Hot Potato (Shelby and Blue) - Alyssa Brugman [3]
'I'm not buying a horse! Why would I want another one?'
Lindsey's mother owned the stables where Erin and Shelby kept their horses. When Lindsey felt like riding she had all the riding school ponies to choose from.
'Look at it, Lin, it's gorgeous,' said Shelby. 'Even if we had to pay five hundred, we could sell it tomorrow for twice that much.'
'Five hundred! We don't have five hundred. Where are you going to keep it, anyway?' Lindsey whispered.
'One fifty?' said the auctioneer overhead. 'She has to be sold.'
Shelby looked around. Still nobody was bidding. She raised her hand, catching the auctioneer's eye. It was impulsive, but she couldn't help it. It didn't feel real, but at the same time it was exhilarating. Her skin pricked all over with goose flesh.
'We have one fifty. One sixty? Anyone?'
'Shel!' Lindsey tugged on her sleeve. 'How are we going to get it home?'
'Clint will put her on his truck,' Erin said. 'This is so exciting!' She wriggled. 'I hope someone else bids!'
'One fifty-five?' The auctioneer searched the crowd.
'You're a fruit-loop, Erin, you know that?' Lindsey said, shaking her head.
'One hundred and fifty it is. Last chance, folks,' said the auctioneer.
Erin grabbed Shelby's hand.
'I can't believe you bid on a horse, Shelby. Your parents are going to go bananas!' Lindsey said.
Shelby couldn't believe it either. Her heart was beating fast, but she shrugged. 'I'll tell them it's your horse.'
'And what do I tell my mum?' said Lindsey.
'Tell her it's my horse,' suggested Erin.
Lindsey said, 'And you're going to tell your mum that it's Shelby's, just like a hot potato.'
'No more bids,' said the auctioneer.
Erin grinned. 'My mum won't believe that Shelby's parents let her have another horse. I'm going to tell them it's yours too.'
'Fantastic,' groaned Lindsey.
'Sold to the young girl in the orange shirt!' The auctioneer clapped his hands together, indicating that the deal was done.
Lindsey shook her head. 'I can't believe it. I don't have any money on me. Do you? And we haven't asked Clint if he will truck it. We don't know anything about it. I suppose you want to keep it at my place too. My mum is going to go nuts. I can't believe you just bought a horse!'
'No, Lin,' corrected Erin, her eyes shining. 'We bought a horse.'
Shelby still felt the flutter of butterflies in her stomach. The little mare stretched out her neck and softly lipped Shelby's fingers. 'We bought a horse,' she repeated.
2 Back to the Stables
The petite chestnut horse reared for the third time and Clint moved to the side, out of range of her hooves.
'Explain to me again why I'm trying to put this . . .' He searched for a description. 'This animal on my truck?'
'Mum said if I saw something I liked I should buy it,' Lindsey lied.
'Yes, I heard that part. I just don't get the part where I'm paying for it.' The horse snorted and skipped around at the end of the lead.
Shelby stood back, biting her nails. Whoever sold the pony must have transported her to the auction in the first place, so there had to be some way of getting her on a truck.
'Mum gave me money but I forgot to bring it,' Lindsey explained. 'If we stop at an ATM on the way home I'll get some out for you.'
It turned out that Lindsey did have savings. Shelby and Erin had agreed to repay her for their portions the next day. Shelby didn't know exactly where she was going to find fifty dollars overnight, but she would work it out later.
Clint had bought three horses at the auctions – all leggy bay stock horses. They peered at the little chestnut over their shoulders as if to say, 'What's your problem? Hurry up! We don't want to stand here all day.'
Clint's truck was parked alongside several others in the dirt area that served as a car park at the front of the saleyards. Most of the other people had left already, but a few remained. It was obvious that Clint knew many