ChasetheLightning Read Online Free Page B

away from danger.
    Trey grinned into the gathering darkness. Walker on the Wind
had been right about that, he mused. Relámpago had carried him away from danger
on more than one occasion.
    Thoughts of danger brought the posse to mind, making him
wonder anew who it was that had been chasing him, and where the hell they had
come from. And when they would give up and go home.
    “One of these days this will all be behind us,” Trey told
the stallion. “I’ll build me a house on that land I found, put up a barn for
you, and we’ll settle down. We’ll find a couple of good mares for you,” he
said, yawning. “And maybe a pretty redheaded woman for me…”
    * * * * *
    Saturday morning. Amanda slept late, then lingered in bed,
thinking about Rob, and wondering where her phantom horse had gone. It was so
strange that the animal had appeared and then disappeared as if by magic.
    Finally, hunger drove her to her feet and into the kitchen.
Feeling lazy, she settled for a bowl of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and a
cup of coffee. After putting her dishes in the dishwasher, she took a quick
shower, then dressed in a pair of jeans and a bulky green sweater. Sitting on
the edge of the bed, she pulled on a pair of green socks and laced up a pair of
old tennis shoes. Having a horse, even for a day, had reminded her of how much
she had once enjoyed riding. Maybe, instead of tearing down the barn and
corral, she would get someone to come out and repair them, and then get herself
a horse. Rob was frequently out of town on business. Having a horse would give
her something to do when he was away.
    Rising, she glanced out the window, blinked, and blinked
again.
    The stallion was back in the corral.
    Hurrying down the stairs, she went into the kitchen, grabbed
a couple of carrots from the fridge, and ran outside.
    The stallion whinnied softly and tossed its head.
    “Hey, fella.” She ran her hand along the horse’s neck. “How
did you get back in here?”
    She fed the horse the carrots, one by one, then walked
around the corral. The stallion followed her, prancing back and forth, blowing
softly.
    Amanda examined the ground around the corral. There were no
fresh hoofprints outside the corral, no sign that anyone had opened the gate to
let him in. He could have jumped in on his own, but there were no hoofprints
leading up to the corral, no indentation or torn-up earth to show where he
would have landed.
    “Curiouser and curiouser, “ she muttered.
    She laughed as the stallion nudged her shoulder. “I see
you’re in need of a good brushing again. What do you do when you’re not here?
Roll around in the mud?”
    She ducked inside the corral and plucked the halter and rope
from the box she had left near the gate the day before. Again, the stallion
obligingly lowered its head so she could slip the halter in place.
    “You certainly are well-trained,” she said as she looped the
lead rope over the top rail, then picked up the brush. “Where do you go,
anyway?” She ran the brush down the stallion’s neck, over its back and rump. He
was a beautiful animal with near perfect conformation and wide, intelligent
eyes that seemed almost human at times.
    She hummed softly as she worked, everything else forgotten.
One thing was for certain, if she didn’t get to keep this horse, she was
definitely going to get one of her own.
    Pausing, she glanced around the yard. She had several acres
here. Maybe she would buy a couple of horses. Maybe raise them… She shook her
head. She didn’t know enough about horses to do that. But she could learn. She
could start small, with a good stallion and one or two mares.
    She smiled as she patted the stallion on the shoulder. She
wouldn’t have to look far for a good stallion. She had one right here.
    “There you go,” she said, giving him one last swipe of the
brush. “All done.” She turned the stallion loose, dropped the lead rope over
the top rail of the corral, and then filled the water bucket.