If Wishes Were Horses — Carolyn McSparren

If wishes were horses

The child's wish: A pony of her own. For her twelfth birthday -- just as her father had promised her years ago.

The father's wish: A safe and happy life for his daughter. That's all Mike Whitten's ever wanted. And that means keeping her away from Liz Matthews and her "ferm-filled" camp for young horselovers. It also means breaking his promise -- a promise made in haste -- at a time when Mike would have done anything to bring a smile to his child's face.

The woman's wish: That Mike would stop treating his daughter as though she were made of glass. And -- if Liz Matthews could sneak in a second wish -- that he would start looking at Liz as more than just his daughter's riding teacher.