Stray Horse (5 page)

When she was done, Judy gave the horse a pat. He almost nipped her, but Lisa got a carrot into his mouth in the nick of time.

“He’s not well-mannered,” said Judy. “And while I’m glad to have you save me from a feisty horse, it’s not really a good idea to give him treats while he’s behaving badly. It’s like you’re rewarding the bad behavior.”

“It’s his first day here and he must be scared to death,” Lisa said.

“You’re right, but be careful around him. I don’t think you should groom him.”

That was just what Lisa had been planning to do next. “He’s going to feel much better when he’s clean,” she pleaded.

“And I’m going to feel better if you don’t end up in the hospital,” said Judy.

“Okay, but at least let me give it a try. You can give him treats for a few minutes while I groom him.”

Judy sighed. “Okay,” she said. “Well just see how he behaves. The first kick and we’re both out of here.”

Lisa didn’t wait for Judy to have second thoughts. She hurried over to the storage area where she knew the horse equipment was kept and brought back a grooming bucket. The horse didn’t want Judy to hold his halter. He made that very clear. But he didn’t mind when Lisa clipped the lead line back on and gave that to the vet.

He watched suspiciously when Lisa put the bucket down nearby. His ears went back on his head.

“Lisa …,” Judy began.

“I’m okay,” she said. And then she began talking to the horse again. She showed him the soft brush she was going to begin with and let him sniff it. She even let him take a little bite at it. She could tell it didn’t taste good; the disappointment was visible in his look. The horse must have figured out it was harmless and, Lisa thought, he probably recognized it.

Gently she began stroking his coat, beginning with the dried mud. It was painstaking work because there were so many cuts and scrapes that it would have been easy for her to hurt him unintentionally. Whenever she recognized a raw spot, she simply brushed around it. There would be plenty of time in the future to get him really clean. For now, superficial would do.

“You’re amazing,” said Judy, speaking quietly. “Doc Tock told me what you did with the owl the other day, and now he’s healthy and quite tame. It’s like you can speak to them.”

“I learned a lot of this from you,” Lisa said as she continued working.

“Well, I must be a better teacher than I realized,” Judy said.

“The owl was just luck,” Lisa said. “And patience. This guy and I have a real bond, though.”

“That secret?” Judy asked.

“I guess,” said Lisa. She stood back and took a look at what she’d accomplished so far. She was surprised to discover that in spite of the mud, the cuts, and the visible ribs, she was working on a rather handsome horse. He was a light chestnut with a blaze and white socks on three legs. It might be socks on four legs, but there was still too much dirt on one of his ankles to be sure. The light color was very distinct, and it made Lisa smile.

“He needs a name,” she said.

“And I suppose you have something in mind?” Judy asked.

“I do.”

“Is that a secret, too?” asked the vet.

“No, it
is
the secret,” said Lisa. “I hereby dub him Peanut Butter and Jelly—PJ for short.”

Judy laughed. “I guess I know how you tamed this wild beast then, don’t I?”

“Yep. And I know it’s not very good for him except in small amounts.”

“Like leftover sandwich pieces?” Judy asked.

“Just like that,” Lisa confirmed.

She picked up the brush and went back to work. PJ behaved like a perfect gentleman, even when Judy let go of the lead rope.

L
ISA WAS LATE
getting home. She was afraid her mother would be worried about her, but there had been so much to do! Once she’d finished getting the worst of the mud off PJ, she’d helped Anita take a picture of him, which they’d use for posters, and then they’d called a couple of the local papers to place ads about the lost horse. Finally, working with a list Judy gave her, she called all the equine vets in nearby counties. Somebody had to know about a missing horse.

It was hard work taking care of a horse who was as ill, sore, and distrustful as this one. Her day had involved lots of patience and concentration, and it was all Lisa could do to keep from yawning as she hurried home. She couldn’t wait to tell her parents.

She eagerly hurried up the steps to the kitchen door. What she found inside, however, was not her mother, but a note: “Your father is working late again. I’m at an appointment. There are leftovers. Love, Mom.”

