Willow King Page 5

  “Why would someone run an injured horse?” Jan inquired.

  “For the money,” Katie answered. “I’ve heard John complain about people who abuse their horses for the sake of a paycheck.”

  “Are you sure you want to go into this business, Katie?” Jan asked.

  “It’s not all that bad,” Jason offered. “Most people treat their horses very well. A racehorse is a big investment, and most of them are pampered. It’s just that a few bad people always manage to spoil things and give the sport a bad name.”

  “I’ll never let that happen to King,” Katie vowed.

  The rest of the dinner was occupied with small talk, and finally Jason pushed back from the table and rose to leave.

  “Thanks for the great meal, Mrs. Durham. You’ve saved me from another night of TV dinners. With my mom gone for another week, that’s about all my dad can cook.” He peered out the window. “The sun’s starting to go down and I’ve got to get my horse home before dark.” He nodded to Katie and Jan, then reached for his jacket.

  “Katie, dear, why don’t you see your friend to the door while Jan and I clean up the dishes? Jason, it was so good to see you again. Tell your folks I said hello, and come back and see us again real soon. Katie talks about you, but she never invites you over. Feel free to drop in anytime.”

  “Thank you, I’ll do that.” He turned and looked at Katie with a knowing grin.

  Katie about died on the spot. Why did her mother have to tell him that she talked about him? All she ever told her mother was how helpful and encouraging Jason had been lately. She looked to Jan, whose eyes were popping out of her head so far you could have knocked them off with a stick, but Jan wasn’t any help.

  Katie couldn’t get the door open fast enough. Jason said his good-byes, and she practically slammed the door on his heels. Then she leaned against the wood and closed her eyes. She had acted like a spineless coward all during the meal. And now, thanks to her mother, Jason would think that she had a big crush on him. She would never be able to look him in the eye again. Life was so unfair.

  “I can’t believe I sat at a table with Jason Roberts!” Jan squealed when she and Katie were alone in Katie’s room. “He was right there before my very eyes. Did you notice he likes Thousand Island dressing on his salad?” Jan was totally enthralled.

  “Did you notice what a fool I made of myself?” Katie cried. Who cared what he ate on his salad? Her life was going down the tubes. By Monday, it would be all over school that she had a crush on Jason. How could her mother have done such a thing?

  Katie sighed. It really wasn’t her mom’s fault. After all, she didn’t bring many of her school friends home. It was just bad luck that things turned out the way they had. There seemed to be a lot of that going around lately.

  “I think he likes you,” Jan said. “You’re so lucky. I wish it were me.”

  “Don’t be dense. Jason doesn’t like me. He’s already got a girlfriend.”

  “Who?”

  “Cindy Ellis.” Katie sat down cross-legged on the bed and picked up a stuffed bear, hugging it closely to her. “She doesn’t deserve a guy like him.”

  “Cindy Ellis? He could have any girl in the whole school. Why would he pick her?”

  Katie punched her pillow and leaned back against the headboard. “Why wouldn’t he pick her? She’s pretty and graceful, she wears nice clothes, hangs out with all the popular kids, and her dad owns one of the biggest Thoroughbred ranches in Salem. Of course he would go for Cindy. I don’t know why you seem to think Jason would like me.”

  “Because you’re not stuck-up like Cindy. And besides, if I can’t have him, it might as well be my best friend who gets him. How do you know he’s Cindy’s boyfriend? I’ve never seen them together at school. Did he tell you that?”

  “No, Cindy told me, and I saw it with my own eyes. He was at Willow Run the day I took Jester there.”

  “Being there doesn’t make him her boyfriend, you know.”

  “I saw them holding hands.”

  Jan chewed at her bottom lip, clearly not believing the information she was hearing. “You can say what you want, Katie, but I don’t think he’s got a thing for Cindy. I think he’s got his eye on you.”

  “Yeah, right. Jason likes my mother’s cooking, and that’s about it. And after everything that’s happened this week, he probably thinks I’m a real klutz.”

  “What happened this week? We’re best friends, remember? You’re supposed to tell me everything.” Jan sat forward, eager to hear the latest news.

