Horse Power

by Bonnie Bryant

  It had seemed such a simple question, but the responses told Carole that something was up, and the Devines weren’t ready to talk about it. It probably had to do with the Marine Corps, she suspected. The Corps had a way of moving people a lot. Sometimes the moves were even classified! Fortunately, her own father was most likely going to stay right where he was for the rest of his career.

  Colonel Hanson smiled at his friends. “You know, Jeanne used to tell me that instead of buying a house near whatever base I was stationed, we should just buy a moving van. It would save time packing the next time the Corps got another bright idea about my career!”

  “You got that right!” Mrs. Devine joked. “Now, let’s not talk about houses and moving anymore. It’s too nice being here with old friends—and new ones,” she said, smiling warmly at Carole. “So let’s dig into the feast.”

  Carole quickly discovered that Colonel Devine was a fine barbecue chef, and Mrs. Devine’s salads, munchies, and cool drinks made a great meal. They all enjoyed the fruit salad Carole had made, too.

  After the two families had eaten more than their fill, everyone tidied up and packed the leftovers into the car. The colonels had challenged each other to a game of tennis, and Mrs. Devine had some errands to run. The girls were on their own.

  “Great!” Carole said to Kate. “While our dads are at the courts, I can show you around the stables. I haven’t been there for a long time, and I want to see some of my old friends. Drop us off there, will you, Dad? When we’re done, we’ll hitch a ride on a bus and meet you at the courts.”

  “When it comes to horses, dear daughter, you’re never ‘done.’ We’ll pick you up at the stables.”

  Carole just grinned as she swatted her father on the arm.

  “I USED TO ride here almost every day,” Carole told Kate as they approached the Quantico stables. “But when we moved to Willow Creek, it was too far, and, besides, I wanted to study with Max Regnery. He’s a wonderful instructor. His former students include some Olympic riders. Can you imagine? It would be the most exciting thing in the world to be that good, I think.”

  “Hmm,” Kate responded noncommittally.

  “Well, I love the idea of that kind of competitive riding,” Carole said. “It’s like there would be a total focus on the most important part of my life—horses.” She smiled, just thinking about the possibility, but when she glanced at Kate, she saw only confusion and doubt in her new friend’s face. Carole guessed that Kate just wasn’t turned on to horses—yet. “Come on, let’s meet my friends,” Carole invited, stepping into the stable. She was convinced that she could, and would change Kate’s feeling about riding.

  Kate followed her into the large structure where the base’s horses were kept. Carole signed in with the stable manager, and explained that they were just visiting. Then she began the grand tour of the place.

  Carole loved to share her information about horses, and felt she had a great opportunity to introduce Kate to the subject. Even her best friends, Stevie and Lisa, sometimes complained about how much she could talk about horses, but Kate just listened politely to Carole. Kate patted some of the horses and, Carole was pleased to observe, didn’t seem in the least bit frightened of them. She had an easy and comfortable manner with the animals that wasn’t matched by her words. Carole figured she had her work cut out for her.

  “You’ll be a good rider,” Carole told Kate. “I can just see it in the way you handle the horses. You’re not afraid of them. That’s important.”

  “No, I’m not afraid, but, well, I—uh—” Kate seemed hesitant. “But I can’t agree with you that I’ll be a good rider.”

  “You’ll see,” Carole said confidently. “Come on, now, let me introduce you to another one of the horses I used to ride here. Now, this lady—she’s called Duster because of the way she flicks her tail all the time—would do just fine on the trail, but she hates to be ridden indoors. She’ll fuss and fume until she gets outside.…” Carole was off and running again, telling Kate more horse stories.

  A half an hour later, Carole heard the familiar honk of her father’s car horn. She and Kate signed back out of the stables and climbed in.

  “Who won the tennis match?” Kate asked Colonel Hanson as she shut the car door.

  “We’ve sworn each other to secrecy on the subject,” Carole’s father said mysteriously, shifting the car into gear. He pulled out onto the main road.

  “That bad, huh?” Kate teased.

  “I don’t think I’ll answer that one,” the colonel said, but his grin gave him away. He turned the car toward Liversedge Hall.

  “I think we have our answer,” Kate told Carole.

