend on.
“You’ve got yourself a deal,” I tell him. Then we shake on it, right before we hear Daddy’s truck coming up the driveway.
When I walk outside after school the next day, Momma is parked right next to my bus! She waves me over to the van.
“Pa has a surprise for you,” she tells me. “Come on. Hop in.”
“What is it?” I ask.
Momma laughs. “If I tell you, it’s not a surprise,” she says. “Right?”
I shake my head. “But you could just give me a clue,” I say. “That’s not telling.”
Momma doesn’t give me a single tiny clue. The whole way out to Pa’s, I’m trying to think of what the surprise could be. Maybe they got a new swimming pool in the backyard! Or what if Pa built a playhouse with real lights that work, like my cousin Lucy and I always ask him for?
Momma and I listen to 100.5 on the radio on the way to the farm. That’s the station for the most country hits. Country songs tell some mighty good stories, if you listen. I sing some of the words, and Momma does too, but she still won’t give me one itty-bitty clue.
When we get to the dirt road that goes to the farm, Momma looks at me in the rear-view mirror. She asks, “Do you have it figured out yet?”
“No ma’am,” I tell her.
She parks the van and points. “There’s your first clue,” she says.
There are three horse trailers parked by Pa’s barn.
“Is Pa gettin’ a new horse?” I ask.
Momma winks. Suddenly, an idea hits me like red paint on a barn.
I shout, “My surprise is a horse!”
Momma points toward the barn, where Pa is talking to some cowboys. “It’s not my surprise to tell,” she says. “Go ask Pa what he has for you.”
I run to the barn as fast as I can. My pigtails flop on both sides of my head, and my sparkly gold star barrettes almost fall out. When I get close to Pa he holds up his hand.
I am out of air after all that running. Breathing hard, I ask, “What’s my surprise? Is it a horse?”
The cowboys wink at Pa and walk into the barn. “You better catch your breath and wait for your momma,” Pa tells me.
I hop around like I have fire ants in my pants. “Hurry, Momma!” I yell.
Momma strides quickly over to the barn. She hugs Pa.
“Okay, we’re ready,” Pa shouts.
The cowboys come out of the barn, leading three of the prettiest ponies you ever did see. The first is a Paint pony with colorful spots on it. The second is white like snow. The third is a gold Palomino pony. She has a white spot on her forehead that’s shaped like a star. When the sun hits her mane, it shimmers like a blaze of fire. She reminds me of a comet or a shooting star.
When I see that third horse I nearly burst from excitement. “Do I get to keep one, Pa?” I whisper. “Can it be any one I want?”
Pa puts his hands in his overall pockets. Then he nods. “Yup,” he says, grinning.
“Wow!” I say. I step closer to the horses. This is going to be hard!
The Paint pony is cute as can be. She’s a white horse with tan, black, and brown marks.
I like the pure white horse a lot, but I’m kind of a messy girl. A white horse would get dirty real quick.
Then I look at that gold horse, the one with the star on her forehead. She snickers and turns toward me.
I gasp. “Momma, did you see that?” I ask. “She knows I’m thinking about her. I bet she wants me to pick her!”
“You better get closer,” Momma says. “A horse and a rider have to be best friends. Go right up to her and see how you two get along.”
Pa puts two perfect lumps of sugar in one of my hands and a carrot in the other. He says, “You better take that pony a little present.”
I walk over slowly, so that I don’t spook the pony. First, I put the hand with the sugar up where she can smell it. I feel her velvety wet nose as she sniffs the sugar.
When she nibbles the sugar up, it tickles!
“You can be my pony,” I whisper. “We’ll be best friends. You’ll live here at Pa’s house and I’ll come and see you all the time. Okay?”
The pony tosses her mane and whinnies. Pa laughs, and it rumbles out over to the barn. Momma laughs, too
.
I run over to give Pa a big squeezy hug.
“Thank you so much!” I say. “You’ve made me the happiest girl in the whole wide world!”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” Pa says. “But you better thank your Uncle Bay, too. He called me last night and told me you needed a horse. I’ve been thinkin’ about gettin’ another pony, so I thought this would be the perfect time.”
I knew I could count on Uncle Bay. He’s the best!
The other ponies are looking a little sad, so I go over and pat their noses.
