One Brave Summer (Quartz Creek Ranch)

by Amber J. Keyser

  Bryce and Cameron raised their fingers in matching victory signs.

  “Madison and Fletch report that you are all competent riders,” Ma Etty added. “They need to help us with ranch duties today. But we’ve decided you can make the trail ride to the lake alone.”

  Cheers erupted from all sides of the table. Paley forgot all about her tight muscles and sore hands. They were going! They were really going!

  Ma Etty handed them sack lunches. “You’ll need to stick together.”

  “Horse safety comes first,” added Mr. Bridle.

  Cameron paused in front of him. “You mean horse safety comes before our safety?”

  When the older man looked flummoxed, Cameron pointed fingers at him like six-shooters and said, “Checkmate, Mr. Bridle!”

  Everyone laughed.

  “Dinner will be at six. Get back by then,” said Ma Etty, “and stay on our property until you get to the public lands. You know the fence line.”

  “Trust me,” said Paley, clearing the table so they could get their show on the road. “The last thing I want is a run-in with the Goodsteins.”

  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

  Finally, they were off.

  Paley nudged Prince into a trot, her body tuning in to the horse’s rhythm. As she swayed in time with his steps, her muscles loosened up. It was a perfect summer day. Blue sky. Puffy clouds. A breeze rippled through Prince’s mane.

  And the dinosaur was waiting.

  Paley itched to see it again, to run her fingers along the dark stone. “Let’s run a little,” she called to the other kids. Bryce let out a whoop and urged his horse into a canter. The five of them raced down the dirt road that ran along Quartz Creek. Everything was sun and sparkle and speed and horse. Paley had never felt so good in real life or in-game.

  When they finally reined in and let the horses drink from the creek, Bryce had a huge grin on his face. “Man, I had no idea. No freaking idea.”

  “About what?”

  “That this horse thing could be so amazing. I was so mad when my parents said I had to come here. I thought it would be like jail or that book where the kids have to dig pits all day long.”

  Paley stroked the side of Prince’s neck. She loved him so much—his speed and his sass. Leaving him might break her heart. “We have to go home in a few weeks.”

  “That bites.”

  “Will you . . . I mean . . . do you think it will be different?” Paley asked, shading her eyes against the sun so she could watch his face.

  “You mean, am I still going to beat kids up?”

  She nodded.

  He pulled a water bottle out of his saddlebag, drank, and handed it to Paley. “Here’s the thing,” he said. “Being like this, being friends, is better.” Bryce spread his arms wide to take in Paley, the horses, the ranch, and the whole summer. “But sometimes there are people who deserve a good punch in the nose.”

  “Like Thomas Goodstein,” said Paley.

  “Especially him.”

  “But it’s not nice to hit people.”

  Bryce snorted. “Are you going to work for Hallmark when you grow up?”

  Paley rolled her eyes.

  “I can’t make any promises,” said Bryce, “but I’m going to try to avoid firewood duty.”

  “That’s a good motto,” said Paley. “Let’s make sure to tell that one to Ma Etty.”

  She and Bryce fist-bumped and then urged their horses onto the road with the others.

  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

  Even before Paley could see the lake, she knew something was wrong.

  The sound of machinery thrummed through the air. It made Prince uneasy, and Paley reined him in. The others gathered around her, straining to listen, trying to make sense of the sounds that came from just over the rise. A diesel engine spluttered and roared. The ear-piercing whine of a rock drill surged.

  Her nightmare had come true. The fossil was being excavated.

  The machine gave another roar, screeching as it bit into rock. Paley felt a stabbing sensation in her chest. They were going to take the dinosaur. She’d stacked all that firewood for nothing. They were too late.

  The engine sounds cut off abruptly, and she heard rocks falling.

  “Watch the end!” a man called. “Don’t let that large section break off.”

  A younger-sounding voice responded. “Don’t worry. We’ve got it.”

  Paley stared at her friends. “That’s Thomas! I’m sure of it!”

  They nodded, wide-eyed.

