Chapter Nine
Kate lay in bed early the next morning, her body tired and her brain muddled. She hadn’t slept soundly but couldn’t quite remember why. Then she sat upright with a start. The windstorm. The tree. The damaged fence and jumps!
Kate bolted out of bed, threw on her jeans, shirt, and socks, then headed downstairs. “Mom? Dad?” She hurried from one room to the other. Pete would still be in bed, and her parents must be outside inspecting the damage.
Tugging on her boots, Kate let her mind scurry ahead. Could the fence be repaired without too much cost? And what about the jumps? She dreaded even thinking about those. When she whipped open the door, she was thankful the wind had calmed.
Rufus bounded around a corner and leaped onto the porch. He nudged Kate’s hand before heading back the way he’d come. “Wait up, boy.”
Kate broke into a jog and didn’t slow her pace until the huge fir tree came into view. The bottom half still stood, but it ended in a jagged, splintered mess, no longer a towering, majestic tree.
Mom and Dad stood by the downed top half, and Mom’s face looked as if she’d been crying. Kate stopped beside her parents and surveyed the scene. Broken branches littered a large area of the grass, pasture, and the inside of the arena. But that was the least of the problem. The base of the part that had snapped had landed on the end of the arena fence, completely obscuring any sign of it.
She looped her arm through her mother’s. “How come Dad isn’t at work? How bad is it? The jumps, I mean. I can tell the fence is trashed.”
Her mother squeezed Kate’s hand against her side. “Not good. Dad called his boss and doesn’t have to come in until noon. He’ll get his chain saw and cut branches off before we know for sure. At this point we’ve been able to spot one jump that’s shattered. This entire end of the arena will have to be rebuilt, and some large branches broke a few boards on the far side as well.”
Kate tried to swallow the lump in her throat. “How about the show?”
Dad stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans. “I was telling your mom that we may have to contact the head of the show committee and cancel.”
“But, Dad, the committee already put ads in the paper, and notices have been emailed! It’s not fair to cancel. There’s got to be some way we can still hold it.”
He shook his head. “I think most of the jumps are damaged or destroyed, along with a big section of fence. We don’t have the money to repair and replace everything that soon. I wish we did, but we don’t. I’m beginning to wonder if we made the wrong decision to open in the first place.”
Kate gulped down a harsh protest, knowing it wouldn’t help to be critical. Her mother had already been crying, and it wasn’t fair to either of her parents to blame them if they didn’t have the money. But it hurt regardless.
She kicked at a fir cone, then looked up. “Can we wait till you get the branches cut and see for sure? It might not be as bad as you think.”
Her dad hesitated. “I suppose so. It’s too early to call anyone now anyway. I’ll grab the chain saw. Nan, want to throw some breakfast together? Kate, how about you check on Pete and help your mother in the kitchen?”
“Can’t I stay here and help you? I have leather gloves, and I’m strong enough to move branches.”
“I know you are, kiddo. There will be plenty of branches to move after breakfast. I won’t be able to tell anything for a while. I have to sharpen the chain and get the saw running first. I haven’t used it since we moved here.”
“Okay.” Kate stroked Rufus’s head as he pressed close, seeming to sense her emotions. “Come on, boy. Let’s get you fed and help Mom.”
Twenty minutes later the saw roared to life, and Kate ran to the window. Dad stood shaking his head in the middle of the arena where the top of the tree lay. Kate’s heart sank. It must be worse than they’d thought.
After breakfast Kate, Pete, and her parents walked outside and headed for the tree, equipped with rakes, gloves, and the chain saw. Kate wished she could grab that stupid tree and yank it off the fence with her bare hands, but that was silly. From the look of the mess, this could take all day to clean up—or longer. She hadn’t stopped praying all through breakfast that somehow the jumps would be fine.
A car turned off the road into their driveway, and Kate let out a whoop. “Tori’s here!”
