Storm Chaser Read Free

Warner climbed down from the loft, dusting his hands on his shirt front. “That does it. All the hay from the first crop is in the barn,” he said with a satisfied smile. “We were lucky to have such an early spring.” He shaded his eyes and looked toward the nearby mountains and the gathering clouds. “And not a moment too soon. Looks like we might be in for a summer storm.”
    Duncan parked the trailer, then walked to the nearest horse trough and dunked his head into the cool water, shaking his blond hair like a wet dog when he stood up.
    Jessica squealed, holding up her hands. “Thanks a lot, Dunce” She saw the grin cross her brother’s lips and bounced a piece of carrot off his noggin. Duncan just laughed as he caught the carrot chunk and popped it into his mouth, crunching the tidbit like one of his horses.
    Jessica smiled to herself as her brother turned and gazed at the gathering clouds. Duncan liked nothing better than to ride his horse into a storm. She saw the longing on his face, but her father shook his head and pushed Duncan toward the house. She hoped that someday her brother would invite her to go on a storm ride with him. The thought both scared and excited her.
    A nicker drew Jessica’s attention and she turned to the pen that held the new horses. The young stock in the corral snorted and huddled at the far end of the pen, but the paint filly stepped near the fence and pricked her ears, staring curiously.
    Jessica grinned. Wyatt would call that a sign. She felt it, too. A plan began to form in her mind, and she put a little extra spring in her step as she walked to Rusty’s stall.
    She stopped in front of the stall and scratched Rusty on the neck as he leaned his head over the door to accept the carrot. She’d been honing her riding talents on the old gelding for years, dreaming of the day she could join her father and brother in the training pen. Somehow, some way, she was going to convince her father to let her train this year.
    Her first project would be the beautiful paint filly.

TWO
    â€œMom said dinner would be ready soon,” Jessica called to her father as she gathered the bucket of brushes outside Rusty’s stall.
    Mr. Warner climbed down from the loft and dusted off his jeans. “Don’t be long,” he cautioned. “The wind is picking up out there.” He waved to Jessica and followed Duncan up the path to the old brick house on the rise.
    Jessica let herself into Rusty’s stall. “Hey, old man, how are you doing?” She hugged his neck and scratched the chestnut gelding behind the ears, laughing when he nudged her pockets looking for the treat he knew she would bring.
    She broke the carrot into several pieces, feeding them to him one at a time. Rusty munched them slowly and purposefully. At twenty-two years of age, his teeth weren’t as good as they used to be.
    Jessica pulled out the rubber curry comb and rubbed it in circles across Rusty’s swayed back. The gelding cocked his hind leg and sighed. Jessica lost herself in thought while she swirled the curry over the horse’s body. She knew her aging friend wouldn’t be rideable for much longer. She had overheard her mother and father talking about getting her another horse when they could afford it. She smiled. Maybe it would be that pretty black-and-white filly.
    She closed her eyes, imagining the feel of wind in her hair as she galloped through the valleys on the swift little paint. She’d be able to keep up with Duncan if she were to get the new filly, no problem.
    Rusty blew through his lips, bringing Jessica back from her daydreams. She looked into the old gelding’s soft brown eyes, feeling guilty for even thinking of replacing him. She threw her arms around his neck again, breathing in the warm horse scent, then kissed him on his whiskered muzzle. “We’ll keep riding as long as you feel up to it,” she promised.
    Jessica