Shadow Horse (12 page)

“I’m trying, but this horse has a killer trot!”

“If she was bouncing like that on my back, I’d try to throw her off, too,” Chase said to Miss Hahn from behind his hand.

Jas stifled a laugh. Patting Shadow, she went into the aisle and closed his stall door. She dropped the currycomb in the grooming box, then walked outside to join them.

“What’s Lucy doing?” Jas asked as she came up beside Miss Hahn.

“You had trouble figuring that out, too?” Chase joked.

Miss Hahn blew out a breath of frustration. “We’re trying to get Spots ready to adopt.
He’s pretty hardheaded, and I don’t want someone taking him home and immediately getting bucked off.”

“Where did he come from?” Jas asked.

“He was living in the woods like some wild animal,” Chase said. “When he started raiding cornfields, the farmers complained to the police. We had to rope him to catch him.”

“That’s it!” Lucy yelled in complete frustration. Halting Spots in front of them, she jumped off. “I’m never riding this horse again.”

Jerking the reins over the horse’s head, Lucy thrust them at Miss Hahn. “For all I care, he can be sold for dog food!”

Hands on her slim hips, she glared at them as if waiting for a rebuke. Ducking his head, Chase laughed behind his palm. Jas started to giggle.

“What are you two laughing about?” Lucy snapped. “I bet greenhorn couldn’t do any better.” She jabbed her thumb in Jas’s direction.

Jas swallowed her laughter. “Oh, really?” said Jas.

Taking the reins from Miss Hahn, Jas climbed over the fence and jumped to the ground so close to Lucy that the other girl stumbled backward.

“May I borrow your helmet?” Jas asked politely.

“Sure.” Lucy didn’t sound quite so cocky as Jas confidently pulled the helmet on. Even Chase had stopped laughing.

Without a word, Jas led Spots around the paddock while massaging the crest of his neck. She had retrained several “hardheaded” horses, and she knew that most of them were hardheaded because their riders used kicks and jerks to force them to obey commands. But it
had
been over a month since she’d been on a horse. Would she remember what to do?

As Jas turned Spots in small circles, the horse watched her suspiciously with one blue eye. Ignoring his nasty look, she continued to massage his neck. When he finally heaved a sigh, and she could no longer see the whites of his eyes, Jas mounted him. Instantly, Spots stiffened.

“I won’t ask you to do anything you aren’t ready for,” she assured him as she rubbed his withers.

“What
is
she doing?” she heard Lucy hiss impatiently.

Jas tuned her out. In fact, she tuned out everything except Spots. Riding wasn’t just
about sitting on a horse. It was about communication.

They stood there for ten minutes until she felt Spots relax. Only then did she pick up the reins and nudge his sides gently with her heels.

He walked hollow-backed, with his nose in the air, as if preparing for something horrible to happen. But Jas held the reins lightly and steered him around the paddock, using only weight shifts and leg pressure instead of tugs and kicks. After what seemed like forever, Spots dropped his nose, flexed his neck, and rounded his back.

“Big deal. So she can make the horse walk,” Lucy grumbled loudly.

Only, Jas didn’t care what Lucy thought. She could feel Spots’s stride growing looser and longer. She could feel her body flowing with the rhythm of his gait as her muscles instinctively remembered what to do.

As they walked around the paddock, the thudding of Spots’s hooves on the ground sent waves of joy through Jas. Tears welled in her eyes, and she realized how much she’d missed riding all these weeks.

But then, suddenly, came the same gut-wrenching feeling of loss she felt when
Whirlwind had died. She knew she belonged on a horse. But when Grandfather got out of the nursing home, they would have to move into an apartment.

Once Jas left Second Chance Farm, there would be no room or time for horses. She would probably never ride again.

“
OUCH,
”
JAS SQUEALED. THIS TIME SHADOW
had gotten her, his big teeth pinching her skin along with her T-shirt. Swinging his head around, Shadow pricked his ears, as if to say, “Look how cute I am!” Jas frowned and pointed the brush at him.

