Storm Chaser (14 page)

Good,
Jessica thought. She'd had enough of Ariel. And she had a feeling everyone else was getting fed up, too.

FOURTEEN

They started their morning trip at a walk so the less experienced riders could get used to traveling on horseback and the horses could get used to the ATVs. Halfway through the ride to the lake, Jessica finally relaxed enough to move with the rocking motion of Chase's steps. They even trotted for a while, and the filly behaved perfectly. Jessica felt confident enough that she began to point out various wildflowers—like bright red Indian paintbrush, big yellow balsamroot, and tiny white phlox—to their guests.

“I can't believe that all of this is out here,” Sheri said. “From the road it just looks like a bunch of sagebrush and sand. Who would have thought all this really cool stuff was here?”

Marybeth turned in the saddle. “Just wait until you see the lake. You'd never know it's there, either. You come up over the rise in the mountain, and there it is, right in the middle of the desert.”

Ariel trotted up beside Duncan. His gelding pinned his ears in warning, and Raven sidestepped away. “Whoa, that's one grouchy horse,” she said.

He reined in the gelding, allowing Ariel to ride up beside him and Jessica. “Sorry about that.”

Ariel shrugged. “No problem.” She lifted her hair off her neck. “It sure is hot here. I hope I've got enough sunscreen on.” They rode in silence for a bit, until Ariel spoke again. “I wanted to go to Hawaii for vacation, but the rest of my family wanted to come here. I mean…I love horseback riding and all, and this place is okay, I guess. But it's just a bunch of gnarly old sagebrush and tons of sand with no beach. What's so great about that?”

Jessica raised an eyebrow. She didn't know much about boys, but telling them you didn't like the things they liked didn't seem like a very good way to flirt.

Duncan shrugged. “I've never been to Hawaii. Surfing would probably be pretty cool. But nothing compares to riding out across the desert in the middle of a storm.”

Lainey stood in the saddle to stretch her legs. Her horse took that as a cue to go faster and broke into a trot, sitting her back in the saddle. Lainey laughed and grabbed a handful of mane, pulling her horse back to a walk. When she had the mare under control, she rode up beside Jessica. “That sure is a beautiful paint horse. Is she yours?”

Jessica shook her head. “I wish. But no, she's for sale. My family buys some horses from the reservation every year, and Duncan and our dad break them and sell them. Ranchers all over Nevada and northern California have bought our horses.”

“She sure is pretty,” Michael hollered from the ATV, “and smart, too.” The boys were riding twenty feet away from the horses so they wouldn't spook them. But by now all the horses were used to the noise. “I can't believe your brother just broke her. That's awesome.”

“Jessica did most of the work,” Duncan said. “I had the easy part. All I had to do was climb on her back and go.”

Jessica beamed with pride.

“How much farther to the lake?” Ariel asked.

“Not far,” Marybeth said. “Just over this next hill. She squeezed Daisy's sides and cantered up the hill. “Last one there is a rotten egg!”

Jessica held on tight as Storm Chaser reacted to the Appaloosa's quick takeoff. The other kids, even Ariel, whooped and hollered up the hill. Duncan pulled the lead rope tight when Chase tossed her head and attempted to go with them.

“Hang on, Jess! Don't let her jump out from under you.”

Jessica grabbed ahold of the mane and settled deep in the saddle as Chase hopped around. Once the filly figured out she couldn't go anywhere, she finally calmed down.

“Are you okay?” Duncan asked.

Jessica nodded.

“You never want to let yourself fall asleep on a young horse.” He slacked off on the lead rope and let it out to a normal length. “They can jump out from under you quicker than a zephyr wind coming down the mountain.”

Jessica let her breathing settle back to normal and tried to steady her nerves. “Can we try trotting up the hill?”

Duncan nodded and smooched the horses into a slow trot. Jessica gathered her reins just enough so she could feel Chase's mouth and leaned forward slightly to make it easier for Chase to get up the hill.

A few minutes later they reached the lake and found the others' horses tied to the hitching line. The kids were already pulling off riding clothes and heading into the water in their bathing suits to play with a big blow-up beach ball that Marybeth had brought.

