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  Kate shook her head, not understanding. Where was the Melissa who’d screamed at Rufus the day she arrived? She turned to Colt and Tori, ready to ask what they thought, when Melissa bumped Mocha with her heel and drove him forward into a trot.

  Mrs. Jamison didn’t speak but moved to the center of the ring and nodded in approval.

  Melissa increased her horse’s gait to a canter, then rounded the corner and headed for the first jump again. Mocha cleared it and headed toward the second at a steady pace, but what about the third?

  Tori leaned closer. “Think he’ll go over this time? If I were Melissa, I wouldn’t try again. I’d have gotten off that horse.”

  The awe and respect coloring Tori’s voice seared Kate with discomfort. Had Melissa won Tori over like she had Pete? Kate returned her attention to the arena, not wanting to miss the action. Feeling bad over her pang of jealousy, she asked God to keep Mocha steady this time, even though part of her wished Melissa wouldn’t have something to brag about later.

  Melissa tightened the reins as she neared the third jump, planted her heels even lower, and pressed her fists on each side of Mocha’s neck as she gripped the reins. She kissed to the horse a stride before the fence. He slowed for an instant, then rose and soared over as though it wasn’t even there.

  A muted shout broke from Colt’s lips, and even Tori applauded. Kate wasn’t sure what to think. If Melissa had been friendlier or even polite most of the time, she’d want to root for the girl too. She was happy Melissa hadn’t been thrown and had gotten her confidence back, but part of her squirmed at the accomplishment of this girl who quickly seemed to be turning into a rival—in more ways than one.

  Kate worked to maintain a smile, but her heart hurt. Would she lose her two best friends to Melissa, or was she silly to even think that way? After leaving all her friends in Spokane a few months ago, she hated the thought of starting over again. She gave herself a small shake and told herself to knock it off. Just because Pete responded to Melissa, and Colt and Tori thought she’d done a good job, didn’t mean any of them intended to desert her.

  “She did great, huh?” Kate mustered a smile. “I think I’d better get to work. It’s easier to clean the stalls with the horses out, so I’ll tackle Mocha’s first and then the one for Miss Ryan’s mare. You guys can stay here and watch.”

  She started to move away, but Tori caught her arm. “Hey, wait up. I’d rather spend time with you than watch another lesson. I think my brain is worn out from all the technical stuff Mrs. Jamison throws at them, anyway.” She looped her hand through Kate’s arm.

  Kate felt like she would burst with joy. She gazed at Tori, then looked at Colt. “How about you?”

  “I’m only here because you guys wanted to watch. I took care of my stall already, and I’d better get home. Dad said he needs help building a chicken coop tonight.” He exhaled heavily. “I told him I don’t mind building it, but I’m not crazy about cleaning it once it’s done.”

  Kate grinned. “Oh, but think about all those yummy eggs and that fried chicken.”

  Tori shuddered. “That’s awful! Poor little baby chicks. They’ll grow up and end up on someone’s barbecue.”

  Colt laughed. “Where do you think the chickens come from that are in the store?”

  She frowned. “That’s different. You don’t hold those cute fluff balls and give them names.”

  Colt rolled his eyes. “And I’m not going to give them names either, you goof.” He lifted his hand in a brief wave, then gave an impish smile. “Later, guys. Have fun cleaning stalls without me!”

  He ducked out of the way before Kate’s slap could connect with his arm, then jogged down the alleyway toward the outer door, laughing the entire way.

  “Boys.” Tori pulled Kate toward the stall that housed Melissa’s horse. Once they had snagged the wheelbarrow, pitchfork, and rake, they entered the stall, and she swung to face Kate. “What gives?”

  “Huh?” Kate blinked. “What are you talking about?”

  “You got all quiet after Melissa cleared that jump.” She studied Kate. “But not until after I clapped, and Colt said she did a good job. Are you jealous of Melissa?”

  Kate squirmed, finding it hard to meet Tori’s probing gaze. She grabbed a pitchfork and dug into a pile of manure mixed with sawdust, then tossed it into the wheelbarrow. “We’d better get busy. Melissa could be here any minute.”

