High Hurdles Collection Two

Lauraine Snelling

Description

Fourteen-year-old DJ Randall wants nothing more than to compete as a show jumper in the Olympics. The challenges that stand in her way only spur her to work harder toward her dream. Whether it's mucking out stalls and hosting pony parties to earn money to buy her first horse or navigating the changing family dynamics at home, DJ relies on her faith in God to see her through the most daunting obstacles. Collection Two includes Close Quarters, Moving Up, Letting Go, Raising the Bar, and Class Act.

Sujets

• Children's

Informations

• Publié par: Baker Publishing Group
• Date de parution: 01 avril 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781441235084
• Langue: English

Extrait

Books by
Lauraine Snelling

Golden Filly Collection One
Golden Filly Collection Two
High Hurdles Collection One
High Hurdles Collection Two
S ECRET R EFUGE
Daughter of Twin Oaks
D AKOTAH T REASURES
Ruby Pearl
Opal Amethyst
D AUGHTERS OF B LESSING
A Promise for Ellie Sophie s Dilemma
A Touch of Grace Rebecca s Reward
H OME TO B LESSING
A Measure of Mercy No Distance Too Far
A Heart for Home
R ED R IVER OF THE N ORTH
An Untamed Land A New Day Rising
A Land to Call Home The Reaper s Song
Tender Mercies Blessing in Disguise
R ETURN TO R ED R IVER
A Dream to Follow Believing the Dream
More Than a Dream
5 books in each volume

