Mustang Dreams (COMPLETED)

Chapter One

      The wild mustangs galloped tirelessly through the endless brown grass of the Wyoming countryside. A paint stallion threw his head and bucked as he led the group of mustangs across the wide open range. Beside the wild herd of horses was Misty and a few of her family's ranch hands, atop their horses, keeping the wild horses in line and together in the herd. Clay, one of the hands, hollered for Misty to ride to the right and make sure the herd didn't run into the sharp barbed wire fence. Nodding to Clay, Misty pulled her hat down further over her head, tightened her stampede strings, and spurred her horse faster.

     Pretty soon, Misty was galloping at a ground eating pace beside the stallion leader, who insisted on beating Misty to the fence. Misty had to get the mustang to turn left before he led the herd into the barbed wire fence and to their painful death. Leaning far over her saddle horn, Misty urged her horse faster.

     Misty's gelding sensed the stallion's dominance and a fire roared in his stomach as he ran at a break-neck gallop. Finally, Misty's trusty gelding pulled ahead of the stallion, and turned left with little leg from Misty; he knew his job.

     The stallion, giving in, turned left and the whole herd followed. Misty slowed her horse to a slower gait and put her horse between the herd and the barbed wire fence as she tried to catch her breath. She waved her lariat at any horse that tried to come closer to the fence.

     Once all the horses passed, Clay rode his horse up beside Misty, slowing his horse, too, to match the trot of Misty's horse as they trailed behind the large herd. Smiling, he said, "That was some pretty hard ridin' there. Good job stoppin' them from goin' into the fence."

     Feeling her cheeks heating up, Misty pulled her hat down further over her eyes and looked down at her saddle horn so Clay couldn't see her blush. "Thanks." Was all she said.

     Misty and Clay rode their horses back to the large holding pen where the mustangs were. Every spring, around this time, Misty's family's ranch herds these mustangs, checks them for any serious health problems, giving them any necessary vaccinations, make sure the foals and yearlings are healthy, then set them out free again. Every two years, they choose a set amount of horses to be brought back to the ranch to be trained and adopted.

     Misty rode her horse up next to the large pen and dismounted; she ground tied her well-trained horse. Brushing some dirt off of the front of her shirt, Misty walked to the corral and jumped up on a rail. She smiled when she looked down at all the mustangs that would be safe for another year. Looking back over her shoulder, Misty saw Clay walking towards her. He jumped up on the fence rail beside Misty and said with a smile-

     "Misty, wake up." A shake on Misty's shoulder jerked her awake. Misty opened her eyes and looked around her. Clay was nowhere in sight. Sighing, Misty threw her head back against her pillow. Those blue eyes and charming smile that belonged to Clay were all in her dream. A guy like that would never talk to her.

     Misty McAdams shoved her brother's hand off of her shoulder. "I'm awake, Junior." Misty said to her irritating little half-brother. He always found the most annoying ways to wake her up; at least today he didn't pour ice water on her face. She always woke up, on her own, without hitting the snooze button when her alarm clock buzzed, so she never knew why Junior had to wake her up. Just as she was about to roll out of bed, her alarm clock blared it's beeping. Misty groaned; she despised it when folks woke her up just minutes before her alarm clock buzzed.

    "Today's round-up day, Misty!" Junior said from the side of Misty's bed. He was practically jumping out of his pajamas.

     Misty turned her alarm clock off and scooted to the edge of her bed. "I know it is. Today is your favorite day of the year, isn't it?"