Everything, Hanna wanted to say. But for once, Izzy was right. She had Madison. This part was up to Hanna. No one else could ride Shy Guy for her.
And though she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted to be the girl riding on his back with the wind flowing through her hair.
Eventually Fletch, Madison, Cade, Josh, and Rae Ann caught up to them in the barn.
“Change of plans, guys,” said Fletch. “I know it’s inconvenient, but I’m going to do a demonstration in the small corral today with my horse, Sawbones, so Hanna and Shy Guy can use the big arena.” He glanced at Hanna. “That is, if you’re still planning to ride today?”
Her throat had stopped working, and Hanna had to swallow three or four times before she could talk.
“Yes,” she managed. “I am.”
“Why does she get the whole practice arena?” asked Cade, puffing out his bottom lip.
Madison started, “Because—“
“Because she and Shy Guy need space, that’s why!” Izzy glowered at Cade. He shrank back, even though she was probably a foot shorter than he was. “It’s the first time he’s been ridden by anybody in a long time, and the other horses make him nervous. Okay?”
“Okay, right, sorry!”
Madison and Fletch exchanged a look as Fletch led the kids out of the barn. Izzy was the last one to leave, and she flashed Hanna a thumbs-up on her way out.
“Before we do this,” Madison said, getting a conspiratorial look in her eyes, “I want to give you something, Hanna.”
She ducked into the tack room and rifled through a box of papers, pulling out a manila envelope. She handed it to Hanna and, like a kid who had worked hard on a homemade Christmas gift, said, “Open it!”
Hanna tore open the top and pulled out a heavy piece of metal. She turned it over. It was a gold nameplate with “Shy Guy” etched into it.
Her chest constricted. Madison’s grin grew about as wide as her face.
“Will you do the honors of putting it on his stall?” she asked.
“Of course,” Hanna whispered.
Together, they mounted the plate right in the middle of the door. It shimmered under the barn lights.
“Your patience and kindness brought Shy Guy to where he is now,” said Madison. “So, are you ready to ride?” The look on her face was full of encouragement but underneath, a little trepidation.
Hanna nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”
Chapter Fifteen
By the time Hanna was done with tacking up Shy Guy, he looked beautiful. Like a horse in a TV show.
He was ready to ride.
Madison led them out the back of the barn to the arena, where all the barrels and poles had been removed to leave an open, unthreatening space. Hanna swallowed and gripped the helmet in her hand tighter. She’d have to make sure that Madison put on the straps extra tight.
Just a bruised butt, she reminded herself. Walking beside Shy Guy, she was painfully aware of his massive size; of the muscles that rippled along his shoulders and his flanks; and of his heavy, sturdy hoofbeats.
But all that didn’t frighten her anymore. When this thought made its way to the top, a surge of warm victory swept over her.
If Shy Guy did throw her, it wouldn’t be on purpose. It would be out of fear or surprise or the multitude of other things that haunted an abused animal. She knew how unpredictable the ghost inside oneself could be.
Hanna put on the helmet, buckled the strap, and tightened it all on her own.
“Looks good,” said Madison, rattling the helmet around on Hanna’s head to test it. “Get on whenever you’re ready. And please,” she emphasized, concern seeping into her voice, “take your time. Stop if anything seems off.”
Leading them over to a mounting block, Madison held the reins—though Shy Guy was suspicious of her at first—as Hanna picked up the stirrup in one hand.
“Here goes,” Hanna said. She climbed up on the block and stuck her left foot in the stirrup. Shy Guy glanced back at her, ears perked, but he didn’t move away.
Hanna reached for the horn and put all her weight in the stirrup. The saddle tilted slightly as she pushed up and swung her right leg over Shy Guy’s back.
She settled back down, both feet in the stirrups. Shy Guy hadn’t moved a muscle. Relief cascaded over Hanna.
“Wow,” said Madison. “I can’t believe it. We’re really going to do this.”
Frankly, Hanna couldn’t believe it either. But the hard part was yet to come.
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“Make sure you leave the reins a little slack,” said Madison. “No, that’s too much.” She reached for the reins to adjust them, and Shy Guy’s head swung away. Hanna let out a yelp as he jostled underneath her.
