Moon Shadow (16 page)

She put the brushes away and headed for the house. Her mother met her at the kitchen door and handed her an apple and a raisin bagel. “Don't forget you've got some weeding to do when you get home,” she said with a lift of her eyebrow.

Callie nodded as she stuffed the bagel in her shirt pocket and took a big bite of the apple. The juice ran down her chin and she wiped it with her sleeve. She grabbed her bike from the side of the house and pedaled to the Thompson ranch.

“Good morning,” Mr. Thompson greeted Callie as she walked into the barn and took the muck rake down from its nail on the wall. “I hear you're going to be entering the last show of the season.”

Callie shook her head. “Maybe next year.” She took the wheelbarrow from its spot and rolled it to the first stall.

“Why are you waiting?” Mr. Thompson asked.

Callie shrugged. “I can't enter,” she said. “I don't have a show halter, or any fancy clothes to wear for the competition.”

“I see,” Mr. Thompson said. “Excuse me just a minute.” He walked toward the office and returned a moment later. “This might be a little big, but I'm sure you could punch an extra hole in it.” He handed her a black leather show halter with silverwork running down the cheek band and across the nosepiece. “Return it to me when you're finished.”

Callie's mouth dropped open. She reached for the halter and ran her fingers over the ornate silver designs. “Oh, Mr. Thompson, it's beautiful! The color will be perfect for Moon Shadow.”

Mr. Thompson smiled. “Go on up to the house when you're done here. I believe my wife has kept all of the old show clothes that Jill's outgrown. I'll ask her to help you pick out something for the show.” He handed her the lead that matched the halter. “I've seen you watching the kids' lessons, so I know you've learned what you've got to do.”

Callie nodded. “I know Moon Shadow and I don't stand a chance at winning—especially if we're in the same class with Luke or Jill—but I think it'll be fun.”

Mr. Thompson ruffled her hair. “That's the right spirit,” he said. “Both Luke and Jill like to enter that class, but don't worry. It's your first show. You need to go in there with a positive attitude and show your fine little horse to the best of both of your abilities.”

“I've been practicing with Moon Shadow, but she's kind of feisty,” Callie said. “Sometimes she just wants to play.”

“Your best bet would be to work with her every day between now and the show. If you can, take her someplace where there are a lot of people and noise,” Mr. Thompson suggested. “That's mostly what upsets a new horse. She's used to going through her paces at home where everything is quiet. Then when you take her out among the crowds and confusion, you can't expect her not to be distracted.”

“I'll do that. Thanks, Mr. Thompson, for everything!”

Callie whistled while she finished her work. She and Moon Shadow were going to the show!

Billie was waiting for Callie when she returned home from the ranch. “What've you got there?” Billie asked as she took the clothing from Callie's arms and inspected it. “Wow, that's pretty fancy stuff. It looks like a western show outfit.”

Callie grinned as she held up the halter. “The Thompsons loaned me a halter and some clothes so I could enter Moon Shadow in the show at the end of the month.”

“A show? That is so cool!” Billie said. “Can I help?”

Callie motioned for her friend to follow her into the house. “For starters, you can help me convince my parents that this is a good idea.” She told her about Moon Shadow's escape the night before.

“Do you think Luke left the stall unlatched on purpose?” Billie asked. “I wouldn't put it past him.”

“I don't think so. He's always been pretty bad about closing gates and locking stuff.” Callie kicked off her boots and opened the back door of the house. “But you never know about that guy.”

Callie found her mother in the sewing room. She carefully laid the clothing out on a chair. “I know I'm in trouble for disobeying you last night, Mom, but I have a favor to ask,” she said. At her mother's nod, she continued, “There's a show at the end of the month and I'd like to enter Moon Shadow in the halter class. It doesn't cost much, anyway, and I've already got the money saved.”

Mrs. McLean inspected the shiny material of the western show vest, poking at a rip in the seam. “Where did you get these?” she asked.

