Blue Ribbon Summer (5 page)

As her father pulled into the courtyard, a woman hurried out of the barn, waving and smiling. She looked to be in her early fifties, with chin-length brown hair, and she was dressed in jeans and paddock boots. “Hi, I'm Robin Montgomery,” she called. “You must be the Rhodeses.”

Brooke's stepfather leaned out the truck's open window. “That's us,” he replied cheerfully. “Where do you want the pony?”

The next few minutes were so busy that Brooke barely had time to breathe, let alone worry about what she was
in for. Robin directed them to park at the end of the barn near a pair of sliding doors, then helped unload Foxy, who was wide-eyed and alert as she took in her new surroundings. After a moment the pony whinnied loudly, then spun around at the end of the lead rope.

“Sorry,” Brooke said breathlessly, doing her best to hang on to the prancing pony. “She's not usually like this. She doesn't go new places very often.”

“It's all right. Here, let me help.” Robin took the lead from Brooke's hand, talking soothingly to Foxy. The mare remained alert, but stopped jumping around. Brooke stepped back, pushing her glasses up her nose. Even though Robin was being nice about it, Brooke couldn't help being embarrassed that Foxy was acting so nutty.

“Good, looks like everything's under control,” Brooke's stepfather said. “Let's get your bags and stuff out, and then we've got to get back on the road.” He turned and smiled apologetically at Robin. “My wife has an appointment this evening, so I'm afraid we can't hang around for the grand tour.”

“Yes, that's right.” Brooke's mother peered in through
the truck window at the twins, who had been sound asleep in the backseat for the past hour. “Besides, we don't want to wake up our younger kids.”

“No worries,” Robin replied. “Go ahead and grab your things, Brooke. The other girls are in the barn—they can show you to the bunkhouse once we get Foxy settled in.”

The other girls.
Brooke swallowed hard, not sure whether to be excited or nervous. Somehow she couldn't imagine girls like her Pony Post friends hanging around a fancy stable like this! “Um, okay,” she said.

Before she knew it, the truck and trailer were disappearing down the long drive and Brooke was on her own. Well, except for Foxy, who still wasn't acting at all like her usual placid, unflappable self.

“She really isn't spooky, normally,” Brooke told Robin as the pony jumped and stared bug-eyed at a leaf blowing across the courtyard.

Robin smiled, which made the corners of her bright blue eyes crinkle in a nice way. “I understand. This is all new for her. I'm sure she'll adjust.”

She sounded very sympathetic, which made Brooke
feel a little better. Just then a girl appeared at the open end of the barn.

“Oh, is the new camper here?” she asked Robin, staring curiously at Brooke. “Hi, I'm Livi.”

“Hi. Brooke.” Brooke felt self-conscious. Livi looked just as fancy as the rest of this place. She was Brooke's age or maybe a little older, tall and pretty, with sleek blond hair and wide hazel eyes. Her spotless breeches and sleeveless lavender polo made Brooke feel as if she should tuck her T-shirt into her shorts and rub the dried mud off her sneakers, though she resisted the urge.

“Cool. Nice to meet you, Brooke. Is that your horse?” Livi sounded surprised as she turned her gaze to Foxy. “She's cute. Is she a pony?”

“Yes. A Chincoteague pony, actually.”

“Oh, like in that movie or whatever, right? Shouldn't she have spots, though?”

Foxy whinnied loudly again, saving Brooke from having to answer. “We'd better get this girl settled in,” Robin said. “It looks like Foxy's worked up a bit of a sweat. How about if I walk her a bit, let her check things out and eat
a few bites of grass and settle down? In the meantime, Livi can introduce you to the others and they can help you move your things in.” She nodded toward Brooke's pile of belongings, including her English saddle, which was perched precariously atop her suitcase, where her stepfather had set it.

“Are you sure?” Brooke blurted out, feeling a flash of panic at being separated from Foxy. Even though the pony was acting kind of nutty, Foxy felt like Brooke's only lifeline to normal right now. “I mean, I could walk her if you don't have time.”

Robin smiled. “No, go on. It's fine. I'd like to get to know her, anyway. We'll meet you inside in a few minutes.” With a cluck to Foxy, she started off across the courtyard, heading for the grassy, tree-dotted lawn beyond.