  “I’m sorry, I was going to call you, but between taking care of the colt and doing some grooming at the Ellis place, I’ve been so busy I haven’t had time to sit down. And since we don’t have any classes together this year and you’ve got second lunch.…” Katie shrugged her shoulders.

  “Okay, I forgive you. Just give me the latest scoop.” Katie pulled up another pillow and stretched out on the bed. Jan did the same.

  “The first time I ever spoke to Jason was just after King was born. I rode Jester over to give him to Cindy, and Jason was there.”

  “Doesn’t that kill you to see her riding your horse? That girl couldn’t ride the Greyhound bus without a seat belt!”

  They had a good laugh, and Mrs. Durham poked her head into the room. “What’s all the giggling about? Sounds like you’re talking about boys. I’m sure I know who the center of the conversation is.”

  “Oh, Mom.”

  “Don’t be embarrassed, honey. He’s a very nice boy. I’m glad you finally brought him over.” She set a couple of glasses of soda on the nightstand. “I’ll go now and leave you girls to your talk.”

  Katie waited until the door closed before she continued. “After John brought King here, I went out to the back pasture to check the fence.”

  “What are you doing with the back pasture? You’ve got plenty of good paddocks around the house.”

  “Mr. Ellis doesn’t want this colt anywhere that he can be seen. That’s part of the deal. He’s afraid someone will recognize Grey Dancer with King and start asking questions. He doesn’t want anybody to find out his stud threw a crooked-legged foal.”

  “Hmph!” Jan snorted. “He’ll be sorry he gave this colt up when he wins all the big races.”

  “My feelings exactly. Anyway, so I’m out in this pasture trying to nail up boards, and guess who happens by?”

  Jan sat up and drew her arms around her legs. “Jason?”

  “You got it. I was having a hard time, and he started laughing at me, so I picked up a pinecone and chucked it at him.”

  “You didn’t!”

  “Yes, I did. I bounced it off the top of his head. I still can’t believe I did it. I was so embarrassed.”

  “It’s a good thing you didn’t mark up that gorgeous face, or all the girls at Glendale would run you out of town.”

  “He helped me with the fence and asked if I would invite him over for dinner sometime. I didn’t see him again until today. This time, when he walked in the barn, I was taking a ride down the shed row on my belly. I tell you, Jan, I just can’t seem to do anything right around the guy. How could he like somebody like me? I feel like such an ugly duckling when I’m around Cindy. She’s so popular and pretty. She always wears the latest styles, and she never has a hair out of place. How can I compete with that? Especially with this,” she said as she touched her bad leg.

  Jan patted her shoulder. “Don’t be so hard on yourself. How could he not like you? You’ve got everything over that dumb old Cindy Ellis. You’ve got a natural beauty—you don’t need tons of makeup and new hairstyles to look good. And when it comes to horses, Cindy is like a parakeet with its wings clipped, and you soar like an eagle. If he chooses her over you, then I say let them have each other. Anybody with that much bad taste isn’t worth having—no matter how gorgeous he is.”

  They finished their sodas, and Jan went home. Katie made one last check on the colt and settled in for the night.

 
The next morning, Katie got up early and spent some time brushing Willow King before she set out for Willow Run Farm. “I’ll be back later and we can go for a nice walk,” she promised King as she threw the currycomb into the brush box and exited the stall.

  In keeping with her agreement, she was to spend at least two hours a day, three days a week, helping around the Ellis farm. Katie was glad of the opportunity. There was a lot she needed to learn about racehorses. Things she hadn’t paid much attention to before were now vitally important.

  Her responsibilities at the farm included holding a horse for the groom to tack. Then, while the horse was out for his run, Katie cleaned the stall and put in fresh feed and bedding. This had to be finished by the time the horse returned so she could be ready to help with the washing and cooling of the animal.

  A Thoroughbred was never put back in his stall until he was completely cooled down from his workout. Willow Run Farm had several automatic hot-walkers. These were large metal machines with a central pole and four arms to which the horses’ halters were hooked. The arms rotated, walking the horses in a circle, cooling them off after their run.

