Read Online A Winning Gift by Catherine Hapka - Free Book Online Page A

the barn owner was convinced that Bridget wasn’t injured and hadn’t hit her head, she let her climb to her feet. “All right, you got your first fall out of the way early,” she said with a wry smile. “Ready to get back on the horse and try again?”
    â€œNo.” Bridget’s eyes filled with tears. “What if it happens again?”
    Maddie led the ponies closer. “It’ll be okay,” she assured Bridget. “You need to get back on, or you’ll just get more scared.”
    â€œI don’t know if that’s possible,” Bridget informed her. “Maybe riding isn’t for me after all.”
    Vic and Val had stopped their ponies a short distance away. “I know how you feel,” Vic called out. “I was totally freaked out the first time I fell off.”
    â€œShe was,” Val agreed. “Come to think of it, she fell off Wizard that time, too.”
    â€œYeah, but only because I got distracted and tried to turn around to look at something right when he picked up a canter,” Vic said.
    Maddie smiled. “See? It’s no big deal,” she told Bridget. “Everyone falls off sometimes.”
    â€œEspecially if they’re riding Wizard, it sounds like.” Bridget frowned at the gray pony, who appeared to be falling asleep where he was standing. She shifted her gaze to Cloudy. “I knew I should’ve ridden Cloudy today!”
    Ms. Emerson looked confused. Oops. Maddie decided she’d better distract her before she started asking questions.
    â€œMaybe we should switch,” she suggested. “I could ride Wizard for the rest of the lesson, and Bridge can get on Cloudy.”
    Bridget looked dubious, but then she shrugged. “I guess that would be okay.”
    Ms. Emerson looked dubious, too. “Well, normally I’d want you to get back on the pony you fell from,” she told Bridget. “But since the fall happened during your very first lesson, and since you rode Cloudy successfully yesterday, I suppose we can make an exception.”
    â€œReally?” Bridget looked happier already, though still anxious as well. “Thanks!”
    Maddie felt a pang of regret as she handed Cloudy’s reins to Ms. Emerson. That was one more ride she’d miss. One more out of how many? She tried not to count the days until the date on those plane tickets. . . .
    Soon she was walking around on Wizard, watching as Ms. Emerson coaxed Bridget into Cloudy’s saddle. Bridget looked nervous, but the barn owner stayed at the pony’s head and talked her through a few circles at the walk and then a brief trot.
    â€œOkay, that was fine,” Bridget said as Cloudy came to a halt after the trot. “I think it’s enough for me today.”
    â€œAre you sure?” Ms. Emerson looked surprised. “I was going to set up some poles to help you practice steering.”
    â€œMaybe next time.” Bridget’s tone was firm. “I don’t want to do any more today.”
    Maddie bit her lip as she watched her friend slide down from the saddle. She was tempted to ask to switch back to Cloudy, but she felt too guilty to bring it up. After all, if she’d let Bridget ride Cloudy from the start, the fall almost certainly wouldn’t have happened.
    â€œMaddie! Heads up!” Ms. Emerson said sharply. “I said please pick up a trot—rising on the long side, sitting on the short.”
    â€œOops.” Maddie quickly gathered up her reins, realizing the twins’ ponies were already trotting. “Come on, Wiz. Let’s do this.”

    The next morning, Maddie shoveled a spoonful of cereal into her mouth and then pulled out her cell phone.
    â€œHey! No texting at the breakfast table!” Tyler said. He and Ryan were sitting across from Maddie, gobbling down blueberry granola bars and chocolate milk. Their father had already left for an early shift at the hospital, which