by Suzanne Weyn
If only the three of them could talk and tell one another exactly how he or she was feeling. Maybe they could come to some sort of understanding and fix this old feud.
“Wildwood is holding a winter carnival next weekend,” Taylor said. “Maybe the two of you could come down. It’s open to the public. You might catch Mrs. LeFleur in a good mood. Maybe you could straighten all this out.”
“I doubt it,” Jim disagreed. “It’s been going on for too long. I think it’s beyond repair.”
“Mrs. LeFleur is a really great person,” Taylor said sincerely. “And she’s your mother. I think it would be a shame to miss out on having her back in your life, especially now that you live so close by.”
“It’s her choice,” Jim said stubbornly. “Aunt Devon and I have tried.”
“When did you say that carnival was?” Mrs. Ross asked Taylor.
“This Saturday. The money we raise will go toward helping the animals at the barn. We need supplies and food and things. It’s a fund-raiser, and also a way of advertising Wildwood. Mrs. LeFleur is hoping it will make people more aware that the ranch is open again.”
“I’m so glad she reopened the place,” Mrs. Ross said. A faraway look came into her eyes. “It was such a wonderful place to grow up.”
“It sure was,” Jim agreed.
“Yeah,” Taylor said. “And I can tell you, it’s still the best place in the world.”
Great job, Katlyn!” Taylor praised the girl she was helping to get down from Pixie’s saddle. Her mother had brought her in for a private lesson. “Adam has a cold,” she’d explained.
The other girl from Taylor’s first class, Sarah, had changed her lesson day to Wednesday. It meant that Taylor would be teaching Adam and Katlyn on Mondays and Sarah on Wednesdays. That would earn her enough money to pay her mother back and hopefully to buy her a nice Christmas gift.
“Let’s see if you can dismount,” Taylor told Katlyn.
The girl let herself fall from the stirrup into Taylor’s arms. Taylor laughed as she tottered backward, holding Katlyn, who hung to her neck.
“Next week we’ll do some more work on that dismount,” Taylor said, smiling.
Taylor set Katlyn down gently. She gave her Pixie’s reins, and together they walked to the corral gate.
Mercedes was working with two eleven-year-old boys, jogging alongside them as they rode Cody and Jojo at a walk around the perimeter of the corral.
“Heels down,” Mercedes instructed. “Shoulders back. Keep your eyes looking between your horse’s ears. Wherever you look, that’s where he’ll go.”
Her voice sounded less strident and harsh than it had during her previous lesson. Was it possible she’d actually learned that she’d been too hard on the kids?
Unfortunately, Roberta Segarra hadn’t returned at all. Mrs. LeFleur had to be aware that Mercedes had cost the ranch a potential boarding contract. Taylor wondered if Mrs. LeFleur had spoken to Mercedes about it.
Just before they were about to enter the main building, Taylor heard hammering and turned toward the sound. Travis was working on a plywood booth for the carnival. He looked up and waved to her.
“Is he your boyfriend?” Katlyn asked as Taylor waved back to Travis.
“No, he’s my best friend,” Taylor replied.
Katlyn pointed in the direction of the path to the upper pasture. “Is he your boyfriend?”
Eric was headed up the path on foot. Taylor realized he was going to check on Spots. Even if Spots came to the salt lick, Taylor didn’t know how Eric was ever going to be able to catch him. It made her a little sad to think of Eric devoting himself to a task that was probably impossible. But it made her a little happy, too, to know he cared so much about Spots.
Taylor turned her attention back to Katlyn. “Are you coming to the carnival this Saturday?”
“Yeah! I told Adam he has to get better by then.”
“I hope so,” Taylor said. “It’s going to be so much fun!”
The warm air of the main building felt good as they stepped inside. “Want to help me groom Pixie?” she asked the younger girl.
“Sure!” Katlyn agreed. “Can we braid her hair?”
“I guess so, once we get her all cleaned up.” Taylor took the currycomb from the grooming box and handed it to Katlyn. “Remember how I showed you last time?”
“Uh-huh,” Katlyn agreed as she made circles in the air with the brush.
