Terry joined in the enthusiastic standing ovation. “Wow! I’ve never seen anything like that. I’d give anything to be able to ride like Captain.”
“He’s great!” Mary chirped.
“How do you make the horse do all that?” Susie asked with amazement. “I never saw you give him any signals.”
Captain Riskin chuckled and patted the gray’s neck. “I simply rode the horse as he should be ridden. You must learn to sit quietly and collect the horse from your seat into your hands, not wiggle all over his back so he loses interest and falls asleep.”
“I don’t wiggle,” Susie protested. “At least not too much.”
“You squirm as if someone were tickling you,” he corrected as he dismounted. “But you too can learn to ride like this if you work hard.”
He handed the reins to Sonny who was waiting by the gate to retrieve the gray. “Now I have an appointment away from the stable today. Karen will take the whole class. I will see you Monday and I expect to hear of no trouble.”
After the lesson with Karen in the back field, the class rode listlessly into the stable yard, sweaters and jackets draped over their saddles. The morning that had begun cool during the Captain’s demonstration had turned uncomfortably warm once the sun broke through the clouds.
Terry realized that she had left her sweater hanging over the back field fence. “Karen,” she called. “Forgot my sweater. I need to go back and get it.
As Terry turned and urged Tic-Tac into an easy trot, a voice called from behind. “Hey, Terry! Wait up!”
Terry looked over her shoulder, surprised to see Paula trotting after her. “Wonder what she wants?” she thought, slowing to a walk.
Paula pulled Shady Lady into step with Tic-Tac. “I don’t feel like getting off yet. It’s been such a dull day without Captain here. We didn’t take one fence. If I’m going to win at the show, I need more practice.”
“The horses will sour if we jump every day,” Terry reminded her. “I think you and Shady look great, but if you’re worried, tell Captain. Maybe he’ll arrange some extra practice time for you.”
Paula shook her head. “I tried that. He just said to be patient, that I jump enough.”
Terry shrugged. “He’s usually right about that stuff.”
Paula flashed a mischievous smile.” I’ve got an idea. Let’s jump now. Captain’s gone and Karen’s in the barn. No one will ever know.”
Terry shook her head. “Captain said no jumping alone. Besides, what if something happened?”
“We’re not alone,” Paula reminded her. “We’ve got each other for a buddy system. Besides, nothing’s going to happen.”
Without waiting for Terry, she urged Shady into a canter. “Come on. It’ll be fun!”
Tic-Tac snatched the bit between his teeth, charging across the field in pursuit of Shady Lady. “Wait!” Terry protested, pulling back on the reins.
“The wall first,” Paula called over her shoulder, increasing her pace. “Follow me!”
“Don’t!” Terry warned, yanking Tic-Tac out of line with the fence. By the time she was able to stop him, Paula was over the wall, cantering back toward her. Tic-Tac pawed the ground angrily at being restrained.
Paula’s face was flushed with excitement, “Go on,” she urged. “Take the fence!”
“No,” Terry firmly repeated. “Not without the Captain or Karen.”
Paula scowled at her. “Just forget it. I don’t need any of you to jump.”
Before Terry could reason with her, Paula spurred Shady into a reckless gallop across the field toward the coop. Three strides out, Shady surged off the ground, far too early to clear. Paula was caught off balance, unable to get into the jumping position. She pulled on the reins, struggling to keep from falling. Lunging awkwardly at the fence, Shady dropped a front hoof onto the top of the coop and somersaulted.
Paula screamed as the fence cracked and Shady crashed to the ground. The mare quickly rolled over and scrambled to her feet. She looked around with wild, startled eyes, and then galloped back toward the barn, stirrups flapping at her sides.
Paula lay motionless in the grass as Terry cantered up to her. She jerked Tic-Tac to an abrupt halt and vaulted off. For a fearful instant, she thought Paula was dead.