“Don’t worry,” I tell them. “You’re both real pretty. Some other girl will choose you, and you’ll be best friends with her.” Then the cowboys lead the other two ponies away.
“Now you need to choose a name for your pony, Kylie Jean,” Pa tells me.
I already know her name. I knew it from the first moment I saw her golden mane and the spot on her forehead.
“Star,” I say. “Her name is Star.”
Star raises her head and looks at me with her big brown eyes.
“See? She likes her name!” I say, smiling.
“There’s one more thing,” Pa says. “Go on and look in the barn.”
I walk over to the barn and head inside. It’s dark in there and smells like hay. I see a shape on the floor right next to one of the stalls.
When I look closer, I can see that it’s a saddle. It’s black, with pretty little pink stars on the sides. Perfect for me and Star!
It smells like leather, and there’s a note on it.
The note says,
Kylie Jean,
Pa thought you would need a smaller saddle. You’ll always be my Rodeo Queen. Love you bunches,
Daddy
XOXO
It’s perfect! I can’t wait to give Daddy a big hug.
“All right, we’ve got to get home,” Momma says when I come out of the barn. “Say goodbye to Star.”
“Already? But I just met her! She’ll be scared here all alone without her best friend!” I say.
Momma says, “Hop in the van, honey.”
“Pa, can’t I stay in the barn with her tonight?” I ask.
“No, sweetheart,” Pa says. “But you can come over tomorrow after school and go for a ride. Don’t you worry. I’ll take good care of your pony.”
“All right,” I say. “Bye, Star. Don’t feel lonely. I’ll be back soon.”
I get in the van, and Momma and I talk about how school went and what Momma might make for supper. But all I can think about is my pony.
My pony. Those are the best words in the whole entire world!
Before I know it, Star and I are best friends. I ride her every day after school.
She can walk, trot, and gallop. When I pull the reins gently, she follows my directions and turns. She goes where I ask her to go.
I always bring her a treat, and she likes me just as much as I like her.
A few days after Star arrives, Uncle Bay is talking to Nanny when I get done with my afternoon ride through the fields of Lickskillet Farm. They both smile when they see me.
“You’re doing a great job ridin’, and I think you’re ready for part two of my plan,” Uncle Bay tells me. “If Nanny trains you to barrel race, you just might win at that rodeo.”
“That’s a great idea!” I say. “Nanny was the best barrel racer in the whole state of Texas!”
Nanny smiles at me. “It’s been a real long time since I was a barrel racer, honey, but I’ll try to teach you everything I know,” she says. “But you have to pinky swear to work hard at training, follow directions, and never cry or quit.”
I make my face serious. Then I reply, “Yes, ma’am. I promise.” Then I lean over from Star’s back so that we can lock our pinky fingers together.
“We’re going to win,” Nanny whispers. “Just you wait and see!”
“I bet you will,” Uncle Bay says. He smiles at me and kisses Nanny’s cheek. Then he touches the tip of his cowboy hat, walks to his truck, and drives away.
“Let’s get started!” Nanny says.
“Okay,” I say. “What should I do first?”
“Dismount,” Nanny says. She grabs Star’s reins.
“But aren’t I supposed to learn how to barrel race?” I ask. “How can I do that if I’m not on my horse?”
“Your job is to follow directions,” Nanny says. “Mine is to teach you. Remember?”
“Yes, ma’am,” I say.
We tie Star to the fence. Then, using a stick, Nanny draws three big circles in the dirt, in a triangle shape. “You’ll need to pretend these are barrels,” she explains.
“Do I ride Star around the circles?” I ask her.
Nanny shakes her head. “Not yet,” she says.
I watch as Nanny uses the reins to lead Star around the barrels. First she loops around the left circle, then the right, and finally the one at the top. Star’s hooves and Nanny’s boots have made a huge clover shape in the dirt.
“Did you see how to lead your horse?” Nanny asks. I nod, and she goes on, “You’ll have to walk her around the barrels until she can run them on her own. Come on over here and give it a try.”
I take the reins. At first, it’s strange to walk Star instead of ride her, but after a while, we start getting used to it.
The next day, there are barrels set up where Nanny had drawn the circles. Pa brings the barrels and sets them up right where Nanny marked the dirt. We keep on practicing, walking around and around those barrels.
