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 meansâelectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwiseâwithout 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
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.
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.
Â
To every reader who says
reading H
IGH
H
URDLES
and G
OLDEN
F
ILLY
books
has changed her life.
Thank you, heavenly Father
.
DJ Randall couldn't believe her eyesâor 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, tooâor 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.