Western Star by Bonnie Bryant

Author:Bonnie Bryant [Bryant, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 978-0-307-82549-0
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-01-30T05:00:00+00:00

IT WAS ALMOST ten o’clock when the last strains of “Silent Night” echoed through the Bar None lodge. Lisa looked out the window. The ground was covered by loads of fresh snow, but there was only a dusting coming down from the sky. Where there had so recently been gale-force winds, there was only a cold breeze. A few stars were visible through the broken clouds above.

“I think I’d like to check on the horses in the barn,” Lisa said. “I’d like to know they’re all snug.”

Her friends looked at one another. Lisa cared about the horses, all right, but she wasn’t any more worried about them than she had been about her tack that morning. She wanted to see John.

“Take some carrots from the refrigerator,” Phyllis suggested.

“Okay,” Lisa agreed.

“Can I come along?” Gary asked.

“You—wha—uh …” Lisa’s mind raced. Then she realized there was only one answer. “Of course. But don’t forget to bundle up. It’s cold out there.”

It wasn’t an easy walk to the barn. Fifteen inches of snow had fallen, but the wind had redistributed it, so while some places only had an inch or two, the snow had drifted to three or four feet in others. It was Lisa’s second adventurous trip of the day.

They slipped into the barn. Lisa was hoping to find a light on. More important, she was hoping to find John Brightstar there.

No such luck. The stable was dark except for the soft glow of the emergency exit lights. The bunkhouse where John and his father lived was completely dark. She was stuck with Gary.

She handed him a bunch of carrots and began introducing him to the horses. He seemed completely at ease with the animals. Lisa remembered what John had said about judging dudes by their riding skills, not by what they claimed they could do. Gary did seem to know a thing or two about horses.

“Do you get much chance to ride?” she asked him.

“As much as I can,” he said. “I really love it, but our schedule doesn’t permit it daily the way I’d like. I was raised in horse country, you know. When my parents were on the road, making a name for themselves, I was at home on the ranch with my grandfather, learning everything I could about horses. I’ve ridden since before I could walk.”

“Really?” Lisa asked.

“Definitely,” Gary said. “Grandpa took me to my first rodeo when I was three.”

“Wow, that’s young to sit for such a long show,” Lisa said.

“No, I mean I performed in my first rodeo when I was three. They had a junior barrel race. Once I’d learned how to do that, Grandpa taught me about roping and cutting. It took me a while to get good enough to compete in those, but by the time I was eight, I was the county champion.”

“Eight?” Lisa had some trouble believing that. Roping and cutting were hard-learned skills that required a great deal of strength. It was difficult to imagine an eight-year-old doing them well. She kept her doubts to herself.

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