Read Nickel-Bred for Free Online Page B

better than they are. We have to get him away from them.”
    “Angel is crazy and she might try to sell him
so we can’t have him,” Addie said.
    “We can’t let that happen, but now my dad and
mom don’t want me to go out there at all. They think we should find
another horse. They’ll convince your mom, too.”
    “But I wouldn’t be comfortable on another
horse! Nickel is the one I want.”
    “That’s what I think. We have to work on our
parents. Maybe Miss Julie will help. I’ll talk to her tomorrow when
I go out there.”
    “Okay, ‘bye”
    The next morning, Mom had me spend a couple
of hours helping her clean the house. She was expecting Sam
Applegate for dinner and wanted everything to look as if it was
always perfect. That seemed silly and I hoped I wasn’t like that
when I got older. It was late when I got out to the barn to see my
pony.
    Dotty was her usual, sweet self after the
exciting events of the previous day. I puttered around, organizing
the tack. The saddle went on its board, the bridle and halter hung
from pegs. I had two lead ropes that I draped over the halter.
After filling Dotty’s water tank, I gave her a back scratch,
raising dust and making horsehair fly all over.
    I found a nice sunny patch of grass to sit
in, lowered myself and tried to calm down and think. Dozens of
dragonflies dipped and swirled around over the daisies and clover
in the paddock and I wondered what I should do about my parents.
Calmly discuss the situation until we all agreed? I didn’t feel
calm. Rationally explain why we needed Nickel? I didn’t feel
rational. Kick and scream and pout? That’s what I wanted to do.
    “Piper, hello!” Miss Julie was calling to me.
I had been so far up in my head I hadn’t heard her.
    “Oh! Hi, Miss Julie!”
    “You looked like you were a million miles
away. I called to you three times.”
    “Sorry. I was thinking hard.”
    “About what, honey?”
    “About Nickel and how we’re going to manage
to bring him here, even though Addie’s and my parents don’t want us
anywhere near the owner.” I explained all the difficulties to do
with Chickie, his brother, and Angel.
    “Those people are no good,” said Miss Julie.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about them. You know they might be the
ones who are breaking into houses around here?”
    “I know that. I don’t want to be their
friends, Miss Julie. I just want their horse. He’s the perfect
horse for Addie. She’s comfortable on him and doesn’t want any
other horse to ride. Nickel is not involved in any thefts. He’s a
horse.”
    “You don’t want to be any more involved with
those people than you have to be, Piper.”
    “I know, I know. But Addie needs that horse.
I have to get it for her.” How could I be any clearer?
    Miss Julie walked slowly over to Dotty and
began petting her on the neck. Dotty nosed her previous owner and
nibbled at her pockets, making little snorty noises.
    “Did you smell the carrot I have for you?”
Miss Julie pulled it out and fed it to Dotty, getting her hand well
slobbered in the process. “You’re a greedy girl, aren’t you?” The
carrot gone, Dotty lost interest and wandered over to a patch of
grass that grew thick and tall.
    “I don’t know what to tell you, Piper,” Miss
Julie began. “I can talk to your father and mother and see if I can
help you out there. But it’s hard because I basically agree with
them.”
    “Sam is eating at our house tonight. Maybe
you could explain to him and he could explain to Mom.”
    “I can try, but I’m not sure he will see it
your way, either. Give it a little time and let’s see what
happens.”
    Time. Grownups always wanted to give things
time. Didn’t they understand that time would run out and Nickel
would be gone?
    My phone rang. I looked at the caller. It was
Addie.
    “Piper, are you coming over here to see me?
I’m not supposed to use my ankle for a few days”
    “Yeah, I was on my way there as soon as I’m
done with