Silver Spurs Page 8

  Colt nodded. “That’s all I’ll ever enter, since it doesn’t work too well to jump in a Western saddle. I’ve thought about competitive trail riding, but it’s not that important to me. Honestly, I’d rather hit the real trails any day than ride around in circles in a ring all the time.”

  “I’ve never gotten to do much trail riding,” Kate admitted. “Mom worries about the traffic on the roads, even though we’re not close to town.”

  “Maybe someday we can put together a trail ride up toward Mount Hood. Did you know there are horse corrals up there and tons of riding trails?”

  “Cool! That would be a blast as long as we didn’t get lost.”

  “That’s why you have a guide or take someone with you who knows the area. I imagine you could get off on a trail and lose your way if you weren’t careful … So back to the show. Have you heard if Melissa is entering Mocha in the jumping classes? She might be the best chance for your barn to win the silver spurs.”

  Anger sparked in Kate. “Why does that matter? It’s not like Melissa is riding a horse that we own or anything.”

  “No, but she boards and takes lessons here. It can’t do any harm if she won, that’s for sure.” He leaned against the wall next to Capri’s stall.

  Kate moved back to the rail and fixed her gaze on Tori, wishing Colt would go home. Why did things always have to come back to Melissa and ruin everything she’d dreamed about? Sure, Melissa had a well-trained, expensive horse, but Capri had some awesome training as well. And it wasn’t going to be long before Kate could keep up with the other girl. All she needed was a few jumping classes, and she’d prove to her friends that she was every bit as good as Melissa.

  Chapter Twelve

  Kate jumped out of bed the morning of the show and hurried to the window, praying the rain shower had stopped. She’d lain in bed late last night listening to it patter against the eaves, certain it would ruin the show. Shoving aside the curtains in her second-floor room, she pumped a fist in the air. “Yes! Sun!”

  She whirled around the room in a circle, landing on her bed. The weather wouldn’t ruin the show after all. She was grateful that God had listened to her prayers last night and that her lack of faith hadn’t gotten in His way.

  Scrambling for her jeans and T-shirt, she gathered them from a pile on the floor and tugged them on as fast as possible. She’d put clean clothes on later, but right now her top priority was to get downstairs, have breakfast, and see what she could do to help.

  Excitement and fear battled inside. Her first horse show. She’d gotten to attend one before, but never to compete. What would it be like? Would she get so scared when she rode Capri into the ring that she’d throw up or pass out? Now that would be embarrassing. She giggled, suddenly seeing a picture of herself keeling over before she had a chance to climb into the saddle. Nope. Wasn’t gonna happen.

  Kate slowed her rush down the stairs as another thought hit. How about Tori? If Kate’s nerves had nailed her, how would her best friend be feeling? She didn’t have any experience at all. She’d never even been to a show. Colt was lucky. He’d attended several shows and competed more than once, so this would probably be a cinch for him.

  Good thing she’d been able to take several lessons over the last few weeks so she felt more confident about taking classes. She’d have to stick close to Tori and help all she could, reassuring her if she got too scared or wanted to chicken out—that couldn’t happen. They were in this together, and it was going to be fun!

  Kate raced into the kitchen, then skidded to a halt. Pete sat at the table eating a bowl of cold cereal. His favorite. He rarely ate eggs or toast or pancakes. She shook her head and smiled. In some ways, it was kind of nice to have things she could depend on. She walked behind Pete and ruffled his hair. As usual, he ducked his head and mumbled. But he didn’t pull away as much as he usually did, so that was something. “Hi, buddy. Good cereal?”

  He nodded, and Kate’s heart skipped. Another good sign. Maybe he was excited about the show as well. “You going to hang out with Dad and watch the horse show today?”

  Pete dipped his spoon in the cereal and carefully lifted it to his mouth, but he didn’t respond. Kate squatted by his chair and touched his arm. For once he didn’t flinch, but he didn’t seem to notice her presence. The spoon went into the bowl again and back to his parted lips. No show of emotion at all. She rocked back on her heels, struggling to push down her disappointment. What had she expected? For him to grin and tell her how much he was looking forward to the show?

