do the honors. Hadn’t he chosen Marla over Abby and left Abby to face the sympathetic looks and whispers of the community all alone? Old anger reared its head again, triggered by the painful memory of rejection.
A sob tore from her lips and she swore under her breath at her inability to conquer the past. Disgusted, she lugged a box containing plastic spray bottles of waterless cleaner from the storage closet, slammed it down on the table, and counted out a dozen of them. With her eyes squeezed tight against the intruding sting of tears, she made a silent demand. Get out of my head, Bo, and stay away from my heart.
She plopped a stack of paper towels alongside the box and stepped back to make a quick visual check. Everything was in order and ready for the arrival of the twelve boys and girls. With six in each class, she could manage just fine. She was in control and darn well didn’t need Bo Ramsey around to complicate her life. Not now—not ever. But, bitterness still left a nasty aftertaste.
She slid the barn door shut and headed for the house, blocking out her heart’s cry of panic. Salty tears tracked her cheeks and she licked them from her lips. The man from her past might be back in Sweet River, but she refused to acknowledge the possibility that she might feel something besides sympathy for him. Absolutely not. She dashed the back of her hand across her eyes before she reached the kitchen door. Crying was so stupid!
“Breakfast is all ready, kitten.” Buck shoved a hot mat under the coffeepot and set it on the table. “You were already in the barn when I got up, so I figured you’d have chores done before I could get out there. Why didn’t you wake me?”
The delicious aroma of Buck’s dark roast coffee brewing, along with the sizzle of bacon and hotcakes on the griddle, met Abby as she entered the kitchen. The screen door slammed behind her.
“I woke up way too early, Pop. Besides, the hard work was good for me.” She gave him a good-morning kiss on his unshaven cheek and hurried to the bathroom to wash away the grime.
“Mmmmm, the pancakes smell delicious,” she called with forced cheerfulness. “Blueberry’s my favorite.” Hurriedly, she splashed cold water on her face, then pressed a wet washcloth on her eyes to eliminate the telltale redness and hopefully, to relieve her escalating headache.
By the time she returned to the kitchen, all evidence of her sudden, out-of-the-blue crying jag had been washed away. It would never do for Pop to know just how upset she was over Bo’s return. Pop’s health was her number one priority now, right along with keeping the school running in the black. Upsetting him would only add stress, and the doctor had warned her about that. His last checkup had shown a rise in his blood pressure, which surprised Abby, given her father’s even-tempered disposition.
“By the way,” her father said after he sat down. “Marsha called. She can’t help out today. Caleb’s got a tooth that needs to be pulled. With Jan gone to that quarter horse show in San Antonio, we’ll be two helpers short.” He poured syrup over his pancakes.
Abby frowned. “Darn, I hoped with you filling in for Jan, we wouldn’t have a problem. I don’t know who else I can ask on such short notice.” Would there ever be a time when she didn’t have some sort of crisis in her life? Lately it seemed she had to carry her share and everyone else’s, too. Shoot, she was turning into a first-class whiner.
She finished her coffee and pushed away from the table. “I’ll have to start calling around, but I don’t think it will be any use. The first group of kids will be here at nine. It’s after seven now.”
Buck rose and carried his plate to the sink. “What about that Kelly boy? He’s been hanging around the feed store since school got out, looking for work.”
“Does he know anything about horses?” Abby rinsed and stacked the dishes to put in the dishwasher later.
“One way to find out,” Buck said. “Pick up the phone.”
Abby’s headache grew from bitty-sized to mega-magnitude when Karl Kelly said, yep, he could sure use the work, and nope, he didn’t know much about horses but he reckoned he could learn.
She’d felt awful when she told him it was a nonpaying job and even worse when he sighed and said “Oh well, it don’t matter, Miss Abby. Pa’ll get a job one of these days.”
“Well,” Abby said thoughtfully, “I guess we could manage to pay you something.”
The amount she mentioned had Karl bubbling over with gratitude. When she hung up the phone, Abby knew she’d done the right thing. Replacing the dishwasher could wait a while longer. So could her car’s air conditioner.
“Teddie, good morning,” Abby called later from where she waited near the gate to the arena for the morning’s first arrivals. The youngster being led across the yard made no response. “Hello, Caroline.” She acknowledged the child’s mother with a wave.
The young woman returned the wave but the boy hung back, pulling against his mother’s hand. He was shaking his head, clearly not wanting to come any closer. His reluctance tugged at Abby’s heart. Six-year-old Teddie North was one of the first students signed up for the therapeutic riding program, yet his progress was much slower than the other students in his class. Abby was still trying to break through the barrier of his shyness. Trying to win his trust. With both legs recently out of heavy casts, Teddie struggled with his limitations. So far, the only one he trusted besides his mother was the little mare, Star—the one he loved to pet, but refused to ride.
Out of the corner of her eye, Abby saw Buck leading Star out of her stall. She smiled. Pop could always be counted on. Her heart swelled with love and admiration. Without him, her school would still be only a dream. Buck had supported and encouraged her through all the tough times. She would be forever grateful. The children and their needs had pulled her through the loneliness—after Bo. Somehow, Pop had known they would. She’d never blamed her father for their financial problems.
Star whickered and bobbed her head. Buck let her trot to the fence where Teddie and his mother stood on the opposite side. Blowing softly, the little mare pushed at the fence until Teddie poked his hand between the rails. Immediately, Star nudged it, lipping his small finger in a gentle welcome. Teddie’s face lit up, and his childish giggle made Abby smile.
She approached him hesitantly, speaking softly. “Do you think you’d like to try riding her today, Teddie?”
The look of panic on the boy’s face was so pronounced, Abby quickly turned away to hide her disappointment. Every day she hoped for a breakthrough to reach the youngster. Today wasn’t going to be the day, but she refused to give up hope.
She dug in her pocket for a carrot and handed it to Teddie. “Here, why don’t you give her this, instead? She likes it when you give her a treat.”
Teddie took the carrot and timidly stuck it through the fence, a cherubic grin appearing when Star nibbled out of his hand.
“I don’t know why he won’t try to ride,” Teddie’s mother said, keeping her voice low. “All he talks about all week is Star. He loves her, really he does.” She reached out to caress her son’s tiny shoulder, then moved her hand to tousle his hair.
Abby spoke reassuringly. “Star loves him, too, and someday he’ll ride. You’ll see.” She gave the little mare a pat on the rump, then excused herself to check on the arrival of the other students.
Thankfully, the Kelly boy had turned out to be a fast learner and a tremendous hit with all the students. Even Teddie seemed to trust him although
