Horse Whispers (14 page)

“You know, maybe I overreacted,” Carole said reflectively, her arm around the mare’s neck. “Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten involved. But something made me do it. It was weird. It was as if I wasn’t thinking. I was just doing—doing what I had to do.” Even after the fact, she still didn’t understand exactly what had made her try to set the mare free.

Stevie and Lisa glanced at one another in the semidarkness. Both of them were thinking about what John had said—that Carole had a special understanding of horses, that she was a horse whisperer. Somehow neither of them wanted to mention it. Somehow it seemed almost sacred, like something that should go unsaid.

“It’s okay,” Lisa said gently. “I’ll bet you just knew how she was feeling more than anyone else did.”

“Yeah. You were more in tune with her than other people,” Stevie added.

Carole nodded, turning ideas over in her head. She thought back to the afternoon she had spent with the herd. Those horses had let her into their world. It was an experience she would never, ever forget. In a way it seemed more like a dream than reality.

It was strange, but sometimes Carole felt as if she had a special talent—or power or ability—for understanding horses. And not just for understanding them but for being able to communicate with them. She thought of saying something about it to Stevie and Lisa. It would be hard to explain, but she could try. But when she looked up and caught their eyes, she changed her mind. The way they were looking at her, it was almost as if they already knew.

Bonnie Bryant is the author of nearly a hundred books about horses, including The Saddle Club series, Saddle Club Super Editions, and the Pony Tails series. She has also written novels and movie novelizations under her married name, B. B. Hiller.

Ms. Bryant began writing The Saddle Club in 1986. Although she had done some riding before that, she intensified her studies then and found herself learning right along with her characters Stevie, Carole, and Lisa. She claims that they are all much better riders than she is.

Ms. Bryant was born and raised in New York City. She still lives there, in Greenwich Village, with her two sons.

Don’t miss Bonnie Bryant’s next exciting Saddle Club adventure …

PAINTED HORSE
The Saddle Club #75

Stevie Lake is going on a class trip to New York City. She can see herself hanging out in Greenwich Village, but her teacher thinks long, boring lectures and a report are a much better idea. Well, Stevie has her own plans. She shakes her classmates and sets off to explore the Big Apple on her own. She ends up at the carousel in Central Park, which she loves. She meets lots of great people and horses—including a mounted police officer.

When Stevie’s class wanders into the park, they don’t have such a great adventure. In fact, they get lost. Now it’s up to Stevie and her new friends to save them and stop the school trip from turning into a disaster.