Mystery Rider (10 page)

Chapter Sixteen

Five days passed before Mrs. Maynard was released from the hospital. Kate, Tori, and Colt, along with Kate's mom, picked her up from the hospital. Kate could barely believe the change—Mrs. Maynard was so much stronger and more energetic than the last time she'd seen her.

They helped her into the front seat of the Subaru, but she waved away the robe the nurse wanted to tuck around her. “It's eighty degrees outside. I'll melt or have another stroke from the heat. I'm fine. I'm just happy to be going home. That's all I need.” She bestowed a warm smile on the nurse, who stood beside the open door, the wheelchair a few feet away. “Thank you for all you did for me while I was here.”

The nurse leaned down and squeezed Mrs. Maynard's hand. “You take care of yourself. We don't want to see you back here anytime soon.”

“That I will, my dear … That I will.”

The nurse shut the door, and Kate's mom started the car. She eased it out of the parking lot and headed down the hill, then smiled at Mrs. Maynard. “We'll have you home shortly, but you tell us if you're uncomfortable or need anything on the way.”

“I'll be right as rain as soon as I get home and have Milton on my lap. Tori, how are things going with Starlight?”

“Great!” Tori bounced in her seat between Kate and Colt as Kate's mom drove through downtown Hood River. “I've been grooming him every day, and I've ridden him three times now! The first two with the trainer there, and the last time with Mrs. Ferris, 'cause Mom trusts her to watch me while I ride. Starlight is the smoothest, gentlest horse I've ever ridden. I love Mr. Gray, but Starlight is even better. He's an awesome horse!”

Kate's mom smiled but kept her eyes on the road as she turned right onto Highway 35. “Tori is a natural with Starlight. And he responds to her better than for me or the trainer. He's very smart, and he seems to know what Tori wants him to do almost before she asks.”

Mrs. Maynard nodded. “When he's in tune with a person, that's how he is—he anticipates and is ready to please. I'm so glad he took to you, Tori. It makes me feel much better about not having him at home right now.” She sighed. “The doctor says I can't care for him for a few more weeks. He's afraid too much exertion might cause more problems, and he wants me to build up my strength slowly. Is it going to be all right if Starlight stays at your barn longer than I planned?”

“It's fine if he stays, but it's up to Tori if she wants to continue working with him.” Kate's mom glanced in the rearview mirror at Tori.

“Cool! I'd love to.” Tori beamed. “But I'm sorry the doctor won't let you do much. I promise I'll love Starlight and take care of him like he was my own. I'll brush him every day, exercise him, and feed him carrots—and anything else you want me to do.” She gave a happy sigh. “I love Starlight.”

“And how about the parade? Did you children get the banners finished?”

Kate leaned forward. “Yes. I wish Melissa could have come today and told you about it. Her mom has a friend who agreed to sew on the new letters after we cut them out. It says Blue Ribbon Barn, Odell, Oregon, on each side now. We named it after Melissa won the silver spurs and blue ribbon at the show this summer. We decided white would show up best against the cherry-red background. They look great! We'll bring one over to show you if you'd like. Oh, and I'm afraid we might have spoiled your kitty with treats. I hope he won't be too much of a pest.”

Mrs. Maynard chuckled. “Milton has always been a pest when it comes to treats or being petted, but I love him just the same. I doubt you did too much damage.” She glanced out the side window. “It looks like we're almost home. It will be nice to sleep in my own bed again and not have someone coming in poking and prodding and waking me up.”

“I kept your flowers watered, and the girls weeded and did housework. If there's anything we need to do different, we'll take care of it,” Colt said.

“You children are so kind to an old lady. I don't know what I'd have done if you hadn't come along.”

Kate shivered as the memory rushed back of Mrs. Maynard slumped in her chair with her eyes closed and barely breathing. She'd been so sure the older woman was dead, and the image had given her nightmares for several nights, until Dad came in to pray with her. “One of us will come over every day to see you and take care of your yard and house for as long as you need us to.”

“Right,” Tori added. “And I'll give you a report on Starlight. Do you think you can come to the parade and watch us ride? We'd love to have you see our horses dressed up in the banners you gave us. I'm riding Mr. Gray, and he's going to look great in red.”

