Storm and the Silver Bridle by Stacy Gregg Read Free Book Online Page B

oldLand Rover heading towards them. “There he is!”
    The Land Rover pulled up and the boy behind the wheel gave a cheery wave before opening the door and leaping out to join them on the pavement. “Alfie!” Francoise gave the boy a kiss on both cheeks. “These are my friends, Isadora and Tom.”
    She turned to introduce the boy to them. “This is Alfonso. He is head of the stables at El Caballo Danza Magnifico.” Issie’s first thought when she’d seen Alfonso pull up in the Land Rover was that he looked a little bit like Aidan. He was about Aidan’s age, with the same mop of dark hair. Now that he was standing right in front of her, Issie realised that Alfonso didn’t really look like Aidan at all. He was much more tanned, and he had dark brown eyes that smiled readily whenever he did. His features were different from Aidan’s too. Aidan’s face was delicate and fine-boned, while this boy had the broad, rugged looks of a Spanish film star.
    If he was good-looking though, Issie didn’t really notice. It was sad but true that she was pretty much too lovesick over Aidan to look at any other boy. This wouldn’t have been so sad if it weren’t for the fact that she hadn’t even seen him since he’d kissed her goodbye that day on the cherry tree lawn at Blackthorn Farm. Itwas so unfair, Issie thought, to finally, officially have a boyfriend, and never get to actually be near him. She longed to gaze once more into those pale blue eyes that Aidan kept half hidden under that long, dark fringe…
    “Issie?” She was shaken out of her Aidan daydream by the sound of Avery’s voice intruding sharply into her thoughts.
    “Issie!” The voice prodded a second time. “Wake up! I said to give your bag to Alfonso so he can load it into the car.”
    “Sorry.” Issie shook herself back to reality and reached out to hand Alfonso her bag. “I guess I’m a bit jetlagged.”
    Alfonso gave Issie a broad grin and took her bag.
    “That’s OK,” he said. “How was your trip? Was the food on the plane actually, like, food, or was it totally gross?”
    “You speak English!” Issie exclaimed with relief. She didn’t know any Spanish and had been terribly worried that she wouldn’t be able to understand a word that anyone said.
    “Yeah,” Alfonso said casually, “I picked it up from touring with El Caballo—we’re overseas a lot with the horses so most of us know lots of languages. We can all speak English really well.” He picked up Issie’s bag and threw it in the back of the Land Rover and opened thepassenger door for her. “Come on,
vamos!”
he said.
    Issie looked at him blankly and didn’t move.
    “
Vamos
—that means ‘let’s go’!” Francoise laughed as she offered Issie the front seat next to Alfonso. Francoise and Avery climbed into the back seat, Alfonso put his foot down on the accelerator and the Land Rover roared into life, heading down the cobbled streets, making its way through the busy city towards the outskirts of town.
    Within an hour they had left Seville and the Land Rover began to climb through the forest-clad hills of Andalusia. As Alfonso turned off the main road, pale dust flew up from beneath the car tyres and they began to make their way along remote dirt tracks through the rugged farmland that led to El Caballo Danza Magnifico. The Land Rover bumped and skipped along the potholed road, dust flying in through the open windows. Issie clung on to her seatbelt to stop herself being thrown about as the car bounced around.
    Issie looked over at Alfonso, who was focused on the road. “You know, you don’t look old enough to be driving this car, and you certainly don’t look old enough to be the head of the stables.”
    Alfonso raised an eyebrow. “You’re not happy with my driving?”
    “No, I didn’t mean that!” Issie stammered. “I’m sorry, that came out sounding really rude! I just meant—”
    Alfonso grinned. “It’s OK. I’m just joking. You’re right. I’m only