Shadow Horse (13 page)

Shadow nipped at Jinx’s flank. When he didn’t get any reaction, he cantered to the far end of the paddock and stared into the next field, where the neighbor’s cattle grazed. Raising his head high, he whinnied loudly at them.
Then without warning, he galloped toward the fence and jumped over it as if it wasn’t even there.

Jas and Chase gaped in astonishment.

“Did you see that?” Chase exclaimed. “That fence is at least five feet, and Shadow practically stepped over it!”

Jas shook her head in disbelief. “I’ve never seen a horse jump like that.”

On the other side of the fence, Shadow galloped around the cattle, who scattered like startled deer.

Jas’s heart skipped a beat. Suddenly, she realized who Shadow reminded her of—Aladdin—the horse that could jump over the moon.

No, that’s crazy. Hugh’s horse has been dead five years. This has got to be just a coincidence
.

“Old Man Hopkins is going to be furious if he sees one of our horses chasing his cows,” Chase said. “He’s always looking for an excuse to close us down. We better go catch Shadow.” Putting one hand on the top board, he vaulted over the fence.

“I’ll get a bucket of grain.” Jas dashed into the barn, grabbed the feed bucket, and ran
after Chase, who had climbed into the neighbor’s pasture. With a toss of his head, Shadow pranced around Chase as if they were playing a game of tag. Jas was scaling the fence with the bucket in her hand when Shadow suddenly swerved and thundered right at her. Quickly, she flattened her body against the top board. It looked as if Shadow was going to run right into the fence—and Jas. But at the last second he effortlessly leaped over the fence and back into his paddock.

Jas’s jaw dropped. Shadow cleared her by a foot!

Shadow slid to a halt, and with a pleased look, trotted over to Jas and stuck his head in the feed bucket, almost ripping it from her hand. Taking a huge bite, he lifted his head, tossing grain right and left. Beside him, Jinx greedily picked kernels off the ground.

“Wow!” Chase jogged up, sweat rolling down his cheeks. “I’m going to have to add another board to that fence!”

“Make that two boards,” Jas gasped.

Chase shook his head in disbelief. “What are we going to do with him? He can’t just go jumping in and out whenever he wants.”

“One thing we’re
not
going to do is tell Miss Hahn.”

“Why not?”

“Because if Hopkins complains, she might get rid of him,” Jas said quickly.

Chase gave her a skeptical look. “Diane wouldn’t do that. What’s the
real
reason, Jas?”

“I can’t tell you,” she said, hoping that he’d understand. Not that she totally understood herself. But if there was some strange chance Shadow was connected to Hugh, she didn’t want Miss Hahn reporting it.

“You know, Jas, you’ve got a lot of secrets to keep to yourself,” Chase said. “One day you’re going to have to trust somebody.”

“I know.” Reaching down, she ruffled Shadow’s forelock. She couldn’t look at Chase. “I’m just not quite ready yet.”

“So what are we going to do with the big gorilla?” said Chase as he climbed the fence and sat beside Jas, with his heels propped on the center board.

Jas tapped her lip, wondering the same thing. Maybe Shadow wasn’t Aladdin, but he was definitely the most powerful jumper she’d ever seen. And if his little show was any
indication, he obviously thought leaping over obstacles was child’s play.

The trouble was finding a rider who could handle him. Jas eyed the big horse as he happily sprayed grain everywhere. Slowly, she grinned.

“I know exactly what we’re going to do with Shadow,” Jas said as she leaped off the top board into the paddock. “We’re going to turn him into the best jumper in the state.”

“Oh, really?” Chase sounded unconvinced. “And who’s going to ride him?”

Standing on her tiptoes, Jas threw her arm over Shadow’s withers, her grin spreading wider.

“I am!”

ALADDIN
.

The death of that horse five years ago was driving Jas crazy. Even though she knew there was no way Shadow could be Aladdin, the similarities were too eerie.

It was Tuesday morning, and Jas was sitting at the kitchen table with Ms. Tomlinson. Before she had tuned the social worker out, they’d been discussing her monthly allowance. Usually, Jas was interested in money. But this afternoon, she couldn’t have cared less.

What was really bugging her was the way Hugh had thrown out Aladdin’s name when he called her that first day. As if he was deliberately taunting her. Even if Aladdin had nothing to do with Shadow, Jas was convinced the horse had something to do with Whirlwind’s
death. It seemed Hugh thought that Jas wasn’t smart enough to figure out the connection. This time, Jas was going to prove him wrong.

She had seen Aladdin only once or twice before he died. Phil had said he was big and chestnut-colored. Jas racked her brain, trying to remember more about the horse. But it had been so long ago, and she’d been very young.

Phil must have a photo
, thought Jas.

Tomorrow afternoon, Jas was visiting Grandfather. If she could just get Phil to bring a picture of Aladdin to the nursing home, she would be able to tell if Shadow and Aladdin were the same horse. And if they weren’t, then she would focus on finding the link between Aladdin’s and Whirlwind’s deaths.

Miss Hahn had a school group coming to the farm during Jas’s lockdown time this afternoon. That would be the perfect time to call Phil at High Meadows.

“Any questions, Jas?” Ms. Tomlinson’s voice broke into her thoughts.

“Uh, no.” She had no idea what Ms. Tomlinson had been saying.

“Miss Hahn said you need new tennis shoes,” the social worker went on. “I know
how expensive those brand names can be. So remember, the money is for the whole month. If you spend it all at once …”

Forget new sneakers
, Jas thought. The blacksmith was coming this afternoon, and she was going to spend her money on horseshoes for Shadow. She’d lunged him several times since his big adventure in the cattle field. He’d surprised her by walking, trotting, and cantering like a gentleman. Now he was ready to ride.

