Maddie’s Dream Page 8

  “The paddocks are a mess,” the barn owner replied. “Make sure you pick up as much manure as you can—even the small chunks—so the flies don’t get bad.”

  After half an hour in the midday heat scraping sun-dried manure off the ground, Maddie was just about ready to call it quits. Her arms had started aching again, and she had manure under her fingernails and dust on her clothes.

  “There—spotless,” she muttered as she tossed one last pile of desiccated manure onto her wheelbarrow. She glanced over the two adjoining paddocks she’d just cleaned, then at the others still waiting. Surely Ms. Emerson didn’t expect her to do all of them, did she?

  After she dumped the wheelbarrow, Maddie left it and the fork by the back door and headed inside. The last of the lesson kids had long since departed, leaving the barn quiet. The shade felt good after the relentless glare of the sun outside, and Maddie paused to enjoy the slight breeze from a nearby stall fan.

  Then she heard noises down by the grooming area. When she glanced that way, her eyes widened. Amber Richardson was leading a fully tacked-up Cloudy toward the side door!

  The older girl didn’t seem to notice Maddie as she disappeared outside. Maddie was so focused on catching up to her that she almost crashed into Filly Richardson as she stepped out of the grooming area.

  “Oh, hi!” Filly said brightly. She was leading another tacked-up pony, a cute little buckskin with a crooked blaze and long eyelashes.

  “What are you doing with Doodle?” Maddie blurted out.

  “I’m taking a lesson on him.” Filly was all smiles as she glanced at the pony. “Amber wanted to ride Cloudy today, so Ms. Emerson said I can ride Doodlebug.” She giggled. “Isn’t that the cutest name?”

  “Definitely.” Maddie stared from Filly to the adorable buckskin pony and back again, her mind clicking into overdrive. Doodlebug was for sale—he belonged to a family whose kids had all outgrown him. The owners were allowing Ms. Emerson to use the sweet, placid, reliable pony for lessons until the right buyer came along.

  Maybe Filly thought she was just riding Doodle in a lesson. But what if Maddie could convince her—and the rest of the family—that he was a much better match for them than Cloudy? Maybe they’d buy Doodle instead!

  “Doodle’s amazing,” Maddie told Filly with a big smile. “You’ll love him. He’s probably the sweetest pony I ever met.”

  “I know. He’s great.” Filly stroked the pony’s velvety nose. “I love him already.”

  “I’m not surprised.” Maddie glanced toward the door. “Hey, do you mind if I watch your lesson? I always like seeing Doodle go. He’s so adorable!”

  “Sure, I don’t mind,” Filly said.

  “Great.” Maddie fell into step beside the younger girl, trying not to let on how excited and nervous she felt. This could be the perfect solution to the Richardson Situation! Maddie wouldn’t have to come up with enough money to buy Cloudy herself—or figure out how to explain the whole deal to her parents. Cloudy could stay right where she belonged, at Solano Stables, and everything could go back to normal.

  When they reached the arena, Mrs. Richardson and Filly’s younger brother were already in the bleachers. Mrs. Richardson was bent over her phone, while Frank was poking at the dry dirt by his feet with a stick.

  Ms. Emerson was in the ring, helping Amber adjust her stirrups. The barn owner raised an eyebrow in surprise when she saw Maddie walking with Filly. “Finished with those paddocks already, Madison?” she asked.

  “Just taking a break.” Maddie smiled her most innocent and hardworking smile. “I’ll finish up after I catch my breath.”

  Ms. Emerson didn’t respond, turning instead toward Filly. “Need any help checking your girth?”

  Soon the sisters were mounted and walking around the ring on their ponies. Maddie leaned against the fence and watched as the lesson began. Amber was already doing better with Cloudy. Mrs. Emerson had to remind her to loosen up her reins a couple of times, but Cloudy didn’t look nearly as annoyed as she had on Amber’s first ride.

  Then there was Filly. It was obvious she’d paid close attention at her first lesson. Her heels were down, her back was straight, and her hands were steady on the reins. More important, she seemed just as delighted to be riding Doodle as she had been on Cloudy.

  “Looking good, Filly,” Maddie called encouragingly as the little buckskin trotted past her on the rail. “You and Doodle look like you’re really getting along.”

