Author’s Note:  Trixie Belden® is the registered trademark of Golden Books (Western Publishing).  This story is not for profit. 

I waited.  Anxious, nervous.  My gut tight with apprehension.

Honey said they would come after her riding lesson.  What if she refused to?  What if she didn't forgive me?  I shouldn't have yelled at her like that...

Damn red hair!  I clutched it, pulling on the short tufts, enjoying the distraction the pain brought me.  Jonesy always taunted me when I lost my temper, but she didn't deserve it.

How can I explain it to her?

Thumping hooves, thrashing branches caught my attention. 

What the hell was that?  Someone was coming along the trail and fast!

My heart beat a thousand beats per minute as I hid near the hedge, making sure I could see the trail.

Suddenly a dark strong gelding appeared with Trixie clinging to the saddle. 

A gamecock squawked. The gelding shied and stopped short. Trixie plunged over his head into the bushes.

Trixie!

Heart pounding, legs moving as fast as they could to reach her side.  It seemed to take forever.

Relief!  She was moving, sprawled on the ground, staring up at the horse.

Then the horse reared and whinnied loudly.

No time to think, lunge forward, grab the reins, save Trixie.  His feet fell just inches from her.

Trembling, I stroked the sweaty neck of the handsome gelding and spoke soothingly, trying to calm his nerves and mine.

"There, boy.  It's alright, boy.  Nobody's going to hurt you."

I saw the rolling whites of the horse's eyes, felt the sweaty trembling skin and knew the fear he felt.

"You're a little fool to let a horse run like that on such a hot day. There, boy."

Breathe...  breathe...  Oh God!  Why did I say that?  Why can't I just ask her how she is?  She must think I care more about the horse than her.

"Let him?" Trixie scrambled to her feet.  "He let me stay on his back, but that's all I had to do with it."

I watched as she rubbed her hip, relieved that she was okay.  I couldn't help but smile.  She looked embarrassed and shy.

"I heard a horse pounding along the path, and it sounded like a runaway to me, so I slipped into the bushes to watch.  I figured that, even if it wasn't a runaway, whoever was riding the horse was going to have a nasty spill when the horse took the downhill fork."

I spoke mainly to the horse, stroking his neck, unable to make eye contact with her.

"Gee, I'd like to ride this fellow.  Is he yours, Trixie?"

I couldn't resist saying her name.  I glanced casually at her.

"No, he belongs to Honey's father.  I had no business getting on his back at all.  I'm just learning to ride, you see; but he's so beautiful I couldn't resist it."

He was beautiful, but so was ...  I knew what she meant.

"I don't blame you."

I smiled.  She smiled.  Our eyes met for that brief moment, and then...

Someone was coming.  I handed the reins back to her.

"Someone's coming along the trail on horseback now.  Sounds like two horses.  I'll duck into the house.  Whistle when it's safe for me to come out."

My racing heart didn't begin to slow until I slipped through the window and into safety.

She was talking to me, she wasn't angry, she wasn't hurt.  I saw the relief in her eyes as she looked up at me.  It made me tremble.

Bob, Bob-White. 
Bob, Bob-White. 
 

It was safe!  I could hear Honey and Trixie talking, the soft snorts of Honey's mare.

An easy vault through the window, a short stop to pick a carrot from the over-run garden.  I walked slowly towards them.

Honey's mare was nice, but nothing compared to the gelding that had thrown Trixie. 

How long had it been since Dad taught me to ride?  It was a horse just like that.  I wish...

I smiled hello, feeding the carrot to the mare.  I hesitated for a second.

"I may sound like I'm boasting, but I bet I could ride your father's horse.  Dad had a big black gelding like that, and I could manage him when I was only five years old.  I learned to ride bareback with nothing but a halter rope to guide him."

I glanced over at Trixie.  Would she believe me?  Would she think I was lying?

"If you're smart," Trixie said ruefully, "you'll never touch Jupe without a curb bit."

"I wouldn't."  The knot in my stomach lessened a little.

"Not until he got used to me, anyway.  Gee, do you think you could fix it so I could ride him, sometime?  I haven't ridden anything but Jonesy's big old farm horses since Dad died.  That's not really riding."

Did I sound too desperate, too hopeful?  I looked from Trixie to Honey and Honey's face broke into a grin.

"I'll fix it somehow," she promised eagerly.  "I tell you how we can arrange it.  Regan always has Sunday afternoons off, and Miss Trask always takes a nap after Sunday dinner.  Mother and Dad are leaving tonight for Canada, so I'm pretty sure I can lead Jupe up here for you to ride as soon as Regan leaves."

"Gosh, Honey, that would be swell.  Thanks."

I could feel the child-like joy on my face, but I couldn't help it.  I'd only known these girls a second and already they were giving me a taste of what a real life was like.  

I'd forgotten...

Then I remembered something else I forgot, and turned to look into her blue eyes.

"How's your kid brother?  Honey told me he was bitten by a copperhead."

Trixie shuddered.  "I can't bear to talk about it.  But he's alright now."

I could see the fear in her face, different to what I had seen earlier.  I could tell she hadn't tasted it before yesterday.  If only I could take away that pain...

"It's a good thing you know your first aid."

What else could I say?  Words failed me, but her smile rewarded me. 

Everything was right between us.  I felt good.  Trixie grinned.

"Let's tie up Lady and look inside the Mansion some more for your uncle's money.  I just know that we're going to find something if we try hard enough."

Did she ever give up?

"That's what I did all yesterday afternoon.  I've just about given up hope."

"Well, I haven't.  And I'll bet that brass key has something to do with it."

She was stubborn, just like me.  You had to admire that in a girl.