Blue Ribbon Trail Ride (9 page)

A couple of hours later, Colt hung up the phone in Kate's house and grinned. “Jake said he can bring his puppy over now, if we're willing to help him. I guess it's not really a puppy. They got him at six months old, and they've had him for two months. His parents told Jake if he can't learn to control the dog, they'll find it a new home, so he was pretty excited about getting help.”

Kate rested her back against the refrigerator door. “We need to remember what Melissa said. Jake can bring his dog over again after today if he wants to, even if he doesn't know anything about Jerry.”

Melissa smiled. “Good plan, Kate. I don't know if you remember me telling Pete early this summer that I got a puppy. He's eight months old now, and I've been doing obedience work with him.” She hesitated. “Before my dad left, he helped me train Rex. Kate, you've done work with Rufus too, right?”

Kate nodded. “Yes. He'll sit and stay when I tell him to, but I've been busy lately, so I haven't worked with him as much as I should. This will be a good refresher for him too. It's a great idea!”

Colt gestured behind Kate. “Got anything cold in there to drink, or are you blocking the door to keep us out?” He patted his stomach. “I'm getting pretty thin with all this riding and thinking, so I could use a few extra calories. Maybe even a cookie if you have any left from the batch you baked for Mr. Wallace.”

Thirty minutes later a car door slammed outside, then a knock sounded on the door. Kate opened it and saw a slim, wiry boy with straight brown hair, who stood a good six inches shorter than her, wearing horn-rimmed glasses and holding the leash on a half-grown Saint Bernard.

“Wow!” She stared at the dog. “He's going to be as big as Lulu when he's done growing!”

The boy's mouth twisted in a grin, and braces appeared. “Who's Lulu?” He cocked his head to the side. “That wouldn't happen to be a reference to ‘Lulu' Louise Brooks, the actress from the 1920s and '30s who helped make the bobbed haircut famous? Because if so, she was considerably taller than Mouse will be.”

“Mouse?” Nothing else would come out of Kate's mouth. All she could do was gape at this strange boy who pulled little-known facts from the air like magic.

Colt stepped next to Kate. “Hiya, Jake. This is Kate. Maybe I forgot to mention that Jake is a lover of all things movie and TV.”

“Uh … yeah. I caught that. Want to come in?”

“Not yet. I need to tell my dad how long until he's supposed to pick me up again.” He pushed his oversize glasses up to the bridge of his nose. “If you know, that is. Of course, I realize time is relative, and it's not something we can always be sure of. Kind of like in
Back to the Future
. Marty McFly had no idea his life would change in the time it took for a DeLorean to make an eighty-mile-an-hour jump into the future. But I don't suppose we're going back in time, or forward either, so we should be safe, right?”

Colt stifled a chuckle. “Yeah, I think it's safe to say we'll be sticking around here, Jake. Why don't you tell your dad an hour, and we'll see how it goes. It only takes him about five minutes to drive here, right?”

“Affirmative. That's what they say in—”

Colt held up his hand. “You'd better go talk to your dad, Jake. Let him know you'll call him if it ends up being longer.”

“Right. Gotcha. Okay.” He handed the leash to Kate, then spun around and tromped down the stairs and out to the car.

Kate held the leash up and stared at Colt, then at a gaping Tori and Melissa. “Is this kid for real?”

Colt's lips quirked. “Sorry I didn't warn you. But he's a good kid. Remember I said he wasn't
too
annoying?”

Tori snorted a laugh. “I think he's great! I mean, who knows all that stuff about movies and TV shows?”

Melissa took a step toward the dog. “And who calls a Saint Bernard ‘Mouse,' and why?”

Jake bounded back up the steps, skipping the last one, and landed just inside the door. “Mouse is terrified of mice. So, the logic is, call him what he's afraid of, and eventually he'll get over it. Did you ever see the old movie
Of Mice and Men
? Not that it was really about mice, but the title is great, don't you think?” He retrieved the leash from Kate and blinked a couple of times behind his thick lenses.

