Moonstone Promise by Karen Wood Read Free Book Online Page B

his back on it, stepping slowly and carefully backwards, closer to the animal. He listened for any movements but heard none until he was close enough to hear it breathing: short, raspy, suspicious breaths. But it didn’t move away from him.
    He slowly crouched down and knelt on one knee. He felt a warm puff of grassy breath on his neck and smiled. ‘Hey, fella.’
    Rubbery lips nibbled at his hair.
    Luke turned his head and saw a coppery nose from the corner of his eye. He extended the back of his hand and touched the horse’s leg.
    The horse stiffened but stood quiet. Luke rubbed the back of his hand up and down the hard bony part of its leg, then down to the hoof. It was held above the ground, trembling. Something sharp was wedged into the sole of its foot.
    â€˜Geez, this is no place to be getting a puncture wound, Red,’ he said to the horse. ‘You want some help getting that out?’
    Luke reached into his back pocket for his knife and flicked it open. ‘You’re gonna have to stand still for me,’ he said, sliding the blade down the side of the glass chunk, into the horny white sole. The hoof itself was in good condition, perfectly shaped with a thick wall and no signs of bruising, despite the rough country.
    â€˜If I can get that glass out and it hasn’t gone down to the bone, I reckon that foot might heal okay.’
    He dug carefully around the glass and flicked it out onto the stones. Fresh red blood trickled out of the wound.
    â€˜That’s not a good sign, Red, but you’ve got pretty tough feet and there’s no heat in your leg, so who knows, you might just heal.’ He stood up slowly and saw Bob back at the ute, watching him. Luke grinned.
    Bob scowled in response and lowered himself into the ute.
    â€˜I better be going, Red,’ said Luke. ‘Don’t wanna miss my ride.’ He turned slowly to the horse and ran the back of his hand over its shoulder, which was flat and triangular with no spare flesh.
    The horse lifted its head and snorted. It nipped cheekily at Luke’s face and sprang away from him, cantering on four legs, instantly free of pain. Luke watched it run for a bit and then disappear into a grove of trees.
    He ran back to the ute, and jumped into the front seat just as it began to roll onto the highway.
    â€˜He had a bit of glass in his foot,’ said Luke, slamming the door and reaching for his belt. ‘Reckon he’s off one of the stations? He’s in pretty bad nick.’
    â€˜That’s no station horse,’ said Bob, flicking on the indicator and pulling out onto the road. He put on his sunglasses, turned the stereo up and stared straight ahead, accelerating towards the next town and into a burning sunset.
    Luke stared at him. He could see a frown above the man’s sunnies. ‘What’s wrong?’
    Bob took a while to answer him. ‘Nothin’.’
    â€˜It was in pain. I couldn’t just leave it.’
    Bob shrugged. ‘Just never seen a brumby trust a human like that before.’
    â€˜It was probably a station horse.’
    Bob shook his head. ‘Nup.’

    Bob drove without talking and Luke ate his steak sandwiches, wondering how long he would be able to afford to eat so well. He needed money. He needed a job.
    His phone suddenly began trumpeting the arrival of a text message. He reached between his knees and pulled it out of his pack. It was from Lawson. Lawson hardly ever texted; his fingers were too big. Luke felt a sharp sting in his chest.
    Telling me to rack off and don’t come back.
    He flipped the phone shut and sat there staring out the window at the big flat fields rolling past. The sun was setting down low and a pale haze of pink and gold glowed above the horizon. The phone was in his hand with the message that would cut him off from his family for good. He gritted his teeth and opened it again.
    The phone beeped at him, out of charge. He quickly thumbed