The girl looked broken and white sprawled on the ground amidst wooden splinters of the coop. A jagged splotch of blood glared from her right cheek. Dirt covered her face and clothes. Her left shirt sleeve was torn to reveal three deep bleeding gashes on her forearm. But, worst of all, she didn’t seem to breathe.
The accident had happened so quickly that Terry didn’t know how to react. “What should I do?” she thought frantically, unsure if she should stay with Paula or run for help.
Just then, Paula groaned softly. Nothing had ever sounded so wonderful to Terry. “S-s-s-h,” she whispered, carefully laying a hand on the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t try to talk.”
Paula’s chest heaved unevenly as she tried to get her breath. “What happened?” she murmured, wincing as she turned her head to look up at Terry.
“Shady fell,” Terry told her, gently brushing a limp strand of dirt coated hair from her forehead. “I think she’s okay. Took off for the barn bucking like a filly. Now just lie still. I’m sure help will be here quickly as soon as they see Shady.”
A tear ran down Paula’s cheek as she gritted her teeth against the pain. “You’ve got to say you were jumping too. If Captain thinks there were two of us, he’ll just yell a lot. But, if I’m the only one, I’m through at Briar Hill.”
Terry was startled by her request. “Of course, he’s going to be mad, but surely not mad enough to kick you out. Don’t worry about that now. First let’s make sure you’re okay.”
Paula clutched Terry’s wrist. Her hand was cold and insistent. “He’s warned me more than once not to jump alone. He won’t forgive me this time. But, maybe if you say you were jumping too, he won’t kick me out. He really likes you.”
Before Terry could reply, Karen came running across the field toward them. She dropped on her knees beside Paula. Taking a handkerchief from her pocket, she gently dabbed the blood from Paula’s cheek.
“Lie still,” she directed, surveying her injuries with concern. “I don’t want you to move until we get some help.”
“Terry, ride back to the barn and call an ambulance,” she ordered without taking her eyes off Paula. “Hurry!”
In an instant, Terry sprang up on Tic-Tac. Paula’s voice followed her as she galloped back toward the barn. “Terry, please?”
Terry watched her father’s green Ford wind down the long stable road. Karen had called the barn earlier from the hospital to say she would be unable to drive Terry home. Paula had sustained a sprained wrist as well as several lacerations that required stitches, but no broken bones. However, since neither of Paula’s parents could be reached, Karen was going to drive her home from the hospital when she was released.
All afternoon, waiting for the call, Terry had been unable to get the image of Paula’s twisted, bloody body out of her mind. “Thank heaven it’s not too serious.”
She walked slowly toward her father’s car as it pulled to a stop in the stable yard. “Paula’s never asked for my help before,” she thought. “Is she right that the Captain would just be angry if he thought I was jumping too? But, what if he really means what he says and kicks us both out. Then I’d lose Tic-Tac as well as my job. I want to help Paula, but…”
Her father reached over and opened the door before she could finish her thought. She sank exhausted onto the front seat. He patted her knee. “Tough day?”
“You have no idea,” Terry admitted as the car pulled away from the stable. She felt an overwhelming urge to tell him everything. He always managed to have a solution to the most difficult problems. “I’ve got a question.”
Her father smiled. “Shoot.”
“Well…,” she hesitated, not sure if she should betray Paula’s trust. “What’s more important, your
needs or helping someone who may be in trouble?”
“That’s a tough one,” he admitted. “Depends on what you have to do and the person who is in trouble. Remember, a friendship is only as strong as what you both put into it.”
“What if a person was asked to share blame to save another person from real trouble?” Terry persisted. “Especially if it was the other person’s only chance to redeem herself?”
“It’s impossible for me to say without knowing all the facts,” he told her, accelerating to pass a truck. “But, I can give you an example that might help. Something like that happened to me when I was in the army. There was this guy, Littlefield, who always had a scheme going. Usually he made out okay, but one day he got caught. He was running a black market on cigarettes, liquor and anything else he could get his hands on cheap.”
“What’s a black market?” Terry asked.