“Come on, the others are inside,” Livi said. Tossing her blond hair over her shoulder, she spun on one polished paddock boot and headed back into the barn.

Brooke followed. Compared to the bright, hot summer day outside, the barn felt shady and pleasant. A stout dapple-gray horse was cross-tied in the aisle while an older
and equally stout woman fussed over him with a currycomb.

“ 'Scuse us,” Livi sang out, ducking under the tie on one side.

“What was all the commotion out there?” the woman asked.

“You mean the whinnying? That's Brooke's pony.” Livi waved a hand at Brooke. “They're both new campers this year.”

“Ah!” The woman smiled at Brooke. “Welcome to Pocomoke Stables—I mean Camp Pocomoke.” She tittered. “It's always such fun for us boring old boarders to see the things you girls get up to!”

“Thanks.” Brooke smiled uncertainly, then followed Livi, who was already hurrying ahead, calling to two other girls halfway down the aisle. When Brooke reached them, they immediately gathered around, making Brooke feel surrounded even though there were only three of them.

“So Brooke, this is Paige and that's Hannah.” Livi pointed to each of the other girls in turn. Paige was petite and pale, with bright red hair that hung in waves around her shoulders. Hannah was African-American and even
taller than Livi, with wide-set eyes and sleek dark hair pulled into a short ponytail.

“Hi,” Paige said, tucking a strand of red hair behind her ear. Her smile was big and friendly, and Brooke couldn't help smiling back. “Brooke, right? We were wondering when you'd get here.”

“At least for the past hour, anyway. We actually didn't know you were coming until we got here ourselves,” Livi put in with a giggle.

“Yeah.” Hannah was studying Brooke with a slightly puzzled look on her face. “I mean, of course Lauren texted us when she found out she had to cancel. But we didn't think Robin would find anyone to take her place at the last minute.”

“But we're glad you're here,” Paige added quickly. “You're going to have a blast. This place is the best!”

Livi nodded vigorously. “Totally! Royal and I—that's my horse, Royal—we went from doing the pre–children's hunters to the children's after camp last summer, all because of Robin. She's an awesome trainer. Did you know she was long-listed for the Olympic team once?”

“Of course she knows that.” Hannah rolled her eyes.
“Everyone knows that. That's probably why she wanted to come, right, Brooke?”

Brooke wasn't sure what to say. She didn't want these girls to know how out of place she felt. Then again, they'd figure it out sooner or later. Probably sooner.

“Not exactly,” she admitted, staring at Hannah's crystal-studded belt to avoid meeting any of their eyes. “Um, I'm not really into showing and stuff.”

“Oh!” Livi's eyes widened in surprise. “But then why—”

Paige elbowed her. “Never mind,” she said. “You'll have fun anyway. Robin teaches all kinds of people and horses. She's amazing.”

The other two nodded. Brooke smiled weakly. “Okay. Thanks.”

To her relief, the others seemed to lose interest in her after that, turning their chatter to other topics, full of names she didn't recognize and stuff she didn't care about. Brooke stopped listening after a while, focusing instead on looking around the barn. The older woman finished her grooming session and led her gelding into a stall, then disappeared. A cat crept out of one empty stall and into another, tail
twitching. Several horses, all of them tall and sleek and gorgeous, hung their heads out over the stall doors.

Finally a teenage girl who looked a couple of years older than the others wandered in. “Hey, whose stuff is that in the courtyard?” she called out. “We're going to try to get a ride in before dark—Robin said it's okay—and if you don't want your suitcase stepped on . . .”

“Oops!” Livi said. “Oh, right. Robin said we're supposed to help Brooke move in.”

“Chill out, Jess!” Hannah called to the older girl. “We're moving it.”

“Whatever.” The older girl let herself into a stall nearby.

“That's one of the olders,” Livi told Brooke.

At Brooke's confused look, Paige giggled. “Older campers, she means,” she said. “We're the youngers, they're the olders—fourteen and up.”

“Yeah. Except Robin has to change the age rule next year so I can stay with you guys,” Hannah said. “No way do I want to be stuck with those losers!”

They all laughed. Brooke smiled weakly. “Um, my stuff . . .”

“Yeah, we're on it. Come on.” Paige dashed off down the aisle with the other two on her heels.

