Small Town Filly (Sandbar Stables Cozy Mystery Book 1) (6 page)

Over the next two days, Lance and Alex put Operation Equine Cleanup into full swing. Alex found a tack and feed shop in town, and there she got several bottles of horse shampoo and a small pair of electric clippers.

One at a time, on a patch of gravel beside the house, every horse on the place got a thorough scrubbing with horse shampoo. Once they were dry, she and Lance made an attempt to trim the bridle paths—the section of mane that ran from between the ears to three or four inches down the neck—for a nice neat appearance, with no lumps of mane jammed under the top of the bridle.

"I know they aren't show horses," Alex said, "but I think that even the horses in a hack string deserve to look their best."

"I think so, too," said Lance. "At least, it makes it look like somebody cares about them."

All of the horses tolerated their baths quietly enough, and most did pretty well with the buzzing clippers around their ears, but Truck and Seaweed were just too frightened of the noise and vibration to allow clipping. "I'll work with them," said Lance. "I think they've just never been clipped before."

"Okay. Well, it isn't crucial to being able to use them. It just looks nicer. If you can persuade them later on that would be great."

"No problem."

One of the local blacksmiths spent a lot of time at the stables as well, making sure all of the horses had their feet properly trimmed—including little Starfish—and he did put front shoes on Swifty, Sky, and Snowflake.

At last, all was ready for the next day's beach ride. The horses were clean and clipped and trimmed and shod—for the most part—and the saddles and bridles hung neatly in the tack room, awaiting the next day's work.

She and Lance had made a list and carefully assigned the horses to each rider. Alex realized she'd just have to take her guests' word for it as to how experienced they really were. But, as Lance reminded her, they were only going to be walking along the beach, so everybody should be safe.

Leaving that evening, Alex hoped fervently that everything would remain quiet overnight. An awful lot was riding on the success of tomorrow's outing, in more ways than one.

She was grateful that so many of the people she'd invited had accepted her offer to go on a traditional Sandbar Stables beach ride, because she truly wanted them to enjoy the kind of experience this place had been offering to people for so many years. More than anything, she wanted to show them all why it deserved to stay right here and keep operating just as it always had.

***

Finally, the day of the beach ride was here. When Alex arrived at the first light of dawn, she found that Lance had already done the feeding and was in the process of moving Jet into the barn and turning Violet and Snowflake out into the paddock.

"Why are you moving them?" asked Alex, quickly opening the paddock gate for him.

"These are the five who aren't going on the ride today," he said. "If we leave them in the paddock together, they won't fret as much as they would if we leave just two horses alone in that big barn."

"I see," she said and smiled up at him. Sometime, she intended to ask him again where he had learned so much about horses. But for today, they were going to be much too busy for those sorts of questions.

It took nearly an hour for Alex and Lance to get eleven horses cleaned up and ready. Even though all of the animals had been scrubbed and bathed, they were still plenty dusty and dirty from rolling in their stalls and in the paddock. So, once all the horses were fed, they were tied in their stalls for a thorough brushing and then saddled and bridled. All of them got western saddles except Ginger and Swifty, who got the two English saddles, and Jet, who only had a nice clean saddle blanket tossed over her back.

"Okay. Now we'll take them all to the riding ring and tie them to the posts. Then we can shut the gate and get everybody mounted up one or two at a time. You don't want a bunch of excited civilians wandering around behind these horses."

"Sounds good. I'm sure glad you know what you're doing." Alex smiled at him as she led Ginger out to the ring.

A short time later all eleven horses were waiting inside the riding ring, tied to the fence posts with halters over their bridles. They certainly looked colorful and inviting in there, and she did not fail to notice the many drivers who slowed down on the highway to get a look at them.

Just as she shut the gate to the ring behind her, Alex looked up to see the first car turn into the driveway. "Lance! They're here!"

Fanny went trotting into the yard, barking at the visitors as she always did, but Lance called her back and made her stay close beside him.

"Mrs. Lowe! Welcome to Sandbar Stables!" Alex walked straight over to her as Jonni Lowe and three other people got out of the dark green van.

"Glad to be here," said Jonni in her now-familiar raspy voice. "This is my husband, Ted Lowe," she went on, nodding towards the big man who got out of the driver's seat, "and my cousin, Bobbi Lowe.

"And this," said Jonni, as the other man got out of the van, “is my brother, Lee Ellis."

Lee walked over and held out his hand to Alex. "Pleased to meet you," he said, as they shook hands. "This is quite a nice place you've got here."

"Yes, it is. And I'm so glad you're all here." She walked with all four of them towards the riding ring.

"Nice string you have," Lee commented. "Don't know if Jonni mentioned it, but I actually learned to ride here as a kid."

"Oh, did you! Welcome back."

"I know you haven't been here long. Are you thinking of selling the place?"

