“So, Dotty is safe now, but why did Jake have her?”
Miss Julie’s smile and her bright blue eyes made me warm after an awful night.
“You go on to bed, dear. We’ll talk tomorrow. Why don’t you both go out and see Dotty in the morning?”
“Okay, Miss Julie,” I said. I was just too tired to think or ask questions any more and I could tell Addie was too. Miss Julie left to take Addie and Sandy home. Mom and Dad walked me up to my room.
“Goodnight, honey,” Dad said, kissing my forehead. “Will you stay home until morning?”
“Okay, Daddy,” I promised. I hadn’t called him Daddy since I was little.
“Goodnight, Piper,” said my mom. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I said. I hugged them both and was asleep before I had time to worry anymore.
Chapter Eleven
~ Warm Pony and Fresh-Cut Grass ~
I didn’t wake up until late the next morning. I hollered to Mom that I was going out to see the pony and went over to wake Addie. She climbed out her window as soon as she saw me. It was another warm day and things seemed better with the sun shining. Dotty whinnied when she saw us and trotted over to have her forehead scratched. We decided that since there was no longer any reason to hide, we would walk her over to the barn and let her drink. Someone had already replaced the ratty old family gate with a new aluminum one that swung open smoothly. Things were looking up.
As we neared the house, we could hear a lawnmower, which soon came chugging around the side of the house, Sam sitting on it and driving. Miss Julie was shaking a dust mop out the back door.
“Hi, girls!” she called. “Do you want to come in for cold lemonade when you finish there? I have a cooler with some already made.”
We must have looked sweaty and hot. We watered Dotty and tied her under the maple tree to graze, then walked to the house. The air inside was cool on my moist skin. My mom said those big old houses didn’t heat up like small ones do, that the heat went up into the attic.
“What are you doing, Miss Julie?” I asked.
“Why are you cleaning?” asked Addie. She didn’t like sponges and mops much.
“Oh, girls!” said Miss Julie, handing us tall, cold glasses of lemonade. “The most wonderful thing has happened. I’m going to move back out here. Sam and I talked and talked last night. He thought I wanted to live in the retirement home more than anything and I guess I did want to try it. But I really don’t like living there. I miss my home and would love to move back if we can find someone to live here with me so I’m not alone.”
Sam came inside, all sweaty and grinning. He took a swallow from a glass of lemonade.
“There are lots of people looking for rooms to rent, even in a small town like Serendipity Springs. I know it’ll be easy to find someone. And then I plan to stay out here most weekends. I’m finding out that I miss the farm, too. And some of the people around here.” He was grinning when he said that.
I felt glad for Miss Julie. She belonged in this big old house with all the trees and lilac bushes around it.
“By the way,” said Sam, “Sheriff Martin called earlier. It took all night, but Jake finally admitted everything. He had drugs hidden in the feed bags and didn’t know or care anything about horses. He just used the pony to cover up what they were doing.”
“What about that weird house?” Addie wanted to know.
“That house is where his contact in this town lived—the guy you saw him with. He and some others were making the drugs and giving them to Jake to sell. They’re probably far away by now.”
“What will happen to Jake?” I asked, worried that he might get free and come after Dotty.
“Oh, they’ll give him some time off for helping the sheriff’s department find the men he was involved with, but he’ll still be in prison for a good long time.”
I was relieved to hear that and I could tell Addie was, too. She started to smile until she heard Sam’s next words.
“There’s just one problem,” he said. “And that’s what to do with Dotty.”
Addie and I had talked about this and knew Miss Julie was probably too old to take care of a pony. Dotty would have to be sold. That was sad, but I was pretty sure Miss Julie would sell her to nice people who would take good care of her.
“Please make sure she goes to a good home,” I said.
“With nice people who love horses,” said Addie.
Miss Julie’s blue eyes twinkled. She grinned and I saw where Sam got his smile. “What I would really like is to have some horse-loving girls take ownership of Dotty, but keep her here on the farm and be responsible for her.”
“Do you mean it?” I said, feeling hope glowing in my chest. Something was bothering me about this, but I wasn’t sure what it was.
“Don’t kid us about this,” Addie said, jumping up and down. “This is too important.”
Miss Julie’s eyes were blue stars. ”I mean it,” she said. “It was such a lucky accident that you found her, and it was so brave of you to protect her, that I think you should both have her. You can move her up here close to the house where I can see her, too. And I’ll be able to visit with you while you take care of my old friend. Maybe we can make Addie a horsehair bracelet to match Piper’s.”
“You should have one too,” said Addie, “Everyone who loves Dotty should get one.”
“Your dad is coming out later to check Dotty over,” said Sam. “But she’s looking pretty perky today, and I think once she puts on a little weight, she’ll be fine. And I believe both your moms are coming out to meet her.”
“But, Miss Julie,” I said, remembering what it was that bothered me, “she’s a registered purebred. She’s worth money.”
“Okay,” said Miss Julie. “So how much money do you have?”
I knew I had none at home. There was a little in my savings account, but I had to use that for a phone. I dug and dug, but only came up with the penny I had found on the street.
“This is all,” I said with a sad heart.
“That’s exactly enough,” said Miss Julie Applegate, taking my penny. “Dotty is yours. Sam will take care of the paperwork.”
Addie and I held hands and spun in a circle right there in the farmhouse kitchen, nearly knocking over the oak trestle table. Miss Julie and Sam laughed at us. It felt so good to hear the laughter that I started to giggle.
“Adds,” I said, “You know what?”
“What?”
“We have a pony!”
“I know,” she said, grinning.
“We haven’t brushed our pony today.”
“Let’s go!” she said. We danced out the door and across the lawn to the spotted pony waiting for us under the maple tree. I put my head close to her and whispered that she belonged to us now and would never have to be hungry or thirsty again. With Addie on one side and me on the other, we hugged Dotty’s neck, breathing in the smells of warm pony and fresh-cut grass, the best smells in the world.
Coming in October, 2013
Nickel-Bred
Book Two in the Horse Rescuers Series
Piper and Addie are looking for another horse so they can ride together. They find the perfect horse in Nickel, but then discover that his owner is part of a gang of criminals and that the horse himself is in danger of being sold to a slaughterhouse for dog meat. Piper’s parents do not want her to have anything to do with the lowlife owner, but Piper and Addie are determined to save Nickel. Piper incurs the hatred of one of the gang’s members, and the girls must not only save Nickel, but also save their friends and family from the vicious clutches of the criminals.
About the Author
Patricia Gilkerson spent a horse-loving childhood growing up in Kentucky, and finally got her first horse as an adult. She began writing books for children at night after teaching all day. Today Patricia lives on a hobby farm in Minnesota with her husband Jim, and the current count of three horses. Her two children are grown with children and p
ets of their own, so there are frequently grandchildren and granddogs running around her house. Her hobbies include travel, Irish/Celtic music, scuba diving and reading. Her favorite thing to do is to hang out with family and friends.
Website:
patriciagilkerson.com
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The Penny Pony Page 5