Kate moistened her lips. “Uh-huh. That makes perfect sense. I think. Um … maybe we'd better take Mouse outside. I'm not sure Mom would be too happy about him being in the house.”

“Agreed. Did you ever see the old Disney movie
Snowball Express
? It has a big Saint Bernard in it—Stoutheart. They let him stay in the house, but it was a huge ski lodge. He did break a thing or two and jumped on the bed in the middle of the night and broke it, because he was afraid. Just because dogs are big doesn't make them brave, you know.” He cocked his head. “Maybe I should have named Mouse ‘Stoutheart.' Do you suppose if I changed his name, it would make him braver?”

Kate stepped around him and out the door, but she couldn't contain a giggle. Tori was right. This kid was funny. “I think it would probably only confuse him. Besides, Mouse is gray and white. Mice are gray, so the name fits him, don't you think?”

The boy followed her, tugging at his dog. “Come on, Mouse. There's nothing to be afraid of. Yes, his color is very rare. Very few Saint Bernards are gray. Did you know a Saint Bernard is never a solid color? Not if it's a true Saint Bernard. There was another movie—”

Kate increased her pace, leaving her friends to appreciate the recitation of the movie facts. She'd planned to work with the dog in the barn, but he'd probably terrify the horses. The outdoor arena would definitely be better.

She rounded the corner and almost ran into Pete. “Hey, buddy, what's going on?”

The little boy was sitting on the grass next to his wading pool. He loved dipping his pail into the water and pouring it out, time after time. Something about the sound of the splashing water soothed him. Her mom sat nearby, reading a book in the shade.

“Hi, Mom.”

Her mother looked up. “Hi, sweetie. What are you kids up to? Mrs. Jamison said you did really well with your lesson. You know we'll need to start cleaning stalls and feeding the horses in a couple of hours.”

“Yeah, I know. We're going to help Jake Meyers with his dog.”

She set her book down. “And who is Jake Meyers?”

Kate waved behind her as Colt led Jake, Mouse, and the girls toward them. “That's Jake and his dog, Mouse. Jake is homeschooled like Colt, and Colt knows Jake.”

“Oh. I see. Mouse, is it? What an unusual name.”

“Mom.” Kate dropped her voice to a whisper. “I need to warn you. Don't ask Jake any questions. Just say hi and let him walk on by, okay? I'll explain later.”

“Why ever not?” Her mother frowned, then turned her attention on Jake.

The boy stopped at the pool, and Mouse took a tentative step toward Pete.

The little boy squealed and opened his arms wide. “My friend!” He pushed to his knees and wrapped his arms around the dog's neck, burying his face in his fur.

Kate's mouth dropped open, and her mother looked as dazed as Kate felt.

Her mom tilted her head in wonder. “I'll be. He doesn't even treat Rufus like that.” She sat upright, and fear crossed her features. “Rufus. Where is he? There's no one riding in the barn, so he's loose!”

Kate jumped as if she'd been kicked by a wild horse. “No way, Mom! He doesn't like other dogs. He'll get in a fight with Mouse. Colt, help Jake hold Mouse's leash and get him away from Pete! Rufus is loose, and he's apt to attack Mouse!”

Her mother bolted from the lawn chair and scanned both directions. “Spread out, everybody. We've got to find Rufus. Don't call him. We don't want him to come to us with Pete here. He might get hurt if the dogs start fighting. Colt, would you stay with Pete and pick him up if you have to?”

“Sure, Mrs. Ferris. But Pete doesn't like me to touch him, and so he'll never let me hold him.”

“I don't care what he wants right now. If Rufus comes this way, you grab Pete and head to the house.”

She waited a second to make sure Colt understood, then waved her arms. “Spread out, everybody. Find that dog!”

