Nothing But Horses (15 page)

“It sounds like you chose the right school,”
Grandma said. “That’s good. Everything they teach you will make it
easier when you head for college in a few years.”

* * * *

The next day, my classes were pretty much a
re-run of Monday’s. I was glad I’d done my homework. I managed to
suck it up during basketball practice so I didn’t have to run extra
lines back and forth, up and down the gym. Kanisha and Patricia did
because they both arrived late and continued to snipe at each other
during drills. I knew I shouldn’t feel better because Coach nailed
them for their attitudes, but I did. It meant he was fair and
wouldn’t be putting his favorite players on the court for games.
Everyone really would get a chance to play.

Since I had the at-risk group tonight, I
didn’t head for home. I drove to the Burger Palace instead. Despite
the name, it wasn’t a fast food place. I could get a regular dinner
and the booths were big enough that I’d be able to do my history
while I ate. Tonight, I had to re-read the chapter and take Cornell
notes on the first section, then answer the six review questions.
My waitress was an older woman, somewhere around Grandma’s age.

I was still looking over the menu when she
brought me a huge glass of water and a cup of coffee. I smiled at
her. “How did you know I needed those? Are you psychic?”

She laughed. “No. You have a friend. Tom told
me you just finished basketball practice.”

“Tom?” I looked around, but didn’t see him
anywhere. I knew he worked at a restaurant, but I didn’t remember
it was this one. “Where is he?”

“Setting up the salad bar.” Another smile.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be off on time for your meeting.”

“I wasn’t worried,” I said. “He’s super
responsible. I figured he had it handled.”

Frankly, I didn’t care at all. I wasn’t about
to say that to her. Instead, I asked how long it would take to get
an order of my favorite chicken fettuccini. She promised it would
be quick. I drank some water and dove into history until Tom showed
up with my salad.

He didn’t linger. He had work to do and that
was fine with me. I kept my attention on the food and my homework.
I deliberately didn’t watch him coming back and forth from the
kitchen with bowls of veggies for the long ice-filled cart near the
far wall of the room. When I finished eating, I paid my check and
headed out to the parking lot. I spotted him coming out the back
door. He jogged over to me. I looked him up and down, like he
hadn’t impressed me. “What’s going on?”

“I hoped you’d give me a ride to group.” He
glanced at his watch. “If I walk, I’ll be late.”

“Why should you walk when we’re going to the
same place?” I hit the button on the key fob. “Just don’t think
this is a date thing.”

“I won’t. When it’s a date, you’ll know the
difference.”

Chapter
Thirteen

Marysville, Washington

Tuesday, January
7
^th
, 5:45 pm

Ingrid went around the group asking everyone
to report back about their holidays. Since it was a whining,
whinging moment for the majority of what I considered the loser
brigade, I kept my mouth shut. I ended up feeling bad for them. One
of the girls had to deal with a drunk father and a boy talked about
the family fights. Tom just said he worked a lot and then passed to
Harry who listed all the movies he’d seen at the local theater.
He’d pretty much hung out there for hours rather than go to the
Army base with his sister or visit the relatives who hadn’t wanted
him when she was in Afghanistan.

How could I say anything? Okay, so I had to
deal with the Jamisons, but they weren’t a big deal. I had an
amazing holiday. I wasn’t the only one. I noticed Vicky didn’t have
much to say either. Finally, our therapist got to me. “Sierra, do
you have anything to share?”

I shook my head. “Nope. Ask Vicky.”

“Thanks a lot.” Vicky giggled. “My stepdad
barely showed up so we had a great time without him. I got a puppy.
My brothers and sisters gave me a ton of presents for him. And my
little sister got a kitten so our house is a total menagerie.
Sierra got one too.”

“A puppy?” Ingrid asked. “Or a kitten,
Sierra?”

“Both, I guess,” I said. “My mom’s new guy
brought in a stray cat and her kittens to live in the feed-room to
control the mouse population. And I got Charlie.” I took out my
phone and pulled up the picture, then passed around my cell. “He’s
majorly cute, but he totally hogs my bed.”

That got a lot of laughs and the subject
became pets. Everybody had opinions as to which were the best ones,
dogs, cats, fish, birds. The meeting wound up being one of the
easiest I’d ever attended. Since everyone was talking about
animals, I could think about Tom. Did he actually intend to ask me
out? What would I say when he did?