“Very good,” Taylor commended her.
Taylor and Katlyn were braiding Pixie’s mane when Eric joined them. “Any sign of Spots?” Taylor asked him.
Eric’s face lit with a smile. “Poop!” he said.
Katlyn giggled as Taylor shot him a quizzical glance. “What did you say?”
“There was deer poop near the salt lick! And the salt had definitely been licked,” Eric reported.
“Great!” Taylor said. It was all she intended to say, but she just couldn’t hold back. “Eric, how do you plan to catch Spots? I mean, even if he comes to the salt lick while you’re there, won’t it be just as hard to grab him as it was for Mercedes to lasso him?”
Eric rubbed the back of his neck thoughtfully. “Honestly, I don’t know,” he admitted. “I had this idea that maybe he had bonded with me since I fed him when he a little fawn, and he might just follow me back here. Don’t laugh.”
“I’m not laughing. I guess it’s possible,” Taylor said. “But even if he did come back, we’d have to send him away again. We can’t keep a deer here.”
“Why not?” Eric challenged, with just a hint of annoyance. “We keep horses here.”
“But they’re domesticated animals. A deer is wild.”
“Didn’t you just say the other day that Spots wasn’t completely wild, that he couldn’t survive in the woods on his own?”
“I was thinking of the sanctuary. Or we could help him along like you have been, but do a little more, like putting out food and water for him. There are sometimes coyotes in the woods, but Spots is getting big fast,” Taylor argued. “I think coyotes go for smaller prey, and there’s not much else out there to hurt him. Even the hunting is pretty restricted around here. Maybe he could survive with a little help.”
Taylor could tell from the unhappy expression on Eric’s face that he didn’t like what he was hearing. But she felt she had to say these things. Being a friend didn’t mean telling your pals only what they wanted to hear.
“Well, we’ll see, I guess,” Eric said. “I still think he might come with me.”
“Maybe,” Taylor allowed. She supposed anything was possible.
Just then, Travis stopped his work and walked over to join them. “Cool braid,” he said to Katlyn.
“Thanks,” she replied.
“I’ve got two booths built, only about a million more to build by Saturday,” Travis joked to Taylor.
“Only a million?” Taylor teased.
“Yeah, that’s all,” Travis replied with a grin.
“I’ll help you,” Eric offered.
Taylor’s eyes darted between Eric and Travis. Privately, Travis claimed to dislike Eric. Would he accept the offer of help?
“Sure,” Travis agreed. “Let’s go. We can knock one more together before dark.” Travis paused a moment. “Hey, I saw you up by the salt lick. Any sign of Spots?”
Taylor smiled softly to herself as Travis and Eric walked off together, discussing the possibility of Spots returning. Maybe Travis was softening toward Eric.
“That boy is your boyfriend,” Katlyn remarked.
“No, he’s not,” Taylor told her.
“You like him,” Katlyn observed. “Both of you like each other.”
Taylor sighed. “Yes, we do, but not like you mean. He’s not my boyfriend.”
Mercedes came in, leading Cody and Jojo. “Can we groom them, too?” Katlyn asked excitedly.
Mercedes paused and seemed as though she was about to say no, but then something in her expression softened. “Actually, would you mind brushing down Co
dy, Taylor?”
The civility and politeness in her tone took Taylor by surprise. It was the first time Mercedes hadn’t sniped at her or iced her out in days.
“No. It’s no problem,” Taylor agreed.
Taylor returned Pixie to her stall and tied Cody into the cross rings. Before Katlyn could pick up the currycomb brush, though, her mother walked toward them, accompanied by Mrs. LeFleur.
“Mom! I’m grooming!” Katlyn shouted gleefully.
“I see that,” her mother said with a smile. “How was your lesson?”
“I walked with no hands!” Katlyn chirped. Taylor had coached Katlyn to put down the reins and spread her arms wide, in order to give her a sense of the right balance in the saddle.
“That sounds fun,” Katlyn’s mother said.
“It was fun! Taylor does fun things, not like that other mean teacher.”
