Horse Dreams Read Online Free PDF

down—to kiss Dad’s cheek. “You are one sweet man, Lenny James. But a cowboy you are not.”
    That’s saying it nicely. I’ve never seen my dad on a horse. As the story goes, he only rode once, when he was a toddler. I guess he fell off and landed on his head.
    I take Mom’s hand. “Come on, Mom! We have to find that spotted horse before the animal control guys do.”
    Mom doesn’t argue. She knows I’m her only chance of rescuing that rescue horse.
    We jump into the car, and Mom heads toward Main Street. Gravel crunches under our wheels. After two blocks, Mom turns onto Main Street. It’s the only street that goes through town. She drives past the library, the bank, and the hardware store and up to the only stoplight. It blinks red instead of changing colors. She stops for half a second, then goes again.
    â€œMaybe we should check out by the cemetery,” I suggest. “People would have noticed a horse on Main Street.”
    Mom spins a U-turn, hangs a left, and drives toward the cemetery.
    â€œWhat if they already caught the mare?” I ask, bouncing with the bumpy road.
    â€œMary Louise promised to call me if they did,” Mom says. “And I haven’t heard from her yet.”
    I scan each cross street we pass. When the gravel turns to dirt, I look for hoofprints. But I don’t see any.
    Mom drives out of town a couple of miles in each direction. Usually I gaze out the window and imagine riding my black show horse over the green Missouri hills. But right now I’m too busy searching for a runaway horse.
    Mom’s cell phone rings.
    â€œI’ll get it.” I’m scared to death it’s going to be Mary Louise telling us the animal control people have the horse.
    The cell is in the bottom of Mom’s huge purse. The ringtone is almost over—an Elvis song that makes me want to fling the whole purse out the window—when I finally get to it. “Hello?”
    â€œEllie?” The caller sounds confused. I think it’s Colt.
    â€œColt?” I’m the only kid on the planet who doesn’t have a cell phone. So Colt calls Mom’s if he thinks I’m with her.
    â€œYeah. It’s Colt.”
    â€œI can’t talk now. Mom and I are trying to find a lost horse before—”
    â€œI know!” he shouts. “I called your house to tell you. Your dad said to call the cell. They found it!”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThe horse! They found the horse,” Colt says.
    â€œWhere? Is she all right?”
    The phone crackles. I turn to Mom. “Hurry! Head back to town.” Then I scream into the phone, “Colt? Where’s the horse?”
    Colt’s voice mixes with the crackles of the phone. “At school! And you’d better get here fast. I have a feeling this old nag is running out of time.”

7

    The Chase
    â€œHurry, Mom!” I grip the dashboard as Mom wheels back to town.
    â€œSorry, Ellie,” Mom says. “I can’t afford to get another speeding ticket.”
    â€œBut what if we’re too late? What if the animal control guys get there first? What if—?”
    â€œStop what-iffing. Your engine’s in overdrive and nobody’s driving.”
    I’m not sure I get that one. I try to stop imagining what might be happening at the school right now. Only I can’t stop.
    The muddy, spotted horse staggers across the school lawn. She wobbles in the fading sunlight, dazed, sides heaving. Four animal control guys dressed in white stand in the corners of the yard and hurl a net into the air. It crashes down on the poor horse, knocking her to the ground.
    A guy from animal control smirks at the crowd. His face is scarred. His eyes are glowing beads of fire. “What say ye?” he asks the crazed crowd.
    A hundred fists rise. A hundred thumbs turn down. “Death to the nag!” they cry.
    The people in white yank the net. It closes on