  Every few minutes Katie would stop the hot-walker and give the horses a small sip of water. John cautioned her against giving them too much at once. If a horse was excessively hot and drank a lot, he could get colic and become extremely ill.

  Katie didn’t want to risk inflicting that torture on one of the high-strung beauties, but it was difficult to ignore the whinnies and pleading looks when she stopped the walker. The hotter the horse was, the deeper he thrust his muzzle into the bucket, and the harder it was to take the pail away. But Katie knew she had to for the horse’s sake. Even though these were large, powerful animals, they were very delicate and often did things that were potentially dangerous.

  It was exciting working with these kings of the wind, and she loved every minute of it. Someday she would be doing this for her own horse. While she busied herself with cleaning, her imagination ran amuck. In her daydreams, Willow King claimed victory after victory, and always, she and Jester were there to escort him to the winner’s circle.

  A loud commotion drew Katie out of her fantasy world, and she ran into the barn’s shed row to see what was happening. “Stupid horse!” Cindy was shouting as she rode Jester down the barn aisle and past a half-dozen stalls, scattering grooms and game hens alike. Cindy sawed on the bit, turning the horse this way and that while she beat him with a riding crop.

  Jester danced along the pathway, throwing his head and rolling his eyes. Never, in all the years that she had owned him, had Katie ever seen him behave this way. He was out of control, and Cindy was of no more use than a mouse at the switch of a runaway train.

  Katie ran toward them, waving her arms in the air. She prayed that Jester would recognize her and not mow her down. “Whoa, whoa!” she yelled as the horse drew nearer.

  Jester planted all four legs and slid to a halt in front of her, almost unseating his young rider. As bad an equestrian as Cindy was, Katie was surprised that she managed to stay on. The horse’s sides were heaving, and he stamped his feet, snorting nervously.

  “What’s going on in here?” Mr. Ellis charged into the barn like a raging bull.

  “Nothing, Daddy.” Cindy looked at Katie, daring her to refute her words.

  “What do you mean nothing? I’ve had two grooms come to me saying that you’re running up and down the barn with this horse. You know I don’t allow that.”

  Knowing she had been caught, Cindy tried a different approach. “I’m sorry, Father, but this horse is being a real jerk today. He won’t listen to a thing I say.” She moved the crop to the other side of the saddle so her dad wouldn’t see it.

  “I know this horse, young lady. He’s a perfectly behaved animal, or I wouldn’t have let you have him.”

  Tom Ellis approached the gelding and noted his agitated state. “What’s this?” He put his hand to Jester’s side, and it came away red with blood. He grabbed the spur on Cindy’s boot and wrenched it off her ankle. “Don’t you have any more sense than to ride a well-mannered horse with spurs? No wonder he’s a wreck. Get down off his back until he’s calmed down.”

  Mr. Ellis turned to Katie. “I’m sorry you had to see this. Sometimes Cindy doesn’t have a lick of sense.” He turned to his daughter. “Katie’s going to calm this horse down, then you and she are going out to that arena, and you are going to take some lessons from her. If you can’t get this horse under control and learn how to ride him properly, then we’ll just have to give him back to Katie.” He turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Cindy to sulk and glare at his retreating form.

  Katie stood rooted to the spot. Would he really give Jester back to her? It was a wonderful thought. All she had to do was give Cindy the wrong cues—not that she needed any help in that department—and Jester would soon be back in her barn.

  She looked at the horse and her heart gave a lurch. In the ten days that Jester had been here, he had changed a lot. His coat wasn’t as shiny, and he had lost some weight. How much more of this mistreatment could he take before he finally flipped his lid and became a rank horse?

  She couldn’t take that chance. Not with Jester. He meant the world to her, and his happiness, whether it was in Cindy’s hands or her own, was very important. She would swallow her selfish desires and teach Cindy how to handle him properly.

  Six

  Mr. Ellis had handed Jester’s reins to Katie, but as soon as he turned the corner of the barn, Cindy snatched them out of Katie’s hands and glared at her.

