True Riders (7 page)

“BROOKE! BROOKE!” ETHAN
cried when Brooke stepped into the kitchen on Thursday after school. “Where's Adam?”

“Where's Adam? Where's Adam?” Emma chanted.

“Adam isn't here.” Brooke went to the pantry and grabbed a granola bar. “He has a dentist appointment.”

“Oh.” Her little brother's face fell. “I wanted to show him my new cowboy book I got from the lie-berry.”

“Li
brary
,” Brooke's mother corrected, glancing over from the counter, where she was fiddling with the coffee machine.

Brooke unwrapped the granola bar and took a bite. “Maybe you can show him tomorrow, E,” she mumbled through the food in her mouth. “He'll be here then.”

Brooke's mother turned and looked Brooke up and down. “Why don't you take off your coat and stay awhile,” she said with a smile.

“I was going to run out and check Foxy's water trough,” Brooke said, shoving the last of her snack into her mouth. “Be right back.”

She headed for the back door, already bracing herself for the cold, which had returned full force, along with some ominous-looking gray storm clouds and a chilly, gusty wind. Hurrying across the backyard, she headed straight for the trough, which was along the fence outside Foxy's shed near the hydrant. There was a thin skin of ice on the top, so Brooke picked up the small hoe leaning against the side of the shed and poked at the ice to break it up. Foxy spotted her from where she'd been standing across the field near the drafts, and came wandering over.

“Hey, girl.” Brooke set down her makeshift icebreaker and reached over the fence to scratch the mare's fuzzy neck. “I'm giving you the day off today, but we'll do more jumping tomorrow, okay?”

She'd decided on that plan when Adam had told her about his appointment earlier. There didn't seem to be much point in trying to prepare for the show without him, especially on such a cold day.

“Haley always gives Wings a day off each week,” she told Foxy, still scratching her. “Besides, it's pretty chilly today, and I heard tomorrow should be nicer, so—”

“Brooke! Brooke!”

Brooke jumped, startled by the shriek of her little brother. When she looked over her shoulder, both twins were racing across the yard toward her. Emma's jacket was only half-zipped, and Ethan was missing a mitten.

“Wait, you two!” Their mother emerged behind them, pulling on her wool coat with one hand and holding the second mitten in her other. “Ethan, put this on!”

The twins ignored her as they flung themselves at Brooke. “We want to ride again!” Emma cried, throwing her arms around Brooke's waist. “Can we, please, please, please?”

“Yeah. Foxy misses us,” Ethan added.

“Sorry,” Brooke said, not really feeling sorry at all. “Foxy has the day off today.”

Ethan was already reaching between the fence boards to pat Foxy, who had lowered her head toward him. “She doesn't want a day off,” he said. “She wants to go for a gallop across the plains.”

By then their mother had caught up. “Ethan, mitten on, or no riding,” she said firmly.

“Okay.” Ethan yanked on his mitten. “Now I'm ready!”

Brooke shot her mother a beseeching look. “Foxy has been working hard lately, Mom,” she explained. “I was planning to give her the day off. Maybe we could go over and ask if they could ride the drafts instead?”

She was sure the neighbors would say yes. They were an older couple who both seemed to adore the twins. And they'd always been generous about letting Brooke ride their huge but gentle draft horses, which was how she'd gotten her start riding when she was even younger than Ethan and Emma were now.

Her mother frowned, shooting a look at the drafts snoozing under the tree on the far side of Foxy's pasture. “Listen, Brooke,” she said in a clipped tone. “The kids just want a short ride, so there's no need to start a whole production over it.”

“But Foxy—” Brooke began.

“Foxy won't even notice the twins up there,” her mother said, cutting her off. “Besides, why on earth are we paying all this money to keep that pony if she can't be used when we need her?”

Brooke opened her mouth to argue, then shut it again without saying anything. She recognized the expression on her mother's face. It said that she'd already made up her mind about this, and nothing Brooke could say was going to change it.