Taylor sucked in a sharp breath as Mercedes walked up from the back of the stable. Her expression revealed that she’d heard Katlyn loud and clear.
“She didn’t mean —” Katlyn’s mother began to apologize to Mercedes.
“That’s all right,” Mercedes said before Katlyn’s mother could finish. “The mean teacher needs to change — and she’s going to.”
When Taylor awoke on Saturday morning, a delicious smell wafted into her bedroom. Sitting upright, she inhaled deeply. In the next second she had thrown off her quilt and was hurrying down the stairs to see what her mother was cooking.
“I want some of that, whatever it is!” Taylor announced when she got to the kitchen.
“It will cost you a dollar,” her mother replied. She sat at the kitchen table surrounded by paper plates of chocolate chip cookies, brownies, and pretzels dipped in chocolate. At the end of the table were at least twenty glass mason jars, each one filled with ingredients layered on top of each other like colored sand in a bottle.
“See those squares of gingham cloth?” Jennifer said, pointing. “They all need to be placed on top of the jars, and then the lids need to be put on over them. And when that’s done, those ribbons over there can be tied around the jars.”
“What are they?” Taylor asked, sitting at the table.
“They’re the dry ingredients for these brownies and cookies, measured out exactly. All a person has to do is add butter, eggs, and milk or water.”
“These will sell out right away,” Taylor remarked confidently.
“Have some breakfast first, and then would you help me with them? I have so much to do, and the carnival starts at ten. I still have to wrap all these cookies.”
“Sure, I’ll help, but it will cost you,” Taylor replied.
Her mother made a face and sighed. “How much?”
“Brownies!” Taylor said with a laugh. She scooped one off the pile and took a large bite.
“Taylor!” her mother shouted. “Stop! You haven’t even had breakfast.”
“So? Who needs breakfast when there are brownies and cookies on the table?”
“You need breakfast, and I need help with this. Get yourself some cereal. We also have to go help Claire. She went to a shelter last night and came home with twenty puppies and kittens to try to adopt out today. I said we’d help her get them all together.”
They had a lot of work ahead, but Taylor was excited. Today was going to be a fun day.
* * *
By nine that morning, Wildwood Stables was up and running. Jennifer had all her wares set out along with two silver urns, one for coffee and one for hot cider.
Transporting all the puppies and kittens was a big job, but fun. They were all so adorable. Eric, Travis, and Taylor couldn’t stop laughing as they tried to get the exuberant and frisky animals into their wire cages.
“It’s snowing!” Taylor realized as a fat flake of shining whiteness hit her nose.
Everyone gathered in front of the main building, faces to the sky, to marvel at the beauty of the winter’s first snowfall.
“Will this stop people from coming to the carnival?” Travis worried.
“I hope not,” Mrs. LeFleur said. “As long as it stays light and fluffy like this we should be all right. We’d better keep working so we’ll be ready.”
Mrs. LeFleur turned to go back into her office as everyone else dispersed. On an impulse, Taylor reached out to touch her elbow. Mrs. LeFleur turned. “What is it, honey?”
“When you get the money from the carnival, do you think there will be enough funds in there to — to — do you think you could buy some new horse blankets, and we could use one for Pixie and one for Prince Albert?”
Taylor’s throat was dry. Had she annoyed Mrs. LeFleur with this request? After all, the woman had a whole ranch to run. Maybe now hadn’t been the right time to bring it up.
To Taylor’s relief, Mrs. LeFleur smiled. Reaching into the wide pocket of her barn jacket, she pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to Taylor. “Read it,” Mrs. LeFleur advised.
The paper was headed: To Buy with Funds from Carnival. Taylor read down the numbered list until she got to item number five. “Two horse blankets needed for Prince Albert and Pixie,” she read out loud.
“See, Taylor? They won’t be shivering this winter.”
Impulsively, Taylor threw her arms around Mrs. LeFleur. “Thank you. I’ve been so worried about them.”
“Well, you can stop worrying,” Mrs. LeFleur assured her. “Can you go inside and help Mercedes turn the horses out to the side paddock? We want everyone to be able to see our happy horses. You can help give horseback rides later, can’t you?”