Alex almost laughed. "Oh, I've had to think of it, because I've had so many offers! But–"

"I'll make you a very good offer myself. I'd like to have it for sentimental reasons. I knew the Normans, and was sorry to see them go. I'd keep it open as a beach riding concession. I think it deserves to stay."

She smiled at him. "I think it does, too, Mr. Ellis. And thank you for saying so."

Just then, three more cars drove in, one right after the other. Alex hurried over to greet them. Jeanie Turner was there with her older daughter, Mary, who looked about ten. And even before the drivers got out, Alex recognized Stuart Gray's white Lexus and Lisa Bell's little red Ford.

Fanny barked and barked, but ran back to Lance when he ordered her to do so. "Ready to mount up?" Lance said to Alex.

"Almost," she said. "We've got one more. Sue Wood. But I don't see any more cars."

"Well, maybe she changed her mind."

"Oh, I hope not. I'm really hoping she'll have a good time and then persuade her husband that–"

Just then, a movement at the back fence caught her eye. Fanny took off towards the gate that led to the lane, barking loudly. Alex looked up to see a small woman with short brown hair come walking through the gate. "That's her," said Lance.

"Oh, good! Then, yes, let's get everyone mounted up!"

She took the group inside the riding ring, as the horses turned their heads to look at them. "Okay, now, let either me or Mr. Donovan check the saddle girth before you get on to make sure it's tight enough. Mr. Ellis, I know you're experienced, so we'll put you up first. We're giving you Swifty, right there with the English saddle."

"That's fine with me. If I didn't know better, I'd think he was an old racehorse," said Ellis, untying Swifty and leading him into the middle of the ring.

"We think he is! Lance says he's got a lip tattoo."

"He was on the track, then." Ellis swung up, and Alex was glad to see Swifty standing quietly. "Go ahead and get everybody else up. We'll be fine right here."

Alex and Lance went to work getting the rest of the group mounted up. Stuart Gray got Truck, who was big and quiet and needed no guidance to follow the horse in front of him. And she'd given Lady, the blaze-faced chestnut mare with white front stockings, to Lisa Bell.

Alex helped Lisa get on and then walked to the next rider, noticing that Lisa and Stuart seemed to hit it off right away. Well, they were both buyers for hotel chains—they'd have a lot to talk about.

Suddenly Alex wondered if she'd done the right thing by inviting the two of them out on this ride. She may just have given them the perfect opportunity to cook up some kind of scheme that would force her out, and together they would reap the benefits.

She hoped she hadn't just made a terrible mistake.

It was too late to stop the ride now, and Alex still had more people waiting to get on their horses.

Sue Wood had seemed very quiet and shy, but took an immediate liking to her horse, Pearl. "Ooh! He's so pretty!" she exclaimed. Pearl was a tall, elegant, cream-colored gelding who was always calm and never got excited over anything.

"Right here, Jeannie," called Alex. "You've got Moonrise." He was a big, slow, black-and-white gelding. "And Mary's got Sunrise."

Mary hurried over to the little chestnut-and-white mare. "Sunrise and Moonrise!" she said, laughing. Then she frowned at Alex. "I'm not going to fall off again, am I?"

"No, no. We won't let that happen. Sunrise will take good care of you."

The last three to get their horses were the Lowe family. The raspy-voiced Jonni, who'd brought Starfish home from her back yard, got Seaweed. He was a short, stocky bay gelding who would follow along quietly. Her husband, Ted, was a big guy who'd never ridden before, so he got the reliable Tank. And his cousin, Miss Bobbi Lowe, said she'd grown up riding horses, so she got the tall, slim, racy-looking Sky.

It was time. Alex untied Ginger from the fence. She was a short stocky mare with a bright red-brown coat, very dependable according to Lance, and wore the other English saddle. Alex swung up and looked out at her group of riders, while Lance stayed on foot in the center of the ring holding Jet.

"Okay, everyone," Alex called, "let's walk a couple of laps in here first to make sure everybody's comfortable, and then we'll be on our way."

All of them slowly got their horses moving, with Alex walking Ginger among them and helping first one rider and then another. "We're only going to be walking the horses on the beach, so if you're comfortable now, you'll be comfortable out there."

Alex watched the group as they walked along inside the ring. All was calm and the riders seemed happy. "Everybody good?" said Alex. "All right, then! Let's go for a beach ride!"

              Lance opened the gate of the riding ring and stepped back with Jet, watching closely as the riders filed out one at a time behind Alex.

              She guided Ginger across the yard to the back gate, and they all waited again while Lance caught up, still leading Jet, and opened the gate for them.

              "Go ahead," Lance said to her. "You take the lead. This is your ride."

              He smiled at her and she grinned back. "Follow me!" she called and walked Ginger through the gate and down the wide lane to the beach.

