Read Online Golden Filly Collection Two by Lauraine Snelling - Free Book Online Page A

two on Wednesday. I’ll be glad when they’re over.”
    “I won today, and a place in the seventh. How about that for some good news?”
    “Bet the winner’s circle felt good.” Trish yawned again. “’Scuse me. I just can’t wake up.”
    “I miss you.”
    Trish felt a little twinge of guilt. She hadn’t even thought about Red since she left him at the airport. “Yeah, so how’s it look for you? Lots of mounts?” She forced herself to stay with the conversation but couldn’t think of anything to say. When the silence stretched for several seconds, she mumbled, “Well, I’ll talk to you later; I need to hit the books.” She hung up the phone as if it were a fifty-pound weight.
    Man, he’s gonna think you don’t even like him, her nagger jumped right in. Trish had been able to shut him off lately, but even that was too much trouble tonight.
    She sat down at her desk to study but found herself staring at the wall instead. Maybe if she propped herself against the headboard of her bed…
    Her mother found her there, sound asleep, with her history book on the floor. Trish hadn’t even heard it drop.
    “How about crawling under the covers?” Marge smoothed wisps of hair back from Trish’s cheek.
    “I need to study.” Trish stretched and yawned. “I’m just so tired.”
    “I know. Maybe you should take incompletes and—”
    “No. I just want to get school over with. I didn’t do so bad today, at least I don’t think so.” She swung her feet to the floor. “Maybe if I tank up on Diet Coke I can stay awake.”

    Trish fell asleep the next day during study hall.
    “You want to run the track with me instead of lunch?” Trish asked Rhonda when they met at their lockers for break.
    “Let’s grab a sandwich and then I will. I’m starved. We’ll have to run fast.” Rhonda stuffed her money in her pocket and her books in her locker.
    A brisk breeze scattered clouds across the sky and blew their hair in their eyes as Trish and Rhonda ran the cinder track behind the brick complex. They jogged the first lap, stretched some, and ran the second.
    Rhonda puffed to a halt and grabbed her side. “Owww. We need to do this more often or not at all.”
    Trish sucked in huge gulps of air. “Want to go another?”
    “You crazy?” Rhonda folded in half and wrapped her arms around her knees to stretch again. “If that didn’t wake you up, nothing will. Besides”—she glanced at her watch—“we have ten minutes till the bell, and I’m spending mine eating.”
    Trish shivered as the breeze blew through her wet shirt.
    “Here.” Rhonda handed her a jacket. “We can walk and chew at the same time, or at least we used to be able to.” She grabbed Trish when she tripped on a sprinkler head. “Ya gotta pay attention.”
    Those words haunted Trish all afternoon. Why couldn’t she pay attention? Why did her mind seem to wander off all on its own? And she wasn’t even thinking of anything, just wandering in a black fog. She felt better at the end of the day, however. She knew she’d aced the history test. All those hours of studying while she’d been traveling had paid off.
    That evening she ran down the drive, up to Brad’s, and back to their own barn to see Miss Tee. The filly snorted and dashed off to circle the pasture before coming to nibble her treat from Trish’s hand.
    “You sure are a beauty.” Trish rubbed the filly’s velvety cheek and inhaled the wonderful odor of horse.
    “She has good speed for a baby.” Patrick leaned on the fence beside her. “Good motion too. You can tell she loves to run; already makes sure she finishes first against Double D. ’Course he’s a tad younger.”
    “She should be good. Her dam has thrown two colts. One Dad sold as a yearling—he’s running at Longacres, won a couple; and the other went back to Minnesota, I think. Last I heard he was doing okay too. Dad said all our money went into stud fees the last couple of years. He knew it was necessary if we