The Penny Pony Read Online Free Page A

Rosie
nodded, enjoying the scratching of the brush. I sang as I walked
back to town in the morning sun. I had a plan. I needed to ease my
conscience and let one particular adult know what we were
doing.
    I whistled under Addie’s bedroom window.
Addie poked her head out, her gaze darting around to see if anyone
was listening. “What happened last night? I saw the sheriff’s car
at your house.”
    It took a few minutes to explain everything,
and by that time Addie was climbing out her window. Her mother was
at work, but Addie always liked to climb out. I thought it made her
feel dangerous. I told her that we had to go find Miss Julie
Applegate in the retirement home and get permission to keep a pony
in her shed. We had to trust her not to tell on us, but at least
then if we were arrested for stealing, they couldn’t add
trespassing to the charges.
    The Serendipity Springs Retirement Home
rested on a quiet, shady street. It was a one story, red brick
building, new-looking with small trees planted around and lots of
bright red, purple and pink flowers.
    Inside, it was cool, after the heat of the
sun, and was decorated in cheerful colors. It seemed like a happy
place to live if you needed to be in a home with someone to help
you. We tiptoed to the front desk and asked for Miss Julie. The
smiling receptionist said she lived in Apartment 10 and we could go
knock on her door.
    “How old is Miss Julie?” said Addie as we
walked down the hall.
    “I don’t know,” I said. “One time my dad said
she wasn’t all that old and could have stayed at the farm if Sam
had stayed with her. But he wanted to live in the city.” I had
really good memories of riding on Dotty with Sam leading her. It
broke my heart back then when I realized that my parents were not
going to buy Dotty and let her live in our backyard.
    We found a wooden door painted the color blue
my mom called Wedgwood. There was a gold number 10 and some silk
flowers in a glass holder on the door. We knocked softly. The place
was like a library, where you didn’t want to be loud. The door
opened and there was Miss Julie. She was thinner, grayer and older
than I remembered, in her purple track suit, but Miss Julie’s smile
and bright blue eyes were the same. She leaned on one of those
silver walkers with rubber tips on the feet, and took her earbuds
out of her ears.
    “Why, Piper Jones! What a nice surprise! I
haven’t seen you for two years.” I thought back to when I had seen
her at a summer church picnic. Her memory was just fine. I
introduced Addie to Miss Julie, who knew Addie’s mother from a book
club they both belonged to. Miss Julie invited us inside. Her rooms
looked very neat, and she had a lot of the old furniture I
remembered from the farmhouse. My parents were still married then
and drank iced tea with Miss Julie while I rode the pony.
    “I thought this would be like a hospital,” I
said. “It’s more like an apartment.”
    “It is,” said Miss Julie, “except if I get
hurt or sick, there are buzzers I can push and get medical help
right away.”
    “Cool,” said Addie. We all sat down on rose
velvet chairs. I didn’t do well with antiques. Bad things just
happened, and I got klutzy, so I was extra careful.
    “Piper, you’re still wearing the horsehair
bracelet we made! That brings back some wonderful memories. I’m
sorry your parents got divorced, but I bet you’d rather I didn’t go
on about it. What brings you here to see me today?”
    I said, “Miss Julie, would you mind if I kept
a pony in your old shed and paddock for a little while?”
    “Why, of course I wouldn’t mind, honey. That
would be fine.” She smiled at me and laughed. “I’m glad someone is
going to get some use out of the old place. I couldn’t bear to sell
it even if the real estate market was any good. I really miss
living out there, but Sam never cared for living in the country,
even as a boy. Did your dad finally get you that horse you always
wanted?”
    I had