by Chris Platt
Duncan shrugged. “I’ve never been to Hawaii. Surfing would probably be pretty cool. But nothing compares to riding out across the desert in the middle of a storm.”
Lainey stood in the saddle to stretch her legs. Her horse took that as a cue to go faster and broke into a trot, sitting her back in the saddle. Lainey laughed and grabbed a handful of mane, pulling her horse back to a walk. When she had the mare under control, she rode up beside Jessica. “That sure is a beautiful paint horse. Is she yours?”
Jessica shook her head. “I wish. But no, she’s for sale. My family buys some horses from the reservation every year, and Duncan and our dad break them and sell them. Ranchers all over Nevada and northern California have bought our horses.”
“She sure is pretty,” Michael hollered from the ATV, “and smart, too.” The boys were riding twenty feet away from the horses so they wouldn’t spook them. But by now all the horses were used to the noise. “I can’t believe your brother just broke her. That’s awesome.”
“Jessica did most of the work,” Duncan said. “I had the easy part. All I had to do was climb on her back and go.”
Jessica beamed with pride.
“How much farther to the lake?” Ariel asked.
“Not far,” Marybeth said. “Just over this next hill. She squeezed Daisy’s sides and cantered up the hill. “Last one there is a rotten egg!”
Jessica held on tight as Storm Chaser reacted to the Appaloosa’s quick takeoff. The other kids, even Ariel, whooped and hollered up the hill. Duncan pulled the lead rope tight when Chase tossed her head and attempted to go with them.
“Hang on, Jess! Don’t let her jump out from under you.”
Jessica grabbed ahold of the mane and settled deep in the saddle as Chase hopped around. Once the filly figured out she couldn’t go anywhere, she finally calmed down.
“Are you okay?” Duncan asked.
Jessica nodded.
“You never want to let yourself fall asleep on a young horse.” He slacked off on the lead rope and let it out to a normal length. “They can jump out from under you quicker than a zephyr wind coming down the mountain.”
Jessica let her breathing settle back to normal and tried to steady her nerves. “Can we try trotting up the hill?”
Duncan nodded and smooched the horses into a slow trot. Jessica gathered her reins just enough so she could feel Chase’s mouth and leaned forward slightly to make it easier for Chase to get up the hill.
A few minutes later they reached the lake and found the others’ horses tied to the hitching line. The kids were already pulling off riding clothes and heading into the water in their bathing suits to play with a big blow-up beach ball that Marybeth had brought.
Ariel stood at the edge of the lake. “A beach ball? What is this, the third-grade picnic?”
Marybeth halted in midthrow, looking dejectedly toward the older girl. Jessica felt sorry for her.
“Oh, come on, Ari,” Michael said. “We’re going to play water volleyball. Get in here and play.”
“All right.” Ariel kicked off her shoes and stepped into the water in her bathing suit top and shorts.
Jessica didn’t miss the way Duncan’s eyes swung to the beautiful girl. Ariel didn’t miss it either. She laughed and called out, “Who wants to be on my team? I’ve got dibs on Mark and Melissa.”
“Lainey, Sheri, Monica, you’re with me,” Michael said. “We’ll smoke those guys.”
“We need one more person for my team,” Ariel said.
She looked briefly in Jessica’s direction, but her gaze quickly swept past and landed on Duncan. She tossed the beach ball at him. “How about you?”
Duncan caught the ball and handed it to Jessica. “Jess can take my place. Marybeth and I are going to go jump off the tire swing.”
Marybeth squealed in delight. She always loved playing on the tire swing with Duncan because he could push her a lot higher than Jessica could.
“What’s with your brother?” Ariel asked when Jessica swam up beside her.
Jessica shrugged. “That’s just the way he is. Duncan is even shy around his friends. Until he gets to know you, he really clams up.”
Ariel took the ball and batted it to Sheri on the other side. “Well, we’re going to be here a few more days. He’ll know me by then.”
Jessica shrugged. “You never know about Dunce.”
“Dunce?” Lainey laughed. “Great nickname. I hope he doesn’t live up to it.”
