The Search for TK

  Chapter 1: Double Hug

  Chapter 2: Nav-tacular Plans and Whiltshirian Misunderstandings

  Chapter 3: Operation Break-In

  Chapter 4: When Good Advice Goes Bad

  Chapter 5: Pushed Too Far

  Chapter 6: Roomies, Friends, and Besties

  Chapter 7: Coming Back to Covington

  Chapter 8: Bro Time and Bigfoot

  Chapter 9: Dr. Josh, Reporter Daisy, and Mr. Palmerston

  Chapter 10: Off the Record

  Chapter 11: Anything for a Friend

  Chapter 12: Secret Plans

  Chapter 13: Good Luckin’ with the Turducken!

  Chapter 14: Nightshade and Parsley and Hens, Oh My!

  Chapter 15: Acting Surprised

  Chapter 16: AKA the Big One

  Chapter 17: Facing the Trials

  Chapter 18: Dreams Come True

  Chapter 19: From Best to Worst

  Kit Bridges stood at the door of TK’s empty stall.

  He’s gone, she thought.

  Lady Covington had warned Kit that if she didn’t ride TK and compete in school equestrian functions, TK would have to go. “An unruly horse in the stable is both a hindrance and dangerous, to say nothing of the fact that no one is riding him,” she had said.

  So Kit had struggled to overcome her fear of riding, and she had succeeded. She had developed a relationship with TK, and she’d discovered that he wasn’t unruly. Well, he definitely was, but not because he was a bad horse. He just had a more sensitive temperament than most horses. He had needed someone who understood his quirks.

  That’s where Kit had come in.

  She had made amazing progress with TK after enduring weeks of peer tutoring with the seemingly perfect Elaine Whiltshire. She’d learned to ride TK through a dressage test, and after intense practice, she’d managed to guide him through a jumper course as well. She had struggled to catch up to the skill level of her peer riders at The Covington Academy for the Equestrian Arts, and she had tried her best to compete as required in the past weekend’s House Cup competition.

  But she had failed. After all her hard work, TK had balked, badly, at the very first jump. She’d almost gotten herself severely injured in front of the entire House Cup audience when he reared up in a panic. Because of her, Rose Cottage had lost the House Cup to the boys of Juniper Cottage. Because of her, the entire school’s standing in the BSEA (the British Schools Equestrian Association) was now much lower than Lady Covington wanted. And because of her, TK had been taken away last night, just as Lady Covington had threatened.

  Kit stared at his empty stall, numb with grief. TK was so much more than just a horse to her. He was her friend. He was a rebel, like she was. He had his own special way of doing things, and she had formed a bond with him that was so unusually strong that even she didn’t understand it. But she could feel it, even now that he was gone. They had taken him away despite the fact that she needed him and he needed her.

  Kit had lost so much in the last year, starting with the death of her mother. She and her dad had moved all the way from Montana to England in an attempt to start their lives anew, and though all the changes had presented their own difficulties, the move had proven to be a good one.

  But now TK was gone, and Kit felt that horrible emptiness, that deep agonizing heartache, all over again.

  Footsteps approached. Arms reached out and wrapped her in a warm hug. “How are you feeling today?” her dad asked, gently pulling away so that he could see her face. Kit’s father, Rudy Bridges, had been hired as the school’s equestrian supervisor, but to Kit’s dismay, he had been unable to stop Lady Covington from banishing TK. Lady Covington owned and ran the prestigious riding school. She was the headmistress. Her word was law, and even Rudy, the strongest and most loving man Kit had ever known, couldn’t change that.

  Kit tried to smile. “I want to know what our plan is.”

  Rudy thought about it. “Well, it’s Monday. That means omelet bar day. I’d recommend the bacon and peppers. Then after that you have Latin class —”

  “I’m talking about TK. How are we going to get him back? What’s the plan?”

  Rudy pursed his lips and silently pulled Kit into another hug.

  Kit nudged back. “Why are you giving me the double hug?”

