As Dotty munched her apple, Nickel came over to get his. He breathed softly on my palm as he took the apple. Long whiskers from his small, velvet nose tickled my hand and made me giggle. Nickel was half arabian horse and half nobody-knows-what, but he looked like an arabian, with a beautiful dished head, large eyes and narrow muzzle. He was a tall grey and Addie needed a stool to get up on him. I whispered my daily “thank you” for finally having a horse for me and one for Addie. We had both been horse lovers forever and had both dreamed of having one.
I rubbed his neck and told him how good he was, gave both horses an extra pat and headed for the house. I was curious and kind of nosy about whose car was parked there. Climbing up the steps to the back porch, I peeked in the door of Miss Julie’s big old farmhouse. Since it was unlocked, I knew she was around somewhere. She had had a break-in two weeks before and we were all spooky about strangers. Miss Julie had started locking her door, which she never had done before.
“Miss Julie? You home?”
“Piper! Come on in! I have someone for you to meet.”
I let myself into the open, sunny kitchen where Miss Julie sat at her big oak table beside a middle-aged woman I didn’t know. Sighing with relief as I felt the cool air-conditioned air, I smiled at Miss Julie. She didn’t like to turn on the air unless it was desperately hot, and it was. Miss Julie wore black shorts and a silver-grey T-shirt that matched her hair. The other woman was dressed in a long denim-blue broomstick skirt and a red tank top that clashed with her red hair. She put a toothy smile on her face as she looked over at me.
“Piper, this is Cassie Johnson. She’s going to rent some rooms from me and also some space in the barn. Isn’t it great? I’ll have someone living out here with me now. And, guess what, she has a mare she needs to board.”
“Hi, Piper,” said Cassie. “I understand you are the horse woman around here.”
“Hi. Nice to meet you,” I said, with a polite smile. “I guess I am a horse woman. My friend Addie and I keep our horses here.”
“Piper and Addie are horse rescuers, but that’s a story for another day.” Miss Julie’s blue eyes twinkled under her silver bangs as she poured me a glass of iced tea.
“Thanks. What kind of horse do you have?” I asked Cassie, taking a sip.
“She’s a quarter horse mare and due to foal soon.”
“Quarter horses are cool. They’re so fast. They take off like crazy.”
“I know,” said Cassie, “and they can turn on a dime. I hate to move her so close to her due date, but I need to move in before school starts next week. I have a kid that will be starting in high school here as a senior. What year are you?”
“I’ll be a sophomore and so will Addie. What’s her name? I’ll show her around town?”
“His name is Jeff.”
“Oh.” What could I say? The fact that her kid was a boy changed everything. I didn’t want to be stuck showing some guy around, especially an older one, a senior. I had no idea what he would want to see or do and he for sure wouldn’t want to get stuck with a dorky sophomore girl. Maybe Addie would take over that chore, as boy-crazy as she was getting. I set my tea glass on the table and watched it sweat. “He probably won’t want a sophomore girl to...”
“Oh, that’s really nice of you,” said Cassie. “I’d love to have someone be Jeff’s friend right away and take him under their wing. He won’t mind that you’re younger. So Mrs. Applegate...”
“No, no, don’t call me Mrs. Applegate. I was a teacher so long that ‘Miss Julie’ stuck and most of the people in town were in my class at one time or another. So call me Miss Julie or just Julie. That’s what I’m used to.”
“Okay, Miss Julie, when can I bring my mare out?”
“Anytime. There are two stalls right now, but you’ll want a foaling stall. I’ll get my son, Sam, to start on it tonight. He likes to do odd jobs around here.”
“Does he live here?” Cassie wanted to know.
“Part of the time. His law practice in Louisville keeps him pretty busy, but he’s been spending more time here. He’s got an office in town and he likes to keep an eye on me since I moved back out to the farm. We had a little trouble a few weeks ago and I don’t like to be alone.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Some creeps broke in and stole stuff,” I said. “They almost burnt the house down and they had me, Addie, Miss Julie, Sam and my mom tied up in the basement!”
