Blue Ribbon Trail Ride (3 page)

Colt nodded. “Yeah, probably about nineteen or so.”

“The people who matter are the owners or managers. And maybe what you need is a letter from an adult—like the owners of the Blue Ribbon Barn who are sponsoring this ride—stating that it's a legitimate fund-raiser and how the money will be put to use. We rushed into this without thinking of everything. But in spite of that, you did well. You have a fifty-dollar gift certificate and coupons for twenty dollars' worth of pizzas, and that's an awesome start. Let's have your dad draft and sign a letter, Kate, then you kids can try again. We could even design a simple website where people can check us out. Sound good?”

Kate nodded. “Sorry for being a baby and wanting to give up.”

Melissa bumped her. “Hey, remember what a baby I was when I didn't want to go into Mrs. Maynard's spooky attic, and you held my hand and dragged me upstairs?”

Kate's pent-up breath whooshed out in relief. The more she got to know Melissa, the more she liked her. But it didn't hurt to tease a bit, when she had the chance. She looked Melissa squarely in the eyes. “Yep. I sure do remember that.”

Melissa's smile faded, and Kate giggled. “And you're the coolest ‘baby' I've ever met.”

Melissa rolled her eyes. “Oh. Ha-ha.”

“I'm kidding, Melissa. You aren't a baby at all, and it's awesome you're on our team! Now let's get back to the house and ask Dad to write a letter that'll convince every business owner in town to contribute to our cause. With Mom and Dad on our side, we can't lose.”

A week later, Kate and Tori waited in the office for Kate's mom to return, while Colt and Melissa answered questions and helped in the main area of the barn as people arrived to sign up for the trail ride.

Kate danced from one foot to the other, barely able to hold still. “This is so cool! I'm glad we got the ad in the paper in time and made all the calls to the barns and horse clubs. I can't believe we ended up with over a thousand dollars in prizes and gift certificates between the businesses in Odell, Hood River, and White Salmon. That was brilliant of you to think about going across the bridge to the Washington side.”

Tori smiled. “You would have thought about it sooner or later. I'm so thankful our parents helped drive us around—even Melissa's mom. That kind of surprised me.”

“Me too. Do you suppose she's noticing changes in Melissa's attitude? Maybe she's curious about what's going on.”

“I sure hope so,” Tori said. “From a couple of things Melissa said, she believes in God now, and she really wants to know more. We should pray for her mom.”

“For sure.” Kate turned as her mother entered the office. “Hey, Mom, we've got more entry money. A lot of people are paying in cash. Are you taking it to the bank today?”

“Not until just before five o'clock. I want to take as much as we can in one trip, rather than going two or three times a day. Since tomorrow is Saturday, I'm guessing we may have double the entries we do today. That money can go to the bank on Monday.” She walked across the office and plucked an ornate box off the shelf, then took a tiny key from her pocket and undid the lock.

“That's beautiful.” Tori's gaze fixed on the box. “Is it an antique? It looks really old. And I love the deep-blue-and-gold colors.”

Kate's mom nodded. “Yes, it was my great-grandmother's box. I probably should use a regular cash box, but I didn't want to go buy one, and I already had this. It's been in my bedroom for years, and I never use it. It's more of an antique jewelry box—Great-Grandma got it as a wedding present—but I thought it would work well for the two or three days we need to store the entry fees.”

Melissa stopped in the open doorway with Colt on her heels. “Wow! Cool box, Mrs. Ferris. It looks valuable.”

Colt scratched his head. “It looks like a painted box to me. What's so special about it?”

Tori groaned. “Boys have no appreciation for the finer things of life.”

He grinned. “Sure we do. Some of the finest things I can think of are desserts, long horseback rides, and going to amusement parks and hitting the wild rides. What's finer than that?”

Kate's mom laughed. “Works for me. But this box has been in my family for almost eighty years, so I consider it a treasure. And an antique dealer once offered me a nice sum of money for it, although I'd never part with it. Someday, when Kate gets married, I'll give it to her.”

It was Kate's turn to groan. “Seriously, Mom? That might never happen. It's not like I have a boyfriend or even want one right now. Are you sure you want to use it as a cash box?”

Her mom nodded. “I'll keep it locked and in a cabinet when no one is in here.” She lifted the lid, then tucked the cash inside the box. “Any of you kids collect more?”