So much for the nice conversation she’d been looking forward to having. Lisa put her book bag in her room, changed into clean clothes, and went back downstairs to see what her mother’s idea of leftovers was. She couldn’t remember what they’d had for dinner the night before. Hadn’t that been leftovers? She pulled open the refrigerator door and peered inside. There were a number of plastic containers and bowls. Their contents revealed fried chicken, corn, and french fries. She made a plate and put it in the microwave. Setting the timer, she went up to her room to get her history book so that she could read while she ate. It was going to be hard to stay awake long enough to get her homework done, so she figured she’d better get started.

Four minutes later, the electronic beep told her that dinner was heated. When she returned to the kitchen, she realized that it was actually a good deal more than heated. Still hopeful, she poked the chicken with a fork. It looked a little bit like chicken, but it felt more like shoe leather. The fries, instead of being crispy, were mushy and unappetizing.

“I guess I’ve got some more work to do on microwaving,” she said to her dog, Dolly, who watched all the proceedings. She even looked hopefully at the dish.

“No way,” Lisa told her. “I can’t give this to you. There are laws about cruelty to animals!” The little dog retreated and took a drink from her water bowl.

Lisa tossed the food into the garbage and thought about what she might be able to eat that she couldn’t ruin. She took out the bread, peanut butter, and jelly and poured herself a big glass of cold milk.

With the first bite, she was overwhelmed with sweet memories of her afternoon working with PJ. She couldn’t wait to tell her friends all about CARL’s newest resident.

As if on cue, the phone rang. It was Stevie and Carole on a three-way call.

“Are we interrupting dinner?” Carole asked.

“I’m not sure if what I’m eating qualifies as dinner,” Lisa said, looking down at the remains of her sandwich. “But I’m alone, so I can talk.”

“Good,” said Stevie. “Because we haven’t talked anywhere near enough in days! Where have you been?”

“I’ve been at CARL,” Lisa said.

“You’ve missed two riding lessons,” Carole reminded her.

“I know, but these guys need me—and I’m having fun.”

“Right, like cleaning out litter boxes is fun!”

It hurt a little when Stevie said that. It wasn’t as if there was any glamour to the work Lisa was doing, but the boxes needed to be cleaned out. Why couldn’t Stevie understand that?

“Are you ever coming back to Pine Hollow?” Carole asked. Lisa could tell she was asking the question that really concerned her and Stevie. It surprised her that the subject even came up between them.

“Of course I am!” she said. “I just feel like right now this is really important.”

“We didn’t mean to say it wasn’t,” Stevie said, clearly pulling back. “We know it’s important. We miss you, though.”

“And so does Prancer,” Carole added. “There’s always plenty of work to do at Pine Hollow.”

“Oh, I know that,” said Lisa. “And speaking of horses, Judy brought a stray over to CARL today. I guess he had been hanging around on the edge of a farmer’s field for a while until the guy could catch him. It’s a light chestnut gelding. He was probably nice-looking before he got lost, but now he’s skinny, scratched up, and really dirty. He made friends with me okay, but he kicked Judy a couple of times.”

That got her friends’ interest. They wanted to know all about PJ and loved the story about the sandwich.

“You’re turning into some sort of miracle worker with stray animals,” said Carole, recalling Lisa’s job with Dr. Einstein.

“Oh, I don’t know about that,” Lisa said. “It’s just that I feel so sorry for them, it’s like I understand what’s in their heads.”

“Well, what else is going on?” Stevie asked.

“I guess that’s about it at CARL,” Lisa said.

“No, I meant anything else anywhere else? It’s like we haven’t talked in weeks.”

“Days,” Lisa reminded her. “Nothing too interesting. I’ve got a history quiz tomorrow.”

“Spellbinding,” Stevie joked.

“Another A for you,” said Carole.

