Immortal Mine Read Online Free PDF Page B

feed
themselves.”
    “Stupid chickens, you should train them
better.”
    “Ha, ha,” I mock, hanging up.
    
    I am in the middle of the chicken coop,
spreading feed when I hear the truck turn up the drive. I’m wearing
one of my father’s large beat-up flannel shirts to protect my
clothes, and my knee-high rubber boots, hair twisted up into a
messy bun, protected by an old John Deere cap. I briefly consider
running in and shedding all the “farm-girl” accessories, then
realize that’s what Stacy would do for the exalted Shane
Coleman.
    “C’mon, Bob,” I say, backing out of the
coop. Bob is momentarily dejected at having to leave one of his
favorite pastimes—torturing the chickens—but always willing to go
forth with the hope that an even greater adventure awaits him.
    I hang the feed bucket on its nail, wiping
my hands on my jeans. I walk around the front of the stable, where
the signs direct folks to the stables—not that most people need
them. I arrive to see a massive black pick-up, pulling a matching
black horse trailer, clearly expensive. For the first time, I
wonder what Mr. Coleman—Shane—does for a living.
    The driver’s door is open, and he’s nowhere
to be seen, so I head to the rear of the trailer. Its door hanging
open gives away his location. A chestnut Thoroughbred with white
half-stockings of nearly the same length and a white star between
his eyes is led from his other side. He’s one of the most stunning
horses I’ve ever seen—feisty, if his black mane tossing is any
indication. His legs lift in a spirited prance. It doesn’t take a
practiced eye to see the value of this stallion.
    Shane turns the horse toward me, and stops.
Because I’m staring at the horse, I don’t pay particular attention
to Shane.
    “Wow, he’s a beauty.” I finally pull my gaze
from the horse so that Shane can see the sincerity on my smiling
face, considering removing my sunglasses so he will see the same
emotion in my eyes. The smile drops, along with my shoulders, to be
replaced by a grimace.
    It’s not Shane.
     
     

Chapter 6

Sam
     
    “Let me guess,” I say, ironically. “Niamh Parker ?” I realize I never asked her last name.
    “What are you doing here?” she demands.
    I raise my brows at her, and jerk my head
toward the horse. She rolls her eyes.
    “I thought your uncle was coming.”
    “He had some business to take care of so he
sent me,” I mutter, wondering if he somehow knew whose
stable he was sending me to.
    “Great.” I can hear the sarcasm in her
voice. Almost reluctantly, she says, “Follow me, I’ll show you
where to put him.”
    She stalks off, not waiting to see if I
follow. She leads into the stable, opening one of the stall doors.
No words, just a sweep of her hand to show me the way as she holds
the door open. I narrow my eyes at her, wondering if she’ll trip me
or slam the door on me, finally leading the stallion in. I turn the
horse, clucking and making soothing noises to the horse that’s a
little nervous in this place with strange smells. I take the halter
off the horse and step out as she closes the door behind me.
    “Name?” she asks.
    “Sam Coleman, as you well know,” I respond
irritably.
    “Not yours, id—” she stops herself from
calling me the name, her cheeks flooding with a charming shade of
pink. I’m well aware of the name she’d been about to call me. “The
horse’s name?”
    “Autumn Star,” I reply, nearly smacking my
forehead in consternation. Of course she meant the horse’s name.
Guess I am kind of an idiot. She lifts her chin, stubbornly
refusing to acknowledge her words.
    “You have another? Not name, horse I mean,”
she clarifies.
    I grit my teeth at her tone, as if she were
talking to an imbecile. “I knew what you meant. Where’s he going to
go?”
    She points to the stall on the opposite
side. I walk over and peer into the stall.
    “That should do,” I mutter, more to myself
than to her.
    “I be so surry,