Her mother smiled. “Since Tori isn’t old enough to drive, I assume one of her parents is with her. I hope it’s her mother. I haven’t seen her in a while.”
The car rolled to a stop, and three people emerged—Tori, her father, and her mother. Tori’s father carried a chain saw, and all of them had leather gloves.
Kate gaped at the family, then ran forward and hugged Tori. She pulled away a couple of inches but retained her hold on her friend. “What are you guys doing? How did you know we needed help?”
Tori slipped out of Kate’s hold. “One of Mom and Dad’s friends lives on the property that is next to yours.” She waved at a white two-story, the Ferrises’ nearest neighbor, only about a hundred feet from the far end of the arena. “They heard a loud crash last night and got up early to see what it was. When they heard your dad’s saw this morning, they drove by and saw the tree. They know we’re friends, so Mrs. Jiménez called Mom and told her what happened. Mr. and Mrs. Jiménez said to tell you they’ll be over to help soon.”
Dad reached out to Mr. Velasquez and shook hands. “I would never have called you and imposed, but I’m grateful you came. Thank you.”
Mom’s eyes brimmed with tears, and she sniffed. “I don’t know what to say.”
Tori’s mother gave Kate’s mom a quick hug. “You’d do the same if we needed help.”
Dad grinned. “Nan, how about you put on a big pot of coffee and bring out a plate of those cinnamon rolls you baked yesterday? Then you ladies can sit and visit or move a few branches, whatever you prefer.”
Tori’s mom laughed. “I didn’t come to eat and visit. I came to work.”
Kate’s dad pointed to two bare spots in the field not far away. “José and I will cut anything into firewood that’s big enough, and the rest of you can take what’s left to the proper pile.”
A middle-aged Hispanic man and woman ducked through the fence and headed across the short section of pasture bordering the arena. He nodded to Tori’s father and extended his hand to Kate’s dad. “Samuel Jiménez, and this is my wife, Mary.”
“Pleased to meet you, and I’m sorry we haven’t met before. I’m John Ferris, and this is my wife, Nan, and my daughter, Kate. Our son, Pete, is inside watching a video.”
Kate’s father started his saw, and Tori’s dad did the same, making any further conversation impossible.
Tori grabbed Kate’s hand and drew her off to the side. “What does your dad think about the fence? I saw part of a broken jump under the branches. Do you know if that’s the only one?” A frown puckered her forehead.
Kate shook her head, feeling sick all over again. “A bunch of the jumps were near that fence. We put them out there a few days ago so we’d have them ready when they’re needed. Now I wish we’d left them in the barn.”
“It was a huge windstorm, but it’s not like you thought the tree would crash down on top of everything. So what happens if the jumps are all busted?”
Kate winced, not liking the picture that question created in her mind. “Dad says we’ll have to call the show coordinator and cancel.”
Tori gasped. “Why? Can’t you buy new jumps or fix them? We can help repair the fence. My dad’s handy with a hammer and nails.”
“That’s nice of you, but it takes money. More than we have right now. Dad even wondered if we should have opened the barn for business.” She dropped her voice to a loud whisper so Tori could still hear. “And Mom looked like she’d been crying when I came out this morning. I thought I was the only one in the family who was
looking forward to this show, but I think Mom wanted it to be a success too.”
“Man, I’m so sorry.”
Kate gave Tori a weak smile. “Thanks. I’m going to tell my folks they can use the two hundred dollars I have in savings from my birthday and from Christmas money my aunts and uncles have sent me the last several years, plus what I’ve saved from doing extra chores.”
“Would that be enough?”
Kate hesitated, wondering if her parents had thought that far. “I know they have close to enough put aside to buy a lesson horse soon, if we can find one at a reasonable price. I wasn’t going to tell you because I wanted it to be a surprise. Now I wonder if they should use that money to fix things instead. But we need a good lesson horse if we’re going to bring in more people.”
Tori nodded. “That’s tough. Tell you what—I’ll be praying that God sends an answer.”