  Mom stood by the stove stirring something in a pan. She put the spatula down and took a step toward Kate, then gently set a hand on her shoulder. “Baby steps, Kate. Baby steps. Don’t expect too much. Take it one day at a time, okay?”

  Kate heaved a soft sigh before pushing to her feet. “Yeah. Right. It’s just hard sometimes.”

  Her mother gave her a quick hug, then moved back to the stove. “I know. But if it wasn’t hard, it would mean you didn’t care.” She gestured toward the cupboard. “Get out three plates, silverware, glasses, and orange juice. Dad will be inside in a minute, and these scrambled eggs are hot.” She pushed the lever on the toaster, and four slices disappeared inside.

  Kate hurried to complete the task and looked up as her father entered through the kitchen door. “Hey, Dad, everything okay at the barn?”

  “Yep. Your mother and I got up early and fed the horses so we can spend the next hour getting the jumps set up in the outdoor arena. People will start arriving by eight o’clock, and we need to be ready.”

  “Thanks, Dad. That’s great. I thought getting up at five would give us plenty of time. I hope Tori and Colt get here soon.”

  Her father slid out his chair. When he, Kate, and her mother were all seated, he smiled at Pete. “We’re going to pray, Pete. Can you join us?”

  Pete stared around the table, not meeting anyone’s eyes, but he seemed more focused than Kate had seen him in a while. He nodded. “Pete will pray.”

  Kate froze, afraid if she moved or said anything, it would ruin everything.

  Dad bowed his head, as though nothing special had happened. “Sure, Pete. Go ahead and talk to Jesus for us.”

  Kate kept her eyes open, fascinated by this new turn of events.

  Pete ignored her and their parents. He lifted his eyes to the ceiling. “God? Help us all be happy and good. Amen.” Then he picked up his spoon and dipped it into the cereal again as though he hadn’t done anything extraordinary.

  Mom raised her eyes from where she sat across the table from Kate, and tears trickled down her cheeks. She offered a wavering smile. “Amen.” She sucked in a quick breath. “Now we’d better hurry and eat so we can get outside before the early birds arrive and throw us all into a tizzy!” She laughed and wiped her damp cheeks, then picked up her fork and dug into her fluffy scrambled eggs.

  After breakfast, Kate slipped over to stand beside her mother at the dishwasher. “Pete has never offered to pray before.”

  Mom gave a radiant smile. “I know. It was amazing.”

  Kate nodded. “I never told you, but he did something else that was unusual the day everyone came over to help rebuild the arena and the jumps. He took Melissa’s hand when she offered it.”

  “That is unusual, especially with someone who’s almost a stranger.”

  “Melissa has worked to get to know Pete since she’s been boarding here.”

  “That’s very kind.”

  “Yeah.” Kate hesitated, wondering how much of her concern to share. “I don’t get her. She’s nice to Pete, and sometimes she’s even decent to me and Colt and Tori. Other times she acts like the Wicked Witch of the West who thinks we’re her minions.”

  Mom laughed and ruffled Kate’s hair. “Don’t let her bother you. She’s one of our boarders, so we’ll be courteous, regardless. You never know what’s in a person’s heart or
what might be going on behind the scenes. Now we’d better get a move on.”

  Two hours later Kate and Tori slipped into the barn wearing their riding breeches, white shirts, and boots. Kate wished they’d been able to afford real leather boots, but at least she had a complete outfit, even if it was used. At this point she was thankful they’d found an English store in Portland that carried a selection of nice-quality clothing and equipment on consignment, and both she and Tori were able to get outfitted at a reasonable cost.

  Pretty much everything was done, and Kate released a sigh. She was too keyed up to be tired, even if she’d been up for three hours, and it was only eight o’clock in the morning. The first class would start in an hour, and both she and Tori needed to groom their horses and make sure all their tack was in order. She elbowed Tori as they walked down the alleyway. “Aren’t you excited? It’s our first show, and we both get to compete.”

  Tori rubbed her belly. “I’m not sure if I’m excited or sick, but my stomach feels like it’s going to heave.”

