Gavin and the Horse King: Adventure Kids, #2

By T. James Logan

Eight-year-old Gavin loves horses.
As it turns out, so do the aliens...

Gavin is excited to go on his first horseback ride to see a herd of wild mustangs.

But when UFOs attack and scatter all the horses, Gavin finds himself separated from his family and on the
ride of his life...

A ride that will take him much farther than he could have imagined...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bear Paw Publishing
• Release date: Mar 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393395409

Book preview

Gavin

and the

Horse King

By

T. James Logan

Bear Paw Publishing Denver

www.bearpawpublishing.com

Copyright © 2020 by T. James Logan

Cover Illustration by João Rodri

Cover Design by Kaylen Helgason

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, or mechanical without explicit permission in writing from the Author or Publisher.

I

Gavin was a boy who loved horses.

But his family lived in a small city, so there was no way to keep a pony. Nevertheless, he asked for one for his sixth birthday, his seventh birthday, and now his eighth birthday. Every time he asked, though, his dad gave him an eyerolling list of reasons why he couldn’t have one.

They’re too expensive.

But Dad had just built himself a new computer for his office in the basement. Gavin was pretty sure it cost about as much as a pony.

Taking care of one is too much work. A pony needs a barn and a pen, and we don’t have room for that.

But Gavin would sit on the patio and look out over their huge back yard and imagine where a little red barn would fit, with a little pen just the right size for Rapidash, named after his favorite Pokemon. We don’t have time to ride it every day, which is what horses need to stay friendly and well- trained. Mom is in grad school. Chloe has tae kwon do, Sammy has dance and ukulele lessons, and you have piano and soccer.

But piano was hard because his fingers were too short, and he hated soccer.

You don’t know how to ride a horse.

But he could try it! Take lessons for that instead of soccer!

And then, the stab in the heart: Gavin, you’re too little to take care of it. Taking care of a horse was not like taking care of a rabbit, or even a dog. It’s a huge responsibility.

Big sister Samantha had a bunny named Princess Peach. Bigger sister Chloe had a mini-labradoodle named Flash.

Chloe would tell him, in all her thirteen-year- old haughtiness, "I’m old enough to take care of a pony, but you’re not. You’re too little."

Oh, that word was the one he hated most in the world. Little.

This made Gavin want to play with her toys when she wasn’t looking. But now that she was all grown up and in junior high, she didn’t play with them anymore anyway, so maybe it wouldn’t be as much fun to steal them as it used to be.

Sammy was sympathetic to Gavin’s plight. It would be so great to have a pony! Can I have one, too, Daddy?

Gavin said, No! I asked for a pony first.

Dad would just put up his hands. We’re not getting a pony!

Mommy was no help either, because she always looked uncomfortable when Gavin brought it up, and sighed with relief when Dad said ‘no’ so loudly. But there was also sadness in her face at having to say ‘no.’ But as Gavin’s eighth birthday approached,

Dad told him. For your birthday this year, we’re going to go see something really cool.

What? Gavin perked up.

"There’s a place in Wyoming where one of the largest herds of wild horses in North America lives. Real mustangs. We’re