“Not if I don’t study before I fall asleep. I’m really tired,” said Lisa. “And I have to be at CARL tomorrow afternoon. Judy’s getting back some of the blood test results on PJ—that’s what I’ve named him, after the sandwich, you know—and I want to be sure he’s okay.”

“Sure,” said Carole. “Tell you what. Stevie and I will meet you there after school and help you with PJ and the other animals, and then we can all go to Pine Hollow together, okay?”

“Okay,” said Lisa. “I can’t wait for you to meet this guy. He’s wonderful.”

“No point in telling Carole that,” Stevie said. “She thinks all horses are wonderful.”

“And am I ever wrong?” Carole asked.

“Spoken like a true Saddle Club member!” said Stevie.

“I’ll see you guys tomorrow,” Lisa said. “And thanks for calling.”

As she hung up the phone, she had the distinct feeling that she’d just been on the receiving end of a Saddle Club project. Her friends were worried about her or else they wouldn’t have insisted on meeting her at CARL tomorrow. They didn’t have anything to worry about, though. Lisa was fine. It was PJ who needed help. He would be the next Saddle Club project.

Lisa finished the last bite of her sandwich, put her dishes in the dishwasher, grabbed an apple for dessert, and headed upstairs to finish her homework. She had a lot of things going on. She was working hard at school. She didn’t want to run the risk of letting her grades slip, because that would really disappoint her parents. And then there was all her work at CARL. Her parents had seemed pleased to hear about that. They were proud of her, and she wanted to make them happy.

She plopped onto her bed and pulled her history textbook toward her. Now, where was Julius Caesar the last time she looked? Right. He was conquering Gaul. She
took a bite of her apple and turned her attention to the battles in Switzerland—then known as Helvetia.

Lisa’s mother called about eight o’clock to make sure she was okay, and Lisa assured her that she was. Mrs. Atwood said she’d be home later, and Lisa told her she’d see her then. There was so much to tell her. Her mother said she hoped they’d have time to talk soon. She had a lot going on, too, but she was calling from a borrowed cell phone in a restaurant and she really couldn’t talk just then.

“I just wanted to be sure you’re okay.”

“I am, Mom. Good night.”

Ten minutes later, she got a similar call from her father, which was a surprise, because she’d thought her parents were at the restaurant together.

“Sorry not to be there tonight,” her father said.

“I don’t mind,” Lisa assured him. “I’m studying for a test. But I’ve got lots of stuff I want to tell you about.”

“Well, now you have to study, I guess. I love you, Lisa,” he said.

“Love you, too, Dad. Good night.”

She was glad of the quiet, and now it was time to get back to Caesar.

T
HE NEXT MORNING
Lisa woke up at dawn. Her room was gray in the early morning light, and the house was as quiet
as it had been the night before. The only noise was Dolly, who was sleeping on the foot of her bed, snoring gently. As soon as Lisa sat up, Dolly awakened.

She looked at her watch. It was 6:15. She didn’t have to be at school until eight. If she hurried, she could stop by CARL on her way to school and check on PJ. Her parents wouldn’t be up for another half hour. It would mean she’d miss them, but PJ was important, and she was sure they’d understand.

She hurried through her morning routine, then picked up her book bag and went downstairs. In the kitchen she made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches—one for herself and one for PJ—and grabbed a couple of apples and two containers of milk. She scribbled a note for her mother and headed for the front door. As she passed the den, she noticed a pile of blankets on the sofa, and then realized it wasn’t really a pile of blankets. It was her father with some blankets on him. He must have gotten in really late the night before and hadn’t wanted to wake up Lisa’s mother. She blew him a silent kiss and went out the front door.

Lisa loved this time of day. The air was fresh and cool—so different from inside the house. She took a deep breath and exhaled, feeling invigorated. There were stirrings in some of the neighbors’ houses, but it was earlier than most
people were up, so it felt like the whole world was hers alone. She reached out her hands as if to hug the air and everything else. There was a skip in her walk. She couldn’t help feeling that way. Life was good, wasn’t it?