A Horse for Kate (Horses and Friends Book 1) Read online

  Kate pumped her fist in the air. “Lessons? Oh man, that’s so cool! This is the best surprise ever.” Then her smile faded. “But I can’t put in an application without talking to my parents first.”

  Tori blew out a puff of air between her parted lips. “Whew. I’m glad you’re excited about it. I started worrying on the way here that it was a really dumb idea. And don’t worry about getting permission; I told your mom, and she said it was fine. It’s close to home, so they wouldn’t have to drive you. My parents said I could check it out, and your mom said the same thing. So we’re good.”

  An hour later Kate and Tori rose from their seats at the metal desk in the barn office. “So you’ll let us work here, Mrs. Wilder?” Kate glanced at the young woman who had pushed to her feet on the other side of the desk. Her blonde hair was gathered back into a knot at the base of her neck, and she wore riding breeches, tall boots, and a form-fitting knit shirt.

  Mrs. Wilder nodded. “I think you girls will do fine. We haven’t had a lot of applications yet, so it’s good you got here right after the ad came out. We’re agreed on two hours after school, two days a week, and two hours on Saturday in exchange for two hours of riding lessons each on one of our lesson horses?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Both girls spoke at the same time.

  Kate was so happy she could barely keep her grin from splitting her cheeks. “Since today is Saturday, did you want us to start now?” She looked down at her good sneakers and new jeans, wondering what her mom would say if she came home with stains on either one.

  Mrs. Wilder must have read her thoughts. “No, you can start on Tuesday, come back on Thursday, and then plan on being here two hours on Saturday morning. Does that work for you both?”

  The girls glanced at each other. “You bet,” Kate replied as Tori nodded. “It’s not even going to be hard to not sleep in on Saturday. I can’t wait till Tuesday to get started.”

  “How about I show you around now so you’ll be better acquainted and know what to do when you come?”

  “Yeah.” Kate breathed the word. “And could we see the horse we’re going to take lessons on, please? If you have time?”

  “Of course. Follow me.” Mrs. Wilder led them along the alleyway running between the indoor arena and in front of the long row of stalls, pausing at each one to introduce the girls to the horse housed inside. “Most of the horses here belong to boarders, and you won’t be handling any of them at first.” She stopped at a stall that appeared empty and beckoned them forward. “This is Lulu, one of my personal favorites.”

  Kate and Tori looked at each other in confusion. Tori stepped a little closer to the bars. “I don’t see anything, Mrs. Wilder.”

  The woman laughed and unlatched the door, then slid it to the side. “That’s because Lulu is thirteen and a half hands tall. She’s a POA. She’s quite a bit taller than a Shetland but shorter than a full-size horse.”

  Kate moved to the opening to see a darling pony that resembled a perfectly formed Appaloosa, only smaller. She was mostly black but had a black-and-white blanket over her rump and a white strip running from under her forelock to the tip of her nose. “What’s a POA?”

  “Pony of the Americas, a breed developed in the 1950s from an Arabian, Appaloosa, and Shetland pony cross. They’re gentle and easy to train and make wonderful lesson and show horses for kids.”

  Kate’s heart sank. She’d assumed they’d get to ride a full-grown horse, maybe a Thoroughbred or Warmblood, but a pony? Sure, she was cute and all, but this wasn’t what she’d expected. “So … Tori and I will take lessons on Lulu instead of a regular horse?”

  “That’s right,” Mrs. Wilder acknowledged. “And don’t worry, she won’t disappoint you. Lulu knows everything there is to know about hunt-seat, pulling a cart, showing at halter, and even riding Western. You both said you’re pretty much beginners, and I want to start you slow and make sure you get a good foundation before you move to something bigger. Does that make sense?”

  Kate cast a glance at Tori, who nodded. “Sure. I guess so. Lulu is awful cute, but I did take several lessons in Spokane.”

  “We’ll see how you do during your first two or three lessons and then decide. She’ll be your responsibility on the days you work here. You’ll need to clean her stall, bed it with fresh shavings, feed her hay and grain on Saturday, groom her, and check her feet. One of our grooms will show you how to do all of that Saturday morning. We’ll have you clean stalls for other horses, too, but you won’t groom any of them until we’re sure you’re comfortable and know what you’re doing.”