By the time Brooke caught up, Hannah had already picked up Brooke's saddle. “What brand is this?” she asked. “Is it a close contact?”

“Um, I don't know. The lady at the store said it was made in England, I think?” Brooke wasn't about to explain how she'd saved up for almost a year to buy the saddle at the local consignment shop, or how it had been the only one in her price range that wasn't actually coming apart at the seams.

“Made in England is good,” Paige said quickly. “I mean, mine was made in France, but I also looked at some from England. Come on, the bunkhouse is this way.” She grabbed Brooke's duffel and slung it over her shoulder, pulling her red hair out from under the strap in one smooth, practiced movement.

Livi was already wandering off with Brooke's suitcase and grooming bucket. Brooke picked up her sleeping bag and pillow and followed.

The other girls led her to a cute clapboard cabin behind the barn. It had green trim and a lush rose vine clambering
up one side and over the roof, the soft flowery scent of the pink blossoms filling the air.

“Isn't this cool?” Livi said over her shoulder. “The olders are stuck in Bunkhouse A, which is bigger and has a bathtub, but it's way over on the other side of the house.”

“Yeah, I'd much rather be near the horses,” Paige added, waving a hand at the barn just a few yards away, across a narrow strip of lawn.

Hannah shrugged, patting her dark hair. “I don't know—I wouldn't mind having a bathtub.”

“You'd
need
the tub if you were in Bunk A,” Livi said with a giggle. “Because if you were that close to the house, your horrible off-key singing in the shower would totally wake Robin up!”

That made all three of them laugh. Brooke forced a smile. It was pretty obvious that these girls were good friends. Where did that leave her?

The cabin was basically one large room with four bunks. Suitcases, clothes, and other things were strewn across all four of the beds.

“Oops, guess we'd better move our stuff off Brooke's
bed.” Paige quickly grabbed a couple of shirts and tossed them onto one of the other bunks.

Hannah picked up a pair of breeches. “Yeah, sorry,” she told Brooke. “Like we said, we didn't know you were coming at first.”

Livi giggled. “We were figuring we'd use Lauren's bunk as our closet this year.”

“But there—now it's all yours.” Paige grabbed one last handful of clothes, then kicked a pair of tall riding boots out of the way.

“Hey, those are my new customs!” Livi protested, swooping in to rescue the boots.

Meanwhile Hannah dumped Brooke's saddle on the bed. “You should probably unpack later,” she said. “Come show us your horse!”

“It's a pony,” Livi informed the other two. “A Chincoteague pony. Like the movie.”

“You mean the book?” Paige said. “
Misty of Chincoteague
. I read that when I was younger—it takes place near here. And it's totally based on a true story. Morgan told us she went to watch them swim across the water once, remember?”

Brooke had no idea who Morgan was. Probably another good friend she didn't know. “Right,” she said. “That's where I got Foxy. We went to the pony penning and bought her at the auction.”

“Really? I never heard of anyone doing that.” Paige smiled. “Well, except in the book, I mean.”

“Chincoteagues are kind of a rare breed, right?” Hannah put in. “Was your pony really expensive?”

Brooke hesitated, not sure how to answer that. Foxy had seemed expensive to her, but she had a feeling these girls might have a different definition of the term.

“Um, not really,” she said.

Luckily, the others didn't seem interested in the details. They headed out of the bunkhouse and back over to the barn, arriving just in time to meet Robin as she led Foxy inside. Brooke was relieved to see that her pony seemed calmer. Foxy was walking obediently at Robin's side, looking with interest at the stalled horses on either side of the aisle.

“Perfect timing,” Robin said when she saw Brooke. “Foxy is feeling better about things now, I think. You can take her to her stall and let her relax for a while.” She
glanced at Paige. “Show her the empty stall next to Snow.”

Foxy was going to stay in a stall? Somehow Brooke hadn't been expecting that. She took the lead from Robin, who hurried off down the aisle.

“Cool, Snow is my horse—we'll be neighbors!” Paige said brightly. “Come on, it's this way.”

Brooke bit her lip and glanced at her pony. Foxy had never been shut in a stall in her life. The only time the mare had ever spent the night indoors was the previous fall, when a hurricane had passed over the peninsula and she'd gone to stay with the neighbors' draft horses in their big, open barn. How would she handle being stuck in a small stall, all by herself?