It’s boring. Star and I don’t complain or quit, but sometimes we kind of want to.
By Friday, I’m really bored of walking. There’s just a week left till the rodeo. But when I get to Lickskillet Farm after school, Nanny has a big grin on her face. “I think your pony is ready,” Nanny says. “You can try to ride her through the barrels now. You’ve done a great job training her.”
“Yay!” I shout. I give Star the lumps of sugar that were sticking to the inside of my jacket pocket. “You’re a good girl, Star,” I whisper in her ear.
Star whinnies. Then I climb up in the saddle and turn her to face the pasture. Nanny watches from the fence.
That’s when I notice that the barrels are missing. “Where are the barrels?” I ask Nanny. “We can’t barrel race without any barrels!”
“Star knows where to go,” Nanny tells me. “Besides, you need some chaps before you can ride around the barrels. You might get too close and hurt your legs.”
Star starts walking without my lead. I call, “Whoa!” and she slows down right away.
I lean down to Star’s ear and her mane tickles my face. “You are the best pony in the whole wide world, and we are going to be fantastic! You know what to do, so let’s make Nanny proud of us!” I whisper.
Star nods her head. Then she starts walking around the imaginary barrels.
Pa comes out to watch. Star and I are really getting good at making the loops. She begins to run through the loops faster and faster. I lean forward with my hands tangled into the reins as we arc in and out.
The wind is blowing my hair, and the sun is warm on my back.
It feels like we’re flying!
When we get to the end of the loops, I lean to the side and give my beauty queen, wave nice and slow and side to side. Then Star tosses her mane. It sparkles in the sun.
Star and I know how to put on a show!
That night, I get to sleep over at Granny and Pappy’s house. After I get home from the farm, I have a quick snack with Momma. Then I hear a horn. Toot! Toot!
“That must be Granny,” Momma says. “You better get a move on.”
I grab my overnight bag. It’s so cute. It’s pink and has hearts and stars all over it. Then I run outside and slide into the backseat of Granny’s car.
“Hi, Granny!” I say, buckling my seatbelt.
“Hi, sweetheart! You ready to have fun?” Granny asks. She waves to Momma and starts driving away.
“Tonight we’ll have a movie night,”
Granny tells me. “Tomorrow, we’ll go to Suzie Q’s Diner for breakfast, and then we’ll go shopping at Boots Western Wear. We need to get you ready for the rodeo!”
“Can we have pizza for dinner?” I ask.
“Yep,” Granny says. “I already made the dough.”
“Can I stay up late? And can I call the farm so I can tell my pony good night?” I ask.
Granny laughs. “Yes, you can stay up late. But I don’t know about calling your horse.”
“What do I need from Boots Western Wear?” I ask.
“You need lots of stuff! I talked to your momma, and since your birthday is coming up, this will be Pappy’s and my present for you,” Granny says.
“That’s right nice of you, ma’am,” I say. “You are the best granny in the whole world!”
“What are you going to wear for the rodeo?” Granny asks as she parks the car in her driveway.
“I’m gonna wear my black jeans,” I tell her. We walk up the driveway to her house. Her big old house is the same color as the sky. That’s where my daddy lived when he was a boy. “And I have a pink cowboy hat already,” I add.
“Pink is your color,” Granny says.
“That’s right!” I say. “Do they make black chaps? I don’t want brown ones. They’re boring. And my outfit is black and pink.”
“We’ll just have to see what they have at Boots,” Granny tells me. “Go on and put your bag in the pink room.”
I run up the stairs. The pink room is where I always sleep when I’m at Granny and Pappy’s house. It has pink walls and a really big bed covered with the softest blankets you ever felt. I put my bag on the bed. Then I run back down to the kitchen.
A big blue bowl full of pizza dough is sitting on the counter. Granny spreads flour on the counter and rolls the dough out into a big circle.
Then she spoons bright red tomato sauce onto the dough. “Do you want to do the toppings?” she asks me.
“Yes, ma’am!” I say.
I sprinkle cheese on top of the red sauce. Then I make a big star out of little circles of spicy pepperoni. It looks yummy already.
Kylie Jean Rodeo Queen Page 2
