True Riders by Catherine Hapka

yesterday.”
    â€œWhat?” Brooke looked toward the house just in time to see her mother emerge, looking frazzled as she zipped up her down jacket with the hand not clutching her cell phone.
    â€œYou don’t mind, do you, Brooke?” she called, waving the phone as she came toward the pasture. “I really need to check my messages, and they won’t give me a moment’s peace.”
    Brooke frowned, wanting to say no but not quite daring—not with her mother looking like she was ready to blow her top. “Um, sure,” Brooke said. “But we have to keep it short, okay? We’re sort of in the middle of something.”
    â€œYeah,” Adam said. “But hey, Foxy could probably use a break.”
    â€œThanks, kids.” Looking relieved, Mrs. Rhodes patted Emma on the head. “Be good, you two,” she said, then wandered over to lean against the barn as she pressed the phone to her ear.
    As Brooke dismounted, Ethan stared at Foxy. “Hey, that’s not my cowboy saddle,” he said.
    Brooke glanced at her English saddle. “We don’t have time to change saddles.”
    â€œYeah,” Adam said quickly as the little boy’s frown deepened. “But that’s okay, because this is a super-special mega-cowboy saddle. Only the greatest bronc riders use them.”
    â€œReally?” Ethan looked slightly suspicious, but he didn’t argue as Adam swung him into the saddle and adjusted the stirrups.
    Brooke rushed her brother through his pony ride, circling half the pasture instead of all of it and urging Foxy into a trot at the end just to get back sooner. “Okay, next rider up!” she called, waving Emma forward.
    â€œI want Adam to lead me,” Emma said. “Not you, Brooke. You’re too bossy.”
    Brooke couldn’t help snorting and rolling her eyes at that. “Look who’s talking!”
    Adam chuckled and grabbed Emma, tickling her and making her giggle before hoisting her onto Foxy’s back. “It’s okay. I’ll do it,” he told Brooke. “Come on, Ems.” Taking the reins, he started forward.
    Brooke stepped back and watched them go, feeling impatient and rather grumpy. Why did the twins have to come along just when she and Foxy had been making such good progress on their jumping? Still, there wasn’t much Brooke could do except hope they didn’t demand more than one turn today.
    Adam seemed to take forever to lead Foxy and Emma around the field. Finally he started back across toward where Brooke and Ethan were waiting. Their mother had finished with her phone by then and wandered in to watch.
    â€œThanks for letting them ride again,” she said. “They’re really enjoying— Oh dear!”
    Adam had clucked Foxy into a trot, just as Brooke had done a few minutes earlier. This time, though, Foxy didn’t step into a slow jog like before. Instead she shook her head and leaped forward, ears flattened back. Brooke gasped, realizing that the pony was about to take off at top speed.
    Emma shrieked as she started to tip off to the side. Adam yanked on the reins, stopping Foxy in her tracks—and somehow he managed to reach back and steady Emma at the same time.
    â€œNothing to see here, folks,” he called once the pony was still, though his voice sounded a little shaky. “We’re okay.”
    â€œNo I’m not!” Emma yelled, her face beet red. “Foxy tried to make me fall off!”
    â€œYeah, that was cool!” Ethan ran toward the pony. “Foxy’s a bucking bronco! Can I try?”
    â€œNo, not right now,” his mother said firmly, hurrying over and lifting Emma out of the saddle, and giving her a big hug before setting her down. “I think that’s enough riding for today, you two.”
    Ethan looked disappointed, but he didn’t argue as he patted Foxy on the shoulder. “Make sure you do that at Owen’s