Silver Spurs Read online

Kate hesitated. “I just don’t want to get burned. Know what I mean?” Melissa seemed decent enough now, but was she only playing a game, maybe because she was bored? Would she then go back to her old self?

  The other two were quiet, as if thinking.

  Finally Tori announced, “But we should give her a chance, right?”

  “Right,” Colt said swiftly.

  Kate chimed in with her agreement a bit more slowly. “I wonder what else she had to do tonight. A little late to be heading to another friend’s house, and with school out, there’s no homework.”

  Colt drew in a deep breath and blew it out, his eyes closing. “If you don’t want to watch another movie, maybe I’ll take a little nap.”

  Kate waved a hand in front of her face. “Remember what we said about your stinky socks? We weren’t kidding!” She placed her foot next to his ankle and pushed. “Ugh. Boys are gross.”

  Colt sat up. “Aww! You’ve stuck a knife right through my heart.” He chuckled. “I probably should head home too. Mind if I use your phone and give Mom a call?”

  “Go ahead. You know where it is. You sure you don’t want any more popcorn first?”

  “Not me.” The answers came in unison from Colt and Tori.

  Colt’s long stride took him out of the room in a couple of seconds, but he hollered over his shoulder, “Hey, come see this. Weird, if you ask me.”

  Kate bolted into the kitchen first, with Tori on her heels, and said, “What’s up?”

  Colt moved to the sliding-glass door and pointed. “A black horse. That’s not a big deal, but the rider looks strange.”

  Tori crept up beside him. “The horse is gorgeous!”

  Colt grunted assent. “But what’s the deal with the person riding him? You can’t tell if it’s a man or a woman, and it’s awful warm to be wearing a full slicker with a hood.”

  Kate shaded her eyes against the glass. “I wish it wasn’t dusk, so we could see the rider better. Look, they’re trotting now and moving on up the road. I think the rider’s a woman or a teenager. Doesn’t look big enough to be a man, and he’s all hunched over the horse’s mane. Do you think she’s sick or something?”

  Colt slid the door open. “Maybe we should make sure the rider is okay.”

  Kate and Tori slipped outside, with Colt following. He nudged Kate in the side. “You going to holler or just stand there?”

  Kate made a face at him but took a few steps toward the gravel road that ran behind their house. “Hey,” she called toward the horse and rider, “are you all right?”

  The horse slowed for a second. Then the rider bumped him in the side and took off at a fast trot.

  Tori stepped up beside Kate. “That was rude. She had to have heard you, but then she ignored you.”

  Kate nodded. “It’s a mystery. I’ve never seen that horse before, but maybe we should ask around and see what we can find out. It sure seemed like the rider had something to hide.” She faced Tori and Colt. “The person was the same size as Melissa. You don’t suppose that’s why she had to hurry home? But why wouldn’t she stop and show us her new horse?”

  Colt scrunched his brow. “It doesn’t make a bit of sense. I say we keep a close eye out tomorrow night in case the rider comes back. What if she stole that horse?”

  Books by Miralee Ferrell

  Horses and Friends Series

  A Horse for Kate

  Silver Spurs

  Love Blossoms in Oregon Series

  Blowing on Dandelions

  Forget Me Not

  Wishing on Buttercups

  Dreaming on Daisies

  The 12 Brides of Christmas Series

  The Nativity Bride

  Love Finds You Series

  Love Finds You in Bridal Veil, Oregon

  Love Finds You in Sundance, Wyoming

  Love Finds You in Last Chance, California

  Love Finds You in Tombstone, Arizona

  (sequel to Love Finds You in Last Chance, California)

  The Other Daughter

  Finding Jeena

  (sequel to The Other Daughter)

  Other Contributions/Compilations

  A Cup of Comfort for Cat Lovers

  Fighting Fear: Winning the War at Home

  Faith & Finances: In God We Trust

  Faith & Family: A Christian Living Daily Devotional for Parents and Their Kids

  SILVER SPURS

  Published by David C Cook

  4050 Lee Vance View

  Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.

  David C Cook Distribution Canada

  55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5

  David C Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications

  Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England

  The graphic circle C logo is a registered trademark of David C Cook.

  All rights reserved. No part of this ebook may be reproduced, scanned, resold, or distributed by or through any print or electronic medium without written permission from the publisher. This ebook is licensed solely for the personal and noncommercial use of the original authorized purchaser, subject to the terms of use under which it was purchased. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This story is a work of fiction. All characters and events are the product of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to any person, living or dead, is coincidental.

  LCCN 2014957983

  ISBN 978-0-7814-1113-4

  eISBN 978-1-4347-0928-8

  © 2015 Miralee Ferrell

  Published in association with Tamela Hancock Murray of The Steve Laube Agency, 5025 N. Central Ave., #635, Phoenix, AZ 85012

  The Team: Ingrid Beck, Ramona Cramer Tucker, Nick Lee, Amy Konyndyk, Tiffany Thomas, Karen Athen

  Cover Design: DogEared Design, Kirk DouPonce

  First Edition 2015

  Visit DCCeBooks.com for more great reads.