  “No way.” Tori snatched the fork from Kate’s hands. “Not until you tell me what gives. I’ve never seen you like this before. You don’t get mad at the kids at school even if they make a snide remark. I’ve seen you be kind to her more than once since she’s arrived, and now you’re acting all weird. Is it because I was happy she didn’t fall off her horse again?” She crossed her arms and tapped her foot.

  Kate hung her head, feeling horrible that Tori had figured it out. No way could she lie. Besides, what would God think if she did? She already felt bad enough that she’d allowed jealousy to put her in a bad mood, without adding anything else to the pile. “Yeah, I guess so.”

  Tori relaxed, and her arms swung to her sides. “So you thought I’d ditch you for Melissa? Seriously? I mean, why would I do that? You’re my friend. Just because I was happy she didn’t get hurt doesn’t mean I want her as my new best friend.” She snorted a laugh. “I can’t even imagine what that would be like. We’re about as far apart as two people can be.”

  “Now isn’t that the truth?” a voice drawled from the alleyway a split second before the door rolled open and Melissa paused at the entrance, Mocha behind her on a lead. Kate wanted to crawl off into a pile of straw and bury herself. She could imagine what Tori must be feeling right now. What rotten timing. Tori had been joking. She’d seen it on her friend’s face, but Melissa wouldn’t know that. More than anything, Tori had hoped to assure Kate of her friendship and loyalty. She’d accomplished that, but Kate was mortified that Melissa had overheard.

  Melissa’s eyes blazed, and she stood as stiff as the pitchfork handle. “I can’t imagine being friends with either of you, or why you’d think I’d care to be. As for being happy I didn’t fall off my horse, that’s ridiculous. I’m a better rider than the two of you put together, or that silly boyfriend of yours.”

  Kate’s tongue finally loosened. “Colt is not a boyfriend. He’s a nice guy who was happy you weren’t hurt, like we were.”

  “It’s pretty obvious how happy you both are.” Melissa’s lip curled. “If I did get hurt before, then I wouldn’t be here showing you up with my horse and my riding.” She flicked a hand at the stall floor. “I see you don’t have this stripped or fresh bedding down yet. At our other barn, our stalls were always ready when we finished riding. And we had rubber mats on the floor, not dirt covered with shavings.”

  She looked over her shoulder and then up at the rafters. “Everything here is dirty. No rubber mats on the alleyways either. The tack room barely has enough shelves, hooks, or saddle racks for the boarders you have now, and the arena fences need to be repainted. It’s all so … rundown and grubby. I don’t understand why you couldn’t get it fixed up before you opened for business.”

  Kate didn’t trust herself to respond. She bent over and picked up the pitchfork, and Tori grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow. Kate flicked a glance at Melissa. “We’re sorry, Melissa. We’ll get done as fast as we can.”

  Tori choked out a strangled sound. She looked as if she might burst into tears any minute. “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean anything bad. I was trying to make Kate feel better, that’s all.”

  Melissa stepped into the alleyway. “Whatever. I don’t care what you meant. I’ll cross-tie Mocha out here while you finish. Maybe I’ll go talk to your little brother. Pete, right? I saw him outside when I walked past the door.” She pivoted and walked away without another word.

  Chapter Eight

  Kate and Tori didn’t discuss
what happened after Melissa left, but it was all Kate could think about for the next few days. She made a point of avoiding Melissa when she could and being nice to her when she couldn’t, but nothing helped. Was Melissa a snob who only cared about herself, or a girl with something going on inside that made her lash out at people around her? Kate couldn’t figure it out. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to, but it bugged her all the same.

  She sat on her bed Sunday afternoon, happy she’d gotten to ride Capri after church, but something was missing. Maybe she should start praying for Melissa. But how? And what about? That God would make her nicer? That He’d fix whatever was wrong? She shook her head, her braid swinging. She didn’t have a clue.

  Someone rapped at her door, and she looked up. “Who is it?”

  “Your mother. May I come in?”