“That means he bought things cheap from the Army then sold the stuff off base for a profit,” he explained. “Anyway, when the Sarge found out about it, Littlefield got scared and tried to drag me and two of my buddies in with him. He told us all we had to do was vouch it hadn’t been him, but another guy who was selling us the stuff. He promised each of us a share of his profits if we got him off the hook.”
He shook his head with a laugh. “I must have been crazy to agree, but Littlefield was a real operator and I was green. First week of basic training and the money sounded good, so my buddies and I agreed.”
Terry leaned forward, anticipating the end of his story, but he turned into their driveway and shut off the engine before continuing. “The next day I found out through the grape vine that the Sarge had real proof against Littlefield and was out to bust him as well as anyone connected with him. That was when I realized that my buddies and I were just dumb rookies that Littlefield wanted to use. Luckily, we backed out in time and only Littlefield got caught.”
He gave her a long, serious look. “All I’m trying to say is don’t jeopardize yourself and the things you value unless you’re sure of the consequences. Understand?”
She slowly nodded. “Thanks, Dad. That helps.”
“Remember, whenever you want to talk, I’m always available,’ he said as he got out of the car. “Think things through from all the angles before you make a decision you might regret.”
Terry watched him go up the walk and into the house. “He always understands,” she thought, amazed at how he’d naturally zeroed in on her problem.
She got out of the car, but instead of following him into the house, she lay down on the front lawn. The grass felt cool against her bare arms. She watched a bee land delicately on a clover blossom near her left shoulder. “Dad’s right,” she sighed. “No matter how much Paula needs me to back up her story, I shouldn’t ruin everything I’ve worked so hard for over something I didn’t do.”
Terry closed her eyes, but she couldn’t erase the memory of Paula sprawled bloody and painful beside the broken fence. She plucked a blade of grass and ran it thoughtfully between her lips. “She’s right. I am the only one who might be able to help save her place at the stable. But, what if I agree to help her then the Captain kicks us both out? I’d never see Tic-Tac again. I’d lose him and my job. And, for what?”
Her mother’s voice interrupted the conflicting thoughts that swirled in her head. “Terry, come set the table for dinner.”
Still undecided, Terry stood up and went into the house. “Maybe Monday will never come.”
Chapter Nine
The bus little red bus was unusually quiet Monday morning when Terry climbed aboard. She was startled to see Paula sitting alone in the front seat. Instead of riding clothes, she wore yellow stripped slacks and a navy blouse. Her left wrist was taped to the elbow. A swollen purple bruise stretched across her right cheek below a black eye. Her blonde hair was brushed forward, partially covering the bruise.
She nodded to Terry. “Have a seat.”
“No, thanks,” Terry quickly refused, heading for the back of the bus. After a weekend of restless thoughts, she was still undecided whether or not to help Paula.
She sat down next to Bobby. “What’s Paula doing here?” she whispered impatiently. After the accident, I thought she’d stay home to heal.”
Bobby shrugged. “Even though she can’t ride, she said she wants to watch the team practice. But, I think she really wants the Captain to feel sorry for her so she can weasel out of her punishment.” He gave Terry a concerned frown. “Were you really jumping with her?”
A cold chill raced down her spine. “Did Paula say that?” she demanded in a whisper.
Bobby raised his eyebrows in surprise. “She told all of us as soon as she got on the bus.”
Terry hesitated, but decided it wouldn’t hurt if Bobby knew the truth. From all his experience at Briar Hill, he might even be able to offer some help. “No, I wasn’t jumping,” she quietly admitted. “But, don’t say anything.”
“You’re crazy!” Bobby exploded. “Captain will kill you if he believes her.”
“S-s-s-h!” she hissed when Lois and Donna turned around to stare. When Terry frowned at them, they quickly looked away.
She unhappily rubbed her hands together. “Paula doesn’t think Captain will do much if there were two of us jumping. Like a buddy system.”
“Doesn’t matter if there were one or twenty people jumping,” Bobby whispered impatiently. “You didn’t have staff supervision. That’s the rule. This won’t be the first time he’s kicked out riders for disobeying the rules. No matter who they are.”
