Silver Spurs by Miralee Ferrell Page B

my horse and my riding.” She flicked a hand at the stall floor. “I see you don’t have this stripped or fresh bedding down yet. At our other barn, our stalls were always ready when we finished riding. And we had rubber mats on the floor, not dirt covered with shavings.”
    She looked over her shoulder and then up at the rafters. “Everything here is dirty. No rubber mats on the alleyways either. The tack room barely has enough shelves, hooks, or saddle racks for the boarders you have now, and the arena fences need to be repainted. It’s all so … rundown and grubby. I don’t understand why you couldn’t get it fixed up before you opened for business.”
    Kate didn’t trust herself to respond. She bent over and picked up the pitchfork, and Tori grabbed the handles of the wheelbarrow. Kate flicked a glance at Melissa. “We’re sorry, Melissa. We’ll get done as fast as we can.”
    Tori choked out a strangled sound. She looked as if she might burst into tears any minute. “I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean anything bad. I was trying to make Kate feel better, that’s all.”
    Melissa stepped into the alleyway. “Whatever. I don’t care what you meant. I’ll cross-tie Mocha out here while you finish. Maybe I’ll go talk to your little brother. Pete, right? I saw him outside when I walked past the door.” She pivoted and walked away without another word.

Chapter Eight
    Kate and Tori didn’t discuss what happened after Melissa left, but it was all Kate could think about for the next few days. She made a point of avoiding Melissa when she could and being nice to her when she couldn’t, but nothing helped. Was Melissa a snob who only cared about herself, or a girl with something going on inside that made her lash out at people around her? Kate couldn’t figure it out. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to, but it bugged her all the same.
    She sat on her bed Sunday afternoon, happy she’d gotten to ride Capri after church, but something was missing. Maybe she should start praying for Melissa. But how? And what about? That God would make her nicer? That He’d fix whatever was wrong? She shook her head, her braid swinging. She didn’t have a clue.
    Someone rapped at her door, and she looked up. “Who is it?”
    â€œYour mother. May I come in?”
    â€œSure.” Kate waited till her mom entered the room. “What’s up? Do you need help with supper?”
    She perched on the edge of the bed by Kate. “That’s very kind of you, and yes, I will in a while. But your dad and I noticed you’ve been awfully quiet lately. Anything you want to talk about?”
    â€œNaw. Thanks for asking, though. Is that all you wanted?” She clenched her hands into fists, wishing she could pour everything out to her mom the way she had when she was little. But she was thirteen now, not a baby. She needed to figure this out on her own.
    â€œThere’s one other thing, and I hope it will make you feel better.” Her mom’s hazel eyes smiled into Kate’s. “Mrs. Jamison talked to Dad and me. Apparently the hunter-jumper show that was supposed to be held in a big field on the edge of town needs to find a new location. It’s not a big show, but it’s on the circuit for earning points toward regionals. They hate to cancel it, and the only other barn with an indoor and outdoor arena large enough is booked.”
    â€œSo …?” Kate held her breath, hoping she’d figured out what might be coming. “Did she ask if we could hold it here?” She rose onto her knees and bounced on the bed, barely able to contain her excitement. “That would be so cool! We’ll do it, right? Please, Mom!”
    Her mother held up her hand, but a smile tugged at her lips. “Slow down, Kate. It would mean a lot of work. It would help to get our name out to people who don’t