great for long-distance riding and characteristic of the Missouri fox trotter.
The Western Saddle
Chapter One
I should’ve gone to Aunt Dot’s in Charleston for the summer!” Skye made her point perfectly clear as she shampooed her horse in the Keystone Stables paddock. “I’m really not looking forward to a summer with Joey Klingerman again.”
“Well, why didn’t you go to Charleston?” Morgan shot back. “I’m sure Champ would’ve had a simply marvelous time here without you.” From her wheelchair, Skye’s foster sister busied herself polishing a saddle on a sawhorse just outside the barn door.
Skye threw her arms around Champ’s drenched neck and clung to him like a wet rag. “But I can’t get along without him, Morgan. Not for a whole summer. I’d just die!”
The sorrel quarter horse nickered and nodded as though in agreement with Skye’s dramatic words.
Skye kissed Champ on the nose and then sighed as she wiped his neck with a dry cloth. “I know Joey can’t help it that he has Down syndrome, but he just won’t leave me alone. Mom’s been helping me to try and understand, and I found a neat website that explains all about kids like him, but—”
“And, Skye,” Morgan teased, flipping back her long red locks, “what about Chad? You’d die without him too, wouldn’t you?”
Skye’s face flushed red-hot and she giggled. “Cut it out. You know I’m going nowhere but here for the whole summer. Mom and Dad need both of us, I guess. And Chad? Well . . . I . . .”
“Did I hear my name?” A teenager in a dark brown Stetson, plaid shirt, and jeans led a buckskin horse out of the barn. “What can I do for you ladies?” Brown eyes flashed in Skye’s direction.
Although Skye was soaked and fairly cool from Champ’s bath, her cheeks flushed hotter than ever. She threw a quick glance at Chad and returned to her hosing job. “Oh—ah—nothing,” she stammered. “We’re just discussing the summer.”
“Yeah,” Morgan added, “and all the work that’s ahead of us.”
“But working with the horses is fun—most of the time.” Skye positioned herself so she could eye Chad.
Chad led the buckskin into the paddock, tied him to a fence post, and started to brush his shiny tan coat. “Yeah, even though Mr. C. pays me for helping, it is a lot of fun. The money goes into my college fund, and I get to play with horses and kids all summer. Now in my book that’s one super job. Are all the summer students here?”
Skye peeked over her horse’s withers, watching Chad’s every move. “Yeah. All four of them are here, bag and baggage. Sorry to say, Mom and Dad picked up Joey at the bus station right after church.”
Leaning over the horse’s back, Chad poked back his Stetson, revealing a clump of blond curls. “Joey Klingerman’s coming again? Why are you sorry?”
“’Cause I have a slight problem with him, that’s all,” she said weakly.
“A problem?” Chad asked.
Ignoring Chad’s question, Skye busied herself with water and bubbles. Me and my big mouth.
“Joey bugs her to death!” Morgan put in her two cents’ worth.
Another big mouth! Skye fumed. Shielding herself behind Champ, she shot a piercing glare at Morgan and shook her head.
A fake Cheshire grin masked Morgan’s freckles. Sorry! Her lips formed the word as she resumed soaping the saddle.
“Joey bugs you?” Chad boomed right behind Skye.
“Yikes!” Skye squeaked as she jumped to attention like a soldier called to arms.
Chad and Morgan burst out laughing.
Skye faced Chad in mock anger. “Very funny, Chad Dressler.”
Chad’s twin dimples highlighted his devilish smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you—much.”
“Yeah, right!” Skye said. But you can scare me anytime!
Chad picked up a cloth and started drying Champ’s head. “Seriously, what’s wrong with Joey? He was here last year, and I didn’t notice any problem with him. He listened and followed all the rules, as far as I
The Western Saddle
Chapter One
I should’ve gone to Aunt Dot’s in Charleston for the summer!” Skye made her point perfectly clear as she shampooed her horse in the Keystone Stables paddock. “I’m really not looking forward to a summer with Joey Klingerman again.”
“Well, why didn’t you go to Charleston?” Morgan shot back. “I’m sure Champ would’ve had a simply marvelous time here without you.” From her wheelchair, Skye’s foster sister busied herself polishing a saddle on a sawhorse just outside the barn door.
Skye threw her arms around Champ’s drenched neck and clung to him like a wet rag. “But I can’t get along without him, Morgan. Not for a whole summer. I’d just die!”
The sorrel quarter horse nickered and nodded as though in agreement with Skye’s dramatic words.
Skye kissed Champ on the nose and then sighed as she wiped his neck with a dry cloth. “I know Joey can’t help it that he has Down syndrome, but he just won’t leave me alone. Mom’s been helping me to try and understand, and I found a neat website that explains all about kids like him, but—”
“And, Skye,” Morgan teased, flipping back her long red locks, “what about Chad? You’d die without him too, wouldn’t you?”
Skye’s face flushed red-hot and she giggled. “Cut it out. You know I’m going nowhere but here for the whole summer. Mom and Dad need both of us, I guess. And Chad? Well . . . I . . .”
“Did I hear my name?” A teenager in a dark brown Stetson, plaid shirt, and jeans led a buckskin horse out of the barn. “What can I do for you ladies?” Brown eyes flashed in Skye’s direction.
Although Skye was soaked and fairly cool from Champ’s bath, her cheeks flushed hotter than ever. She threw a quick glance at Chad and returned to her hosing job. “Oh—ah—nothing,” she stammered. “We’re just discussing the summer.”
“Yeah,” Morgan added, “and all the work that’s ahead of us.”
“But working with the horses is fun—most of the time.” Skye positioned herself so she could eye Chad.
Chad led the buckskin into the paddock, tied him to a fence post, and started to brush his shiny tan coat. “Yeah, even though Mr. C. pays me for helping, it is a lot of fun. The money goes into my college fund, and I get to play with horses and kids all summer. Now in my book that’s one super job. Are all the summer students here?”
Skye peeked over her horse’s withers, watching Chad’s every move. “Yeah. All four of them are here, bag and baggage. Sorry to say, Mom and Dad picked up Joey at the bus station right after church.”
Leaning over the horse’s back, Chad poked back his Stetson, revealing a clump of blond curls. “Joey Klingerman’s coming again? Why are you sorry?”
“’Cause I have a slight problem with him, that’s all,” she said weakly.
“A problem?” Chad asked.
Ignoring Chad’s question, Skye busied herself with water and bubbles. Me and my big mouth.
“Joey bugs her to death!” Morgan put in her two cents’ worth.
Another big mouth! Skye fumed. Shielding herself behind Champ, she shot a piercing glare at Morgan and shook her head.
A fake Cheshire grin masked Morgan’s freckles. Sorry! Her lips formed the word as she resumed soaping the saddle.
“Joey bugs you?” Chad boomed right behind Skye.
“Yikes!” Skye squeaked as she jumped to attention like a soldier called to arms.
Chad and Morgan burst out laughing.
Skye faced Chad in mock anger. “Very funny, Chad Dressler.”
Chad’s twin dimples highlighted his devilish smile. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you—much.”
“Yeah, right!” Skye said. But you can scare me anytime!
Chad picked up a cloth and started drying Champ’s head. “Seriously, what’s wrong with Joey? He was here last year, and I didn’t notice any problem with him. He listened and followed all the rules, as far as I
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