  In her experience, the double hug never meant good news. She searched his eyes, hoping to see that spark of cowboy rebellion that meant he was willing to fight for her and TK against all odds. Rudy was the best dad in the world, Kit’s champion and protector. Whenever she needed him, he was there for her. But the spark she hoped to see in his eyes wasn’t there. She saw just one thing, and she didn’t like it: sympathy. “No . . .” she said, not wanting to believe the truth. “Dad!”

  “TK is dangerous,” Rudy said. “He’s unpredictable. Those are just facts.”

  “Mom always called you dangerous!” Kit exploded. “And you’re definitely unpredictable! But we didn’t ship you off to who knows where!”

  “I know this is tough, kid. TK was a really important step —”

  “He’s not a step! He’s my horse!” Kit tried to keep her voice from breaking as she added, “He’s my friend.”

  “Kit, there will be other horses.”

  “You’re supposed to be the one person who is always on my side!”

  “I am,” Rudy insisted. “I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but we’ll be okay.”

  “Oh, you seem just fine already,” Kit said. “Thanks!” She stormed out of the stable, her hands balled into fists. She had only one option left, so she decided to go for it. She stalked through the courtyard, across the field, past the practice arena, into the main school building, up the stairs, and straight to Lady Covington’s office.

  Barging through the door, she targeted her rage at the female figure standing by the window with her back turned. “You had better sit down because I have a lot of things to say to you! Sitty-downy things that —” Kit stopped dead as Sally Warrington, one of Covington’s English teachers, turned around. “Oh. You’re not Lady C.”

  “Definitely not,” Sally agreed, folding her arms, “and I think that may be to your advantage in this situation. Why don’t we sit and take a moment to collect our thoughts?” Sally, who was always one to maintain decorum, calmly indicated two chairs.

  Kit plopped down into one of them, too startled to argue. Maybe it was a good thing that Lady Covington wasn’t there. If she had been, Kit would probably be expelled already. But now Sally was going to get the full brunt of Kit’s anger. Kit knew that wasn’t fair. The really awful part was that, at that moment, she didn’t care.

  “Perhaps a slightly calmer approach?” Sally went on as she lowered herself into the other chair. “Take a deep breath —”

  “I’m already breathing, see?” Kit snapped, panting in demonstration.

  “Goodness,” said Sally as Kit felt her cheeks flush from the flood of too much oxygen.

  “Okay, now I’m a little light-headed,” Kit had to admit. “But that’s good! I want my head to be nice and light! That vampire is not going to know what hit her —”

  “Good morning,” came a proper-sounding English voice. “Am I late for a meeting in my own office?”

  Sally stood up respectfully as the headmistress entered. “Uh, Kit and I were just discussing . . .” She trailed off, forcing a small, stiff smile.

  Kit wondered what Sally could possibly say to save the situation. She was a sweet young woman who cared deeply for her students, and her standards of behavior were high. But even if she risked a fib, how could it mask Kit’s choice of words? It was pretty clear by circumstances who vampire had been aimed at . . .

  “We were just discussing a series of graphic novels
we enjoy,” Sally suddenly resumed. “About immortals. And . . . now . . . Kit was going to go.”

  At any other time, Kit would have burst out laughing. Instead, she looked up at Sally in irritation, then over to Lady Covington as the headmistress asked her, “Is that true, Katherine?”

  Kit opened her mouth to speak. No words came to mind.

  “Well, spit it out,” said Lady Covington. “This awkward silence, although a surprising change for you, is interfering with my very busy morning.”

  That did it. The headmistress seemed to enjoy constantly reminding everyone of how importantly busy she was, as if nobody else in the world was doing anything important or busy. Fine! Kit thought. If you’re so doggone busy, then let’s cut to the chase! “Where is TK?” she demanded, jumping to her feet. “I followed your schedule! I held up my end of the bargain!”

  Sally quickly interjected, “I think what Katherine means is —”

  Kit didn’t want to hear it. The time for polite manners had ended when the vampire headmistress had taken TK away from her. “I can’t believe you got my dad on your side,” Kit said. “That I did not see coming. You’re good, Lady Covington, I’ll give you that. But you can’t take away my dad and my horse!”

