by Chris Platt
Callie took a deep breath, “I want to be the one to take care of Moon Shadow.”
“But you are taking care of her, dear.” Mrs. McLean smiled and folded her napkin, clearly not understanding what Callie was getting at.
“Mom…Dad…I want to adopt Moon Shadow.” Callie turned to her father, hoping to find an ally, but he looked just as surprised as her mother.
“We can’t afford another horse,” Mr. McLean said flatly. “Especially a horse that could have a lot of medical problems. It’s hard enough just feeding Celah.”
“But Moon Shadow wouldn’t eat much,” Callie protested, looking from one parent to the other. Neither of them looked agreeable to the idea.
“I can pay for everything,” Callie continued quickly. “I have a job now. Mr. Thompson hired me to clean stalls.” She pushed her plate away once more. Her appetite was totally gone. “He said he’d pay for Moon Shadow’s adoption fee and he’d take it out of my paycheck. It won’t cost you guys anything.” She turned to her mom, then her dad. “Please say yes,” she begged. “I can do this. I know I can! Moon Shadow’s going to be a great horse.” She chewed her bottom lip as she waited for their response.
Mr. McLean folded his napkin and laid it on the table. “Callie…”
“Please, Dad!” This wasn’t the way she had hoped the conversation would go. “Moon Shadow is so little and helpless. She needs me!”
“But Callie,” her mother interrupted, “that filly will probably always be little and weak. If you’re really serious about getting a horse, maybe you could save up your money from cleaning stalls and buy an animal that has potential. You know, something you could take to the local 4-H shows, and use to help us with the farm.”
“And remember the old saying,” her father added. “It costs as much to feed a good horse as it does a bad one.”
Callie sat there stunned, feeling as if she had just been bucked off and stomped on. Moon Shadow, a bad horse? How could her parents say such a thing? “Why do people say things like that about mustangs?” she said hotly. “Just because they don’t have a pedigree doesn’t mean they can’t be good horses! You’ve seen some of the beautiful mustangs that roam the hills around here.”
She pushed away from the table and stood up so quickly that her chair toppled over backwards. Her heart was pounding against her rib cage and there was a roar like a waterfall inside her head. She knew she should bend down and pick up the chair, but at that moment all she could see was her dream of owning Moon Shadow slipping away.
“It’s not fair!” she cried, her voice rising to a level of hysteria. “I want this so badly and I’ve got the money to do it. You’re just being mean!”
By the stricken look on her mother’s face, Callie knew she’d gone too far, but it was too late to stop. She felt the horrible words tumbling out of her mouth and she couldn’t stop them. “The kids around here see our little-bitty house and all the junk in our yard and they make fun of me. They laugh at my clothes and think I’m just some dorky hippie kid who’s not good enough to be friends with. Just because we don’t have as much money as they do, they think they’re better than me. But I get better grades than all of them!”
Tears sprang to her eyes and she wiped at them angrily. “I’m kind of like Moon Shadow. I don’t have a fancy pedigree worth a lot of money, so the other kids think I’m not good enough.” She plucked at her new shirt in agitation. One of the buttons popped off and rolled across the floor.
As the sound of the plastic button skittering across the hardwood floor faded to total silence, Callie saw the hurt expression on her parents’ faces. She’d really blown it this time. She looked down at her shirt, which now had a torn sleeve. Not only had she wrecked her clothing, but she’d also done a darned good job of tearing up her mom and dad’s feelings.
Callie kept her eyes down, afraid to look at her parents. She could feel the sob creeping up in her throat. Without warning, she burst into tears and ran to her room, where she threw herself on the bed and buried her face in the pillow. It was bad enough that she’d never realize her dream of owning Moon Shadow, but now she’d been horrible and disrespectful to her parents. Recalling the sadness on their faces made her cry even harder.
She wasn’t sure how long she stayed there on the bed, but her tears were almost gone. The only things left were the hiccups, puffed-up eyes, and stuffy nose. Callie felt a sudden weight on the edge of her bed and opened her swollen eyes to see her mother perched there. She had thought she was done crying, but more tears rose and rushed down her cheeks.