  Kate slipped her arm through Tori’s. “You’re nervous. It will all go away as soon as you ride into the ring. I’ll bet it’s the same as walking onto a stage when you’re in a play. You say your opening line and voilà! Everything is back to normal, and the show goes on.”

  “Yeah. Or you stand there and faint or hurl all over the stage.”

  “Hmm.” Kate swung Tori around and gazed at her. “This is the first time you’re pastier than me, and I’ve got pale skin. Shake it off, girl. It’s not like you’re going in front of a firing squad.”

  “Feels like it.” Tori groaned and pressed her hands into her abdomen. “Seriously, I’m not sure I’ll get through this without being sick.”

  Kate tugged her forward. “Come on. You’ll forget all about it as soon as you start grooming Mr. Gray. Hasn’t it been fun riding him? I can’t believe how much you’ve improved! You know how to post now and everything.”

  “I’m glad I’m only entering the walk-trot class for beginners. I don’t think I could handle any more than that.”

  They continued down the alleyway. Suddenly Mocha’s stall door slid open, and Melissa catapulted out, almost running into Kate. “There you are. I was coming to find you.”

  Kate took a step back. “What’s up?” She didn’t care for Melissa’s scowl or the brittleness of her tone.

  “I’m in several classes today, and the person who usually grooms for me and changes tack can’t come. I need you to take care of that for me.”

  Kate crossed her arms over her chest. “Sorry. No can do.”

  Melissa seemed to look at Kate for the first time. “Why are you in riding gear? You and your parents run this place. Shouldn’t you be taking care of your customers?”

  Kate almost had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something she’d regret. Only her mother’s warning that morning about being kind to their customers reined in her temper. “We’re competing in classes too. And no, it’s not our job to take care of our boarders today. This is a horse show that happens to be held at our barn. We’re hosting it, not putting it on. We’re as free to take part as anyone else.”

  “So who’s going to help me?” Melissa’s voice dropped to a low rumble. “I have to win those silver spurs, and I think you’re being mean not to agree.”

  Kate couldn’t keep a lid on her emotions any longer. “Well, sor-ry!” She grabbed Tori’s hand, and they continued down the alleyway to Capri’s stall. “She’s got some nerve!” she hissed close to Tori’s ear. “Who does she think she is? And why did she say she has to win the spurs?”

  “Dunno. Pretty weird, if you ask me.” Tori slapped her forehead. “We didn’t grab the grooming box for Capri. Guess we’ll have to make a dash to the tack room and hope she doesn’t see us.”

  “Ugh.” Kate grunted and leaned against the inside of the stall as Capri munched hay from the feeder in the corner. “I wish I never had to see that girl again.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kate stood at the rail of the indoor arena, holding her breath as Tori rode by on Mr. Gray. Her friend’s face hadn’t gained much more color than earlier, but at least she hadn’t fainted or hurled. Kate nudged Colt in the side with her elbow. “She’s doing great, huh?”

  He kept his gaze fixed on Tori as she and Mr. Gray moved down the rail on the far side of the arena. “Yeah. And it’s a bigger class than I expected. I didn’t realize there were eight kids under the age of eighteen who would qualify for a walk-trot class.” He tilted his head toward a girl as she rode by on a sorrel mare. “I’m almost positive she doesn’t belong in there, though.”

  Kate arched a brow. “Why not?”

  “You’re supposed to be a novice for this class, which means you’ve never placed in a show. I think she took a fifth-place ribbon at a show in The Dalles—I’m not sure, but her name sounds familiar.”

  “Should we say something?”

  “Not unless she wins, and even then, I’m not sure it’s our place. It happens sometimes, although that doesn’t make it right.”

  Indignation stiffened Kate’s spine. “No kidding! If she does win, I’ll mention it to my mom. And maybe to Mrs. Jamison.”

  Colt nodded but kept watching Tori. “She’s doing good. I can’t believe how much better she’s gotten since she started riding your lesson horse.”

  “She says it’s all Mr. Gray, but I told her she only needed a little bit of confidence to bring out the good rider inside. He’s a super horse, and we’re lucky we got him.”

