Sundancer Read Online Free Page A
Bird couldnât quite figure out why Dr. Paul would bother. As far as she knew, Hannah wasnât interested in romance. He was wasting his time.
She chanced another quick look at Alec. He was listening to music through his earphones, gyrating in the front seat and singing along to a wild tune that only he could hear. He caught Bird looking and stopped dead. He gave her a sweet, crooked smile and an apologetic shrug.
Bird grinned. Then, because she felt happy, she mimicked the way heâd been moving around and throwing his head. She was stopped cold by the surprised look on his face.
He thought she was making fun of him! Bird was mortified. She hadnât meant to hurt his feelings or make him feel stupid. She wanted to hide in a dark hole and never come out. Head down, she ran for the house.
2
BIRD
I am not vicious, but I have a mean streak from my grandfather on my motherâs side
.
Bird waited until Cliff and John finished their Saturday morning chores and took off for breakfast at the Coffee Bean Cafe. Then she slipped out the kitchen door and climbed over the fence into the front field. In one back pocket of her jeans was a vial of WonderDust; in the other some apple slices. She deposited a plastic bag containing a brush, comb, and hoof-pick on the ground beside the fence.
Her plan was simple: gain his trust, disinfect his wounds, groom him, then get on his back. She had about an hour before the men returned. Plenty
of time. Horses generally took to her right away, but this one was different. Some time alone would surely help.
She watched for a few minutes, then approached the new horse with confidence. Sundancer. Thatâs your name, better get used to it. And youâd better get used to me, too. Iâm not going away.
The gelding lifted his head gracefully and looked at Bird. Then he casually turned his back. Bird walked around him in a wide arc and faced him again.
Let me fix your cuts, Sundancer. Theyâll hurt if they get infected .
The horse turned his back again and took ten steps in the opposite direction. Bird followed, positioning herself so that he could see her peripherally. Not wanting to seem threatening, she avoided making eye contact by keeping her head tilted down.
Every time the horse moved, Bird moved, too. If he turned right, Bird would counter, turning him left. If he turned around, Bird would circle him to make him face the other direction. A slow dance, thought Bird, but at least Iâm leading. She had seen Hannah perform this exercise with countless horses. It required patience, but eventually the animal would give up and allow himself to be caught. Out of boredom, if nothing else.
Time for the apple, Bird thought. She stretched her hand toward Sundancer, palm upward, with an apple slice on it. The horse looked insulted. He snorted and trotted away. Bird couldnât help but laugh. Heâd just let her know that he couldnât be bought. This was going to be interesting.
Bird placed all the apple slices on the ground in a little pile and stepped back. She waited as Sundancer grazed his way over, then greedily munched up the apple bits, never taking his eye off her. He ate every one and looked for more. This was more like it.
I gave you the apple pieces, now can I put this powder on your cuts? It wonât hurt .
Suddenly Sundancer reared up, forcing Bird to jump back. The horse spun and dropped back to earth, then trotted away. As he moved across the field, Bird admired his fluidity. His shoulder action was tremendous, with his front hooves flicking out firmly before hitting the ground. His hind end powered his forward movement, and with no discernable effort he was across the large paddock and circling back at a canter.
He carried his head level with his shoulders, and his elegant neck was arched and muscular. Bird watched, transfixed, until she realized that he was coming towards her with his ears flat and his eyes cruel. He was rapidly gathering
She chanced another quick look at Alec. He was listening to music through his earphones, gyrating in the front seat and singing along to a wild tune that only he could hear. He caught Bird looking and stopped dead. He gave her a sweet, crooked smile and an apologetic shrug.
Bird grinned. Then, because she felt happy, she mimicked the way heâd been moving around and throwing his head. She was stopped cold by the surprised look on his face.
He thought she was making fun of him! Bird was mortified. She hadnât meant to hurt his feelings or make him feel stupid. She wanted to hide in a dark hole and never come out. Head down, she ran for the house.
2
BIRD
I am not vicious, but I have a mean streak from my grandfather on my motherâs side
.
Bird waited until Cliff and John finished their Saturday morning chores and took off for breakfast at the Coffee Bean Cafe. Then she slipped out the kitchen door and climbed over the fence into the front field. In one back pocket of her jeans was a vial of WonderDust; in the other some apple slices. She deposited a plastic bag containing a brush, comb, and hoof-pick on the ground beside the fence.
Her plan was simple: gain his trust, disinfect his wounds, groom him, then get on his back. She had about an hour before the men returned. Plenty
of time. Horses generally took to her right away, but this one was different. Some time alone would surely help.
She watched for a few minutes, then approached the new horse with confidence. Sundancer. Thatâs your name, better get used to it. And youâd better get used to me, too. Iâm not going away.
The gelding lifted his head gracefully and looked at Bird. Then he casually turned his back. Bird walked around him in a wide arc and faced him again.
Let me fix your cuts, Sundancer. Theyâll hurt if they get infected .
The horse turned his back again and took ten steps in the opposite direction. Bird followed, positioning herself so that he could see her peripherally. Not wanting to seem threatening, she avoided making eye contact by keeping her head tilted down.
Every time the horse moved, Bird moved, too. If he turned right, Bird would counter, turning him left. If he turned around, Bird would circle him to make him face the other direction. A slow dance, thought Bird, but at least Iâm leading. She had seen Hannah perform this exercise with countless horses. It required patience, but eventually the animal would give up and allow himself to be caught. Out of boredom, if nothing else.
Time for the apple, Bird thought. She stretched her hand toward Sundancer, palm upward, with an apple slice on it. The horse looked insulted. He snorted and trotted away. Bird couldnât help but laugh. Heâd just let her know that he couldnât be bought. This was going to be interesting.
Bird placed all the apple slices on the ground in a little pile and stepped back. She waited as Sundancer grazed his way over, then greedily munched up the apple bits, never taking his eye off her. He ate every one and looked for more. This was more like it.
I gave you the apple pieces, now can I put this powder on your cuts? It wonât hurt .
Suddenly Sundancer reared up, forcing Bird to jump back. The horse spun and dropped back to earth, then trotted away. As he moved across the field, Bird admired his fluidity. His shoulder action was tremendous, with his front hooves flicking out firmly before hitting the ground. His hind end powered his forward movement, and with no discernable effort he was across the large paddock and circling back at a canter.
He carried his head level with his shoulders, and his elegant neck was arched and muscular. Bird watched, transfixed, until she realized that he was coming towards her with his ears flat and his eyes cruel. He was rapidly gathering
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