Nickel-Bred by Patricia Gilkerson Page A

wife.”
    “Oh, my gosh! What did you do?”
    “I took her arm and pulled her to the door. I
told her to get out, that I wasn’t buying what she was selling. I
didn’t know what else I said, I was so mad and embarrassed.”
    “Did she leave?”
    “Oh, she stomped out and slammed the doors,
like she’s the one with a reason to be upset. I had to apologize
over and over to the Smiths. I couldn’t believe it. I have never
encouraged that woman. Ever! She’s nuts!”
    “You’re right, she’s nuts. I hope she got the
message this time, Dad.”
    “Yeah, me too. Well, I had to vent. Listen,
if she calls you again, don’t pick up. I have to go back to work.
Love you!”
    I couldn’t believe what Angel had done. I
mean, I believed it, since I had met her and knew she was whacked.
What I couldn’t get over was how she had behaved. Didn’t she have
any sense? Of course I didn’t want my dad to be interested in a
tramp like her, but couldn’t she figure out that wasn’t the way to
get him interested? He liked women to be smart and pretty, not
trashy.
    I puttered around the house, not really doing
much of anything, basically wasting the afternoon. I wandered into
my bedroom and collected dirty clothes from the chairs and the
floor. I had just put a load in the washer when my phone rang
again. Angel? Not her number, so I picked up.
    “Hello?”
    “Piper?” It was a man.
    “Yes, who is this?”
    “This is Chickie. Listen, if you want that
horse, you better come and get him tonight.”
    “I still have to talk my dad into it. He’s
not sure...”
    “Hey, kid! I’m tryin’ to do you a favor here.
Angel is mad as hell at you and your old man, I don’t know why. But
she’s borrowing a horse trailer from someone tomorrow morning and
taking him to the slaughterhouse if he’s still here.”
    “What? Will they take a nice horse like
that?”
    “Honey, they’ll take anything with hoofs.
They don’t care. So if you want him, get your butt over here and
take him. I’d hate to see him get ground up for dogfood. My mom
would not have wanted that, but I’m not getting in Angel’s way when
she’s ticked off.” Chickie hung up.
    The phone rang. Chickie again. “By the way,
don’t let Angel see you or she’s liable to come out and mess you
up. Stay quiet and be invisible.” Click.
    Now what was I going to do? I tried calling
Addie. No answer. I remembered she was visiting a sick aunt. I
tried calling my dad. It went to his voicemail and I knew he had
farm calls ‘till late, since I wasn’t coming to dinner. No point in
trying him anymore. He didn’t want the horse anyway.
    I thought about calling Mom, Miss Julie or
Sam, but if they were all having dinner tonight, I couldn’t ask
them to change plans.
    I couldn’t let Nickel become a dog’s dinner.
He deserved a nice home and someone to take care of him. I had to
go and get him. And I had to go tonight, after dark.
     

Chapter
Fourteen
    ~ A Wet Ride ~
     
    I had tried
and tried, after we saved Dotty, to tell the truth from then on, to
do what I was supposed to do and follow all the rules. I mean, I
really tried. But I had to tell another lie, a big one.
    Miss Julie didn’t pick up her phone, and I
was glad to leave a message. It was easier than lying to her
directly.
    “Hi, Miss Julie, this is Piper. I have to go
with Addie to see one of her aunts who is sick. I’ll try to get out
there later, but don’t wait dinner on me. Please tell Mom and Sam.
‘Bye.”
    That job done, I walked the mile to the barn,
watching to make sure Miss Julie’s speedy little car didn’t appear.
I couldn’t let anyone see me.
    When I got to the barn unseen, I collected a
halter and began the hike out to Chickie’s. I didn’t want to haul
my heavy saddle that far, so I planned to ride Nickel bareback, or
lead him, if I had trouble staying on.
    I tried calling Addie again a couple of
times, but her phone went to voicemail right away. She was still at
her aunt’s and had