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  I chuckled at remembering Sarah’s scooter. “That’ll be fun. I already know one sound we need to work on.”

  Ms. Sue’s eyes twinkled. “Wonderful! These are the most important things he can learn right now. You will be desensitizing him and creating a calm service dog.”

  When we finished the questions, Ms. Sue gave me three more pages of things Colt needed to learn during the months to come. He would walk on different surfaces, go to various places with all kinds of people, and use all of his senses.

  I had used the same list with Sydney and knew what I had ahead of me. We’d start slow and by the time he was eighteen months old, he’d be ready.

  Ms. Sue climbed into her car and opened her window. “Remember, playing is part of training.”

  I cuddled little Colton in my arms. “Okay.”

  She waved. “See you next week.”

  As she drove away, my thoughts raced back to Sydney playing Tug-of-War and Fetch. The memory of him visiting Logan’s parents at Edisto Beach caught me off guard. I had asked Sydney to Fetch the juice box from the refrigerator. He had wandered into their kitchen, tugged the refrigerator door open, and retrieved the carton. Sydney had returned to the living room and expected to hand it to Logan’s mother, but she was so frightened of dogs she hadn’t been able to take the box.

  I’d had to give him a new command. “Sydney, give to Logan.”

  Because of his autism, Logan could only speak one or two words, but when Sydney had come closer, he had grabbed the juice box. In seconds, Logan had the straw poked into the hole and had slurped the juice. His face had beamed like he’d won the prize.

  I drew in a big sigh and closed my eyes. The warm air sailed through my lungs, and as I exhaled, relaxation took over my body. I saw myself doing all this with Colt. We would accomplish these tasks, and he’d be another wonderful, happy service dog. Though the memory of returning Sydney still hurt, I had no time to think about that.

  “Come on Colt. Let’s play and then while you sleep, I’ll teach Sarah how to swim.” I shook my head. “She may be tougher to train than you.”

  Chapter 7

  Mornings during the next two weeks were intense. Once the sun rose, I popped out of bed to care for Colton’s needs. Since he tired easily, I raced to the barn to care for the horses while he took his morning nap. After barn chores and another long puppy session, Colton and I snuggled before his longest afternoon nap.

  Next came Sarah’s swimming lessons. We met every day to practice. Training and grooming Colton gobbled up the rest of my time. I missed riding Chancy more than once each week, but watching my puppy learn was all the reward I needed. And he learned so fast.

  Today I swam laps, relaxed on the lounge chair, and waited for Sarah’s arrival.

  Her boisterous entrance brought me to attention before I actually saw her. “Ok, Trina. I’m ready for my last lesson.”

  I lay on my chair, watching her wave her big toe in the water, and then step down to the first step. She eventually worked her way down the three steps to the shallow water.

  I sat up. “Go ahead. I’ll watch from here.”

  “Oh no. I’m not swimming without you being close.” Sarah stiffened. “What if I go under?”

  I didn’t move but shook my head. “No, Sarah, you need to do this on your own. It’s time.”

  Looking at the water, Sarah froze. Only her chest moved up and down. “What if I start to drown?”

  “There’s no way.” I chuckled to myself. “Your feet can touch the bottom of the pool, silly. It’s shallow there, remember?”

  “Ok. It’ll be your fault if I drown.” She exaggerated opening her mouth, inhaling a large breath, and puffing her cheeks. She pretended to dive, but only her arms went into the water and her chin pointed in the air.

  Laughing, I tossed my legs over the lounge chair. “Tread water, goofy. That’s it. See. You’re doing great. Now try using your arms. That’s it. Put your face in the water and swim toward me.”

  I jumped in and Sarah swam to me.

  “Wow. You stroked four times. You really swam. Before summer’s over, you’ll be ready for the swim team.”

  Once again we heard snickering and looked up. Sarah forgot she was in the middle of the pool and screamed. I grabbed her arm and pulled her to the shallow water.

  Morgan cackled. “Wow! What a champion swimmer!”