“Don’t cry, honey,” her mother said softly, reaching out to stroke Callie’s hair.
“I…I’m so sorry, Mom,” Callie stammered between sobs. “I said some really rotten things. I didn’t mean it about my clothes. I know how hard you work to make them, and I do like them…well, most of them. Just not the tie-dyed stuff,” she added with a loud sniff.
“Shhh,” Mrs. McLean said, handing her daughter a tissue to dry her eyes. “I know how difficult it is to be a kid sometimes, especially when you don’t have all the luxuries that some of the other kids have, but you’ve been a pretty good daughter so far. Why don’t we just let this one slip, okay?” She wiped a tear from Callie’s cheek. “Maybe we’ll even take a trip into town next week and see if there’s anything at that new superstore you might like.”
Callie sat up and blew her nose. “Is Dad really mad?” she said in a small voice. “I said some pretty ugly things about the house and yard.”
Her mother handed her another tissue. “Well, I suppose we’re both a little hurt, but we’ll get over it.” She brushed Callie’s hair off her tear-soaked face. “Here’s what we’ve decided to do.”
Callie sighed. This was it. She was going to be grounded for life.
“Your father and I have decided to let you adopt that little mustang,” Mrs. McLean said.
Callie’s head snapped up in surprise.
Her mother smiled. “He’s always so worried about you falling off Celah in the desert somewhere and getting hurt. I convinced him that Moon Shadow won’t grow to be very tall.” She gave Callie a wink. “Besides, you were right. We weren’t giving that filly, or you, a chance to prove yourselves. There’s no reason why Moon Shadow couldn’t turn out to be the best horse in the world. And you do have a job now to pay for her. Plus,” she went on with a grin, “a man stopped by today and made your father an offer on that old junk car we’ve got parked in the side yard. That’ll give us a little extra cushion to fall back on.”
Callie couldn’t believe her ears. They were going to let her adopt Moon Shadow! She started to cry all over again.
Mrs. McLean lifted Callie’s chin. “Why all the tears, Cal? I thought that would make you really happy.”
Callie threw her arms around her mother’s neck. “I am really happy, but I was so mean to you and Dad. I don’t deserve this.”
Her mother hugged her back. “Well, you do owe your father an apology, and you just earned yourself another five wheelbarrow loads of weed pulling.”
Callie started to laugh and a hiccup came out instead. “I’ll punish myself even more and make it ten loads.” She finished her hug and sat up straight. “I really am sorry I said such stupid things,” she said. “I promise I’ll make it up to you and Dad. You’ll be proud of Moon Shadow and me.”
“Well, go wash your face and get back down to supper,” Mrs. McLean said, standing up. “You’ve still got a whole plate of food to finish and a father to thank for being so understanding.”
Callie jumped off the bed. She really did have the best parents in the world. Now it was up to her to make sure they weren’t sorry that they’d agreed to let her adopt Moon Shadow.
Twelve
The next day, when Callie finished working for Mr. Thompson, he gave her a ride to the mustang pens. She’d called Harvey earlier to tell him the good news, and to make sure that Justin could take care of Moon Shadow until she could get there with the adoption papers.
“Well, here we are,” Mr. Thompson said as he let Callie out at the main office. “You did a great job today, kiddo. I think maybe you’re a good influence on Luke. He seems to work harder when you’re around.”
Callie grinned. “That’s because he doesn’t want a girl to beat him at anything.”
Mr. Thompson let out a hearty laugh. “Well, whatever it takes to get that boy working is fine with me.” He took out his checkbook and quickly scribbled across the paper, then handed it to Callie. “Here’s your check for the mustang, young lady. You did such a good job today that I think I’ll do away with that trial period and just say you’re hired right now.”
“Wow, thanks, Mr. Thompson!” Callie said as she jumped down from his truck. “Your giving me a job is the main reason my parents agreed to let me adopt Moon Shadow. I promise to work really hard.”
“I’m sure you will,” the ranch owner said as he waved goodbye and turned his truck around.
Callie hurried up the long dirt road that led to Moon Shadow’s pen. Justin and his father were working the stallion corral when she arrived. Sam signaled for his son to finish what he was doing, then they both rode over to the gate.
