Gypsy Girl and Horse Lovin' Boys by K.D. Kinney Read Free Book Online

stomped, ready to start a tantrum.
    I rolled my eyes.
    “Grab her waist.” Noah placed his hand on my hip. Josh did the same on the other side.
    I wanted to step away from their grip, but they had handfuls of my shirt in their fists before I could get away and they guided me to Ezra’s stall.
    The horse stuck her head out over the stall to greet Noah and whinnied, tossing her head. I couldn’t step back. Noah rubbed the horse in between the eyes before grabbing her mane to hold her head still.
    “Come here, Cessie, and show your sister how nice my horse is.” He held on tight to my shirt.
    Showing off in front of me, the little brat ran her hands all over the horse’s neck. She hugged Ezra and kissed her nose.
    “Geez Cessie, get a grip.” I laughed nervously and was insanely jealous of my sister’s courage as she rubbed her hand gently against Ezra’s upper lip.
    “This is my favorite part. It’s the softest and it tickles.” Her face lit up in pure joy.
    “Watch this.” Noah lifted Ezra’s head.
    Josh held me tighter around the waist when Noah let go.
    He pinched Ezra’s bottom and top lip and made it look like the horse was talking in a silly girl’s voice, “I’m Ezra the lazy horse. That Noah never leaves me alone. He just wants me to run and run. I’m so old and lazy that I can’t wait until he gets off me so I can take my naps. I’m narcoleptic, you know. I fall asleep standing up.”
    Cessie giggled so hard, she was about to fall over. His high-pitched voice killed me. I couldn’t stop laughing over how the horse didn’t care at all with half-closed eyes while Noah made her lips move.
    He let the horse’s mouth go, rubbed her upper lip gently, and pulled a piece of carrot out of his pocket. “She will pretty much let you do anything to her.” He took my hand and I let him place it on Ezra’s head in between the eyes.
    Ezra lowered her head. I jumped but Josh held me tight so I wasn’t going anywhere. Noah covered my hand with his when I cautiously touched the horse again.
    My heart pounded so hard it hurt, but a smile slowly spread across my face.
    “Look at her eyes, Sera,” Noah whispered. Ezra’s eyes were closing.
    I let my hand slide up higher so I could touch the mane. I thought it would be soft and fluffy since it poofed out and didn’t lay flat. However, the hairs were coarse, very thick, and a variety of different colors. “How many shades of gray does she have in her mane?”
    “Fifty,” Josh answered.
    Noah and I laughed.
    “What’s so funny?” Cessie asked as she rubbed Ezra’s upper lip again.
    “That’s the name of a book you and I will never read,” I said.
    “Why?”
    “Never mind.” I shook my head. “Just enjoy the horse, would you?”
    “Can I go in with her?” she asked.
    “Of course. I know something else you might like more.” Noah took her hand.
    Josh allowed me to back up when Noah opened the stall door to take Cessie inside.
    “I’m sure it will take a few days before your sister is ready to do this.” He waited patiently while Cessie ran her hands over Ezra’s side. “I’m going to let you sit on her bareback. You’ll need to hold onto her mane and hug her sides with your knees, but don’t kick or squeeze her with your heels. She’ll think you’ll want to go somewhere and your sister might pass out if that happens.” Noah gave me teasing smile and winked again. He was such a cowboy with that one squinty eye. He held Cessie around the waist and lifted her easily onto Ezra’s back.
    The horse stepped to the side after Cessie settled on its back. Her eyes widened and she gripped a handful of mane with both hands.
    “Does this hurt?” Cessie asked, afraid to pull the hair.
    “No. She’s fine.” Noah reassured her.
    “I never imagined the mane would feel as coarse as it does.” I stepped closer to the stall door all on my own.
    Noah made the horse sidestep over so he could reach into a bucket with brushes and other things he