Racehorse (12 page)

Then, looking around her, Lisa understood what had been missing from her essay about Pepper. She had only viewed the facts of Pepper’s old age and her own sadness at his advancing years. She hadn’t understood that life—in this case, Pepper’s life—was more than the sum of its parts.

She wanted to go back home right then, fish the essay off of her desk, and finish it. She knew just what she would say.

Lisa smiled to herself. That was better. She decided she would write it up tonight and hand it in to Ms. Ingleby in the morning. It wouldn’t change her grade. She’d still get an A. Now, however, she would deserve it.

“Next!” Stevie called out, bringing Lisa back from her thoughts about her essay.

“Oh, Pepper!” one girl cried out lovingly as she grasped the horse’s neck for her hug. Lisa was pleased to see that it was Eleanora, the girl from her class who had cried when Ms. Ingleby had read Lisa’s essay. Even if Eleanora couldn’t ride horses often, it was good to know that the riding she’d done had meant so much to her.

When it was Lisa’s turn, it was all she could do to keep from crying as well, but the joy she felt at the Tightness of this sentimental farewell kept the tears from her eyes.

“I’ll come visit you in the pasture,” she promised. “I’ll even bring you some carrots, too,” she whispered.

She could have sworn Pepper winked at her.

Lisa stepped away from Pepper, allowing the next rider her farewell. She looked at the line behind her. There, standing patiently, were many more children and then the adults, including Max, Ms. Ingleby, and at the very end of the line, Mrs. Reg.

Carole waited for Lisa to join her at the edge of the ring. Like Lisa, she was enjoying watching all the farewells. She was finding, as she often had before, that horses had a lot to teach riders about the way the world worked. Since she’d been working with Judy, she’d seen joy, sadness, and tragedy. Sometimes it was hard to feel so many different emotions all at once. Saying a sweet farewell to Pepper made it seem right, though.

For her part, Stevie was just thrilled with Pepper’s send-off. She stood, holding Pepper’s lead rope, watching each and every hug and farewell. She couldn’t think of a better way to say thank you to the wonderful horse at her side.

After Mrs. Reg gave the last hug, Max announced that there was going to be a small reception in Pepper’s new home.

“It’s just a little party,” Max said. “But we do have refreshments. Stevie tells me that Pepper insisted on selecting the menu, so go help yourselves to some carrot sticks, oatmeal cookies, sugar lumps, and apple juice!”

Carole laughed. That was
just
like Stevie!

“H
EY
, S
TEVIE
,
YOU
are some kind of genius,” Carole said, hugging her friend around the shoulders.

“You really know how to throw a retirement party!” Lisa said.

“Well, it was your idea,” Stevie said modestly.

“I never said anything about carrots and oatmeal cookies!”

“Let’s put it this way: You inspired me to think it all up when you were talking about the essay you wrote.”

“Remind me to inspire you more often,” Lisa said, reaching for another oatmeal cookie.

“Hey, this is great!” Dorothy DeSoto said, joining The Saddle Club in Pepper’s new pasture. “Stevie, I always knew you were a genius at something, I just wasn’t sure what.”

Stevie laughed. “I hope this isn’t all I’m a genius at,” she said. “I suspect there’s a limited call for retirement parties for horses.”

“You’ve got that right,” Carole agreed. “Not many horses deserve the kind of send-off Pepper is getting. And speaking of that, you two never told me how Lisa liked riding Comanche the other day. How was it?”

Lisa shrugged. “Okay, I guess, but he’s not Pepper.”

“Few horses are,” Dorothy said. “You know, Pepper was the first horse I ever rode.”

“You?” Lisa asked.

“Me, too,” Stevie said. “Maybe that means one day I’ll be as good as you.”

“It could be,” Dorothy told her. “You’re making an awfully good start. Now, tell me what you’ve all been up to—aside from planning this party.”

Suddenly it seemed as if there were hundreds of things the girls wanted to tell Dorothy, including their last adventures with Skye Ransom, whom she’d met in New York, and the fact that Carole had gotten a horse who was now injured. “But getting better every day,” Carole added optimistically. Carole told Dorothy about the work she’d been doing with Judy and her very interesting and exciting day at the racetrack the day before. She also told her about Prancer.

“Judy thinks she’ll get better, but she’s never going to race again,” Carole said.

“It’s always fascinating to me how unique every individual horse is,” Dorothy remarked when Carole told her the story. “This Prancer sounds like a wonderful horse. It’s a shame her racing career is over, but I know what a serious injury can mean.”

Carole blushed uncomfortably. She hadn’t meant to remind Dorothy of the injury that was keeping her from competition.

“Don’t worry,” she said, sensing Carole’s embarrassment. “It’s a fact of my life, and the important part is that I’ve still got a career with horses. It’s just a different one. I love breeding and training. Sure, I miss riding, but every once in a while I can have a terrific day like this and have a chance to ride my favorite horse with little risk to my health. When I stop to think about it, I’m pretty lucky. Besides, if I hadn’t come here, I never would have known about this retirement party.”

“Hey, Judy’s here,” Stevie said, spotting the blue pickup that had pulled into the driveway. “Are you supposed to be making calls with her today?” she asked Carole.