The older cowboy tipped his hat and looked down at her from atop his big gelding. “You come to claim that buckskin filly?” he asked in a teasing tone.
Callie couldn’t help but grin. “You bet. My mom and dad filled out the paperwork this morning, and Mr. Thompson wrote me the check and said he’d haul her for me. All I have to do now is turn everything in to Mr. Jeffers.”
“That’s awesome!” Justin said. He leaned down from his horse to slap Callie a high-five.
As Callie talked to the cowboys about how Moon Shadow had fared during the night, a car turned onto the road that led up to the mustang pens. They all watched it approach. It stopped about thirty feet from them, and a tall, willowy, blonde woman stepped out of the new Buick.
“Well, what have we here?” Sam muttered as Mr. Jeffers got out of the passenger side of the car. The boss went around and took the woman’s elbow, escorting her to Moon Shadow’s pen.
Callie noticed Sam’s dubious look at the woman’s spike heels. When Justin rolled his eyes, she wanted to laugh aloud, but she kept silent, not wanting to be rude. She was curious, though, why this city woman was visiting the mustang pens. High heels and a dress weren’t exactly common clothing at this facility.
“Everyone,” Mr. Jeffers announced as he presented the woman with a flourish of his hand, “this is Theresa Midland. She’s here to adopt the orphaned filly.”
Callie felt her world spin and she stumbled back against the corral fence. She must have misunderstood. But the shocked and angry look on her friends’ faces told her that she had heard Mr. Jeffers correctly. He had sold her down the river. Moon Shadow was going to be adopted by someone else!
Callie felt the brutal sting of betrayal. She gasped as she tried to catch her breath.
Mr. Jeffers put his hand through the fence, beckoning the little buckskin closer. “Theresa…I mean, Ms. Midland, is heading up a group of people that want to rescue a mustang.” He frowned when the filly gave him a suspicious swish of her tail and walked to the back of the pen. “Sam, get your kid in there and catch this animal!” He smiled apologetically to the woman.
Justin stayed on his paint gelding, looking from Mr. Jeffers to his father to Callie. It was clear he didn’t want to follow this order.
“Didn’t you hear me, boy?” the boss man said. “Get in there and catch that horse. I believe that’s what I pay you for.”
Justin stepped off his horse and wrapped the reins around a post. “But this is Callie’s filly,” he said.
Ms. Midland shifted uncomfortably in her high heels. “Someone else has spoken for this foal?”
“No, no,” Mr. Jeffers assured her quickly. “It’s first come, first served here, and it’s your check that’s sitting on my desk.”
Callie thought she was going to be sick. How could Mr. Jeffers do this to her? He knew she wanted Moon Shadow.
Sam stepped down from his horse and cleared his throat. “No disrespect, Mr. Jeffers, but Callie put in the first claim on this orphan.”
Mr. Jeffers looked down his long nose. “The kid may have said that she wanted to adopt this mustang, but I have no paperwork, and no check from her.”
Callie finally sprang to life. “I have them right here.” She stepped forward and waved her documents.
“Oh, dear,” Ms. Midland said. “It seems as if there’s been a mix-up.”
“There’s no mix-up,” Mr. Jeffers said, patting the woman on the shoulder. “The girl should have gotten here an hour earlier. You beat her to it.”
Sam tried again. “I thought our rules said that if two people wanted the same horse, there was to be a bidding war.”
Callie cringed. The check she carried was written for $125. That was all she had—and it had been borrowed from Mr. Thompson. If she had to bid against this woman, she would surely lose.
Mr. Jeffers narrowed his eyes at the cowboy. “That may be true, but Callie wasn’t anywhere around when Ms. Midland gave me her check. I’ve already accepted the check, and that’s final. The filly belongs to the lady and her colleagues. They want to do a good deed and save a wild horse, and this little mustang needs saving. That’s that.” He turned away from Moon Shadow. “I’m going up to the office to get your receipt, Theresa. I’ll be back shortly.”
They all watched as Mr. Jeffers strolled toward the office. From the spring in his step, Callie thought he looked mighty pleased with himself.
