The Secret Sisters Club

Chapter 1: THE RACE

CHAPTER ONE:

THE RACE

Faster, Calliope!” Twelve-year-old Ginnie West tapped her heels into her horse’s side. “They’re gaining.”

The thundering hooves grew louder. Ginnie peeked over her shoulder. Her best friend, Tillie Taylor, leaned forward, urging the black gelding to close the distance.

A field of ankle-high corn shoots lined the right side of the country lane. Knee-high alfalfa bordered the left. Each horse raced in one of the two gravel-and-dirt ruts formed by the family’s assorted vehicles.

Ginnie glanced back again. Tillie’s mount, Traxx, was only inches from Calliope’s tail. The West family’s red brick, two-story farmhouse grew smaller behind them.

Confidence welled inside Ginnie. She waved to her friend, certain she and Calliope would win this race. How can we not? Ginnie shifted in her saddle, the same one her mom had used when she rode Calliope’s dam, Eternal Love. When Ginnie raced on horseback, she felt a kinship with Mama she never felt otherwise.

Facing forward, Ginnie grinned, feeling only a little guilty about Tillie’s impending loss. The wind blew her blond braids up and down behind her. She barely felt the light thumps of her ponytail holders on her back as she sped down the lane. Her body moved in perfect rhythm with her horse.

Ginnie lived for these moments lately. Off her horse, she could barely recall the mom she had lost nine years before in a tragic accident. But when she rode on horseback, she could be transported temporarily to the only memory she had of her mother, the two of them riding Eternal Love when Ginnie was three.

Ginnie’s belly clenched with excitement and expectation. Just as she fully gave over herself to the joyful feeling of exhilaration in winning the race, a blur of silver-blue metal barreled toward them after turning from the main road. The car slid on the dirt, straight into Ginnie’s path.

Heart thumping, Ginnie jerked Calliope to the right.

Traxx and Tillie broke left.

The car zoomed between them.

Brakes squealed. A horn blared. Tillie shrieked.

A second car, this one burgundy, followed the first car, blocking the rest of the lane and Ginnie’s exit.

Without prompting, Calliope gathered herself and launched into the air, seeming to grow invisible wings. Ginnie was electrified. She loved the sensation of floating and the thrill of power that came when riding a jumping horse. Adrenaline fizzed through her like diet soda and Mentos as she and her horse sailed over the hood of the burgundy car.

Touching down near the end of the lane, Calliope crossed the main road in two leaps, narrowly missing a ragtop Camaro. A teenage boy in the convertible stood and punched a fist into the air.

“Awesome!” he yelled.

A woman, who must have been the boy’s mother, threw Ginnie an angry look. “Sit down, Ryan!”

Ginnie beamed at the boy. Then she remembered Tillie’s shriek. Where is she?

Relief drowned the fizzing adrenaline when she spotted Tillie, still on Traxx, trotting by the row of mailboxes. Tillie urged him toward the blue car where her mom, Miss Amanda, stood, wiping her eyes.

After waiting for the traffic to clear, Ginnie cantered Calliope across the road. Tillie slid off Traxx and tossed his reins to Ginnie.

“Are yeh ukay?” asked Mrs. MacGregor, in a thick Scottish accent as she got out of the burgundy car. “What did yeh think yeh were doing?”  Their longtime egg-and-goat-milk customer waved her hands furiously, reminding Ginnie of a whacked-out windmill.

“I’m fine, Mrs. MacGregor.” Ginnie’s eyes widened at the woman’s fury. “Sorry for the trouble.”

“That’s all yeh have to say? Sorry?” Mrs. MacGregor wagged an angry finger. “You coulda killed somebody with yer lunatic horse.”

“It wasn’t just Ginnie’s fault,” Tillie called behind her, while running to her mother. “Are you okay, Mom?”

Miss Amanda hugged Tillie. “You’re not hurt, Ginnie?”

“We’re fine.” Ginnie stroked Calliope’s neck.

Miss Amanda squeezed Ginnie’s shin and then patted Calliope. “I can’t believe I didn’t see you until this far down the lane. I was reaching for a tissue, and you two just popped up out of nowhere. I’m so sorry! I could have killed you.”

“Don’t feel bad.” Ginnie slid off her horse and stood next to Miss Amanda. “It’s my fault.”

Tillie’s mom enveloped Ginnie in a hug, tugging the reins in her hurry. Calliope snorted her disapproval at being jerked.

“Yer father will be hearing about this, young lady,” an angry Scottish-accented voice fumed.

Ginnie turned to Mrs. MacGregor, who glared at her. She caught movement behind the cranky older lady in the forms of her dad and twin brother.

“What happened?” called Ginnie’s brother, Toran, as he ran toward them. Dad was just behind him.

“What are yeh going to do about this, Todd West? That girl of yers caused a five-car pileup and nearly gave me a heart-attack!” Mrs. MacGregor motioned impatiently to the now empty main road.

“I did not!” Ginnie shook her head and swung into the saddle. “No cars hit anybody or anything.” She held the saddle horn, willing herself to calm.

“Yeh did, too.”

Dad sucked in a breath. “Are you hurt, Mrs. MacGregor?”

“Don’t blame the girls, Todd.” Miss Amanda walked over to Dad and touched his elbow. “Ginnie’s right. Nobody crashed. And this was my fault.”

“Not so.” Mrs. MacGregor pointed at Ginnie. “That one caused the ruckus.”

“Mrs. MacGregor, please.” Miss Amanda lowered her head. “I was in a hurry to talk to ...” Her voice caught. She blinked rapidly when she looked at Tillie. “Never mind.”

“It’s okay.” Dad slipped an arm around Miss Amanda’s shoulder. “Everyone’s fine. Don’t worry.”

Tillie stepped closer to her mom. “We are fine.”

“Nonsense! I, for one, am not fine. That one is a problem.” Mrs. MacGregor wagged her finger angrily at Ginnie again. “Leaping over meh car, like a looney bird. I have half-a-mind to buy meh eggs at the Hansen place. And meh goat milk, too.”

Ginnie choked out a half-hearted apology, in hopes her dad wouldn’t believe the salt-and-pepper-haired lady’s tale. “I’m sorry we scared you, Mrs. MacGregor.”

After standing straighter, Mrs. MacGregor offered a curt nod and a tsk. “Well, I suppose it wouldn’t be fair for yer Uncle Ben to lose a loyal customer over yer shenanigans.”

“No ma’am,” Dad and Ginnie answered together.

The older lady smiled triumphantly. “All right then. Amanda, please move your car and I’ll conduct my business with Ben.”

Tillie hid a giggle.

Ginnie whirled away and snickered. She and Tillie often teased each other about Mrs. MacGregor’s crush on Ginnie’s great-uncle, one her Uncle Ben did not return. It always amazed Ginnie that Uncle Ben could just ‘smile and nod’ and keep Mrs. Macgregor happy.

“Yes’m.” Dad brightened his smile. “I’m sure he has a quart of milk with your name on it.

Corralling an ‘oh brother’ before it could escape her lips, Ginnie wheeled Calliope toward the farmhouse. Before they got too far she heard Dad’s panicked voice yell, “Amanda!”

Ginnie turned in time to see Miss Amanda stumble into Dad’s arms. He waved Ginnie down the lane. “Get some ice water.”

A sick feeling swept over Ginnie. Forcing her eyes from Miss Amanda’s crumpled body; Ginnie tapped her heels into Calliope’s sides and rushed down the lane.