Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan Page A

in a badger hole. Somehow, he limped back here but then went down. I drove to a neighbor’s ranch early this morning and called the vet. She’s taking him to her ranch until his leg heals.” Aunt Vi looked at Maya, mystified. “Payton loves that horse and takes better care of him every summer than I do all year long.”
    Maya chewed on the inside of her lip.
    A few minutes later, Payton walked into camp, his head down, and his face blotchy and red. He sank into one of the chairs. “Aunt Vi, I am so sorry. I swear I latched that gate last night. I swear.”
    â€œNo need for swearing. You were in a hurry and didn’t pay attention.”
    â€œNo! I checked it twice. I promise.” His eyes pleaded for belief.
    Maya sat on the edge of a chair and stared at the ground, stirring the dirt with the toe of one boot. She looked up and caught Aunt Vi studying her with a questioning gaze. Maya quickly averted her eyes and stood up, holding her hands out to warm them over the fire.
    Aunt Vi directed her words to Payton but she continued to stare at Maya. “I’m surprised at you, Payton. Being so careless … It just broke my heart to see poor Wilson suffering with so much pain, his big eyes looking at me for relief, and all his moaning and confusion. You know, a horse’s greatest fear is different from a human’s. Our innate fear is of falling. But a horse’s is ofnot being able to get up and flee from danger or a predator. Imagine what that poor animal felt.…”
    Payton dropped his head into his hands and sobbed. Maya’s face wrenched with remorse. “Aunt Vi … I … I might have …”
    Payton raised his head and looked at her. “Wait a minute.… You! You did it to get back at me! Because of the stupid plastic horses!”
    Maya’s anger swelled. “They’re not stupid plastic horses! My mother gave them to me!”
    Aunt Vi nodded. She blew out a long breath. “Maya, there’s never been a Limner who would endanger the life of a horse.”
    Maya’s stomach felt sick with desperation. Her words scrambled. “I … I didn’t mean for it to happen.I actually just went up to say good night to the horses and … and … Wilson came over toward me completely on his own. He … acted extremely hungry so I gave him some of the molasses grain, just like you showed me, Aunt Vi. And I guess … when I leaned over the gate, the latch must have caught on my jacket … or something entirely innocent like that.”
    â€œYou’re a liar!” Payton jumped up and held up a fist.
    â€œThat’s enough,” said Aunt Vi. “Maya, what did Payton do to you that would warrant this?”
    Maya’s thoughts bunched so tight that she couldn’t pry them apart. Aunt Vi didn’t understand. Nobody understood. Maya spit out the words. “Nothing,” she said. “He did positively … absolutely nothing.”
    â€œIs that true, Payton? You’ve done nothing to make Maya angry?”
    Payton shifted in his chair and hung his head.
    Aunt Vi studied both of them and shook her head with disgust. “So both of you have treated the other with disrespect.”
    â€œAunt Vi,” Maya said with earnestness, “you can banish me to my tepee if you want. I’m perfectly comfortable being by myself. I’m not used to being around boys of any kind. I don’t understand about teasing or being obnoxious or any of the unsavory and mean things they do, so it’s fine with me if you need to separate us and send Payton away. I am truly sorry for my inconsiderate behavior, but it was absolutely … an accident. I hope you’ll forgive me.”
    Aunt Vi tossed the remains of her coffee in the fire and paced. She finally stopped and glared at Maya. “I’d like to believe you, but I don’t. And for the time being,neither one of you is forgiven, or going