  Tori edged forward and stroked the little mare’s face. “How long do we need to work before we get our first lesson?”

  “How about next Saturday after you finish your chores?”

  Kate ran her hand along Lulu’s neck, surprised that the pony seemed to have already shed most of her winter coat. They must blanket the horses through the winter to keep them from growing too dense a coat, she thought. The stable in Spokane did that during the coldest part of the winter. Kate was always glad, as it seemed so cruel to allow the horses to stand outside and shiver. She’d seen too many horses in deep snow, with no shelter and icicles hanging from their manes, not to appreciate a well-cared-for animal. “I’d love to take my lesson that day, but I’ll need to check with my mom about how long we can stay.”

  Tori’s mouth formed an O. Kate gave a quick nod, reading her friend’s mind.

  Mrs. Wilder raised a brow. “I’m sorry, did I miss something?”

  Kate hunched a shoulder. “Yeah. We both realized we haven’t asked our parents for sure about the work schedule. They know we’re here asking about a job in exchange for lessons, but I guess we should okay it with them for sure before we come on Tuesday.”

  Tori twisted a strand of hair around her finger, her eyes wide and pleading. “Does that mean you’ll give our jobs to other people because we can’t tell you yes right now?”

  Mrs. Wilder hesitated. “Do you think you could both let me know by this evening? I’ll give you my business card, and you can call my cell. Will that work?”

  Kate’s breath whooshed out. “That would be awesome. Thank you! We’ll talk to our parents as soon as we get home.”

  They spent another ten minutes visiting the well-equipped tack room that contained saddles, bridles, halters, grooming tools, and other items Kate couldn’t even identify. When they moved on to the wash rack for bathing the horses, Mrs. Wilder swiveled toward the girls. “I’m afraid that’s all I have time for. If you call and say you can go to work next Tuesday, I’ll be sure someone shows you the loft where we keep the hay, as well as explains how to properly clean the stalls, where to get clean sawdust, and how to dispose of the material you remove. I have a lesson coming up soon, so I need to go. I hope to hear from you both this evening. And remember, I want you girls to work as a team, so I really hope both of your parents will agree.”

  Kate and Tori thanked her and walked the length of the barn to the spot where they’d parked their bikes. Kate barely kept from bouncing the entire way through the barn, she was so ecstatic about this new opportunity. Lessons in exchange for a few hours of work. And it was work that she loved, hanging out in a big barn around amazing animals. It didn’t get much better than this, and she had Tori to thank for it.

  She climbed onto her bike and pushed it around in a half circle, then spotted Tori’s face. Her lips were pinched together like she was trying not to cry. “What’s the matter? Aren’t you excited about this place? I can’t believe we actually get to hang out here.”

  Tori brushed her hand over her eyes. “Yeah. I am.”

  “But?” Kate leaned closer, trying to get Tori’s attention, but her friend kept her gaze averted. “Tori? What’s up? Did you change your mind?”

  “No. I want to do this more than anything. But I don’t think my mom believed it would come to anythi
ng. She said I could take a bike ride and see what the ad was about, but she said not to get my hopes up about working here.”

  “Then she’s going to be surprised when you come home and tell her you landed a job, right? She’s not going to care, is she?”

  Tori still didn’t meet Kate’s eyes. “She’s terrified of horses and thinks they’re dangerous. If she finds out I’ll be handling a horse at all, much less riding one, I don’t think she’ll approve. I don’t know why I didn’t think this through before coming. I didn’t realize we’d be grooming and handling horses on our own. I told Mom we might get a job cleaning stalls, and she seemed okay with that, but she might freak if she knows I’d be riding a horse.”

  “Oh man! I can’t believe this!” The instant the words left Kate’s mouth, she wished she could yank them back. Tori’s face fell, and her eyes brimmed with tears. “Hey, Tori, I’m sorry. It’s okay, really. We’ll talk to your mom together, and I’m sure my mom will talk to her too. It’ll work out, and if it doesn’t …” She sucked in a deep breath, not sure she could squeeze the words out but knowing she had to. “If it doesn’t, I won’t take the job either. It’s all or nothing. You’re the one who saw the ad and brought me here, and I’m not doing this without you.”