  “Did you girls enjoy the stables?” he asked, changing the subject smoothly.

  “Oh, you know I always do,” Carole answered. “But I’m afraid I ran on a bit about my favorite subject. I loaded poor Kate with one zillion details about horses. I didn’t bore you, did I?”

  “Oh, no,” Kate told her. “It was interesting.”

  “And I guess you gave Carole a zillion details in return, didn’t you, Kate?” Colonel Hanson asked. “I just knew you girls would hit it off. It’s a good thing, too, because the Devines are going to come stay with us next weekend, Carole. We’ll give them a taste of ‘off-base housing,’ to tempt them.”

  “Oh, great!” Carole said. “Then I can show you Pine Hollow, too—and you can meet Stevie and Lisa. I’ve told you about them, right?”

  “Yes, you did,” Kate assured her. “I almost feel as if I know them already.”

  “Here you go, Kate,” Colonel Hanson said, pulling up in front of Liversedge Hall. “We’ll see you next weekend, okay?”

  “Yes, thanks. And thanks for the lift, too,” Kate said, stepping out of the car. “I’ll see you next weekend, Carole.” She stood back from the car and waved. Carole waved, too, until she couldn’t see Kate anymore.

  “She was really great, Dad. For once, you were absolutely right that I was going to like a friend’s daughter.”

  “Well, you get along with most people so I knew it would be okay, but when the Devines told me about her riding, I knew you’d make a pair.”

  “What riding?” Carole asked.

  “Kate’s riding,” he said.

  “She didn’t say anything to me about having ridden herself.”

  “That’s odd,” Colonel Hanson said. “Both Frank and Phyllis told me she was a really good rider. I thought they were just boasting. But it turns out Kate’s a championship rider. She’s gotten all kinds of blue ribbons and points in competitions. I can’t believe she didn’t tell you about it.”

  “Oh, no,” Carole groaned, suddenly getting a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

  “What’s the matter?” Colonel Hanson asked.

  “I can’t believe I did that!”

  “What?” he asked.

  “And I know who she is,” Carole said.

  “Of course you do. She’s Frank and Phyllis’s daughter.”

  “No, I don’t mean that, Dad. I mean I’ve actually read about her. There was an article about her and how good she is and everything like that in a riding magazine. But they called her Katharine Devine, not Kate, so I didn’t realize it was the same person—but it just has to be. Oh, I don’t believe this!”

  “What is the matter?”

  “Dad, I just spent about an hour and a half lecturing her about basic horse stuff.”

  “What’s wrong with that?” Colonel Hanson asked.

  “Everything,” Carole said. “It’s like you telling the commandant of the Marine Corps that he should start with his left foot to march!” Carole shook her head in embarrassment and disbelief.

  “I think I’m beginning to get the picture,” her father said. “But there’s no reason for you to feel bad, honey. After all, Kate had plenty of opportunities to tell you that she knew the things you were telling her. Why do you suppose she didn’t?”

  “Maybe because I was making a fool of myself?
”

  “She didn’t strike me as the kind of person who enjoys making other people uncomfortable.”

  “Me neither,” Carole said, shaking her head. “But I—oh, no. I just get the shivers thinking about what I did.” She shuddered.

  “Relax, honey. It’s not the end of the world. And you’ll have a chance next weekend to figure it all out. Maybe you’ll get her to lecture you for an hour and a half about horses, and—”

  “Yeah, I guess,” she interrupted her father. “At least I can have a lot of fun telling Stevie and Lisa about Kate. She’s famous, Dad. Really.”

  “ ‘Famous’ is relative, hon,” he said to her. “And the only part about it that matters is how it affects people. It doesn’t seem to me that it’s affected Kate much.”

  “Maybe,” Carole said. She recalled the quiet, almost withdrawn, girl who had followed her around the stable, listening politely. She compared her to the bright, funny, friendly girl she’d been talking with while they looked out over the water before lunch, or picnicked with their parents. Which one was really Kate Devine?

  Carole was quiet for the rest of the trip home. She thought about Kate. The only thing she knew for sure was that her father was wrong. Somehow, something about riding had affected her. Carole decided to learn more when the Devines came to visit next weekend.

