No Time for Horses (4 page)

“I think all of it is totally great,” Robin
said. “A real job and money is fab. I love mine. Washing cars for
Brenna is amazing, but I don’t see your mom going for it. Who would
she get to take care of the kids? How are we going to make this
happen?”

“What do you mean, ‘we’? It’s my
problem.”

“No, it’s ours,” Robin said. “We’ve been
together since kindergarten. Olivia was majorly pissed when you
left today. I had to grab her arm so she wouldn’t charge after your
mom and kick her ‘mean old-lady butt.’ And Cedar and Kanisha were
ready to give Olivia all the back-up she needed.”

I laughed. “I’ll have to be nicer to them.
That’s incredible. I think I’ll start by talking to Dr. Danvers
tomorrow and make sure that a job at Shamrock doesn’t mess up my
internship. When I go to counseling with my family on Thursday
night, I’ll bring up the job during the session. Mom always
complains about never having enough money when we’re there.”

“Sounds good.”

We sniveled about homework for a while and
then I turned off my phone. I was in the middle of my pizza and
algebra when I realized I hadn’t asked to talk to Jack. Oh well.
Robin would let him know I called, and for once, it hadn’t been to
whine at my poor boyfriend. He never quite knew what to tell me
when my life was in the proverbial toilet. He was always great
about listening, but it was tough for him. He wanted to slay all
the dragons for me. How could he when they were members of my
family?

* * * *

Wednesday, November 13th, 6:00 a.m.

The next morning I woke up late…well, it was
late for me. Normally, I had to be up by five to get the kids up,
dressed, and fed so we could leave by quarter to seven and walk to
the daycare. I’d drop them off and run for Lincoln High. Today, I
wasn’t doing it. Let Mom handle them.

I took another hot shower and dried my hair.
I put on my blue cheer skirt and sweater and tied blue and gold
ribbons in my French braid. I had plenty of time to do my make-up.
When I glanced at my watch, it was six-forty, time to go. I paused
long enough to fold up the bed and pile up the throw pillows on the
couch. I collected my completed homework and tucked the pages in
the copy of
Winds of Fate
, one of my all-time faves by
Mercedes Lackey. I needed the novel for SSR Wednesday in Mrs.
Weaver’s class.

There was a knock on the door to the
upstairs. “Who is it?”

“Me. Kevin. Are you coming up for
breakfast?”

“Sorry.” I walked over, unlocked the door,
and looked down at the demon child still in his pajamas. “You’ll
have to get somebody else to mop up the milk you spilled on the
floor, sweep up the toaster crumbs, and wipe down the slimy walls
from where you threw a raw egg at Cathy. I have to go to
school.”

“I didn’t make a mess this time,” Kevin said.
“Mom’s making breakfast. Real waffles, and yours is ready.”

“That’s different.” I closed the door behind
me and headed up the stairs. “Too bad I don’t have time to eat
it.”

When I reached the kitchen, Linda was setting
the table. Lance ferried supplies back and forth for Cathy who
packed lunches. Chrissy was in her high chair with a sippie cup of
apple juice.

Mom measured batter into the waffle iron. She
smiled at me. “Good morning, Vicky.”

“Hey.” I went into the pantry to the washer
and dryer. Surprise of surprise, my jeans were neatly folded on the
top of my clean laundry. How had that happened? I’d switched the
load to the dryer yesterday morning, but I forgot to finish it last
night, thanks to Mom’s fit. I picked up my clean Levis, added a
pair of boot socks, my Shamrock Stable T-shirt, and a sweatshirt.
Carrying my riding outfit, I returned to the kitchen. “How are
you?”

“Fine.” Mom pointed to the waffle steaming on
a plate at the table. “Your breakfast is ready.”

I glanced at the clock. Six-fifty. “Sorry.
Gotta go. It takes me a half hour to walk to school, and I don’t
want to be late.”

“I thought you rode with Jack.”

I shook my head. “No. Him taking me to school
ended last May. He can’t get all the kids in his pickup. You know
that we walk every day.” I shrugged like I didn’t care, although I
missed the time with him, not that I’d ever share the info with
her. “Anyway, I really don’t have time for a boyfriend
anymore.”

“But, didn’t you go with him to Homecoming?”
Mom asked, still staring like I was a stranger in her house.