They pulled into Mrs. Maynard's drive, and Kate's mom parked the car. Her cell rang, and she frowned. “Sorry, guys, it's our trainer, so I'd better take this.” She answered, then listened for a moment. “He did what? Oh no. Are you sure? Right. I'll be home as soon as I can.”

Kate pushed open the door and hopped out as her mother exited the front seat. “What's going on? It's not Pete, is it? His tutor is there, isn't she?”

“No, it's not Pete.” She glanced at Tori, who now stood by Kate. “Mr. Gray has pulled up lame. We need to get Mrs. Maynard settled and go see how bad it is.”

Mrs. Maynard opened her car door and struggled to step out.

Colt bolted around the rear of the car and reached her before she could swing her feet onto the ground. “Hey, you shouldn't be walking on your own yet.” He put his hand out and helped her to her feet, then turned to Kate. “You guys go with your mom. It's not that far to my house from here. I can walk. But I'll get Mrs. Maynard settled and call you later to see how Mr. Gray is doing. Sure hope it's nothing serious.”

Tori's lips quivered. “Do you know what happened?”

Kate's mom shook her head. “Only that he pulled up lame while a student was jumping him, so it could be a stressed tendon. We'll have to wait for the vet to find out. He can't be ridden for now, and I'm guessing it might be a while before he's cleared, if it's as bad as the trainer thinks.”

Kate gasped. “Oh no! You mean Tori might not be able to ride in the parade? That would ruin the whole thing. All four of us have to ride, Mom. It's important!”

Mom leveled a stern gaze at Kate. “I know it's important, but so is Mr. Gray's health. We can't ask him to do something that could make him worse, or lame him for life. You wouldn't want that, would you?”

“Of course not, but this is awful!” Kate looked at Tori, who seemed to be fighting tears.

“Colt, thank you for taking care of Mrs. Maynard.” She smiled at the older woman. “We'll come over later and check on you. Please call if you need anything.” Kate's mom climbed back into their car. “Hurry up, girls. The sooner we find out the extent of the injury, the better.”

Kate stood with Tori a short distance from Mr. Gray as Dr. Alan ran his hand down the gelding's leg and pinched his tendon, causing the horse to lift his foot. The veterinarian clamped a tool to the hoof wall close to the heel and pressed. “This final test will give me a little more information.” He held it for several seconds, then removed the tool and set the hoof back on the ground. “Walk him and then trot him in a straight line away from me.”

He watched as Kate's mom followed his instructions, then turned Mr. Gray and brought him back. “Good. He's no worse than before. So far every test indicates it's not navicular, and from what I'm seeing, I think he may have popped a splint.”

Tori wrinkled her nose. “He did what?”

Dr. Alan ran his hand down the inside of the long bone between the horse's knee and his fetlock joint. “The average person might think of the fetlock joint as an ankle, and this, of course, is his knee. The bone between is the cannon bone, but there are small bones on the inside of the leg called splint bones that help support the cannon bone. A horse can fracture one of those. If you run your hand down his leg you'll feel quite a bit of heat, so the area is inflamed. There's also a very small bump that could get larger.”

Tori bit her lip. “Will he be lame forever?”

“Not with proper rest.” He turned to Kate's mother. “You'll need to keep him in his stall, put an ice pack on it for at least thirty minutes twice a day, and he'll need to wear a support bandage the rest of the time. A light massage of that area could also be beneficial, if you have time.”

She nodded. “How long will he need to be stalled and not ridden?”

“I'll take another look at him in ten days. Hopefully the inflammation will be gone by then. If so, I'd say another three weeks before he can have light work. Once the inflammation is gone, there's no need for the ice, but someone will need to walk him for fifteen to twenty minutes a day until he's sound again. Thankfully, this appears to be a mild injury, but it could still be thirty days or so before he's under saddle again, depending on how quickly he heals.”

“Thank you, Doctor. I have vet wrap and ice packs on hand, so we'll get that started this evening.”

Kate beckoned for Tori to follow her. They opened the half gate and stepped into the alleyway that divided the indoor arena from the long row of stalls. “I'm glad he's not permanently lame, but it sounds like we can't use Mr. Gray for the parade.” She kicked at a clump of dirt on the rubber mat under her feet.