  “Isn’t it lovely that the students can feel comfortable enough to express their inner thoughts?” Sally offered in an apparent attempt to soften the situation.

  Kit ignored her. I’m up to my neck now, she thought, so I might as well see it through. “Where. Is. TK?” she repeated.

  “What time is it?” Lady Covington responded, casually glancing at her watch. “Eight thirty. I expect he’s already in France.”

  “What?” Kit cried.

  “He’s been sold.”

  “To who?”

  “To whom,” Lady Covington corrected her. “To a lovely German family with a holiday home in France. There’s plenty of land, and he’ll be properly broken.”

  Broken? You mean his spirit will be destroyed! He won’t be TK anymore! Kit found herself switching from anger to pleading. “His performance in the ring was my fault,” she said. “He was in a mood, and I wasn’t listening!” Silently, she added, That’s what Elaine told me, and according to you, I’m supposed to learn from Elaine, so listen to me, please!

  Lady Covington did not listen. “He has been sold,” she said. “My decision is final.”

  On any given morning, the Covington stables were a busy place. Students had to feed and groom their horses, muck out the stalls, sweep floors, clean tack and other equipment as needed, and fetch heavy bales of hay and alfalfa. At the same time, they had to keep an eye out for signs of any pest infestations in the stable and ailments in their horses. Students and staff workers hustled back and forth, greeting one another as they passed, commenting on the latest gossip, and in general, enjoying their chores. It was hard work, but it was satisfying. No one there had a desire to be anywhere else. Horses and riding were the reasons Covington existed.

  One stall, however, was silent on this busy morning. The stall contained only a bale of hay, and on that bale slumped a very despondent Kit Bridges. TK’s bridle lay in her lap, and as she stared out at nothing, her fingers gently caressed the leather straps. She sighed and closed her eyes.

  A sound at the door made her open them again. Will Palmerston stood there. “Hey,” he said. He seemed to want to say more, but when Kit remained silent, waiting, he just nodded awkwardly and walked away.

  Kit knew what he wanted to say. I’m sorry. That’s all anybody was saying to her. Everybody knew she was devastated, but nobody knew what to do about it except say I’m sorry. She was going to freak if one more person said that.

  When Nav Andrada appeared, she steeled herself to hear it again. But Nav surprised her. “Hi. Any word from Anya?”

  How refreshing to hear something different! Too bad Kit was feeling as depressed about Anya as she was about TK. Anya Patel had recently left the school, and Kit believed it was her fault.

  During her time at Covington, Anya had been keeping an incredible secret: she was really the daughter of a maharaja of India. She was a bona fide princess! But she had come to Covington to live, learn, and grow as a regular teenager because she didn’t want to depend on the privilege of her social status. She became Kit’s roommate and best friend, until recently, when Anya’s secret had been discovered. As she had feared, people had begun to treat her differently. Most terrible of all, though, was that Kit had actually gotten angry at her for “lying.” Only now did Kit understand Anya’s point of view. And now she’s gone, too, Kit thought dismally, clutching TK’s bridle as she tried to formulate an answer to Nav’s question. “I haven’t heard from her exactly,” she finally said. “Josh says she’s in London, and that she’s all right, so . . . that’s something.”

  “Good,” said Nav. “Um, I had a thought for you.”

  Oh, don’t say you’re sorry, please!

  “Horses have papers,” Nav continued. “TK’s sale would have had to go through the registry. If we find the bill of sale, we find TK.”

  Kit’s jaw dropped. “That’s a great idea!”

  “It’s worth a shot,” Nav agreed. “I’ll find you at lunch for an update, okay?”

  Kit could hardly contain her excitement. “Better than okay!” she cried. “Nav-tacular!”

  Lunchtime rolled around. In the dining hall, Elaine Whiltshire sat at one of several tables, half a chicken sandwich with a side of tomato slices on her plate. When her loyal henchwoman, Peaches, joined her, Elaine said, “Peaches, I have some rather tragic news.”