Ariel stood at the edge of the lake. “A beach ball? What is this, the third-grade picnic?”

Marybeth halted in midthrow, looking dejectedly toward the older girl. Jessica felt sorry for her.

“Oh, come on, Ari,” Michael said. “We're going to play water volleyball. Get in here and play.”

“All right.” Ariel kicked off her shoes and stepped into the water in her bathing suit top and shorts.

Jessica didn't miss the way Duncan's eyes swung to the beautiful girl. Ariel didn't miss it either. She laughed and called out, “Who wants to be on my team? I've got dibs on Mark and Melissa.”

“Lainey, Sheri, Monica, you're with me,” Michael said. “We'll smoke those guys.”

“We need one more person for my team,” Ariel said.

She looked briefly in Jessica's direction, but her gaze quickly swept past and landed on Duncan. She tossed the beach ball at him. “How about you?”

Duncan caught the ball and handed it to Jessica. “Jess can take my place. Marybeth and I are going to go jump off the tire swing.”

Marybeth squealed in delight. She always loved playing on the tire swing with Duncan because he could push her a lot higher than Jessica could.

“What's with your brother?” Ariel asked when Jessica swam up beside her.

Jessica shrugged. “That's just the way he is. Duncan is even shy around his friends. Until he gets to know you, he really clams up.”

Ariel took the ball and batted it to Sheri on the other side. “Well, we're going to be here a few more days. He'll know me by then.”

Jessica shrugged. “You never know about Dunce.”

“Dunce?” Lainey laughed. “Great nickname. I hope he doesn't live up to it.”

Jessica tilted her head to look at Duncan playing on the tire swing with Marybeth. “Actually, he's super smart, so it doesn't really fit him.”

“Let's get this game going!” Michael gave the ball a big toss and it bounced off David's head. The other boy laughed and swam for the ball, returning it with a big swat.

They messed around with the beach ball for another half hour, then everyone headed to the tire swing. Duncan went to check the horses.

“Your brother is so cool,” Monica said.

“Yeah, he's not bad—for a brother.” Jessica watched as Ariel swung high over the lake's surface and executed a perfect dive off the tire to show off. Jessica wished she had the kind of confidence that Ariel had. Maybe then she wouldn't be so quiet around Wyatt. She noticed Duncan watching Ariel as she swam in the lake.

They swam for a while longer, then waded out of the water, ready for something to eat.

Marybeth handed out the drinks while Jessica passed out sandwiches and apples. Monica and Sheri started a food fight, but with only one sandwich apiece, it didn't last long. The squirrels and birds would make sure the mess got cleaned up after they were gone.

“This is fun!” Marybeth said. “It's like being in school with so many kids around.”

“Ha!” Ariel scoffed. “There's nothing fun about school.”

“Hey, guys, it's time to head back,” Duncan called, checking his watch. “There are games scheduled in about two hours and it'll take us an hour to get back to the ranch. My mom's getting some hamburgers and hotdogs ready for later.”

Jessica laughed. “Yeah, after we wrecked all those sandwiches, there's going to be a lot of hungry people at dinner.”

Everyone took one last dip in the lake and waded from the water, laughing and joking. They dried off quickly in the hot Nevada sun and slipped into their shorts, shirts, and shoes. Then they mounted the horses and started up the ATVs for the ride back to the ranch.

Ariel rode beside Jessica and Duncan, trying to coax Duncan into conversation. Jessica felt totally left out. Even though Ariel was so snobby, part of Jessica couldn't help wanting to be friends with her. Maybe Ariel was nice when you got to know her. It seemed like she was trying really hard to impress everyone.

Duncan gave their father a nod when they rode into the stable yard. “Jess and Chase both did great,” he reported. “I think if we keep Jess on the towline for a few more trips, and I ride Chase in between, Jess'll be able to go on her own by the end of the week.”

Jessica couldn't help but grin. She was going to ride Chase again—and soon all by herself!

A soft tapping on the back door woke Jessica from her nap in the living room. It had been a long day filled with swimming, games, and too much to eat. After dinner she'd planned to lie down on the couch for just a few minutes, but a quick look at the clock showed she'd slept for almost an hour. Marybeth would be over in a little bit to watch their favorite TV show. They'd played horseshoes after their swim today, but there were no scheduled activities for the evening. The vacationers were free to do as they pleased.