Jessica tilted her head to look at Duncan playing on the tire swing with Marybeth. “Actually, he’s super smart, so it doesn’t really fit him.”
“Let’s get this game going!” Michael gave the ball a big toss and it bounced off David’s head. The other boy laughed and swam for the ball, returning it with a big swat.
They messed around with the beach ball for another half hour, then everyone headed to the tire swing. Duncan went to check the horses.
“Your brother is so cool,” Monica said.
“Yeah, he’s not bad—for a brother.” Jessica watched as Ariel swung high over the lake’s surface and executed a perfect dive off the tire to show off. Jessica wished she had the kind of confidence that Ariel had. Maybe then she wouldn’t be so quiet around Wyatt. She noticed Duncan watching Ariel as she swam in the lake.
They swam for a while longer, then waded out of the water, ready for something to eat.
Marybeth handed out the drinks while Jessica passed out sandwiches and apples. Monica and Sheri started a food fight, but with only one sandwich apiece, it didn’t last long. The squirrels and birds would make sure the mess got cleaned up after they were gone.
“This is fun!” Marybeth said. “It’s like being in school with so many kids around.”
“Ha!” Ariel scoffed. “There’s nothing fun about school.”
“Hey, guys, it’s time to head back,” Duncan called, checking his watch. “There are games scheduled in about two hours and it’ll take us an hour to get back to the ranch. My mom’s getting some hamburgers and hotdogs ready for later.”
Jessica laughed. “Yeah, after we wrecked all those sandwiches, there’s going to be a lot of hungry people at dinner.”
Everyone took one last dip in the lake and waded from the water, laughing and joking. They dried off quickly in the hot Nevada sun and slipped into their shorts, shirts, and shoes. Then they mounted the horses and started up the ATVs for the ride back to the ranch.
Ariel rode beside Jessica and Duncan, trying to coax Duncan into conversation. Jessica felt totally left out. Even though Ariel was so snobby, part of Jessica couldn’t help wanting to be friends with her. Maybe Ariel was nice when you got to know her. It seemed like she was trying really hard to impress everyone.
Duncan gave their father a nod when they rode into the stable yard. “Jess and Chase both did great,” he reported. “I think if we keep Jess on the towline for a few more trips, and I ride Chase in between, Jess’ll be able to go on her own by the end of the week.”
Jessica couldn’t help but grin. She was going to ride Chase again—and soon all by herself!
A soft tapping on the back door woke Jessica from her nap in the living room. It had been a long day filled with swimming, games, and too much to eat. After dinner she’d planned to lie down on the couch for just a few minutes, but a quick look at the clock showed she’d slept for almost an hour. Marybeth would be over in a little bit to watch their favorite TV show. They’d played horseshoes after their swim today, but there were no scheduled activities for the evening. The vacationers were free to do as they pleased.
The knock came again and Jessica swung her legs over the side of the couch. It had to be one of the guests. She walked to the door and was surprised to see Ariel standing there with a smile on her face.
“Uh…hi,” Jessica stammered. “Do you need something?”
“No,” Ariel said. “I’m just kind of bored and thought I’d come see what you were doing.”
Jessica was dumbfounded
. So far, Ariel hadn’t shown much interest in being friends. Maybe she’d changed her mind?
“So can I come in?” Ariel asked.
Before Jessica even had a chance to nod, the girl squeezed her way through the door. “Do you have anything cold to drink, like a Diet Coke or something?”
“Sure.” Jessica led the way to the kitchen and poured Ariel a soda. The tall blonde girl chitchatted as she roamed around the room, picking up saltshakers and sugar bowls and opening cupboards to see what was inside. Jessica knew her mother would have a fit if she ever did that while visiting someone else’s house.
“Where’s your brother?” Ariel asked. “I haven’t seen him since we went to the lake this morning.”
Now Jessica knew why Ariel was hanging around there. “He’s out working on the tractor. We’ll be cutting hay soon, so he’s making sure everything works right and is ready to go. We lost our whole hay supply in the barn fire. We’ve got to get this load in the barn or we’ll be in for major trouble this winter.”
Ariel pulled out a chair and sat down. “At least it’s a good thing that barn is getting a roof put on. I saw your dad and someone else up there working on it today.”