              Glancing back, Alex saw Lance lead Jet right next to the fence so he could stand on it and then slide onto the saddle blanket that rested on her back. She already knew that he didn't like to use a saddle, preferring to just throw on a blanket, and so that's how he was riding today.

              They turned to the left, riding away from the stables and away from the marina, and started down the seemingly limitless white sand beach. The water was beautiful, as it always was, with its shades of clear green-blue near the shore and a deeper blue farther out. The sunlight glittered on the smooth surface and the seagulls wheeled and called overhead.

              "Oh, this is wonderful!" cried Lisa Bell, riding alongside her on Lady. "This is the perfect way to see the beach!"

              "It sure is," said Alex, grinning from ear to ear. "You'll get to see it for a mile down, all the way to Lighthouse Point, and then a mile back, and still have enough energy for your own beach fun when you get back!"

              All of the horses were behaving very well, even though Alex knew it had been some time since all of them had been out together. Even though she was supposed to be leading, she could not help but keep glancing back over her shoulder.

Lisa Bell and Stuart Gray rode nearest to her, with Lee Ellis and the Lowe family right behind them. Next in line were Jeannie Turner and her daughter Mary, with Sue Wood staying close to them. Following along on the huge black mare was Lance, watching everyone closely, with Fanny sticking right alongside Jet.

As they made their way down the beach, Alex began to relax a little. She noticed that they were attracting quite a lot of attention from other people along the beach, and she saw many folks watching them from the windows of the condos and hotels. Alex waved to them as they walked along.

Even people on jet skis and fishing boats slowed their watercraft to take in the sight of eleven horses—bay, black, chestnut, and pinto—walking together down the white sand beach in the beautiful morning light. Alex waved to them, too, as did some of her other riders.

Just for fun, Alex guided Ginger towards the white edges of the surf, and was delighted when the little red-gold mare was willing to get her feet wet in the water of the Gulf of Mexico. All she could think about was that if she was successful, this kind of thing would be her everyday job.

She could hear Lance talking to one of the riders. "Just sit up nice and straight," he said calmly. "Keep your heels out of her sides, so she doesn't get too fast. Remember, your heels are like the gas pedal on a car. They make the horse speed up."

"Okay," said a shaky little voice. Alex turned around to see little Mary Turner hunched over the saddle and looking nervous. Her mother, Jeannie, watched closely, frowning at Lance and at Sunrise, Mary's horse.

Alex caught Lance's eye, and he just nodded to her. He seemed to think the little girl would be all right, and Alex could see that Sunrise was walking calmly with the rest of the bunch. She sighed and turned around again, keeping an eye out ahead of them.

It was not long before they reached Lighthouse Point. Before she could start to turn around, she heard Lance calling her.

As soon as everyone got their horses stopped, Lance came jogging up to her on Jet. "Remember," he said, raising his voice enough for all of the riders to hear, "we're going to be heading back towards the barn now. It's real important that the horses be kept to a walk, so that they don't get in a rush to get back home. Don't pass anyone up. If you need any help, just holler for me or for Alex. Okay?"

The riders all looked at each other. "Okay," they said. "Okay."

"Good," said Lance. "Everybody turn around slowly, go past me, and keep your horse only at a walk."

The riders did as Lance told them, and in a moment all of the horses were heading towards home just as calmly as they had gone out. Alex was very proud of all of them, and was very pleased to see that the riders were enjoying the trip.

Well, most of them were enjoying it. A glance back showed her that Mary Turner was still hunched forward as Sunrise walked along, clinging to the saddle horn tightly with one hand and gripping the little mare's sides hard with her heels. But Lance was close behind her, and Alex knew that he would help the child if she needed it.

              Alex noticed that Sue Wood had moved up closer to the front on the long-legged Pearl. Alex grinned at her. "Having a good time, Sue?"

              "Oh, yes, I am! I rode a few times years ago as a kid, but nothing like this!"

              "Nothing like a beach ride," said Alex. "I think everyone's enjoying it, and all the horses are behaving very well."

              "I just love this horse," Sue went on. "I wasn't sure about it at first, because he's so tall. But he's so pretty, and so smooth!"

              "Lance thinks maybe he's a Saddlebred—a show horse," said Alex. "That's where he gets the long legs and the high head carriage. And yes, he's always sweet. He's actually got a nice trot and a very smooth canter, too."

              "Wow. I'd love to try that sometime," said Sue, sounding a little surprised at her own daring.

              "We're going to be starting the lesson program real soon. If you take lessons, you could learn to walk, trot, and canter on Pearl in the riding ring. I think you'd really enjoy it."

              "Oh," Sue breathed, "I don't know–"

              Suddenly, from behind them, Jeannie Turner started screaming. Startled, Ginger tossed her head up and started to break into a trot. Alex quickly took up the reins and slowed her down, and then looked over towards the water to see Sunrise trotting quickly past them through the edge of the surf.

              Her saddle was empty.