“… and you can save the rest for toiletries.”

“Don’t worry,” Jas assured her glibly. “I’ll get sneakers at Payless and have plenty of money left over.”

“Payless is a wise choice.” Ms. Tomlinson blinked her watery eyes, then sneezed. Jas tipped the chair in an attempt to get away from the germs.

“I have one more matter to discuss.” Dabbing her nose, the social worker opened the file folder and rummaged through the stack of papers. “I contacted your mother.”

“What!” Jas dropped the chair back to the floor.

“I’ve contacted your mother. She’s living in Florida.”

“You mean my
birth
mother,” Jas corrected hotly. “That woman in Florida doesn’t qualify as a mother. She never took care of me.”

“I realize that,” Ms. Tomlinson said. “But she is a relative, and we had to contact her. I was finally able to reach her yesterday.”

Jas looked out the screen door, wanting to focus on anything but what Ms. Tomlinson was going to say. Lassie and Reese were staring into the kitchen. When they realized that someone had noticed them, they wagged their tails excitedly.

“Your ‘birth’ mother said that her circumstances are such that she is unable to be your guardian at this time,” Ms. Tomlinson continued, her tone matter-of-fact.

Just say she doesn’t want me
, Jas thought bitterly.
I’ve heard it plenty of times before
.

“That means you’ll remain in the custody of social services until your grandfather is better. I’m sorry, Jas.”

Jas snorted. “Don’t be. My grandparents raised me.
They
were my mother and father.”

“And your grandfather
is
getting better.”
Ms. Tomlinson smiled, happy to give her some good news.

“Yes,” Jas replied, trying to sound pleased. But she could feel herself hardening inside.
Why did she have to bring up my mother?

Iris Schuler had abandoned Jas when she was two. “It’s not that she doesn’t love you,” her grandparents had patiently explained.

Jas knew the whole story—at least the one her grandparents told. Iris had been only sixteen when she’d gotten pregnant, and like Jas, she’d lived and breathed horses.

As soon as Jas was born, Iris had quit high school to work at the racetrack. For the next two years, she jockeyed, which was a life unfit for a mother. So she’d given up all rights, and Jas’s grandparents eagerly adopted her. After that, Iris moved to Florida, and except for letters and Christmas cards, Jas had lost track of her.

Not that she’d cared. With her grandparents’ love, she’d pushed her mother out of her mind, even though it wasn’t always easy.

“Any questions before I leave? Any problems with the ankle bracelet?” Ms. Tomlinson asked. “You’ve been on probation now for
four weeks, and Mrs. Weisgerber reports that everything’s been fine.”

“No problems. When is my next hearing?”

“Probably the middle of August.”

Jas shot to her feet. “But that’ll be more than forty-five days!” she protested. “I’m supposed to be back in court the beginning of August.”

Ms. Tomlinson nodded. “I know.” She patted the seat of Jas’s chair. “Sit down and let me explain.”

Jas sat slowly with a stiff spine.

“There’s a reason for delaying the hearing. I’ve talked to Dr. Bindera. She thinks your grandfather can be released at the beginning of August. Social Services needs to get him settled in an apartment so we can recommend that you be placed with him.”

“Oh,” Jas said sheepishly. “That’s actually great news.”

“But, Jas, I need to warn you.” Ms. Tomlinson wadded up a tissue and looked uncomfortable. “If your grandfather’s in no condition to take care of you, then you may have to stay in foster care.”

Jas whipped one hand up like a stop sign. “I don’t want to hear it. He’s going to be okay.”

Ms. Tomlinson dipped her head. “Just so you understand.” Standing, she closed her briefcase. “I’m going to report in to Miss Hahn, so I’ll see you in several weeks.”

Once Ms. Tomlinson was gone, Jas made a fist and pounded the table. Of course Grandfather was going to be fine. He
had
to be fine. She loved him too much, and there was no way she was going to stay in foster care forever.

Especially since my mother doesn’t want me
. Anger rushed through Jas’s veins. If Ms. Tomlinson had contacted Iris in Florida, then she must know that her father was sick and in a nursing home. She must know that her daughter had been convicted of a crime and was in foster care.

How could she not care?

Hugging her arms around her chest, Jas struggled against the rage that threatened to engulf her. Her mother had disappointed her so many times that by now Jas knew what to do.

She had to think about how much her grandmother had loved her and how much her grandfather did love her.

Forget her. Forget her
, Jas silently chanted. Concentrate on Grandfather and Shadow … and getting out of foster care as soon as possible.

“This horse has big strong hooves with a good wall,” Pete the blacksmith announced from underneath Shadow’s belly. He had the horse’s left front leg anchored between his thighs as he filed the hoof’s rough edges.

“Do you think just front shoes will be okay?” Jas asked. “I can’t afford all four.”

“Sure.” Dropping the foot, the blacksmith straightened and rubbed the small of his back. “Glad he’s the last today.”

When Pete went out to his truck, Jas stroked Shadow’s neck. He stood quietly, chewing the end of the lead line when he got restless, pinning his ears back when the blacksmith walked in front of him.

“You’re such a faker,” Jas teased.

“Lucky I got his size,” Pete said, holding up two shoes when he came back in.

“You don’t have many horses with hooves his size?” she asked.

“Nope, not at all.”

Jas shifted from foot to foot, wanting to ask Pete a dozen questions. According to Chase, Pete had been shoeing forever. There was always a chance he might know something about Shadow or Aladdin.