Free Sapphire: New Horizons by Heather Brooks Page B

You’re really okay?”
    â€œI’m really okay.”
    â€œThank God.” There was a scuffling noise, then her dad said, “Aunt Debby wants to talk to you.”
    â€œNo, wait—”
    â€œIs Sapphire okay?”
    Emily felt her cheeks turn red, and she stared at the ground. “I fell off,” she mumbled. “He ran away.”
    â€œWhat?” Aunt Debby’s voice crackled over the walkie-talkie. “I can’t hear you.”
    Uncle Rick put his hand on Emily’s head and gently patted it as he took the walkie-talkie from her hand. “Sapphire took off,” he told his wife. “You and Scott should keep looking for him. I’ll take care of Emily.”
    He signed off after agreeing to keep in touch and then unwrapped the sweatshirt from Emily’s ankle, his touch so gentle it barely hurt.
    â€œI’m in trouble, aren’t I?”
    He glanced at her, his face kind. “Aunt Debby justworries about your safety. That’s all. She knows what can happen around horses.”
    â€œIt was a onetime thing. It’s not like I fall off all the time—”
    Uncle Rick raised his brows. “Let’s concentrate on your ankle first, okay? We’ll talk about the rest when everyone’s back at the farm.”
    â€œCan’t we stay out here all night?” Now that Uncle Rick was with her, it seemed like a better place to be than back at the house getting in trouble.
    Uncle Rick laughed. “It won’t be that bad, I promise.”
    â€œI’ll be grounded, though.” Her eyes started to fill up again at the thought.
    â€œVery possible,” he agreed, then he set his fingers on her ankle and began to probe.
    For the next five minutes, she forgot about everything except how much her ankle hurt.
    Ten minutes later, Rick sat back on his heels after rewrapping her ankle with white tape he’d brought along in his emergency medical kit. “I’d have to take X-rays, but I think it’s just sprained.”
    â€œJust? It kills.”
    He nodded. “Sprains can hurt more than broken ankles.” He stood up. “Let’s get you home.”
    Emily couldn’t go yet. She had to ask. “Are you still mad about Sapphire escaping before the funeral?” She swallowed. “I’m really sorry.”
    Uncle Rick ruffled her hair. “Oh, Emily, no one’s mad at you for that. It happens. The timing was bad, so maybe we got more upset than we would have otherwise.” He squatted in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders. “Look at me.”
    She dragged her gaze off the ground and focused on his face.
    He smiled. “I promise you, no one’s mad about Sapphire escaping. It happens, especially with him. Okay?”
    She felt her shoulders sag, and her belly began to uncurl. “Okay.”
    â€œGood.” He bent to sweep her up in his arms. “Come on. You can ride with me, and we’ll get you home, where I can do a better job on that ankle.”
    She stifled a squawk of pain as he helped her slide into the saddle, then swung up behind her, the two of them barely fitting in the saddle. He wrapped one arm around her to steady her, then eased Mystic into a gentle canter, heading in the complete opposite direction she’d been going in, and she realized she’d been heading away from the farm instead of toward it. Sheshuddered at the thought of what would have happened if Uncle Rick hadn’t found her—
    â€œRick!” Aunt Debby’s voice crackled through the walkie-talkie. “We’ve got an emergency! Horse down! We’re about a mile west, by the old sawmill. Get over here now!”
    Emily tensed as she jerked upright. “Horse down? Sapphire’s hurt?” Oh, no! What had she done?
    â€œI’m on my way.” Uncle Rick whirled Mystic around and urged her into a gallop, his arm tight around Emily to keep her from falling off as