Besides, Brooke couldn't help feeling a little nervous about that last comment. While Brooke spent most of her own money paying for fly spray, grooming stuff, and tack for her pony, her parents covered all the big bills, like feed, vet care, and the farrier who came every other month to trim Foxy's hooves. The last thing Brooke wanted was for her mother to decide they weren't getting their money's worth.

“Okay, fine,” she said shortly. “But it's cold, so it'll have to be a short ride.”

She got Foxy groomed and tacked up in record time. Emma watched as Brooke untied the lead rope from the fence and started to lead the pony out into the pasture. “Don't forget the bridle,” Emma said.

“She's okay in just her halter,” Brooke said. “That's what we did last time, remember?”

Ethan had been poking at the water in the trough with a stick, but heard them and ran over. “No, she has to have a bridle,” he said. “All good cow ponies wear a bridle.” Tossing his stick aside, he dashed for the barn. “I'll get it!”

“Fine, whatever,” Brooke muttered, once again deciding it wasn't worth the effort to argue. She could lead Foxy just as easily by the reins of her bridle as with a halter and lead rope. And if it kept the twins happy and made this whole ordeal shorter? Totally worth it.

At first the pony rides went pretty smoothly. Foxy was in a quiet mood and plodded along almost as calmly as the drafts might have. Ethan bounced in the saddle, chattering about being a cowboy, while Emma just sang to herself and clutched the horn as she swayed along.

“Okay, there we go.” Finishing Emma's circuit of the field, Brooke stopped in front of their mother, who was watching from just inside the pasture gate. “All done.”

“No, I want to go again!” Ethan cried.

Brooke sighed, shooting a sidelong glance at her mother. “Aren't you two getting cold?” she asked the twins. “We could go in and have some cocoa.”

“No! Ride again!” Ethan shouted.

“Just one more turn each,” their mother spoke up. “Then back inside to warm up, all right?”

“Yay!” Ethan cheered, rushing over and smacking his twin on the foot. “Get off. It's my turn!”

Soon the twins had switched places. “Okay, hold on,” Brooke said. “Here we go.”

“Wait!” Ethan said. “I want to ride all by myself this time.”

“What do you mean?” Brooke actually glanced over her shoulder to make sure Emma hadn't clambered back into the saddle with her brother while Brooke hadn't been looking. “You are all by yourself.”

“No,
all
by myself,” he insisted. “Without you leading her.”

Brooke gulped. “That's not such a good idea. Foxy's not used to people other than me riding her.”

“Yes she is,” Ethan insisted. “I ride her all the time!”

Brooke wanted to point out that that wasn't exactly true. Before she could say a word, though, her mother wandered closer.

“Just go ahead and let him try it for a minute,” she said. “It'll be fine.”

“Okay,” Brooke said reluctantly. “But I'll stay right next to you just in case, okay, E?”

He grabbed the reins as she looped them back over the pony's neck. “Okay. Giddyup, Foxy!” he said, thumping her sides with his heels.

The pony lifted her head, a little startled, but stepped off calmly when Brooke let out a soft cluck. “Gently,” she told Ethan. “And don't pull too hard on the reins, okay? Um, a real cowboy never does that.”

“I know that.” He loosened the reins until they were flopping on either side of the pony's neck. “I'm a good rider. Turn left, Foxy!”

He yanked suddenly on the left rein, causing Foxy to lift her head again and Brooke to hold her breath. But the pony veered off in the direction Ethan wanted, with little more than a confused ear twitch showing her reaction to the little boy's rough aids.

Good girl,
Brooke thought, hoping that Foxy could read her mind.
Good, good girl. Don't worry, we're almost finished. . . .

She glanced up at her brother—just as he lifted both arms, slapped both reins down on Foxy's neck, and kicked hard with both legs at the same time. “Hi-yah!” he yelled. “Let's gallop!”