Kate's heart beat like a three-hundred-pound drummer throwing his weight into his sticks as she raced toward the barn, praying she'd find Rufus before her dog discovered Mouse in his territory. How stupid could she get? Rufus was her dog and her responsibility—well, technically, he belonged to the entire family, but she'd done the most work with him. He was normally a sweet dog, but he could get aggressive if he thought another canine was invading his space.

“Rufus, come on, boy. Want to take a walk or go play?” She felt terrible promising something she wouldn't follow through with, since Rufus loved walks and knew exactly what she meant when she said it. She'd have to take him out later after her barn chores were finished. But that didn't matter now. She entered the quiet barn and whistled. “Rufus? Here, boy!” A horse nickered farther down the alleyway, but no dog barked or rushed out to greet her.

Tori and Melissa could be heard on the far side of the barn, calling Rufus and whistling. Her mom's strained voice came from outside, somewhere in the neighborhood of the outdoor arena where they'd been headed. Still no sound of her dog's answering bark.

She jogged through the barn, even opening the office and tack-room doors, since Rufus liked to sleep on the cool floors when it was too hot outside. She wondered if anyone had thought to check in the house. But no, he would have scented Mouse and rushed him as soon as they opened the door.

Suddenly Colt's whistle and loud shout came from where they'd left him with Pete, Jake, and Mouse. She clenched her hands and ran, praying the whole way she wouldn't arrive to a find a dogfight starting. “Please, God. Don't let Rufus or Mouse or Pete or anyone get hurt. Please, God, protect everyone.”

She rounded the corner and almost collided with her mother, who'd skidded to a stop just a stride ahead. Kate grabbed her mom's arm to keep from knocking her over or falling herself. Her breath came in pants. “What's going on? Where's Rufus?”

Mom pointed, one hand shaking and the other covering her mouth. “Oh my. I never thought I'd see the day.”

Kate stared where she pointed. There stood Mouse, leaning over and slobbering on Rufus, who lay on his back, paws in the air and squirming all over as if he'd just been given the best present in the world. He raised his head and licked Mouse across the face, in spite of the drool dripping from the big dog's jaws. Mouse seemed to grin all over, and he planted his foot on Rufus's belly and leaned down to lick him back.

Kate watched the dogs for a minute, then turned her gaze on Colt. “They're friends?” The last word came out with a squeak. “How did that happen? Why isn't Rufus fighting him?”

He shrugged. “I have no idea. I saw Rufus coming at a run from the corner of the house. None of you went that direction. I leaned over to pick Pete up, and he wrapped his arms around Mouse's neck so tight that I couldn't get him loose. He kept saying ‘my friend, my friend' over and over. Rufus slammed to a stop a yard away and growled, then took a look at Pete hugging Mouse and rolled onto his back. Pete let go of Mouse, and the two dogs have been having a lickfest ever since.”

Kate's mom grabbed Pete's hand to pull him toward her, but he jerked it loose and shook his head. He knelt by the dogs and put one hand on each of their heads and smiled.

“I can't believe it.” She knelt beside Pete. “Honey, these two dogs don't know each other. Kate will tie up Rufus while Mouse is here.”

“No!” He patted both dogs again. “Mouse is Pete's friend, Rufus is Pete's friend. Rufus is Mouse's friend.” He pointed to the spot beside his leg, then told the big dog, “Sit, Mouse. Come here. Sit.”

The dog took one step toward him and plunked his bottom down on the exact spot where Pete pointed. Rufus rolled over onto his belly, placed his head on his extended paws, and sighed.

“See? Mouse and Rufus are good dogs.”

Kate almost choked over the tears welling in her throat. “Mom?”

Moisture coated her mother's cheeks. “I know, honey. I know. It's the most he's spoken at once in quite a while. And all because of this dog.”

Jake moved toward Mouse, his eyes wide. He pointed at Pete. “I want this kid to train my dog. He knows what he's doing, all right!”