  Static from the loudspeaker crackled a second before the announcer’s voice boomed. “Walk your horses, please. Walk your horses.”

  Everyone in the ring slowed to a walk and continued around the circle. Tori kept light pressure on the reins, and Mr. Gray kept his nose down and walked at a steady pace. Kate noticed that the girl Colt had pointed out couldn’t seem to keep her horse from breaking into a trot. Served her right if she was trying to cheat by entering a class she didn’t qualify for.

  As the girl rode past, Kate saw tears glinting on the girl’s cheeks, and remorse hit her. What if the girl, who wasn’t any older than Tori, didn’t know the rules or thought she had to place first in another class to be disqualified for this one? Maybe Dad’s right. He says sometimes I’m too hasty to judge. Kate almost hoped the girl would win a ribbon, even if it was fifth again.

  “Line up, please. Everyone line up in the center of the ring,” the announcer boomed again, making Kate jump. Everything echoed in here, and she was surprised it hadn’t spooked any horses.

  The eight horses and riders formed a straight line across the center of the arena, and a judge walked into the ring. She stopped in front of each one, asking the rider to back the horse a few steps, then move forward and halt. Kate heaved a huge sigh after Mr. Gray executed his command perfectly.

  Only minutes later, the loudspeaker crackled as a young girl walked into the arena holding a handful of brightly colored ribbons. “As I call your name, please walk your horse forward and accept your ribbon. Then you may exit the ring.”

  Colt nudged Kate. “What do you think? Does Tori have a chance?”

  Kate nodded. “I’m no judge, but I think so. A couple of the other riders did really well too, but Tori looked great.”

  “Fifth place goes to Myra Robbins from The Dalles.” The girl who’d been crying rode forward and accepted her ribbon, her somber face breaking into a smile.

  Colt grunted. “Think we should say something?”

  “Naw. Let it go. If someone in the class knows she doesn’t belong there, they can bring it up.”

  “Right. Good call.”

  “Fourth place goes to Ryan Smith from White Salmon, Washington.”

  “A dude?” Colt shook his head. “I was watching Tori and the other girl so much, I didn’t catch that.”

  “Lots of guys ride
English.” Kate smirked at him. “You should try it, Colt.”

  “Not on your life.”

  “Third place goes to Marcy Kingston from Mosier, Oregon.”

  Kate clutched Colt’s arm. “There are two places left and five people. I’m so nervous for Tori!”

  “Yeah.”

  A rustle of papers sounded over the speaker. “Second place goes to Tori Velasquez from Odell.”

  Kate squealed and clapped her hands, and Colt pumped his fist in the air. “Way to go, Tori!”

  Tori rode forward and accepted her red ribbon as color flooded her face. Kate and Colt rushed around to the gate at the end of the arena, not even caring to hear who won first place. As far as Kate was concerned, Tori was a champion!

  As soon as Tori cleared the gate, she dismounted. Kate swooped in and grabbed her in a hug, squealing the entire time. Colt took Mr. Gray’s reins and patted Tori’s shoulder. “Way to go, squirt. You did good.”

  Tori gazed at both of them with glazed eyes. “I can’t believe it.” She held up the ribbon, then swung around as her mother rushed up and enveloped her in a hug. “Mom? Did you see my class?”

  “Si, silly goose. I was across the arena from Kate and Colt, cheering for you. I’m so proud of you, mi hija.”

  Tori grinned at them before focusing her attention on Kate. “Now it’s Kate’s turn, and Colt’s.”

  Colt scuffed his boot on the ground. “I decided to scratch my one class.”

  “What?” a chorus of voices echoed. “Why?” Kate glared at her friend, hardly able to believe what he’d said.

  “It was only one class, and I wasn’t crazy about Western Equitation. Besides, I saw Melissa earlier, and she needs help, so I told her I’d groom her horse between classes.”

  Kate stared, trying to absorb what he’d said. “She was rude to Tori and me earlier. Why would you do that, Colt?”

  “Why not? It’s not like I don’t have time.”

  Tori narrowed her eyes. “Are you crushing on her?”