  Peaches wasn’t really a henchwoman. She was a fellow student. But Elaine considered her her personal assistant. Peaches did anything Elaine told her to do, no matter how sneaky. Not even Elaine knew why Peaches was so willing. But Peaches seemed fine with the arrangement, so Elaine took full advantage.

  Upon hearing Elaine’s warning about tragic news, Peaches said, “Oh, no!” Her expression grew sad. “But Mr. Mittens was so young! What about his nine lives?”

  Elaine stared at her.

  “He should have worn a helmet,” Peaches declared, taking a carrot from her plate and nibbling it.

  By now Elaine was used to the utterly bizarre things that Peaches often said, but this one took the cake. “What? No!” She had to compose herself all over again so that she could announce with appropriate gravity, “I am unable to continue tutoring you in grammar.”

  “Oh, good!” Peaches exclaimed. Seeing the shock on Elaine’s face, she backtracked with “I mean, oh, bad! Obviously my grammar is still in need of your splendiferosityness.”

  “Mangle the language as much as you like, Peaches, but I must go where I’m needed.” As she said this, Elaine glanced over at the doorway. Her next project, handsome Will Palmerston, was entering the hall.

  Peaches followed her gaze. “Ohhhhhh,” she said. “You are needed in County Cute.” She gave Elaine a knowing grin.

  Elaine refused to let Peaches know that she’d hit the nail on the head. “That has nothing to do with it,” she lied. “Will is an excellent rider, and I must ensure his ability to compete moving forward. Now, run along.”

  “But —”

  Elaine cut her off. In her world, henchwomen did not disobey orders. “You know where you’re supposed to go,” she said sharply.

  Peaches hung her head like a scolded puppy, picked up her plate, and scuttered over to the table where Kit, Josh Luders, and Nav were sitting. Elaine was pleased to see her pursuing her ongoing assignment, which was to hear and report back any interesting news about the school cowgirl.

  Elaine focused back on Will, annoyed to see him wave shyly at Kit, who waved back, equally shyly. “Will!” Elaine called, gesturing emphatically at the empty chair next to her.

  Will slid into the seat Peaches had vacated, but he glanced back over at Kit.

  “Um, so . . .” Elaine started, in an attempt to focus his attention on her. “Now that the Covington Cup is over, I wanted to offer to
help you. I obviously couldn’t help you before because, well, my main focus was beating your house.”

  Will was looking at Kit again, though Kit was now talking to Nav.

  Elaine leaned in closer. “But now it’s over,” she went on, “and we’re all back on the same team. I wanted to offer my assistance with something I know you’re . . . troubled with?” She decided to end the speech as a question. That way she appeared hesitant, as if she was aware of the sensitive nature of Will’s academic problems. He would jump up and run if she came right out and said, “Let me help you with your studies before you get yourself kicked out.” She considered herself a master of subtle persuasion. Too bad it wasn’t stopping Will from glancing at Kit yet again. Elaine waited, annoyed, until her offer suddenly hit him.

  His eyes went wide. “Really?” he asked. “I didn’t think you’d be into helping me with . . . this.” Yet another glance at Kit.

  Elaine yanked his attention back. “It’s fine! I mean, we’re friends, aren’t we?” She was getting excited now. Will wanted her to tutor him! She’d had her doubts, but it looked like her plan was going to work. She was going to spend many delicious hours alone with Will Palmerston! And during those hours she was going to show him that they were made for each other. After all, it was obvious to everyone, right? Except him. Well, now she’d have a chance to change that. “So,” she said, her voice giddy, “I’ll get my books!” She reached for her tote, eager to get started.

  “Books?” Will asked.

  Why did he sound so confused? Then she got it. He was giving her a compliment, implying that she didn’t need books to tutor him because she was so smart. How sweet of him! So she teased back, “Yes, books. They were created long, long ago, and they’re filled with words. You’ll love them!”

  Over at Kit’s table, Nav was holding up a folder. “This is what the registry looks like,” he explained to Kit. “You see the —”

  Across from Kit, Josh held up his cell phone. “If TK got shipped out of the country, then there’s probably a record of that — if we know the name of the new owner.”