Kidnapped Colt Read Online Free Page B

embarrassing her would make her more likely to go along?
    â€œI’m sorry,” Ryan said, at last. “I don’t know whyI brought that up. I’m awfully attached to Boots and my feelings are in a tangle.”
    He continued, “You’re right, of course, that stallions gather mares. But how can I listen to prattle about magical horses when Boots’s life is at stake?”
    â€œI never said he was magical,” Sam insisted. “But he’s strong. If he or any wild stallion wanted to add Hotspot to his herd, no fence would stop him.”
    Sam pictured New Moon, the Phantom’s pure black son, and Yellow Tail, a wild chestnut stallion. Either horse could leap a fence, then use nips and neighs to drive Hotspot and Shy Boots away.
    â€œIt happened to her once before,” Sam reminded Ryan. “Diablo herded her right off Gold Dust Ranch.”
    â€œYou may be right,” Ryan conceded.
    I am right , Sam thought, but Ryan had grown up in England. Her descriptions of wild horses and mountain lions probably sounded like Wild West fantasies to him.
    â€œI agree there’s an element of danger in my plan,” Ryan admitted, “but it’s worth the risk. And I’ll take full responsibility.”
    â€œPromise?” Sam asked.
    â€œYou have my word on it,” Ryan said. “All you have to do is lead me there.”
    As Sam watched, Tempest walked close enough to the sleeping Shy Boots to nibble his fluffy mane.
    C’mon, wake up, she seemed to say, but she was gentle.
    â€œAll right,” Sam said at last. “I’ll do it if my father agrees. He and Brynna should be back in a couple hours.”
    Agitated, Ryan looked at his silver watch as if he had an appointment to keep.
    â€œWe don’t have a couple of hours,” Ryan insisted.
    â€œWhat’s the difference, if—”
    â€œIt’s only three hours from here to Winnemucca and my father’s a fast driver. If he gets back, wonders why I’m taking so long delivering Hotspot, and notices Boots is gone, the entire effort of bringing them to you is wasted. Boots will be destroyed anyway. The only difference is, you will have thrown away a chance to save him.”
    â€œMe? That’s not fair.”
    â€œSam, do you think it’s easy for me to beg for your help?” Ryan set his jaw.
    His expression said he’d expected more of her, but Sam knew she was right. Blaming her wasn’t fair.
    Sam ran back through all the reasons why she shouldn’t go along with Ryan. She crossed her arms and stared at the ground. If she looked at Shy Boots, she knew she’d weaken.
    Because Linc was so cruel, she could ignore the feeling that she was almost stealing the horses.
    But what about the cougars and coyotes?
    Jen was a science whiz. If she thought the horses would be safe, maybe she was right.
    Sam sighed and looked at her own watch.
    â€œWhat about this,” Ryan countered. “I’ll just hide them there until morning.”
    â€œPredators hunt at dusk,” Sam said.
    No matter what Jen thought, Sam was afraid of cougars. She’d been the intended prey of one and the memory was never far away.
    Her muscles tightened, as if she could feel the crash of the young cougar against her back. It hadn’t been the cat’s fault, but that moment had been the most frightening of her life.
    Shy Boots wouldn’t survive such an attack. Even if Hotspot fought for his life, she was a stable-bred horse and no match for a wild animal with slashing teeth and claws. Even mustang mares lost foals to hungry cougars.
    â€œHelp me do this now and I’ll talk with Father as soon as he returns from Winnemucca. I’ll make him understand, then bring the horses home before the sun goes down. If I fail, I’ll stay overnight with them,” Ryan promised.
    â€œYou will?” Sam asked, surprised.
    She tried to meet his eyes, but Ryan looked down.
    He really