Her sapphire eyes were still shining with that inward light - it seemed impossible that she could ever have been happier. Michelle sat down at the table and began to slowly eat her lunch.

Johnny felt that it would be polite to ask about the call, seeing how it had made his friend so ecstatic. "A friend?" Johnny worded his question delicately, Michelle’s cold attack still fresh in his mind.

The girl looked at him, her eyes losing that preoccupied look. "Hmmm? Oh yes. It was. . ." Michelle hesitated, not sure how Johnny would react. "It was Alex. He was calling to say that he should be pulling in sometime around 11:00 tonight." Again Michelle looked exquisitely happy.

"Oh. . . Let’s go see the horses." Johnny no longer wanted to hear about Alex, for he knew that once his unknown enemy arrived, Johnny’s tentative hold on Michelle would snap. He could not face this loss. It plagued his mind and would not let him be.

So he resorted back to the horses - the only place Alex would never be. Michelle nodded slightly and swallowed the last of her sandwich. Johnny knew that Michelle understood. "Just let me clean up the kitchen."

Johnny tried to covertly observe Michelle as she moved around the kitchen. Her waist length hair was braided away from her delicate face but small, brown tendrils escaped their plaited confines and curled around her ears. Michelle’s features were fine and the boy could see her mother in the young woman’s face. The girl’s simple dress of flannel shirt, jeans, and boots did not do her justice - yet, in some obscure way that Johnny could not understand, he couldn’t picture his friend in anything else, for the simple reason that nothing else would BE Michelle.

Michelle, unaware of her friend’s avid stare, finished cleaning and she and Johnny left the house. The sun was coming down from its zenith but the day was still warm and bright. The breeze swayed the plateau’s tall grass and carried the strong perfume of pine on its breath. Michelle breathed deeply in a contented way and smiled brilliantly at Johnny. He got lost in its warmth and almost tripped over an exposed root. Michelle laughed and Johnny just shrugged. He couldn’t see the humor in him almost breaking his neck but it couldn’t hurt to humor her.

As the two friends neared the stables Michelle’s father, Dylan Valentine, rode up on Skye Bolt.

"Hey, Dad" "Hello, Mr. Valentine." The two kids spoke in unison.

"Good afternoon, kids. How’s that colt doing, Johnny?" Michelle’s dad had started and trained one of Johnny’s father’s colts.

"He’s doing wonderful! You br. . . started him perfectly." Johnny had caught himself wisely - he knew that Dylan didn’t believe in ‘breaking’ horses.

"Well, I guess I’ll go get a bite to eat. See you two later." As Dylan nudged Skye Bolt toward the house, a disturbing thought made Michelle cry out in dismay. Dylan quickly turned the blue roan and slipped out of the saddle to see what had happened. Johnny looked at Michelle, not sure what he had missed.

"What’s wrong, honey?" Dylan slid his arm around his daughter’s shoulders in a comforting embrace.

"Daddy, isn’t Tharo over at the Landers’? Alex is going to miss him. Is there any way to get him back? Daddy, Tharo has to be here when Alex arrives!" Michelle said the last with such conviction that Johnny had to grit his teeth and restrain the urge to shake the girl until her teeth rattled. What can this. . . city slicker possibly have that I don’t?! thought Johnny angrily.

"It’s okay, Michelle. You and Alex can ride over tomorrow and get Tharo. He’ll still be there." Dylan couldn’t understand his daughter’s urgency. The older man was completely baffled by Michelle’s uncharacteristic loss of logical thought.

"No. Tharo has to be here tonight. Alex will look for him and he won’t be here. He might get worried about his horse." Michelle stopped herself, realizing that she must seem crazy with all of her babbling. She restrained herself from looking at Johnny, not willingly to let him know how much she was flustered by his disapproval. She visibly collected herself and took a couple deep breaths.

"Wait, I have an idea. It won’t be dark for at least another three hours. I can make it to the Landers’ place and back again in a little under two. Bill shouldn’t need Tharo anymore so I’ll just bring him home. Can I?" Michelle’s voice was hopeful; her eyes were pleading and disarmingly wide and innocent.

Dylan Valentine looked reluctant but when he glanced at Michelle, reluctance melted into acquiescence. At Michelle’s delighted squeal, Dylan looked quite pleased with himself. Johnny smiled to himself at the thought that Dylan Valentine probably had no idea how tight Michelle had him wrapped around her pretty little finger. He pushed the thought away that he wasn’t much better off. That’s different. He’s her father. He should have a stronger back bone and be immune to Michelle’s eyes by now. He had no reason for this but he just knew that he was right.

