get us—at least, not any more than he’s out to get the rest of the world. Right?”
“I guess so,” Carole said. As she remembered Garvey’s angry eyes peering into her own, she just hoped Lisa was right.
T HE NEXT MORNING The Saddle Club was up early again. Deborah walked with the girls to the Maskee shed.
“I’ll see you around post time, I hope,” she said.
“Okay,” Carole said, remembering that Deborah had to go back out to visit more farms that day. “I hope you make it. C.C. will be counting on having you there to cheer her on.”
The girls greeted the horses and then helped the grooms with a few chores while they waited for Garvey to arrive. After her encounter with him the evening before, Carole was still feeling a little nervous about seeing the big man. But her friends had convinced her that he probably would have forgotten all about it by this morning.
Garvey arrived around six o’clock, just as the three girls stopped by Cookie Cutter’s stall to feed her a few cabbage leaves. Toby was with the trainer. They were talking about the filly’s chances in her race.
“I think if I can just keep her clear of the gray filly, she’ll have no trouble with the others,” Toby was saying.
“Don’t worry about the gray,” Garvey said. “You just steady her out of the gate like I said and give her some time to find her stride. If luck’s on our side and you can manage to keep her out of traffic, there’ll be no stopping her.” He reached out, almost absentmindedly, and knocked on a wooden pillar. Carole almost smiled when she saw that. Josh A was right when he told her that people around here tended to be superstitious. Obviously, Garvey was no exception.
“I hear you, boss,” Toby said. “I’ll catch you later.” He gave the girls a little wave and then hurried away.
Garvey glanced at them. “You three look like you need something to do,” he said gruffly. “C.C. isn’t working today since she’s running this afternoon, but she could use a walk. You there.” He pointed at Stevie. “Why don’t you walk her down that path toward the parking lot and back. Give her something to look at other than the shed row. Don’t let her graze too much along the way, though.”
“Sure,” Stevie said. She grabbed Cookie Cutter’s halter and slipped it on the chestnut filly as Garvey looked at the other two girls.
“You.” He pointed at Lisa this time. “Take the bay colt along with her. He’s running today, too.”
Lisa nodded and got to work. Carole glanced at Garvey but didn’t meet his eyes. He was acting perfectly normal. If anything, he was being nicer to them than usual. But she still felt nervous. “Maybe I’ll walk along with them in case they need help,” she suggested, taking a step back toward Cookie Cutter, who was just emerging from her stall.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” the trainer snapped. “They’ll be fine. There’s too much work to do for you to start doubling up. I’ve got another job for you.”
“Okay,” Carole said weakly, watching out of the corner of her eye as Stevie and Lisa disappeared around the corner of the shed row with their charges. She suddenly felt very alone. Her friends were gone, Toby had left, and the grooms were nowhere in sight.
Garvey didn’t seem to notice her consternation. “Yourfriend the reporter tells me you’re a good rider,” he said. “Is that true? Because I’ve got a colt that could use some exercise, and my boys aren’t here yet. Want to give him a try?”
Immediately all fearful thoughts fled from Carole’s mind. She had ridden Prancer during her racing days, and it had been one of the most thrilling experiences of her life. She could hardly believe that Garvey was offering her the chance to do the same kind of thing. Obviously, whatever had happened the night before had been a huge misunderstanding. The trainer didn’t seem angry at all now.
“I’d love to,” she said eagerly.
“Good. Then come on.”
“I guess so,” Carole said. As she remembered Garvey’s angry eyes peering into her own, she just hoped Lisa was right.
T HE NEXT MORNING The Saddle Club was up early again. Deborah walked with the girls to the Maskee shed.
“I’ll see you around post time, I hope,” she said.
“Okay,” Carole said, remembering that Deborah had to go back out to visit more farms that day. “I hope you make it. C.C. will be counting on having you there to cheer her on.”
The girls greeted the horses and then helped the grooms with a few chores while they waited for Garvey to arrive. After her encounter with him the evening before, Carole was still feeling a little nervous about seeing the big man. But her friends had convinced her that he probably would have forgotten all about it by this morning.
Garvey arrived around six o’clock, just as the three girls stopped by Cookie Cutter’s stall to feed her a few cabbage leaves. Toby was with the trainer. They were talking about the filly’s chances in her race.
“I think if I can just keep her clear of the gray filly, she’ll have no trouble with the others,” Toby was saying.
“Don’t worry about the gray,” Garvey said. “You just steady her out of the gate like I said and give her some time to find her stride. If luck’s on our side and you can manage to keep her out of traffic, there’ll be no stopping her.” He reached out, almost absentmindedly, and knocked on a wooden pillar. Carole almost smiled when she saw that. Josh A was right when he told her that people around here tended to be superstitious. Obviously, Garvey was no exception.
“I hear you, boss,” Toby said. “I’ll catch you later.” He gave the girls a little wave and then hurried away.
Garvey glanced at them. “You three look like you need something to do,” he said gruffly. “C.C. isn’t working today since she’s running this afternoon, but she could use a walk. You there.” He pointed at Stevie. “Why don’t you walk her down that path toward the parking lot and back. Give her something to look at other than the shed row. Don’t let her graze too much along the way, though.”
“Sure,” Stevie said. She grabbed Cookie Cutter’s halter and slipped it on the chestnut filly as Garvey looked at the other two girls.
“You.” He pointed at Lisa this time. “Take the bay colt along with her. He’s running today, too.”
Lisa nodded and got to work. Carole glanced at Garvey but didn’t meet his eyes. He was acting perfectly normal. If anything, he was being nicer to them than usual. But she still felt nervous. “Maybe I’ll walk along with them in case they need help,” she suggested, taking a step back toward Cookie Cutter, who was just emerging from her stall.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” the trainer snapped. “They’ll be fine. There’s too much work to do for you to start doubling up. I’ve got another job for you.”
“Okay,” Carole said weakly, watching out of the corner of her eye as Stevie and Lisa disappeared around the corner of the shed row with their charges. She suddenly felt very alone. Her friends were gone, Toby had left, and the grooms were nowhere in sight.
Garvey didn’t seem to notice her consternation. “Yourfriend the reporter tells me you’re a good rider,” he said. “Is that true? Because I’ve got a colt that could use some exercise, and my boys aren’t here yet. Want to give him a try?”
Immediately all fearful thoughts fled from Carole’s mind. She had ridden Prancer during her racing days, and it had been one of the most thrilling experiences of her life. She could hardly believe that Garvey was offering her the chance to do the same kind of thing. Obviously, whatever had happened the night before had been a huge misunderstanding. The trainer didn’t seem angry at all now.
“I’d love to,” she said eagerly.
“Good. Then come on.”
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