Chapter 18
Molly had exercised Ginger more than her share of the rotation for the first three weeks in July.
On the days she didn’t, she stopped by her stall.
She liked talking to her like she’d done with Jo.
There wasn’t anything she couldn’t share with Jo.
Jo was her best friend, her therapist, and her riding partner.
Ginger wasn’t like that, but the conversations sounded the same.
“Hey girl, we’re not riding today, but I thought I’d see how you’re doing.
You’re only here for another week or two.
We’re really going to miss you, but it looks like you’re going to be a special present for a very lucky girl.
We’re excited for you. And you’ve inspired me to start looking for a new horse. ”
On the days she did get to exercise her, it was a work of joy: a powerful, young horse with agility and good training.
There were skills Molly wanted to develop, and she did the best with the short time she had, but it was pure pleasure riding an exceptional animal that moved with speed and grace. Molly was ready to get her own horse.
Molly was going to miss her, but was resolved to enjoy the time they’d had, thinking about that day her father had surprised her with Jo.
Was that the happiest day of her life?
Ginger was on the schedule for five more days, and Molly noticed that Silas had booked her for three of them. She filed that under buttering up the owner. He had some serious budget requests in the mix.
“You’ve got me booked for three of Ginger’s final days. You sucking up to the owner?”
“Maybe I’m not as dumb as I look. You going to miss her?”
“I’ve really enjoyed having her here. It actually helps knowing that some girl is about to have the best day of her life.”
Silas didn’t say anything to that. That was unlike Silas. He had something to say for everything. They were at the corral. She could tell his mind was working something over.
“What’s up?”
“Why do you ask?”
“You’ve got something to tell me, and it feels like bad news. Is that why you’re loading me up with Ginger? Prepping me for bad news?”
Silas hesitated, then said, “It’s just that I don’t like lying to you.”
Molly felt her heart skip a beat. Silas didn’t lie. He just didn’t. He’d never lie to her. What was going on? She looked at him. He had a grim face and wouldn’t look at her.
“What have you been lying to me about?”
Silas couldn’t bring himself to say anything. She could see he was trying to get the words out.
“Silas. Right now. Out with it. What’s going on? Are the stables having financial troubles that you haven’t told me about?”
Silas couldn’t look at her, but said, “I’ve been lying about Ginger.”
“What about Ginger? Is she sick? Is the owner going to put her down?”
“If she were available, would you be interested in her?”
“I’d buy her in a minute.”
“She’s not for sale.”
“SILAS! What is going on?”
Silas kept her in suspense, then said, “If you want her, she’s yours.”
Molly was dumfounded. Nothing was making sense. Silas was lying to her. He was too nervous to tell her something he needed to tell her.
“Huh?”
“If you want her, she’s yours.”
“Okay, Silas. Enough with the games. What’s going on?”
“Bart bought her for you. She’s a gift from Bart if you want her.”
Molly almost fell down. Her heart was pounding and her head was spinning. Huh?
“Bart wanted to put her in the exercise program to see if you might be interested. If you weren’t, my instructions were to sell her at the end of the month. If you were, he wanted me to let you know she’s yours.”
Molly didn’t even know where to start.
“Does Bart know Ginger?”
“No, he’s never seen Ginger.”
“SILAS!! Stop it right now. What the Hell is going on?”
Molly watched as Silas was gathering his thoughts. “I think it goes like this. But most of this is second hand. I might not have it all right. Bart can tell you the whole story when he comes out.”
Molly was looking at Silas in disbelief. He couldn’t look back at her. He was looking over the top of the corral at the North Cascades in the distance.
“Bart knew Jo was in her final days and that you’d soon be looking for a horse. He asked Kitty and me to start looking around for you.”
“You know Kitty?”
“We’ve been in touch.”
“Oh, good grief. Okay, go on.”
“Kitty found Ginger, and Bart authorized the buy on his last visit. Kitty arranged shipment through Charlie to Summer’s End.”
“So Charlie was in on it from the get go.”
“Yes, you can disregard everything Charlie told you. All bold-faced lies.”
“Except that part of it was right. Instead of a rich man buying Ginger as a surprise for his daughter, it was Bart buying Ginger as a surprise for me.”
“Yes. Did you fall for it?”
“Hook, line, and sinker. How’d Kitty know I’d fall for Ginger?”
