Stranger in the Glade by Susan K. Marlow

Author:Susan K. Marlow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kregel Publications
Published: 2022-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

Eight-year-old Andi Carter wriggled with delight. “Only one more month ’til I’m nine. Then Taffy and I will be horse and rider at last!”

She sat on the top railing of her filly’s paddock just outside the horse barn. Her golden palomino trotted around and around inside the enclosure. After every few circles, Taffy stopped, shook her mane, and stomped a hoof. After yet another circle of the paddock, she stopped beside Andi and whinnied, a very impatient whinny.

Andi stroked Taffy’s white blaze and sighed. “Soon, Taffy,” she crooned. “He’ll come. Then we can work on your ground manners.”

She scowled. Or maybe not. She’d said “soon” to Taffy four or five times already. Now “soon” had become “later.” Much later. Andi looked up. The sun shone high overhead. It was nearly noon.

Chad had promised Andi that he wouldn’t take long today. Only a few remaining late calves needed to be branded. “Sit tight, little sister,” he’d shouted when he galloped away early this morning. “I’ll be back in a jiffy for a training session with you and Taffy.”

Andi sucked in a disappointed breath. Where was that ol’ big brother? He was always getting sidetracked. She let out her breath in a loud whoosh. “Dumb ol’ brother.”

Andi sat up quickly and looked around to see if anyone had heard those forbidden words. Just yesterday, Mother had taken a switch from the peach tree and landed a few sharp whacks to Andi’s backside.

“Your tongue is a fire lately, Andrea,” she reminded her daughter. “Learn to control it, or I will have to control it for you.”

“Yes, Mother,” Andi had fervently replied, sniffing back her tears.

Andi wanted to be good. Maybe not as good as her big sister Melinda, but good like her big brothers Mitch and Justin. That ugly term for her brother had slipped out of her mouth just now, like it had a mind of its own.

No one was hanging around Taffy’s paddock, so Andi felt safe from spies for the time being. She swung her legs back and forth, counted to one hundred, and pressed her lips tightly together to prove that she could control her tongue.

A few minutes later, Chad’s big buckskin horse, Sky, galloped into the yard.

Yippee! Andi nearly fell from the railing in her haste to greet her brother. “What took you so long?” She ran up to Sky, who danced and sidestepped, trying to avoid her.

Chad hauled back on the reins. “Good grief, Andi. Stay back. You want to get trampled?” His blue eyes snapped in irritation.

Andi stepped back at Chad’s sharp tone. She clasped her sweaty hands together and scowled. “You said you’d be back hours ago to help Taffy and me.”

“I got tied up,” he grouched, dismounting. When his boot heel touched the ground, he winced in pain.

“Who tied you up?” Andi couldn’t resist a teasing grin.

“I was delayed,” Chad said through gritted teeth. He was clearly in no mood for Andi’s silly banter.

She slumped then brightened. “Well, you’re home now. C’mon!” She grabbed his shirt sleeve.

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