Cassie gasped, “Oh, my gosh! That’s horrible! What a terrible thing for you both to have to go through! Did you get hurt?”
“No, none of us got hurt. Luckily, the police came in time,” added Miss Julie. “Those people will be in jail a good long time. But I’m still going to get a dog. Piper’s dad thinks he knows of one that will need a home. You’re not allergic to dogs, are you, Cassie?”
“No,” said Cassie. “I’m not and I love dogs. Cats, too.” As she said that, Miss Julie’s kitten, Willie Nelson, came purring into the room and jumped on Miss Julie’s lap.
“This is Willie Nelson,” said Miss Julie, grinning. “He has long gray hair and he’s very mellow, so he deserves that name. Also, he sings to me sometimes.”
“Cute,” said Cassie, “but are you sure it’s safe out here? I mean, if you had thieves break in...”
“It’s fine,” I said. “That was the only theft problem we’ve had around here for ages. The sheriff is a friend of my dad’s and he says we’re safe now.”
“Well, thank goodness. I guess we don’t need to be afraid.” Cassie, looked around the room. “You have some nice things here, Julie.”
“Thank you and no, you don’t have to be afraid. Well, it looks like you will be a good fit here,” said Miss Julie. “Piper, would you show Cassie around the barn? I hate to cut this short, but I’m starting a yoga class today and I have to go change clothes.”
“Really? Yoga?” I said, although I was never much surprised by Miss Julie. We’d been friends for years, ever since I was little and had pony rides at this very same farm. My parents were still married then, and they would drink iced tea with Miss Julie while I rode.
“Yes, I’m hoping yoga will help me be more flexible.” Miss Julie moved her neck and shoulders to stretch them. “So Cassie, I’ll see you in a few days?”
“I’ll be here day after tomorrow, if you think the stall will be ready,” said Cassie. “I’d like to get moved as soon as I can. We live in Louisville now, but I need to get settled. Piper, can you show me the barn?”
“Let’s go.” I put my empty iced tea glass in the sink and headed for the door.
As we walked to the barn, Cassie put an elastic band in her thick red hair, making a fat ponytail. Bracelets clinked on her arm as she pulled it tight. We walked into the large, hay-smelling barn and I showed her where we hang bridles and halters, where saddle racks were that my dad made for us, and the plastic shelves that kept currycombs, hoof picks and medicine.
“It looks like the perfect place for Daisy,” said Cassie. “I’m excited about this move. I hope he gets that stall done soon.”
“Sam is really good at doing stuff like that,” I said. “He’ll get it done fast if Miss Julie asks him to.”
“So why are you keeping your horses here?”
“It’s pretty complicated, but mostly Miss Julie helped us rescue Dotty and lets us keep both of them here for free.”
“She must have plenty of money,” said Cassie. “Nice big house, acres of land, good clothes and jewelry.”
“I guess so. There are Nickel and Dotty, checking you out.” I pointed at the stalls, which were open to the small paddock. The two horses came into their stalls, nickering at me and expecting some treats. I opened a plastic box that held peppermint horse goodies and gave a couple to each horse. They crunched the treats, sniffed the ground to see if they had dropped any crumbs then stood watching us.
“Nice horses,” said Cassie. “Which is which?”
“Okay, the tall grey one is Nickel. He�
�s blind in his left eye, but the steadiest, nicest horse in the world. The POA is Dotty. Addie and I rescued both of them.”
“And I think Miss Julie said your dad is the local vet? I need to get his phone number so he can check my mare out.”
“Yep, but Miss Julie has it written by her kitchen phone.”
“Oh, that’s good. So you’re around here a lot? In case my mare goes into labor. I don’t want her to be by herself, and Miss Julie is pretty old to help a horse foal.”
“Oh, my gosh!” I said, “I can’t help her foal. I don’t know how. I would call my dad right away and get him out here if it looked like she was starting labor.”