  “I’ve uncovered another tooth,” said a second boy. One of the Rock Hounds, no doubt. The kids could hear rocks being chipped away with some kind of metal hand tool.

  “Could be an allosaur,” said the man. “Not too shabby, especially because there’s so much of it present.”

  “What now?” Leila hissed.

  Sundee looked terrified. “We have to get out of here.”

  Bryce clenched and unclenched his fists, seething. Cameron fidgeted, twisting the reins of his horse back and forth in his hands.

  Leila looked to Paley. “What do we do?” she whispered.

  Panic filled Paley. She was supposed to do something, but what? The Blue Elf would . . . oh, who was she kidding? The Blue Elf wouldn’t do anything to help because she wasn’t even real. Paley was real, and she couldn’t fight or cast spells. Nothing she tried to do came out right. They should turn the horses around and ride back to the ranch. They were too late.

  The machine roared into action again.

  “What’s the plan?” Bryce asked.

  Paley’s grip tightened on the reins. She looked at her friends’ tight, worried faces. They expected her to know what to do. They were counting on her. Going back was not an option. She had to come up with something, fast. Prince turned his head and snuffled against her leg.

  His encouragement buoyed her up.

  If they acted now, there still might be a chance of saving the fossil. It made her queasy to think about facing the Rock Hounds alone, but someone had to, and there was no Blue Elf. She would never forgive herself if she didn’t try.

  Paley pointed to her friends. “You guys have to ride back to the ranch and get the Bridles. We need their help.”

  Bryce’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean you guys?”

  “You heard Mr. Bridle. Safety first.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not going anywhere.”

  “Me neither,” said Leila, crossing her arms over her chest.

  A surge of good feelings filled Paley. She’d never had friends like this before.

  “We’re staying,” said Bryce.

  “This is nuts!” Sundee squeaked. “You’re going to get in huge trouble for this. And I’m not moving any more wood for you!”

  Leila shot her a death glare. “Would you just shut up?”

  Cameron nudged his horse next to Sundee’s and leaned over until he could grab her hand. “Let it go,” he said. “She’s got to do this.” To Paley, he said, “We’ll go for help. Be careful, okay?”

  Paley nodded, and they took off down the road. Part of her wanted to retreat to the ranch with Cameron and Sundee, but she was tired of backing down and giving up.

  It was time to make a stand.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Paley got ready to lead Leila and Bryce into battle. “Are you ready?” she asked, choking back her own fear.

  Grim-faced and determined, her friends nodded.

  This wasn’t going to be a Blue Elf–style bloodbath. It was a targeted strike.

  “Okay,” Paley said, keeping her voice steady, “we’re going in at top speed. The goal is to shut down the machines. There’s got to be power out there. We can try to pull the plug. But one way or another, we’ve got to get between the machines and the fossil.”

  “Got it!” said Leila.

  Paley rolled her shoulders back and took a deep breath. “Bryce and I will try to distract them. You sneak in on Cupcake. Let’s go!�
� She tucked in and leaned over Prince’s neck. Bryce did the same on his horse. Immediately, they shot forward, and the landscape was a blur on either side. Bryce angled to the right. Prince pounded to the top of the rise. When they crested it, Paley did not hesitate. She and Prince were a team, stronger together than either was alone.

  They raced toward the Rock Hounds.

  A man in a red T-shirt and protective goggles wielded some kind of a cross between a drill and a jackhammer. Nearly all of the fossil was uncovered. Long black bones shone in the sun, stark against the paler rock. The entire side of the skull was exposed, and several boys worked at it with picks and small chisels. Thomas sat on the hood of a truck with his thumbs hooked through his belt loops, looking like he’d just won the lottery.

  When Paley and Bryce thundered into view, Thomas and the Rock Hounds jumped to their feet, and the man shut off the drill. Paley and Prince went full tilt until they were almost on top of the Rock Hounds. The boys backed up against the truck, mouths hanging open. Bryce rode around the far side of the excavation until the man with the drill was boxed in between the two horses.

  The man swung the tool wildly from side to side. “Get away from me!” he cried.

