Willow King (2 page)

Mr. Ellis sighed and put his hand on her shoulder. “Katie, you just don't understand. No matter how much work you put into this colt, he'll never amount to anything.”

But she did understand. She saw the same sentiment in her classmates' faces when it came time to choose teams in gym class. Nobody wanted to pick ol' limpalong Katie; she couldn't run as fast as the others or move as easily. She understood all right.

Mr. Ellis continued. “We could save him, but the only thing he would be good for is standing in the pasture. At best, you might be able to do some light riding on him when he's older. But this is a racing farm, not a convalescent home for hopeless horses.”

Katie could tell he was at the end of his patience. If she didn't convince him now, King would be gone forever. The rain outside turned to hail and began to beat down furiously on the roof. It echoed the turmoil she felt in her heart. The colt
was
worth saving. The tears that had threatened earlier now slipped down her cheeks. Cindy was looking at her with sympathy in her eyes. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

Mr. Ellis turned to walk away, but Katie reached out for the sleeve of his coat, stopping him in his tracks.

“What if I buy him from you?” It was a desperate attempt, but it was her last hope.

Cindy stepped forward, the look of pity gone from her eyes. Curiosity had taken its place. “Katie Durham, how do you think you can afford to buy one of our racehorses when your mother can't even afford to pay the taxes on your farm? What will you do with a horse if you lose your land?”

Cindy's father gave her a sharp look and the girl retreated behind him, her bright yellow dress disappearing behind his gray overcoat like the sun slipping into a storm cloud.

Lose the farm? Katie wondered what Cindy was talking about. Her mother had never mentioned that they were in financial trouble. Things had been rough since her father died, but Katie hadn't known they were that bad. If that was true, then they needed King worse than ever. If he was raised right, he could become a valuable champion, like his father, Beau Jest.

Katie watched as Mr. Ellis scratched his chin and studied her. She saw his gaze drift to her leg and comprehension dawn in his eyes. He now realized why this colt was so important to her.

“Katie,” Mr. Ellis began in a fatherly tone, “you don't have any money to purchase a colt. You already have one horse, and I doubt your mother would let you have another. I could give you the colt, but it's still going to cost for his vet bill.”

“I want to pay for the colt. I can work it off. You know I'm a good groom.” Katie jammed her hands into her pockets and kicked at the dirt on the ground, willing the tears in her eyes to stop falling.

Cindy stepped out from behind her father. Katie didn't like the look in her eye. When Cindy Ellis wore that sugary-sweet smile on her face, it spelled trouble for somebody.

“I know a way Katie can pay for the colt,” she spoke in a cotton-candy voice. “You can trade your show horse, Jester, for him.”

Katie sucked in her breath. She felt as if somebody had just punched her in the stomach. Not Jester! Her father had given her Jester for her tenth birthday. Cindy knew how much that horse meant to her. And to think she had been having nice thoughts about the girl!

“That's an idea.” Mr. Ellis scratched the stubble on his chin. “Cindy has been bugging me to buy her a new show horse. She always complains about you beating her in the ring. Maybe she would have a chance at some ribbons if she had Jester. I'm sure your mother wouldn't want to part with such a valuable animal, but maybe you'd be willing to lease him to us for a few years? It would certainly make it easier on you and your mother if you only had one mouth to feed. Of course, this whole deal hinges on her approval.”

Katie swallowed the lump in her throat. Thoughts of Cindy riding her beloved horse turned her stomach. The girl didn't have a very good seat, and she continually sawed at her horse's mouth. But Mr. Ellis had a point. If her mom was having trouble with the farm, it would be easier to care for only one horse, and once King grew strong enough to run in races, he would eventually pay his way and theirs, too.

Father and daughter stood waiting for her answer—Mr. Ellis with a friendly, helping smile and Cindy with a greedy smirk. She had been trying for years to beat Jester in the show ring. Now it looked as though she would be winning all the blue ribbons on him.

Never in Katie's life had she had to make such a difficult decision. She opened her mouth and forced the words out before she could change her mind. “Okay, Mr. Ellis, you've got yourself a deal.” She saw the admiration in his eyes when he reached out to shake her trembling hand. Cindy looked like the cat that ate the canary.