“Whoa,” said Madison, backing away with her hands up. “Whoa, boy. Okay—you’ll have to do all this on your own, Hanna. I can only give you instructions.”
Hanna was still breathing hard from the shock of Shy Guy moving so suddenly. She tried to straighten her back and fix her posture to calm herself down. She would only frighten Shy Guy if she was afraid herself.
“Good,” encouraged Madison. “Confidence will go a long way on a horse. Now ask him to walk.”
Hanna lightly nudged Shy Guy with her heels, and he started into a slow walk. Her breath caught in her throat.
He walked with a smooth, even gait, completely unlike Lacey’s. Each step was controlled and fluid. It felt like floating.
She couldn’t believe it. She was riding Shy Guy!
“Great job, Hanna,” called Madison as they headed away. “Walk along the fence for a while, then try turning him.”
When Hanna and Shy Guy had walked the entire circumference of the arena a few times, she pulled the reins across Shy Guy’s neck to the left, to take him into the middle.
He balked for a second, as if he had forgotten what a bit in his mouth felt like. Hanna felt panic rise up in her, but she tamped it down and pulled the reins to the left again.
This time, his head followed. His whole body moved in the same direction, making him curve under her. He moved fluidly, like a snake, as she righted him again and they headed for the center of the arena. Madison stepped out of the way as they passed her.
Hanna had done it. She had asked him to turn, and he did. She was breathless with elation.
“Great!” Madison called after them, her voice laced with genuine surprise. “Looking really, really good. Keep on with the basic maneuvers.”
Hanna and Shy Guy did another half of a lap, and then she turned him to the right. His right side was a little tougher than his left, but after a few tries, he turned and swept gracefully back into the center of the arena.
“Wow,” said Madison. “He moves so smoothly. I wonder if he was trained in dressage.”
“Dressage?” asked Hanna, as she and Shy Guy made another reverse figure eight.
“It’s a high-level kind of English-style riding,” she said. “It’s mainly about the bond and communication between horse and rider, because they have to work together to do a series of complex movements. Requires a lot of skill. A good dressage horse is ultra responsive and graceful, so all the movements look effortless.”
“Cool. So how do you know he was trained to do that?”
“I don’t, but look at the way he responds to your cues,” Madison said. “He’s paying very close attention to you. So do you feel comfortable walking and doing basic turns?”
Hanna glanced down. She had forgotten she was even on a horse. Riding Shy Guy felt natural, easy. Like walking on her own two feet.
“I think so,” she said.
“Great! Let’s try taking him to a trot, then.”
Hanna swallowed. She hated the bouncy trot and hoped she could keep it together.
Letting out some slack in the reins and leaning just the tiniest bit forward, she barely moved her feet before Shy Guy suddenly picked up his pace. Hanna held in a yelp, not wanting to frighten him.
But . . . his trot wasn’t scary. And it certainly wasn’t bumpy. Shy Guy simply slid into a longer walk, his legs reaching farther with each step—incredibly far, as if he were swimming through air.
“Holy cow,” muttered Madison, watching them with golf ball-sized eyes as they passed her. “What even is that? An extended trot? How did you do that?”
“I don’t know!” cried Hanna. They cruised, like a yacht on still water, around the arena. Whatever Shy Guy was doing, it didn’t feel anything like Lacey’s trot. Hanna’s breaths grew shaky and uneven as she wondered what she’d done wrong.
But then a look of pure glee came over Madison’s face. “Here, Hanna—try this.” She held out her hands. “Hold the reins tighter, and sit back a tiny bit.”
“Tighter?” Hanna gathered up some of the slack in the reins and instantly, Shy Guy slowed down—but kept trotting. Hanna let out a squeak as she flew up on the saddle, her feet still tucked in the stirrups. She came back down, hard.
“Yowch!”
“Sorry!” called Madison. “Try matching his gait. Hanoverians are special-bred for smooth, predictable trots. When he goes up, let your natural bounce take you up too. Get in his rhythm.”