  “Thanks!” Filly turned and grinned at her.

  “Eyes forward, Filly,” Ms. Emerson called from the center of the ring as Doodle veered off track, moving so close to the rail that one of Filly’s boots almost hit the next post. “Your pony tends to go where your eyes do, remember?”

  “Sorry!” Filly called out, straightening the pony. “Is this better?”

  The lesson continued. Ms. Emerson had the sisters practice steering around a course of cones, and when Doodle almost stepped on one of them, Maddie couldn’t resist calling out to Filly again: “More inside leg! Good job.”

  This time she noticed Ms. Emerson giving her the evil eye. Oops. She backed away, leaning against the barn wall in the shade to watch the rest of the lesson.

  At the end, Amber begged again to try jumping Cloudy, and this time Ms. Emerson relented. She had the older girl trot up to a crossrail, which the mare cleared with minimal effort.

  “May I try?” Filly called out.

  “I suppose that would be all right,” Ms. Emerson said. “Doodle is a very steady jumper. Just trot him up to the jump, then get in two-point position and grab a handful of mane.”

  “Okay.” Filly looked excited as she turned the pony toward the crossrail. “Trot, Doodle!”

  The steady little buckskin trotted to the jump and hopped over. Filly laughed out loud when she landed.

  “That was fun!” she cried. “Can we do it again?”

  Ms. Emerson smiled. “Maybe next time. I think the ponies have worked hard enough for today. Let’s take them inside and sponge them off, all right?”

  Maddie stepped forward as the two girls led their mounts out of the ring. “I can help untack and bathe the ponies if you want,” she offered.

  Mrs. Richardson joined the group just in time to hear her. “How nice, Maddie,” she said with a smile. “I’m sure the girls appreciate that. Don’t you, girls?”

  “Uh-huh!” Filly said brightly, while Amber just shrugged.

  “So how’d you like Doodle?” Maddie asked the younger sister. “He’s pretty great, huh?”

  “Yeah. Did you see me jump?” Filly beamed. “That was so cool!”

  “Doodle’s an amazing jumper, and he’s perfect for you to learn on.” Maddie glanced at Cloudy. “Some ponies, like Cloudy, can be a little too springy. But Doodle is super-smooth!”

  Amber shrugged again. “I didn’t think Cloudy was that springy. Anyway, Raina and Tommy used to jump her all the time, and they did fine.”

  “Hmm.” Maddie turned back to Filly as they all entered the shade of the overhang by the door. “Anyway, like I was saying, Doodle is a super teacher. If you keep riding him in your lessons, you’ll probably be ready to start entering shows pretty soon.”

  “Really?” Filly’s eyes lit up with interest. “That would be fun.”

  Maddie glanced toward Mrs. Richardson, but the woman wasn’t paying attention anymore. She’d stopped outside to chat with Ms. Emerson. Oh well. Maddie was pretty sure that all she had to do was win Filly over to her side and the enthusiastic younger girl would do the rest. She followed the sisters as they led their ponies to the grooming area.

  “So did Ms. Emerson tell you Doodle’s for sale?” Maddie tried to keep her tone casual. “His owner is looking for the perfect new home for him. If you’re interested, you could ask her about trying him again.”

  “Why would we be interested in that?” Amber’s voice went sharp and wary. “We already have Cloudy.” She shrugged. “Or at least we will have her again, pretty
soon.”

  “I know. I’m just saying that Doodle—” Maddie began.

  Amber didn’t let her finish. “Forget it,” she said flatly. “Cloudy is the only pony for our family. I mean, we’re the ones who picked her out at the pony auction and brought her to California.”

  Maddie was pretty sure Amber had been too young back then to do much of the choosing at that auction, but she didn’t say so. Besides, the older girl had already turned to her sister.

  “I learned to ride on Cloudy, and so did Raina and Tommy, and so will you,” she said fiercely. “She’s better than any other pony.”

  “Okay.” Filly sounded meek. “I was just saying I like Doodle, too.”

