Chapter 1 Hey Kami Welcome said Jack Jones the co owner of Stardust Stables as he stretched a hand out Kami Cooper grinned at him Hey she said She and her dad had just made the two-hour drive from their home in Elk Creek They’d dropped off her bags in the girls dorm and then she’d waved goodbye to her dad Day one at the Colorado stables had now kicked into action and Kami was excited Good timing Jack told her He was tall and lean around forty years old and his face was creased into a broad welcoming smile Lizzie’s working some of our horses and riders in the pen Come take a look She followed him across the corral past a squat red barn and a row of wooden stalls toward a fenced-in arena Hey guys Kami whispered to the ponies looking out over the stall doors a pretty palomino a high class bored-looking sorrel a cute brown-and-white
Paint and a beautiful light gray Quarter Horse with a long black mane As the ponies nickered at the newcomer a boy working in one of the empty stalls popped his head up over the wall He was about fourteen years old tall slim and was wearing a pale blue T-shirt and a baseball cap with the bill reversed to protect the back of his neck from the fierce sun Hey Tom Jack said Meet Kami Cooper Her folks run Elk Creek Guest Ranch a couple of hours southwest of here She’s joined us for the summer so you’ll be seeing plenty of her Tom nodded and gave Kami a quick smile Tom’s a regular member of our team Jack explained This is his second season here along with his sister Kellie They live thirty minutes away just outside of Colorado Springs so they get to work here during school vacations and on weekends too So how did Jack and Lizzie find you Tom asked He came out of the stall brushing straw from his jeans and followed Jack and Kami to the pen I entered a contest in Clearwater County Kami replied looking away shyly Tom’s direct gaze and lazy
drawl made her feel even more self-conscious than when she first shook hands with Jack She blushed and swept her light blond hair forward to hide her face Lizzie was in the area scouting for talent Jack explained The Clearwater show attracts some terrific junior riders Lizzie saw Kami win the barrel-racing contest by a mile and thought she’d be a great addition to our team Awesome Which horse will she be riding Tom asked Jack shrugged I have no idea that’s Lizzie’s decision Just as long as it’s not Legend Tom joked I’ll fight anyone who tries to take my palomino away from me As they reached the arena fence his gray eyes twinkling he asked Kami So you think you can make it as a stunt rider I don’t know about that Kami answered tentatively This was all so new the sunny corral nestled at the foot of the mountains the big old barn to one side and the ranch house to the other the round training pen on the near side of a fast-running creek Beyond the creek there was a green meadow where
