Horseshoe (8 page)

Obediently Jessica bent to pat Penny’s neck. In doing so, she automatically loosened the reins, and Penny stretched her neck out, relieved. “Good girl, Penny,” Jessica said softly. Bending forward also made some of Jessica’s tense muscles relax. Penny felt the change and relaxed even further.

“See?” said Stevie. “You just needed to tell her she’s okay. Now I’ll teach you my Stevie-Lake-riding-nervous-horses trick. Do you want to know it? It’s a
very special trick—I almost never share it with anyone.”

“And you want to tell me?” Jessica’s eyes were big.

“I’ll share it with you, Jessica, because I can tell you’re going to be a really good rider someday, and I want to be able to say that I helped you.” Stevie bent toward Jessica. “The secret is: breathe.”

“Breathe?” Jessica looked confused. “That’s it?”

“That’s it. Sounds amazing, but it works. Breathe great big deep breaths, the bigger and deeper the better. Your horse will calm right down. Guaranteed.”

“It really works? Why?”

Stevie bent down again, looking mysterious. “I have no idea,” she said solemnly. Jessica giggled. The parade was starting to be fun.

Stevie rode close to Jessica for the rest of the parade. As they passed the judges’ grandstand, they formed up into even rows and columns and went by at a stately show walk. Stevie glanced to her side. Jessica was riding solemnly, her hands low and her chin held high. When she saw Stevie looking at her, she winked. Stevie grinned. Jessica would be okay.

A
T THE END
of the parade route, Horse Wise rode to a temporary corral on the fairgrounds that Max had set up for them. The drill wasn’t until late afternoon, so
this gave the horses a comfortable, shady place to stay while they waited.

“I can’t stand Veronica,” Stevie said as she began to untack Belle. “Every day she annoys me more and more. She had Jessica so upset, she could hardly ride.” Stevie pulled some carrots out of the pocket of her show coat and fed one to her mare. She handed the rest to her friends to give to their horses too.

“We saw how you took care of her,” said Carole. “Typical Stevie—in five minutes Veronica was gone and Jessica was laughing! It was great!”

“Yeah—and I even managed to put in a good word about our Goodluck Horseshoe booth.” She repeated what Veronica had asked about “matters of the heart.” Lisa and Carole covered their mouths and shrieked.

“Well,” said Lisa, the first to recover, “I really wish we could do something permanent to help Jessica. I wish she had a friend near her home.”

“Or a pet,” said Carole.

“A big, friendly pet,” agreed Lisa. “Hey!” Her face lit up. “Like maybe a big friendly dog that needs a lot of attention?”

Carole and Stevie stared at her.

“Yeah,” said Stevie.

“Yeah,” said Carole.

Stevie held up her hand. “Wait,” she said. “I’m beginning to get an idea.…”

After a few minutes of planning, The Saddle Club returned to the task of making their horses comfortable. To their surprise, their three Pony Club “little sisters,” Jessica, Jasmine, and May, came over to help.

“We know you’re doing a fortune-telling booth,” May announced. “You’re probably in a hurry to go, so we thought we’d help you for a change.” She went matter-of-factly to Lisa’s side. “Want me to get Delilah some water?”

“Thanks,” Lisa said. May grabbed a bucket and headed for the spigot.

Jessica took Starlight’s lead rope from Carole. “I can tie him for you,” she offered. “Remember, you showed me how.”

With their help, The Saddle Club was soon ready to go. They headed for the parking lot on the other side of the grounds. They had packed Stevie’s brother’s tent and the rest of their gear into the back of Colonel Hanson’s station wagon. Lisa pulled out the box of scarves and decorations. “Wow. This is heavier than it looks. Where should we set up?”

Stevie pointed. “How about there—right across
from the CARL booth?” Lisa and Carole exchanged grins.

“Perfect.”

T
HEY PICKED OUT
a great spot underneath a maple tree, not far from the van that had come from CARL. “Before we get set up, let’s go see what the CARL booth is about,” Stevie suggested. They piled the tent on top of their boxes and walked across the dirt road that separated their spot from CARL’s van.