"Thank you, Dad! Be back by five." Michelle pecked her father on the cheek then sprinted to Fancy’s stall. Johnny watched Dylan lead his horse to the hitching rail, tie him up and then walk in to eat. The young man sighed resignedly and shuffled slowly to the stalls. Johnny wasn’t sure when it hit him, but when it did he had to laugh - at himself. Look at him now: going to get the favorite horse of his rival. And all because he would do anything for one little flutter of Michelle’s exquisite eyes. He had to wonder if girls went to a special school to learn how to do that, for it was inevitable that all of the opposite sex knew how to manipulate men.

Johnny slowed down and thought about the first time that he and Michelle had met. It was the middle of September, after school. He had gone with his father, Travis Kyneese, to pick up the colt. They had gotten a call earlier that morning from Dylan Valentine saying that the colt’s basic training was finished, that the rest was up to them. Johnny’s dad asked him to come along so he could pony the colt home behind Windy. When they had arrived, they talked with Dylan some and then tied the colt behind Johnny’s gelding. On their way out, a lanky girl rode through the gates on her way home from school. Johnny later figured out that Michelle went to a school that allowed horses to be hitched up outside. When Johnny saw her, his jaw must have dropped because the breath-taking girl expertly stopped her large black mare and told him that he’d better close his mouth unless his main food was flies. Johnny remembered being so stunned that he lived right next to this girl and never knowing it that he couldn’t even respond. All he did was sit his horse like an idiot and smile. Boy, Michelle must’ve thought that I was a real loser, thought Johnny sardonically. The last thing she said to him was that he had a really beautiful horse, then she clucked to her mare and moved on through the gates, not once looking back.

It wasn’t until a week later, though, that the friendship really blossomed. Michelle had been out riding and come across the Kyneese’s ranch. Michelle admitted to Johnny that she was quite surprised that there was a ranch back here and her not know it. Johnny knew how that felt! As Michelle was riding by, she heard vehement cursing and a babyish squeal and decided to investigate. She found a round pin and saw Johnny and the colt inside. The colt was tense and completely scared of Johnny.

"What have you been doing to that horse? He looks positively terrified!" Michelle dismounted and stepped into the arena. Where horses were concerned, Michelle held nothing back. As she looked around, she saw a halter and a lead rope strewn across the dirt. She came to the conclusion that this boy had been trying to longe the colt - unsuccessfully.

The boy did an about face. Michelle then realized who it was - it was the boy on the palomino gelding. At that exact moment the same realization struck Johnny: that this was the girl at the Valentine ranch. Michelle had continued on into the center of the round pin and picked up the halter and rope, dusting them off as she went. Without another word she started to walk toward the frightened colt. Johnny remembered being speechless. This time at the forwardness of a complete stranger. He tried to object but his arguments came out as inarticulate spluttering instead. He quite trying to speak and decided to let this girl try; he sure hadn’t made any progress.

He watched Michelle and the colt. As she walked toward the horse, she never stopped talking to it - low, calm whispers that told Johnny that this girl knew what she was doing. When she was within three feet of the colt, he started to back up. Michelle stopped her steady forward advance and retreated a couple paces. There she stood for five minutes, still talking. Then the impossible happened. The colt relaxed and dropped his head, slowly walking forward until his head gently hit Michelle in the stomach. The girl reached her hand out and the colt gingerly touched his muzzle to it, blowing warm air into her smooth palm. Michelle slowly put her other hand on the colt’s neck, and began to steadily reassure it with words and rubs. Once the colt was sufficiently calmed and certain that no harm would come to him, Michelle slowly took the halter from her shoulder and undid the buckle. Inch by inch she slid the halter over the colt’s face until she was triumphantly buckling it back up around the horse’s poll. She pulled a carrot out of her back pocket and fed it to the grateful colt, which proceeded to munch happily. As the colt became more and more relaxed, Michelle hooked the lead rope to the halter and began to walk in a fairly large circle. Slowly, ever so slowly, she began to weave back to the center of the circle, letting out rope until she had the colt walking a ten-foot circle.

Michelle clucked twice and the colt stumbled into a trot. As he got warmed up, the colt smoothed out and Michelle knew that this was going to be a nice horse. His stride was smooth and long. She decided not to go up to the canter and slowed the horse down into a halt: all this without one word to the flabbergasted young man behind her. Only now did she speak.

"You should be able to longe the other side, right? You’ve got a nice piece of horse flesh here." Michelle connected the longe line to the other side of the halter and turned to face the boy. She held out the rope to Johnny and he took it. He tried to copy Michelle by moving the horse through a few minutes of walking and then moving up to the trot, omitting the canter. It didn’t take an expert to know that the horse was much improved.

