“What about your roommate? How are you getting along with Brandon?”
Mack chugalugged his soda. “Okay, I guess. But he keeps to himself. We don’t have much to talk about. Why can’t I trade? I’d rather be with Patrick.”
Mack and Patrick, two troublemakers in the same cabin. Not likely, Kira thought.
“So Brandon doesn’t seem to hate you, and Patrick doesn’t hate you. And I don’t think Calvin hates anybody.”
“No, but those snooty girls hate me. At first, I thought Lanie was kind of cute. But she won’t even look at me.”
Kira suppressed a sigh. “What’s really on your mind, Mack? If you could tell me one thing, what would it be?”
He gazed down at the empty soda can, crushing it between his hands. “I guess I just don’t like horses much,” he said. “My mom and dad made me come here. They said it would help me get along better—you know, with other people. But it isn’t working.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kira said, meaning it. “But thank you for being honest with me. Are you saying you want to go home?”
He shook his head, looking miserable. “Home isn’t much fun. Dad’s always after me—to make something of myself, he says. And my mom’s always at the spa or out with her friends. I’d rather stay here. But can’t I do something else, like maybe help with the work? I feel stupid when my horse won’t mind. And then I get mad.”
Kira could understand the boy’s loneliness and frustration. Her natural impulse would have been to give him a hug, but that was another rule she couldn’t afford to break. And Mack’s parents had paid to have him work with the horses. She could hardly turn him into a helper, even if that was what he wanted.
“Tell you what,” she said. “I know you had a tough morning. If you’re not feeling up to it, I’ll give you and Patches a break for the rest of the afternoon. Tomorrow we’ll be going into town to visit some historic spots and watch a fiesta celebration. That’ll be a nice change for you. After that, if you want, we can talk about ways to help you enjoy your horse.”
She walked him to the porch, Mack scuffing his feet. The boy needed a way to feel good about himself. How could she give him that?
After he’d gone, she went back inside. She’d promised to read Paige more of Charlotte’s Web, a book the little girl loved. At two p.m., the students, with Dusty helping supervise, would be doing more groundwork with their horses. Then, with Kira in charge, they’d walk them along the easy mountain trail above the ranch.
Consuelo had already gone home for a break. Dinner tonight would be another cookout, and Kira would fix a light breakfast tomorrow morning. With the group spending much of the day in town, Consuelo wouldn’t be needed until they returned at dinnertime.
All through lunch, Kira had listened to the sound of hammering on the stable roof. She knew Jake had wanted to finish the repairs so he could spend time on the motorcycle. So far, he’d been too busy to pin down the engine problem. Once he found it, he could take the next step, finding and ordering the parts he needed online.
Now the sound of hammering had stopped. A glance through the window confirmed that the ladder was gone from outside the stable. Jake probably hadn’t taken the time to eat. She could bring him a sandwich—but no, she’d promised Paige she’d read to her. Jake could get his own sandwich if he was hungry. She had to stop micromanaging the man. It would only annoy him.
“Aunt Kira!” Paige came bounding down the hall, waving the well-worn book. “You promised!”
“So I did.” Kira accepted the small hand and allowed herself to be led to the sofa.
* * *
Jake was checking the starter on the bike when he realized someone was watching him. He glanced up to see Mack standing just outside the open shed. “Hey, Mack,” he said.
“Hey.” Mack watched in silence for a few moments. “That’s a cool bike. What’re you doing with it?”
“Trying to figure out why it won’t run.” Jake reached for a screwdriver.
“Can I come in and watch?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be working with your horse?”
“Kira said I could take a break this afternoon. So can I watch you? I won’t get in the way.”
“All right, but stay out of my light and keep still.”
Mack walked into the shed and leaned over Jake’s shoulder, his shadow falling across Jake’s hands. “Not so close,” Jake said, reminding himself that the boy wasn’t one of his army recruits.
“Maybe it has a dead battery,” Mack said, backing up a couple of steps. “Or maybe it just needs new spark plugs.”
“Maybe so,” Jake said. “It sounds like you know a little bit about motorcycles.”
Mack grinned. “My mom’s brother has an old Harley. He lets me help him work on it when I’m at his place. He’s even let me drive it a few times when there weren’t any cops around. I want to get my own bike as soon as I’m old enough.”