  But in the meantime, she couldn’t wait to tell Stevie and Lisa about Kate—and about her embarrassing mistake.

  “I DON’T BELIEVE this,” Stevie said, grimacing at her mother. They were sitting at the dinner table Saturday night. The Lakes always had a family dinner on Saturdays. It was the one night of the week when everybody was expected to be there. Sometimes the dinners were fun—like when they were planning family outings, or when Mr. and Mrs. Lake would talk about their own childhoods. At other times, like this one, the family dinners were gruesome.

  Stevie’s brother Chad had just delivered a bombshell. He had just announced that he intended to take up horseback riding—at Pine Hollow. Worse, he was going to start in the beginner class of the summer-camp program on Monday, which was just two days away. Stevie looked to her mother for support, but Mrs. Lake was beaming at Chad.

  “Mom!” Stevie said. “You can’t let him do this!”

  “Why, dear? What’s wrong with Chad learning to ride horses?”

  “Mom, he doesn’t know the first thing about horses!”

  “Neither did you when you started,” Mrs. Lake reasoned.

  “And he’s just going to get in my hair,” Stevie continued.

  “How can he get in your hair if he’s in a different class?”

  “Yeah, bean brain,” Chad chimed in.

  “The place isn’t all that big,” Stevie said, ignoring him. “Besides, most of the beginners are like eight and nine years old. I’m sure he won’t be wanting to spend much time with them. And if I know him, he’s going to expect me to do his chores—”

  “Chores?” Chad said. “What chores?” Stevie could tell by the surprise in his voice that he had no idea how much work it was to take care of horses. She might, just might, be able to talk him out of this scheme. At least she could hope.

  “The chores everybody has to do, like, oh, mucking out stables, cleaning tack, and grooming the horses, which includes things like picking stones out of their hooves.” She glanced at him sideways to judge his reaction. His face told her nothing. “You’d be amazed at the junk you can find in a horses hoof,” she added mysteriously.

  “No problem,” Chad said. “And besides, when you won’t help me, I bet your friends, like Lisa, will.”

  Stevie tried another tack. “And sometimes, you have to give a horse medicine, like pouring milk of magnesia down his throat and holding his tongue at the same time.”

  “Oh, gross!” Stevie’s twin, Alex, piped up, giving her hope.

  “We are at the dinner table,” Mrs. Lake observed mildly.

  “Yeah, neat,” Chad said, ignoring his mother, his eyes wide with excitement. “Did you ever do that?”

  “No, I never did that,” Stevie snapped back. She was irritated that he thought medicating a horse sounded like fun. Although she was prepared to do such a thing in an emergency, she dearly hoped that emergency would never arise.

  “Stevie,” her father spoke sternly. “Can we leave the subject now?”

  “Yes, dear. Why don’t you look on the bright side of things?” Mrs. Lake asked. “Think how nice it will be to have company while you’re doing your chores.”

  “I usually have the company of my friends,” she said. “I don’t need a brother!”

  “Stephanie, that is enough,” her father said sternly.

  Stevie hated to be called Stephanie and she knew that her father knew that, too, so when her father called her Stephanie, he meant business. Reluctantly, she stopped talking, but they couldn’t stop her from thinking how horrible it would be having Chad at Pine Hollow. She curled her lip in distaste.

  As soon as she was finished, Stevie excused herself from the dinner table and went to her room. The one consolation of having three brothers and no sisters was that she had her own room. She could be alone.

  As one of four children, Stevie often found herself involuntarily grouped with her brothers. Most of the time she didn’t mind that. In fact, she usually enjoyed herself when they all got into something like a touch football game, or Frisbee, or when the family went to a movie that was an adventure more suitable for boys than girls. She was even proud of her tomboyishness, and, though she wasn’t about to tell them, sometimes she was even proud of her brothers. But she was also proud of herself and the things she did by herself.

  Riding was Number One.

  When she thought about it, she realized that she didn’t want Chad at Pine Hollow because it was hers. He didn’t belong there. She didn’t want to share Pine Hollow with her brothers—even just one of them. Riding was an experience she wanted to keep to herself.