  “Sure.” Kate waited till her mom entered the room. “What’s up? Do you need help with supper?”

  She perched on the edge of the bed by Kate. “That’s very kind of you, and yes, I will in a while. But your dad and I noticed you’ve been awfully quiet lately. Anything you want to talk about?”

  “Naw. Thanks for asking, though. Is that all you wanted?” She clenched her hands into fists, wishing she could pour everything out to her mom the way she had when she was little. But she was thirteen now, not a baby. She needed to figure this out on her own.

  “There’s one other thing, and I hope it will make you feel better.” Her mom’s hazel eyes smiled into Kate’s. “Mrs. Jamison talked to Dad and me. Apparently the hunter-jumper show that was supposed to be held in a big field on the edge of town needs to find a new location. It’s not a big show, but it’s on the circuit for earning points toward regionals. They hate to cancel it, and the only other barn with an indoor and outdoor arena large enough is booked.”

  “So …?” Kate held her breath, hoping she’d figured out what might be coming. “Did she ask if we could hold it here?” She rose onto her knees and bounced on the bed, barely able to contain her excitement. “That would be so cool! We’ll do it, right? Please, Mom!”

  Her mother held up her hand, but a smile tugged at her lips. “Slow down, Kate. It would mean a lot of work. It would help to get our name out to people who don’t know we’re open, and part of the entry fees would go to us for hosting it, but it’s a huge undertaking. And we only have three weeks.”

  “Three weeks? Yikes!” Kate sank against her pillow. “What all would we have to do?”

  “The committee handles all the advertising, but we’d need to have the stalls we’re not using cleaned out and bedded. The pastures would have to be cross-fenced with temporary hot-wire tape so horses could be turned out, since there’s no way we’ll have enough stalls. A lot of the owners will keep their horses tied to their trailers, but not everyone wants to do that. Plus, general cleanup and sprucing up areas we haven’t gotten to yet.”

  Kate gave a slow nod, remembering Melissa’s retort. “Maybe we tried to open too soon. I guess there’s still a lot to do, even though I thought we were ready.”

  “Yes, and I’m glad you can see that. We were all caught in the excitement of taking in boarders and getting a trainer, and we probably shouldn’t have rushed, but that’s in the past. Right now we have to decide if we can tackle this new project.” Her eyes shone, but Kate could see her mother wavering.

  “I say yes, and I’ll bet Tori and Colt will both help too. Maybe we’d even make enough to buy a lesson horse that Tori could use. What does Dad think?”

  Her mother smiled. “He says it’s up to us girls. He’ll do all he can to help us get ready, and he’ll watch Pete during the show. We have a little extra money right now, so we can buy nicer jumps for the competition. The committee provides all the ribbons and the top prize, a set of English silver spurs to the person with the highest points overall.”

  “Silver spurs?” Kate breathed the words. “Awesome. I’m all for it. How about you, Mom?” She waited, hardly daring to hope. Her first show. She wasn’t ready to jump, but she could compete in the flat classes like hunt-seat, equitation, or English pleasure, and she might even have a chance at a ribbon or two.

  Mom grinned and drew Kate into a hug. “I say if you’re up for it, so am I. You’ve been a trooper doing so much work around here. We’re going to make this barn a success! Just pray we don’t have any accidents and that nothing goes wrong. Having a rated show at our barn is an awesome opportunity, and we don’t want to blow it.”

  Two nights later, Kate was in her pajamas trying to read over the screaming wind. She’d just hung up the phone after telling Tori they’d bought new jumps, and the show would for sure be at their barn.

  The weather forecast had called for high winds, but she hadn’t expected anything like this. At least living in Odell they’d missed some of the stronger winds that tore through the Columbia River Gorge that acted like a funnel, either directing winds to the east toward the desert or west toward Portland. Either way, they could be brutal.

  The windsurfers loved the wind, but Kate was already tired of it. She’d heard that midsummer was better, and spring through early summer was the worst. She hoped that was the case.

  All of a sudden, something crashed outside, not terribly far from the house. It almost sounded like an explosion. Kate jumped from her bed and raced to her door. She yanked it open and hollered down the stairs. “Mom? Dad? What was that? Is everything okay?”