“Yep.” Kate extended her hand. “That's why Tori and I were waiting.”

Colt did the same. “Melissa and I collected another thirty dollars. That was a great idea to let kids under twelve enter for half price.”

Kate's mom placed the money inside and lowered the lid, then snapped the lock in place. “Thanks. You're all doing a super job.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Kate turned. Mr. Abbington, the owner of a small café on the outskirts of Hood River, stood in the doorway. He was a short man with wire-rimmed glasses, and he kept pushing them up on his nose. “Sorry to interrupt.” His gaze strayed to the box, and his eyes widened. “Lovely. I say, I need to get my son signed up for the trail ride. Can someone take care of that for me?”

“Certainly.” Kate's mom set the box on the shelf. “Why don't you kids see if anyone else needs help, and if not, toss hay to the horses.”

“Sure, Mom.” Kate glanced at the man again as she left. She waited until she was out of earshot, then whispered to Melissa, “Isn't he one of the business owners who refused to donate?”

“Yep. I'm surprised he's here.”

Colt stuck a piece of straw in his mouth. “Maybe he changed his mind. He might have felt bad about his attitude and decided to donate when his son said he wanted to enter.”

Tori hunched a shoulder. “It's not like everyone has to donate, but if they're going to take part, it would be nice.”

Kate stared at the open office door from across the arena. “Did you guys notice him staring at Mom's box? I'm glad she's taking the money to the bank.”

Kate finished cleaning the last stall the next morning and heaved a sigh of relief. She'd gotten up an hour earlier to get the chores done before people started arriving, and it was a good thing she had. A car door slammed in the parking area. She stowed the pitchfork and wheelbarrow, then hurried to the open doors in time to see a car heading back toward the road.

“Hey, Tori.” She walked out to meet her friend. “I'm glad it's you. How come you didn't ride your bike?”

“My mom had to run to town, so she said she'd drop me off and pick me up later, unless I want to walk home. Are Colt and Melissa coming?”

“Yeah. Melissa called this morning and said she'd be a little late, but Colt should be here any minute.”

A bike turned off the road, and Colt pedaled across the gravel parking area, then skidded to a stop, spraying Kate and Tori with fine pebbles. “Oops. Sorry about that.” But the mischievous twinkle in his eyes didn't look a bit sorry to Kate.

“Sure you are.” She brushed off her jeans, which were already covered with bits of straw and dirt. “You turn up right after Tori and I get all the work done. Slacker.” She turned and winked at Tori.

Her friend raised her chin in the air. “We've been slaving away for an hour while you were probably sleeping. And we've signed up another ten people without any help.”

Colt's mouth fell open. “Seriously? Hey, I'm really sorry. I did kind of oversleep.”

Kate burst into a laugh. “Gotcha. No one's been here to sign up yet, and Tori arrived a couple of minutes before you did. But I did get the stalls cleaned and the horses fed. Thankfully most of the horses are out to pasture, so I only had to clean two stalls. Not a biggie.”

He walked beside them back to the barn. “So is your mom worried about the money box after you told her how Mr. Abbington was eyeing it?”

“She thought we were imagining things and said he's a reputable businessman. Nothing happened yesterday, but she did take the box into the house for the night. She finished here too late to get to the bank.”

Tori tilted her head. “So it's back in the office for the day?”

“Yes. Mom puts it in a cabinet, so she's not worried about it. Besides, everybody knows this is a charity event. No way would anyone steal our money.”

A car pulled in as they were almost to the barn door, and three college-age kids got out. One of them waved. “Is this the right place for the trail-ride scavenger hunt?”

“Sure is.” Kate pointed inside the barn. “The office is halfway down the alleyway. I'll grab entry forms for you, and you can pay with cash or a check.”

One of the boys pulled out his wallet. “Cash is fine. We heard there's a lot of prizes, and that the money is going to a good cause.”

The girl who'd gotten out of the car second nodded. “I have an autistic sister. She's too old for the camp now, but she would have loved it when she was younger.”

Kate's insides warmed. “My little brother is only six, and we're hoping he might get to go to the day camp this year. He's why we thought about doing this in the first place.”

They all walked into the barn together, and Kate waved toward the office. “The door is open. If you want to fill out the forms inside, you can, or you can bring them back later.”