Kate smiled, glad for the gazillionth time that Tori was her best friend. “Thanks. Ready to go drag some branches out of the way?”
Tori grinned. “Lead me to them!”
Two hours later, the majority of the tree had been cut, a nice stack of firewood leaned against the house, and a pile of branches sat in a clear spot where it would be safe to burn. The chain saws were silent, and the crew stood near the broken fence surveying the damage.
Kate gulped back a sob, determined not to cry, but she knew the show was doomed. Most of the old jumps were splintered, and at least three of the six new ones were damaged. Nothing remained of the fence where the tree had landed, and an even larger section on the side was broken than they’d first thought.
Tori moved close and bumped shoulders with Kate. “Don’t give up yet. It’s not over just because a few things are broken.”
“Tell that to my dad.” Kate whispered the words, but she knew they were true. Dad stood with his arms crossed and a scowl darkening his usually happy face. This was definitely not good.
Mr. Jiménez and his wife tugged off their gloves and walked to Kate’s parents. “We’re sorry we can’t stay longer,” he said. “We’re expecting company for lunch, and Mary needs to get home.”
Dad nodded and pumped the man’s hand. “We’ll have you folks over for supper soon. If there’s ever anything we can do to help you, please let us know. You’ve been a godsend today.”
Mr. Jiménez motioned toward the remains of the trunk that still needed to come down. “I can help you take that down when you’re ready, and I’ll bring my log splitter over for the big pieces. Makes it a lot easier.” He waved as he and his wife walked away.
Kate sidled close to her mother and tapped her arm. “Has Dad made a decision?” She tried to keep her voice low, but Tori’s mother looked their way.
Dad swung around and faced the small group. “Nan, you’d better call the coordinator and tell her what happened. I don’t see how we’ll replace all of this in time for the show. Maybe they can find another location.”
Mom hunched a shoulder. “I doubt it. She said it was a minor miracle they found us when they did. I’m guessing they’ll have to cancel the show completely. It’s a real shame, since it could have brought a lot of business to the barn, not to mention all the people who will be disappointed.”
“Plus the ones, like Melissa, who won’t be able to earn the points they need to move on to regionals.” Kate couldn’t keep from blurting out the information. After all, even though she didn’t particularly like Melissa, she was one of their boarders.
Mom groaned. “I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right, Kate. That’s not going to go over well with a lot of people.”
Dad frowned. “I can’t see that we have any choice.”
Kate cleared her throat. “Uh, can I make a suggestion?”
All eyes swung her way. “Go ahead,” Dad said.
“You have money put aside to buy a lesson horse. Maybe we should use that to fix things instead—and you could use the money I have in savings too.”
Mom’s eyes lit with hope, then quickly dimmed. “No, I don’t think so, but thank you for offering, honey. The show landed in our laps. We didn’t ask for it. As nice as it would have been to host, we can’t sacrifice the long-term investment of a lesson horse or your money in the hope that the show will make enough to pay that back.”
Dad nodded. “I agree, although it was a sound idea, Kate.” He jerked his head toward the house. “Nan, you probably had better call. No sense putting it off.”
Tori’s mom waved a hand. “May I make a suggestion?”
Mom smiled. “Of course. And we apologize. We should have waited to have this discussion until after you’d gone home.”
“No, mi amiga, it’s fine. Would you wait for an hour or two before you make that call?”
Dad frowned. “I’m not sure that’s fair to the show coordinator.”
Kate edged forward. “But it’s not like they have somewhere else they can go, Dad. Would another hour or two hurt?”
He turned to Tori’s mom. “Do you have a reason for asking?”
“I do, but may I wait to tell you? It may be nothing. In the meantime, shouldn’t we ask God for direction in case He has another idea?”
The stern expression on Dad’s face melted, and he looked a little sheepish. Kate wanted to giggle. He was usually the one telling their family they needed to talk to God about decisions. “I should have thought of that first. How about you folks come inside for coffee and cinnamon rolls?”
