Midnight Lady (13 page)

“My only regret is that I didn’t stop to listen to Hadley any sooner!” Donna announced.

Hadley ducked his head, grunted, and got on with the important business of food.

“I was such a fool to trust Leon!” Donna went on. The truth about his link with Arnie Ash had come out when she’d finally confronted him by the Scotts’ corral. With his back against the wall, he’d finally been forced to own up to the fact that the slaughterhouse boss’s offer had been for many thousands of dollars lower than Circle R was worth. And when Donna had told Leon he was no longer to be her manager, he’d accepted the decision without a word.

“What did Arnie Ash say when you turned him down?” Kirstie asked between mouthfuls. Gosh, she was hungry! So tired, so happy! Donna was gonna keep her ranch and Midnight Lady. She was gonna let Hadley find her a new manager: “The
second
-best in Colorado, mind!”… “So, who’s the first?” Kirstie had cut in … “Why, Hadley of course! But I can’t steal him from you, so he’ll have to find me the second-best!” Donna hadn’t heard her question above the bustle of activity. “What did Arnie say?” she repeated.

“He said I was crazy,” Donna reported, a broad smile on her face. “I told him, I’d rather be crazy, thanks! Looking to the future, not the past, living in the place I love!”

“Me, too!” Kirstie agreed. She would finish these pancakes, then call Lisa at Lone Elm. “Hey, Mom, am I still grounded?” she asked as she dashed to the phone.

“Huh? Oh, I guess not!” Sandy was on her way out of the house to organize the morning’s trail rides.

“… Hey, Lisa!” Kirstie said, enjoying her friend’s shrieks of surprise down the line. Through the window she could see Hadley, Matt, and Charlie tacking up the Half Moon Ranch horses in the corral. Beyond them, Donna Rose’s dapple gray mare was happily grazing in Red Fox Meadow. “How’s your shoulder? You wanna try and ride Midnight Lady before Donna takes her back to Circle R? … Yeah, really! You just ask your grandpa and get that butt of yours over here!”

Kirstie is leading a horse trek through Miners’ Ridge when a sudden storm causes a landslide. She is trapped alone in Dead Man’s Canyon with a herd of wild horses whose leader—a proud stallion—has been hurt by falling rocks. Cold, wet, and alone in the gathering storm—can she find a way out and help the injured stallion?

While at a local rodeo contest, Kirstie is horrified to see how Rocky, an injured horse, is treated. Kirstie persuades her mother to buy him but soon learns that training an ex-rodeo horse is not easy. And when Rocky throws Kirstie on a trail far from the ranch, she quickly realizes that the only way to get them both home safely is to trust herself and the unruly horse.

Kirstie Scott’s life is consumed by love for her horses. Two of her favorites are best friends but polar opposites. Crazy Horse is wild and unruly; Cadillac, a beautiful and poised pedigree. One night, both horses disappear and Kirstie fears the worst. Can Kirstie track them down and bring both horses home safely? Or will the search reveal Kirstie’s worst nightmare—that her beloved animals have been stolen?

Kirstie Scott knows her beloved horses are friendly and gentle, so when a guest at Half Moon Ranch accuses Johnny Mohawk of throwing him, she is positive that he is lying. Now Kirstie must convince everyone that Johnny Mohawk is not to blame before her family is sued and Johnny is forced to leave the ranch. Can Kirstie prove Johnny Mohawk’s innocence before it’s too late?

Kirstie Scott adores all of her horses, but Lucky is her favorite. She is devastated when Lucky suddenly falls ill and no one can figure out what’s wrong with him. Desperate for answers, Kirstie takes Lucky deep into the Rockies to find a reclusive but legendary horse doctor before she loses her beloved friend. Will this mysterious doctor be able to save Lucky? Or will Kirstie have to say good-bye to the horse she loves the most?

Born and brought up in Harrogate, Yorkshire, Jenny Oldfield went on to study English at Birmingham University, where she did research on the Brontë novels and on children’s literature. She then worked as a teacher before deciding to concentrate on writing. She writes novels for both children and adults and, when she can escape from her desk, likes to spend time outdoors. She loves the countryside and enjoys walking, gardening, playing tennis, riding, and traveling with her two daughters, Kate and Eve.