Molly knew the answer to that before the words were out of her mouth.
“Can you imagine any horsewoman who wouldn’t fall in love with that horse?”
“No.”
“Have you seen Becky around her?”
“Yeah, she’s got it bad too.”
“Ginger was a pretty safe bet for you.”
“So she’s my horse. Just like that?”
“Yup.”
“A gift from Bart?”
“Yup.”
A silence fell over the conversation.
“Is there anything else I need to know?”
“Kitty and Bart have the rest of the story, but you’ll have to pry that out of them.”
Molly went straight to Ginger’s stall, wrapped her arms around her horse’s neck, and wept. Was it the second happiest day in her life?
Not just because she wanted Ginger. How about Bart and Kitty orchestrating the whole thing without leaking a single clue?
Kitty would know any barrel racer would kill to have a horse like Ginger.
Bart knew he could rely on his sister to pick the right horse.
And Bart, Silas, and Kitty had gone to great lengths to create the goofy story and keep the lid on.
If she hadn’t fallen for Ginger, Silas would be selling her to the highest bidder next week.
“Well, girl, it looks like we have some riding to do. I hope you’re half as happy with your new partner as I am with mine. You’re so beautiful, and I’m going to be so good to you. We’re going to have the best times ever.”
Molly couldn’t take her hands off Ginger.
Sitting in an Adirondack that night with a beer, Molly was watching the pups run all over the place. They were growing so fast. Every day they had new skills and were up to new trouble. They were so astonishingly cute right now. And Shadow was constantly busy, feeding, herding, and grooming.
But her head was still spinning. Ginger was her new horse.
She was just realizing the impossibly good timing.
She’d ride her with the former queens in the Stampede parade.
Maybe she’d join the Queen’s Ride at the rodeo opening.
She’d certainly ride her in the Stampede Relay Race at the fairgrounds.
Well, crap, she’d ride her every day for the next twenty years unless one of them croaked.
Molly took a long, deep drink and drained the cold beer she’d just started. Might as well enjoy the second happiest day of her life while she pondered special ways to say thank you to Bart.
What she did to him in the shower was nothing compared to the erotic fantasies that were now flooding her mind.
The next morning in her office, she pulled up her email and composed a note to Kitty.
Good morning Kitty,
The happiest day of my life was my eighteenth birthday when my dad surprised me with Jo.
The second happiest day of my life was yesterday when Silas told me that Ginger is a present from Bart.
I’m sure you can picture the scene after that. My arms wrapped around Ginger’s neck bawling my guts out. I know barrel racers don’t cry, but I also know there’s an exception to that rule when being gifted a horse like Ginger.
Honestly, she’s so beautiful I can’t take my eyes off her.
And to think that you and Bart and Silas cooked up this preposterous tale about a rich guy in Oregon buying her for his daughter’s sixteenth birthday and hiding her at Summer’s End. Honestly, I suckered for that story so bad because it’s exactly what my dad did for me with Jo.
Anyway, I know there’s more to the story, and you know I need to hear it. So write me a note, or be prepared to tell me over drinks at Summer’s End.
Honestly, I’m so happy this morning, I’m completely numb.
And I’ll never be able to adequately thank you for the role you played in all this.
Appreciatively,
Molly
An hour later, a short note pinged in from Kitty.
Dear Molly,
Thank you for your thoughtful note.
Ginger is a beautiful horse, and I know you’ll have many good years together. It makes me happy having played a small part in getting the two of you together.
And yes, there is more to the story, but that will have to wait for Summer’s End.
When you get a chance, shoot me a note about how you see the Stampede Weekend playing out.
Give my regards to Ginger.
Kitty
Molly’s thoughts were now exclusively on Stampede weekend. There was so much to plan for that she needed to get started.
She firmed up leaving Shadow and the pups with the professional trainer for the entire week, and made arrangements to bring the pups to the Saturday night barbeque at the cabin. Getting the pups out of her hair for that week was critical. She was going to be slammed every day.
She told her managers that she’d be around but that she was going to be distracted that week with Bart’s family.
She asked them to take full control of their businesses and manage whatever problems arose without a need to consult her.
She had strong managers who considered that good news.
She checked with Silas to see when Bart had reserved time at the stables for Beryl.
She was pleased to learn he’d booked a stall from Wednesday to Monday.
Perfect. She was going to need all the help she could get with his family there.