The knock came again and Jessica swung her legs over the side of the couch. It had to be one of the guests. She walked to the door and was surprised to see Ariel standing there with a smile on her face.

“Uh…hi,” Jessica stammered. “Do you need something?”

“No,” Ariel said. “I'm just kind of bored and thought I'd come see what you were doing.”

Jessica was dumbfounded. So far, Ariel hadn't shown much interest in being friends. Maybe she'd changed her mind?

“So can I come in?” Ariel asked.

Before Jessica even had a chance to nod, the girl squeezed her way through the door. “Do you have anything cold to drink, like a Diet Coke or something?”

“Sure.” Jessica led the way to the kitchen and poured Ariel a soda. The tall blonde girl chitchatted as she roamed around the room, picking up saltshakers and sugar bowls and opening cupboards to see what was inside. Jessica knew her mother would have a fit if she ever did that while visiting someone else's house.

“Where's your brother?” Ariel asked. “I haven't seen him since we went to the lake this morning.”

Now Jessica knew why Ariel was hanging around there. “He's out working on the tractor. We'll be cutting hay soon, so he's making sure everything works right and is ready to go. We lost our whole hay supply in the barn fire. We've got to get this load in the barn or we'll be in for major trouble this winter.”

Ariel pulled out a chair and sat down. “At least it's a good thing that barn is getting a roof put on. I saw your dad and someone else up there working on it today.”

Jessica nodded, wondering why Ariel didn't leave now that she knew Duncan wasn't here. But this might be a chance to get to know her better. They could definitely talk about horses. Jessica admired the girl's horsemanship—although she didn't always agree with the way she treated Raven.

Before Jessica could say anything, Ariel finished her drink and set the glass on the table. “Want to go for a ride with me and Raven in about a half-hour?”

“Sure!” Jessica blurted out. She wished she could ride Chase, but she knew her dad would make her take one of the horses they'd borrowed from the Lightfoots.

“Great,” Ariel said, making her way to the door. “Hey, I might even let you ride Raven for a while. We could change horses on the trail.”

Jessica's head spun. She'd never been on a fancy Warm-blood before. Raven was a breed of horse that you saw competing in the Olympics. Rusty was a fun ride, but he was a grade horse, with no pedigree or registration papers. The other horses at Wild Hawk Ranch were quarter horses—a great breed, but definitely not in the same category as Raven.

“Sounds great,” Jessica said. Then she remembered Marybeth.

“What's the matter?” Ariel stopped with her hand on the doorknob.

“I forgot that Marybeth is coming over pretty soon. Is it okay if she goes with us?”

Ariel wrinkled her nose. “I really don't want a little kid tagging along. Can't you call her and tell her to stay home?”

Jessica hesitated. She didn't want to un-invite her friend. But she really wanted a chance to ride Raven. Nobody around had a horse like that. She might not ever get a chance like this again. Marybeth would understand. “Okay,” she said.

“Good. Then I'll see you in half an hour.” Ariel grabbed a cookie from a plate on the counter and left.

Jessica picked up the phone and dialed Marybeth's house. She didn't feel good about doing this, but…she did want to go with Ariel.

By the time Marybeth's phone rang a second time, Jessica felt totally guilty for dumping her friend. She almost hung up, but Marybeth's cheerful voice answered.

“Hello?”

“Um…hi,” Jessica stammered as she racked her brain for something to say that wouldn't be a lie. She didn't want to fib to Marybeth.

“I just came in from saddling Daisy,” her friend said. “I'll be over in a few minutes.”

Jessica shifted her weight and moved the phone to the other ear. “That's what I wanted to talk to you about…uh…I've got something else that I have to do, so I won't be able to watch TV.”
At least that part is true,
Jessica thought. She was definitely doing something else. “I'll just see you here tomorrow, okay? I think we're playing horseshoes again after lunch.”

“Oh.” Marybeth sounded disappointed. “Well, I guess I'll just ride around here by myself for a while, then. No sense wasting a saddled horse.”