“No thanks to you or Dad,” I said. “You
called me at school and said I couldn’t cheer at the game. Dad
refused to pick up the kids. When I tried to explain that
Homecoming was a big deal for us and the school, both of you said I
should break up with Jack, like he had anything to do with me being
a cheerleader.”

“You arranged for the kids to be dropped off
at your dad’s work,” Mom said. “It was very stressful for all of
us.”

“And again, what does that have to do with
me? I did what you said I had to do. I always do what you say I
have to do. I told Jack that you and Dad want us to break up.” I
stuffed my clothes into a cloth grocery bag, dropping my book and
purse on top. “Gotta go. See you tonight after my internship.”

Mom followed me to the hall door. “Honey, I
like Jack. I don’t want you telling everyone in town that we want
you to break up because…”

“Look, if I can’t be on the cheer squad or
Sophomore Class Prez, how can I have time for a guy?” I opened the
closet door, grabbed Jack’s letterman jacket, and slung it around
my shoulders. “It caused World War Three around here when he took
me to Homecoming. You and Dad had a big fight because I spent
Saturday with my friends to prep for the dance instead of
babysitting. It wasn’t fair because the kids are supposed to be
with Dad both days on the weekend and he is supposed to pick them
up at school on Fridays, but what else is new? Life isn’t fair. You
better go watch your waffle before it burns.”

I was out of the house and down the steps to
the sidewalk before she came up with an answer. Okay, so I was
still being snarky and lying to my mother. No, Jack and I weren’t
breaking up. Regardless of what I’d said to her, I hadn’t even
talked about it with him. He’d pretty much stopped coming to the
house when she was there. He wasn’t the kind of guy who’d put up
with her screaming at me.

As I hurried toward the corner, I fished out
my phone and texted him. He answered almost immediately. By the
time I made the corner near Safeway, he was waiting in the parking
lot. He waved, and I jogged to him.

He picked me up, swung me around, and kissed
me. I laced my arms around his neck, sliding my fingers into his
night-dark hair. A heartbeat later, it was my turn to kiss him.
Fireworks sparkled inside me. I could kiss him forever.

He finally lifted his head. “So, what did you
do with the munchkins?”

“My mom’s pissed at me. She’s looking after
them today.”

“All right!” Jack ushered me to his truck and
ceremoniously opened the door. “So, how long are you going to keep
this up?”

“Days, I hope!”

As he drove us to school with a brief stop at
the neighborhood espresso stand for coffee, I told him about Tom’s
idea of paying rent and what Rocky said about a barn manager job.
“I’d have more time for a life if I worked at Shamrock.”

“I could take you there after school most of
the time since our practices end at the same time.” Jack signaled
for the turn and pulled into the student parking lot at Lincoln
High. “Let me know when the job starts.”

“I will,” I said, sipping my latte.

* * * *

Wednesday, November 13th, 2:15 p.m.

I had a great day at school. Everybody was
nice to me. Olivia hung out with me after the assembly, and nobody
said a word about Mom’s raging fit. At the end of the day, I
changed from my cheer uniform to riding clothes and then hustled
out to the parking lot to meet Jack. Robin was already at the truck
when I arrived.

I slipped into the middle of the bench seat,
and she sat on the other side of me next to the door. Jack slid the
key in the ignition. He grinned at me. “Want a burger on the way to
your lesson?”

“I’m fine,” I said. “After I work with
Aladdin, I definitely want one.”

“Sounds like a great idea,” Robin said. “Ride
first, then food.”

My phone went off and she grabbed my purse
off the floor and handed it to me. “Who can that be? We’re all
here.”

“I have no idea.” I glanced at the tiny
screen. “My dad. What does he want?” There was only one way to find
out, so I answered. “Hello.”

“Hi, honey. How are you?”

“Fine,” I said. “I’m on my way to do my
internship. What’s up?”

“Oh, is that today? I forgot.”

“It’s every Wednesday until June.” I said.
“What’s going on? Do you have time to come see me ride?”

“No. And to be honest with you, there’s no
way you can go to the barn today. You need to pick up the kids at
school. I can’t get off work to do it.”

“What?” I gaped at the phone. “No way, Dad.
If I don’t do my internship, then I fail three classes. I know you
and Mom say that you don’t want me to drop out or get kicked out of
high school.”

“Of course, we don’t.” He took a deep breath.
“What would happen if you were sick?”