“Judy!” Carole was the first to recognize Judy Barker, the Pine Hollow vet, sitting in a chair near the van. Carole had been on rounds with Judy many times.

“Carole—and the rest of The Saddle Club!” Judy stood up, obviously glad to see them. “Did you enjoy riding in the parade?”

“Sure,” said Stevie. “I think we’ll enjoy this afternoon’s drill even more. In the meantime, we’re going to tell people’s fortunes—we’re donating the money to CARL.”

Judy beamed. “That’s a great idea,” she said. “I’ll be sure to steer customers your way.”

“And we’ll steer them yours,” Lisa promised. “What’s CARL doing here today?”

“Well, since your Pony Club is having the drill for
us, we thought we should be on hand to distribute literature about CARL and about animal care. I’ve brought along a few of our dogs and cats that are ready for adoption, too, in case we get some interested families.”

“Trump?” Lisa asked excitedly.

“Yes, Trump, among others. Come say hello.” She led The Saddle Club to the other side of the van, where a few traveling cages sat on the grass in the shade. Trump couldn’t jump up and down inside his smaller cage, but he wagged his tail hard and wiggled his body. The Saddle Club petted him enthusiastically.

“He’s wonderful,” said Stevie. “How much would it cost to adopt him?”

Judy thought for a moment. “Our adoptive families don’t have to pay for the animals,” she said, “but we do require them to cover the cost of immunizing and neutering them. Trump’s already been neutered. You could adopt him for twenty-five dollars. Are you looking for a dog, Stevie?”

“Just curious,” Stevie said.

“Good luck with your fortunes,” Judy called as they returned to their spot under the tree.

* * *

T
HE TENT TOOK
only a few minutes to set up. “It’s idiot-proof,” Stevie said. “The only kind of tent my brother Chad could handle.”

They covered their large cardboard box with a bright gauzy scarf to use as a table, and covered a smaller wooden box with a pink table-runner to use as a chair. Lisa hung a heavy patterned tablecloth behind the chair to make a screen, and Carole hung another similar cloth over the tent’s door.

“This makes a better entrance,” she explained. “It’s much more mystical.”

Meanwhile Stevie was hanging glittering cardboard stars and moons on the outside of the tent. Lisa and Carole unpacked the crystal ball, tea leaves, astrological charts, and playing cards. Finally, all three of them hung a large cardboard horseshoe above the entrance, and put up a sign reading
GOODLUCK HORSESHOE FORTUNE
-
TELLING BOOTH
.
YOUR FUTURE REVEALED TO YOU
. $
1.00.
Underneath that Lisa hung a smaller sign reading
PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT CARL
.

Lisa, Carole, and Stevie stepped back to admire their booth. It was perfect. Lisa smiled at her friends. “We’re in business!” she said.

I
NSIDE THE TENT
, Stevie dressed in the fortune-teller’s flowing robe—actually Lisa’s mother’s second-best bathrobe—earrings, and purple scarf. “Do you really think this is going to work?” Lisa asked her.

“Of course it is,” Stevie assured her. “We’re the ones who know the future!”

“I know what you mean,” Lisa said. “But this is a little weird.”

“Lisa. You’ve got to have faith. By the end of the day”—Stevie waved her hand mysteriously—“everyone’s problems will be solved!”

Since Stevie was taking the first stint as fortune-teller,
Carole and Lisa began walking through the fairgrounds, drumming up business for the booth. “Fortunes read!” they cried. “Get your fortunes read! Learn the secrets of your future! Visit the Goodluck Horseshoe fortune-telling booth! Only one dollar!”

Stevie didn’t have long to wait before the first visitor ducked his head to enter the tent. It was Colonel Hanson.

“Hello, stranger,” Stevie said in her most mysterious tones.

“Hello, Madame. Here’s your dollar.” Colonel Hanson sat down on the box on the other side of the table. “Let me have your best shot.”

Stevie spread her deck of playing cards out in front of her. “Hmmm, a black seven and a queen of diamonds,” she murmured. “And here’s the three of spades.” She looked up. “The cards tell me you love old movies,” she said.

“Amazing,” said Colonel Hanson. “You can tell that from those cards?”