Jessica nodded, wondering why Ariel didn’t leave now that she knew Duncan wasn’t here. But this might be a chance to get to know her better. They could definitely talk about horses. Jessica admired the girl’s horsemanship—although she didn’t always agree with the way she treated Raven.
Before Jessica could say anything, Ariel finished her drink and set the glass on the table. “Want to go for a ride with me and Raven in about a half-hour?”
“Sure!” Jessica blurted out. She wished she could ride Chase, but she knew her dad would make her take one of the horses they’d borrowed from the Lightfoots.
“Great,” Ariel said, making her way to the door. “Hey, I might even let you ride Raven for a while. We could change horses on the trail.”
Jessica’s head spun. She’d never been on a fancy Warm-blood before. Raven was a breed of horse that you saw competing in the Olympics. Rusty was a fun ride, but he was a grade horse, with no pedigree or registration papers. The other horses at Wild Hawk Ranch were quarter horses—a great breed, but definitely not in the same category as Raven.
“Sounds great,” Jessica said. Then she remembered Marybeth.
“What’s the matter?” Ariel stopped with her hand on the doorknob.
“I forgot that Marybeth is coming over pretty soon. Is it okay if she goes with us?”
Ariel wrinkled her nose. “I really don’t want a little kid tagging along. Can’t you call her and tell her to stay home?”
Jessica hesitated. She didn’t want to un-invite her friend. But she really wanted a chance to ride Raven. Nobody around had a horse like that. She might not ever get a chance like this again. Marybeth would understand. “Okay,” she said.
“Good. Then I’ll see you in half an hour.” Ariel grabbed a cookie from a plate on the counter and left.
Jessica picked up the phone and dialed Marybeth’s house. She didn’t feel good about doing this, but…she did want to go with Ariel.
By the time Marybeth’s phone rang a second time, Jessica felt totally guilty for dumping her friend. She almost hung up, but Marybeth’s cheerful voice answered.
“Hello?”
“Um…hi,” Jessica stammered as she racked her brain for something to say that wouldn’t be a lie. She didn’t want to fib to Marybeth.
“I just came in from saddling Daisy,” her friend said. “I’ll be over in a few minutes.”
Jessica shifted her weight and moved the phone to the other ear. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about…uh…I’ve got something else that I have to do, so I won’t be able to watch TV.” At least that part is true, Jessica thought. She was definitely doing something else. “I’ll just see you here tomorrow, okay? I think we’re playing horseshoes again after lunch.”
“Oh.” Marybeth sounded disappointed. “Well, I guess I’ll just ride around here by myself for a while, then. No sense wasting a saddled horse.”
“Okay,” Jessica said. “I’m really sorry.” After she hung up, her stomach felt a little upset. She turned to see her mother standing by the couch. Jessica knew her mother had probably heard most of her conversation with Marybeth.
“Marybeth is staying home tonight?” Mrs. Warner asked. Jessica nodded.
Her mother gave her a thoughtful look. “Well, honey, just remember: It pays to know who your real friends are.” She turned and walked out of the room.
Jessica stared at the empty doorway. She knew who her friends were, and Marybeth was one of them. But what was wrong with making new friends? It was just a stupid ride with Ariel. What could be wrong with that? Her mother had told her to be nice to the vacationers. That was exactly what she was doing.
But as she walked through the stable yard to catch the borrowed gelding, she knew she was lying to herself as well as her friend. She wasn’t just being nice to Ariel. She really wanted to be friends with her. Who wouldn’t? She was pretty and daring and older—and an accomplished rider.
Making friends with Ariel wouldn’t be easy with Marybeth around.
FIFTEEN
The ride would have been a lot more fun if Marybeth had come along, Jessica thought as she and Ariel rode the trail back to the ranch. Once Ariel realized that Jessica wasn’t allowed to ride Chase, she’d spent most of the time talking about all her friends and accomplishments at school, bragging about the ribbons she’d won at important horse shows, and asking questions about Duncan. Jessica didn’t even get a chance to ride Raven. A jackrabbit had popped out in front of them and spooked the big black horse, so Ariel pronounced him unfit for a less-experienced rider to handle.