  Sarah slapped the water, her face flaming-red. She walked over to the steps and rushed out, ignoring Morgan. “Trina, I’m heading home. See you around eight.” She dried her face and wrapped-up in her towel.

  “Ask your mom if you can have dinner with me, and then we’ll go.”

  “All right. I’ll text you.” Sarah never looked at Morgan.

  I dried with my back to her and slipped on my flip flops. Hearing a splash, I sighed, and headed toward the barn.

  Mrs. Brown hustled from place to place, fixing the horses grain with supplements.

  I hollered ahead. “Do you want a hand?”

  “Well, what a nice surprise.” Mrs. B carried a bucket in each hand toward the hungry horses. “I thought you were swimming with Sarah.”

  Taking one pail from her, I followed. “We were until Miss Snooty came over to insult Sarah. We’ve decided to ignore her.”

  “Trina, I know she’s being difficult, but give her a chance. It’s easy to see she’s not a happy girl.”

  I flashed her The Look and hooked the bucket in Sonny’s stall. “It might be easier to pretend she’s invisible.”

  “She never talks about her family.” Mrs. Brown moved into Dove’s stall and continued. “I know someone drops her off and doesn’t come back for hours. Some days I bring her snacks. She can be very pleasant and witty when she’s not stressed.”

  Dove swished her tail, anxious for dinner.

  “Maybe it’d be better if I stayed away when she’s here. Does she have a schedule?”

  Ms. B walked out and closed the half door. “Every day’s different. After swimming she’ll return here and wait for a ride home. Let me show you this.” She pointed at the wall. “I’ve put up an erasable whiteboard calendar and left colored markers for everyone to write their names and schedules for each week. This’ll help me know when riders’ll be here, who’s having a lesson, and so on. I’ll ask her to write on it.”

  “Great idea.” I added my name in purple magic marker and jotted down my riding lesson the next Wednesday at 9:00, and morning chores on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday of next week. Walking toward Chancy’s stall, I called to Mrs. B. now in the tack room. “I’ll check with Heather and see if that schedule works for her. I never know when I’ll have time to ride.”

  She poked her head out the door. “Thanks, Trina. That works. Are you coming back tonight?”

  I stopped in front of her. “Yep. With Sarah and Colton.”

  “I’ll ask Morgan to write her schedule on the board and you’ll see it tonight.” Then she disappeared into another stall.

  At dinner, Dad and Mom listened to Sarah and me complain about Morgan. Dad’s face broke into a giant grin. “Let her have her fun. She obviously has some kind of a problem with making friends.”

  “That’s for sure.” Sarah and I cackled together.

  I stopped to catch my breath. “We’ve tried pretending she’s invisible. Not sure that did anything? And we’ve tried talking with her. Whew! She’s really bizarre. I think the best thing for me is to see her schedule on the board, and try to stay far away.”

  Sarah bobbed her head. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Come on, Sarah. Treat time at the barn.”

  We carried our plates to the sink and promised to be back in an hour or so.

  Colt’s little legs moved faster now that he’d grown a couple inches, but Sarah carried him as I walked each horse out to the paddocks. Once all the horses had enjoyed th
eir treats and were settled, we ran inside to check the chalkboard.

  Morgan’s name was written in black. Just like her dark mood. And, she hadn’t added anything else.

  Chapter 8

  The next morning, dew on the grass twinkled. I tiptoed to the laundry room. Colton lay on the floor with his head on his soft bed as if it were his pillow. His eyes seemed to be staring at the wall. I stood waiting and watching. My brow furrowed. Is he sick?

  Nope. A second later, he spotted me out of the corner of his eye and dashed to the gate.

  “Hey, baby boy. Are you ready for another bright and sunny morning?”

  He squealed and wiggled. I opened the gate, lifted his firm body, and gave him a bear hug. “Wow. Only a couple of wet papers. Let’s hurry outside.”

  At the end of breakfast, Dad cleared his throat and stared at me.

