Gypsy: The Traveling Series #5 by Jane Harvey-Berrick

Author:Jane Harvey-Berrick [Harvey-Berrick, Jane]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781912015160
Publisher: Harvey Berrick Publishing
Published: 2022-05-18T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Gypsy

Huck was staring at me dubiously, but I knew I was right. Little Ben was a stowaway. I’d felt him as soon as he’d woken up, as if someone had whispered his name in my ear.

“Where is he?”

Huck was looking about him as if he thought I’d actually seen Ben.

“I don’t know, but I have to find him.”

“Are you sure? Forget that—of course you are.”

“Yes!” I said impatiently. “I’m sure. He’s scared. I have to tell Kes.”

“Wait, shouldn’t we find him first? No point borrowing trouble in case he’s not h—”

Huck bit the words back but I could tell that he was still skeptical.

“Fine!” I huffed, then turned to Mo. “Come on, Morwenna. Help me find Ben. Let’s go.”

She gazed up at me with her bright, trusting brown eyes and trotted off towards the trailer with the rodeo ponies.

“She’s just gone to find your other dog and your horse.”

“No, she understood me. She’s going to Ben.”

Huck looked as though he wanted to roll his eyes, but he followed me anyway.

I asked Rhona if I could open the horse-box and let Dezzie and Mac out.

“We’ve have to get all the others into the stock-pens first,” she said, sounding tired and harried.

“I can do that,” I said confidently. “All the ponies know me by now, and Huck will help.”

Rhona waved a hand then hurried away, yelling at one of her kids.

Huck was staring at me with a horrified expression.

“I don’t know anything about horses!”

“I thought you said you’d lived in Texas,” I teased. “Aren’t they all cowboys there? Don’t worry, it’ll be fine.”

The ponies were happy to be leaving the trailer, ducking their heads and shaking their manes. We took them out one at a time, and I showed Huck how to use the rope halters to lead them to the stock-pens where they whinnied to each other and looked about them, studying their new digs. Dezzie had been loaded first so was the last out. And there, in the straw sat Mac, guarding an anxious-looking Ben.

He looked so afraid, as if someone was going to thump him. I knelt down next to him, close but not touching.

“I’ll go get Kes,” Huck sighed.

“You were going to leave me behind,” Ben said, his voice cracking accusingly.

“Yes, and you know why. I’m not your foster mum. The law says you have to stay with her.”

“I hate her!” he said hotly. “She doesn’t care about any of us, just how much money she gets from the government. I’m always hungry,” he said, his lips white with hurt and anger. “Please don’t make me go back. I hate it.”

“Oh, Ben…”

“You could adopt me,” he said, his eyes so hopeful. “And Huck could be my dad. I can help fix bikes and look after Dezzie and Mac and Mo. I’m strong for my age. Please let me go with you.”

His desperation broke my heart. He was so young to be alone in the world.

Huck arrived back quickly with Kes and Aimee.

“This isn’t cool,” Kes said to Ben severely, but Ben was staring at Huck with pleading eyes.

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