Johnny had taken the colt back to his stall and Michelle had followed with her horse. Without words, they split up the duties of grooming and soon the colt was munching on more carrots in his stall. Michelle had tied Fancy up to the adjoining stall and was washing her hands. She walked back to her horse, untied her and smoothly vaulted into the saddle.

She looked down at Johnny and smiled a purely sweet smile that made Johnny feel neither ridiculed at not being able to handle his own horse nor despised at for giving up, but that made him feel happy. "My name’s Michelle Valentine. I’m the daughter of the man that trained your colt." She leaned down in her saddle and stuck her gloved hand out. Johnny shook it and was rattled to his foundations by this newly made friend’s direct blue gaze. It was a stare that you could not match.

"Nice to meet you, Michelle. I’m Johnny Kyneese, the idiot that you just helped." This received a rich laugh from Michelle. Johnny realized that it was from that day on that he had desired the affections of a one-of-a-kind girl whose name was Michelle Valentine.

Johnny shook himself from his recollections and began to run towards the stables. Michelle would be quite cross with him if he should make them late. It didn’t even occur to him not to go with Michelle.

When he arrived, Michelle had Fancy saddled up and Windy halfway done. Johnny took over Windy’s tacking up and then swung up into the saddle. Michelle also mounted up. Then the four companions trotted towards the Landers’ ranch.

"Feeling better?" Johnny asked, his voice grated with residual bitterness. His fond memories of the girl beside him did nothing for his sour disposition, all it did was remind him of that which he would never have. And that was something I did completely to myself, thought Johnny unbelievingly.

"Umm hmmm." Michelle was completely oblivious to how Johnny was feeling at the moment. "Tharo was Alex’s horse and I know that they missed each other." The girl seemed to think that this statement explained everything so Johnny bit his tongue and continued to stew in his own sullenness.

Michelle eased Fancy into a trot and Johnny followed suit. The two teens rode in silence for the rest of the trip.

When the Landers’ ranch came into sight, the riders brought their horses down to a walk. As they passed the identifiable gate, Michelle and Johnny dismounted and led their horses to the front door. Young Sammy Landers answered the door.

"Hey, Michelle! What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Sammy. Is your dad here? I need to talk to him about Tharo."

The boy’s bright face fell and his shoulders sagged in disappointment. "You’re going to take Tharo back? Oh." Sammy’s voice was filled with tears. He turned around and walked back into the house. Soon, Bill Landers, Sammy’s father, came outside.

The eldest of the Lander clan walked with a peculiar gait that horse riders were prone to. It was the walk of a man who spent the majority of his life in the saddle. His face was cheerful, though, and his eyes were always friendly. Bill Landers was one of those men whom everybody loved for he gave you no reason to dislike him. Michelle was close friends with his daughter, Lynn, who was in many of her classes. They could often be found together on a ride in the surrounding forest.

"Hello, Michelle. . . Johnny." Bill smiled warmly as he inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"Hi, Mr. Landers."

"Hello, sir."

"Sammy said that you need Tharo back. That’s a real shame, he’s one of the best horses I’ve ever had beneath me, and I’ve ridden quite a few. But if you need him back, then I’ll go get him." He said all of this with a twinge of regret in his voice, but the shrug of his shoulders seemed to show indifference.

Bill Landers walked into the stables and five minutes later came out with a tacked-up Tharo. When the gelding greeted Michelle, it was full of whufflings and much scratching. Yet when the stocky gray eyed Johnny, it was with displeasure and dislike. The boy didn’t even try to near Tharo; he had felt those heavy hooves before.

Michelle took the halter rope and tied it securely to a snaffle ring on her saddle. Sammy slipped up near Tharo’s head and a lone tear trickled down his cheek. Tharo nosed the boy in gentle playfulness and brought a smile out on the moist face. Sammy gave the compact gray a few more pats and then slowly walked back into the house.

The young woman watched as the youngest Landers boy shuffled into the house and felt extremely ashamed for not giving the family more notice. They had gotten more attached than Michelle had assumed. Michelle looked guiltily at Bill.

"I’m sorry I didn’t give you more notice but my friend is coming out tonight and he’s kind of attached to our old man here." Michelle patted the gray affectionately. "At the time it didn’t even occur to me that Sammy would feel like that. I feel like a fool."

"It’s okay, little lady. This friend of yours must be a certain Alex Rave." Mr. Landers grinned as Michelle blushed up to her hairline. He laughed and it resonated deeply like a settling mountain.

"Umm, Michelle, I think we oughta go if we’re to be back by five." Johnny drove home his point by glancing at his watch. Michelle shot him a grateful look and smiled brightly.

"Well, tell your father ‘thanks’ for me, Michelle. See you two later." Bill Landers began to walk away then changed his mind. He turned towards the girl so Johnny mounted up and walked Windy a few steps, impatient to be off.

