Read Online Firefly by Terri Farley - Free Book Online

and shoved out her sleeping bag and suitcase.
    A neigh floated to her from the barn corral.
    Two pintos and a bay watched her, tails swishing, heads tossing. Calico, Ginger, and Judge didn’t know they were about to get a new roommate.
    No tangerine-colored truck sat parked by the wrought-iron fence around the rose garden, so Mrs. Allen hadn’t come home yet. Dr. Scott’s truck and trailer weren’t here, either.
    Sam climbed out after her stuff, and slammed the door.
    Gram opened her door, went to the Buick’s trunk, and opened it to remove a Styrofoam cooler. Sam had seen her put in plastic containers that held casseroles, cinnamon rolls, and vegetables all cut up and ready to dunk in the chili con queso dip.
    â€œThis might give her a few extra hours to spend with Gabriel, instead of cooking,” Gram said, but they both knew Mrs. Allen didn’t cook much. “And don’t forget these.”
    Gram lifted out a brown paper bag. Sam could smell the yeasty aroma of fresh bread, wrapped and sitting atop tomatoes and zucchini from Gram’s garden.
    â€œI guess we beat everyone,” Sam said.
    Gram scanned the deserted ranch, then looked back at Dad. “Wyatt?”
    Sam knew she was to blame for Gram’s hesitance.
    â€œI’ll be fine,” she assured Gram. “I’ll just go yell through the door so that Imp and Angel know it’s me.” She smiled, knowing Dad and Gram could hear Mrs. Allen’s dogs barking with as much ferocity as their twenty-pound bodies could manage. “Then I’ll go climb up in the tree house. I’ll know even before they do if someone’s coming.”
    â€œFine,” Dad said, but he motioned Sam to the driver’s side window.
    â€œRemember you were talkin’ last night about Gabriel?” Dad paused until Sam nodded. “Just treat him like you’d want to be treated if you switchedplaces. Don’t go lookin’ for trouble. Just do your best and that’ll be plenty good enough.”
    Coming from Dad, that was a huge lecture. Sam leaned down to kiss his tanned and weathered cheek.
    â€œMeant to ask you,” he added as she pulled away, “you leave your hat home on purpose?”
    Sam smoothed her hand from her crown to the auburn hair covering the nape of her neck. It already felt hot with morning sun.
    â€œI did,” she said. “Dr. Scott never wears one, and since he’s the only human the colt really knows…”
    Gram leaned forward and stared across Dad at Sam.
    â€œThat is awfully good thinking,” Gram said.
    â€œYep,” Dad agreed.
    â€œI know you’ll do right by that young horse.”
    â€œThanks, Gram,” she said.
    Sam was still smiling as she stared after Gram’s yellow Buick. Bumping down the road, it left her alone at Deerpath Ranch.
    Â 
    The black iron gate squawked. Metal shouldn’t make a sound like that, Sam thought as she approached Mrs. Allen’s house. Maybe the hinges needed oil or something.
    The squawk set off a chorus of barks from inside the house. Sam eased through the gate and started up the garden path to Mrs. Allen’s lavender house.
    Sam knew the twisted metal spikes on the fencewere just for decoration. They probably weren’t sharp, but she remembered walking up this garden path hand-in-hand with Jake when they were six or seven years old, thinking Mrs. Allen was a witch.
    Sam didn’t feel that way anymore, and once she got past the iron gate, the garden surrounding her was crowded with lush flowers and the buzz of honeybees.
    She didn’t expect anyone to answer her knock, but Imp and Angel did their best, barking and bouncing against the front door.
    â€œIt’s just me, guys,” Sam shouted.
    Even though she’d bet Mrs. Allen hadn’t locked her door, Sam didn’t let the black-and-white Boston terriers out. She could imagine them tearing around like the devil dogs she’d