High Hurdles Collection Two Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000 Lauraine Snelling
Cover design by Eric Walljasper Cover photography by Aimee Christenson Special thanks to Birchbury Farm and Stacy Lee for their generous assistance with the cover photo shoot
Previously published in five separate volumes:
Close Quarters 1998 Moving Up 1998 Letting Go 1999 Raising the Bar 1999 Class Act 2000
Scripture quotations identified NIV are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. The NIV and New International Version trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society. www.zondervan.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise-without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Minneapolis, Minnesota 55438 www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
E-book edition created 2011
ISBN 978-1-4412-3508-4
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Contents
About the Author
Editor s Note
Book Six CLOSE QUARTERS
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Book Seven MOVING UP
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Acknowledgments
Book Eight LETTING GO
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Book Nine RAISING THE BAR
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Book Ten CLASS ACT
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Epilogue
About the Author
Lauraine Snelling is an award-winning author of over sixty books, fiction and nonfiction, for adults and young adults. Her books have sold over two million copies. Besides writing books and articles, she teaches at writers conferences across the country. She and her husband, Wayne, have two grown sons and a basset hound named Chewey. They make their home in California.
Editor s Note
Originally published in the 1990s, these books reflect the cultural and social aspects of that time. In order to maintain the integrity of the story, we opted not to impose today s styles, technologies, laws, or other advancements upon the characters and events within. We believe the themes of love of God, love of family, and love of horses are timeless and can be enjoyed no matter the setting.
To every reader who says reading H IGH H URDLES and G OLDEN F ILLY books has changed her life. Thank you, heavenly Father .
Chapter 1
DJ Randall couldn t believe her eyes-or ears.
I wanna go with DJ! Bobby Crowder screamed. Or was it Billy? It didn t matter. Tears strained down the five-year-old twins matching red faces. Between flailing feet and arms, they were lucky someone didn t get hurt. Especially them. And to think these two were now DJ s brothers. Scary thought.
Don t wanna go with Nanny Ria! The second outdid the first in lung power.
Maria Ramos, the nanny who d been caring for the twins since their mother had died three years earlier, looked about ready to cry, too-or yell. Neither action was quite appropriate in front of the club where they had just held the wedding reception for DJ s mother, Lindy, and Robert, the twins father. The new Mr. and Mrs. Robert Crowder charged out of the club s open doors when the shouts reached the decibel level of a marching band.
What is going on here? Robert laid a hand on each boy s shoulder. He had to squeeze some to get their attention.
DJ watched the squirming twins from the sidelines. She never had been one to volunteer for bruised shins. Unless, of course, she got them working with a horse. Then it didn t matter.
Besides, in the long mauve dress and matching satin shoes she d worn for the wedding, she doubted she could leap fast enough to keep up with the furious five-year-olds. Let alone calm them down. Her mouth dropped open. Her mother, Mrs. Perfectly Groomed, was kneeling on the concrete in her long, full ivory dress to comfort one of the hiccuping boys. When she stood up, the dress wore black knee prints, but Lindy didn t even notice.
Gran and Joe joined the scene. By now the twins had quit crying, but their lower lips quivered like fresh Jell-O Jigglers. Robert picked up the boys, and they buried their faces in the collar of his black tuxedo as Lindy stroked the back of the nearest one and murmured to them both.
DJ paused to examine the weird feeling that now wriggled its way to her attention. Like there was plate glass between the rest of the family and her. Like she was looking from the outside in. This is stupid , she told herself. Get over there and and what? Play big sister? That s what you are now, so get on it .
We wants DJ. The boys pulled their we-think-talk-and-act-the-same trick that always amazed her. Just because they were identical twins, did they have some invisible connection?
Like a swimmer coming up for air, DJ broke out of her fog and crossed the sidewalk. She ordered her mouth to smile, putting the weird stuff out of her mind. She tried to kill the feeling of being an outsider but only succeeded in burying it.
Hey, guys, what s up?
Smiles peeked out from beneath the tear streaks. Don t want to go to our house with Nanny Ria.
Want to go to Grandpa s house with you. Identical sniffs as two pudgy hands wiped under two snub noses.
Gross, you two. Get a tissue. She stepped back, but her grin said she was teasing. It worked. The smiles came out. Even with the Double Bs smiling, DJ was grateful the twins were on their way back to Robert s old San Francisco house to stay with their nanny. She had been dreaming of a whole week with Gran and GJ-Grandpa Joe-alone.
One boy coughed, then the other.
Gran put a hand on each forehead. She looked up at Robert.
Trouble, huh? he asked.
Gran nodded, her silver-shot gold hair ruffling in the breeze. No wonder they re being so fussy.
Okay, fellas, how about your mommy and I take you back home and get you settled? Robert eyed the boys with concern.
DJ too?
No, not DJ. She has to go to school on Monday, and she can t drive herself, remember?
Grandpa could come get her.
Gran ruffled the talker s hair. You have all the answers, don t you? She put an arm around DJ s waist. DJ has to help me put all the stuff away so you have a home to come to next week. I need her more than you do. She raised on tiptoe and kissed each boy s hot cheek. I bet Nanny Ria has Popsicles in the freezer for you when you get home.
The Double Bs looked at each other and then lay their heads back on their father s shoulders. They really didn t look like they felt very good. DJ patted their backs. You guys be good, okay?
They nodded.
Robert s younger brother, Andy, drove up with Robert s Bronco, and Robert belted the boys into the rear seat, motioning for Maria to get in on the other side. When the twins started to whimper again, Robert and Lindy waved to everyone, and Robert helped her tuck her wedding dress around her feet so it wouldn t get caught in the door. With another wave, they drove off, leaving DJ feeling lost, like a little kid trapped in a pitch-black room. Her mother had been so concerned about the boys, she hadn t even hugged her daughter. And they d be gone on their honeymoon for more than a week.
DJ shrugged. Oh well, she whispered. But the words offered no comfort, only another glimpse at that plate-glass window between her and her family-grown even thicker.
She thought about the twins brat act. She d rather work with Patches, the new horse she was training, at his most obnoxious any day. What had her mother gotten them into? DJ sighed. At least she would have one last whole week at Gran s by herself. No other kids in sight.
Come on, Darla Jean. Gran tapped her grandaughter s arm. Back to the real world. She smoothed a strand of honey-rich hair back up into the circlet of pink rosebuds that crowned DJ s head. With the sides of her hair caught up in combs and curling down her back, DJ knew she looked almost grown-up, or was it more like a girl in general? She d been surprised herself when she looked in the mirror. Not a zit in sight, and the bit of eyeshadow and mascara her mother had added to DJ s g