Moonlight Mile by Catherine Hapka

you think Freckles will spook if that ball comes too close?” she said. “Maybe we should turn around and go back the other way.”
    For a second the image of Breezy spooking at that cat and mouse flitted through Nina’s mind. But she immediately banished the thought. That had been a once-in-a-­lifetime thing—the extra excitement of the show combined with bad luck.
    â€œDon’t be ridic,” she told Jordan lightly. “Neither of these guys is going to bat an eye at something like that. They’re city ponies, remember?”
    â€œI guess you’re right.” Jordan still looked nervous, but she took a deep breath and kept her horse at Breezy’s side as the two equines walked on.
    When the girls reached the lawn, the kids werehalfway across squabbling over something. None of them even glanced at the horses.
    â€œGood,” Jordan muttered. “Let’s get through here before they come back this way.”
    â€œChill out,” Nina said with a laugh. “They could bounce that ball off Freckie’s head and he still wouldn’t—”
    Before she could finish, one of the kids let out a shout. There was the sound of a foot connecting solidly with rubber, and a moment later the ball came flying toward them.
    Nina tensed, waiting for Breezy to spook as he’d done at the show. But all her pony did was glance at the ball as he ambled on.
    Whew! Nina relaxed, smiling at her own reaction. See? I was right—it was just the crazy show atmosphere making Breezy edgy before. Now he’s back to being his normal, perfect self.
    She leaned forward to give him a pat. Meanwhile one of the little kids was racing over to retrieve the ball, chased by one of his friends.
    â€œI’ll get it!” the first kid yelled.
    â€œNo, me!” the second cried, spurting past the first and kicking it before his friend got there.
    â€œHey, careful!” Jordan exclaimed as the ball rolled toward the horses.
    It bounced off Freckles’s leg; he jumped but then stayed still. Then the ball rolled under Breezy’s right forefoot just as he was taking a step.
    â€œWatch it, Breeze-man,” Nina exclaimed as her pony stumbled.
    Breezy tried to catch himself, but the ball shot out and hit his other foreleg, causing him to stumble again—and this time land heavily on his knees. Nina was tossed forward onto his withers, where she scrabbled to hold on to his mane and neck. But it was no use—as her pony struggled to regain his feet, she felt herself slipping sideways. . . .
    â€œOof!” she grunted as she hit the ground, landing on her hip and one arm.
    â€œNina!” Jordan yelped. “Oh my gosh, are you okay? Nina?”
    â€œI’m fine,” Nina gasped, the wind knocked out of her by the fall. She rolled aside as Breezy finally managed to scramble back to his feet. He stood there, breathing hard and looking confused.
    The little kids had already grabbed their ball and run away without a backward glance. Nina glared after them as she climbed to her feet and grabbed Breezy’s dangling reins.
    â€œAre you hurt?” Jordan sounded almost hysterical. “Should I call nine-one-one?”
    Nina glanced over, realizing that her friend had her cell phone in her hand with one shaky finger hovering over the keypad. “No!” she said. “I’m totally fine. I didn’t even hit my head.” She touched her riding helmet, then brushed some dirt off her pants. “It’s no big deal.”
    It wasn’t—at least that was what Nina was trying to tell herself. She was fine, and so was Breezy. And it wasn’t as if she’d never fallen off before. When she’d first learned to ride, she used to joke she spent more time on the ground than in the saddle. That was a slight exaggeration, of course—thanks to her years of dance training, Nina had excellent balance. But those years of dance had also taught her to