Free The Golden Stranger by Karen Wood Page B

‘What are you doing here?’
    â€˜Just came to watch some roping,’ Jess interjected.
    Corey addressed Shara. ‘Thought you didn’t like rodeo.’
    â€˜Roping’s okay,’ she shrugged.
    â€˜This is the competitors’ area. You riding here?’
    â€˜We’re visiting a friend,’ said Jess quickly.
    Corey stayed focused on Shara. His eyes seemed to go right through her and make the truth impossible to hide. ‘Are you visiting the Connemans?’
    â€˜No! No . . . of course not. We didn’t even know they were here.’ Shara’s voice was a squeaky stammer. She was so lying and it was so obvious. She could almost hear Jess’s groan at her complete inability to keep it together.
    â€˜They’re not the sort of people you want to mess with.’
    â€˜Why would we want to mess with them?’ said Jess, taking Shara by the arm again. ‘We have to go, or we’ll miss the finals.’
    â€˜They’re not on for another hour,’ said Shara.
    â€˜We have to go anyway.’ Jess hauled her away until they were behind a big, stinking rubbish hopper, then spun around to face her. ‘Oh my God, you’ve totally got the hots for that rodeo schmuck. You were about to tell him everything!’
    â€˜What, are you nuts?’ Shara pulled a face. ‘I was just surprised to see him, that’s all. It caught me off-guard.’
    â€˜Crap!’ said her friend with an appalled laugh. ‘You never smile at me like that.’
    â€˜Well, you’re not six foot tall with a purebred quarter horse underneath you,’ said Shara.
    Jess snorted in disgust. ‘He is a total player. Pull yourself together before I slap you!’
    Shara rolled her eyes. ‘Let’s just go.’
    Jess was like a ferret in a rabbit warren, weaving in and out between vans and trucks. Shara could hardly keep up with her. It wasn’t long before they realised that there were very few dark places to hide. They zigzagged from shadow to shadow, finding very little cover. If someone was to walk out of their van, they’d be caught, frozen under a porch light with nowhere to run. A dog barked and threw itself at the inside wall of a truck, snarling. Shara jumped backwards.
    Two arms caught her and a hand clamped over her mouth. She felt her stomach knot as she was dragged slowly backwards, one step at a time, silently, into a dark space. She could only watch as, up ahead, Jess slipped silently behind a horse truck and disappeared.
    â€˜Sshh,’ her assailant whispered into her ear.
    From inside the truck, a man’s voice growled. ‘Lie down!’ There was a yelp and then quiet.
    Shara didn’t dare breathe. The dog let out a low, I-know-you’re-still-out-there growl and then yelped as its owner kicked it again.
    â€˜What are you doing back here?’ It was Corey. Shara winced as she was spun around. ‘What are you and your mate up to? You’re not going to ruin the nationals for everyone with some stupid protest, are you?’ His voice was like a sharp pinch.
    â€˜No, we just . . .’ How on earth could she explain? She couldn’t, she realised – she might as well come clean. ‘We just want to find Goldie’s mother,’ she said. ‘So we can prove who owns him. We’re not—’
    â€˜You don’t know who you’re messing with,’ he hissed, and it left her wondering whether he included himself in that category or whether he was just talking about the Connemans.
    â€˜I’m sorry . . . ’
    He pointed his thumb back towards the stable. ‘Get out of here before you get busted. Just go home. The animal shelter will sort out who owns that horse.’
    â€˜They can’t, not without proof. We just need a DNA sample. A bit of hair, that’s all. Then we’ll go, I promise. Oh, and a photo.’
    She heard Corey exhale.
    â€˜Jess is . . . I have to