Watch Me!: Keri Series, #5

By Jenni Francis

When Claire finds a lump on her chest she can’t imagine how it got there. She decides she must have knocked into something. Anyway, there’s too much to do to worry about it. Her cousin Keri is coming to stay, there are the horse trekkers to deal with and three horses have gone missing.

Keri and Mereana arrive to stay for a week, and find themselves involved in more than just helping out on the farm and riding horses. Neighbouring farms have been losing sheep and cattle and even a pig is targeted. Then Claire has to go to hospital. With Claire and her mum out of action, Keri and Mereana have to step in to help out, but before long it’s not just animals who are abducted.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jenni Francis
• Release date: Oct 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9780473408572

Jenni Francis

Jenni Francis lives in New Zealand. She lives on five acres, with an orchard, sheep and a river. She has a cat named Tui, who is very greedy, and who doesn't love children. Which is a shame, as she has twelve grandchildren.Jenni has been writing for about 20 years, and loves to write children's stories. She has six books of the 'Keri' series published so far, and is writing book seven. The main character, Keri, finds herself in difficult situations. Her friends don't always agree with what she does, but they are always there for her in the end.She also has a book of short stories for boys. Not girls.

Book preview

JENNI FRANCIS

© Copyright Jenni Francis 2017

Published by Jenni Francis 2017

P.O. Box 89

Matakana 0948

www.jennifrancis.com

The moral right of the author is asserted. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means without the prior permission in writing from the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition as imposed on any purchaser.

ISBN: 978-0-473-40857-2

Contents

Chapter 1 ....................................................... 1

Chapter 2 ....................................................... 3

Chapter 3 ..................................................... 10

Chapter 4 ..................................................... 14

Chapter 5 ..................................................... 19

Chapter 6 ..................................................... 25

Chapter 7 ..................................................... 31

Chapter 8 ..................................................... 37

Chapter 9 ..................................................... 43

Chapter 10 ................................................... 49

Chapter 11 ................................................... 54

Chapter 12 ................................................... 59

Chapter 13 ................................................... 67

Chapter 14 ................................................... 73

Chapter 15 ................................................... 80

Chapter 16 ................................................... 83

Chapter 17 .................................................. 93

Chapter 18 ................................................... 99

Chapter 19 ................................................. 107

Chapter 20 ................................................. 110

Chapter 21 ................................................. 119

Chapter 22 ................................................. 123

Chapter 23 ................................................. 127

Chapter 24 ................................................. 129

Chapter 25 ................................................. 135

Chapter 26 ................................................. 137

Chapter 27 ................................................. 142

Chapter 28 ................................................. 147

Chapter 29 ................................................. 154

Chapter 30 ................................................. 157

Dedication

For Belle, Macy and Lily.

You’ll all grow up to ride horses, I’m sure.

Just ask your Daddy!

Chapter 1

Claire

She stood in front of the mirror and pulled down the neck of her t-shirt. Just under the top of her bra was a lump. Hard and dense. As if she’d had a really bad knock from something small. She couldn’t imagine what she’d done to herself. Claire thought about calling Mum to have a look, but then remembered that she was out looking for the third horse that had gone missing. Not just any horse, this time, but Jasper, one of Claire’s favourites. Two days ago, she had schooled him over some small jumps and the next day he was gone.

She turned away from the mirror, and went to change her bed sheets. It had been so hot these last few nights and she’d woken up sweating. She walked back to her bedroom and stopped to scratch her feet, then got on with the job of putting on clean sheets.

While she was at it she decided to get the room ready for when her cousin Keri and her cousins friend Mereana arrived in a couple of days. Mum was already busy with the new group of people arriving for the next trek, and the missing horses. She pulled the trundle bed out from under hers and set it up, then went to get a rollaway from the store room. 

That’s that, she thought. She lay down on her bed for a moment and within seconds, was asleep.

Chapter 2

Keri

The train clacked and clattered over the railway bridge. Far below there were kayaks on a river, three or four of them. Too small for me to see the people in them. It was a long way down. Then we were out the other side of the cutting and passing wide green pasture land, while in the distance the mountains rose high, topped with snow.

Isn’t it my turn by the window? Mereana complained.

Ungraciously, I sighed, and stood up to let her pass. She settled in while I craned my neck to see the station. I hadn’t told her we were so close. In minutes we pulled up at a little platform, barely worth calling a station.

Come on, this is us. Quickly, grab your bag or we’ll end up at the next town.

Thanks for nothing, Mereana said as we climbed down from the train.

Soorrry, I sang. She swung her bag towards me and I scuttled out the way, grinning back at her.

Hey! a voice called. Over the small fence, by the road, my cousins Claire and Troy stood waving at us. When you’ve finished arguing, we’re waiting patiently for you two! Claire yelled. They both had big smiles on their faces. We raced along the platform, dragging our bags behind us, down the little path to a quiet country road.

Claire grabbed me as I came through the gateway.

