The next day, Holly couldn’t quite keep her mind off of finances as she measured out grain and refilled water buckets. Even though she had convinced herself the evening before that everything would be fine for the show, there was still the matter of being able to make the monthly rent payment. The owner, whom she had still never met, had really let the place go. Even so, it was a large place with a lot of land and the rent was no small amount.
Clomping back down the aisle in her rubber boots, she was surprised to see someone waiting for her outside her office.
“Finally!” the young woman exclaimed. “I was starting to think this place was haunted. It certainly looks like it is.” She frowned at a cobweb in the corner that had somehow managed to escape the broom earlier.
“Can I help you?” Holly stammered. She had never seen this person before, and even though she was extremely rude, she didn’t want to chase anyone away.
“I’m Erin Bosworth. And yes. Before you even ask, yes those Bosworths. I heard this place had just opened back up, and I’d like to see about boarding my horse.” Erin flicked her chin so that her short dark hair, cut in a glossy bob, danced around her jawline. She watched Holly with sharp green eyes that tipped up at the outside corners and gave her an exotic look.
“Oh. Oh! Okay, let me show you around.” She had no idea who those Bosworths were, but she didn’t care who they were or what they did if Erin was interested in boarding with her. “The boarding fee varies depending on the size of stall, and—”
“Don’t waste your time. Just show me to the biggest, nicest stall you have. King needs lots of room to move.” Erin walked next to her, glancing around with disdain.
“What kind of horse is he?”
“A dark bay Hanoverian gelding,” Erin boasted, throwing her pointy chin into the air. “Daddy bought him for me as a graduation present. He’s an excellent hunter/jumper, and he moved through the dressage circuit before I had him.”
Sounds expensive, Holly thought, but she didn’t mind. If Erin (or her father) could afford a horse like that, then there was no doubt she could afford the highest boarding fee Happy Hollows charged. “Wonderful. I think this would be an excellent place for him.” She stopped to open a door on a big corner stall. “This is a nice, big stall with a private turnout.”
“Oh, good,” the new client sneered. “I don’t want to worry about other horses bothering him or biting him.”
“The schooling horses I keep here are down at the other end of the barn. I can’t guarantee that he’ll always be alone, since we do have more and more boarders coming all the time.” This was a bit of a white lie. Revenue from boarders and lessons was still only a trickle, but she needed her stable to sound good. “He’ll be alone at least for a little while, and we can always put boards up over the bars between the stalls if it becomes a problem.”
Erin waved a dismissive hand in the air. “No, it won’t be a problem. My friend Missy will take the neighboring stall for her horse.” She spun on her heel and headed back toward the office without another glance at the stalls.
“Oh? You have someone else who wants to board as well?” Holly tried to keep the sheer glee out of her voice. These were going to be the two most expensive spots in the entire stable, and the first month’s rent for the two horses would cover the majority of their expenses for the horse show. Her heart jumped up in her throat.
“Yes, Missy and I never do anything without each other.”
Just then, the crunch of gravel outside and the slam of a car door indicated another arrival. A slim woman about Erin’s age ran in the barn door with a panicked look on her face. “I’m so sorry! I just had one of those days where I couldn’t get out of the house.”
Erin rolled her eyes. “It’s fine. I’ve already got everything started. We’ll move the horses over here next week.”
This hadn’t officially been arranged yet, but Holly wasn’t about to argue. “Would you like to see the stalls?”
“No, she’s fine,” Erin insisted. “Let’s just get the paperwork started. I have things I need to do today.” She stepped into the office and sat down.
Missy followed, her hands twisting her braid. She removed the pink hair tie that kept her locks together and then put it back on again. “Is there plenty of room for Brick?”
“Yes, he’ll be fine. He’ll be right next to King where he likes to be.”
Holly pulled out two copies of the boarding paperwork and laid them on the desk for the two women. “The first month’s board is due upon arrival, and then it’s due on the same day of the next month. This will cover all their food, water, and shelter, but of course it does not cover any vet or farrier bills.”
Erin only skimmed the paperwork before she pulled out her own pen and began signing. “That’s fine. As a matter of fact, I’ll be providing a special grain for King. He needs a high-performance blend, not just any old sweet feed.”
Holly didn’t stock “just any old sweet feed” in the hay room, but if Erin wanted to foot the food bill for her expensive gelding then she was welcome to do so. “The barn hours are all listed on your paperwork. You’re welcome to come anytime during those hours to visit. As long as I don’t have a class going on in a given paddock or the arena, you can use it for your own purposes. Someone will be here every day of the week to feed them morning and evening, turn them out during the day, and put them up at night.” She flipped to the back page. “There’s also a waiver in case anybody gets injured.” She had gone through this speech in her sleep, hoping and waiting for getting new boarders. Now she had two simultaneously!
Missy carefully signed Melissa DeMars on the line with a shaking hand. “Will someone be here on holidays as well? I know one of the other places I used before messed up their schedule and nobody was there to feed the horses on Christmas Eve. I took care of Brick and King, but when there was still nobody around I fed the rest of the stable as well.” She pulled out her hair tie and put it back in again.
Holly widened her eyes in horror. “That’s terrible! No, I promise that you have nothing to worry about. McKenzie or I will be there no matter what.” As much confidence as she had in herself and her assistant to take care of the place, she realized it might not be a bad idea to hire a third person when she could afford it.
Erin nodded. “Good. We’ll be moving in tomorrow.” She pulled a gold-colored name plate out of her purse and handed it to Holly. “Can you give this to your maintenance man? I want to have it on before King arrives so he knows he belongs here.”
The plate carried both his show name—His Royal Highness—as well as his barn name. Holly smiled, knowing full well that she had nothing even close to a maintenance man.
