The air was filled with the sounds of bulls snorting and cowboys hollering back and forth to each other. Dust and flies filled the air as Emma, Sophia, and their parents made their way through the huge barn where all the contestants’ horses were kept. Sophia kept pointing out different horses that caught her eye, talking on and on about what breed was her favorite, what she would name each of them if she owned them, and her dreams of managing a huge farm of her own when she got older. Their mom and dad chuckled and Emma smirked as they jostled their way through the crowd.

“There’s Tobi.” Emma smiled as a cream-colored palomino horse poked its head over the stall door. She rubbed his nose and kissed his cheek. “You ready to win?” Tobi shook his head, snorted, and nibbled at her sleeve. Emma turned to her parents. “You guys don’t have to wait around anymore. I can take it from here.”

Her mom smiled and gave her a hug. “Ok, sweetie. Good luck out there.” She squeezed Emma’s shoulder. She then followed Sophia to where Pixie, her paint horse, was kept. Their dad patted Tobi on the neck and grinned at Emma.

“Now, are you sure you can handle the pressure out there?”

She cocked an eyebrow at him, “Really, Dad? I think I’ve been doing this long enough that I can handle just about anything that happens out there.”

He batted her cowgirl hat down over her eyes playfully. “Sure you can. Just be careful out there and…”

“I know, I know. Don’t tighten up on the reigns too much, let Tobi do his thing, stick close to the barrels, and all that fun stuff.”

After finally sending her dad off to join the rest of her family, she turned and lifted Tobi’s saddle off the rack. Tightening up the straps and slipping the bit into the horse’s mouth, she shook the drool off her fingers and led Tobi out to join the rest of the riders in the arena for the warm-up. Concentrating on keeping an even pace around the loop, Emma passed by the judges’ table and almost did a double take. On the second time around the arena, she looked over at the sign that was hanging off the front of the table. It read: Barrel Racing Grand Prize – $25,000. A grin spread across her face. Here was an answer to all of their problems! All she had to do was win the prize money and then her parents wouldn’t have to give up any of their horses, much less lose the farm. 

“What do you have that goofy grin on your face for?” Sophia came trotting up on her white horse that looked as if it had been splashed with large splotches of dark chocolate syrup. Pixie snorted and stretched her neck forward, trying to go faster than Sophia was letting her.

Emma slowed Tobi down to a walk and leaned close to her sister, “Did you catch that sign back there on the judge’s table? They don’t normally have big money prizes like that!”

“Yeah, just imagine all the cool things we can buy if we win it!” Sophia’s eyes sparkled like sapphires. “You know that black saddle I’ve had my eyes on? The one with the silver designs on it?” She squeaked with excitement.

Emma shook her head. “I think it would be a good idea to give it to Mom and Dad… No, hear me out,” she said when Sophia’s face darkened. “If we give them the prize money, then we won’t have to give up any of our horses or the farm. Mom only told us a small part about what’s really going on.”

“Yeah, and we know how that went.”

“You don’t understand. It’s more serious than just losing a few horses.” Emma let out her breath and the sisters made an entire loop around the arena while Emma told Sophia all that she had overheard that day she caught her parents talking in the kitchen. Sophia’s eyes widened and when Emma was done, she didn’t have a smart comment to make, which was unusual.

Emma sighed and straightened her shoulders as the sisters followed the rest of the riders into the waiting area. Sophia reached out her hand. Emma grabbed it and squeezed, trying to give her an encouraging smile. Sophia returned it with a smile of her own and turned Pixie to join her group. 

(To be continued…)

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