  My stomach hit the floor. “What’s wrong?”

  “T, I had a call late last night about an appointment. I’ve got to go out of town for a couple of days. You’re doing a great job with Colton on your own, and I know you’ll be fine.”

  I felt safer having him around when Mom was working. I groaned, and let my chin fall to my chest. Playing with a droopy curl, my brain whirled on a solution. How can I go to the barn without leaving Colton at home, alone? I straightened my shoulders and smiled. “I’ve got it! Since Colt still sleeps a lot, I bet he’d be okay in the empty stall. He can’t get hurt in there, and I can keep an eye on him while I work.”

  Dad pushed his chair under the table. “Sounds like a great plan.”

  I let Colt walk almost to the barn. He went from a run to a walk and then he sat and stared at me, panting. I carried him the rest of the way. He settled into the vacant stall with a water bowl, a squishy ball, and squeaky rubber mouse. I closed the half-door and peeked over the top.

  He inched toward each corner of the room and dug at the straw with a front paw. When he sniffed, he flinched backward. In another second, he explored the same spot, hunching down like he was on the attack, taking itty bitty steps to sniff it again. I stifled my laugh and wanted to watch longer, but I needed to pick the stalls.

  I started on my morning barn chores. Mrs. B had convinced Morgan to let Knight spend his nights under the stars. He seemed to be relaxing in his new home, and he was more comfortable around me. I couldn’t say the same thing about his relationship with Morgan.

  The sun rolled overhead and the dew evaporated. The horses swished their tails like fans, shooing the flies away. I grabbed a halter from the fence post, and walked one horse at a time into a stall while I patted its neck and carried on a happy, one-sided dialogue.

  Inside each horse lapped at their fresh water. Daytime was nap time and each horse alternated taking weight off one leg at a time. I looked in on Colton, still sleeping soundly. Relieved, I could stay longer, I started back to work. My light-hearted feeling seeped away as the diesel engine rumbled closer. Trouble was on the way, early today.

  I drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Ready or not, here she comes.

  Only one truck door slammed. Whoever brought her in the morning never stayed. Her hurried and forceful steps echoed. I braced myself for her harsh words but continued working.

  Knight stood in his clean stall and watched Morgan approach. He never neighed or snorted, just stared out the back window.

  My heart hurt for him. I wondered how they competed together without being a team. I’d give anything to compete with Chancy.

  Then Morgan hollered, “I see you put Knight in his stall. Has he been brushed?”

  I breathed through my nose, sealed my lips, and moved toward her. Each word I spoke showed control. “I know you’ve been told that’s your job. Heather or I clean the stalls and feed the horses. If we’re not here, Mrs. Brown cares for them. Everyone grooms their own horse.”

  She narrowed her dark gaze, and then she let out a hiss. “I’ve never boarded at such a second-rate barn. There’s no way I can do my own grooming and such tedious work.”

  “Then I guess, it’s time for you to learn.”

  “Well.” She scowled. “If you weren’t wasting your time training a stupid puppy, you’d have more time to be here.” She stared coldly at me. “I could hire you to groom Knight. You could earn more money and have more lessons.”

  I put the palm of my hand in her face, stopping her from saying another word. I hated the feeling of having no control over my heated face and my freckles multiplying. I swallowed. “Stop. Don’t say another word. I’m training my puppy to help someone else.” Through the slits of my eyes, I glared fire. My head swiveled side to side. “There’s no way I’d ever be your groom.”

  Morgan stammered. “Well, there are no other barns close and my parents refuse to drive any further.”

  “The deal is, Knight’s your horse. He needs your attention. How in the world do you compete without being friends?”

  “He’s new. Just got him before we moved here. He’s not my friend. He’s my ticket for a scholarship to a prestigious college and their riding team.”

  My jaw dropped. We want the same thing? I swallowed. “But if you’re not friends, he’ll never trust you.”

  “He’ll learn. With my last horse, I won at all the shows. Knight has to win or my parents will freak. I have my first lesson with him in two weeks.”

