Hide & Seek - Alyssa Brugman [52]
Everything seemed calm and normal. Shelby looked up at the stables but the door to the stable that held Diablo before was open. He wasn't here.
Zeb was in the arena. Chad was sitting on Texas, holding the reins high and precariously, as though he was holding two dripping ice-cream cones. When he saw Shelby he dropped the reins and slipped off the quarter horse, embarrassed.
Shelby pushed Bandit so that he was alongside the arena.
'What are you doing?' she asked.
Chad ran his palm along the broad horse's neck. 'Zeb's been teaching me,' he answered. 'I didn't know you were . . . I was going to surprise you.'
33 The Herd
'Have you seen Diablo?' she asked.
'Have you lost another horse?' Chad asked. 'Do they normally go missing this much, or are you just hopeless?'
Shelby turned Bandit around, nudging him with her heel more sharply than she intended. The gelding laid his ears back and swished his tail.
'Don't be mad with me, Shel,' Chad called out. 'I was only joking!'
Shelby looked over her shoulder as Bandit moved away. 'I'm not mad, I just have to find this horse before something bad happens. I think it's good that you're learning to ride. I have to go. Catch you later.'
He grinned. 'I look forward to it.'
Shelby and Erin continued on down the path. After they were out of earshot Erin said, 'He loves you, Shel!'
Shelby snorted. 'He does not!'
'Does too! He was just about falling over himself to make you happy. And you were so cool. I've never seen you be an ice queen before. Looking down your nose, all superior.' Erin flicked her hair dramatically. 'Catch you later, Chad,' she mimicked in a breathy voice. Then she pursed her lips together, making a kissy noise.
'I wasn't being superior,' Shelby muttered.
'Were too! And he's cute as well, for a horse stealer.'
Shelby stared at her friend. 'Haven't we just spent the last few hours proving that he had nothing to do with it?'
'Oh yeah, I forgot about that bit,' Erin said, grinning. 'Funny, isn't it? When you decide the way you think about someone it's hard to undecide it again.'
'Well, you need to undecide about Chad, because he's my friend,' Shelby said.
'Oooh! Chad and Shelby sitting in a tree,' Erin teased, 'K-I-S-S-I-N-G.'
'Shut up!' Shelby said, smiling. She was so pleased to hear that Erin thought that Chad liked her. She'd almost given up on him. She was also glad that Erin was back to her silly old self. She was such a good friend, Shelby thought. Erin never held grudges.
Still, there was plenty of time to think about all that later. For now their priority had to be the stallion.
The two girls rode quickly, following the path around the side of the Gully. Soon there was a trail that zigzagged down towards the creek and the girls took that turn. Bandit was more used to Shelby now. She found it easier to balance as they headed for home.
They listened for hoof beats along the other trails, and after a few minutes they could hear horses on the trail ahead.
Shelby hoped that it might be Diablo and got as far as wondering if he would let them catch him, but it was Monica and Kim. Both of their faces were flushed with the exercise.
'Nothing?'
Erin shook her head.
'We went all the way around.' Kim used her finger to indicate the rim of the Gully. 'And then straight across and up to the lookout. There was a group of bushwalkers. They'd come from the other side of the Pony Club and they haven't seen him either.'
Shelby shook her head. 'There are just too many little trails he could have taken. It will take us forever. We're going to have to head back and get reinforcements.'
'Are we the only ones looking?' Monica asked.
Erin and Shelby looked at each other. 'We haven't exactly told Mrs E that he's missing yet.'
'What?' Kim asked. 'You have to tell her!' She kicked her horse and he trotted. 'I'm going back right now. Imagine if it was Blue and nobody told you? You would be so mad.'
Shelby felt embarrassed. She knew Kim was right. Kim turned her horse around