anything more than a sore rump as a result of her fall. As she got painfully to her feet, she saw Garvey walking calmly toward her, a small smile on his wide, ruddy face.
“What happened?” she gasped, doing her best to brush the dirt off her jeans.
Garvey stopped in front of her, his hands on his hips. “I’ll tell you what happened,” he said in a dangerously cool voice. “A little girl got herself into a situation she shouldn’t have. And she almost got hurt. There are lots of ways to get yourself hurt around here. Gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?”
Carole frowned, not understanding for a second. Then her eyes widened and she involuntarily stepped backward. Was Garvey threatening her?
He grinned at her expression. “I see we understand each other,” he said. Then he turned and walked toward Storm Chaser, who was still grazing.
Carole gulped and watched him go. Could it be true? Had Garvey set this all up, knowing the colt would throw her, as a warning? It certainly seemed so. This had to mean that he was still angry about her unintentional eavesdropping the evening before. And
that
had to mean that he really was up to no good.
Before Carole could decide what to do next, Garvey returned with Storm Chaser. The colt stretched his head forward to nuzzle at her curiously.
“No hard feelings, right, boy?” she murmured, automatically reaching forward to pat the horse.
“That depends on what you do next,” Garvey said, as if the comment had been directed at him. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Carole. “And whether you start blabbing about things you’ve heard—or
think
you’ve heard. Did you tell anybody about your spying last night? Anybody who might misunderstand—like that snoopy reporter pal of yours?”
Carole bit her lip and stared up at Garvey, mesmerized by the nasty look on his face. She was starting to feel really scared now. If the trainer would allow her to be thrown from a horse, what else would he be willing to do to shut her up if he thought it was necessary?
“Carole?” called a voice from nearby. “Hey, Carole. Is that you?”
Carole turned and almost laughed with relief as she saw Josh A heading across the lawn toward them.
Garvey let out an unintelligible growl, then abruptly turned and led Storm Chaser away. He didn’t even acknowledge the boy as he hurried past, his strides so long that the leggy colt almost had to break into a trot to keep up.
Josh glanced over his shoulder at the horse as he reached Carole’s side. “Wasn’t that Storm Chaser?” he asked.
Carole nodded. Even now that the frightening momenthad passed, she didn’t quite trust herself to speak. She never would have expected to be so glad to see one of the Joshes.
Josh looked at her, taking in her grass-stained jeans and mussed hair. “Hey, you weren’t trying to ride him, were you?” he asked anxiously. “He’s famous around here for dumping riders in the morning. I told you about him yesterday when I was telling you about Leprechaun’s whip phobia, remember?”
“Oh.” Carole thought back and remembered that Josh had mentioned a horse with that habit. “You did, I guess. But you didn’t tell me his name.”
“Really?” Josh said. “Sorry about that. But why would the trainer put you on him when he knew what would happen?”
Carole thought she knew the answer to that, but she didn’t feel like sharing it with Josh. The last thing she wanted was to turn the boy into another target for Garvey’s wrath. “I don’t know,” she said. “Come on, walk me back to the barn, okay?”
Immediately Josh seemed to forget all about Garvey and Storm Chaser. “Sure,” he said eagerly.
As they walked, Josh chatted cheerfully about that afternoon’s races and other topics. Carole did her best to answer appropriately and pretend to be interested in what he was saying, but her mind was elsewhere.
Garvey obviously wanted to make sure she didn’t tell anyone
“What happened?” she gasped, doing her best to brush the dirt off her jeans.
Garvey stopped in front of her, his hands on his hips. “I’ll tell you what happened,” he said in a dangerously cool voice. “A little girl got herself into a situation she shouldn’t have. And she almost got hurt. There are lots of ways to get yourself hurt around here. Gives you something to think about, doesn’t it?”
Carole frowned, not understanding for a second. Then her eyes widened and she involuntarily stepped backward. Was Garvey threatening her?
He grinned at her expression. “I see we understand each other,” he said. Then he turned and walked toward Storm Chaser, who was still grazing.
Carole gulped and watched him go. Could it be true? Had Garvey set this all up, knowing the colt would throw her, as a warning? It certainly seemed so. This had to mean that he was still angry about her unintentional eavesdropping the evening before. And
that
had to mean that he really was up to no good.
Before Carole could decide what to do next, Garvey returned with Storm Chaser. The colt stretched his head forward to nuzzle at her curiously.
“No hard feelings, right, boy?” she murmured, automatically reaching forward to pat the horse.
“That depends on what you do next,” Garvey said, as if the comment had been directed at him. His eyes narrowed, and he took a step closer to Carole. “And whether you start blabbing about things you’ve heard—or
think
you’ve heard. Did you tell anybody about your spying last night? Anybody who might misunderstand—like that snoopy reporter pal of yours?”
Carole bit her lip and stared up at Garvey, mesmerized by the nasty look on his face. She was starting to feel really scared now. If the trainer would allow her to be thrown from a horse, what else would he be willing to do to shut her up if he thought it was necessary?
“Carole?” called a voice from nearby. “Hey, Carole. Is that you?”
Carole turned and almost laughed with relief as she saw Josh A heading across the lawn toward them.
Garvey let out an unintelligible growl, then abruptly turned and led Storm Chaser away. He didn’t even acknowledge the boy as he hurried past, his strides so long that the leggy colt almost had to break into a trot to keep up.
Josh glanced over his shoulder at the horse as he reached Carole’s side. “Wasn’t that Storm Chaser?” he asked.
Carole nodded. Even now that the frightening momenthad passed, she didn’t quite trust herself to speak. She never would have expected to be so glad to see one of the Joshes.
Josh looked at her, taking in her grass-stained jeans and mussed hair. “Hey, you weren’t trying to ride him, were you?” he asked anxiously. “He’s famous around here for dumping riders in the morning. I told you about him yesterday when I was telling you about Leprechaun’s whip phobia, remember?”
“Oh.” Carole thought back and remembered that Josh had mentioned a horse with that habit. “You did, I guess. But you didn’t tell me his name.”
“Really?” Josh said. “Sorry about that. But why would the trainer put you on him when he knew what would happen?”
Carole thought she knew the answer to that, but she didn’t feel like sharing it with Josh. The last thing she wanted was to turn the boy into another target for Garvey’s wrath. “I don’t know,” she said. “Come on, walk me back to the barn, okay?”
Immediately Josh seemed to forget all about Garvey and Storm Chaser. “Sure,” he said eagerly.
As they walked, Josh chatted cheerfully about that afternoon’s races and other topics. Carole did her best to answer appropriately and pretend to be interested in what he was saying, but her mind was elsewhere.
Garvey obviously wanted to make sure she didn’t tell anyone
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