It wasn’t that I hadn’t been to dances or
movies with guys. I had the occasional date. However, most of the
boys at school didn’t much care for horses and the idea that I had
to be home for chores was off-putting. None of them wanted to wait
while I cleaned the barn or fed the stock before I could leave. And
if one of the mares went into labor or a gelding colicked, then I
had to cancel. It wasn’t a way to keep a boyfriend.

Mom didn’t say I couldn’t date. She just
wasn’t hyper-enthusiastic and after watching her series of men, I
didn’t blame her. I got to where I thought of them as “Passing
Through” or P.T. for short. I’d called my last stepdad that from
the day he arrived to the day that his newest buckle bunny took him
away. I didn’t go as far as Autumn and tell him that he wasn’t the
boss of me, but I ignored him when he tried to tell me what I could
and couldn’t do.

The meeting wound down with Ingrid’s words of
wisdom and then she went around the group again. Each of us had to
share a goal for the next week. When it got to me, I said, “I’m
going to stay on top of my school work and try to show my new
basketball coach that I’m a good player.”

“Doesn’t he already know that?” Tom leaned
forward to look at me. “You got a scholarship to play ball at
Lincoln.”

“Yeah, but Coach Norris has a different style
than what we did at Mount Pilchuck.”

“Why don’t you talk to Robin?” Vicky asked.
“He coached her cross-country team and they’re the district
champions.”

“Sounds good,” I said.

When the meeting ended a few minutes later,
Vicky and I started cleaning up. Tom grabbed the vacuum and did the
floor. Ingrid saw the other kids out and then came back as we
finished. “Sierra, why didn’t you want to talk about your holidays
tonight?”

“Why would I? Eleanor’s dad got blitzed and
passed out under the tree. Ron’s family had so many knock-down
fights that the cops had to come. What was I supposed to say, Mrs.
Claus? Gee, I got a ton of great presents, not just a puppy. My
grandparents gave me a car and they’re paying the insurance. My
family and friends are awesome and I had the best break ever.
Nobody needed to hear that.”

“Don’t forget the parties up at Shamrock.”
Tom started for the hall closet with the
Hoover
. “It made my
New Year’s Day. I loved it when you dragged everybody out to the
barn to sing “Happy Birthday” to your horse. That was
hysterical.”

“Hey if you want carrot cake and ice-cream,
you have to pay the toll,” I said. “New Year’s is my horse’s real
b-day, so of course we celebrate it.”

“Did anyone make you uncomfortable during the
holidays, Sierra?” Ingrid still did her helpful, snoopy routine.
“Anything you want to share?”

“My 4-H leader is a major witch and I want
out of her club,” I said. “I need to talk to Mom about starting our
own group up at Shamrock. I just haven’t figured out how.”

“No way.” Vicky stopped bagging the leftover
sandwiches. “Our own club? One for the pre-owners and boarders,
right? This could be a major selling tool, Sierra. If the students
want to join, they’d have to increase their riding time and choose
favorite horses.”

“How is your current leader a witch?” Ingrid
asked. “What did she do?”

I didn’t answer, unwilling to share what
happened up at Salmon Pond or the way I lost my temper. I didn’t
have a raging fit, but I still wasn’t willing to admit that I’d
been snarky toward an adult. Instead, I eyed Vicky. “You’re so
brilliant. I can take that to Mom and tell her this would be a
fantastic way to increase the income at the barn. My grandparents
would be onboard because they can’t afford to support the place.
Will you help me make posters?”

“You know it,” Vicky said.

“Great.” I glanced at my watch. “I’ve got to
go. Tom, did you need a ride home? Come on, Vicky. I’ll drop
you.”

“Okay.” Vicky grabbed her coat and backpack.
“Tom, where is your car?”

“At my apartment. I had to pay my rent. I’m
saving my gas to go to the college for Running Start classes.
Marysville isn’t that big. I can walk around town.”

“So, when do you gas up?” I led the way to
the door. “On pay-day?”

“You know it.” He laughed. “I’m not hitting
my emergency fund. That’s for catastrophic events, not everyday
expenses.”

