Leading the Way Read Online Free

soft?”
    “Well, yeah.” This time Katie reached with less reluctance. “And fuzzy. He kinda feels like my stuffed animals.”
    “Now do you wanna meet the others?”
    Without waiting, Skye grabbed each horse by the halter one at a time, letting Katie touch each one. Finally, they came to the last horse.
    “Now, this little guy’s name is Boomerang,” Skye said. “His breed is Pinto. I think Mom and Dad want you to learn to ride him. He’s as gentle as a lamb, and he’s very good with beginners. We call him ‘Boomer’ for short.”
    With growing confidence, Katie reached out to pet him. “Why do you call him Boomerang? And what’s a Pinto horse?”
    “Well, he’s our barrel-racing horse. And he’s so fast, he reminds us of a boomerang going down and back. A Pinto is either brown and white or black and white. Boomer is brown and white.”
    “What’s barrel racing?” Katie’s curiosity had finally gotten the best of her.
    “It’s an event in horse shows and rodeos. Three barrels are set up in a cloverleaf pattern in a corral. When the horse and rider charge into the arena, a clock times how fast the team can run around the barrels and cross a finish line. This fella and Mom have won blue ribbons in that event. Even though he’s a small Quarter Horse, he is one fast dude. He’s almost as fast as Champ.”
    “And they’re gonna stick me on a horse like that? No way.”
    “He won’t barrel race with you,” Skye said. “When you’re taking lessons, he’ll just walk around slowly in the corral. Just wait, you’ll see. Boomer’s a perfect gentleman with the ladies.”
    “Does Champ barrel race?”
    “No, he does other events.”
    “Did he ever win anything?”
    “Sure. He has lots of blue ribbons too.”
    “Wow. That is so neat.” Katie edged her body forward. “Can I get closer to Boomerang?”
    “Yep,” Skye said. “Here, let me help you.”
    Slowly, Katie moved her hands forward. Skye held Boomer’s halter while the blind girl’s fingers wiggledfreely, coming to rest on the horse’s receptive nose. She felt the horse as though sculpting a piece of clay. Her hands crept upward, gently feeling the strength of his face and forehead and the stiffness of his long eyelashes that closed over large Bambi eyes. Her hands slid down both sides of his face, over his strong cheekbones and halter, and down around his velvet muzzle and fuzzy chin.
    “His lips are furry! Wow! I never imagined a horse would feel like this,” Katie said. “All I ever knew was that they were big. But he’s—he’s gorgeous!”
    “His color and markings are gorgeous too,” Skye said. “His head’s brown except for a white blaze. That’s a stripe down the middle of his face. His mane and tail are white with black mixed in. The rest of him is massive blotches of brown on white. He is one pretty picture.”
    “Oh, I wish I could see him,” Katie said.
    “Well, you can—in your own way,” Skye said. “Feeling Boomer is a lot more than most city kids have the chance to do.”
    Skye looked toward the picnic grove and suddenly remembered where they were headed in the first place. “We’d better get going. Mom and Morgan will probably be out in a sec.” She turned toward the horses. “You guys can go finish your supper now!”
    As the girls made their way along the fence, the horses turned back into the pasture, each one finding its own spot of grass to nibble. Skye and Katie came to the end of the walk, crossed a dirt road, walked over a bridge that straddled a small stream, and stopped at the pavilion nestled in a cluster of tall pine trees.
    Skye led Katie to the picnic table. As Katie sat, Skye stood at the end of the table and studied the scene before her. Her brown eyes darted in a dozen different directions, capturing the beauty of the perfect June day. She took a deep breath of pine scent and then glanced back at the horses enjoying their evening meal. Her glance driftedcloser to where she stood, to