Free Small Town Filly (Sandbar Stables Cozy Mystery Book 1) by Bethanie Cushman Page B

daring.
                  "We're going to be starting the lesson program real soon. If you take lessons, you could learn to walk, trot, and canter on Pearl in the riding ring. I think you'd really enjoy it."
                  "Oh," Sue breathed, "I don't know–"
                  Suddenly, from behind them, Jeannie Turner started screaming. Startled, Ginger tossed her head up and started to break into a trot. Alex quickly took up the reins and slowed her down, and then looked over towards the water to see Sunrise trotting quickly past them through the edge of the surf.
                  Her saddle was empty.
     
     
     
     
     
     

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
                  "Stop! Everybody stop and stand still!" Lance's voice was calm but commanding.
                  Alex halted Ginger. She twisted around in the saddle and saw that all the other horses had stopped, too, and that Lance had leaped down from Jet and was running towards the water.
                  But—Sunrise! She twisted back to face the front and saw the little pinto mare trotting rapidly down the beach as though heading for home.
                  "Lance! What happened?" She could not see him, since he was on the other side of the group of horses.
    The peaceful ride had turned into chaos. Sunrise was trotting down the beach all alone. Jeannie was still hollering. "I told you! I told you so! Now look what happened!" To Alex's horror, Fanny took off like a shot after Sunrise.
    "Fanny! Sunrise! Come back!" She started to send Ginger after the horse and the dog, but Lance's shout stopped her.
    "No! Don't! If you chase her, she'll just run faster! Keep everybody here. She'll turn around in a minute."
    Alex quickly steered Ginger over in front of Pearl, over to the edge of the water, and there she saw Mary Turner sitting in the wet sand at the edge of the white surf, crying, while her mother yelled and all the horses moved around nervously.
    Lance was at Mary's side. "Alex," he said, "I'll take care of her. Just wait right there."
    "But I've got to go catch Sunrise!" Alex cried, her voice shaking. "There are other people out on the beach–"
    "Alex, listen to me. Walk Ginger across the beach towards the road. We're still a good ways from the barn. I think Sunrise will come back when she realizes the other horses are staying here and she sees Ginger. Go. Now. Mary's all right."
    Alex looked from Sunrise to Mary, momentarily panicked. "Go ahead, Alex," said Lee Ellis. She looked over and saw him sitting on Swifty, holding Jet's reins. "Mary's all right. Just ride across so Sunrise can see you and she'll probably come back."
    "Okay." Alex swung Ginger around and urged her away from the group, making her walk out across the sand towards the buildings.
    "Sunrise! Hey, Sunrise! Come back here! Come back!"
    Alex called out to her, but the little mare continued to trot down the beach with Fanny running after her. No doubt Sunrise had been startled and confused by the sudden disappearance of her rider, and like all horses, her first instinct was to run away from anything strange or frightening.
    But just then, Alex got a little unexpected help. Fanny ran around in front of Sunrise and blocked her. The dog adopted a playful pose with tail up and elbows down on the sand. She barked at the horse a couple of times, ran towards her a few steps, and then went elbows-down again.
    Sunrise stopped, startled, and looked at the dog. Fanny barked again and ran towards her. This time, Sunrise swung around towards the other horses and broke into a trot.
    Fanny ran after her, barking some more and staying close to her heels. Just then, Ginger, who was standing with her head high and ears up, let out a loud whinny to her stablemate. One of the other horses—probably Moonrise—did the same. Sunrise answered and came trotting quickly down the beach.
                  Alex moved Ginger to intercept the