“Makes sense.” I was out of there. Ingrid
followed us to the parking lot. “See you next week,” I said.

It was her turn to be a comedienne. “You know
it.”

On the way to his apartment, Tom told us
about his Running Start classes. He’d been involved with the
program for the past year and a half. When he graduated in June, he
would not only have his high school diploma, he would also have his
Associates degree. He was smarter than I’d thought. I didn’t tell
him that.

Once we dropped him, Vicky gave me a long
look. “So, are you dating him?”

“He hasn’t asked me out.”

“When he does, what will you say?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “It depends on where
he wants to go.”

“That isn’t the question, Sierra.”

“It’s my answer, Vick.”

* * * *

Marysville, Washington

Wednesday, January
8
^th
, 3:00 pm

I was the first one ready to play that
afternoon. I grabbed a ball and practiced my dunks. It surprised my
last coach that I could jump and hit the basket at the same time.
But, come on! I’d been riding since I was three. Back when I was
tiny, I had to climb on logs, benches, stumps and mounting blocks
to get on my pony. I taught myself to jump up and do a belly flop
on Dream’s back. Then, I wiggled like a worm on a hook until I
could sit up on her back. Yes, it was the same pony that my little
sister adored now. Dream had been teaching little kids to ride for
eons.

Now, I had my humongous horse, Nevada. I
could still jump onto him when I rode bareback. He was seventeen
hands or 5’8” at the withers. I shot another basket, then dunked
the ball again. I turned and saw Coach Norris watching from the far
side of the gym. I picked up the ball and walked toward him. “What
are we starting with today?”

“Drills.” He ran a hand over his head. “You
really are a natural, aren’t you, Sierra?”

What was I supposed to say? If I agreed, I’d
sound smug and like the diva he already thought I was. If I
disagreed, we’d both know I was lying. I finally settled on the
truth. “I do practice a lot.”

“Because you love the game.” He smiled at me,
a real smile this time that touched his eyes. “How much do you
practice at home?”

“Only for an hour or so after chores and
supper. Longer if I don’t have a lot of homework and I can get
Grandpa to come play with me when he visits.”

“What kind of chores do you have to do?”

“We own Shamrock Stable between Marysville
and Stewart Falls.” I shrugged. “We close at six-thirty. I do one
barn while my mom and little sister do the other. Watering, mucking
stalls and feeding twenty horses. Then, I have to clean the indoor
arena and set it up for the next day’s riding lessons.”

“What kind of setting up does it take?”

“It depends on the lessons,” I said.
“Mondays, Mom teaches Western games so I put out the cones and
barrels. Tuesdays, it’s English and that means jumps, cavalletti
poles, the works. Wednesdays, it’s beginning Western either for the
riders or the horses. I clean the mirrors, wash down the letters so
the students can check their positions or forms when they ride and
do patterns at certain parts of the ring. Thursdays, we’re closed
but she still trains so she tells me what she wants and Fridays,
it’s the Mommy and Me contingent from the local pre-schools.”

“Then, you’re off on weekends?”

I laughed and shook my head. “No way, Coach.
Weekends are insane. Saturdays, we start at seven in the morning.
Sundays, we feed early so we can go to church. We open the barn
when we return. There are forty horses who want to eat at least
three times a day and only ten have private owners who pay board.
We have to support the rest because they belong to us.”

“You mean your parents support the rest.”

“No.” I glanced toward the locker room door
when it opened and Cedar came into the gym, followed by Kanisha.
“My mom is divorced, so it’s her, me and my sister. We take care of
what is ours.”

“I see.” He gestured toward the other girls.
“Time to warm up. It was nice talking to you, Sierra. I hope to see
your family at the game tomorrow.”

“They’ll get here as soon as chores are
done,” I said. “My grandparents are still visiting from Arizona.
They’d love to see me on the court.”

“They will,” Coach Norris promised. “Like I
said, everyone on the team plays.”

As soon as I got home, I told Grandma about
the first game of the season and she promised that she would make
sure everyone was there. I hurried to change clothes and went to
saddle up Nevada so I could ride in the last lesson. When I reached
the barn, I saw Mom and Grandpa saddling Wyoming. They didn’t see
me right away. I started to call out to them, then stopped when I
saw the look on my grandfather’s face, as if he was about to
cry.