Foxy jumped in place, startled, and let out a snort of alarm. Brooke stepped forward quickly, grabbing the bridle before the pony could decide to take Ethan's command seriously.

“Easy, girl,” she cooed. Then she shot her little brother a stern look. “Don't do that!”

“Why not?” Ethan stuck out his lower lip. “I want to gallop.”

“My turn!” Emma yelled, running toward them. “I'm getting cold. Hurry up!”

Foxy was still on alert. At the sound of Emma's shrieks, the pony spun around, and Ethan wobbled in the saddle.

“Hold on to the horn!” Brooke yelped, trying to hang on to the bridle and reach back to steady her brother at the same time.

Luckily her mother finally seemed to notice that things weren't going well. “Everything okay, kids?” she asked, hurrying over.

“I think Foxy's getting upset,” Brooke told her.

“No she's not,” Ethan argued. “She just wants to gallop.”

“Hmm.” Their mother eyed the pony. “I think I just felt a drop of rain. That means pony rides are over. Back in the house, you two.”

She reached up to drag Ethan out of the saddle, causing him to start yelling and wiggling. Emma was already whining about not getting her second turn, but Mrs. Rhodes ignored her, grabbing the little girl's hand and dragging her off across the yard without a backward glance.

“You're welcome,” Brooke muttered as she watched her family disappear into the nice, warm house. She gave Foxy a pat, and the mare jumped, her ears twitching and her eyes a little wider than usual.

Yikes. She really did seem awfully worked up. Remembering one of the lessons she'd learned at camp—that it was always best to end a ride on a positive note—Brooke decided she'd better hop on and ride for a few minutes to make sure Foxy wasn't too upset by Ethan's cowboying.

It took a couple of tries to mount, since Foxy kept trying to step away. But finally Brooke was in the saddle.

“Easy, girl,” she murmured as Foxy shifted beneath her. “You're okay. Let's just walk around a little, okay?”

She nudged the mare with her legs, but instead of stepping off at a walk, Foxy burst into a choppy trot. Brooke gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to yank on the reins. Instead she talked quietly to the pony while using her seat and weight aids to ask Foxy to slow. After a moment Foxy started to respond, slowing to a rapid walk and then a calmer amble.

“Good girl.” Brooke smiled, proud of her pony.

Foxy let out a snort, stretching her head forward as she wandered across the field. Brooke rode for a few more minutes at a walk and a slow trot, before the rain started in earnest and she called it quits.

After dinner Brooke went to her room and logged on to the Pony Post. There were new posts from Nina and Haley, mostly just checking in to see how Maddie was doing. But then Brooke noticed that Haley's entry had been posted just a minute or two earlier.

After opening a new text box, Brooke typed quickly:

[BROOKE]
Hi! I'm here too—hi Haley!

Haley responded almost immediately.

[HALEY]
Hi! I hope Maddie checks in soon.

[BROOKE]
She's prob at the barn spending all the time she can w/ Cloudy. I know that's what I'd be doing if I were in her shoes. Hang in there, Maddie! We will help if we can!!!

[HALEY]
Def!!!! Hey, B, did u ride today?

Brooke's fingers hovered over the keys for a moment as she wondered again whether to tell her friends about the show she'd agreed to do. But she decided to wait a little longer. The weather was pretty unpredictable lately. Who knew if the show would even happen? Besides, everyone was still focused on Maddie right now, and Brooke definitely didn't want to distract the others from that.

[BROOKE]
Only for a few min. My little sibs are still on their cowboy kick. They both followed me out to the barn when I went to check Foxy's water and pestered me until I gave them another pony ride. Argh!

[HALEY]
Lol, sounds cute! Post more pix, OK? Anyway, I'd better go—almost time to set the table for dinner. Check in when u can, Maddie! Bye, B!

[BROOKE]
Bye!

She clicked off, still wondering if she should have filled Haley in about her show. But she decided not to worry about it. The show was still more than a week away; there would be plenty of time to tell them once Maddie had figured out what was going on with her family's move.