Hanna had no idea what Madison meant, but as Shy Guy trotted around the arena, she tried to match her bounce to his. It took a few laps, but soon she wasn’t hitting the saddle quite as hard—though she was sure she’d be bruised tomorrow.
Madison was shaking her head, and for a moment, Hanna thought she was disappointed or maybe angry. But when Madison looked up again, Hanna saw wonder on the trainer’s face.
“I had no idea,” she said, gesturing for the two of them to ride into the center of the arena. Hanna pulled the reins across Shy Guy’s neck, and he immediately changed directions at a trot. “Now lean back to stop. You shouldn’t even need to pull on the reins—sit back in your saddle and—”
Hanna adjusted her weight so she was sitting deep in the saddle, and Shy Guy ground to a complete halt. She was panting, and so was he.
The emotions came in a torrent. She had ridden Shy Guy. They had glided across the arena, together.
Before she could stop it, tears were rolling down her cheeks in big, messy streams.
Hanna collapsed forward on Shy Guy, wrapping her arms as far as they’d go around his huge neck. He turned his head slightly so she could reach his ears, and she rubbed behind them, not even caring about the saddle horn digging into her diaphragm. Her tears fell hot on his mane, disappearing in the silver-gray hairs.
“Oh, Hanna.” Madison approached them slowly, but Shy Guy ignored her. Madison touched Hanna’s knee reassuringly. “That was wild. I am so impressed. I can’t believe how well you did. And you got him into an extended trot! I’ve never seen anything like that outside of dressage on TV. What did you do?”
“No idea,” Hanna said. “He just . . . did it. I must have asked for it without knowing.”
Carefully, Madison reached for Shy Guy’s neck. He eyeballed her but didn’t move away. With the gentlest of motions, Madison ran her hand through his long mane.
“What a horse,” she said.
Chapter Sixteen
The rest of the day was a blur for Hanna. She couldn’t stop smiling, and it was infectious. When the other kids heard the news, they clapped her on the back. At dinner, Mr. Bridle raised his water glass.
“Everyone,” he said in his low, gravelly voice, “I’d like to propose a toast.”
“A toast!” echoed Madison.
“To Hanna and Shy Guy. Congratulations on your first ride today.”
Hanna felt her entire body turn red as everyone turned to look at her, also raising their glasses.
“To Hanna and Shy Guy,” they repeated, clinking their glasses together. Rae Ann grinned at her. Cade stopped studying his fingernails. Josh even brandished a rare smile. And everyone made a point of clinking Hanna’s glass.
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In the girls’ cabin late that night, after Madison had turned the lights out and gone into her room, Izzy whispered in the darkness.
“Hanna?” she said. “Are you awake?”
Before she replied, Hanna listened for Rae Ann’s breathing. It was even and regular. She was asleep.
“Yeah?” Hanna finally answered.
“I . . .” She heard Izzy inhale sharply. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry I was mean to you. You’re . . . you’re actually pretty nice. And brave. And I kind of spied on you when you were riding today.”
“You did?”
“You looked really cool out there. Way cooler than me. You . . . you’re a natural.”
Hanna swallowed hard.
“Thank you,” she whispered into the dark.
“Whatever,” said Izzy gruffly. “It’s the truth.”
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When Hanna and Shy Guy joined the other kids for their daily lesson a few days later, Madison warned them to keep some distance, just in case. But under a saddle, Shy Guy was confident. Sturdy.
Fearless.
Even when a barn cat got into the arena and frightened the other horses—especially Josh’s horse, whom he hollered at in his Tennessee accent as it spooked and ran—Shy Guy stood his ground.
Hanna got him up to a canter that same day, and she couldn’t hold back a shriek of excitement when they shot across the arena. Shy Guy’s legs extended far out in front of him; it felt like they were flying.
“There it is again!” shouted Madison, grabbing Fletch’s arm and pointing. “See? He can extend his canter too.”
“Whoa.” He took off his hat. “What in the name of . . .? Who trained him to do that?”
“Who knows,” said Madison. Hanna blushed under their words, even though she knew it had nothing to do with her. It was all Shy Guy—a jewel hidden in plain sight.
