High Hurdles (21 page)

Gran was in the kitchen the next afternoon when DJ returned from her day at the Academy. DJ crossed the tile floor and wrapped both arms around her grandmother, inhaling the wonderful floral fragrance that Gran had worn so long it seemed steeped in her pores.

“I’ve missed you so, darlin’, you just can’t imagine.” Gran hugged both arms around DJ’s waist.

“Try me. Nothing’s the same without you here.” DJ stepped back and looked her grandmother in the face. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I could stay by myself.”

“Oh, I think Joe can live one night without me. He has two days off next week, so we’ll both stay here then.”

“You’ll be here when school starts.” Joy welled up and splashed across DJ’s face.

The two of them spent the evening out in the backyard, pruning the roses, staking the chrysanthemums, and digging out the bent grass that tried to take over everything.

DJ pointed up at two hummingbirds playing buzz tag, each trying to chase the other out of the yard. One perched on a branch of the pink oleander, then rose up clicking his warning when the other returned.

DJ sat on the grass, her arms crossed over her raised knees. This was the way it was supposed to be. Her and Gran.

“Gran?”

“Yes, dear?” Gran looked up from where she was plucking dead flower heads off the red geranium.

“Can I come and live with you and Joe? When you move into your house out here, I mean.”

Chapter
•
10

“Oh, my dear, is it that bad?”

DJ studied her chewed-off fingernails. “Mom and I just don’t get along too well—you know that.” She raised her gaze to see her grandmother shaking her head.

“I know. Maybe it’s all my fault.” Gran sank down on the grass beside DJ.

“How could it be your fault? You’re the one who took care of me.” DJ crossed her legs and propped her elbows on her knees.

“Yes, and I took over your mother’s job. It seemed best at the time, but now I’m not so sure.”

“Gran, that’s not what I meant.” DJ wished she could bite off her tongue. Why’d she ever bring this up? “Don’t feel bad, please. I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.”

“I know, darlin’. I know.” Gran reached over and laid a hand on DJ’s upper arm. “We’ll all just have to pray about this, let God make it better. He will, you know, if you ask.”

“I asked. Mom and I really had a big fight then.” DJ eyed a hanging cuticle. Her hand automatically rose to her mouth so she could chew it off. A bit of garden dirt came with it. She spit that out.

Gran took DJ’s hand in hers and clucked over the mangled fingernails. “Oh, darlin’.” Her voice felt as soft as the falling twilight.

DJ pulled her hand back. “I’ve been praying about my fingernails, too, and look where it’s got me.”

“I know. Satan seems to jump right in and let us have it with both barrels as soon as we pray for help changing something. But God’s Word is stronger, mightier than a sword.” Gran rose to her feet. “Come on, we have to find just the right verse for you. Then when you start to chew your nails, you repeat the Bible verse until the need to chew is gone.”

“Oh, right, Gran. You won’t find a verse about fingernails.” DJ got up and, after picking up their gardening tools and dumping the weeds and trimmings in the compost bin, followed Gran into the house.

Gran had settled into her wing chair, Bible on her lap. A pad of paper and pencil lay beside her on the lamp table.

DJ leaned closer to read the writing on the tablet. Psalm 139 stood out at the top of the list. She looked up into Gran’s face. The light from the lamp created a halo in the gold-shot fluffy hair. A halo sure did fit Gran. If anyone was an angel, it was her.

DJ took her usual position at Gran’s feet, her cheek resting against Gran’s knee. Immediately Gran laid a hand on DJ’s head and stroked, much like DJ did with her horses. Calming, comforting, and full of love.

DJ’s sigh started at her toes and slithered its way to her head. If only they could go back to the way things used to be. She blinked. Did she want to go back? Back before Joe? Before Major? She scrunched her eyes shut.

“Why don’t you and Joe live here? Then everything would be just fine.”

