Evie decided it was safer to nod yes than to say anything.
Besides, she was speechless.
“They won that Caledon Horse Race, you know?”
Evie nodded again.
“By eight lengths! But nobody knew ’em or where they come from. Folks’re yacking about it. Seems they were going under assumed names!” He shook his head darkly. “I don’t understand. If any a my kids did that....”
“So, who are they?” Evie rounded her eyes and tried to look fascinated, which wasn’t hard. “This ... deaf girl and her horse? Where did they come from?”
“Turns out Kazzam is a big-time racehorse, a devil it seems, by the name of No Justice. He was a favourite for the Queen’s Plate till he was banned for bucking. And get this! The girl is the rich brat of Grayson Gibb. You heard of him. Maple Mills Stables? How d’ya like them potatoes?”
“Wow.” Evie was sweating. “Amazing. What’s the, um, deaf girl’s name?”
“Last name’s Gibb, I’d guess. I didn’t know he had a deaf kid. She hasn’t confessed, but time will run out.” He pointed knowingly at her. “Took off with her father’s horse!”
Evie gasped, then recovered by pretending to cough. “May I borrow the paper after you’ve read it, please?” She really needed to know how much trouble she was in.
“Take it. I’m finished.” He folded the newspaper in two and handed it over the counter.
“Thanks.” She tucked it under her arm.
“Are you buying anything today or just taking things for free?”
“Oh! Yes! I’ve got to pick up some things for my mother. I was so shocked by your news I totally forgot!”
The man looked smug to have been the bearer of such good gossip. He nodded curtly and began to sort the lottery tickets.
Evie gathered her groceries as quickly as she could and put them on the counter. Peanut butter, bread, jam, orange juice, milk, a box of rolled oats for Kazzam, and a bag of dog kibble for Magpie, plus a tube of antibiotic ointment for the dog’s scraped neck. She put everything on the counter, satisfied that it would do for now.
As the man added everything up, Evie snuck a peek at the article in the paper. Oh, no! Along with the article was her picture. She stared at Kazzam’s filthy face and herself covered in dirt and smiling with her fist in the air. Not good. Anybody could see through the grime. And even though his white, heart-shaped star was hidden with the face mask, Kazzam had a distinctive jawline and wide brow, and his small ears were unusual — the tips pointed together, almost touching. If a person had seen him once, it would not be difficult to recognize him.
Evie couldn’t stay here and wait for her aunt. Bert would put her face together with the face in the paper any minute and call the police. She was a wanted woman! Evie had to keep moving.
She pulled the money out of her pocket and waited for him to make change. Her chest tightened with fear. Time moved so slowly!
While he was counting out the change, the man stared at her over his glasses.
Evie froze. Here it comes. She prepared to run.
“You say you been sick, girl?”
Evie quickly remembered her lie and nodded.
“Well, you don’t look so good now. Get yerself home and back to bed and stop spreading yer nasty germs.”
She nodded again, grabbed the bags, and left the store. Magpie was still outside, thumping her long, skinny tail against the wooden porch.
“Gotta go, Magpie. Come.”
“Hey! Girl!” Bert yelled from inside the store.
Evie almost fell over with fear.
“You forgot yer change.”
Evie stepped back inside, grabbed the money, and then took off. She jogged quickly along the road toward the deserted barnyard, eager to distance herself from Bert and his prying eyes. She checked over her shoulder to see if he was following her. Only Magpie.
Just as she shut the rusted gate behind them, Evie saw a white, four-door truck and a two-horse, goose-neck horse trailer pull up at Bert’s Variety store. She put down her groceries and watched. Even from that distance she could clearly see a tallish, slim, silver-haired woman get out of the driver’s side and stride into the store. She was wearing riding breeches and boots.
This must be Aunt Mary, thought Evie. But could it be? This woman walked so briskly, and Aunt Mary was actually her great-aunt, her mother’s aunt. Evie expected a cane and bad hips. Maybe even a walker.
Warm breath rustled her hair. Evie lifted her right hand and cuddled Kazzam’s nose on her shoulder as she continued to watch.
The woman came back out. She stood on the porch and placed her hands on her hips. She looked up the road and down. Then she cupped her right hand over her eyes and seemed to stare right where Evie stood with Kazzam. Finally, she got in the truck.
Evie panicked. Should she wave or hide? She was sure the woman had seen them. She picked up the groceries, receded into the shadows, and hid in the shelter, thinking hard. When she’d called Aunt Mary from the store, Evie hadn’t known about her picture being in the newspaper. Would her aunt feel honour-bound to take her back to Maple Mills and her angry father? Is that why she’d come with a horse trailer?
Evie didn’t know what to do. Could she trust Aunt Mary or not? It came down to that. But how could she trust someone she’d never met?
She peeked around the corner of the shelter. The white truck and trailer were indeed coming south, in her direction.
Kazzam, his black coat shining blue in the sunlight, stood in full sight, grazing on the fresh grass in the paddock.
She could not get away in time if she tried. Evie waited for whatever it was that would happen next.
Nothing. The truck and trailer drove right by.
Evie stood up and watched them pass. Now what? Aunt Mary was the only one who could tell her about her mother. Evie had promised to meet her in the store, and she hadn’t kept her promise. Would Aunt Mary want to help her now? Evie inhaled deeply to calm her troubled brain.
She’d think this out later. Right now, she was very hungry and knew the animals would be, as well. She poured some kibble out for Magpie and watched her gobble it up with great appetite.
The oats weren’t horse oats, but they were better than nothing. Evie found a stick to stir them, as well as an old rubber pail. After cleaning out the cobwebs, she mixed the oats with water, stirred until they were all wet, then brought the pail to Kazzam. He stuck his nose in the pail and ate them all up.
“Good boy!”
Magpie stood quietly while Evie smeared ointment on her sore neck. It would heal quickly. It looked like the dog had caught her collar in a fence or on a nail and had struggled to get free, leaving the collar behind.
Now that her animals were looked after, Evie went back into the shelter, sat down on the burlap bed, and opened the grocery bags. She found another stick and spread peanut butter and jam on a piece of bread. She ate it quickly, guzzled down some orange juice out of the container, and made herself another sandwich.
“That looks delicious!”
Evie started. Girl, dog, and horse all stared at the lady in riding clothes, standing beside the maple tree in the paddock.
“May I have one, too?” she asked, walking toward them. “I’m your great-aunt Mary. I came as soon as you called and had to leave my breakfast in the toaster.”
Evie