When Hanna led Shy Guy through the barrel pattern, everyone cheered. Shy Guy strutted after that, like he knew he was a big shot.
Hanna could see she had a ham on her hands.
On Saturday, Madison and Fletch decided to let them skip chores and go on a trail ride into town for ice cream.
“Ice cream!” cried Izzy, flopping back on Fettucini as if he were a lawn chair. “I would kill for some cake batter ice cream. Or cookie dough.”
“Hopefully you won’t have to kill anyone,” said Fletch, dropping his hat on Izzy’s face as he rode past. “Because I’m pretty sure they have both.”
“Woo-hoo!” Izzy turned to Hanna. “What’s your favorite kind of ice cream? Do you think Shy Guy likes ice cream?”
Madison held up her hands. “I hate to break it to you, girls,” she said, “but Hanna can’t bring Shy Guy. If you want to come on the trail ride, Hanna, you’ll have to ride Lacey.”
“What?” asked Izzy. “But Shy Guy has been doing great in the arena.”
Hanna understood, though. Trekking into a town full of cars and people would terrify Shy Guy. Could she handle him if something happened?
“I know, Izzy,” said Madison. “It’s not that I don’t trust Hanna or Shy Guy. There are too many factors in play if we take him into town, and he’s still so skittish . . .”
“From what I’ve seen, Maddie,” Fletch offered, “Shy Guy is a different animal with someone in the saddle.” Fletch leaned back, leaving Sawbones’s reins hanging over the horse’s freckled neck. “He’s not faint of heart, and he listens to Hanna without question. Remember when Shy Guy didn’t even blink at that cat?”
“That’s true,” Madison allowed.
“He’s the kind of horse that respects confidence.” Fletch looked hard at Hanna. “Whenever you tell him what to do and he listens, he’s passing the authority to you. He’s putting his life in your hands. He believes in you so much, Hanna. You could blindfold a horse like Shy Guy and he’d do whatever you told him, trusting you not to walk him over a cliff.”
“I’d never do that,” gasped Hanna.
“Of course not. But you see
my point?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re in control. You decide what goes. Whether he spooks on this ride is up to you.” Fletch arched one eyebrow and leaned forward. “Do you feel confident, Hanna?”
Was that all it took? Confidence?
“Yes,” she said, her own certainty surprising her. But she was—she had total confidence in Shy Guy now. She could feel the connection between them, the trust they’d forged, every time she sat in the saddle.
Fletch threw a grin at Madison and shrugged his shoulders, like he’d proven his point. Madison made an annoyed, thinking noise.
“Okay,” she said eventually. “Fine. If you think you can handle it, Hanna, Shy Guy can come with us.”
“I know I can,” Hanna said. “And so can he.”
“Awesome!” Izzy whooped. Every horse startled at the noise except Shy Guy. Madison just shook her head.
Getting out on the road with Shy Guy was a different tin of sardines from riding in the arena. But Hanna had trusted in Shy Guy so far, and look how far they’d come.
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Madison, riding her spotted horse, and Fletch, with his freckly red roan, led the group off Bridlemile Road and onto a special trail that crisscrossed the patchwork of farms and ranches of Quartz Creek, far from the highway. At its opposite end, the trail spilled out right onto downtown Main Street.
“Everyone rode horses here at one time,” said Fletch, pointing out the tie poles scattered all over town. “You’d ride up to the General Store, tie up your horse, and do your grocery shopping.”
People waved at them as they walked down the street. Cars slowed down and gave them a wide berth. Shy Guy walked with his head high, unperturbed by vehicles or people or pavement. As they arrived at the ice-cream shop and tied up their horses, Fletch winked at Hanna and said, “Told you.”
Hanna and Fletch stayed with the horses while the others went in for ice cream. Izzy promised to get Hanna’s order for her.
All the Quartz Creek Ranchers ate together outside. Rae Ann somehow managed to get ice cream on Cade’s face, and Izzy practically inhaled hers.
“How on earth did you do that so fast?” asked Josh.
Shy Girl & Shy Guy (Quartz Creek Ranch) Page 9