  “Don’t think that you can teach me anything, Katie Durham. You’re a kid, just like I am. I don’t have to do anything you say. I’m going along with this because my father is really mad, and I know he’ll be watching. You can’t ride any better than I can. The only reason you beat me at the shows is because the judges around here have a soft spot for underdogs.” She looked pointedly at Katie’s corrective shoe. “They don’t like me because my dad is rich.” She glanced at Katie’s clothing and curled her lips in distaste. “You don’t even dress like a proper horsewoman.”

  Katie flinched at the meanness in her tone. She looked down at her baggy sweatpants and old windbreaker. It was true, she wasn’t exactly a fashion genius. Not that she was sloppy. Her school clothes were always clean and pressed, and the riding jacket and breeches she used for shows were always in good repair. Her mother just didn’t have the money to buy the designer brands that Cindy wore. And a lot of good they did her. Cindy still couldn’t win in her classes.

  She looked at Cindy, noting the red splotches that stained her cheeks and the way she squinted her eyes. And to think that only a few days ago Cindy had been talking about what great friends they were going to be. But that was back when she was getting her way. Things weren’t going so smoothly now.

  Katie had heard the kids at school talk about Cindy’s temper tantrums. She’d even seen a few of the minor ones, but never had Katie been on the receiving end of such intense hostility. She didn’t like it one bit, but she was in a precarious position. She needed her job at Willow Run to help pay for King’s expenses. If she opened her mouth and told Cindy what she thought, it might jeopardize her job.

  Katie bit back the retort that was on her tongue. Clothes didn’t make a person. And she couldn’t help her handicap; that would be with her for life. But even with that small setback, she knew she was a better rider than Cindy—and so did the judges. The brat was just blowing off steam, and she didn’t care who got hurt in the process. As long as Katie knew the truth, she couldn’t worry about what was said by a nasty, spiteful, jealous girl.

  Cindy would get her comeuppance in the ring this summer. Jester was a great competitor, but he couldn’t do it all himself. If Cindy didn’t learn how to handle him, she was in for another ribbonless season.

  When Katie didn’t say a word, Cindy snorted disdainfully and turned on her heel, pulling hard on Jester’s reins. The horse’s head popped up at the sud
den pressure on his mouth. He snorted in protest before following reluctantly behind her. “Let’s get this over with. I have better things to do with my time,” Cindy said. “There’s a dance next Saturday, and I want Jason to take me to it. I’ve got to find a new outfit to wear. I never see you at the dances. I guess it’s hard to find a partner when you’re clumsy.”

  That hurt. Katie stared furiously at the back of Cindy’s head. She wore her new breeches and an expensive pair of riding boots. She stomped away with her nose pointed toward the sky. How Jason Roberts ever got mixed up with the likes of her, Katie would never know. She couldn’t picture the two of them together. They said that love was blind, but in his case it was blind, deaf, and dumb.

  When they reached the arena, Katie followed Cindy inside and closed the gate. She wasn’t sure what to do. She knew that Cindy didn’t want her help, but she also knew that Mr. Ellis expected her to make an improvement in his daughter’s riding ability. Nothing like asking for the impossible, Katie thought. But anything would be an improvement over what Cindy was doing now. If she could just get Cindy to listen to her, she knew she could help. And she knew she had to try for Jester’s sake.

  “I guess I better get on my horse and make it look like we’re doing something,” Cindy said as she gathered her reins and inserted her left foot into the stirrup of the English saddle. She put all her weight into the iron, preparing to swing up, when the saddle slipped, ending sideways on Jester’s rib cage.

  Katie sucked in her breath as she watched the girl fall to the ground beneath the horse’s feet, her foot still caught in the stirrup. Cindy shrieked like a banshee and thrashed about, trying to free herself. Katie came to her senses and quickly stepped forward calling, “Whoa, whoa,” to Jester as she approached.

  Fortunately, Jester was a fairly calm horse, and all he did was side pass, crossing one leg over the other, traveling sideways to try to escape his squawking rider.

  “Cindy, be quiet!” Katie hissed under her breath as she reached out for the horse’s rein. Jester stood quietly for her while a furious, sand-covered Cindy freed her foot from the iron.