Walker: Secrets

Chapter 12

The air was crisp and cold as Maddie started out of the house to begin her chores, the teen breathing in deep the morning air. It was Christmas Eve and after the week she'd gone through, she was glad the holidays had finally arrived. The nightmare with Bel had finally been resolved and the mare wasn't in danger of being put to sleep anymore. With the video, they had firm evidence that Bel's attack had been provoked and that it had been Rick to blame for what had happened.

When Rick's parents had been shown the video, they had some apologies to make. After the fuss that his father had put up it had been rather embarrassing for Mark to learn that it was actually his son that had been in the wrong. After apologizing profusely and promising that Rick would be dealt with, they had left and hadn't bothered them since.

Maddie was just beyond relieved that it was all over.

Cordell had had a talk with her about what had happened and told her that she should have rung up to let someone know what Stella and August were planning but he hadn't given her any punishments. He did, however, give her a stern warning that if she got into a fistfight again, he wouldn't be so easy on her. Stella and August on the other hand, they had been in deep, deep trouble. In addition to doing all of her work until she was well enough again and Abeline giving them a month of shoveling the stables, they had lost their allowance for three months and were grounded for a month with the exception of the Christmas concert at Sacred Heart.

With everything that had happened over the last two weeks, Maddie hadn't had a chance to give the Mustang Makeover a second thought. The entry deadline was still a couple weeks away so she still had time to make up her mind and she'd decided that once Christmas was over, she'd give that her attention.

Christmas. It was going to be the first Christmas she'd gotten to celebrate since her mother died. The Walkers were going all out for Christmas this year, Abeline and Bonham having been putting up lights and decorations with her help for most of the week. In the back of her mind she hoped that they weren't going to all this trouble just to make this Christmas special for her and a nagging worry accompanied it; that she didn't have anything good enough to give them. She wanted to do something special, something meaningful to thank them all for what they'd done for her since they had welcomed her into their family.

Oh, her present shopping was already done and dusted but she wanted something extra. Something more that she could give all of them. It had been bothering her for days yet she still hadn't been able to think of anything she felt was special enough and so, while doing her morning chores, she thought it over again.

Just as she had finished, it came to her. A song. That's what she could do. She could write a song for them all. With Bel fed and watered, she headed back into the main barn and scurried up the ladder into the loft. Surely she could think of something...

Minutes ticked by as she tried to think of something, anything, but nothing came to mind. With a sigh she tore off another page out of her notebook and tossed it over to the bin but missed, the paper ball heading over the edge of the loft.

'Hey! You up there Maddie?'

At the shout she giggled and went over to the edge. Lying down on her stomach she looked down at Bonham and waved, a mischievous grin on her face. 'Hey.'

He held up the paper ball that had hit him in the head. 'I'd assume this belongs to you?'

'Mmmhmmm. It kinda missed the bin. Sorry.' He threw it back up to her and she caught it with a laugh.

'What are you still doing out here anyway? Haven't you finished with your chores yet?'

'No, I have but I'm trying to come up with a song...' An idea came to mind. 'Hey, maybe you could help me?'