"Michelle, don’t you worry about Sammy either. It won’t take long for his young mind to move on to other things." Without another word, the man walked towards the house and in, not looking back once.

The lanky girl swung into the black saddle with ease. Her heart was no longer heavy and she could now look forward to Alex’s arrival, without having Sammy’s sadness hanging over her like a dark cloud. She knew that Mr. Landers would comfort his son to the best of his ability.

The quintet trotted all the way to the ‘Fancy V’. Michelle and Johnny arrived back at the house well before five. Michelle told her mother that they were back, then the two friends untacked and groomed Fancy and Tharo. Once Michelle had finished with the horses, Johnny had to leave.

"Now that we’ve just gotten back, I have to go again. Thanks for the ride, Michelle; I enjoyed it." Johnny’s voice was totally sincere. Then he chuckled ruefully and looked at Michelle. "It feels like I’ve been in the saddle all day long."

"Yah, I know what you mean, Johnny. I did too - enjoy the ride, that is. See you later."

"See ya’." Johnny hesitated, as if debating whether to leave or not. Michelle made up his mind for him. She hugged him in a warm embrace and pecked a little kiss on the tip of his nose. Then she pushed him towards his horse.

"Thanks, Michelle," murmured Johnny, and Michelle knew that he was no longer talking about the ride.

Johnny Kyneese vaulted into Windy’s saddle, ignoring the stirrups. He walked Windy to the gate but before he passed off the Valentine’s land, Johnny turned and gave Michelle one last wave and smile. His smile was one of acceptance and the knowledge that what had just happened would never happen again.

Michelle waved back and watched Johnny’s slowly retreating silhouette. As the distance between them grew, Michelle noticed that the form of Johnny and the form of Windy melted together to form one shadow. The end result was a centaur-seeming shape. Michelle kept her eyes locked on her friend until Johnny picked up a lope and swiftly pulled out of sight.

Dusk had arrived and a chill wind nipped at Michelle’s exposed skin. She jogged to the large house and welcomed the warmth that enveloped her as she walked through the kitchen door.

"Hey, Michelle. Do you want to play a game?" Danny shouted from the living room.

"Sure, Squirt. Give me fifteen minutes to clean up." Michelle ran upstairs and quickly showered. Then she redressed in an old pair of sweats and a sweatshirt that was two sizes too big. The young woman was exquisitely comfortable as she walked down stairs to a patiently waiting brother.

Danny was sprawled lazily across the couch and engrossed in some horror novel with a gory skeleton on the cover. Three games were stacked up by the coffee table: Sorry, Monopoly, and Life. Michelle shook her head unbelievably, you’d never guess that her family had a cupboard full of games. Whenever Danny wanted to play a game, it was always one of these three games.

"Okay, Danny, what’re we gonna play tonight?" Michelle gracefully plopped herself down on the opposite side of the table from Danny. She cleared off all the horse magazines and made room for a game board.

The girl’s younger brother slid off the couch and sat across from Michelle, folding his legs beneath him on the floor.

"I don’t know. I like ‘em all. You choose, Michelle."

The seventeen year old girl rolled her eyes and then pulled her brows together in mock consternation.

"Well, I’d have to go with. . ." Michelle pretended to consider each games attributes one more time. "Monopoly," Michelle finally stated.

"Okay. I’m the real-estate agent. You get to be the banker." Danny loved Monopoly, even though Michelle ALWAYS won. He yanked the long box from beneath the other two games while Michelle jumped to the rescue of the toppling boxes. While the big sister righted everything, the oblivious boy went on setting up the game.

"I’m the horse," declared Michelle as she was setting out the money.

"But you’re always the horse," Danny protested. " Why can’t I be the horse for once." His arms were crossed in boyish indignation. Michelle erased the adoring grin off her face with a slender hand, knowing that it would only make things worse if this boy, who had only just become a teen and not too sure how to take it, were to think that she was taking him lightly. She knew how to handle this argument.

"Because if you were the horse, you couldn’t be the dog. Besides, I can always be the horse if you can always be the Realtor." It was Michelle’s last statement that silenced the boy better than any insult.

"Okay," was the grudging reply. Michelle was not worried that he would hold the grudge for once the game started, a sense of camaraderie came over the rivaling siblings and there was nothing but the board game between them.

The siblings played for an hour, when they had to break for dinner. Michelle was leading by a small amount. She knew this for Danny insisted on counting their money and comparing every half an hour in the slight chance that he would pull ahead, even by a dollar. Once dinner had been scarfed down, the brother and sister resumed their heated play. Tallia and Dylan watched their children with amused expressions. They never partook but, instead, sat curled up on the couch, entwined in each other’s arms, enjoying the family closeness.