Balance, that was the perfect word. Oddly enough, even though she had a foot in two different worlds, she felt somehow balanced. Life was getting better, except when she was reminded of her mom. Then all the memories would come flooding back. But at this moment she felt the hateful stare of one of the three meanest girls in her school piercing her back as she was riding. She was trying her best to keep her balance in the saddle.

She recalled the long ride to Greenwich. Andrew had told her there would be no jumping. She vaguely remembered the trip had been one long flat road in a sidesaddle, so she knew jumping would be entirely different.

At the end of the lesson, when she walked Ivy to the center of the ring, Pete congratulated her.

“I have one question,” Rose said.

“And what might that be?”

“Women and girls in the olden days rode sidesaddle, didn’t they?”

“Yes indeed.”

“How did they do it, especially jumping?”

“Well, the main thing you have to know about riding sidesaddle is something that is called the emergency grip. It’s a way of locking yourself in the saddle when you jump.”

Andrew’s words almost exactly! Rose thought.

“I have a sidesaddle in the back of the barn. After a few more jumping lessons, why don’t you try it?”

“Really?”

“Sure, why not visit the past!” He chuckled.

He doesn’t know what he’s saying! Rose thought.

“You did great out there, Rose,” Jamie said as she slid off Ivy. “I swear, you must be taking lessons at night too.”

Rose laughed and blushed. She never knew how to answer in these situations. She couldn’t even look Jamie in the eye. “Oh . . . no, no night lessons . . .”

“Who knows what she does at night. . . .” Lisa giggled. It was such a weird comment.

“What do you mean by that?” Rose wheeled about, her eyes blazing.

“Oh, nothing. Can’t take a joke, can you?”

“What was the joke?” Jamie asked. His voice was flat.

Now it was Lisa’s turn to blush. “Nothing.” She turned and stalked off.

“So, are you going out trick-or-treating tonight?” Jamie asked.

“Probably . . . I mean, yeah, I think so.” It seemed to Rose that the space had contracted between her and Jamie, although neither one of them had moved. But still she could not look him in the face when he spoke to her. So she glanced off to the side. She saw a long shadow cast in a blade of sunlight. Lisa hadn’t left. She was listening from around the corner.

“What are you going as?”

“Not sure, really. I’ll pull something together. Uh . . . I better go. Calvin is waiting for me.”

“Sure thing, Rose. See you soon.”

“Yeah, bye, Jamie.” There! she thought. She had actually said his name!

Chapter 21

Shattered Glass