Tori's bottom lip trembled, and her eyes watered. “I guess I'll watch from the sidelines this year. I can at least be your cheering section.” She worked to muster a smile but didn't quite make it.

“I'm not going to give up that easily, Tori. Somehow we'll find a way for you to ride with us. Who knows? Maybe one of our boarders would let you ride their horse.”

Tori shook her head. “No way. It could cause problems for the barn if something happened to the horse during the parade. Besides, I wouldn't feel safe on a strange horse like I do on Mr. Gray. The thought of riding him in the parade was all I could handle.”

Kate was torn between getting mad and crying. Just when they had their banners all made, they were finally friends with Melissa, and they'd solved the mystery of the horse and rider, this had to happen. She hated that Tori would be left out of the excitement and fun. Somehow Kate had to figure out a solution to this problem. “Come on. Let's call Colt and Melissa and see if they have any ideas.”

Tori gave a halfhearted shrug, but she followed Kate from the barn, her head bent and her shoulders heaving.

Chapter Seventeen

Ten days later, Kate stood at the half wall of their indoor arena beside Mrs. Maynard. She kept her voice low so Tori wouldn't hear, although the chance of that with Tori in the center of the ring was slim. “She's doing well, don't you think?”

“I do.” The older woman leaned on a cane but wasn't as stooped as she'd been when they first met her. She seemed to have blossomed since Kate and her friends had been taking turns visiting and helping at her house. “But I'm not surprised. Starlight is beautifully trained and will respond to a rider he trusts. I could tell that Tori won his heart as soon as she spoke to him. There's something about that girl …”

Kate nodded. “She's one of the nicest people I know, and Starlight probably senses that.”

“I'm sure that's true.” She watched as Tori cantered the black gelding around the ring as their trainer called out instructions. “And you say she hasn't been riding long?” She peered at Kate over the wire-rimmed glasses she'd been wearing since she got out of the hospital.

“Only a few months. I've never seen her so confident, even on Mr. Gray.” She sighed. “The inflammation is gone from his leg, and he's not limping anymore, but the vet says he still can't be ridden for at least three more weeks to be sure he doesn't hurt himself any worse. I feel so bad for Tori, but she's not upset anymore.”

Mrs. Maynard didn't reply but kept her eyes on Tori as she pulled Starlight down to a trot.

“He looks so smooth,” Kate said. “She said he's springy but not choppy, and it's easy to post on him. That's how my mare, Capri, is—she's a dream. I wish Tori could ride her in the parade, but she's afraid of her.”

Mrs. Maynard turned her gaze on Kate. “And what would you ride, young lady, if Tori rode your Capri?”

Kate scuffed her foot on the ground. “I got to win a ribbon in the horse show, and I own Capri. Tori doesn't have her own horse. If she could ride Capri, I'd be happy to watch from the sidelines.” She pressed her lips together. “Well, that's not totally true. I might not be happy for me, but I'd be awfully glad for Tori.”

“That's the mark of a true friend—one who would give her life for another.”

Kate scrunched her brows. “I didn't say I'd give my life for her—just my horse for the day.”

Mrs. Maynard chuckled. “I'm sorry, dear. It was something from the Bible, that's all. I didn't mean it literally. I simply meant you are showing true love and friendship by being willing to make that sacrifice.”

“Oh.” Kate didn't know what else to say, so she turned her attention back to Tori. “Do you want to see the banners? Colt and Melissa should be here any minute. Melissa is bringing all four of them so we can try them on our horses. We thought we could put one on Mr. Gray and take a picture of him and Tori together, and then Mom is going to take one of all four of us and our horses.”

“That would be very nice, thank you. I think I'll go inside and talk to your mother and rest while you children get ready. I'm a bit tired from standing so long. Please call me before you put the banner on Mr. Gray.”

Curiosity pricked at Kate's mind, but she nodded. “Yes, ma'am. Do you want me to walk you to the house?”

“No, no. I'm fine. But don't forget to let me know when Colt and Melissa arrive and you have all the horses out and ready to blanket.” She moved down the alleyway toward the house at a slow pace, humming a little tune as she shuffled along.