Thirty minutes later, Mouse's short training session was complete, with Pete having led the way on the first lesson in sitting. Kate was amazed that the big puppy listened to her little brother but rarely noticed anyone else. Now if only Jake could have the same success with Mouse, he'd be set. They sat around the kitchen table, Pete with a dog on each side, a hand stroking each head.

Jake stood nearby, bouncing on his toes. Kate shook her head. The kid hardly ever held still. “Hey, Jake. You want to stay a little longer? You probably need to call your dad and let him know.”

“Affirmative. Roger that. Where's the phone?” He used his index finger to slide his glasses up on his nose while glancing around the room. “Should I tell him we're still working with Mouse?”

Kate's mom set a plate of cookies on the table. “Yes, Jake, I think you should.”

Tori carried a tray with glasses and a pitcher of milk. Melissa smiled. “Thanks. This looks great.”

“Did Mr. Wallace enjoy the cookies you kids took over to his house?” Kate's mom settled into a chair and turned her attention on Kate.

“Uh … yeah. He ate almost all of them before we left. I've never seen a man so excited about cookies.”

“Good. Here you go, Jake. Help yourself.” Kate's mom held out the plate so the newcomer could take one. “Pete, you can't feed them to the dogs.”

He didn't reply but popped another piece into his own mouth.

Jake squatted in front of Mouse and looked up at Pete. “So you want to help me train Mouse to roll over and stay and all that stuff, Pete? He listens to you real good. Kind of like the Saint Bernard in the movie
Beethoven
, who adopted the Newton family and helped the kids. Only you helped him, Pete, instead of him helping you. Good job!” He held up his hand in front of Pete. “Give me a high five, fella!”

Everyone in the room held their breath as Pete raised his gaze to the level of Jake's hand and slowly met the boy's palm with his own, then put it back on Mouse's head.

“Wow!” Kate breathed the word, but Jake heard it and swiveled, his brows puckered.

“Wow, what? Did I do something wrong?”

She shook her head. “No way. You don't get it, do you?”

He shoved his glasses up. “Uh … no. Please elaborate.”

“My little brother is autistic. He has a tutor who works with him, and he's improving, but he rarely talks as much as he did outside, and he's never given anyone a high five, or even allowed a stranger to touch him. What happened today is over-the-top cool.”

“Oh.” Jake's eyes rounded. “Yeah. That
is
cool. Maybe I should tell my parents that Mouse isn't so bad after all, and they shouldn't get rid of him.”

Kate's mom sucked in a breath. “I'll tell your parents as well. I've met your mother, and she's a sensible woman. I think she'll change her mind when she hears how Pete responded to Mouse.” She smiled. “Don't you kids have more planning to do on the scavenger hunt?”

Colt nodded. “And we should work on that.” He jerked his head toward the barn. “Let's check out hiding places in the barn and around the property. Want to help, Jake?”

“Most assuredly. Absolutely. You bet! Hiding places, huh? Did you ever see the movie
The Hiding Place
? It's one of my mom's favorites.”

Colt grabbed Jake by the shoulder and gave him a gentle shove toward the door. “Let's go, dude. We've got work to do.”

Kate's mom chuckled. “Mouse and Rufus can keep Pete company while you kids work on the hunt.”

They left the house and walked to the barn. Jake stopped and looked around. “Splendid. Outstanding. Remarkable. This would make a great movie theater. Of course, you'd have to add top acoustics, seats, and a giant screen, but I can totally envision it.” He held up his hands with his fingers framing the shape of a square and peered through, moving them from point to point in the arena. “But you guys haven't told me anything about a scavenger hunt. Are some of you hiding clues and the rest of us finding them?”