“Sure thing!”
Taylor walked into the main building with Mrs. LeFleur and kept going down the wide center aisle. She found Mercedes in Monty’s stall, combing his mane.
“Who do you want me to bring out first?” Taylor asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Mercedes said. “But wait,” she added as Taylor turned to begin taking out horses. “I have something for you.”
“For me? What?”
Mercedes wriggled a piece of paper from the back pocket of her jeans. “I’m giving this to you. It’s a holiday gift.”
Puzzled, Taylor unfolded the paper. Her jaw dropped when she realized what it was. Immediately, she thrust it back toward Mercedes.
“No. I can’t take this. It’s yours!”
Mercedes was trying to give her the prize she’s won at the competitions — lessons with Keith Hobbes!
Mercedes pushed the paper back to Taylor. “I don’t even want it,” she said. “I just entered the competition to see how I’d do. I want to spend all my time here at the ranch working with Monty.”
“But Keith is world famous,” Taylor insisted. “You can’t pass this up.”
“Sure, I can,” Mercedes disagreed. “Besides, it’s also my way of saying I’m sorry about the way I’ve been acting. I’ve been a jealous jerk.”
“It’s okay. I forgive you. You don’t have to give me your prize.”
“Would you take it already!” Mercedes exploded. “You’re starting to get on my nerves!”
Taylor laughed. This was the Mercedes she knew.
“Okay. I’m crazy happy to have this, if you’re really sure about it,” Taylor said.
“I’m positive.”
Taylor wrapped Mercedes in a hug, but Mercedes immediately wriggled out of it. “Come on. We have to get those horses out into the side paddock before the people come. Let’s get going!”
By ten-thirty the snow was sticking to the ground, and nearly an inch had fallen. Taylor’s mother and Claire had moved their booths into the aisle of the main building.
Wildwood was gorgeous in the snow. Travis had set up a sound system, and holiday music now filled the air. Horseshoe toss stations and other games were set up.
But no one had arrived.
“The snow is keeping everyone away, just like you said,” Taylor said to Travis.
“Here comes someone,” Travis said, pointing.
“It’s Daphne,�
� Taylor said, recognizing the car.
The car stopped and Daphne got out. “I’m here to help,” she announced cheerfully. Then she gazed around. “Where is everybody? I thought this started at ten.”
“I think the snow is keeping everybody home. How are the roads?” Taylor asked.
“Not bad,” Daphne reported. Suddenly, her eyes went wide. Taylor and Travis turned toward the upper pasture to see what had caught Daphne’s attention.
“Is that who I think it is?” Taylor asked in a soft, awestruck voice.
* * *
“Spots,” Eric was crooning, his voice a near whisper filled with tenderness.
They’d all hurried through the falling snow to the upper pasture, afraid to startle the small deer that had come to the salt lick. There was no doubt at all that it was Spots. He was just the right size, with the same slightly crooked right ear.
When they were still yards away, Spots sensed their approach. His head shot up, and his ears jutted forward. The group froze, afraid that he would bolt.
“Eric, you should go up there alone,” Daphne suggested. She reached into her jacket pocket and took out two apples. “Here,” she said, offering them to Eric. “I brought these for the horses, but we need them now. They might entice him to come to you.”
Eric took the apples and moved slowly forward alone. Taylor squeezed Daphne’s arm anxiously. What would happen now?
Holding out one of the apples, Eric continued his approach. Spots seemed frozen in place. His ears flicked nervously, but he held his ground.
Spots took one wary step forward. Then another. Soon he was close enough to sniff the apple. Eric placed the apple on the ground and backed away, keeping his eyes on Spots.
Spots bit into the apple, shattering it into fragments with one bite.
When he was finished eating, he raised his head again. Eric and Spots seemed locked into a real connection. It lasted just a moment before Spots swung around and leaped toward the forest.
Eric wiped his eyes with a lightning-fast motion before turning back toward the group and smiling. “He knew me,” he said.
They walked back down toward the main building. When they were halfway there, Mercedes met them, hands on hips. “Where have you guys been?” she scolded. “People are coming in like crazy!”