It is so good to see you! she said. She hugged me in a big bear hug while Troy introduced himself to Mereana.

I stepped back a bit.

I can’t believe how tall you are! I said to Claire. You are so much taller than me now.

She stood there grinning, her blond hair glowing with the sun behind her.

I know! Happened all of a sudden this year. Hi, Mereana, I’m so happy to meet you finally. She turned to Mereana and the contrast was startling. Mereana small and dark, Claire tall and blond.

I turned to Troy. You haven’t changed a bit. He was still the stocky, brown haired boy I’d always known. Much more like me in colouring. He gave me a quick hug and a peck on the cheek. Five years older than me at nineteen, he was more adult looking than we all were. Claire, at sixteen, was two years older than me.

Our bags stowed in the back of the ute, we climbed in and all started talking at once.

Hold up, Troy yelled over the top of us girls. I gotta tell you something. When we get home, don’t ask anything about horses. We’ve lost three lately. Dad is really mad about it. Don’t want to set him off.

How can you lose three horses? And will there still be enough for us to ride? I asked.

Claire turned around from the front seat. We don’t know where they’ve gone. Just every now and again, we get up in the morning and another has gone. Three in two weeks. We’ve talked to all the neighbours, talked to the police, and driven all over to search for them, but, nothing. And, yes, we’ve still got plenty left to ride, so long as no more go missing. 

The trip to the farm was long, but we had so much news to share and it was such a beautiful part of the country that the time went fast. Aunty Suzie was waiting at the gate for us, so I clambered out to give her a hug. I helped her close the gate as the sheep were chewing out the grass along the driveway. We walked back to the house together.  She was so like Mum. They even walked the same. I joked with her about it. She smiled and I could see where Troy got his looks from.

How’s Mum? she asked.

Oh, pretty good. She and Rob are doing good, all lovey-dovey. I’ll tell you more about it later.

Sure, Aunty Suzie asked. I know you’ve all had a rough time over the last year or so, but I didn’t like to pry too much.

Even from some distance from the house I could smell dinner cooking.

Are we having roast lamb? I asked.

Of course, and apple crumble for dessert.

Awesome! I ran the rest of the way to the house to get my bag off Claire who seemed to be struggling with it. I’ll take that Claire. Hey, Mereana, we’re having a big old farm roast for dinner. Isn’t that great!

Great! she said, somewhat sarcastically.

Oh, I’m sorry! I forgot! Aunty Suzie, this is my friend Mereana, and Mereana is vegetarian. I should have told you.

No problem, she replied. There’s heaps of vegetables, and tomorrow Mereana, maybe you could let me know what you like to eat? And it’s very nice to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you from Keri and Jan.

It’s really nice of you to have me to stay. I’ve been looking forward to it.

Now, let’s get you sorted. You two will share with Claire. We’ve a houseful this week, as we have a crowd of people here to do a horse trek, and some of the staff are staying in the house, while the rest will be in the lodge. You’ll meet them all tomorrow when we have a social evening.

Okay, cool. Aunty Suzie, we’re not here to have a holiday. Just tell us if there is anything you’d like us to do.

Well, thank you. Well, the first thing you can do is drop the aunty and uncle. We can just be Suzie and Jock. It makes me feel old when you call me aunty!

I’ll try! I said.

In Claire’s bedroom, there were two other beds set up, and she showed us some drawers that we could use for our clothes. Claire lay down on her bed while we unpacked.

Boy, I get tired sometimes, she said. Must be all that end of term exams and stuff. I just don’t seem to be able to get rid of these sniffles either. Anyway, have you finished? ‘Cos we’ll go and see the horses, put the chickens away, and help Mum with dinner.

Around the back of the house, some way past a big old barn, was a stables area, and it was full of activity. People coming and going with horses and pails of water and feed. Some people were brushing the mud from the horses, while others were looking after the saddles and bridles

Come and I’ll introduce you to the horses you’ll be riding this week, Claire said as she strode over to a smaller stable to the left of the main yard. This is where we keep our own horses. There are two who are older and quieter, and will suit you very well. Keri, have you been riding since last time you were here?

I shook my head. There was nowhere around our house that we could go.

Mereana? How about you?

Well, nothing like this, she said. When I go to visit my dad’s family up north, we ride horses down to the beach, but we go bareback with just a rope as a halter. I usually get a very sore bum!

Claire laughed. I’m not surprised. That’s the hard way. But good on you!

She opened the half door into a long room that had about six stalls in it. Three horses looked over the tops of their gates, and Claire rubbed their noses as she greeted each one, opening her palm to give each a piece of carrot.

This is Rusty. She’s my horse, and I’ve had her since she was quite young. Rusty nuzzled her and she stroked the horses’ neck with pleasure.

This one, she pointed to a lovely grey, "this is Pepper, and this gorgeous boy is Beau. I think Keri should have Pepper and Mereana can have Beau. They are both really good horses, and if you get lost they’ll bring