  Amber shrugged and glanced at Maddie. “Look, I know you’ve been riding Cloudy a lot, and you probably don’t want us to buy her back,” she said. “But don’t worry, we’ll probably still board her here. Maybe we’ll even let you ride her if we’re ever out of town or something.”

  Maddie could tell that Amber was trying to be nice. For a moment she tried to take comfort in what the older girl was saying. It was better than nothing, right? She’d still be able to see Cloudy, pet her and hug her and give her treats. Maybe even ride her occasionally, though she wasn’t going to hold her breath for that part.

  Suddenly a shout rang out from somewhere down the aisle. “What was that?” Amber looked up from unbuckling the noseband on Cloudy’s bridle.

  Maddie was ready for an excuse to get away from the Richardson girls. “I’d better go see,” she said, hurrying off.

  She found one of the adult boarders glaring at young Frank Richardson. The woman was holding a bridle and shaking it in his general direction. Based on the scolding she was giving the boy, Maddie quickly figured out what had happened. Apparently, Frank had found the boarder’s expensive new bridle hanging by her horse’s stall and had used it to try to lasso the cranky barn cat.

  Mrs. Richardson and Ms. Emerson soon arrived on the scene as well, drawn by the yelling. Maddie sidled away, not really wanting to get involved. Besides, the incident only reminded her of the stories she’d heard about all the barns the Richardsons had been kicked out of before Cloudy came to Solano Stables. Even if the family decided to keep the mare there, who knew how long it would last?

  That made her realize she couldn’t give up. No way. She had to find a way to buy Cloudy herself. No matter what her parents said about it afterward.

  CHAPTER

  10

  [BROOKE] Happy Friday, Maddie! Just checking in to see how Operation Buy Cloudy is going! I hope u have a great day today—let us know how it goes!

  [HALEY] Same here, Mad! I know you can do it—go go go! Get that pony! We’re all thinking of you!

  [NINA] Yeah, what they said! lol. Srsly, Maddie, you’re like the most determined person I know. If anyone can make this work, it’s def. u! Luv ya!

  Maddie smiled as she read over her friends’ messages a second time. Talk about a great way to wake up!

  And she needed a lift that morning. She hadn’t slept well—she kept waking up from weird dreams where Cloudy was trotting away from her and jumping into the surf crashing against the rocks near the Golden Gate Bridge. Maddie kept trying to stop her, knowing it was way too far for a pony to swim from there all the way around the globe back to Assateague. . . .

  “Weird,” she muttered, doing her best to banish the dreams from her thoughts. She didn’t have time to worry about stupid stuff like that right now. Not when she still needed to figure out how to save Cloudy from the Richardsons.

  She hadn’t quite dared talk to Ms. Emerson the day before about buying the mare—not after the incident with Frank Richardson and the fancy bridle. No, Maddie wanted to make sure the barn owner was in the best possible mood when she brought up the subject. With any luck, she could make some more money today—maybe enough for a real down payment. Then she could talk to Ms. Emerson after the Snack & Swim ride, when all of them would be in a great mood.

  Glancing again at her friends’ cheerful, encouraging words on the computer screen, Maddie actually started to believe this could all work out. She hoped so, anyway. At least now she knew if she did lose Cloudy, she still had them. . . .

  “No,” she muttered under her breath. She couldn’t think like that—she couldn’t give up! Cloudy was too important. Maddie had to make it work out, no matter what!

  Logging off the Pony Post site, she headed for the door. She didn’t have soccer practice or riding lessons today. That meant she could spend the entire day out earning money for that down payment.

  By dinnertime, Maddie was feeling discouraged. She’d made the rounds of the neighborhood once more, but just as she’d expected, not as many people had wanted to hire her this time. The Himuras had just returned from their trip and paid her a few dollars to weed and water their lawn, and Mr. Janicek had asked her to take Bosco to the park again. Other than that? Nothing. If things didn’t pick up, it was going to take Maddie forever to earn enough money to buy Cloudy!

  She picked at her food, barely hearing her sister’s chatter about her super-important social plans for the weekend or Ry and Ty’s arguments over who got the bigger pork chop.

  “So, Mads,” her father said, reaching for the salt. “Psyched for the big tryout tomorrow?”

