Free Cowboy Colt by Dandi Daley Mackall Page A

door.
    â€œI’m busy!” I call.
    There’s another tap. Then the door opens. Ethan and Colt are standing there.
    Way to go, Dream, Ethan signs. Then he leaves me alone with Colt.
    Colt steps in. “I see you got her to stick her head in after all.”
    I nod.
    â€œI’m sorry I said that about no present, Ellie. That was stupid. And mean. I was just messed up. I guess I’ve been messed up for a while.”
    â€œWhy? What’s wrong, Colt?” I ask, not letting go of Dream. “Why aren’t we friends anymore?”
    He looks up like I’ve smacked him. “We are! Aren’t we?”
    â€œI don’t know,” I admit. “You’ve sure been acting like we aren’t. If we were friends, wouldn’t you have told me what was wrong?”
    Colt sits in the only chair in my room. “I couldn’t.” He’s quiet for so long that I think he’s done. Then, without looking at me, he says, “My parents are splitting up. They’re getting a divorce.”
    â€œColt . . .” I don’t know what to say.
    â€œThat’s why I had to go with Dad to St. Louis. He’s got an apartment there already. He wanted to show me where I’ll be visiting every other weekend. He’s getting a house, and Sierra’s going to live with him. She actually likes the idea. My sister always wanted to live in a city.”
    I want to ask him why he didn’t tell me. But I think he just wants to talk. So I let him.
    â€œIt feels like I’m losing my dad and my sister.” He pauses. “Sierra could change her mind still. And I guess I could change mine and go live with Dad.”
    I know it’s selfish, but that makes me feel worse than anything.
    â€œThat’s why Mom and Dad have been pulling out the super-parent act,” he explains. “You saw how they were with those horses they got me. It’s been like that with everything. I’m so tired of it. I told them both I don’t even want their horses. You were right. I don’t want a fancy English show horse. And neither one of them knows me well enough to know that.”
    â€œColt, I can’t believe you told them you don’t want either horse. They must have cost thousands of dollars.”
    â€œProbably. But they’re still not what I want. Those horses would never be like Dream. Can you imagine either one of them putting her head through my window?” We laugh a tiny bit. “I want a horse that will be a friend. Like Dream is to you.”
    â€œDo you mean it?”
    â€œYeah.”
    I kiss Dream on the head and turn to Colt. “Then maybe it’s time to show you the present I got you.”
    â€œYou don’t have to do that, Ellie. I didn’t mean—”
    â€œYou didn’t really believe I wouldn’t get a gift for my best friend, did you?” I ask.
    He shrugs. “I wouldn’t have blamed you if you didn’t. I haven’t been acting much like a friend.”
    â€œFollow me.” I lead Colt through the house, right past Mom, Dad, and Ethan. They’re supposed to be watching the Bear’s first car commercial on TV. But I can tell they’re all watching us and pretending not to.
    At the back door I stop. “Colt, now you need to use your imagination before you see my present.”
    â€œI ought to be able to handle that. I’ve been hanging out with you long enough.”
    I walk toward the lean-to.
    Colt follows me. “Where are we going?”
    I don’t answer. My heart is pounding. I walk into the lean-to and lead Bullet out. “Before you say anything, remember to use your imagination. This is Bullet. He has some extra weight on him—well, you can see that. But underneath that is a terrific quarter horse. He used to belong to the Bear, and—”
    â€œThe Bear?” Colt says. “As in the baseball legend the Bear?”
    â€œYeah. That’s