  Tori raised her head. “But you want this even more than I do. It’s not like I’ve always dreamed of owning a horse or taking lessons.”

  Tori’s expression of amazement and gratitude pushed aside Kate’s disappointment. “That’s what friends are for. But we’ll convince your mom that horses aren’t dangerous, and she’ll come around. Wait and see.” Kate forced a smile and was relieved to see an answering one on Tori’s face.

  Inside, though, Kate felt sick. She’d given her word that she wouldn’t take the job if Tori couldn’t, and she’d keep it, because a friend was more important than a job.

  But the thought of riding away from this place and maybe never coming back was almost more than Kate could bear.

  Chapter Seven

  Kate stood in the crowded living room at Tori’s house and gnawed the inside of her cheek to keep the tears from falling. She couldn’t believe what she’d heard. Then again, maybe she shouldn’t be surprised, since Tori had warned her.

  “But, Mom, nothing is going to happen to me. The people at the barn said they’d show us the right way to do everything. I won’t get hurt.”

  Mrs. Velasquez folded her arms across her chest. “I said you could go talk to them, Victoria, but you shouldn’t have said yes until you spoke to your papi and me.”

  Tori rocked on her toes, her jaw clenched. “We didn’t exactly say yes; we said probably. Mrs. Wilder knows we have to clear it with our parents first.”

  “Good. Then there is nothing more to talk about.”

  “Mom! That’s not fair. I’m going to be cleaning stalls and grooming horses that are tied up. What’s so dangerous about that?”

  “In exchange for lessons where you must ride a horse. Is that correct, Kate?” Her eyes swung toward Kate.

  “Uh. Yes, ma’am. But it’s not really a horse. Lulu’s a pony.” She held her hand out level with her chest to show the horse’s height. “We’d be in an enclosed arena anytime we ride. With an instructor there.”

  “But you could get bucked off. Or kicked. Or stepped on by one of the horses you groom. Horses can hurt you, even if they are ponies.”

  Tori tipped her head back and closed her eyes for a second. “Even if I fell off, the ground is soft. They keep it tilled up so people won’t get hurt. And like Kate said, the pony is short, so it’s not far to fall. And if she stepped on my foot, she doesn’t weigh enough to matter.”

  Mrs. Velasquez looked from Tori to Kate. “What do your parents say, Kate? Will they allow you to do this?”

  Kate straightened her spine and mustered a smile. “I haven’t asked them yet, but I’m pretty sure it will be all right. My mom was raised around horses when she was a kid, and they allowed me to take riding lessons in Spokane.”

  “Were you ever injured while taking lessons?” Tori’s mother stepped a little closer. “Please be very honest with me.”

  “No. Never. Riding stables try to get gentle, tame horses for their students to use. Mrs. Wilder says the pony is well trained and sweet. I honestly don’t think Tori would get hurt.”

  Mrs. Velasquez gave a slow nod and turned to Tori. “I won’t say no without asking your papi first, and I’ll think about what you’ve both told me, but no promises. Understood?”

  Tori’s shoulders sagged. “Yeah. Can I talk to Papi about it myself? Please?”

  Her mother exhaled heavily. “I know what he’ll say if you do. You let me talk to him. Si?”

  “Si.”

  “Now Kate needs to go home and ask her parents if she has permission. If she doesn’t, then it won’t matter what your papi says. You cannot work at that place by yourself.”

  “I don’t want to without Kate, anyway.”

  “Good.”

  Kate edged toward the front door, anxious to leave the tension-filled home and talk to her parents. She’d assumed Mom and Dad would say yes, but now she was wondering. Had she gotten her hopes up for nothing? Somehow God had to make Mrs. Velasquez change her mind. She was going to pray all the way home. Maybe she could even get her mother to talk to Tori’s mom. “I’d better get home, Tori. I’ll call you later, okay?”

