Eager Star (12 page)

“Eager Star has really come a long way, Grant. He's a wonderful horse.”

“Can we win?” he asked, his voice hard, too loud.

“I don't know,” I admitted. “But Star's improved so much in just a week, your dad can't help but be pleased.”

Grant let out a bitter laugh that made my skin crawl. “Poor Winnie. You don't know my dad.”

I could hardly concentrate at school Friday. I was facing the biggest weekend of my life. If my party was a success and Grant won on Saturday, everything would change for me.

All morning I tried to catch Grant alone to talk about the race. As I headed in early to Pat's class, I heard him talking to her.

“Can't you rethink the A–? I could do extra credit to bring it up.” Grant sounded desperate.

He's complaining about an A– on his success paper?

I'd felt pretty good about my C+. I'd misspelled a bunch of words and used run-on sentences. But Pat wrote that she loved the part about steps being more important than finish lines. That made me feel pretty good.
I
didn't complain.

“Sweetheart,” Pat said, “you can do extra whatever until the cows come home, no offense. But I'm done with these papers.”

I backed away until I saw other kids go in. I'd have to wait to talk to Grant about Star. He had other things on his mind.

That afternoon the help-line e-mails took longer than usual. When I finished, I headed straight for the barn. Eager Star whinnied. I sensed tension before I saw what was wrong. At the end of the stallway, Grant Baines had Star halfway into the cross-ties.

“Grant, don't!” I yelled.

“Where's the other strap?” He sounded frustrated. He and Star were both sweating.

“Your horse broke it!” I snapped. I grabbed the leadrope from him and dropped it. “Star doesn't need cross-ties!”

“Get on with it! Dad will be here soon!”

Star stepped backward. “Not so loud,” I said. “Star will think you're scolding him.”

Grant patted his horse on the forehead so hard it echoed.

“Don't pat him like that. Think like a horse. They scratch with their teeth or rub noses. Pats are more like kicks.”

Grant flung the blanket and saddle up onto Star's back.

“Careful! Not so rough. And you're cinching him too tight.”

This was not going well at all.
God, please . . .
but I didn't know what to pray. What I wanted was for Grant to get out of my way and quit making Star nervous.

“I'll bridle him,” Grant said, studying the lighter bit. He grabbed Star's ear, then thrust the bit at him. Star jerked his head up. Before I could stop him, Grant slapped his horse on the cheek.

“Quit it!” I cried, jerking the bridle out of Grant's hands. “You can't punish Star because you don't know how to put on a bridle!” My heart pounded.
God? Take my anger . . . again! Please!

“Sorry,” I muttered. But I wasn't about to give him back the bridle. I scratched Star's jaw until he calmed down enough for me to slip on the bridle.

I held Eager Star for Grant to mount. “Good, Star.” Grant stuck his left boot into the stirrup and grabbed the saddle horn. “Don't tighten the reins!” I warned.

But he tugged the reins as he swung, off balance, into the saddle. “Whoa! What's wrong with you?” he shouted.

“Your toe dug into his side when you mounted, Grant!
That's
what's wrong with him.”

Things went from bad to worse as Grant rode Star around the paddock. His form was good. He knew how to ride. But he punished Star for every little thing, kicking him when he missed the cue to lope, yanking the reins when he didn't stop fast enough, flicking him with the reins for wrong leads.

“Whazzup? Squawk!”
Hawk stood at the fence, Peter Lory on her shoulder.

A knot tightened in my stomach, remembering the party that would soon be happening in my very own house. I hoped Hawk and Lizzy had done everything.

“We are all set inside!” Hawk glanced to the pasture. “How is it here?”

I joined her at the fence. “Grant's impossible, Hawk!”

“Is he so bad?” she asked.

I peeked around to see Grant heading for the barrels at an uneven canter. “Yes!”

“Too bad,” Hawk said, “because his dad just drove up.”

Mr. Baines walked up and nodded to Hawk. “You're Bob Hawkins's daughter, right?”

Hawk shook his hand.

“So how's my horse?”

He obviously hadn't looked out in the pasture, where Grant fought with Eager Star, trying to make him get the right lead.

