Fear of Falling Read Online Free Page A

and a tetanus shot, too, just to be on the safe side. Finally Dr. Mac stands up. “OK, keep her quiet for a few hours, and she should be good as new in no time.”
    Julie and her mother thank Dr. Mac. Then, to my surprise, they turn to me and start telling me how grateful they are. Julie’s mother gives me a hug. I blush. Sheesh!
    â€œUm, actually, the real hero is my little sister here,” I stammer. “She’s the one who noticed that Sabrina was crying.”
    Everyone turns to praise Ashley. “Someday, you’ll make a top-notch vet volunteer,” Dr. Mac tells her. “Just like your big brother.”
    Ashley beams. Watching her tear-streaked face go from worry to joy, I know just how she feels. There’s nothing like helping an animal to make you feel really good about yourself.

    After we get home, Mom gives me a ride back out to the stables. Mr. Quinn has asked me to help him saddle a bunch of horses for a big trail ride.
    As I walk over to the barn, Mr. Quinn calls out my name. I turn around, and he hands me a pitchfork. “You’re going to need this first,” he says with a grin.
    I know, I know. I’ve gotta do my share of cleaning up after the horses. Not my favorite chore, but you can’t exactly leave the stuff lying around in the horses’ bedding! Mr. Quinn always says anybody can take riding lessons, but the true horsemen are the ones who care for the horses as well, all the way down to the last dirty detail.
    So I shoulder my pitchfork with pride and head for the stalls.
    That’s when I see him.
    He looks straight at me. “Hello, son.”

Chapter Three
    D ad!”
    Without thinking, I drop the pitchfork and rush to give him a huge hug. It feels great, it feels weird, it feels—I don’t know what it feels like. Here I’ve just talked myself out of expecting to see him, and he appears in front of me. I’m not prepared for this.
    The hug ends and we stand there, neither of us knowing what to say. I look at him, trying to see if he’s changed at all.
    He studies me the same way. “Overdue for a haircut,” he says with a crooked smile.
    I push my blond bangs out of my face and shrug. “Mom doesn’t mind.”
    Dad opens his mouth to answer, then doesn’t. He clears his throat.
    Which makes me totally tongue-tied. It’s strange to feel awkward around your own dad.
    I’m relieved when Mr. Quinn strides over and breaks the silence. “Hey, Charlie, did you get to see the parade?”
    â€œCaught a little of it,” Dad says, but he doesn’t say which part he saw.
    Did he see me riding Trickster?
    â€œYou should have seen David,” Mr. Quinn says, as if he’s read my thoughts. He ruffles my hair, the way grown-ups do but shouldn’t after you’re about five. “Kid’s pretty good with horses.”
    â€œHe oughta be,” Dad says—meaning, I guess, that I ought to be like him. I don’t know whether to take it as a compliment or a criticism.
    I look down at the ground, and Mr. Quinn clears his throat. Then he starts talking about the parade and horses some more, and the men laugh and talk as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on here at all. As if my father hasn’t been gone for almost a year without even phoning his son.
    â€œMr. Quinn, Joe wants you,” Zoe calls.
    I turn to her, grateful for another interruption. “Hey, what are you doing here? They let you out of Intensive Care already?”
    She comes over and holds up her arm. She has one of those super-wide Band-Aids on her elbow. “I’m fine. My camp instructor says you have to fall off your horse seven times before you’re a real rider.” She grins. “Only three more to go.”
    â€œReally?” I huff and shake my head, thinking of my dream and my fear of falling. “Maybe you can teach me how to do it sometime,” I say under my breath so Dad