  “Who took care of your other horse?”

  “My groom, Mr. Grumbly. An old man who lived at the barn.”

  “Well. You missed out, letting someone else care for your horse.” I paused, deciding if I should say more. With a surge of courage, I went ahead. “I love brushing and cleaning Chancy. I tell her all my secrets, and she lets me know what she’s thinking.”

  Morgan studied the floor and rubbed the toe of her boot in circles.

  Colt whimpered, and I rushed to the stall. His front paws flinched and his little nose twitched in his dreams. As I looked in, Morgan’s warm breath brushed my neck. She peeked over my shoulder. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a crack of a smile break across her face, but it disappeared in seconds. I pretended not to notice.

  Is she being nasty to me to keep me from getting to know her? What is she hiding?

  At that moment, Mrs. Brown’s cheerful chatter filled the barn and the horses responded like a classroom of happy children.

  Morgan silently backed away.

  Mrs. B spoke to Morgan like she was glad to see her. And then she guided Morgan through the process of currying Knight and checking his shoes before adding the saddle. As a rider, she should have known these things a long time ago.

  She was nice enough to Mrs. B, but to me Morgan was a rude, selfish, real live diva.

  I shook my head side to side. I’m out of here.

  Chapter 9

  July

  With Colton one week from turning three months old, he slept later, and didn’t need me in the middle of the night. Feeling light as air, I packed my belongings to the beat of my favorite song, “I Have a Heart Full of Rhythm,” and floated up to my bedroom to get ready for company.

  The rest of the day moved in slow motion. Anticipating Chase’s visit the next morning hyped every nerve in my body. Instead of falling asleep, I planned the order of activities we’d do together, reversed my ideas, and then rearranged them. Finally, I decided Chase needed to choose what he wanted to do first. Since I wasn’t sleeping, I walked downstairs to say hello to my snuggle buddy. Maybe he’d relax me.

  Hearing my steps while half asleep, Colton trudged to the gate. “I know you’re sleepy, little guy, but would you like to Go Outside?” His tail wiggled his whole bottom.

  We wandered around the backyard, and the humid air soothed my lively brain. “All right. Back to bed.” I rubbed my nose in his warm neck. “Ooo. You smell like my sweaty socks. Cool down and sleep tight! See you when the sun comes up.”

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sp; I tip-toed up the stairs, slid under my sheet, and closed my eyes. I made myself think of one thing, Chase’s green eyes staring into mine. Well, maybe two, his playful smile. And I fell asleep.

  In the middle of my romantic dream, Mom shook me awake. “Honey, time to get up. Chase is on his way.”

  I shot up in bed. “What?”

  “Chase’s dad just called. They’ll be here in a few minutes.”

  I put a hand on each cheek and screamed. “Oh no! I need to get dressed. Last night I worried about what we were going to do today, but I never figured out what I was going to wear.”

  Mom smiled. “Honey, anything you wear will be perfect. I’ll be downstairs and get the door.”

  My eyes flew to the pile of clothes in the corner and my breath caught. I jumped out of bed and pulled open my dresser. Woo! One pair of white shorts lay folded and neat. In the top drawer, my favorite purple tee shirt with the PAALS symbol above the front pocket looked wrinkle free. I flew into the bathroom and tackled my out of control, sun-bleached hair. Brushing the curls frantically, I swept them into one ponytail and brushed my teeth. Once I was as ready as I could be, I stood back, examining myself.

  Ugh! I look like a frizz ball. I scrunched my nose. Once I go swimming or horseback riding my hair won’t matter.

  The doorbell jolted me out of my thoughts. Colton barked, and Mom’s voice carried upstairs. I bounced down the steps, and there he stood. Neither of us moved. We stared at each other without saying a word.

  Mom broke the silence. “Come on in, Chase. Have you had breakfast?”

  He nodded. “Dad stopped at Mc Donald’s. We had a biscuit before we got on the freeway.”