Opal Dreaming by Karen Wood Read Free Book Online Page A

put a hand out to help her, she reared away from him, shaking her head violently and stumbling backwards.
    Lawson watched the filly pull itself up off the ground, his face grave. ‘Are you sure all this is worth it?’
    â€˜What do you mean?’ asked Jess.
    â€˜I mean, look at her,’ said Lawson. ‘She’s got her father’s temperament. She’ll be totally unpredictable. Why do you think I’m selling her to you so cheap?’
    â€˜She’s just sick, that’s all,’ said Jess.
    At that moment, Opal lunged at John. ‘Whoa!’ he said, waving her away.
    â€˜Sick horses don’t do that,’ said Lawson, opening the stable door and walking in. He raised an arm at Opal and yelled, ‘Get out of it! ’
    Then he haltered Marnie, led her out of the stable and looked Jess in the eye. ‘There are a lot of other good fillies out there, Jess. I can help you find one if you like. You don’t need to pay me for this one.’
    Jess looked at him, bewildered. ‘What are you saying?’
    â€˜I’m just saying it might be kinder to . . . find something else.’
    â€˜No way!’ said Jess. ‘How could you even think that?’ She looked around for John, who was letting himself out of the stable.
    â€˜I don’t think we need to consider that yet,’ said John, frowning at Lawson.
    â€˜Go away,’ said Jess, angrily. ‘Take Marnie and just go home, Lawson. I’ll drop your money off later this afternoon.’
    Lawson tried a gentler tone. ‘If you want my opinion—’
    â€˜I don’t want your opinion,’ said Jess, her voice rising. ‘I already know what your opinion is!’
    â€˜No, you don’t, so shut up and listen,’ snapped Lawson.
    Jess set her jaw hard, folded her arms tightly across her chest and glared at him.
    â€˜If you really want her to get better,’ Lawson began, ‘then we should wean her as soon as possible. Don’t leave it until she’s on a truck and on a long stressful journey to Longwood. Give her a couple of weeks at Harry’s place to bond with the other young horses, and then let me take her out to the station. You should still put her out there and see if she heals. Do or die. If she’s got any heart, if she’s worth her salt at all, then she’ll fight. She’ll get through it.’
    Jess looked to John, who stood listening with his hands in his pockets. He nodded at her. ‘I think Lawson could be right, Jess. She’s obviously had some sort of knock around the head, but there’s nothing showing in her X-rays. I’ve treated her with some long-acting antibiotics and pretty much done all I can for her. It’s up to her now. She needs to go and heal.’
    Jess looked at Opal, pacing anxiously around the stable, occasionally stumbling with the lingering effects of the sedatives. She would be a mess when they totally wore off. But she looked generally upright and alive – there was no way Jess was giving up on her yet.
    â€˜Can you leave Marnie here for just one more night? Please?’
    He dropped his shoulders and let out a slow, unimpressed sigh.
    â€˜Come on , Lawson,’ she begged. ‘Just one more night and I promise I won’t argue anymore. Tomorrow Marnie and Opal can travel together to Harry’s place and I’ll put her in with Luke’s brumbies. Then you can take Marnie home.’
    She also wanted to get Opal away from Chelpie. She had a gnawing feeling that the filly would come good if Jess could just get her away from that psycho white horse. She looked pleadingly at Lawson.
    Lawson gave a reluctant nod. ‘ One more night, then.’

6
    JESS STUCK TO her word and helped wean Opal the next day at Harry’s place. They put the filly in with Luke’s two brumby foals, Rusty and Tinkerbell, and Jess spent the afternoon listening to her scream piteously for her mother while