“That would be great. Well, thanks a lot, Piper. I need to get going so I can pack and let Jeff know I found a place for us to live. He’s not excited about changing schools, but it will help that he’ll have someone he knows when school starts. See you in a couple days, maybe. Bye!”
“Bye, Cassie.” How was I going to get out of playing tour guide for a senior boy? I couldn’t imagine.
Chapter Two
~ Daisy and Jeff Arrive ~
I went to the farm every day to check the horse’s water, brush them and sometimes ride them. Addie did it sometimes, but I always went in case she forgot. Addie and I tried to make time to ride together a couple of days a week, even if we were doing something else later on. After all, the only reason we got Nickel was so that we could go trail riding together. That, and Addie was afraid to ride Dotty, who bucked sometimes. When I went on Friday, I wondered: would Addie show up today? It had been four days since I had heard from her. I was too stubborn to call or text first, but I was hoping. This would be our last free weekend.
I stopped by to say hi to Miss Julie, who was weeding the flower beds around the big farm house. She groaned as she got to her feet, rubbing her back.
“Hello, Piper. I overdid the yoga this morning. Would you like some lemonade? It’s another warm one today.”
“No, thanks,” I said. “I want to see what the new stall looks like. I’ll come by later, if you’re still around.”
“I’ll be here. Are you ready for school to start next week? Your first year at the senior high school?”
“I think so. I hope it will be fun, but I’ve kinda got the jitters.”
“That’s normal, honey. It will be fine. Are you going to ride with Addie today?”
“I don’t know if she’s coming out. She’s mad at me again.” I couldn’t meet her eyes. It was my fault Addie was mad.
“Oh, honey, you’ve been friends for a long time. Don’t let a squabble separate you. Life is too short and it can turn on a dime.”
“What do you mean?” I said. “You mean like a quarter horse?”
“I mean, you never know when something will happen. In the blink of an eye, your life can change and you’re headed in a new direction. Think about it.” Miss Julie started to make her way back into the house, Willie Nelson following. She turned. “Oh, by the way, Piper, your dad found me a dog. I can get her in two weeks. I can’t wait!”
“Great!” I said. “What kind?”
“It’s a sheltie, that’s all I know.”
“That will be a great dog for you. Remember the one we used to have? They’re very sweet and kind of barky, which makes them great watchdogs. And they’re really pretty.”
I wandered into the barn and saw the most elegant stall I had ever seen. New boards framed a large space that had plenty of room for a horse to lie down. Fresh pine shavings covered the floor of the stall and there were new feed buckets and pans lined up outside it. The whole barn smelled of new wood, pine and hay. A small shelf had been installed nearby to hold gauze and wrapping tape. It looked like just about anything a person needed for helping a horse foal was close at hand. Sam Applegate had done a fabulous job building the stall in two days.
“Are you still mad?” That was Addie’s voice. I turned around and saw my best friend standing in the doorway of the barn, her hair curly with the humidity. Even her freckles looked hot and sweaty.
“No, are you?” I said.
“I wasn’t really very mad. I knew you wouldn’t like that I was going to try out for cheerleader. I just didn’t like the way you were yelling at me.”
“I’m sorry. I feel stupid. I don’t know why I get so mad so fast. Am I crabby lately? Adds, you’ll make a great cheerleader.” I rubbed my nose. Maybe her new cheer friends would be nicer than me.
“I think so, too, but tryouts are tomorrow and I’m getting nervous. I have to practice.” Addie looked at the new construction. “That’s a great stall. Who’s it for?”
So I told her all about Cassie and the mare. I hadn’t gotten to the part with Cassie’s son, when we heard a truck pull into the barnyard
“Bet it’s Cassie with her mare,” I said. Sure enough, we went to the door as the red pickup truck pulling a horse trailer rattled into the barnyard. Miss Julie came across the dirt drive with her cane, followed by Willie Nelson. Cassie got out of the trailer and waved to us all. Someone else was in the front seat, but they stayed there reading a book. Was that the son?
