The Golden Stranger by Karen Wood Read Free Book Online Page A

register how stupid it was.
    Shara’s mother walked onto the verandah. Her gold bracelets jingled as she set a platter of sandwiches on the table. ‘What? Haven’t we got enough big mouths to feed around here?’
    â€˜Well, actually—’ Barry began.
    â€˜Actually what?’ said Louise. ‘You don’t even like riding, Barry.’
    â€˜I was thinking more about when Rocko goes,’ said Barry. ‘If Shara retires him some day, she’ll have nothing to ride. Be good for her to have a young one coming through.’
    Shara’s mouth fell open.
    Barry continued. ‘Of course, there’s still the chance that the Connemans are telling the truth and that somebody else owns him. But if the RSPCA can prove he belonged to them, they can send them the colt’s feed and vet bills and then re-home him.’
    Shara couldn’t believe it. She would have her own project horse to train and break in. Her dad was talking as if they already owned Goldie! She leapt out of the hammock and gave her dad a huge squeeze. ‘You are the best dad in the whole world!’
    He patted her arm. ‘Nothing’s final yet, but if we get him, he can be your birthday pressie.’
    She hugged him even tighter.
    â€˜Just don’t let it distract you from your studies,’ Louise put in. ‘You’re doing so well right now.’
    â€˜I promise!’
    Shara was so wound up with excitement she barely knew what to do with herself. She couldn’t wait for Jess to finish work at the bakery so she could tell her. Eventually, she wandered down the hill paddock to check on the cows.
    She sat by the creek’s edge imagining what Goldie would look like grazing alongside Rocko. She pictured him trotting up for his feed and giving her a friendly whinny, the way Jess’s horse Dodger always did for her. Goldie was so sweet and gentle, unlike Rocko. Much as she loved her big quarter horse, they got along best when she was on his back. It would be soooo nice to have a horse who enjoyed a pat.
    She began planning his training schedule. If he was two years old, she could start lunging and mouthing already! She would need a good lead horse. Maybe Jess would let her borrow Dodger. There were so many things to teach Goldie. He was beginning to feel like her horse already!

7
    THREE DAYS LATER, Shara thought she might totally explode with anticipation. It seemed like months since her brief encounter with Goldie, and she could barely remember what he looked like. Her friends had come to help get everything ready for his arrival.
    â€˜Did they find Goldie’s owners yet?’ asked Grace, as she helped Shara spread fresh new bales of straw about the stable.
    â€˜Nah,’ said Shara. ‘But I reckon the Connemans owned him for sure.’
    â€˜I googled them, and from what I found, they definitely did.’ Jess carried two huge armfuls of hay from the shed and stuffed them into the manger.
    â€˜What did you find?’
    â€˜According to their website, they supply cattle for rough riding events,’ said Jess. ‘There were heaps of buckjumping photos. One rider even looked like Corey.’ She shot Shara a censorious look.
    â€˜Did he have gorgeous brown hair and eyes to die for?’ asked Shara, just to stir up her bestie.
    Jess threw Shara a disgusted look. ‘I don’t know, he had a big stupid rodeo hat on. Anyway, they reckoned they used real outback brumbies, wild and untamed , and they had heaps of photos of the wild horse race. There were a couple of that red taffy mare too. You know, the one tied to their truck that day.’ She picked up two empty buckets from the corner of the stable and walked to the door.
    â€˜So, she was a brumby.’
    â€˜ Apparently .’ Jess turned back to her friends and lowered her voice. ‘They also had a black quarter horse stallion imported from America, and there was a photo of him in a neck-stretch