Read Taming the Star Runner for Free Online

horses. Now he was going to look at the girls…
    Casey stood in the middle of the ring, four little girls on ponies trotting in a circle around her. As each one went by she barked an order: “Molly, get your heels down. Amber, get your leg back, your leg should be on the fat part of the horse. Megan, you’re posting too high. Wrong diagonal, Liz.”
    Travis folded his arms on the top rail of the ring and watched. God, it was hot. It’d be a lot cooler at home by now. Here the heat just sat on you, like a cloud. The riders looked even hotter, with all that hot junk they had to wear—boots and pants and hats. Casey was wearing shorts and a T-shirt and a sun visor, and she didn’t look too cool either.
    â€œWhen you get to the brush box, canter.”
    Only one little girl managed what he assumed was a canter. The rest of the ponies just trotted faster.
    â€œDon’t throw yourself forward! Sit up! Pull up and try it again. Get organized.”
    Travis had thought about learning to ride, but he’d thought Ken could teach him. All this flitting around in an English saddle looked too la-di-da for him. Besides that, he hadn’t seen anyone except girls doing it.
    â€œHi. You ever get any cigarettes?”
    Travis had seen Jennifer coming up behind him, but had pretended not to, deciding to let her speak first.
    â€œYeah, I did. You riding today?”
    Jennifer really was cute, dark hair in an expensive-looking short cut, dark eyes. She was wearing tight gray riding breeches, high boots, and a polo shirt.
    â€œI’m in the next lesson. I’ve got to go tack up in a minute. Casey,” she called, “Robyn won’t be here, she had to stay after school.”
    Casey left the circle of riders. Dust had settled like a tan across her face, streaked here and there by little rivers of sweat.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œRobyn got in trouble, she had to stay after for a conference with her mother.”
    â€œGreat.” She kept an eye on the riders and suddenly yelled, “Molly, don’t let him walk off with you like that! You should have pulled him up after the first step!”
    She turned back to Jennifer. “Robyn was going to do the stalls for me. I’ve got a horse-show meeting this evening!”
    â€œI’d do it,” Jennifer offered, “but I’ve got my piano lesson right after this.”
    â€œYou. Nephew. What’s your name?”
    â€œTravis.” He was annoyed by her tone—sure, maybe she was a
little
older, but not that much.
    â€œWould you do something for me? I’ve got to split after this next class. Would you go up and water the stalls for me?”
    Her green eyes were a much warmer color than his own. They saved her face from plainness. Too bad, he thought, she had to go and ruin her nice long legs. They were way too muscled up.
    â€œYeah, sure,” he said. “Okay.”
    â€œWhat a pal,” she said, and went back to her students.
    â€œHow old is she?” he asked Jennifer as they walked back to the barn together.
    â€œCasey? Eighteen, I think. She’s the youngest pro in the state.”
    â€œYou like her?”
    â€œOh, sure, I mean, she’s a real perfectionist, she makes you work real hard, but we do win ribbons at shows. I’m a little bit scared of her.”
    I can see that, Travis thought, but sounded surprised as he said, “Scared?”
    â€œOh, not scared, but you know, she’s so good and I’m such a klutz—I fell off right in front of the judge last time. I thought I was going to die.”
    â€œWhat’d Casey do?”
    â€œCame out and gave me a leg up.”
    Seeing his puzzled look, she added, “Boosted me back on and told me to finish the course.”
    There were two girls in the barn, getting their horses ready to ride, and one older lady, thirty at least.
    The girls were too young to be interesting, probably around thirteen. They looked