“Hi! I thought I would get my horse settled before I move all my own stuff in. I’m Cassie,” she said to Addie. “Are you Piper’s friend?”
“Yep, I’m Addie. Can I help you get the horse out?”
“Sure, if you girls can hold the gate and make sure it stays open, I’ll bring Daisy out.”
She went to the back of the trailer and unbolted the gate. Addie and I held the gate open while Cassie went in one side of the trailer and untied the horse’s head. Clicking gently, she encouraged the horse to back down the ramp into the barnyard. The large, round rump came first then the whole mare emerged backwards down the ramp. She was a beautiful, shiny bay with white stockings, black mane and tail, and a swollen belly. Head up and nostrils flared, she huffed with excitement as she looked around.
“Daisy, this is your home now,” Cassie told her, holding the lead rope. As if in response, Daisy let out a long, high whinny, calling for other horses. Nickel and Dotty squealed an answer and came at a gallop from the far side of their pasture. They paced the fence, calling to Daisy and sniffing the air.
“What a beautiful horse,” said Miss Julie.
“She’s gorgeous,” I said. “How soon will she foal?”
“I think about a month, but I need to call your dad. I’ll want him to be familiar with her for when she’s ready.” Daisy munched on grass, but kept her eye on the other two horses, still watching her from their side of the fence.
“Hey, Jeff!” Cassie yelled. “Get out here. I need you to meet these people!” The person in the truck opened the passenger side door and unfolded himself to reveal a tall, lanky boy. He had dark hair, and wore faded jeans and a t-shirt with a black man on it that said “Robert Johnson”. He slouched over to where we all stood, looking at his mom.
“Y’all, this is my son, Jeff. Jeff, this is Miss Julie, Piper and Addie. Say hi, Jeff.”
“Hi,” said Jeff, looking at us, the barn, and the horse.
“Hi,” Addie and I said together. How awkward.
We kind of stared at each other and then Cassie said, “Well! I think I’ll put Daisy in her new stall and let her get used to it. I don’t want it to be strange to her when she goes into labor.” We nodded and followed Cassie and Daisy into the barn. She let the mare into the big, new stall and took off the lead rope. I pulled a flake of hay from one of the bales stacked in the end of the barn and threw it to her so she’d have something to nibble on. The mare grabbed some hay, snorted and looked out the half-door of her stall.
“I think I’ll just stay in here for a while,” said Cassie, looking around the barn. “When Daisy settles down and relaxes, I’ll let her out with the other horses, so they can get used to each other. It’s enough for now that they can call to each other and smell each other on the air.”
I glanced around. Jeff had gone back to the truck and sat in it with the door open, read
ing again. What was he reading? I loved books, but felt funny going over and asking, since he hadn’t seemed very friendly. Addie stared at him for a minute, then nudged me and grinned with wide-open eyes, meaning she thought he was good-looking. I suggested that Addie and I get our horses and brush them to calm them down. And calm her down, too. By the time we finished, maybe Cassie would let Daisy out and we could watch them make friends. We caught the horses, led them in and as we began brushing, my dad drove up in his green pickup with the veterinary body on the back.
Dad walked into the barn and looked at Daisy.
“Hi, Hon, Hi Addie. So is this the new addition? You’ll have a whole herd built up soon.” I quickly introduced him to Cassie, who was standing in Daisy’s stall, watching him.
“Hi, Dr. Jones, I’m so glad to meet you.”
“Hello, Cassie. Nice mare.” Dad stood looking into the stall at Daisy.
“Thanks. She’s probably a month from foaling, and I’ve heard you’re really good with horses. I hope you’ll be able to take care of her. I’ve never had a horse foal before and I’m pretty nervous about it. Jeff!” she yelled toward the door of the barn.
Jeff appeared in the doorway, holding his book. I twisted my head to read the title: Fahrenheit 451. I tried to remember what I knew of it. A famous author, but which one?
The Horse Rescuers Page 12