High Hurdles Collection Two (66 page)

“A book?” DJ looked at Amy, and they both shook their heads.

“We just needed money to support our horse habit. Don't you think this is getting out of hand?” DJ propped her elbows on the table and stared down at the foal sniffing a butterfly on a flower. What she really wanted to do was go see Stormy again. One week out of the summer wasn't nearly enough, and here it was almost time to leave for the USET jumping camp.

“We picked up all the popcorn. Now the birds can eat it.” The boys handed their sacks to their father. “Daddy, can we use the dust sucker?”

DJ hid a giggle behind her hand. She knew they meant Dustbuster, the handheld vacuum that hung on the wall in the garage.

“Sure. I'll get it down.” Robert got to his feet and left with a boy on each hand.

Joe leaned against the counter. “Is there any of that ice cream left?”

Gran's eyebrows danced up and down. “What happened to your diet?”

Joe groaned.

DJ pushed her chair back. “I'll dish it up. Thanks, GJ.”

That night in her prayers, DJ brought up the matter of the card business. “God, I don't know what you want me—us—to do here. Mom and Dad have such good ideas, but they all cost so much. I know they would help with the money, but …” She paused and studied the shadow patterns on her wall. “I don't know, it all just seems too much at times. I just want to draw, not all that other stuff.” She fought against her eyelids drifting closed. Once that happened, she'd be asleep immediately. “Thank you for helping me not chew my fingernails. Now, about this fear thing. You know, it's hard to pray for something that isn't happening. At least I can't tell any differences. Maybe I should start lighting matches and see if that helps.” The thought made her stomach clench. “Okay, so what do I do?” She waited, wishing for an answer. All she could feel was
Wait
. Was that an answer? “So here it is. Thank you for taking away my fear of fire. Thank you for my business with Amy, thank you for Herndon, and mostly thank you that Major is better. I can see what you did there. Amen.”

She turned over and read again the verse she'd chosen to memorize.
“Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask anything of the Father, he will give it to you in my name. Hitherto you have asked nothing in my name; ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.”
She read it three times and then repeated it from memory, stumbling a little.

They left for the show on Friday as soon as Hilary got home from summer school. They wanted to get to Sacramento before the traffic got bad. DJ rode with Joe, who pulled the four-horse trailer, while Hilary and Tony rode with Bunny in her new motor home.

“You could have ridden with the others if you'd wanted.” Joe tipped his head back toward the vehicle following them. They'd been on the road about an hour.

“No, I'm perfectly happy here.”

“You could have stretched out on the bed there, more comfortable to sleep.”

DJ stretched and let her left arm fall to pat her grandfather's shoulder. “Sorry, I didn't plan on sleeping like that.”

“Have you noticed lately that whenever you get in a car, it's not long before you're asleep?”

DJ shook her head. “Nope, hadn't thought about it.” She stared out the windshield. She had been tired lately—for a long time, if she was honest. “There's just too much I want to do, I guess. Sleeping isn't one of my top priorities.”

Joe glanced at her and shook his head. “Getting enough sleep is important for a growing girl.”

“Huh. I've been this tall for two years now. I think I quit growing.” She lifted one bare foot, leaving her sandal on the truck floor. “Except for my feet. I need new boots again. Mine are too tight.”

“There will probably be a good selection in the vendor booths under the grandstand at the showgrounds.”

“I didn't bring
that
kind of money with me.”

“I did.”

“Joe, you can't keep buying me things. I have money in my savings account.”

“Why can't I?”

“Because.” She didn't want to say that her mother got tight-lipped when others spent large sums of money for her daughter.

“Just consider them part of my investment.”

DJ groaned. Somehow she would keep him away from the boot booth. She would stay away, as well. “That's why I hate to tell you some things. You and Robert and Brad.”

“Darla Jean Randall, do you ever ask me for anything?”

She thought a moment. “Sure, for rides from school, taking care of my horse in the morning, coming to shows with me like today, all kinds of stuff.”

Joe shook his head. “That's not what I meant.
Things
, like stuff. Like boots or a CD or a book or—”

“You could buy me an ice-cream cone.” DJ giggled at the look on her grandfather's face. “Okay, a milk shake, then.”

She laughed out loud when he pulled off the freeway at the next exit and into a strip mall that housed an ice-cream store. By the time he'd bought milk shakes all around and they were back on the road, DJ was still laughing. She alternately sucked on the straw and shook her head.

“See!” She hoisted her milk shake container. “That's just why I try not to say anything.” She giggled again. “Besides, did you see the surprised look on Bunny's face when we stopped?”

“Well, if you don't like yours, I'll finish it.” Joe set his drink back in the cup holder. “Man, that hits the spot. Good idea, kid.”

