Free Sapphire: New Horizons by Heather Brooks Page A

work that far out from town. Emily’s dad, Alison, Aunt Debby, and even Uncle Rick, who had canceled his last appointments for the day, all mounted. A girl from the barn named Meredith joined them.
    Aunt Debby gave instructions. “Meredith and Alison, you two stay together and once it starts to get dark, you both head home. I want your horses in their stalls before dark, okay?”
    The girls nodded, and Aunt Debby turned to the adults. “The rest of us will split up.” She created search parameters for everyone.
    Aunt Debby patted Emily’s dad’s arm as she swung her mount past him. “We’ll find her.” Then she whirled her horse and bolted up the path toward the extensive lands behind the barn. Emily’s dad nudged his horse into action and tore after her, his throat dry.
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    Emily groaned and rolled onto her back in the field, too tired to crawl any farther, and she’d lost track of which way was home. When Sapphire had bolted, she’d stopped paying attention and just enjoyed the ride.
    Not her smartest move.
    All she was hoping for at this point was a road, so shecould flag down a car, but there weren’t even any roads. The vast expanse of fields that yesterday had seemed so beautiful just seemed huge and scary now. And lonely.
    She pressed her hands to her face against the swell of tears. She was wet and cold, and in so much pain she’d taken off her sweatshirt and tied it around her ankle to try to immobilize it and cushion it from getting knocked.
    It had helped a little bit but not enough.
    She stared up at the sky, realizing the sun was beginning to set, and she shuddered. Alone out here in the dark ? She moaned and rolled back to her knees and started to crawl again, then heard a faint noise. Had that been someone yelling her name? She jumped up, careful to not put any weight on her injured foot, her heart pounding with hope.
    She held her breath and listened intently.
    Silence.
    Her throat tightened, and she was just about to give up when she heard it again. It was definitely someone yelling her name. “I’m here!” she shouted. “I’m right here!” She waved her arms, not knowing what direction to face. “I’m here! Help!”
    She kept turning around as someone yelled her name again, and then she saw it. A silhouetted figure ona horse at the other end of the field. “Right here!” It was too far away to tell who it was, and she didn’t even care if it was Aunt Debby. “Here!” Waving her arms, she hopped toward the horse, then stopped when the horse spun in her direction and started galloping toward her.
    Relief made tears well in her eyes, and her legs gave out. She plunked down on her butt, unable to stop crying as Uncle Rick reined in beside her and vaulted off his horse, a liver chestnut she recognized from the farm as Mystic, a full sister to Moondance. “Emily! Are you all right?”
    She tried to answer, but she was crying too hard, so she just nodded and pointed to her ankle. Uncle Rick ignored the ankle and swept her up in a giant hug, and she hugged him back as tightly as she could. After a minute, he pulled back slightly so he could look at her face. “You’re okay?”
    â€œI hurt my ankle.”
    â€œOther than that?”
    â€œI’m wet.”
    He grinned and sat her back on the grass. “Well, I think we can probably take care of both of those problems.” He paused to pull a walkie-talkie off his belt and reported in that he’d found her and she was fine.
    Her dad was so panicked that he made her talk intothe walkie-talkie before he’d believe Uncle Rick, and Emily felt guilty, realizing how much she’d upset him. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
    â€œNo, hon, I’m just glad you’re safe.” His voice was trembling, and Emily felt awful.
    â€œI miss you, Dad.”
    â€œOh, hon, I miss you, too.