“I’m glad you want to keep him in the family. He thinks you’re pretty special, too, you know.” Gran kept up the stroking.

“I had a great time with him on Tuesday. He’s real easy to talk to.” DJ tilted her head so the stroking hand could soothe a new place.

“I know. He laughs easily, knows how to have a good time, and gives God the glory for everything—including meeting me and my family.”

DJ flinched. Thinking back to the way she’d behaved before the wedding made her want to crawl under the rug. Gran stopped stroking to write down another reference.

“I’ll give you this list in the morning. How about scrambled eggs for breakfast?”

“Okay.” DJ stood up, her yawn nearly cracking her jaw. “Good night.” She bent down to give Gran a hug and a kiss. “Think you can get through the night without seeing Joe?” She dropped another kiss in the middle of Gran’s halo.

“Oh, you!” Gran gave her a playful swat. “For your information, I was just about to call him.”

“Tell him hi for me.” Another yawn, this one longer than the first. She headed for the stairs. How come Gran could make such a difference in the atmosphere of the house?

Two days later, Saturday morning dawned. The birds were barely chirping before DJ was out of bed and scrambling for her clothes. Mr. Yamamoto would be driving her and Amy and all their gear to the Academy. He helped to load horses for all the shows.

A car horn honked. DJ finished gathering her things and flew down the stairs. Maybe by the next show, she’d be able to compete again.

“Morning, DJ. You’re looking mighty alert for this time of day,” Mr. Yamamoto said out the rolled-down driver’s-side window. He’d pulled the car into the driveway to turn around.

“Thanks. I love early mornings, unlike someone else we know.” DJ opened the rear door and tossed her duffel bag across the seat.

Amy mumbled something from her nest in the front.

“Come on, Ames.” DJ settled herself in back. “You can sleep tonight.” She thumped her friend on the head.

“Wish there were barns on the showgrounds so we didn’t have to trailer the horses every day.” DJ pulled a food bar out of her pocket and unwrapped it.

“This is difficult all right.” Mr. Yamamoto took a sip from the coffee mug on the dashboard. “I hear you’re getting a horse pretty soon.”

“Yeah, his name’s Major. Wait till you see him. He’s huge.” She took a bite out of her bar. Three-day horse shows took a toll on everyone, both people and horses.

Loading went without a hitch, unlike the time before when Gray Bar caused a ruckus. The thought of Gray Bar made DJ wonder how James was doing. Would he really write?

Once at the Saddle Club grounds, DJ helped the younger riders tie their horses side by side on the long rope stretched from tree to tree. Together, they organized their gear. Parents who hadn’t done this before needed as much instruction as their children. They set out grain, then wedges of hay, and DJ showed the kids where to fill the water buckets. She took care of Angie’s horse since the girl hadn’t shown up yet.

Bridget came by, clipboard in hand. The board held a list of all the Academy pupils and the classes they’d entered. She handed DJ a matching board. “Just so we can make changes if needed. And so you can look ahead to see who might need assistance.”

“Angie’s not here yet.”

“They did not ring to say not to bring the horse, so they will be here.” Bridget answered a shout from across the long string of horses. “Talk to you later. Any questions, you know how to find me.”

“Who does all this stuff when I’m showing?” DJ muttered an hour later.

“We take turns.” Hilary stopped brushing her horse long enough to answer. “You’ve just made my life easier. How about not showing ever again?” Her teeth gleamed white against her dark skin.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll just go along to make sure none of you prima donnas have to scoop poop.” DJ fetched the shovel from behind Hilary’s horse.

“Thank you. I am glad you’re getting Major soon. I can’t wait till we’re competing in the same classes. That’ll be fun.”

“That won’t be for a while.” DJ waved at one of the fathers who called her name. It was Angie’s dad, apologizing for their being late.

Angie was grooming her horse as though she were in a speed competition.

“We had a sick baby last night, and none of us got much sleep.” Mr. Lincoln apologized again. “When he finally dropped off, we all did.”