Jessica thought about mentioning the fact that her father and brother trusted her enough to ride a green-broke horse. Surely she could ride the big, well-broke Warmblood at a walk going down the trail? Yes, he was wearing an English saddle and tack, but Jessica was sure she could handle it. Ariel had a lot more experience than she did, especially with schooling lessons, but Jessica knew enough not to fall off a horse at a walk.
She gave Grizz a bump in the belly to speed up his lazy walk. The horse pinned his ears and swished his tail to show his displeasure. The ride also would have been a lot more fun if she could’ve ridden Rusty or Chase. At least they wouldn’t have been so foul-tempered.
By the time the two girls rode into the stable yard, it was getting dark. The other visitors were getting ready for the evening snack. Jessica knew that there would be hot fudge sundaes and several kinds of pies. The mouthwatering scent of apple pie drifted out through the open kitchen window, making her stomach growl.
Her father and Duncan were climbing down from the barn roof, where they’d just put on the last piece of plywood sheeting. The girls pulled the horses to a halt at the hitching post.
“Here.” Ariel dismounted and handed Raven’s reins to Jessica. “Can you put Raven away for me? I’ve got to go do something.” She started off in Duncan’s direction, then called over her shoulder, “I’ll save you a spot at the dessert table.”
Jessica sighed, and Raven looked at her with big solemn eyes. She wanted to be mad at him for causing her extra work, but it wasn’t his fault. She quickly untacked him and led the big horse to his corral, then returned for the other horse.
Jessica removed the saddle from his back, groomed him, and gave him the treats from her pocket. Then she went to the other side of the pens to see Rusty and Chase.
Rusty nickered when he saw her approach and Jessica smiled. The old gelding definitely looked better these past few days. His burned spots had already grown new hair and he didn’t cough as much anymore. “Sorry, ol’ boy,” she told the horse. “I’ve given all the treats away.” Rusty nuzzled her pockets and Jessica wished she’d thought to hold back a couple of goodies.
She went to the line of trees outside the pens and pulled up several handfuls of grass. Chase
stepped up to the fence and bobbed her head when she smelled the fresh green blades.
Jessica couldn’t hold back a smile. Chase was coming around nicely and seemed to like people. Whoever ended up with the beautiful filly would be very lucky.
The thought made her sad. She’d grown attached to Chase, and so had Rusty. Jessica divided the grass and gave a handful to each of them, then kissed Rusty on the tip of the nose. “We’re going to miss her, aren’t we ol’ boy?” She put her arms around his neck and breathed in his warm horse scent. Everything would work out right. She had to keep telling herself that. Chase would go to someone very special who would love her and take great care of her. Maybe even someone close by so she could go and visit.
If only Chase didn’t have to go anywhere at all.
“Jessica?” Mrs. Warner poked her head into her daughter’s room just before bedtime. “Ariel is here to see you.” She opened the door wider, allowing Ariel into the room.
The girl gave Jessica a big smile and waved. “I just wanted to drop by and say thanks for taking care of Raven for me, and I’m sorry I wasn’t able to save you a seat at the dessert table. Duncan got there first.” She walked across the room and plopped down on the end of Jess’s bed.
Jessica put down her horse magazine. It had kind of bothered her that Ariel hadn’t saved her a seat. But she didn’t want to say that to Ariel, and it was nice that she had come by to apologize. “No problem,” she said. “Raven’s a great horse. He didn’t give me any trouble.” She sat there for a few awkward moments, trying to think of something cool to say. Ariel saved her by speaking first.
“I was talking to the other kids and we decided to have a marshmallow roast at ten o’clock. Lainey’s mom said she’d chaperone us and it’s okay with your parents. I love S’mores.” She bounced a little on the bed. “Do you think Duncan will come?”
Jessica tried to hide her frown. It sure seemed like Ariel asked a lot of questions about Duncan. “I don’t know,” she said. “He’s supposed to start baling hay tomorrow and he’ll have to be up really early. But I’ll definitely be there.” She’d have to call Marybeth and let her know. Maybe inviting her to the marshmallow roast would almost make up for dumping her earlier.