words, a little boy, maybe a fourth grader, scampered into Aceâs path.
Apparently the boy had pulled away from his mother. From the corner of her eye, Sam saw a woman elbowing out of the crowd, running after her child as he approached Ace, hand outstretched.
His hand wasnât empty. In fact, it didnât take Sam or Ace long to realize the child was holding a snake.
âDonâtââ Sam tried not to shout. Ace needed her to stay calm.
âItâs just a garter snake. It wonât bite,â the boy insisted. âThat flickery thing is just his tongue. His mouth isnât even open. Itâs his ola-olafactoryââ
The boyâs mother grabbed him around the middle and lifted him off his feet. Blushing and apologizing, she carried him, snake and all, back to the sidewalk.
Sam started to lean forward to rub Aceâs neck, then changed her mind. Instead, she gave him the sort of atta-boy pat Jake or Dad would use. Ace wouldnât expect it, and the surprise might keep his attention focused on her.
âYouâre a good horse,â Sam told him.
Snorting and rumbling, Ace veered closer to the cattle. He knew what they were all about.
Sam couldnât wait to reach the fairgrounds. Ace had had enough.
A disturbance came from the back of the herd,but Sam didnât even look. Ace felt tense beneath her. They were riding on asphalt. He could bolt and slip. Anything could happen. There was no way sheâd risk a disaster because Linc Slocum was causing trouble as usual.
That probably wasnât fair, Sam thought. In fact, when she considered the calm dun heâd been riding, she guessed she was wrong.
One quick glance over the stream of curly-headed calves behind her showed Sam that Hal Ryden was standing in his stirrups.
âHeâs got it under control,â Sam told Ace, but her horseâs ears didnât even flick back to catch her voice.
Ace was definitely out of his comfort zone. Sam only hoped sheâd progressed enough as a rider to keep him together.
As they took a turn toward the parking lot, Sam smelled deep-fried carnival food amid the scents of hay and livestock. Perhaps Ace was comforted by the smell of other horses or maybe he just realized lots of eyes were watching him with admiration, because he blew through his lips and pranced.
Men with walkie-talkies waved them by a sign that said MUST SHOW PASS .
âAlmost there, boy,â Sam told her horse.
Hal had said to herd the cattle into the arena. From there, the animals would be sorted into the appropriate corrals by his staff. Most of the corralsand one entire barn were reserved for rodeo stock, and Hal had offered to let Jen and Sam strip the tack from their horses, cool them out, and keep them in his stalls until Dad arrived to trailer them home.
Sam tried to slam a mental door on thoughts of home. Ameliaâs grandmother had been in a hurry for her answer about Ace. What if sheâd called back and talked with Gram? What if the decision had already been made for her?
Ace broke out of his flat-footed walk and into a trot. He looked back over his left shoulder.
Youâre okay, boy, Sam thought. This time she told him with hands and legs, hoping that the silence a mustang depended on for safety was the right way.
Ace looked back again with pricked ears and flared nostrils.
Nothing back there that you havenât seen before, she told him with her thoughts, hoping it was true.
Finally Sam snugged her reins. Ace ignored her, so she tightened them until they ran in straight lines to his bit. The gelding shook his head from side to side, yanking in short jerks, quickening his pace before swerving left again.
Was he trying to unseat her, or was there really something back there?
With all the cars, pedestrians, and flapping posters stapled to bulletin boards, Sam knew she should be looking up ahead, but then Ace lifted hisknees in a trot.
Ignoring her, he only went faster,
Apparently the boy had pulled away from his mother. From the corner of her eye, Sam saw a woman elbowing out of the crowd, running after her child as he approached Ace, hand outstretched.
His hand wasnât empty. In fact, it didnât take Sam or Ace long to realize the child was holding a snake.
âDonâtââ Sam tried not to shout. Ace needed her to stay calm.
âItâs just a garter snake. It wonât bite,â the boy insisted. âThat flickery thing is just his tongue. His mouth isnât even open. Itâs his ola-olafactoryââ
The boyâs mother grabbed him around the middle and lifted him off his feet. Blushing and apologizing, she carried him, snake and all, back to the sidewalk.
Sam started to lean forward to rub Aceâs neck, then changed her mind. Instead, she gave him the sort of atta-boy pat Jake or Dad would use. Ace wouldnât expect it, and the surprise might keep his attention focused on her.
âYouâre a good horse,â Sam told him.
Snorting and rumbling, Ace veered closer to the cattle. He knew what they were all about.
Sam couldnât wait to reach the fairgrounds. Ace had had enough.
A disturbance came from the back of the herd,but Sam didnât even look. Ace felt tense beneath her. They were riding on asphalt. He could bolt and slip. Anything could happen. There was no way sheâd risk a disaster because Linc Slocum was causing trouble as usual.
That probably wasnât fair, Sam thought. In fact, when she considered the calm dun heâd been riding, she guessed she was wrong.
One quick glance over the stream of curly-headed calves behind her showed Sam that Hal Ryden was standing in his stirrups.
âHeâs got it under control,â Sam told Ace, but her horseâs ears didnât even flick back to catch her voice.
Ace was definitely out of his comfort zone. Sam only hoped sheâd progressed enough as a rider to keep him together.
As they took a turn toward the parking lot, Sam smelled deep-fried carnival food amid the scents of hay and livestock. Perhaps Ace was comforted by the smell of other horses or maybe he just realized lots of eyes were watching him with admiration, because he blew through his lips and pranced.
Men with walkie-talkies waved them by a sign that said MUST SHOW PASS .
âAlmost there, boy,â Sam told her horse.
Hal had said to herd the cattle into the arena. From there, the animals would be sorted into the appropriate corrals by his staff. Most of the corralsand one entire barn were reserved for rodeo stock, and Hal had offered to let Jen and Sam strip the tack from their horses, cool them out, and keep them in his stalls until Dad arrived to trailer them home.
Sam tried to slam a mental door on thoughts of home. Ameliaâs grandmother had been in a hurry for her answer about Ace. What if sheâd called back and talked with Gram? What if the decision had already been made for her?
Ace broke out of his flat-footed walk and into a trot. He looked back over his left shoulder.
Youâre okay, boy, Sam thought. This time she told him with hands and legs, hoping that the silence a mustang depended on for safety was the right way.
Ace looked back again with pricked ears and flared nostrils.
Nothing back there that you havenât seen before, she told him with her thoughts, hoping it was true.
Finally Sam snugged her reins. Ace ignored her, so she tightened them until they ran in straight lines to his bit. The gelding shook his head from side to side, yanking in short jerks, quickening his pace before swerving left again.
Was he trying to unseat her, or was there really something back there?
With all the cars, pedestrians, and flapping posters stapled to bulletin boards, Sam knew she should be looking up ahead, but then Ace lifted hisknees in a trot.
Ignoring her, he only went faster,
Similar Books
