Spirit Riding Free--The Adventure Begins by Suzanne Selfors

Author:Suzanne Selfors
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Juvenile Fiction / Animals / Horses, Juvenile Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Juvenile Fiction / Girls & Women
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Published: 2017-05-01T16:00:00+00:00

15

Night had fallen by the time Jim joined them at the house. He brought groceries and a big dose of enthusiasm, which both Lucky and Cora needed after hours of cleaning. He showed his sister how to start a fire in the stove and how to use the griddle, a skill he’d learned in his bachelor days on the ranch. They fried eggs and ate tortillas, Lucky’s new favorite food. For dessert there were dried plums and the rest of the cookies.

Lucky couldn’t stop thinking about tomorrow. Her first day of school. What if Maricela was right? What if the other girls were… the worst?

Jim talked between bites—and during bites, which would normally drive Cora mad, but she seemed too tired to notice. It had been a long afternoon. Lucky hadn’t minded the hard work; it had been a welcome distraction. And she’d been surprised by Cora’s willingness to get down on the floor and scrub. And scoop critter poop. Who would have thought?

“Jim!” Cora finally blurted, bringing his long monologue to an end. “I’m glad things went well at the office. However, there are important matters to tend to. This house is a mess.”

He set his fork aside. “Looks pretty good to me.”

“Dad, that’s only because Aunt Cora and I cleaned. You should have seen the place.”

“There were wild animals in here, Jim!” Cora’s exhaustion began leaking out the corners of her eyes in the form of tears.

“There, there,” Jim said. He leaned across the table and kissed his sister’s cheek. “I’m sorry. I will help you as much as I can. I’ll start unpacking the furniture.”

Jim first focused on Cora’s room so she could call it a day and get some sleep. Then he carried a dresser into Lucky’s room, along with a bedside table and lamp.

“Settling in okay?” he asked.

Lucky was sitting on the floor, riffling through one of her trunks. “It’s weird,” she said, pulling out her old stuffed bear. “Even though my things are the same, it still doesn’t feel like home.”

“You know, the West is your home—your first home, since it’s where I met your mom and where you were born.” He reached into the trunk and pulled out the framed circus flyer. He hung it next to her bed. “You loved it back then.”

“I was two. I don’t remember that.”

“Well, you’ll just have to take my word for it.” He nudged her, trying to get a smile, but Lucky felt so unsure about everything. “What’s the matter? Are you worried about school?”

“I’ve never been the new girl before. What if… what if no one likes me?”

“That’s impossible! How could anyone not like you?”

“Dad,” she grumbled. His giant grin wasn’t making her feel better. “You’re not taking this seriously.” Didn’t he know that there were countless things that could go wrong? What if no one wanted to sit with her at lunch? What if she couldn’t stop fidgeting, and she got in trouble on the first day? What if that snobby Maricela was the nicest person in town?

Jim gazed at the poster.

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