Later, when they could finally unload the horses at the show barns, Herndon walked to his stall as if he were king and everyone ought to bow. He nickered and then whinnied at the responses.

“You big show-off,” DJ said, a firm hand on the lead shank. “Knock it off.” She jerked gently when he whinnied right in her ear. She watched the numbers of the stalls and led him into the one that corresponded with her entry pass. She swung the door shut behind them before removing the lead shank so he could explore the box stall. As he sniffed in the corners, she checked the depth of the sawdust and looked for any nails sticking out from the walls.

Bunny took the stall on DJ's right, Hilary on the left. Next to Hilary was Tony, and then their tack room, which they would have to decorate. As soon as the horses were fed and watered, the four riders started moving in the tack boxes. They hung the sign and the royal blue draping, then hooked the brass-toned nameplates on the doors and swept the floor of the tack room.

“There, that looks good.” Hilary dusted off her hands. “Now we can exercise the horses before everyone else is here and needs the arenas, too.”

By the time they'd ridden, visited with riders they'd met at other shows, and eaten dinner, night had fallen. The tempo at the grounds didn't abate, however, as the line of rigs entering the gates stretched down the road. This A-rated show had a top reputation; therefore, the classes would be large and running in three rings from 8:00 in the morning until 8:00 or later at night, then start the same on Sunday and run until it was finished.

“Okay, you all have your things ready for in the morning?” Bunny looked to each of her teammates and waited for their nods. “Good. Then let's get out the soda and chips. I brought UNO to play this time.”

DJ looked around the teal and gray interior of the new motor home. Everything matched, from the furniture to the curtains and carpets. Like the girls were really roughing it to stay in an outfit like this one. DJ caught Joe's glance and rolled her eyes.

He grinned back and began shuffling the cards.

Talk got around to what the kids wanted to do with their lives. Hilary laid a card on the pile before answering Bunny. “I'm taking pre-law. Finally declared my major last week. I wasn't sure if I wanted a business degree or not, but I realized I want to help make things better for people. Law is one way to do that.”

“That's a hard major when you spend so much time on the road with your horses.”

“I know, but …” Hilary smiled at Tony and DJ. “We three are going to be on the Olympic team someday, and if it takes me longer to get through college and law school, that's just the way it is.”

“What about you, Tony?” Joe gathered in the hand after playing his last card.

“No fair,” Tony grumbled. “I hate playing games with you. You always win.”

“You'll be a senior this year, right?”

“M-hmm. I told my dad I'd like to be a rich playboy, and he said I'd have to find someone else to support my lifestyle—he couldn't, and wouldn't, afford it.” Tony shook his head. “Sheesh, like I was asking for the moon or something.” His grin said he was teasing.

“So what did you decide to do?”

“Marry rich.”

Hilary socked him on the shoulder. “That's supposed to be a girl's line, you nut.”

“Well, s-o-r-r-y. We can't all be like DJ. Already a successful businesswoman, and she's only fourteen.”

“Almost fifteen.” DJ played her card.

“And she already knows what she wants to do.” Bunny slapped her card on the table. “If I were that kind of artist, I'd go for it, too. I get more compliments on that drawing you did of Felix. I have it hanging over the mantel in the living room.”

DJ felt the heat begin to color her neck.

After two more hands, Joe declared himself the winner. “Time for lights-out. I'll call you all at 5:00, right? Come on, Tony.”

DJ groaned along with the rest. No wonder she was tired all the time.

Saturday afternoon Herndon acted like all the applause was just for him. But he'd really earned it this time. Two blue ribbons and a rosette for

Equitation in their flatwork. When they took only a second in Hunter on the Flat, the people in the audience made their displeasure known.

“You and that horse sure look mighty pretty out there, little lady,” one of the spectators said when she exited the arena.

“Thank you.” DJ stroked Herndon's sweaty neck.
Now, if we can work together like this over the jumps tomorrow
.

They were first out on Sunday morning. DJ caught sight of Bridget, who couldn't come until today, sitting with Bunny and Hilary in the stands just when they called her number.

“Okay, big guy, let's just forget everything and give it our best.” DJ signaled him to a trot and pointed him at the first jump, a simple post and rail.
“Keep him between your hands and legs, ride aggressively, look to the center base of the next jump.”
DJ could hear Bridget's voice in her head. Straight on.
Three, two, one
, and they were flying. Her heart soared like Herndon's body. They landed perfectly, and with Herndon's ears pricked forward, they cantered toward the oxer. Around to the in and out, straight on to the brush, each time sailing like they'd never had a hesitation or doubt in their lives. At the last fence, a triple, Herndon landed, then flicked his tail and gave a grunt.

DJ wanted to stand in her stirrups and shout to the heavens like Pat Day did when he won the Kentucky Derby. But she kept her cool and her seat and trotted out of the arena.