The Wildest Heart by Terri Farley Read Free Book Online

a look of reproach. “We’ve got to go back out there and keep painting.”
    Sam opened the gate into the sanctuary pasture so Callie could lead Queen through. The red dun mare nodded her head right, then left. She stood straight, breathing in the scents of everything around her.
    Awareness rippled through Queen as she spotted figures so far out in the pasture they looked like toys. But when Callie unsnapped her lead rope, the mare didn’t bolt off after the other horses. Instead, Queen grazed.
    Sam only believed the red dun’s lack of interest for a second. Queen’s pricked ears and the way she snatched mouthfuls of grass showed she was alert to the other mustangs.
    â€œThis is a nice place,” Callie said, and sighed as she looked around.
    â€œI’ll give you the tour later,” Sam said. “But now, I should let Imp and Angel out. It sounds like they’re going nuts in there.”
    As soon as Sam opened the door, the black-and-white dogs bounded out. Their toenails scraped on the porch, then clicked on the garden’s stepping stones. Finally, they leaped around the girls’ ankles, hopping up to lick any skin they could reach.
    â€œDown, you guys,” Sam said.
    The dogs stopped for a second. They snuffled through flat-faced nostrils, then turned all their attention to Callie while Sam thought about lunch.
    â€œThere’s a tree house not far from here. How about if we take our sandwiches out to it? I don’tthink we’ll get rained on,” Sam said, looking upward.
    Gray clouds spread overhead as evenly as a ceiling. Though the wind had picked up, tension lay on the air. Maybe the bees had been right and a storm was on its way.
    â€œGreat idea,” Callie said. “When we’re done eating, I’ll help you paint the fence.”
    Sam knew she should protest that it was Callie’s day off, but she didn’t. The work would go faster and be more fun with company.
    â€œThat’d be great,” Sam said. “I’ll go make lunch.”
    When she came back outside with the brown paper bag that held their picnic and tried to shoo the dogs back inside, Angel and Imp panted with rasping breaths and skittered out of reach.
    Their round brown eyes stared beseechingly at Callie.
    â€œLet’s bring them,” she said, and Sam agreed.
    Angel and Imp followed obediently at their heels until they reached the tree house. Then, Callie climbed the ladder to the level deck, and held out her arms. Cradling Imp against her chest, Sam took three steps up the ladder, then passed the dog to Callie. Once Callie set Imp down, he wiggled his stumpy tail and barked, encouraging Angel to come join him.
    Sam backed down the ladder, scooped up Angel, and ascended the steps again.
    â€œPiece of cake,” Sam said as she passed the second dog to Callie.
    From the tree house deck, Callie and Sam had lofty views of Deerpath Ranch and all of Mrs. Allen’s lands. Past the highway, the La Charla River flowed. They could make out the edge of the sanctuary pasture where its fence of freshly painted brown-red gave way to faded gray. Beyond that boundary, they could see stacked plateaus leading up to the Calico Mountains.
    The girls munched their sandwiches and absorbed the stark beauty of the high desert land.
    No bigger than a couple of loaves of bread, Imp and Angel lay between Sam and Callie. The black-and-white dogs refused all scraps and panted nervously, but they didn’t want to get down.
    â€œYou can see where I’m painting,” Sam said, pointing. “From down there, it seems like I’ve done lots more.”
    There was something about Callie’s accepting tranquility that made Sam add, “I saw the Phantom out there yesterday.”
    Callie’s smile lit her face. “I hope you know how rare that is, having a wild horse come to you like that.”
    Sam ducked her head in acceptance. “He didn’t come right up to