You Can Always Trust a Spotted Horse by Stephen Bly

Author:Stephen Bly
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: family, jealousy, nevada, faithfulness, challenges of life, friendship adventures, dog adventure series, faith and trust, fiction for boys 8 to 14, trick horse riding
Publisher: Bly Books

Chapter 7

This is Cholach’s place. If he catches me here ...

“Eh ... you know ... I bought this horse from your father.”

“You didn’t either. My daddy would never sell Onepenny.”

“He did too.”

“You’re a liar.”

“I am not.” Nathan fumbled in his shirt pocket and waved a folded piece of brown paper in her face. “Look, here’s the bill of trade.”

Tashawna pursed her lips slowly. “Trade?”

“Yeah, I traded your father a fast black horse and a—”

The necklace for his girlfriend? I can’t tell Tashawna her father has a girlfriend.

“And what else?” she asked.

“Eh ... like I said, we traded horses.”

“Let me see that note.” She pulled it out of his hands. “My daddy didn’t write this.”

“I wrote it. Your father signed it. That’s his signature.”

“Why’s it so hard to read?” She brushed back her bangs that had looped down to her eyes.

“It got wet in the storm.”

Tashawna stomped back outside with the note still in her hand. The cold drift of air caused her breath to fog as she spoke. “What does this part say?” she questioned. “A neck brace?”

“Look ... we traded horses. He got a very fast ink-black horse and I got Onepenny.”

“When did he do this?”

“Eh . .. last week. See the date?” Nathan shoved his hat to the back of his head. It caught the cold breeze, and he immediately yanked it tight.

Waving the note at him, she continued, “Then why didn’t he come home yet?”

Lord, I don’t even know if Cholach’s coming home. Maybe he ran off and isn’t coming back.

“Look, all I know is that he said he was headed north. Anyway, I’m just going to mount up Onepenny and go home.”

Nathan marched back towards the barn, his spurs jingling.

“Where’re you going?” She hurried to catch up.

“To saddle up.”

“Can ... can I show this note to my mama?”

If I give her the note, she could go in there and tear it up. Then they’d claim they still own Onepenny, and nobody around here would know different.

“Well?” she insisted. One arm was braced on her hip, the other hung by her side.

Nathan glanced over to see a small tear at the corner of her eye slide across her smooth cheek and soak into her shining dark hair. She reached out and held on to Nathan’s arm.

“Yeah ... show it to your mother. Then bring it to me in the barn. I’m loading up.”

The leather saddle felt cold, slick, and hard. Onepenny waited in his stall. The gentle mixture of smells—fresh hay and old manure—reminded Nathan of his grandfather’s barn in Indiana.

“So this is home, huh, boy? Well, not any more. Your home is in Galena. And you won’t have to rob coaches or banks or anything. Let’s get out of here.”

His saddle was set, and he had positioned his scabbard and saddlebags when Tashawna walked up quietly behind him.

“Nathan?”

The voice startled him in a strange way that tingled his throat. He looked around to see her staring at the ground.

“Nathan, my mama says I should apologize for sounding snotty about Onepenny.

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