“The Thompsons loaned me the clothing and a show halter,” Callie said as she showed her mother the beautiful black and silver halter. “I promised them I'd take really good care of all this stuff.”

Her mother held up the white long-sleeved shirt and black pants, measuring them with her eyes to see if they would fit Callie. “Are you sure you and Moon Shadow are up to this?” she asked. “You don't have any experience in showing, honey.”

Callie shoved her hands into her pockets. “I've been watching Jill and Luke work with their halter horses all summer,” she said. “And I've practiced a lot with Moon Shadow. The show is just down the road. We can walk there.”

Billie cut in. “I'll help Callie any way I can. She's been working really hard. I know she and Moon Shadow can do this.”

Mrs. McLean considered the idea. “Well, outside of that little slip-up we had with Moon Shadow last night, you've been a pretty good kid this summer. I'll have to talk with your father. If it's all right with him, then it's fine with me. I'll have to fix this vest, though.”

Callie gave her mother a big hug. “Thanks, Mom. You're the best!”

The following two weeks went by in a total blur. Every minute of Callie's days was filled with working at the ranch, doing her own chores, practicing for the horse show, and helping Dr. Susan on weekends. She had to get up at dawn every morning just to get everything done.

Moon Shadow was growing rapidly, and was now on a total diet of hay and grain. All of the work that Callie had been doing with her had developed the filly's muscles. When she walked Moon Shadow down the road, neighbors always commented on how beautiful the little mustang was.

Callie worked hard on the lessons she had learned watching the Thompson kids. Billie came out a lot to help, and Justin rode his gelding over from the mustang pens as often as he could. With all of the extra help, Moon Shadow was definitely making progress. Callie knew they were far behind the other kids who had been showing all summer, but the young mustang had fallen into the routine and was behaving in a respectable manner.

One day Callie overheard Luke talking about a baseball game with his friends. She decided to take Moon Shadow. That would be the perfect place to follow up on Mr. Thompson's advice and expose her horse to the bustle and noise of a crowd. Billie saddled up Star so Moon Shadow would have some moral support, and just before the game was to begin, they walked the horses over to the local park.

There weren't a lot of people, but the kids in the game and the dozen or so onlookers made enough commotion to startle the filly and give her a good dose of what she'd encounter at the busy show grounds. Luke was the loudest of the bunch. Every time he hit a home run, he made sure the entire neighborhood heard about it.

In the beginning, Moon Shadow snorted and bolted about when she heard the cheering of the crowd. Once she gave Callie a good scare when she almost broke loose from her hold. But after a while, when she saw that Star wasn't bothered, Moon Shadow learned to ignore the noise and all the people running around. She became more concerned with outmaneuvering Star for the small dried tufts of bunchgrass that grew in the sandy desert soil outside the baseball diamond.

“I think she's ready,” Billie said as she tugged Star away from the grass and they headed back to Callie's house. “Just two more days, and we'll be at the show!”

Callie swallowed hard. Where had the time gone? “Don't expect any miracles,” she warned her friend. “Right now I'm just hoping to get through this in one piece.”

Billie reached out and booted her with the toe of her riding boot. “Don't talk like that, Cal. You'll be fine.”

Callie pressed her lips in a thin line. She knew her friend was right. She really shouldn't worry.

But when the morning of the show finally arrived, Callie woke with butterflies in her stomach. Her hands shook when she pulled on her old work clothes and boots.

“You're up awfully early,” Mrs. McLean said when Callie cut through the kitchen on her way to the back door. “Not so fast,” her mother added, pointing to the bowl of granola on the table.

Callie held her stomach. “I can't eat a single bite, Mom.”

Mrs. McLean handed her a piece of toast and an orange. “Toast is always good for an upset stomach. You can eat the orange later when you aren't so nervous.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Callie said, grabbing the simple breakfast and bolting out the door. Her father was already at the barn when she arrived.

“I drew a couple of buckets of warm water,” he said, pointing to the corner of the barn. “That light yellow filly picks up every speck of dirt she comes across, and she's already had a good roll this morning.”