Carole thought about it for a minute. She didn’t think so. Judy had been pretty specific about meeting her Monday afternoon at Starlight’s stall to check on his progress. She hadn’t said anything at all about Sunday.

“No, I don’t know why she’s here.”

Judy stepped down out of her truck and scanned the crowd. She spotted Carole and kept on looking. Then
she walked briskly over to Max and took him aside for a private conversation. As the two of them talked, they each looked up at Carole, then their eyes went back to one another. Max nodded, then shook his head.

Lisa, Stevie, and Dorothy continued chatting about horses and riding, but Carole heard none of it. All of her concentration was on Judy and Max. What were they talking about? Why was she here on a Sunday?

Then Carole thought about Prancer, and she was flooded with dread. Something had happened and it couldn’t be good. Carole’s mind raced. She became convinced that Judy didn’t want her to hear bad news from her and was trying to figure out with Max just how to break it to her. She could take it. She’d had enough bad news in her life to know that she could take it. But Prancer? The beautiful white-faced filly?

“Uh, Carole, could you come over here for a minute?” Max asked.

That made it certain. Good news was delivered in public. Bad news always came in private. She could barely move one foot in front of the other, but she had to know, so she went.

“Uh, Carole, it’s about Prancer,” Judy began.

“Bad news?” Carole asked.

Judy looked at her puzzled. “No, I don’t think so,” she said. “I just want to ask you something because I need your help.”

Carole glanced at Max. He had a grin on his face from ear to ear. She looked back at Judy.

“What about Prancer?”

“Well, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking and talking over the last twenty-four hours. First I had to talk to my husband, of course, and then my bank, and then Max. I had this sort of crazy idea, inspired by none other than Stevie.”

“Stevie has that effect on people sometimes,” Carole said, beginning to get the idea that she was going to like this.

“Prancer can’t race again, as we know, and her family history of weak hooves makes it unlikely that she’ll be a good racing breeder, though I’m willing to try that. However, what it’s absolutely clear that she’s totally terrific at is being with young people. I have rarely seen a horse respond so quickly to somebody as she did to you. I also saw the way she wanted to nuzzle with Lisa and Stevie at the track yesterday. With kids she’s a dream horse. So, anyway, I decided I would try to talk Max into buying Prancer from Mr. McLeod. He and I are now fifty-fifty owners of the filly. The bad news is that she’s going to be laid up with her broken bone for several months, maybe as much as a year, and there’s a possibility she’ll never heal properly.

“There is, however, an excellent possibility that she may one day be as fine a stable horse for Pine Hollow as, say, Pepper has been for more than twenty years.”

Prancer at Pine Hollow? Carole shook her head, hoping her ears would clear up so she could hear all of these things right.

“Here?” she asked when she thought she’d cleared her auditory canals.

“Yes, here,” Max said. “Pay attention, Carole.” He was trying to sound annoyed, but he wasn’t succeeding. He was still grinning, and that made annoyance improbable at best.

“Aye-aye, sir,” Carole said, saluting. “But, so what’s my part in this?”

“Ah, yes, the hard part,” Judy said. Now she was grinning, too. “My deal with Max includes free veterinary services for the horse during her recovery from the broken bone, and I’ll certainly stop by frequently to be sure that she’s healing well
and
to see that Max’s end of our partnership—the boarding arrangement—is being held up as well.” She winked at Max. “However, Prancer is going to need to be checked almost daily throughout her convalescence. Since you are here almost every day taking care of Starlight, grooming and exercising him, we were wondering if you would be willing to do a daily check on Prancer as well. See, the problem is that she likes you best. She’ll fuss if Max sends somebody like Red into the stable, but for you and your friends, Prancer is just a doll.”

Carole could barely bring herself to nod agreement. It
all seemed so unreal. A mere day before she had been sure Prancer was doomed, then she’d become convinced that she’d never see the filly again. Now it was turning out that not only would she see her, but she’d be taking care of her, and one day she and her friends would be able to ride her!

As soon as Judy had Carole’s agreement, she began talking about the medical side of Prancer’s injury. She was going to have to have a special shoe constructed, and she’d be in her stall at complete rest for at least seven months. Her training could resume when she was totally healed, but it would be a long, slow process. A racehorse was trained for speed, not for pleasure riding. Would Carole be willing to help take care of her and retrain her as well? Yes, she would, Carole told Judy and Max. Definitely.

Carole listened to everything that was said, but as she listened, thoughts of Lisa’s essay drifted quickly into her mind. Life. It had cycles and turns. It also seemed to have twists. Some of those were good, some bad. Right then she was in the middle of a good twist. That made her happy.

Eventually Judy and Max finished. Prancer was to be delivered to Pine Hollow the next afternoon. Carole promised to be there right after school.

“Anything else?” Max asked.

There was something Carole needed to do, and she
told Max as much. “I was wondering when that would come up,” he said. “Go ahead.”

Carole left them then and ran, as fast as she knew how, to where Lisa and Stevie were standing, each munching on a sugar lump and drinking apple juice.

“Have I got news for you!” Carole said.