Blue Ribbon Champ Read Online Free PDF Page A

for her husband. “Ah, Joey, maybe you should sit—”
    “It’s okay, Mom,” Skye said.
    Mr. and Mrs. Chambers, Morgan, and Chad all exchanged startled looks.
    “I owe this kid a big one,” Skye started to explain. “He helped me out of a jam with Hannah Gilbert at the market on Tuesday.”
    “Skye, hold on a minute,” Mr. Chambers interrupted. “Let’s pray, and while we’re eating, you can fill us in.”
    Skye bowed her head, glanced at Joey, and smiled.
    “…and, Lord, thank you for this beautiful place and all this wonderful food. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”Mr. Chambers finished his prayer and smoothed down his mustache. “Now let’s dig into the best breakfast this side of heaven.” He stood and started spooning large portions of scrambled eggs onto all the plates. Mrs. Chambers served a basket of fresh-baked biscuits while Morgan passed a plate piled high with crispy, brown bacon.
    Joey’s eyes glistened as he stared at his full plate. “Ooh, I just love eggs and bacon.”
    “And scrambled eggs are the best,” a student said as he stuffed a spoonful into his mouth. “I tried a raw egg once, but I didn’t like it.”
    “Raw eggs? Yuck!” another student said.
    Mrs. Chambers set the biscuit basket down and sipped her coffee. “Now, Skye, what did you want to tell us about Joey and Hannah?”
    While everyone dug into the food, Skye began. “I meant to tell you, but I forgot. Morgan knows about it, though. At the market on Tuesday, Joey and I ran into Hannah and two of her friends. You know how snooty she is—”
    “Skye…” Mrs. Chambers said.
    “Sorry, but she is,” Skye said. “Anyway, she said something really ignorant about me and Joey, and then guess what happened?”
    “If I know Joey, I think I know what’s coming.” Mr. Chambers chuckled and then took a bite of biscuit.
    Chad’s dimpled smile lit up his whole face. “Joey can be real friendly, even to strangers.”
    Skye started giggling. “You guessed it. He grabbed Hannah and gave her the biggest, sloppiest kiss she’s probably ever gotten from anyone. She and her friends were horrified. You showed her, didn’t you, Joey?”
    “Yeah, I showed her that I love her. I love all of Cloud’s friends. I wanted to show the other girls too, but they were in a hurry to go.”
    Morgan’s eyes danced as she smiled. “I would’ve given a month’s allowance to see Hannah’s face. Definitely a historical moment—maybe even hysterical.”
    “Now, girls,” Mrs. Chambers said, “just remember to be kind to people like Hannah. Inside all of that show and glitter might be a troubled young lady. Fancy clothes and a big house don’t bring happiness.”
    “That’s right,” Mr. Chambers added. “She might be a very lonely girl. Maybe sometime you’ll have the opportunity to share the love of Christ with her. Just be ready when that time comes.”
    “I don’t think she’s interested in God at all,” Skye said. “I’ve never heard her talk about church or anything like that.”
    Mr. Chambers sipped his coffee. “All the more reason you need to be ready. Skye, don’t look at her as the enemy. Look at her as someone who might need help.”
    “I helped her!” Joey threw in. “I hugged her and told her I loved her. That should’ve made her feel good!”
    “I don’t know if that made her feel good,” Skye said with a smirk, “but I have an idea that she felt different—very different.”
    The annual Snyder County Horse Show in August was the highlight of the summer, and this year Joey would be competing! Pleased with the boy’s progress, Mr. and Mrs. Chambers had decided to enter him in a new Special-Needs Beginners’ Western Pleasure class. In this class, each rider had to lead his horse and square him up, ride him at a walk and then trot around the corral, turn him, and back him. Joey looked forward to every practice he had with Skye, and Saturday was no exception.
    After the Piney Hollow cookout, Skye, Champ, Joey,