The girl smiled. “Gordon and I are the only ones riding. We'll fill the forms out now.” She turned her head and looked at the outer door. “Sounds like you've got more people coming.”

A man and a young girl walked in. “Is this where we get the entry form for the scavenger hunt? I need to leave my daughter so she can look over the barn and find out what she has to do, then I'll pick her up in thirty minutes or so. I'm in a hurry. Could you get me a form right away?” His tone was sharp and almost pushy, and Kate's hackles rose.

Colt eased forward, standing in front of the girls. “Sure. But these people were first, so you'll have to wait your turn, Mr. …?”

“Creighton. I don't have time to wait. I'm sure they won't mind letting me go first. I need to get to an appointment in town.”

Colt drew in a breath, but the girl held up her hand. “It's fine. We're not in a hurry.”

The boy who'd been silent the entire time stepped forward. “It's not okay with me, Lisa. We were here first.”

Lisa waved her hand. “Relax, Jerry. I plan to fill my form out here. Besides, I want time to talk to these guys about the ride. Go ahead and help him first.”

Tori looked from Lisa to the man who'd just arrived. “When you're finished, maybe I can answer your questions, or I can take you to see Mrs. Ferris. Would that work?”

“Sure.” Lisa glanced around. “It's pretty crowded in here. How about we step outside and I'll finish this, then you can take me to the lady in charge.”

Tori nodded and followed the three students out of the office.

Colt shot the man a hard look, then waved Kate toward the office. They both went in and grabbed a few forms, leaving the door open. When they stepped out into the alleyway, Kate noticed Jerry and Mr. Creighton looking over their heads—right toward the antique box.

As Kate gestured for the man and his daughter to come inside, he followed and smiled, but somehow it didn't feel real. “Thank you, young lady. As I said, I'll be back soon.”

“Dad, I'd rather wait in the car than stay here.” The girl, who appeared to be a couple of years younger than Kate and her friends, spoke in a whining tone.

“Fine. Come along then. We'll come back as soon as we're able, if you're sure you want to take part in this ride.”

She sighed dramatically. “There's nothing else to do this summer, and I'd like to win the raft trip down the White Salmon River. My friends would think I was so cool if I had a trip for four and invited three of them to come.” She took the form Kate handed her and exited the office with her father.

Melissa rolled her eyes, and Kate could tell exactly what she was thinking. Melissa had spent years trying to buy the friendship of several of the girls at their school, only to be dumped when they found out her father had left the family, disappearing with most of their money and leaving her and her mother practically broke.

Someone tapped Kate from behind, and she pivoted. “Oh, hi, Mr. Wallace.”

Their neighbor, a man who was usually somewhat of a recluse, stood with his arms crossed and glowering. “When is all this traffic going to slow down?” He stepped around Kate and into the open doorway. “Where's your mother?” His gaze scanned the room, and he paused. “That's an antique jewelry box.” His voice softened. “My grandmother had one very similar, even down to the jeweled enamel finish. May I hold it?” He took another step into the room, his face eager.

Kate rushed around him and planted herself in front of him, her heart pounding. “No sir, Mr. Wallace. I'm afraid not. Mom doesn't want anyone to touch it. We're keeping the entry fees in there.” She clamped her lips shut, wishing she could take back what she'd said. Mom was so careful to open the box and stash the money inside only when no one was around, and now several people had seen the box. “This is our last day for entries, and things should get a lot quieter. I'm so sorry it's been a bother.”

He kept his eyes fixed on the box. “No bother at all. If your mother ever wants to part with her box, tell her to give me first chance. I'd love to purchase it.”

Kate shook her head. “She won't. It was a gift from her great-grandmother, and she'll be taking it into the house this evening as soon as we're done.”

“I see.” He appeared to have difficulty removing his gaze from the box but backed toward the door, then swiveled and reached for the knob. “Have a good day then. Good-bye.” He cast one more glance over his shoulder, then strode down the alleyway toward the exit.

The rest of the day sped by, and Kate didn't see the man or his daughter come back with the entry form, but she'd been so busy exercising Capri, helping to feed the horses, and answering questions that they could easily have come and gone without her noticing. More than one person had questioned why it cost twenty dollars to take part in the trail ride. Kate's mom had been gracious and sweet, explaining to every person that it was a benefit, and that the prizes were nicer than what was typically found in scavenger hunts.