  But if her parents insisted that Chad be allowed to learn to ride, she had only one recourse. She would completely, absolutely, one hundred percent ignore him.

  She reached for the phone, eager for the comfort of Carole’s voice.

  But something else was on Carole’s mind.

  “Katharine Devine! You mean the girl you showed us that article about? But she’s famous, Carole—really famous. I mean, she’s one of the best junior riders in the country. And she’s coming to your house next weekend!” Stevie said in awe.

  “Isn’t that something?” Carole said. “I feel so lucky just to know her, and wait until you meet her—”

  “Can I?” Stevie asked.

  “Of course you can,” Carole said. “In fact, I’m thinking of asking Dad if you and Lisa can sleep over on Friday night. Kate is coming on Saturday morning, so you’d both be here.”

  “Kate?” Stevie echoed. “It sounds like you’re so friendly already!”

  “Well, she’s really just a person like you or me. Actually, she’s a little older, I guess fourteen or fifteen, but she’s so nice—and so normal. At least I think she is.”

  “You’re not sure she’s normal?” Stevie asked.

  Carole explained that she and Kate had spent a couple of hours together, a lot of the time with Carole talking about horses, and Kate had never even mentioned that she rode, much less that she was a champion.

  “Maybe she just didn’t want to embarrass you,” Stevie said.

  “You’re probably right,” Carole agreed. “But the fact is that I am embarrassed. Can you imagine me telling Kate Devine about how important it is to let horses cool down after a ride?”

  “I can imagine you telling anybody anything about horses,” Stevie joked. “After all, if Lisa and I let you get started—”

  “Enough, enough,” Carole said, laughing. “I plead guilty.”

  “That’s okay, Carole,” Stevie assured her. “We still love you. And besides, whenever there’s something we actually don’t know, you come in awfully handy.”

 
; “Thanks. So, what about Friday night?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it for anything. My mother will say yes, I’m pretty sure. After all, she owes me.”

  “She owes you?” Carole asked. “What does that mean?”

  “That’s the bad news,” Stevie began mournfully. “All of a sudden, my brother Chad has decided that he wants to learn to ride. So, Mom has signed him up for the beginner camp program for the month. Can you believe it? Dumb old Chad is going to be at Pine Hollow every single day.”

  “I know he’s your brother and all, Stevie,” Carole said, “but he’s not really all that bad. Remember the time we were having a Saddle Club meeting at your house and he brought us cookies and milk?”

  “Okay, so once in his total fourteen years, he wasn’t a doofus,” Stevie conceded graciously.

  Carole could barely stifle her giggles. “Give him a chance, will you?”

  “One,” Stevie agreed. “But the first time he makes a fool of himself, I’m going to disown him.” She paused for a second. “No, I can’t do that,” she said. “That means I’d be cutting him out of my will, and I’ve already done that. I cut him out when he told Will Chambers that I’d written his name one hundred times in my social studies book.”

  “Did you?” Carole asked.

  “Sure I did,” Stevie told her. “But I didn’t want Will to know it.”

  “I think I’m beginning to see how a brother could be a drawback,” Carole said, laughing. “Don’t worry, though. Lisa and I will protect you from him.”

  “Thanks,” Stevie told Carole. “Hey, I think I hear my mother coming upstairs. I’m going to ask her now about the sleepover on Friday. I’ll let you know Monday. I’m sure the answer will be yes, though. Bye-bye,” she said hurriedly. She hung up the phone and bounced up off her bed. She had to find her mother right away, while her mother still felt guilty.

  CAROLE STARED AT the phone in her hand, smiling in bewilderment. She hadn’t even had a chance to say good-bye to Stevie before Stevie had hung up. What a girl her friend was! Stevie bounced from misery to joy faster than anybody Carole had ever known—and from joy back to misery just as fast! Having Chad at the stable couldn’t possibly be as bad as Stevie said it would be, Carole thought. There weren’t that many boys there, either, so it might even be nice to have him around. How bad could it be? Carole asked herself. Shrugging, she decided to check with her father about the sleepover on Friday and then call Lisa. Then, after that, she’d make a list of the questions she wanted to ask Kate about riding in general, and about being a champion, in particular.