  She heard the front door slam, and boots thudded down the front porch stairs. Kate clumped downstairs, praying the barn and horses were fine. “Mom? Did Dad go outside? Is Pete still asleep, or did it wake him up?”

  Her mother met her in the living room, worry clouding her face. “I’m not sure what’s going on. Pete can sleep through almost anything, but I’ll go check anyway. Your dad took the big flashlight and went outside to look around.”

  Kate headed for the front door. No way was she getting left behind if something exciting had happened—especially not if Capri or any of the other horses were in danger. She reached for the front door with one hand and her coat hanging on a peg with the other.

  “Hold it, young lady.” Her mother grabbed Kate’s shoulder and swung her around. “You’re not to go outside. Dad’s orders. Wait for him to come in.” Kate opened her mouth to protest, but her mom insisted. “No argument. Promise me now, or I’ll make you go check on Pete, and I’ll stay here.” She had that determined glint in her eyes that Kate knew so well.

  “All right. Fine. I promise. But I don’t like it. What if Capri is hurt?” She ran to a front window and looked out toward the barn, but no moon shone, and it was pitch-dark. She could see a flashlight beam bobbing not far away, but she didn’t see what had caused the teeth-jarring noise.

  “Your dad will tell us as soon as he gets in. Until then, stay put.” She shook her finger at Kate. “I’ll be right back. I don’t see how Pete could sleep through all this racket.”

  Kate continued to peek out the window, dying to know what was happening. Would Mom freak if she opened the front door and hollered at Dad? Probably. She’d better not push her luck, especially since she didn’t know if it was safe to step outside. But what if Capri was seriously hurt? She didn’t care about the show or anything else right now. As long as Capri was okay, she’d give up entering every competition for the rest of her life.

  She closed her eyes. “Please, God. Please, please, please. Let Capri and all the other horses be safe.” Footsteps echoed on the front porch, and her eyes flew open in the hope that God had answered her prayer.

  When she jerked open the door, Dad almost tumbled inside, with his arm extended and a surprised look on his face. “Dad! How’s Capri? Is she safe? How about the rest of the horses? What was that awful sound? Did something explode?”

  Mom rushed into the room without Pete and stopped beside Kate. She wrapped her arm around Kate’s shoulders. “Slow down, honey. Give your dad
a chance to catch his breath.”

  Dad shrugged out of his coat. “Capri is fine, and so are the rest of the horses. No damage to the barn, thankfully.”

  Kate expelled a hard breath. “Thank You, God.” Her mother raised her brows. “I mean it, Mom. I prayed while you were upstairs. I’m so glad the horses aren’t hurt.” She refocused on her father. “So what exploded?”

  “Our big fir tree that’s been dying. I should have taken it down, but I kept putting it off. The wind was so strong, it broke off the top half of the tree, and it landed on the outdoor arena.”

  “Oh no!” Mom covered her mouth with her hand. “How bad is it?”

  He met her gaze with a steady one of his own. “Not good, but I can’t tell for sure in the dark. It took out some of the fence, and it’s on top of a number of the jumps.”

  “The old ones or the new ones we bought today?”

  “I won’t know till tomorrow.”

  Kate groaned. “What are we going to do? The show is in three weeks. All the jumping classes are supposed to take place in the outdoor arena, since the flat classes are indoors. And we have to have the jumps, or we won’t have a show!” She grabbed her coat, then reached for the flashlight.

  Her dad put his hand over hers. “Not tonight, Kate. There’s nothing we can do. Without good light, we can’t see anything. And it would be too easy to get hurt if we tried. I don’t know if the tree is stable, or if it’s hanging up on something and could roll or fall. We don’t go near it until morning. Understood?”

  Kate nodded, but it took all her willpower not to snatch the light and race out to check for herself. They couldn’t cancel the show, they just couldn’t! This might be their only opportunity to get included in a rated show. She was pretty sure they didn’t have the money to replace the fence or the jumps. Why did this have to happen now, when the show was so close?