Kate sighed. “Sorry, Jake. We forgot you didn't know. Let's talk for a minute before we start finding places to hide items.” She headed toward the room where they kept shavings and bales of straw and swung the door open. “Let's sit.” She waited until everyone had taken a seat, then perched on the end of the bale where Tori and Melissa sat. “Colt, why don't you explain to Jake?” She tried to put meaning into her glance and hoped Colt caught it. They couldn't forget the real reason they'd invited Jake over, even if it had turned out to be great that he brought Mouse and Pete loved him.

Colt grabbed a piece of straw and placed it between his teeth. “Happy to. So, Jake, it's like this. We're having a big trail ride soon. The entry fees go to benefit Pete and other kids with autism. There's a day camp at the end of the summer—it lasts for two weeks and helps kids with special needs. It has an emphasis on autism, but it's expensive. Business owners have donated some great prizes, and people have paid their entry fees, so now all we have to do is figure out the items people will find, write down the clues, and hide the items.”

Jake jumped to his feet. “Fantastico! Let's get at it, then. I'm a master at clues. I used to watch
Murder, She Wrote
all the time when I was a little kid, and I always solved the mystery before the star did.”

Colt hauled Jake back down onto the bale of straw. “Whoa there, cowboy. Not so fast. There's more, and it has to do with your big brother.”

“Jerry?” Jake's voice cracked on the word. “What about him?”

Colt winced. “Sorry. I'm getting ahead of myself. First, we didn't tell you that an antique box belonging to Kate's mom was stolen from the office. It contained a lot of the entry fees, and most of them were paid in cash. We're trying to figure out how to catch the thief and get our money back, so more kids have a chance to go to camp.”

“No problemo. Jerry, huh?” He squinted and stroked his chin as though sporting a beard.

Kate could almost envision his glasses turning into a round eyeglass covering one eye and a pipe protruding from his lips. He just needed a hat to make him look like an old British detective. She giggled, then caught herself and sobered.

Jake stared at her. “So you think it's Jerry? He came over here with two of his friends so his girlfriend could sign up, didn't he?”

Melissa leaned forward. “That was his girlfriend?”

Jake shrugged. “I suppose. Lisa is a girl, and she must not be his enemy, or he wouldn't have brought her.” He waved his hand in the air. “Now back to your investigative quandary.”

Tori wrinkled her nose. “Our what?”

“Your mystery. You're trying to solve ‘the mystery of the missing box.' You want my help. I am considered something of a genius when it comes to mysteries, so you've come to the right man.” His voice squeaked on the last word, and it was all Kate could do not to giggle again, but she didn't want to hurt his feelings.

Colt worked the piece of straw to the other side of his mouth. “Let's hear it. What kind of ideas do you have?”

“So why do you think Jerry might be your culprit? Did you see him with the box?”

Melissa shook her head. “No, but he noticed it when they were in the office. We made a list of several people who did, and we're pretty sure we ruled out one man already. We need to figure out who the real thief is, if possible.”

He gave a curt nod. “Right-o. It's very possible. Jerry had sticky fingers in the past.”

Tori gasped. “He's stolen from other people?”

Jake sighed. “In all fairness, it was a piece of candy at the store when he was eight. My mother still hangs it over his head when she gets mad at him for something. But I know he stole another guy's girlfriend once. It does show a proclivity to crime, don't you think?”

Kate stared at Jake, not sure she understood. “Um … proclivity? Want to explain?”

He gave an eager nod. “Sure. It means tendency. Penchant. Aptitude. Bent. I could go on if you want.”

“No. I'm good.” She grinned. “Thanks. I have a feeling we'll learn a lot with you around.” But Kate stuffed down disappointment. She'd thought they might get some actual help from this kid about his brother, but stealing a piece of candy and a girlfriend? “Maybe we're wrong. Just because Jerry noticed the box doesn't mean he took it. Thanks for trying, Jake.”

He held up his hand and blinked behind his thick lenses. “Let's not be hasty, people. We must investigate every suspect, no matter how slim the chance he absconded with the goods. It's time to set up a sting, a ruse, a trap for my big brother that he can't resist.”