“He's been doing great!” I said.
Until your son got here.

“How's his time?” He gazed out at the pasture. “Grant! You ready?”

We joined Grant at the starting line. Star couldn't stand still.

“Think you remember how to do this?” Mr. Baines asked.

“I remember.” Grant's breathing came heavy as he struggled with Star.

“Take the course as fast as you can. On your mark . . .”

Star wouldn't stay on his mark. Grant had to circle him again.

“Get set! Go!”

Eager Star lunged forward, galloping from a standstill. But he broke back to a trot as they neared the first barrel.

“What's he doing?” Mr. Baines barked.

I knew Grant was about to kick his horse. Star knew it too. He lowered his head, arched his back.

“Grant! Don't!” I could see Star gather his muscles to buck. The horse wasn't going to change his mind. His nose almost reached the dirt. “Grant, get your seat away from the saddle! Clamp your knees!” I was running toward them, with Grant's dad shouting behind me.

Grant ignored me and rode the saddle. Star uncurled into a giant buck that sent Grant flying over Star's head. He landed in the grass, looking like he was sitting on an invisible saddle.

“You okay?” I squatted down and took his arm, but he yanked it away.

Grant's dad ran up. Concern changed to disgust. “I must have been crazy to think you could beat Summer! I'll call Spider and tell him he wins. No contest.” He turned and started off.

“Wait!” I shouted. “It's not fair! Let me show you what your horse can do! Please, Mr. Baines!” Not waiting for an answer, I swung into the saddle without using the stirrup. “Good boy, Star,” I murmured.

Grant got to his feet and backed away, bumping into his dad.

I put the humans out of my mind and reached down to scratch Star's shoulder. “Show them what a great horse you really are!”

Eager Star's hooves pawed the starting line.

“On your mark! Get set! Go!” I shouted, giving Star the cue, squeezing with my legs and leaning forward.

Star exploded in a gallop and reined left to the first barrel, leaning into it and circling close, coming out at a gallop to the second barrel. We edged too close and bumped, but the barrel didn't fall over. No penalty. Star changed leads on cue and headed for the top of the cloverleaf, the third barrel. I heard Hawk cheering.

“You're doing great!” I told Star. And he was.

We circled the last barrel a bit wide, but Star leaned in at such a slant I could have touched the ground with my hand. We raced the homestretch, the wind tearing at my face so hard I couldn't see. The finish line streaked beneath us as we slid to a cattle-pony stop.

“Good, Eager Star,” I whispered.

Hawk ran up and stroked Star's neck. “You did it!” Peter Lory flapped his wings from his perch on Hawk's shoulder.
“Squawk! Did it!”

Mr. Baines came running up and slapped my knee. “That was amazing! I wish I'd had the clock running. That horse was fast enough to give Spider the race of his life!”

My head felt light. I glanced at Grant. He should have been so proud of his horse.

“Nice ride,” he muttered with no enthusiasm.

His dad wheeled around as if he'd forgotten Grant was there. “Nice ride? Is that all you can say? Not only did she stay on the horse, she raced him! I want you to ride like that!”

He turned back to me. “How 'bout it, Winnie? Can you turn my boy into a winner by tomorrow noon?”

“I don't know.” It was too dark to ride any more tonight.

Mr. Baines must have read my thoughts. “You make Grant win that race tomorrow, and I'll double your money!”

Double my money? Two months' fee for a week's work? Dad wouldn't believe it!
Besides, I wanted to beat Summer almost as bad as he wanted to beat Spider Spidell.

“Deal!” I turned to Grant. “First thing tomorrow—”

But Grant wasn't there. He'd disappeared.

“Grant better show at dawn tomorrow!” I told Hawk after Mr. Baines left. “We're out of time, Hawk! I wish
I
could ride Star myself.”

Hawk grabbed my shoulders and stared into my eyes. “Focus! Your party, remember?”

My party!
“I have to change and—”

“Hey! Is Summer out here?” Sal walked into the barn timidly as if she thought it might cave in. Even in jeans, she looked as out of place in a barn as Hawk's fancy bird.