RoseBerry Wild: Book 1

A New Boarder

"Hello, this is Tye Carin from Marion Equestrian Center."Tye said as he answered the office phone.

"This is Shane Fostor. I am calling to see if you have a place for my daughter's horse. We are looking to board him."

"I'll let you talk to the head."

"Here Talliah" Tye whispered as he handed me the phone.

"Hello. This is Talliah Marion."

"Hi, I am Shane Foster. I just moved into Louisville and I have seen really good reviews of your ranch. do you board horses?"

"You are in luck! We have two open stalls and I would love to rent one out to you."

"Great."

"Is there anything else?"

"Yes. Which way out Louisville do you live? I would like to come visit the farm I may be boarding a horse at."

"We live south of the Church hill Downs."

"Okay, can I visit tomorrow at noon?"

"Sure."

"Thank you!"

"Yep."

"What was that about?" Tye asked.

"Shane Fostor wants to board a horse and he is coming tomorrow to check out the stables."

"I see. What time is he coming?"

"Noon."

I walked down the 15 stalls of mares and 13 stalls of geldings. There were fifteen stalls on each side, mares on one, geldings on the other, colts and fillies in the other barn, and stallions in a barn by the house and clinic. As I walked down the sides, I marked off the stall cleaning, feed, watering, and grooming from the student agenda lists on every stall door. All except for Malinda's stall.

Malinda was a popular girl two years younger than me who went to the same school as me. She NEVER cared for her horse, and my parents were having thoughts about kicking her out of the barn. We wouldn't do trust though because of her parents.

Her mom manages an equestrian magazine and wouldn't publish our ads for stalls for rent, riding lessons, or tack and horses for sale.

Her dad is the mayor and also the leader of the jockey's club. He would tell negative things about our farm to all of the horse people he knows.

Even when we told Malinda's parents that she wasn't taking care of her gelding, Rockstar, they threatened us with all those reasons and told me, "then take care of her horse for her."

I hoped that Malinda wouldn't be at the stables at noon tomorrow.

"Tye!" I blew in a raging tone, "please come clean Rockstar's stall!!!"

"Malinda again!?!?"

"Yes!!" I replied, still super mad, "I wish that her family would just move away!!!"

"Me too!"

I checked all the stalls, the horses' health, and cleaned the office and tack room. By that time, it was 7:00 p.m. and my mom told Tye and me that it was time for supper.

"Just in time," I exclaimed excitedly.

"Ya, now you and I can actually go on a trail ride, ALONE!"

"In the morning!"

When we got to the house, we took off our paddock boots and put them on the boot rack. We went in the house, and as soon as we walked in the kitchen, my dad wondered aloud, "Was Rockstar's stall-"

Mom inturrupted, "Terry, don't even bother asking. Tye and Tal, there are Roman noodles, cheesy green beens, apples and caramel. Help yourselves."

Tye walked up to the counter rubbing his hands, "Oooooo, Kelly's famous home-made caramels!"

"Don't take 'em all!" I shouted as I slid across the kitchen floor in my socks.

"I am making more," my mom giggled.

"Good!" Tye laughed back.

"We have people coming over tomorrow at noon to see if they are going to board their horse here." I explained further, "we could really use more students. He is bringing his daughter's horse over Monday if he likes what he sees tomorrow."

"That's great!" my dad explained, as he does every day, "The more income we make, the faster we can build the barn for the arena."