firmly. “Good boy! I knew you could do it! Let’s try it again, okay?”
Cobalt stretched his neck. Carole could have sworn he was nodding to her, but she knew better. After all, how many times had Max told her horses couldn’t understand English? A lot of them learned to respond to words like “trot” and “canter” if they heard them during a class and there were other horses doing those paces already. Some days it seemed to Carole that they could tell time, too, the way they started heading for their stalls when an hour-long class was
almost
over. But those things were really the result of training, not an understanding of language or clocks. It was the same as when she got fidgety in her math class after about thirty-eight minutes—or sometimes only three minutes!
Cobalt, however, seemed to understand more. Maybe it was more than Carole’s words and tone of voice. Part of it, she was sure, was how well she could feel his movements under her with her legs and with her seat. It was logical that he was as sensitive to her on top of him.
Standing still once again, she tried a turn on the forehand to the right. Cobalt executed it perfectly, as if he’d been doing it all his life.
How on earth, she wondered, could Veronica own this wonderful animal and not want to spend every waking minute with him?
“I know you’re going to miss me, boy,” she said, leaning forward in her saddle, stroking the horse’s glistening black coat. “But I won’t be gone long. I’ll be back in a couple of days. We’ll ride together again soon—just you and me, Cobalt.”
Carole nudged Cobalt with her heels and he began a regal walk around the ring. As they passed Max’s office window, it suddenly flew open. Max stuck his head out.
“Looks like you and Cobalt had a pretty good session. But how many times do I have to tell you that horses don’t understand English?” he said, only half-joking.
“Don’t worry, Max,” she shot back. “It’s not English. I’m teaching him Swahili!”
Max shook his head, then pulled it back in and shut the window firmly. Carole signaled Cobalt to pick up the pace. Soon they were cantering around the ring, smooth as glass, fast as the wind.
C AROLE ’ S FOUR-DAY visit with Aunt Elaine was every bit as nice as she’d thought it was going to be. While Colonel Hanson worked, Carole and her aunt chatted, gossiped, and giggled together while taking care of Elaine’s three young boys. She and Aunt Elaine even spent one morning horseback riding along the beach. It was fun, but it wasn’t the same as riding Cobalt. It felt wonderfully wicked to be excused from school for two days without even being sick, but when it came time to go home, Carole was ready. Saying good-bye to her aunt’s family was hard, though. It seemed as if she couldn’t give or get enough hugs until she thought about how much she wanted to see Cobalt again.
“So you enjoyed it, did you?” her father asked as they drove back home from the airport.
“I had a great time with Aunt Elaine,” Carole said. “She’s just fun to be with. So are her kids.”
“I know you miss your mother,” Colonel Hanson began. “I miss her, too. I try to fill in, but there are some things …”
The time since her mother’s death the previous fall had been hard on both of them. Carole knew that her father had worried a lot about trying to be both mother and father to her, but as far as she was concerned, he was her father and that was great.
“Don’t worry about that, Daddy. I had fun with Aunt Elaine, even though sometimes she reminded me of Mom. She does look like her, doesn’t she? But as far as parents go, you’re enough for me—at least until you meet some wonderful woman and decide to get married again,” she added with a sly grin.
“Now, don’t
you
start in,” her father said.
“Oh, Aunt Elaine gave you a hard time, huh? She told me she thought you should get married again. Is that why she kept having all her
Cobalt stretched his neck. Carole could have sworn he was nodding to her, but she knew better. After all, how many times had Max told her horses couldn’t understand English? A lot of them learned to respond to words like “trot” and “canter” if they heard them during a class and there were other horses doing those paces already. Some days it seemed to Carole that they could tell time, too, the way they started heading for their stalls when an hour-long class was
almost
over. But those things were really the result of training, not an understanding of language or clocks. It was the same as when she got fidgety in her math class after about thirty-eight minutes—or sometimes only three minutes!
Cobalt, however, seemed to understand more. Maybe it was more than Carole’s words and tone of voice. Part of it, she was sure, was how well she could feel his movements under her with her legs and with her seat. It was logical that he was as sensitive to her on top of him.
Standing still once again, she tried a turn on the forehand to the right. Cobalt executed it perfectly, as if he’d been doing it all his life.
How on earth, she wondered, could Veronica own this wonderful animal and not want to spend every waking minute with him?
“I know you’re going to miss me, boy,” she said, leaning forward in her saddle, stroking the horse’s glistening black coat. “But I won’t be gone long. I’ll be back in a couple of days. We’ll ride together again soon—just you and me, Cobalt.”
Carole nudged Cobalt with her heels and he began a regal walk around the ring. As they passed Max’s office window, it suddenly flew open. Max stuck his head out.
“Looks like you and Cobalt had a pretty good session. But how many times do I have to tell you that horses don’t understand English?” he said, only half-joking.
“Don’t worry, Max,” she shot back. “It’s not English. I’m teaching him Swahili!”
Max shook his head, then pulled it back in and shut the window firmly. Carole signaled Cobalt to pick up the pace. Soon they were cantering around the ring, smooth as glass, fast as the wind.
C AROLE ’ S FOUR-DAY visit with Aunt Elaine was every bit as nice as she’d thought it was going to be. While Colonel Hanson worked, Carole and her aunt chatted, gossiped, and giggled together while taking care of Elaine’s three young boys. She and Aunt Elaine even spent one morning horseback riding along the beach. It was fun, but it wasn’t the same as riding Cobalt. It felt wonderfully wicked to be excused from school for two days without even being sick, but when it came time to go home, Carole was ready. Saying good-bye to her aunt’s family was hard, though. It seemed as if she couldn’t give or get enough hugs until she thought about how much she wanted to see Cobalt again.
“So you enjoyed it, did you?” her father asked as they drove back home from the airport.
“I had a great time with Aunt Elaine,” Carole said. “She’s just fun to be with. So are her kids.”
“I know you miss your mother,” Colonel Hanson began. “I miss her, too. I try to fill in, but there are some things …”
The time since her mother’s death the previous fall had been hard on both of them. Carole knew that her father had worried a lot about trying to be both mother and father to her, but as far as she was concerned, he was her father and that was great.
“Don’t worry about that, Daddy. I had fun with Aunt Elaine, even though sometimes she reminded me of Mom. She does look like her, doesn’t she? But as far as parents go, you’re enough for me—at least until you meet some wonderful woman and decide to get married again,” she added with a sly grin.
“Now, don’t
you
start in,” her father said.
“Oh, Aunt Elaine gave you a hard time, huh? She told me she thought you should get married again. Is that why she kept having all her
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