“You are
not
cute,” she scolded. “In fact, you’re due for a reality check. You may be bigger and stronger, but you keep forgetting that I’m the dominant one in this herd.”

He bobbed his head, as if to agree with her. But Jas could tell by his devilish expression that he didn’t believe a word she said. As if to prove it, he kicked out with his front hoof, striking the wall of the stall.

Jas rolled her eyes. It was the Fourth of July weekend, over two weeks since they’d brought Shadow to the farm. He was still lean,
but he’d gotten so sassy that Jas had already cut out his special feed and turned him out all night in a bigger paddock. But that wasn’t doing the trick. Shadow had turned into a high-spirited brat.

Since she had to groom him in the stall, she had to be extra careful. When she’d first seen him at the auction, she guessed his height at about sixteen-three hands. Now his head didn’t hang and his body didn’t sag, and she figured he was closer to seventeen hands, with legs like tree trunks and a girth like a barrel. For her own safety, she couldn’t let him buffalo her.

Taking up a little slack on the lead, she continued to brush him. Only this time, she watched him out of the corner of her eye. When she hit a ticklish spot and he swung his big teeth around, she raised her elbow and popped him hard in the muzzle.

Startled, Shadow jerked his head up and stared at Jas in surprise. She just went about what she was doing and ignored him. When he raised his front hoof to strike, she growled “no” and whapped him on the shoulder with the end of the lead.

Indignant and hurt, he gave her a puzzled
look. Then he lowered his head and nudged her with his nose. Laughing, she scratched his forehead.

“I forgive you. Just remember: I’m the lead horse in this herd. Once you know this, we’ll get along great.” She let out her breath, knowing that she’d have to be on her toes every minute. She also knew what a horse like Shadow really needed—riding, at least two hours a day.

For the past three days, Jas had been working Spots and a quiet mare named Flower. And she’d had a blast. But even though Jas had been riding since she was four, she’d never met a horse like Shadow. She was used to fine-boned hunters, bred for grace and conformation. Shadow was like an out-of-control freight train.

A loud banging from the feed room told Jas that Chase had arrived for the evening feeding. She dropped her brush in the grooming box and unhooked Shadow’s lead.

As she shut the door behind her, Chase came up the aisle with feed buckets swinging from each hand. “Can I help you feed?” she asked him.

“Why would you want to do that?” Chase responded. Without looking at her, he dropped
the buckets in front of the last stall and started scooping out grain. Excited nickers rang up and down the aisle.

“Why would the famous equestrienne lower herself to doing humble chores?”

“Knock it off, Chase,” Jas fumed. “You’re being a jerk. I just want to help.”

This time he looked up.
“I’m
being a jerk?” He poked his thumb into his chest. “Have I been the one swaggering around the barn since I rode Spots last Tuesday? Have I been the one with my nose stuck in the air as I talk about doing dressage with this horse and eventing with that horse? Nooooo,” he answered his own question. “I’ve been mucking stalls, mending fences, cleaning wounds, sweeping …”

Jas raised one hand. “All right. You made your point. I haven’t been pulling my weight. I was just so excited about riding again that I got carried away.”

“You
and
Miss Hahn,” he grumbled. “It’s like she’s forgotten the purpose of the farm.” Pushing past Jas, he dumped feed through a slot into one of the tubs. “She thinks she’s back on her father’s fancy-shmancy horse farm. You know, she used to be a horse snob, just like you.”

“I’m
not
a horse snob!” Jas protested, following after him as he went down to the next stall. “And what’s wrong with being excited about riding?”

“We’re suppose to be
rescuing
animals.”

Jas propped her fists on her hips. “You know what, Chase? I think you’re the one who’s a snob. You like horses only when they’re abused or sick.”

“Not true. I just don’t think they have to win some ribbon to be worth something.” He scowled at her as he went over to Shadow’s stall.

“Who’s said anything about winning ribbons?” Jas snapped. “We’re talking about riding. Look how much better Spots is since I’ve been riding him. He’s not perfect, but he’s not such a hardheaded sourpuss, either, like you.”