Tori’s dad exchanged a glance with his wife, then shook his head. “May we take one or two to go?”
“Kate, Tori, would you girls run into the house and bring the plate out?”
Kate didn’t wait to be asked again. She grabbed Tori’s hand, and they raced across the edge of the pasture that separated the lawn from the arena. As soon as they were out of earshot, Kate leaned close to her friend. “What’s up with your mom?”
“I have no idea.” Tori turned wide eyes to Kate. “All I know is, we’d better take her advice and pray. Because if whatever it is doesn’t happen, or God doesn’t do something quick, this show is toast. At least that’s the way your dad sounded.”
Tori reached for the door and pulled it open, letting Kate go through first, then following. “But I have a feeling she’s going to ask my dad if they can loan your parents the money. They’ve been saving for years to buy our own house.”
Kate stared at Tori. “There’s no way Mom and Dad would accept that. They won’t take a chance with their own money for the lesson horse, so they’re not going to risk yours.”
“I know.” Tori sounded defeated.
Kate walked through the living room to the kitchen and started piling cinnamon rolls on a plate. “And since money doesn’t grow on trees like those branches did, I can’t see any way we’ll get all that stuff repaired and replaced in time. I think you’re right. We’d better either pray for a miracle or get ready for a major disappointment.”
Tori heaved a sigh and reached for a stack of napkins. “I vote for the miracle, but I hear what you’re saying. Sometimes God answers no instead of yes, and we have to accept that, even if we’re not happy with it.”
Chapter Ten
Kate’s dad put down the phone a couple of hours after Tori’s family left. “I’ve never seen anything like this, Nan.” He sank into a chair and stared at Kate’s mom.
Kate scooted to the edge of the sofa, where she’d been watching TV without seeing it, not certain whether to be worried or hopeful. She couldn’t tell much by her father’s dazed expression. “What’s going on, Dad? Was that Tori’s mom or dad?”
Mom perched on the arm of the easy chair and rested her hand on his shoulder. “Good news, hon?”
His face broke into a smile. “Definitely good. That is, if we decide to accept. Mr. Velasquez called friends and neighbors, and Tori called the people who board at our barn. Apparently th
ere are a few carpenters among the group, as well as an owner of a local building supply. No one wants to see the show canceled, as it brings a lot of business into the community. So tomorrow morning we’re going to host what used to be called a barn raising, but in our case, it’s an arena and jump building. Also, another barn has three jumps they’re willing to lend us, so we won’t have to build or repair as many right now.”
Mom gasped. “Oh my goodness. I didn’t hear much of the conversation, but did you tell them yes?”
He passed his palm over his chin. “I wasn’t sure what to say. I told Mr. Velasquez that we were honored they’d want to do something like that, and it’s an answer to prayer, but I needed to discuss it with you first.”
Kate jumped to her feet. “What is there to discuss, Dad? If it’s an answer to prayer, you should have thanked Tori’s dad and said yes!”
Mom leveled a firm gaze at Kate. “I know you’re excited, but you need to sit down. Let your father finish.”
Kate scuffed her foot on the carpet, then sat. “I’m sorry, Dad.”
Dad smiled. “Forgiven, sweetie. The reason I wanted to discuss it with you both first is because Mom will be in charge of putting together food for the work party. You and Tori can help, and Tori’s mother offered too. But it’s still going to be a big job. And I’ll expect you to watch Pete as well. Think you can handle that?”
Kate’s spirits sank a little. “I’d rather help outside.”
“If we need extra help, I’ll let you know. But you aren’t a carpenter, and you can’t handle a Skil saw or other power equipment. If there’s a time your mom doesn’t need you and Tori, you can be a gofer for the men.”
She wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a rodent, Dad.”
He laughed. “That means go for the things we need.”
“Oh. Right. I can do that. I’m going to call Tori.” She raced across the room, then halted and turned. “So are we doing this or not?” Kate looked at her mom.
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