“No harm done. Angie, you have plenty of time. Since you’re riding Western, you’ll be on after noon.”

Angie let out a sigh that could be heard clear across the bay to San Francisco. “I want to do good out there, and I can’t swallow past my butterflies. Mom was scared I was going to have an asthma attack.”

“Oh no. No asthma allowed here. But watch out for the yellow jackets. They come to feast on all the picnic stuff.” DJ turned to answer another question. “See ya, Angie. Take it easy.”

Angie took third place in her class that afternoon and received a white ribbon to cheering applause from the Academy rooting section. Sam got a fourth, and Krissie a sixth.

“Your girls did well. It shows what a good teacher you are.” Bridget stopped DJ long enough to give the compliment.

DJ met her girls back at the tie line. “I can’t believe it. You guys did super. Wow!”

Their thank-you’s and sighs of relief tumbled over each other. The three dismounted and formed a ring with DJ, dancing and hugging.

“You don’t get excited or anything, do you?” Amy led her horse past them on her way to the warm-up ring.

“Not a bit.” DJ thumped her friend on the arm. “Go get ’em. You have the Academy’s honor to uphold.”

“Oh, yuk. Thanks a big fat bunch. Now you’re making my insides flop around rather than fly in formation.”

“Do
you
still get scared?” Angie asked.

“Of course. Everyone gets scared. That’s part of showing.” Amy led Josh around the arena where the novice Western class was now showing.

By Monday evening when they returned the final trailer load to the Academy, DJ felt as if she’d been dragged under the wheels of the trailers. The Academy students, both youth and adult, had done very well. Hilary won Hunter/Seat equitation again and took a second in Hunter/Jumper. Amy took the Trail-riding class and won two reds and a white in her other events.

“You get on home now; you have done enough,” Bridget said when she found DJ putting tack away. “Thank you so much for all your help. You can be proud of yourself. I certainly am.”

“Thank you. We did good, didn’t we?”

“About the best ever. Our reputation is really growing, thanks to all of you.” Bridget turned to leave. “See you tomorrow after school.”

DJ groaned. “Thanks for reminding me.”

“Hey, you comin’?” Amy trotted up to the tack room. “Dad’s ready to go.”

As soon as they got into the car, the girls slumped against the doors. Mr. Yamamoto wore a weary look himself.

“Anybody for a pony party?”

Groans drowned out his chuckle.

“Your dad has a sick sense of humor.”

“I heard that.” Their groans turned to halfhearted giggles. More like wimpy chuckles, really.

“See you at 7:30, right?” he asked after stopping the car at DJ’s house. “I see your grandparents are here.”

“See ya.” Grandparents—as in two. What a nice thought. DJ slung her duffel over her shoulder and dragged herself into the house.

She almost fell asleep trying to tell Joe and Gran about the show.

“Well, I tell you, if you don’t have another one before the first of October, this is the last show of yours I miss.” Joe crossed one leg over his opposite knee. “I could hardly keep my mind on patrol, I kept thinking of you Academy kids competing. Major’s going to love it. Today some little kid stuck cotton candy up for him to taste. He tasted it all right. Ate every bit in two bites. The poor kid started screaming. After I gave him money for another cotton candy, I had to take Major to a hose and wash off his face.”

DJ giggled at the thought of Major with a pink nose. Her giggle turned into a jaw-cracking yawn. “Mom get off okay?” Gran nodded. DJ yawned again. “I’m so tired I don’t think I can climb the stairs.”

“Do you have your things ready for the morning?”

“You kidding? This is DJ you’re talkin’ to, remember? I’ll get up early; it’s easier than working now.” She hugged and kissed Gran, then paused for a second. Crossing to the sofa, she gave Joe a hug, too.

“Night, DJ.” Joe sounded gruff, as though maybe he had a frog in his throat. “I’ll be at school to pick you up, okay?”