“Spare me the insults,” Chase snorted. Striding past her, he continued down the aisle, the stiff set of his shoulders telling Jas that she was getting nowhere.

Oh, why do I even bother with him?
she fumed at herself.
Communicating with Spots is a lot easier
.

She looked into Shadow’s stall. He was attacking the feed in his tub as if it was his last
meal. She’d wait until he finished eating, then turn him out for the night.

“You want to know why I’m really mad?” Chase suddenly asked right behind her. When Jas turned to look at him, the hurt in his eyes took her by surprise.

“Why?” she asked as her stomach tightened.

“Because … because … because I can’t ride worth a damn.”

A giggle of relief bubbled in Jas’s throat.

“I knew you’d think it was dumb.” He whipped around to leave, but Jas caught his wrist.

“Wait.”

Chase stopped, although he refused to look at her. Jas kept her hand on his arm, his skin warm under her touch. Slowly, she slid her fingers down his wrist until they met his palm. Almost desperately, he laced his fingers with hers.

“What’s wrong with not being able to ride?” she asked, her heart thumping.

He slanted his face toward her. “Nothing. At least I never thought anything about it until I saw you ride. I mean, when I watch Lucy ride, I want to sympathize with the horse.
When I watch you ride a horse, it’s … it’s …” He rubbed his forehead in frustration. “Dang, I really stink at explaining stuff like this.”

Jas waited.

“It’s like watching two people dance,” he said quickly. “How’s that for dopey?”

Jas smiled shyly at him. “I thought it was nice.”

“Well, you would.” He dragged the toe of his tennis shoe in the dirt.

“So you want me to teach you how to ride?”

“No. At least not now. I’d be too embarrassed. Maybe later when …” His voice trailed off, and his eyes flicked toward her.

Jas’s heart skipped a beat.
Maybe later when we know each other better? Was that what you were about to say?

“Anyway, I really like taking care of the horses,” he rushed on. “Doctoring them, that kind of stuff. For now, I’ll let you do the riding.”

He grinned crookedly, and Jas suddenly realized how close they were standing to each other. So close, in fact, that all she had to do was tip her head up and he could kiss her. At the thought of his lips touching hers, Jas’s
cheeks flamed and she stepped backward. Her fingers slipped from his grasp. “So can I help you feed?”

“Sure.” He reached for a bucket, his neck as red as her cheeks.

Jas picked up Shadow’s lead line. “Let me just turn out the brat,” she said. “He’s finished eating.”

“Put him out with Jinx,” Chase suggested.

Shadow was licking the bottom of his feed tub, trying to get every last kernel. When she hooked the lead to his halter ring, he lunged for the open door.

“Whoa,” she barked, digging in her heels so he wouldn’t pull her with him. He stopped in his tracks. “Good boy.” She scratched his shoulder, then made him move when she wanted.

Obediently, he walked down the aisle until he saw Jinx, then he arched his neck and pranced sideways. Jas told him to walk, and when he ignored her, she reminded him with a swift snap of the lead.

Jinx was in the middle of the field, grazing. Shadow danced in place, eager to join him. Jas led him through the gate and then shut it. She then made him stand for a second.

When she unhooked the lead and stepped away, Shadow exploded—bucking and rearing across the pasture. Jinx raised his head and gazed with disinterest.

“Man, is he something,” Chase said, coming up beside her. “I never thought the dull-eyed horse we bought at that auction would ever end up like that.”

“I had no idea, either,” Jas admitted as she watched Shadow trot across the pasture, snapping his legs like a dressage horse doing a Grand Prix movement. “I wish I knew the story behind him.”

“Really, even I can tell he was once somebody’s
valuable
blue-ribbon winner.” Chase shot her a teasing look.

“Oh, shut up,” Jas said as she punched him on the arm. For a second, they stood side by side, their hips touching, watching Shadow show off. Jas rested her arms on the top board. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt happy.