  Tori nodded. “Yeah. Sure.”

  Kate hesitated, then whispered into Tori’s ear, “I’m going to pray like crazy that your mom lets you go.”

  A small smile flitted across Tori’s face as she stepped away. “Thanks. See you.”

  Kate lifted her hand as she walked toward the door, but the joy she’d felt while at the barn had disappeared.

  “Please, God,” she repeated on the bike ride home, “I want this so bad.”

  As she parked her bike in her front yard, another thought hit her. All the praying she’d done had been for herself, not Tori. She stopped in the yard and bowed her head as shame washed over her. “I’m sorry, Lord. Please do what’s best for Tori and for me, and help us both not be too bummed if her parents still say no.” She raised her head and peeked up at the sky. “But I’d sure appreciate it if You’d speak to her mother and take away her fear. Amen.”

  Kate sat by the phone, willing it to ring. She’d already called Tori and told her that Mom and Dad had said yes, as long as she kept up with her homework and chores. Tori’s dad wasn’t home yet, and Tori had promised to call as soon as he made a decision. Kate wasn’t sure she could stand it much longer, but she’d been praying more than she’d prayed about anything for a long time.

  The phone jangled and Kate jumped, even though she’d been waiting. She snatched it up. “Hello?”

  “Kate? It’s Tori.” The words were flat, almost without expression.

  Kate sucked in a quick breath before she replied. “They said no.” It wasn’t a question. Kate knew without asking that her dream had ended before it had begun, and Tori would never have the chance to ride a horse or know the freedom and joy of connecting with a big animal. Sadness washed over Kate.

  “Yeah. I thought Papi was going to say yes, but then he looked at my mom and stopped.” Tori sounded defeated.

  “Maybe she’ll change her mind. Did you try talking to your dad alone?”

  “No. I could tell it wouldn’t do any good. I’m sorry, Kate. I never should have taken you over there and gotten your hopes up. It’s okay if you take the job without me.”

  For one wild second, hope flared in Kate’s heart. She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. “No way. I made a promise, and I’ll keep it. We do it together or not at all.”

  “But that’s not fair to you. Your parents said yes, so you should go. It’s not like they’ll hold the job for us very long.”

  Kate clutched the phone tight in her fist, knowing
Tori was right but hating the idea of giving up so easily. “Yeah. I’ll call Mrs. Wilder tonight and ask if she’ll let us have through tomorrow to give her a decision.”

  “I’m not sure what good that will do, but I suppose it can’t hurt—if she’s willing to wait. Hey, I have to go. I’ll let you know if anything changes.” Her voice wavered on the last two words. “Thanks for being such a good friend, Kate.”

  Kate set the receiver down and sat without moving. She was glad she’d done the right thing, even if it was one of the hardest choices she’d made in her life.

  She got up from the couch and headed toward her parents’ bedroom. She found her mother curled up on the bed cradling Pete in one arm and holding a book—Pete’s Dragon, her brother’s all-time favorite.

  Her mother lifted her eyes as Kate leaned against the door frame. “I heard the phone. Was it Tori?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Not good news, I take it?” She shifted on the bed but kept her arm around Pete. Story time was one of the rare opportunities when her brother allowed physical contact, so Mom read to him whenever he asked.

  “Tori’s parents said she can’t work at the barn. Her mother is afraid she’ll get hurt taking care of the horses.”

  “That’s too bad, honey. I know this meant a lot to you.”

  “I figured if I couldn’t have my own horse, this was the next-best thing. Tori and I would work and take lessons together, and it would even be better than when I took lessons at home, ’cause I’d have a friend with me. I’m so bummed, Mom. It’s not fair.”

  She frowned, not wanting her mother to see how much it hurt. It wasn’t their fault they couldn’t afford to get her a horse of her own or pay for private lessons that she didn’t have to work for. At this point Kate would be thrilled with an occasional group lesson or even the chance to hang out at the barn and groom the horses. Anything but sitting at home every day after school. Summer vacation would start in about seven weeks, and she’d been so sure she and Tori would get to work all the way through, with both of them becoming excellent riders by the time summer ended.