Kate and her friends finished brushing their horses, and Melissa patted Mocha's neck. Her black bay gelding had finally recovered from his own injury earlier in the summer. She turned to Kate. “I loved riding Capri, but it's sure nice to have my own horse again.” She glanced at Tori, and a flush rose in her cheeks. “I'm sorry, Tori. I shouldn't have said that. I feel so bad that you can't ride Mr. Gray. I'll let you ride Mocha if you're willing.”

Kate's heart swelled with joy. This was the first time Melissa had made such a completely unselfish offer in all the time Kate had known her.

“That's really nice of you, Melissa.” Tori gave Melissa a shy smile.

Kate decided not to mention that she'd already said the same thing to Tori about Capri.

Melissa kicked at a clod of dirt. “Kate did the same for me, even when I'd been mean to her. Tori, you're the kindest person I know, and I'd like to do something nice for someone else for a change.”

Colt set down his horse's hoof and dropped the hoof pick in the tack box by his feet. “Romeo's pretty gentle, and I've been in parades before, so you could use him if you're scared of Mocha or Capri.”

Tori gazed from one to the other, her eyes brimming with tears. “You guys are the best. I've never had friends like the three of you before. But I'm not going to take any of your horses.”

She stroked Starlight's neck, then pressed her face into his black mane. The horse nickered and nudged her, as though letting her know he returned the sentiment. “I'll watch from the sidelines with Mrs. Maynard. Really. I was kind of scared to ride in the parade anyway. Mr. Gray is great and everything, but I still don't feel as safe on him as I do on Starlight. I'm not sure why, since Mr. Gray has never done anything wrong.”

Colt pulled one of the red banners out of a bag. “Guess we'd better get saddled.”

Kate nodded. “I'll get Mrs. Maynard. She's resting in the house and visiting with Mom, but she asked that we call her when we're ready to put the banners on.” She didn't wait for a reply but jogged up the aisle. Poor Tori. She was being so brave about not riding in the parade, but Kate could tell her friend was sad.

A few minutes later, Kate returned with her mom and Mrs. Maynard, walking slowly so the older woman could keep up. “The horses are groomed, and we're putting the banners and saddles on so Mom can take a picture. We're excited you let us use your banners, Mrs. Maynard. I'm not sure what we'd have done without them.”

“You're welcome. I don't know how I'd have gotten along without the help of you and your friends.” She waved a hand toward the row of four horses tied in front of each of their stalls. “Now that's a pretty sight, if you ask me.”

Kate slipped past her and stopped in front of Capri. One of her friends had draped a banner over the arena half wall. She picked it up and carefully smoothed it over Capri's back, then placed the saddle pad and saddle on top of it as Colt, Tori, and Melissa did the same with theirs. “Wow! The red even shows at the bottom edge of the saddle, and the lettering on both sides in the back shows up perfectly. Blue Ribbon Barn. It's so awesome to see that in print!”

Tori finished buckling Mr. Gray's girth, then turned a troubled frown toward her friends. “You guys should be in the picture, not me. I'm not riding in the parade, so it's silly for me to be in the picture.”

Kate started to protest, but Mrs. Maynard held up her hand. “May I say something?”

Kate nodded. “Sure.”

Mrs. Maynard glanced at Kate's mom, who simply smiled. “Nan and I talked about this, then I called Tori's mother to discuss it as well. We're all in agreement that Tori should ride Starlight in the parade this Saturday. That is, if she wants to.” She raised her brows and looked from one face to the next, ending with Tori's.

Kate gasped, but she didn't reply. This was Tori's surprise, and it had to be her decision. She only prayed that Tori wouldn't be too scared to ride the beautiful black horse.

Tori's jaw slacked and her lips parted. “Really? You trust me to ride him?”

“Yes, I certainly do. I've seen the way you treat him, and how responsive he is with you. I can't think of anyone I'd trust more than you.”

“But what if I have an accident, and he gets hurt? I'd never forgive myself. I'm not an experienced rider, and I don't know what I'd do if anything happened.”

Mrs. Maynard patted Tori's hand where it rested on Starlight's mane. “Let's take it one day at a time. Put the banner on Starlight and get the pictures taken, then you can ride him down the road with your friends. You'll get a feel for how he does with cars going past, and you'll be a lot less nervous about the parade.”

Tori gave a slow nod, but Kate could still see the uncertainty and a glimmer of fear in her expression. “All right. We'll do that. Thank you for trusting me. I hope I won't disappoint you.”