The Saddle Creek Series 5-Book Bundle. Shelley Peterson

but Bird liked him just the same.

      “Good looking horse, isn’t he? Have you named him yet?”

      Paul knew that Bird never spoke, but he always tried. Bird appreciated his efforts to treat her like a normal human being. It was more than most people could manage.

      “I was glad when your aunt said she’d take him in. Didn’t know where else to try. Didn’t even have a second choice. I thought of Abby Malone because she’s so good with problem horses, but she’s going off to school in New York next month, and good for her. She’s worked hard for it.” Bird could hear the smile on the vet’s face.

      “Is he settling in?” Paul sat on the fence beside Bird. Not too close. Just the right distance. “Sure looks it. Horses like it here. They settle in faster here than anywhere else I know.”

      They sat in silence for a while, both engrossed in the new horse.

      “I don’t know why I saved him, Bird. I’ve never done this before.”

      Bird found herself looking at the man beside her. Dr. Paul Daniels had a quiet, leathered, handsome face and a relaxed, lanky body. He was old. Probably as old as Hannah. Over forty at least. Most of all, though, he was a person she could trust, if she ever needed to trust someone.

      Paul turned to meet her eye, and Bird could see acceptance in the vet’s face. She didn’t look away. She met the man’s gaze and held it until they both turned back toward the field at the same time.

      Sundancer suddenly lifted his head in a fluid motion and stared at the driveway. Hector began to bark. A silver sedan stopped at the kitchen door and a nice-looking man in a golf shirt and khakis got out. He slammed the car door shut and walked to the house, combing his fingers through his short greying hair, oblivious to the man and the girl on the fence.

      As he was about to knock, Paul called out, “Hi there, Stu. Come to see Hannah?”

      Stuart Gilmore, the elementary school principal, spun around. “Paul! Didn’t see you there.” He walked toward the fence with a warm smile on his face. “Hello, Bird. I came to speak to your aunt about school this fall. She called yesterday and left a message.”

      His demeanor was more energetic than the vet’s. He moved with a slight self-consciousness and some other tension that she couldn’t quite define. Ah, yes, she thought, suppressing a grin. He was here with bad news about school. Good.

      “Is Hannah here?” Stuart spoke to the vet, not to Bird.

      “Don’t know,” answered Paul. “Her truck’s gone. She’s likely off to a horse show with some of her students. Right, Bird?”

      Bird nodded.

      Stuart looked at his watch. “I was hoping to catch her. I guess I’ll have to call in later tonight.”

      The rush of confused emotions emanating from Paul Daniels was so strong that Bird almost fell off the fence. Jealousy. Hmm.

      “I was thinking of stopping by the fairgrounds.” The vet climbed off the fence and stood to his full height. “I’ll tell Hannah that you were by.”

      Well, well. The vet liked Hannah and saw the principal as competition. Interesting. Bird couldn’t quite figure out why Dr. Paul would bother. As far as she knew, Hannah wasn’t interested in romance. He was wasting his time.

      She chanced another quick look at Alec. He was listening to music through his earphones, gyrating in the front seat and singing along to a wild tune that only he could hear. He caught Bird looking and stopped dead. He gave her a sweet, crooked smile and an apologetic shrug.

      Bird grinned. Then, because she felt happy, she mimicked the way he’d been moving around and throwing his head. She was stopped cold by the surprised look on his face.

      He thought she was making fun of him! Bird was mortified. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings or make him feel stupid. She wanted to hide in a dark hole and never come out. Head down, she ran for the house.

      2

       BIRD

      I am not vicious, but I have a mean streak from my grandfather on my mother’s side.

      Bird waited until Cliff and John finished their Saturday morning chores and took off for breakfast at the Coffee Bean Cafe. Then she slipped out the kitchen door and climbed over the fence into the front field. In one back pocket of her jeans was a vial of WonderDust; in the other some apple slices. She deposited a plastic bag containing a brush, comb, and hoof-pick on the ground beside the fence.

      Her plan was simple: gain his trust, disinfect his wounds, groom him, then get on his back. She had about an hour before the men returned. Plenty

      of time. Horses generally took to her right away, but this one was different. Some time alone would surely help.

      She watched for a few minutes, then approached the new horse with confidence. Sundancer. That’s your name, better get used to it. And you’d better get used to me, too. I’m not going away.

      The gelding lifted his head gracefully and looked at Bird. Then he casually turned his back. Bird walked around him in a wide arc and faced him again.

      Let me fix your cuts, Sundancer. They’ll hurt if they get infected.

      The horse turned his back again and took ten steps in the opposite direction. Bird followed, positioning herself so that he could see her peripherally. Not wanting to seem threatening, she avoided making eye contact by keeping her head tilted down.

      Every time the horse moved, Bird moved, too. If he turned right, Bird would counter, turning him left. If he turned around, Bird would circle him to make him face the other direction. A slow dance, thought Bird, but at least I’m leading. She had seen Hannah perform this exercise with countless horses. It required patience, but eventually the animal would give up and allow himself to be caught. Out of boredom, if nothing else.

      Time for the apple, Bird thought. She stretched her hand toward Sundancer, palm upward, with an apple slice on it. The horse looked insulted. He snorted and trotted away. Bird couldn’t help but laugh. He’d just let her know that he couldn’t be bought. This was going to be interesting.

      Bird placed all the apple slices on the ground in a little pile and stepped back. She waited as Sundancer grazed his way over, then greedily munched up the apple bits, never taking his eye off her. He ate every one and looked for more. This was more like it.

      I gave you the apple pieces, now can I put this powder on your cuts? It won’t hurt.

      Suddenly Sundancer reared up, forcing Bird to jump back. The horse spun and dropped back to earth, then trotted away. As he moved across the field, Bird admired his fluidity. His shoulder action was tremendous, with his front hooves flicking out firmly before hitting the ground. His hind end powered his forward movement, and with no discernable effort he was across the large paddock and circling back at a canter.

      He carried his head level with his shoulders, and his elegant neck was arched and muscular. Bird watched, transfixed, until she realized that he was coming towards her with his ears flat and his eyes cruel. He was rapidly gathering speed. It looked for all the world like he was going to mow her over.

      In an instant, Sundancer had turned the tables. He was going to make her dance. Bird was stunned, her mind frantically searching for options. She couldn’t outrun him, and besides, that would send the wrong message. Scared as she was, she wasn’t about to let him win. There was only one choice: She would have to trust that he didn’t want to kill her. And she wasn’t at all sure.

      Bird waited until he was three strides away. Then she jumped as high as she could, flapped her arms like a bird, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

      Startled, the horse veered sharply to his right, avoiding her by mere inches. Then he stopped and turned. He snorted and shook his head up and down.