Quarter Horse Read Online Free PDF

Remember, we’re The Saddle Club. We’re duty bound to help.”
    Stevie blinked at her last bite of apple. “I was just thinking about Phil,” she finally admitted with a sigh.
    “Phil?” Carole and Lisa looked at each other in astonishment. “What about Phil?”
    Stevie sighed. “Oh, just that ever since I’ve been stuck here with that twerp Gabriel, Phil’s probably been rafting down the river with some pretty neat girl. I bet he’s metsomeone who’s prettier than me and smarter than me and more fun than me,” she said miserably.
    “Oh, Stevie, that’s just not possible,” said Lisa. “Phil likes you more than anybody. You two make a perfect couple.”
    “We did until we took these separate vacations. Now every night he’s probably dreaming about some cute girl on his raft who looks terrific in a swimsuit and paddles like a pro!”
    “Stevie, I don’t think Phil would fall head over heels in love with a totally new person that fast,” reasoned Carole. “After all, his days must be pretty busy, too, if he’s navigating a white-water river and camping in a different place every night. He’s probably too tired to even think about anything romantic!”
    “I don’t know,” Stevie muttered, remembering her own unwelcome dreams about Gabriel. “Phil’s got a lot of energy.”
    “Did I overhear someone talking about energy?”
    The girls looked over their shoulders. Gabriel stood there grinning, his cowboy hat pushed back on his head at a rakish angle.
    “Actually, you were overhearing a private conversation,” Lisa told him stiffly.
    “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to intrude. I just saw Stevie practicing her pole bending and wondered how Tumbleweed was working out for her.”
    “Fine,” answered Stevie, turning to face him. “He’s a great horse. One of the fastest I’ve ever ridden.”
    Gabriel laughed. “That may be, but he looks like a real nag next to Napoleon.”
    Stevie narrowed her eyes. “You know, a horse is only half the team. You’ve got to be a darn good rider to know how to use one.”
    “Absolutely,” Gabriel agreed. “Particularly in calf roping. I was the junior county champion calf roper in my state last year.”
    “Oh, really?” said Stevie. “I was the junior champion barrel racer of the Bar None riders last year.”
    “That’s pretty good, for a girly sport like barrel racing,” Gabriel said. “Are you any good at goat wrestling?”
    Stevie tossed her head. “Of course I’m good at goat wrestling. I can pin a goat to the ground in eight seconds flat.”
    “Oh?” Gabriel raised one eyebrow. “Would you like to bet on that?”
    “Sure,” Stevie replied. “What’ll it be?”
    Lisa and Carole looked at each other in horror. To their knowledge, Stevie had never touched a goat, let alone wrestled one, in her life.
    Gabriel spoke quickly. “Let’s say that if you pin a goat in eight seconds flat, you get to make me perform any dare of your choice. If you can’t, then I get to make you do any dare of my choice.”
    “Oh, make it more interesting than that,” said Stevie, faking a yawn.
    “Okay.” Gabriel leaned back and stuck his thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans. “How about, whoever does better in the whole rodeo gets to make the loser perform one super dare of their choice? All five events. No holds barred, no questions asked.”
    “You’re on!” Stevie leaped to her feet and again stuck out her hand. “Shake on it!”
    “So much for trying to get her interested in rodeo clowns!” Lisa whispered to Carole as Gabriel and Stevie shook hands.
    After they had sealed their wager, Gabriel tipped his hat to the girls and strolled whistling toward the arena.
    “Why are you two looking at me like that?” Stevie asked when she turned back to her friends.
    “Stevie, how many goats have you wrestled in your life?” Carole asked.
    “Well, none,” Stevie confessed. “I fudged a little on that one. But how hard can it be? I’ve wrestled