Mr. Rosser turned to Ms. Midland. “Have you ever cared for a young horse before?”
The blonde woman smiled and shook her head. “No. This will be our first, but we’ve all been reading everything we can get our hands on about horses. We’ve got a stall set up at a boarding stable on the other side of town. That’s where Charity will be living from now on.”
Callie’s stomach clenched. They were going to name Moon Shadow Charity? This time she knew she was going to be sick. She sank down on a nearby bale of hay and tried to take deep breaths. Neither this city woman nor her friends knew anything about horses. How could Mr. Jeffers think that Miss Midland would give Moon Shadow a better home than she could?
“Are you sure you want this exact filly?” Mr. Rosser said. “She’s going to be an awful lot of work. She needs to be fed around the clock.”
Ms. Midland laughed. “That’s the point of it all,” she said. “We’re trying to save a horse. I don’t want an animal that’s perfect. Our goal is to save a life.”
The more the woman talked, the worse Callie felt. She knew she should speak up and say something—anything that would change the woman’s mind—but all she could do was sit there like a bump on a log feeling sorry for herself and Moon Shadow.
“Well, if it’s a real hardship case you’re looking for, we’ve got one worse off than this one,” Sam said as he winked at Callie.
Ms. Midland perked up. “Worse?”
Sam nodded. “We’ve got a mare and her foal on the other side of the big corral that got separated from their herd when they were out on the desert. They were half-starved when we found them. The coyotes were closing in and were going to make a meal out of them when we happened along.”
The woman gasped, and Callie smiled to see that she was so wrapped up in the story.
“Yes ma’am,” Sam said. “Most people don’t want a skinny horse. The mare is a pretty little red-and-white pinto, and her filly is almost an exact match. They desperately need someone to take them home and give them some love and groceries. If you adopt the mare, the foal goes along with her. You get two rescues for the price of one.”
Everyone stood motionless while the blonde woman contemplated the situation. “Can I see them?”
Sam looked toward the office building. Mr. Jeffers was still inside. “Sure. Why don’t you get in your car and drive to the other side of that big arena, and my son Justi
n here will show you the pair.”
Callie finally found some strength and edged closer to the fence, straining to hear what Sam was telling Justin.
“Go cut that mare and foal out of that herd and put them off somewhere by themselves so this nice lady can get a good look at them,” Sam said.
He waited until Ms. Midland drove off in her car, then leaned on the fence and grinned at Callie. “I’ve always been one for telling the truth,” he said. “But every now and then, there’s a good reason for stretching things just a bit. That mare is awfully skinny, and I’m sure there were coyotes somewhere on the desert that would have loved to have made a meal out of them.” He took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “Let’s hope the lady is back here by the time the boss man returns.”
Callie entered the pen with Moon Shadow. The filly nickered and stepped forward, bobbing her head in hello. “That’s my girl,” Callie said as she took the foal’s head in both hands and rubbed her fuzzy cheekbones. Moon Shadow seemed to be a bit stronger today. But would she continue making progress if Ms. Midland and her co-workers took over? She heaved a sigh and turned to Sam. “Do you think your plan will work?”
He handed Callie a bucket of goat milk for Moon Shadow, and his wind-roughened face split into a big toothy smile. “You know, when Justin was a little tyke, he made a lot of money on a lemonade stand he set up in the front yard. He even convinced the most ornery man in the neighborhood that he needed a tall glass of his lemonade. If anyone can talk that woman into that other mare and foal, it’s my son. Besides, we’ve done a little work with that pair. I think those city folks will be a lot safer and better off with that pinto mare and foal then they will with your filly.”
Callie liked the sound of that. Your filly. She picked up the bucket, and Moon Shadow practically walked over the top of her to get to the milk. “It looks like you’ll be needing some manners,” she scolded.
Moon Shadow thrust her muzzle deep into the bucket and drank greedily. Callie held the bucket as she kept one eye on the office and the other on the road. She hoped the lady made it back before Mr. Jeffers returned and figured out what they were up to. She felt a twinge of panic when the office door opened and the boss man stepped into the sunshine.