  Prince stamped and snorted.

  “Get away from the fossil!” Paley said.

  The man’s eyes narrowed and he pointed the drill at them. “You kids are in the wrong place.” There was no mistaking the threat in his voice.

  Paley squared up her shoulders. “Excavating that fossil is illegal.”

  He snorted at her.

  “This is public land,” said Bryce, backing her up. “We’ll tell the cops.”

  Thomas Goodstein had recovered from the shock of their arrival. “Nobody will believe them,” he said, flashing an ingratiating smile at the collector. “They’re delinquents.”

  Bryce stiffened.

  A flash of movement caught Paley’s attention. Leila had dismounted and was creeping behind the truck. Paley’s heart thumped double-time. What if the Rock Hounds saw her? She had to hold their attention. “We’ve already told the museum in Denver about the dinosaur,” she said. “They’re sending a paleontologist out.”

  The man’s face turned a shade of purple.

  “Impossible,” sneered Thomas. “There are fossils all over these hills, and no one ever comes to check them out.”

  Leila was standing on tiptoes, reaching for the cord that connected the drill to the generator in the back of the truck.

  “She’s telling the truth,” Bryce said.

  The man pointed the spinning drill at Bryce and revved it up. The big red horse skittered and sidestepped. Even Prince was getting nervous. Leila had to shut that thing down!

  The man turned on Thomas. “You told me this was your land.”

  “Close enough,” said Thomas. A muscle in his cheek twitched.

  The collector revved the drill in Thomas’s direction. “You told me there was no way we’d get caught.”

  “Easy there,” said Thomas, holding his hands out between them. “No one is getting caught. These kids can’t do anything to us.”

  Paley’s heart pounded against her ribs. Adrenaline surged through her. She’d had it with people underestimating her. She could ride Prince. She could join that gamer club. And she definitely could keep that awful man away from their dinosaur.

  “Do it!” she yelled at Leila.

  The plug popped free and the drill died.

  “Get her!” yelled Thomas, spotting Leila.

  Yells erupted on all sides. Bryce was half off his horse. The collector jabbed at the air with the long metal drill. The Rock Hounds scrambled after Leila.

  “Leave my friend alone!” Paley shrieked. She shortened her reins and leaned into Prince. He stamped the ground and bellowed once, then the huge horse rose on his hind legs, pawing the air. When he crashed back down to earth, the force of his hooves made the ground shake.

  Thomas turned white. The collector dropped the drill and ran for the truck. Bryce swung Leila up behind him on the saddle, out of reach of the Rock Hounds. Paley locked eyes with Thomas. “You’re the one who has to go.” Prince took a single step forward.

  Thomas faltered. Fear flickered across his face. “Now,” said Paley, pointing to the truck.

  Thomas bolted, the Rock Hounds following reluctantly. The truck roared away.

  Finally, Paley could breathe.

  They had done it!

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Paley dismounted and leaned against Prince, feeling his strong, solid heat. She buried her face in his mane. There were no words for how much she loved this horse. He nickered and tried to nibble on her braid.

  She laughed and held him tighter.

  Leila and Bryce laughed too, relief flooding through them.

  It was over.

  “You were amazing!” Leila told Paley.

  “It was all Prince.”

  Bryce ran his hand down Prince’s flank. “But he did it for you.”

  Paley shrugged and grinned.

  “What do we do now?” asked Leila.

  “We wait for the Bridles,” said Paley, starting to unsaddle Prince. The others followed her lead, and soon the horses were grazing on new grass next to the lake. After they ate their sack lunches, Bryce and Leila rolled up their pant legs and went wading. Paley lay back in the sun, watching a red-tailed hawk soar overhead.

  Confidence. Conviction. Courage.

  In-game or out of it, those were the things that mattered.

  She tipped her cowboy hat over her face. The heat of the day enveloped her. Occasionally, a hint of breeze tickled her arms, but otherwise she was still, inside and out. Paley couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt like this, cocooned by the knowledge that everything was right in the world.

  “Paley—?”

  She peeped out from under her hat.