“What would you do if you were me?” Terry persisted. “Just ignore Paula?”
“Look, you’ve got a great deal at Briar Hill,” Bobby reasoned. “Lessons at the best stable around. A job exercising some really nice horses. And, especially the ride onTic-Tac. Don’t blow it all over Paula’s problems. You’ll lose and she’ll never thank you for your trouble.”
Still unconvinced, Terry shook her head. “I don’t know. I hate to let her down when I’m the only one who can help her.”
“What about letting yourself and the Captain down?” he asked, then turned away to look out the window, unwilling to argue the point.
They rode the rest of the way to Briar Hill in silence. When the bus stopped in the stable yard, Bobby quietly stepped around her and followed the rest of the students to the barn, leaving Terry to bring up the rear.
Paula was waiting at the foot of the steps. She flashed Terry a crooked smile, her upper lip still swollen across her teeth. “It’s all set. Everyone thinks we both jumped. But, here’s the plan. After the lecture, I’ll talk to Captain. When he calls you into the office, all you have to do is say you were jumping with me and that we were watching out for each other. Okay?”
Terry felt a tight knot in her throat as she started to protest. “Listen, I just think –.”
Don’t worry,” Paula interrupted. “I’ll take care of everything. You just agree. Don’t let me down, Terry. You know I can’t fix this by myself.”
“Please listen,” Terry insisted. “I can’t …”
Paula scowled. “Look at me. Do you think this was easy to explain to my parents? They don’t like mistakes. I don’t know what they’d do if they knew Captain might kick me out. Now I’m counting on you to be there for me. I don’t have anyone else.”
She nudged Terry toward the clubroom. “Better get going or you’ll be late for the lecture. I’ll be there as soon as I check Shady.”
Terry watched her limp slowly down the school aisle. She wanted desperately to call out that the plan wouldn’t work, that they’d both lose out. But, sensing Paula wouldn’t listen, she turned and hurried to the clubroom.
Captain Riskin frowned when she entered the room. Paula came in several moments later, wincing painfully as she sat down next to Terry.
“Paula, I will speak to you in my office after the lecture,” he said sternly in a very level voice.
There was a tense silence in the room as all
eyes turned to her. “Yes, sir,” she answered calmly, meeting his frown with a level gaze.
Terry dreaded the showdown with Captain Riskin. It frightened her to see him keep his anger bottled up inside. She sensed it would only stay that way until the office meeting.
When the lecture ended, Terry slipped wordlessly from the clubroom. Stopping in the tackroom only long enough to grab a grooming kit, she hurried down the school aisle and closed herself in Tic-Tac’s stall.
She whistled softly as he came to her with a throaty nicker. He wiggled his nose into her treat pocket. When she didn’t respond, he butted her in the stomach.
“Okay!” she laughed for the first time that morning, grabbing onto his mane for balance. She fumbled in her pocket and pulled out a piece of carrot. He quickly gobbled it down then began searching for more.
“That’s all for now, greedy,” she scolded fondly, running her fingers through his mane.
“What should I do, Tic?” she sighed, half expecting an answer. He pricked his ears and cocked his head to look at her full in the face.
Even if she told the truth, Terry found the thought of facing a truly angry Captain Riskin terrifying. “Bobby’s right. There’s no good excuse for what happened. Captain will skin us both if he thinks we were jumping unsupervised.”
Just then static crackled over the intercom. “Terry, come to the office right away,” it sputtered, then clicked off.
She threw her arms around Tic-Tac’s silky neck. “No one’s going to take you away from me. I promise!”
The aisle was quiet as she walked toward the office. She felt the other students peering at her from their stalls, but she ignored them. “Luck,” Bobby called as she passed.
Terry hesitated nervously outside the closed office door. Captain Riskin’s voice was a deep drone, but she couldn’t make out what he was saying. He was doing all the talking, but not shouting the way he usually did when he was mad. She took a shaky breath and knocked.
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