“You've made a good decision,” Cindy bubbled as she looped her arm through Katie's and pulled her down the shed row. “I'll let you come visit Jester anytime you want.”

Katie's legs felt numb. Had she made a mistake? She thought again of the little bay colt and her own mother's plight with their farm. Her instincts told her she had made the right choice, but her stomach felt as if it had dropped down to her feet.

As long as Cindy didn't ride Jester too much, he would have a good home, and Katie could visit him whenever she wanted. Certainly, by the time King was old enough to race, Jester would be back in her barn.

They reached the door, and Cindy turned and gave her a big hug. “I think this could be the beginning of a great friendship,” she said.

Wreathed in smiles, with her dress billowing in the wind, Cindy looked like a gigantic sunflower. She wanted to be friends, but all Katie wanted to do was push her into the nearest mud puddle.

Backing away, Katie turned and ran out into the cool rain. The water poured from the sky, cooling her troubled thoughts. With each step she took, the name
Willow King
rang in her ears. By the time she reached her house, she knew she had made the right decision. Now all she had to do was convince her mother.

Two

Katie burst into the kitchen, startling her mother, who stood at the stove preparing breakfast. The house was warm and smelled of baked bread and hot cocoa. “Mom, we've got to talk.”

Peg Durham's eyebrows rose at the serious note in her daughter's voice. “Have a seat at the table, dear.” She set a steaming mug of cocoa in front of Katie and sat across from her. “What's so important that you're out in the rain this early in the morning? Is it Grey Dancer? Did she have her foal?”

Katie took a sip from the mug, rolling it between her hands to warm her chilled fingers. “Are we going to lose the farm?” So much for subtlety, she thought as she watched her mother sit back in her chair.

“Who did you hear that from?” Mrs. Durham frowned, then rose, spooned oatmeal into a bowl, and stirred in a liberal dose of brown sugar. She set it in front of Katie.

“Cindy Ellis told me.” Katie lifted her eyes to meet her mother's and peered into an older reflection of herself. There was no doubt they were mother and daughter. They both shared the same brown hair and blue eyes, with just a sprinkling of freckles across the nose.

“Cindy Ellis? I don't know how Cindy came by this information. It isn't her place to know about such things, let alone talk about them.”

Katie watched her mother fidget with her coffee cup, swirling the spoon around and around. “But is it true, Mom?”

“Well, it's not quite that bad, but things could be better. I'm a little behind on the taxes, but with the extra work I've taken on, I might be able to get caught up in a year…”

Katie sat forward in her chair. “Mom, I think I might have the answer to our problems.” At the smile on her mother's face, she continued. “Grey Dancer had her foal this morning, and he's beautiful. I think he'll be a champion someday.”

“But what does that have to do with us, dear?”

Now came the hard part. Katie took a deep breath and began. “The colt was born with crooked legs, and Mr. Ellis wanted to have him put down. Old John says that all he needs is a little sunshine and plenty of room to run, and his legs will straighten.”

Her mother looked at her expectantly. “I still don't see what that has to do with us, honey.”

“Mom, I want to trade Jester for that colt.” There, it was out. She held her breath, praying her mother would agree. She had done all she could to arrange the deal; she couldn't bear to lose King when she was this close. The stillness of the room was interrupted only by the dripping of the water faucet.

Mrs. Durham looked into her daughter's desperate, pleading eyes. “Are you sure, Katie? Your father gave you that horse.”

“It won't be permanent. Mr. Ellis wants to lease him for a few years in exchange for the colt. I know he's going to be a champion, Mom. When he wins some races, we can pay off the taxes, and maybe even the farm.” Her hands fumbled with the napkin, twisting and crumpling it as she waited for her mother's answer.

Peg Durham took a sip of her coffee. A slight smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Well, I guess a little guy won't eat as much as Jester does. At least not for a year or two.”

Katie flew out of her chair and threw her arms around her mother, hugging her with all her might. “You're the best, Mom. You won't regret this.”

