as he listened to her. “So maybe it could be you and
me, huh? Maybe,” Mel led him back to the big corral and set him
loose.
When the dinner bell clanged, Mel hurried to
the dining room and took her usual place at the staff table between
Sally and her mother.
“Sally says Sue brought her cousin over to
meet you today,” Dawn said.
“Yeah, Denise invited me to her house
Saturday. Could you drive me? It's not that far.”
“Oh, I don't know honey. Not this Saturday.
I've finally got a dentist appointment in town, and after that,
I've got errands that'll take most of the afternoon.”
“Well, okay,” Mel said. “I guess I could get
there another way.” She thought of how it would be to walk into the
new school this fall with a friend beside her, how it would be to
have someone to sit with at lunch, not to be the silent outsider
waiting like a beggar for an invitation, a smile. No matter that
her mother had changed jobs and moved them frequently throughout
Mel's life, she'd never gotten used to the naked feel of being new.
The worse was walking in in the middle of a school year. At least
this time she'd begin at the beginning. She could get to Denise's
on horseback. It couldn't be that hard to learn to ride, could it?
Anyway, fate seemed to be pushing her to do it.
“How'd Colby do on the lunge line?” Sally,
who was sitting next to Mel, asked.
“Good. He's a nice horse.”
“You think so, huh?”
“I was thinking, maybe you could teach me to
ride him?”
Sally looked at her in surprise. A wide grin
spread across his cheeks so that some of the crusty sourdough bread
he favored showed in his mouth. “Be glad to,” he said.
“Tonight?”
“Tonight,” she replied.
It was still full light out, but the moon was
a blind eye overhead, and the chilly air was so still there wasn't
a whisper in the trees while Mel waited in the small corral with
Colby. She had tacked him up, but her hands were icy as she fussed
with his mane, making little braids in it and hoping that he
couldn't sense her anxiety.
When Sally arrived, Mel was thinking about
Lily and wondering if Hojo had been as lucky. “Where do you think
Hojo is now?” she asked Sally.
“Don't know, Mel. Sold to some farmer
maybe.”
“I hope they aren't making him work too
hard.”
“He's a strong horse, and like you and me, he
probably don't mind working.”
Wistfully, she asked Sally, “So how long
would it take me to earn enough to buy my own horse? I mean, if I
ride and Jeb pays me a wrangler's wages?”
“Depends on how much horse you want to
buy.”
“Maybe I could get one cheap, one that nobody
wants but me.”
“Maybe.”
“Well,” I guess I should get started.”
“I'll give you a boost up,” Sally
offered.
“That's okay. I can manage.” Mel gave Colby a
loving pat, slid her booted foot into the stirrup, and slung her
other leg up over his back. While Sally adjusted the stirrups for
her, she patted Colby's neck and told him, “Now you better go easy
and don't make me look bad, hear?”
As if he'd understood her, the tall,
pepper-spotted horse stood perfectly still as she set the reins in
her hand as Sally had taught her. Her legs were quivering, but she
sat erect while Sally checked the cinch. Colby seemed relaxed with
her weight on his back. Mel barely touched her heels to his sides,
and he started walking like the most obedient of animals.
“How do I look?” Mel called to Sally.
“Like a rider.”
“Well, am I sitting correctly or not?”
“A little stiff. You can relax. Loosen the
reins just a tad so he don't think you want him to back up.”
She made her cold fingers light on the reins.
She and Colby went around the big arena at a leisurely pace with
Sally watching them. He looked so anxious that Mel teased, “What's
the matter, Sally? You scared?”
“Guess I am a little,” Sally admitted. “Not
sure I trust that horse.”
Mel laughed. “Colby's okay. You always say
horses have preferences just
me, huh? Maybe,” Mel led him back to the big corral and set him
loose.
When the dinner bell clanged, Mel hurried to
the dining room and took her usual place at the staff table between
Sally and her mother.
“Sally says Sue brought her cousin over to
meet you today,” Dawn said.
“Yeah, Denise invited me to her house
Saturday. Could you drive me? It's not that far.”
“Oh, I don't know honey. Not this Saturday.
I've finally got a dentist appointment in town, and after that,
I've got errands that'll take most of the afternoon.”
“Well, okay,” Mel said. “I guess I could get
there another way.” She thought of how it would be to walk into the
new school this fall with a friend beside her, how it would be to
have someone to sit with at lunch, not to be the silent outsider
waiting like a beggar for an invitation, a smile. No matter that
her mother had changed jobs and moved them frequently throughout
Mel's life, she'd never gotten used to the naked feel of being new.
The worse was walking in in the middle of a school year. At least
this time she'd begin at the beginning. She could get to Denise's
on horseback. It couldn't be that hard to learn to ride, could it?
Anyway, fate seemed to be pushing her to do it.
“How'd Colby do on the lunge line?” Sally,
who was sitting next to Mel, asked.
“Good. He's a nice horse.”
“You think so, huh?”
“I was thinking, maybe you could teach me to
ride him?”
Sally looked at her in surprise. A wide grin
spread across his cheeks so that some of the crusty sourdough bread
he favored showed in his mouth. “Be glad to,” he said.
“Tonight?”
“Tonight,” she replied.
It was still full light out, but the moon was
a blind eye overhead, and the chilly air was so still there wasn't
a whisper in the trees while Mel waited in the small corral with
Colby. She had tacked him up, but her hands were icy as she fussed
with his mane, making little braids in it and hoping that he
couldn't sense her anxiety.
When Sally arrived, Mel was thinking about
Lily and wondering if Hojo had been as lucky. “Where do you think
Hojo is now?” she asked Sally.
“Don't know, Mel. Sold to some farmer
maybe.”
“I hope they aren't making him work too
hard.”
“He's a strong horse, and like you and me, he
probably don't mind working.”
Wistfully, she asked Sally, “So how long
would it take me to earn enough to buy my own horse? I mean, if I
ride and Jeb pays me a wrangler's wages?”
“Depends on how much horse you want to
buy.”
“Maybe I could get one cheap, one that nobody
wants but me.”
“Maybe.”
“Well,” I guess I should get started.”
“I'll give you a boost up,” Sally
offered.
“That's okay. I can manage.” Mel gave Colby a
loving pat, slid her booted foot into the stirrup, and slung her
other leg up over his back. While Sally adjusted the stirrups for
her, she patted Colby's neck and told him, “Now you better go easy
and don't make me look bad, hear?”
As if he'd understood her, the tall,
pepper-spotted horse stood perfectly still as she set the reins in
her hand as Sally had taught her. Her legs were quivering, but she
sat erect while Sally checked the cinch. Colby seemed relaxed with
her weight on his back. Mel barely touched her heels to his sides,
and he started walking like the most obedient of animals.
“How do I look?” Mel called to Sally.
“Like a rider.”
“Well, am I sitting correctly or not?”
“A little stiff. You can relax. Loosen the
reins just a tad so he don't think you want him to back up.”
She made her cold fingers light on the reins.
She and Colby went around the big arena at a leisurely pace with
Sally watching them. He looked so anxious that Mel teased, “What's
the matter, Sally? You scared?”
“Guess I am a little,” Sally admitted. “Not
sure I trust that horse.”
Mel laughed. “Colby's okay. You always say
horses have preferences just
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