A Horse for Mandy
(Chapter 2)
"What do you mean?" Mandy asked. She felt her cheeks become flushed with anger.
"Oh, nothing," Laura shrugged. "She seems so much smaller than Diablo."
"Well, she is a lot smaller than Diablo," said Mandy. "Pasos only stand about thirteen to fifteen hands high."
Laura eyed Solana, mentally measuring the distance between the ground and the top of her shoulders. "I guess she's less than fourteen hands," she said. "Diablo measures in at sixteen."
"Do you want to ride with me?" Mandy asked, changing the subject.
"Sure. Let me saddle up."
Mandy watched Laura trudge off toward Diablo's stall. Mandy still felt a little hurt by Laura would be thrilled that Mandy had her own horse. Why would Laura act this way? Mandy wondered. She again turned the problem over and over in her mind.
Mandy remembered all the summers she and Laura had groomed Diablo together, preparing him for the fall circuit shows. And she remembered how proud she had felt whenever they had brought home the coveted blue ribbons. She also remembered how tall Laura sat on Diablo in the shows...how smoothly he went through his classic gaits...how thrilled she felt whenever the judges called out Diablo's name as Best in Show.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Laura riding up on the big red-gold stallion. He snorted and pawed the ground restlessly. Solana responded with her own soft whinny.
Laura looked good sitting high in her Plantation saddle. Mandy felt a little dwarfed on Solana's bare back. But she clucked loudly and the little Paso Fino responded at once.
Together the two girls rode their horses around the Callahan's front yard. The Walker shifted into his distinctive running walk and the Paso into her smooth flowing gait. Mandy felt her spirits soaring. She was certain that this was the happiest moment of her whole life. She was riding her own horse, chasing the wind through a sunlit June afternoon.
When they finally reined in their mounts, Mandy turned excitedly to Laura. "Isn't this wonderful?" Mandy asked.
But Laura seemed distant. "Of course," she said. Yet Mandy couldn't help but sense that something was wrong.
"Listen," said Laura, "meet me back at the house in a few minutes." She dug her heels into Diablo's side and galloped off. Mandy felt bewildered and hurt.
Later, back at Solana's stall, Mandy groomed her horse expertly. But she couldn't keep her mind off her friend. She brushed Solana's buttercolored coat, untangled her black mane, and mulled over her own thoughts.
She had been Laura's friend since third grade. That was when her father first began practicing in Devonshire and became the veterinarian at the Callahan Stables. Oh, she remembered how unpopular Laura had been at school.
"Snotty." That was what most of the other girls had called Laura Callahan. She was a loner--keeping to herself, her nose in a book. At first Mandy had thought she was just shy. But later she realized that Laura chose not to be a part of the crowd that giggled and whispered together in the lunchroom.
Then, during that first summer, Mandy went with her father to the Callahan Stables. She got to know Laura better. their mutual love of horses brought them together. They rode and groomed and fussed over all kinds of horses. Mandy realized Laura wanted to ride great show animals and collect trophies and ribbons.
When Laura was in the fourth grade, her parents gave her Diablo, a show-winning Tennessee Walker. What fun the two girls had had with him! Laurahad never minded sharing her horse with Mandy. She even encouraged her friend to ride him.
That was why Laura's behavior this morning had been baffling to Mandy. didn't Laura know that now they could have more fun than ever? They could ride together without having to take turns. They could go off on picnics, each on her own horse.
She brushed and brushed Solana's coat until it gleamed.
"You're going to brush the fur right off her, if you're not careful." A deep masculine voice startled her. She jumped and dropped the grooming brush.
Mandy whirled around and looked into the bluest eyes she's ever seen. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you, "My name is David Mannington. Who are you?"
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