Mrs. Durham patted her arm and smiled. “I'd better not, or you'll be grounded for the rest of your life.”

Katie climbed down from the school bus and went into the house to change her clothes. Earlier, she had called the Ellis farm to confirm their agreement and work out the minor details. Mr. Ellis didn't want King anywhere on the property. He was afraid that potential breeders wouldn't bring their mares if they saw the crooked-legged colt his prize stallion had sired.

Grey Dancer and her foal would stay in Jester's old stall and paddock until it was weaning time. Then the mare would return to the Ellis farm, and King would have to learn to depend on Katie. All that was left to do now was exchange the horses.

Katie took Jester's bridle off its hook and entered his stall. The horse nickered a greeting, and tears sprang to her eyes. She felt like a traitor. Jester was her first horse. He had been patient and trustworthy during her first years of learning, never balking or running off when she gave a wrong cue or pulled too hard on the bit. As she became more proficient at riding, his spirit and capabilities rose with her newfound talent. She might be awkward on the ground, but on Jester's back she could soar like an eagle. Together they had been a dynamic team.

Katie threw her arms around Jester's neck and buried her face in his mane. She breathed in his warm scent and choked on her tears. “I'm sorry, old boy, but there was no other way.” She lifted her hand and stroked the small white star on his forehead. “It'll only be for a few years, then you'll be returned to me.” Jester nudged her pocket. She pulled out a carrot and broke it in quarters, feeding them to him one at a time. “I'll come visit you every day. I've agreed to clean stalls and do some grooming at the farm to pay off King's vet bills and make some extra money for feed. So I'll see you almost as often as I do now. The only difference will be that Cindy will be your owner for a while.”

At that thought, Katie buried her face in Jester's neck again and cried in earnest. Her heart felt too heavy to carry in her chest. Jester stood quietly, seeming to understand her need for the emotional release. After she had dried her tears, Katie pulled the bridle over his head and swung up onto his back. They trotted down the road to Willow Run Farm.

When they arrived, the farm was a beehive of activity. Mares and foals were being turned out to run in the fields, yearlings were being handled and gentled by their grooms, and the two-year-olds were being broke to the saddle in preparation for their first races in early summer.

Old John didn't believe in running two-year-olds. He said they were still growing and the cartilage in their knees wasn't closed. He blamed the breakdown and destruction of many good horses on the early races.

Mr. Ellis was just the opposite. He liked running his colts early so he could determine their potential. He wanted all his foals to be born in the first few months of the year. It gave them an advantage over the later colts when it came to racing, because they were usually bigger and stronger. At two years old, a couple of months' growth could make all the difference between a winner and a loser. And since Mr. Ellis owned the farm, he always got what he wanted.

Katie pulled Jester to a halt and patted him on the neck. “In a few more years, Willow King will be running his first race, and you and I will be leading him in the post parade,” she promised. Cindy wouldn't refuse her that, she was sure.

“Katie!” Cindy picked her way through the barnyard, waving and smiling as she approached. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a French braid, and she looked older and more sophisticated than her thirteen years. She wore a pair of designer riding jeans—the kind Katie's mom could never afford—and a mint green blouse that set off the color of her eyes.

Katie felt a twinge of jealousy. Cindy had it all: she was popular in school, she had a loving mother and father, a great place to live, and all the horses she could ever want. And now she had Jester, too. Katie felt the burn of tears pricking her eyes again.

“I've been watching for you.” Cindy reached out to stroke Jester's soft muzzle. “Oh, Katie, I'm so glad you decided to trade Jester. You know I couldn't do anything with that beast of mine. Jester is such a gentleman. I know we'll win lots of ribbons together.”

Katie forced a brave face and took a deep breath, concentrating on the fresh smell of Oregon pine. She had cried enough tears. It was time to let go, though she could hear the splintering of her heart as it cracked in two.

“I'm sorry,” Cindy went on. “Here I am blabbing on about my good fortune, and you're losing your best buddy. What an idiot I am.” Cindy smiled. “But you're getting two friends in return: me and Willow King.”