Callie tied a hay net to the hitching post so Moon Shadow could eat while she gave her a bath. She scrubbed and rinsed the filly, then toweled her dry. “You're going to stay tied up so you don't roll,” she told Moon Shadow. “You've got to stay totally spotless until after our performance.”

She packed a grooming kit to take to the show and placed it in the backseat of the car. Her parents would drive over and meet her and Billie at the arena. When she was sure she'd packed everything she would need, she went to the house to collect her show clothes. Her mother had her outfit pressed and hanging on her bedroom door, but instead of Jill's old green western show vest, there was a sparkly bright blue vest in its place. “Mom?”

Mrs. McLean poked her head through the open door, smiling. “You've worked so hard with that filly, I figured you needed a really fancy outfit to show off a little to the other competitors.”

“But I never even saw you working on it,” Callie said, running her hand over the sparkles.

Her mother shrugged. “I stay up a lot later than you do.”

Callie ran to her mother and hugged her. “Thanks, Mom,” she whispered. “It's beautiful.”

Mrs. McLean kissed the top of her daughter's head. “Your father and I are really proud of you and what you've done with Moon Shadow,” she said. “When you walk into that show ring today, don't worry about anyone else or their big-deal horses. If you do your very best, you can hold your head up high and be proud of yourself. We're backing you one hundred percent!”

Callie nodded, feeling her throat tighten. It didn't matter that her family lived in a tiny house or that her parents were different from most. They loved and supported her, and she wouldn't trade them for anything!

“You'd better get ready,” her mother said. “Billie will be here any minute now. You two go on ahead, and your father and I will meet you there with your outfit.”

Together Callie and Billie walked Moon Shadow down the road to the show arena.

“Wow,” Billie said when they entered the grounds, “I had no idea there would be this many people here.”

Callie fought the butterflies taking flight in her stomach again. “I guess it's so crowded because it's an All-Breeds show,” she said. “Any breed can enter any class. And that's a good thing, or I wouldn't be able to show Moon Shadow here today.” She wondered how many competitors would be in her class.

They found a hitching post at the back of the lot near where all the trailers were parked and tied the horse to it. “Could you wait here with Moon Shadow while I go change my clothes and get my competition number?” Callie asked.

Billie nodded. “Here come your parents now. I'll hang the hay net so Moon Shadow will have something to keep her occupied. She's been pretty mellow so far, but we don't want her acting up.”

Callie changed quickly in the backseat of her parents' car. The outfit was perfect—especially the new vest that her mother had sewn for her. She pulled on her polished boots and ran to the show office. Her class would be one of the first ones in the ring. She didn't have much time. As she stepped into the registration office, several heads turned to look at her. She recognized a couple of kids from her school. They smiled and waved at her and she returned the gesture, but she frowned when she saw Luke watching her from the corner.

“What're
you
doing here?” he said.

The comment took Callie by surprise. “You were the one who gave me the show entry form, remember?”

“Yeah,” Luke scoffed, “but I didn't think you'd use it. Who in their right mind would enter a mustang in a show with registered stock?”

Callie refused to let Luke know that his comments hurt her. “I'm in the twelve-to-sixteen halter class,” she said, forcing a smile.

He laughed in disbelief. “Yeah, right. Sure you are.”

But when Callie picked up her number and headed out the door, she noticed that he wasn't laughing any more.

When Callie got back to Billie and Moon Shadow, the little mustang was standing quietly, eating her hay. Callie pulled her old shirt on over her new outfit to keep it from getting dirty, and ran a quick brush over the filly's coat. She followed up with a clean towel to get the last specks of dust. “Can you wait with Moon Shadow one more time?” she asked Billie. “I need to go wet this towel so I can wash off her muzzle before we go into the arena.”

“Okay, but hurry. Your parents already went to find a seat in the bleachers. I think Justin's with them.”

Knowing that Justin would be in the stands watching didn't do anything to calm Callie's nerves. She ran to the washroom and took several deep, calming breaths while she held the towel under the faucet.