Trickster Read Free Page B

grins. “No, I don’t think so. The two of you locked in a small place like that, something is bound to happen. Wouldn’t be safe.”
    “Still want us to follow you in the van?” Dr. Mac asks.
    Mr. Quinn checks his watch. “It’s already pretty late,” he says. “Tomorrow’s Saturday.Bring the kids out early, and we’ll put everyone to work then.”
    Trickster shifts his weight and bumps his shoulder against me. He likes me. I know I’m not making this up.
    “Mr. Quinn, can I help you with Trickster?” I ask. “I mean, with the exercising Dr. Mac was talking about.”
    Trickster snorts, and my bangs are in my eyes again.
    “Well,” Mr. Quinn says slowly. “That’s quite a bit of horse there.” He rubs his hand over his buzz cut. “Let me think about it. We’ll talk when you come out tomorrow.”

Chapter Four
    T he next morning, Dr. Mac turns the van past the wooden sign that reads “Quinn’s Stables,” and we bounce down the dirt road toward the barns.
    I’m back
!
    Green pastures stretch out on both sides of the road, surrounded by white fences and filled with horses of every color and size—a jet-black Thoroughbred, spotted Appaloosas, a pair of matching Clydesdales, and many others. We ooh and aah at the beautiful animals grazing in the fields.
    I feel like jumping out of the van and runningthe rest of the way. No, better not. Dr. Mac wouldn’t like that. I’m working hard to stay on everyone’s good side.
    At the top of a long hill, we can finally see the stables—a collection of smaller buildings and sheds around a large, modern barn. The Quinns’ house, a two-story stone building, sits off to the east. There is a pond beside it with a loud family of ducks splashing in the water.
    Nothing has changed since the last time I was here. As I get out of the van, I take a deep breath. It even smells the same. Hay and horses, the best smells in the world.
    A tanned woman wearing jeans and a white T-shirt walks toward us. She shakes hands with Dr. Mac.
    “Good to see you again, Doc,” she says.
    “You, too,” Dr. Mac replies. “I’ve brought your new stable hands.”
    “Pleasure to meet you all. I’m Linda,” she says. “I’ve only been helping out here a few months, so I know what it feels like to be new.”
    “My name is David,” I say, stepping forward. “This is Maggie, Brenna, Sunita, and Zoe. They’ve never been around horses before. But I have lots of experience.”
    “Excuse me?” Zoe says, stepping next to me. “I know how to ride. Mother sent me to horse camp in Connecticut last summer. I won first place in my age group.”
    “You?” I ask. “You never told me that.”
    “I don’t like to brag about it,” Zoe says.
    “Oh, brother,” Maggie mumbles.
    “I’ve never been on a horse,” Sunita tells Linda.
    “Don’t worry,” Linda answers. “We have more than forty horses here, and one will be just right for you. Now, I’m going to take you on a tour, show you around a bit, then we’ll put you to work.”
    Dr. Mac takes a plastic equipment case out of the van. “Lucas wants me to look at a sore leg and a hoof crack,” she says. “I’ll check in with you later.”
    As soon as she disappears into the barn, I nod to Linda. “I don’t need the tour. I used to come here all the time. I’ll help Mr. Quinn with Trickster while you get them started.”
    “Oh, no,” Linda says with a smile. “Mr. Quinn was very specific. You’re supposed to stay with the group and run a shovel this morning.”
    “What?” This is not what I had planned.
    “He said something about you learning how to follow directions,” Linda adds.
    That sounds like something my mother would say.
    “What does ‘run a shovel’ mean?” Sunita asks.
    “You don’t want to know,” I say.
    “You’ll find out soon enough,” Linda says. “Come on, let’s get started.” She leads us into the largest barn. “This is the newest building here. Mr. Quinn had it built five years