The Penny Pony

By Patricia Gilkerson

Piper Jones has always loved horses, but little did she know what would happen when she and her best friend, Nancy tried to help a neglected pony. When all the adults in her life can't or won't help, Piper and Nancy take matters into their own hands. They must find a safe haven for the pony and protect it from its cruel owner. A little old lady from Piper's past steps up to help and a suspected liar proves he's not a bad guy at all. But as the girls try to solve a mystery involving the suspicious owner, will they be forced into crime themselves in order to save their new-found pony friend?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melange Books, LLC
• Release date: Aug 25, 2013
• ISBN: 9781612356761

Patricia Gilkerson

Patricia Gilkerson spent a horse-loving childhood growing up in Kentucky, and finally got her first horse as an adult. She began writing books for children at night after teaching all day. Today Patricia lives on a hobby farm in Minnesota with her husband Jim, and the current count of three horses. Her two children are grown with children and pets of their own, so there are frequently grandchildren and granddogs running around her house. Her hobbies include travel, Irish/Celtic music, scuba diving and reading. Her favorite thing to do is to hang out with family and friends.

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Special Smashwords Edition

The Penny Pony

The Horse Rescuer #1

by Patricia Gilkerson

Published by

Fire and Ice

A Young Adult Imprint of Melange Books, LLC

White Bear Lake, MN 55110

www.fireandiceya.com

The Penny Pony, Copyright 2013 by Patricia Gilkerson

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should go to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

ISBN: 978-1-61235-676-1

Names, characters, and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Published in the United States of America.

Cover Art by Stephanie Flint

THE PENNY PONY

PATRICIA GILKERSON

Piper Jones has always loved horses, but little did she know what would happen when she and her best friend, Addie tried to help a neglected pony. When all the adults in her life can’t or won’t help, Piper and Addie take matters into their own hands. They must find a safe haven for the pony and protect it from its cruel owner. A little old lady from Piper’s past steps up to help and a suspected liar proves he’s not a bad guy at all. But as the girls try to solve a mystery involving the suspicious owner, will they be forced into crime themselves in order to save their new-found pony friend?

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my husband, Jim Gilkerson, and to my children and grandchildren: Rob, Megan, Clare and Patrick Gilkerson, and Betsy, Paul and Toby Wieland. Your love and support made this book possible.

Table of Contents

The Penny Pony

Dedication

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

About the Author

Previews

Chapter One

~ We Find Rosie ~

The trouble started on a hot afternoon the week after I turned fifteen. I was doing surgery in my bedroom, trying to glue or tape the leg back on an old Breyer horse, when I heard a rock hit the screen on my window. I looked out and saw my best friend, Addie Davis, getting ready to throw another one.

Hey! I yelled out the window. Stop! You’re going to break something.

Hi, Piper, she said. You still sick? I haven’t seen you since your birthday party when you started throwing up. You don’t answer your phone.

I’m okay now, but I broke my phone. Mom says I have to buy the new one with my own money, I said. What’s up?

I want to show you something. Come out.

Just a minute, I said. My mother was mad at me. Would she let me go? I decided that yes, she would let me go out. Since I almost always guessed wrong about things like this, I tiptoed down the hall and out the back door to be sure she didn’t have a chance to mind. My mother had been very unreasonable lately. I had her straight brown hair and skinny body, but not her temper.

Motioning for Addie to be quiet, I led her through the trees at the edge of our yard and into a small cluster of lilac bushes owned by our neighbors. When they bloomed, they had the best smell in the world, but they were done now and it was hot summer. Out of sight of my house, I turned to her.

Are you in trouble? Addie asked. Stupid question. I was usually in trouble.

Not really, I said. I think I should lay low for a while.

You are, too, in trouble, said Addie. What did you do?

Nothing, I said. Okay, I broke some good plates, but I didn’t mean to. I was trying to juggle them. What did you want to show me?

It’s over by the drugstore. Addie started walking toward Main Street. Serendipity Springs, Kentucky, was a very small town. The good thing about small towns: everyone knew