  Leila was staring down at her. “You were really brave.”

  Paley rolled up on one elbow. “I was, wasn’t I?”

  The Blue Elf couldn’t have done better herself.

  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

  Paley’s stomach was growling by the time they heard the noise of the ranch truck. She stood quietly with Leila and Bryce and waited for the Bridles.

  “Do you think we’re in trouble?” Leila asked.

  Paley shrugged. “Probably.”

  Ma Etty jumped out of the truck and rushed forward to hug them. She put her hands on Paley’s shoulders and turned her one way, then the other. “Are you okay?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Prince wouldn’t have let anything happen to me.”

  Mr. Bridle kept trying to look stern, but Paley could see a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. The last thing Paley wanted was to upset the Bridles, but she had to tell them what she intended to do next. Even if it made them mad.

  “Mr. Bridle,” she said, “I have to stay here. I hope you understand. Anyone could take the dinosaur now. It’s not safe.” Her throat felt tight with tears. Giving in, standing down, retreating to her cave—that had always been her approach when things got hard. It was so much easier that way. Standing up to the Bridles was much harder than facing the Rock Hounds. They’d been so kind to her. “You see,” she stammered, “I promised myself that I would guard this fossil. I can’t let anything happen to it. Not after what we’ve been through.”

  “That goes for all of us,” said Bryce.

  Leila stuck her chest out like she was ready for a fight. “We don’t care if you call our parents or the sheriff or anything. We’re not leaving until Dr. Moore comes and we know the dinosaur is safe.”

  Paley looked at her friends. Leila’s skinny chicken arms were bent akimbo, and her hair had fallen out of her ponytail. Bryce had a big smudge of dirt on his forehead, and his face was flushed. Mr. Bridle cleared his throat. His eyes were glued to his boots. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets. Probably he was getting ready to chew them out.

  Paley braced for it.

>   But it was Ma Etty who spoke. “Cameron was pretty firm on that point too,” she said. “That’s why he and Fletch and the rest are coming with camping gear. If you feel this strongly about being out here, then we’re going to be out here together. Now, who wants to get a campfire started so we can make dinner?”

  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

  That night, they roasted corn and cooked hot dogs over a roaring campfire.

  Everyone was there. Cameron and Sundee were sitting close together, holding hands. Paul played his banjo while Madison and Mr. Bridle sang. Fletch was teaching Bryce how to whittle, and Paley and Leila sat by the fire watching the flames flicker and the sparks dance in the night sky.

  When the fire had burned down to glowing red embers, Mr. Bridle cut marshmallow sticks, and Ma Etty passed around graham crackers and chocolate. As Paley crouched by the fire, rotating her marshmallow over the coals until it was a perfectly puffed, golden-brown orb of goodness, she thought about how amazing it was to be here. Never in a million years would she have imagined such a night.

  The dinosaur was safe.

  The stars shone down.

  She had friends at her side, and Prince was watching over them all.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Paley adjusted the handkerchief over her mouth. The cattle-rustler look was supposed to protect her from rock dust. It also made her very, very hot and sweaty. It was almost three o’clock. Dr. Moore usually let them quit working mid-afternoon. On all sides of Paley, the other kids were showing signs of pooping out.

  They’d been working on the excavation since nine o’clock, with only a short break for lunch. Tired as she was, Paley wasn’t ready to stop. This was her last day—her very last day at Quartz Creek Ranch—and she still had so much to do. She bent over the foot she was uncovering and used a toothbrush to work around the smallest bones.

  Ever since they had saved the dinosaur from the Rock Hounds, regular ranch activities had been superseded by work on the excavation. Dr. Moore said that this was the most complete allosaur ever found. Not just in Colorado. Anywhere! Sundee was beside herself with excitement.

  All of them were.

  Nothing like this had ever happened in Quartz Creek. They’d been in the paper twice and on the local news once. “Teens Find Terrifying Teeth,” read one of the headlines. It was totally goofy and awesome. Leila worked next to her, and Bryce was on her other side. Paley wished she could stay here forever.