“I’m not sick,” I told him. “Why didn’t you
call me back yesterday? I needed you to get the kids
then
so
I could do the food drive.”

“I was busy,” Dad said. “And taking care of
the kids is your responsibility on weekdays.”

I nearly asked him why I had to do it when he
was their father. I changed my mind. It would just turn into a big
fight, and I had better things to do today. I wasn’t about to blow
off my lesson, not when I wanted Rocky to hire me to work at the
stable.

“Sorry, Dad. They’re your kids. You and Mom
made them. I didn’t, and I gotta go.”

Chapter Four

Wednesday,
November 13th, 3:00 p.m.

We made it up to Shamrock Stable in plenty of
time for our lesson. Jack and Robin didn’t say a word about me
switching off my phone or avoiding my dad. I figured he and Mom
would work it out. Either way, they’d have something to complain
about tomorrow when we were all at the counselor’s. I had some
things I planned to say then too. It’d been six months, and I was
through picking up the slack.

As we walked toward the office, Robin asked,
“Sleepover on Friday night?”

“Definitely,” I said. “Count me in. Are you
inviting Sierra?”

“Yeah. You, me, Sierra, Dani, Gwen, and
Porter. I want to invite Olivia, Cedar, and Kanisha too, but I
haven’t gotten Dad past the six-girl limit yet.”

“Keep trying,” I told her. “Remember what
your coach says, ‘Winners never quit and quitters never win.’”

“Yeah, I can so go for that.”

So could I. When we entered the office, Rocky
was talking on the phone. She gave us a little wave before she
returned to her conversation. “Certainly, Mrs. Miller. I’ll call
the school tomorrow and explain to Dr. Danvers and Mr. Schuesser
that Vicky won’t be completing her internship. I’ll ask them to get
the paperwork together so she can quit school and be home all the
time to look after your children. Of course, I wouldn’t want Sierra
to drop out of high school, but mothers have different goals for
their daughters. I want my girls to be able to fulfill their
dreams.”

“What?” My jaw nearly dropped onto the tile
floor. I shook my head. “No way. I’m not leaving Lincoln High.”

“Quiet.” Robin elbowed me and whispered.
“Haven’t you ever seen Rocky train a horse before? She wins when it
thinks it wants to do what she wants it to do.”

Good point
. I clenched my fists and
listened. My instructor and I were the same height, but she could
give me lessons in guts and gumption. Barely five foot three in her
boots and maybe a hundred pounds sopping wet, I’d watched her take
on unruly horses, rude customers, and lazy employees without
backing down.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Rocky said, into the
receiver. “I must have misunderstood. You do want Vicky to
successfully complete her assignment and stay on the Honor
Roll?”

A couple minutes later, the stable owner hung
up the phone. She glanced at me, then at Robin. “Hello, girls. Who
do you want to ride today?”

“Prince Charming,” Robin said immediately. “I
love him to little horsy bits. He’s so good.”

“For a slug.” I took a deep breath. “I have
Aladdin, don’t I?”

Rocky shook her head, concern on her face and
in her green eyes. “Not today, honey. You need an ego boost.
Summertime is waiting for you. Give Aladdin a few carrots so he’ll
know you still like him. You can work him on Saturday.”

“All right.” I choked on the lump in my
throat. “Thanks, Rocky.”

She came around the desk and hugged me. “It
will get better. Like my father used to say when things sucked,
‘This too shall pass.’ We’ll work it out together.”

I nodded. I hugged her back before I grabbed
the handful of carrots Robin gave me. Then, I headed down to the
indoor arena where Summertime waited in his stall. Sixteen hands,
purebred Arabian, he was pure flash with a bright red coat, three
white socks, a blaze, and a golden mane and tail. He pricked up his
ears when he saw me. In the next stall, Aladdin, a classic blood
bay tossed his head and snorted. I split the carrots between the
two of them.

My eyes burned, and I blinked hard. A tear
streaked down my cheek. My life totally stunk. I couldn’t believe
that my mother had called the barn and tried to wreck my
internship,
again
. What was her problem?

I heard footsteps and glanced over my
shoulder in time to see Sierra. Tall, slender with long red hair,
she looked like the giant-sized version of her mother. Her little
sister Autumn trotted along next to her, both of them in jeans,
barn sweatshirts, and boots. They stopped and looked at me.