“Particularly old movies about the Marines.”

Colonel Hanson slapped his forehead. “You don’t say!”

“Certainly!”

“Amazing—your prowess is incredible.”

“Wait,” said Stevie, “there’s more—I’m getting something—very strong signals—” She cupped both hands around her father’s paperweight. “Yes. I can see that you have a finely developed sense of humor. And excellent taste in old jokes.”

“Finely developed or not, Madame Fortune-Teller, you’re going to have to do better than this for the buck I just paid you. Tell me something about my future.”

Stevie stared at the paperweight for a long time. She couldn’t very well make up a future for Carole’s father. Finally she knew what to say. “You’re going to be very proud of your daughter,” she predicted.

Colonel Hanson laughed, but seemed to appreciate his fortune. “I’d say that will certainly be true,” he said. “I’m already proud of her. Okay, Madame Fortune, you’ve earned your dollar.” He rose to go, but paused at the tent’s door. “And, Stevie—good luck!”

Stevie sighed with relief as she put his dollar into her pocket. Fortune-telling was hard. I’m going to have to do better than that, she thought, if I’m going to fool anyone.

Her next customer was Max. Stevie swirled some soggy tea leaves in a cup. “You love horses,” she said.

“That’s right—but did you know that from the tea leaves or because I’m wearing breeches?” Max
grinned, and Stevie grinned back. He had just given her a valuable hint. She asked Max his birthday, and consulted her astrological chart. “I’m a Pisces,” Max added. “If that helps.”

“Ahh—the sign of the fish,” said Stevie. “Definitely there are fish in your future—fish dinner? Goldfish? Have you eaten fish recently, stranger?”

Max shook his head.

“No, I have it!” cried Stevie. “You’ll be taking a sea voyage sometime soon!” She remembered the cruise brochures she had seen on Max’s desk—she was pretty sure he’d been planning his honeymoon. “A long, happy voyage,” she added.

“And your heartline crosses your byline,” she continued, examining his palm. “There are words in your future—words and romance.” Max was engaged to marry a reporter named Deborah Hale.

“Very nice,” Max said, taking his hand back. “An excellent future.” On his way out the door, he told the next customer, “She seemed to know everything about me!”

After that Stevie told fortunes to several strangers. She found that not knowing the person made telling their fortunes much easier, and she began to enjoy herself.

First a small boy came in who looked like he’d recently
been in a fight—maybe even that morning. His jeans were ripped and his shirt was stained, and he had a swollen lip that had recently been bleeding.

“You’re stronger than you look,” Stevie said, examining his grubby hand.

“Yeah?” The boy looked interested.

“Definitely. And you’re not a coward—you’ll never be a coward.” She consulted her crystal ball. “Hmmm. But I see a better way to resolve problems. You must learn a better way.”

“I should?”

“Hmmm. Yes. Try to talk things out instead of fighting. If you do, your rewards will be great.”

“Will I get money?” asked the boy.

“Great rewards,” Stevie repeated. “Like, maybe you won’t get grounded so often.”

“Wow!” said the boy.

T
HE NEXT CUSTOMER
was a shy little girl who looked like she was hiding behind the hair that hung in front of her face.

“Come closer,” Stevie beckoned in a trancelike voice, “do not be afraid.”

The girl crept closer. Stevie turned over a few of the playing cards. “You will be beautiful when you grow up,” she said.

The little girl stared at her. “Beautiful and strong,” Stevie said. “You will be able to do anything you try to do. Don’t be afraid to try.”

“Y
OU
’
LL LEARN TO
ride horses,” she predicted to a tiny girl wearing an oversize
I
’
D RATHER BE RIDING
T-shirt. “You’ll love horses your whole life.”

“Just like my mommy?” asked the little girl.

“Just like her,” Stevie said.

“Y
OU
’
LL TRAVEL TO
exotic places,” she told a teenage girl who definitely looked bored with Willow Creek.

“T
HE COMING YEAR
will bring you much joy,” she said to a young pregnant woman, who left smiling.

“W
HAT DO YOU
want to know about your future?” she asked the next customers, a pair of boys her brother Michael’s age.