Catherine came out of her office looking for Bird.

"Hey Eddie!"

The concierge turned to her, "Yes, ma'am."

"Have you seen Bird around?" Eddie took a little while thinking about it. "So Eddie?" Catherine insisted.

"Sorry, ma'am. The last time I saw him he said he was going to take a walk."

"Ok Eddie, thanks." Catherine replied walking to the hotel doorway. Where the hell is Bird when you need him? Catherine thought.

She stood there for a few minutes and then she turned to the concierge. "Eddie!"

Eddie turned again his attention to Catherine. "Yes?"

"Please, bring my horse to the front. I'm going out."

Eddie nodded yes and a few minutes later he brought Catherine's horse, Thief, out of the stable.

"I�ll be back soon, Eddie. Take care of the things until then," Catherine said mounting the horse.

"Yes, ma'am," Eddie answered smiling.

Catherine rode to Mustang Hill Ranch. She knew that the owner Karen Jamison sold horses and she needed one as a gift for a friend. Some time later, Catherine was on the Jamison' s land.

Karen saw someone riding toward the direction of her house. She walked out and stood waiting on the house's porch for the rider. She was surprised to find that Catherine was the rider.

"Good morning, Miss Jamison," Catherine exclaimed getting down.

"Good morning, Miss Paige. What can I do for you?"

Catherine approached Karen smiling. "Well, Miss Jamison. I need a horse and I was wondering can you help me find a good one."

"You came to right place. Please follow me."

Catherine followed Karen through the property. The two, finally, arrived at the stable.

"Ok, Miss Paige, here they are," Karen said pointing to the horses. "What kind of horse are you looking for?"

"First of all, please call me Catherine," Catherine asked.

Karen smiled. "Ok, Catherine� call me Karen then."

Catherine nodded. "Now, Karen about the horse," Catherine said as she walked around looking carefully at all the horses. "The horse isn't for hard work, and I was thinking about a docile horse."

"Well, I have this one," Karen said pointing to a beautiful white horse. "She is an Arabian horse, and she is very docile, a good horse."

Catherine looked at the horse for a few moments. "Yeah. I like her. How much do you want for the horse?"

"Let's go inside to decide on a price. I�ll get the horse prepared for you."

Catherine and Karen walked back to the house. They agreed on $25.00 for the horse. After drinking the glass of water Karen offered and, much to Catherine�s surprise, talking more then business with Karen, Catherine rode back to the town bringing with her the beautiful horse she had just bought.

When she got back to the hotel, Bird was already back from his walk. Catherine asked him to go to the general store and buy a saddle for the new horse.

After lunch Catherine and Bird rode 2 miles southwest of town, hoping to find Kathleen home to receive the gift Catherine had bought for her.

"Hey, Kathleen! Are you home?" Catherine yelled as she and Bird approached the teacher's house. Catherine always felt at home there. Kathleen was a good friend.

"I'm here, Catherine. Hello, Bird!" Kathleen yelled coming out of the school.

"Hello, Miss Kathleen," Bird said.

"Come here. I have something for you." Catherine was very excited and smiled the whole time.

"What?" Kathleen asked looking surprised.

"Look, isn't she beautiful?" Catherine asked standing next to the new horse.

"Yeah, she is beautiful," Kathleen answered not seeming very happy.

"What's wrong? Don't you like it?"

"Oh, it isn't that! She is beautiful. It�s just that, when I was 5, I was bucked off a horse while riding and then a year later, while I was riding in the wagon with the nuns, a snake spooked the horse and they ran off with the wagon. We were almost killed. And . . . well . . . ever since then I've been afraid of horses. I'm sorry. I should have told you, but I try to leave my past in the past where it belongs." Kathleen said upset.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Kathleen. I didn't know, but you need a horse to take you around. I don't want my friend walking. You will get tired and old too soon," Catherine teased.

Kathleen and Catherine had become good friends and Kathleen was thinking how nice it was to have someone worrying about her like that. She knew that the nuns worried about all the children but that was their job. Catherine was worried because she really, genuinely cared for her, not because she had to take care of her.

"Well," Catherine continued, "if you are afraid of horses we will need to change that, so I was thinking every evening I will come here and help you to lose your fear of horses. Ok?" Kathleen hesitated to give Catherine an answer. "Come Kathleen, I will teach you how to ride."

"Ok, Catherine, if you will teach me, I'll accept your gift, but you have to let me do something for you in return. Just ask me and if I can do it I will." Kathleen said smiling at her animated friend.

"Great, and Bird can help, too, he knows a lot about horses." Catherine replied looking at Bird.

"Of course, Miss Kathleen. I would love to help you," Bird said.

"Kathleen, you need to give the horse a name," Catherine affirmed.

Kathleen looked at the horse for a little while.

"Well, what about Ghost?" Kathleen asked

"I like it, don't you Bird?"

"It's a good name, Miss Kathleen, a good name," Bird replied to his two friends.