Dawn Runner by Terri Farley Read Free Book Online

such a good friend. “Besides, they’re not even going to be around each other.”
    â€œOkay,” Brynna said.
    â€œIf you want to worry about one of my friends…” Sam began.
    â€œI don’t—”
    â€œWorry about Jake,” Sam said. She watched Ace cross the pasture. Even her horse was fed up with her. “He’s hardly spoken to me since he cut his hair and went off on his college tour—”
    â€œHe’s only been back a few days.”
    â€œâ€”and now all he’s doing is training for cross country. In fact, I’m going in to call him,” Sam said.
    She turned toward the house. Jake’s steady pace should have taken him to Three Ponies Ranch by now. If she hurried, she could catch him before he ducked into the shower, had dinner, or started homework.
    Blaze fell into step with Sam, giving his tail a low wag to ask if he was forgiven for blocking the bridge with his body.
    â€œYou’re a good boy, Blaze,” she said, rumpling his silky ears. “You can’t be too careful.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “In fact, I think I’ll ask Jake whathe thinks of Ryan’s plan.”
    â€œNice talking to you, too, honey,” Brynna called after her.
    Realizing she’d just walked off without a good-bye, Sam listened for resentment in her stepmother’s voice, but she didn’t hear it. In fact, Brynna sounded almost amused.
    Since amusement was the last thing Sam felt over Jake, she kept walking toward the kitchen.
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    Gram’s knife sliced through long onions that smelled fresh and green.
    â€œI’m making a salad that even your father will love,” Gram said, glancing toward chicken strips sputtering with grated ginger in a skillet.
    â€œYum,” Sam said.
    â€œYou’re a little late,” Gram added. “Everything okay over at the Kenworthys?”
    â€œSure,” Sam said. Then, because there was no privacy in the house and if you wanted to use the phone you had to stand in the kitchen, Sam added, “Ryan’s colt is kind of sickly, so he’s going to go out and try to catch Hotspot.”
    Gram made a disapproving hum as she scraped the onions from her cutting board into the skillet.
    â€œHope he checked that out with Brynna.” Gram raised her voice over the renewed sputtering.
    â€œHe said he would,” Sam said, edging toward the phone.
    â€œSlocums and wild horses are bad business,” Gram added.
    â€œTell me about it,” Sam said, but when Gram looked up, alarmed, Sam added, “I think Ryan’s okay.”
    Poking the chicken and onions with a wooden spoon, Gram said, “One can only hope.”
    â€œI’m going to call Jake,” Sam said.
    Gram nodded, but she was more focused on measuring soy sauce than on Sam’s dialing.
    Jake’s dad answered the phone at Three Ponies Ranch and Sam was glad. He wouldn’t ask her about her classes or Jen. You never had to worry about unnecessary conversation with Luke Ely. If anything, he was quieter than his sons.
    â€œHello,” said Luke Ely.
    â€œHi,” Sam began.
    â€œJake?” Luke hollered. Then, as an explanation, he added, “Sam.”
    She heard the phone change hands.
    â€œHey,” Jake said.
    â€œHow was your run?” Sam asked. “Pretty good?”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œDo you think you’re as competitive as you were last year?”
    â€œYeah,” Jake said.
    Jake was one of the best runners in the state. If he had another winning season, he’d have his choice of scholarships to good colleges. She’d learned thatinformation from the local newspaper, which was a good thing, because she never would have heard it from Jake.
    Now she was remembering that the only thing more frustrating than talking to Jake in person was trying to talk to him on the phone.
    â€œRyan’s going to try to catch Hotspot,” Sam