  “I guess.” Maddie tried to sound more enthusiastic than she felt. “Don’t get your hopes up, though, okay? Coach Wu says hardly anyone makes the cut their first time out.”

  Her father reached over and tugged on her hair. “Hardly anyone is as talented as my daughter.”

  Maddie’s mother rolled her eyes. “Way to put pressure on the poor girl!”

  But Maddie could tell her mother was joking. For some reason, she seemed just as excited as Maddie’s dad about this whole Cascade League thing.

  “Get real, Dad,” Tyler said. “It’ll be a miracle if Maddie makes it past the first cut.”

  Ryan looked up from his plate with a grin. “You know what’s a miracle? That Mom and Dad actually convinced her to skip her prancy pony lesson to go to the tryout tomorrow.”

  Tyler snorted with laughter. “Yeah, that’s a miracle all right—I thought they’d have to tie her up and throw her in the trunk of the car to get her away from the ponies! Prancy, prancy, prancy . . .”

  “Whatever.” Tillie speared a lima bean with her fork. “We all knew the horse thing wasn’t going to last forever, right? I mean, this is Maddie we’re talking about.”

  Maddie frowned as the rest of the family laughed. “Shut up,” she told her sister. “I’m not the one who gave up all her other interests to start chasing boys like a pathetic loser.”

  “Maddie, that’s enough!” her mother said sharply. “We’re talking about you right now, not your sister. And you have to admit, you do have a history of being super-gung-ho about things and then giving them up cold turkey.”

  “Not this again,” Maddie muttered. Would they ever get over the judo thing? “Riding’s different.”

  “Okay.” Tillie sounded skeptical. “Anyway, enough about that. Can someone drive me to the mall tomorrow morning?”

  As the conversation wandered away from her, Maddie stared at her plate without really seeing it. Normally, her brothers’ stupid jokes and insults didn’t bother her. But for some reason she couldn’t get Ryan’s comment out of her head. Could he possibly be right? Had she given in too easily when her parents had insisted she skip her lesson to go to that tryout? She didn’t usually defy her parents, but she could be stubborn when she felt strongly enough about something. When they’d packed up to move here from their previous home in Colorado, she’d locked herself in her room for almost an entire day until her parents had promised not to give away her beloved Flexible Flyer just because they were moving to a place where it never snowed.

  But this time, she’d given up her lesson with barely a whimper. Did that mean she didn’t feel as strongly about riding as she thought she did? Maybe it really was all about Cloudy. And now that
she feared Cloudy might not be around much longer, maybe she was already starting to pull away. . . .

  The thought made her feel anxious and uncertain, and she definitely didn’t like feeling that way. Trying to shake it off, Maddie vowed to talk to Ms. Emerson as soon as possible. She’d just tell her the truth—she wanted to buy Cloudy, but she’d need some time to come up with the full amount. Maybe Nina could give her some tips on coming up with a payment plan. Or better yet, she could ask all her Pony Post friends for help—she knew Brooke had saved up to buy both her saddles, and Haley was always budgeting her allowance carefully to pay for her eventing lessons and competitions.

  Having a plan made her feel better. With any luck, she’d be able to present her ideas to Ms. Emerson right after the Snack & Swim.

  “By the way . . .” She spoke up suddenly, interrupting whatever Tillie was saying about her planned shopping spree. “Don’t forget, I’ll be gone all day Sunday at the Snack and Swim ride.”

  “The what?” Tillie wrinkled her nose.

  “The Snack and Swim. It’s a trail ride where we take our ponies swimming.” Maddie felt a shiver of excitement as she thought about it. Lose interest in riding? No way, not her! “It’s going to be a blast,” she added. “I can’t wait!”

  “Awesome job, Maddie!” Coach Wu lifted her hand for a high five as Maddie jogged off the field. “You’re on fire out there!”

  “Thanks,” Maddie said breathlessly.

  The Cascade League tryout was taking place on the playing fields at the local community college. Maddie couldn’t believe how many other kids were there. Some she recognized from the other teams in her league, while others were total strangers. But all of them were good—really good.

  So am I, she reminded herself as she chugged from the water bottle Coach Wu handed her.

  For a second her mind wandered forward in time to what would happen if she made the league. Could she really give up riding for the entire summer?