heart?”
“ ‘Matters of the heart?’ ” Stevie repeated. She couldn’t help but notice that Veronica glanced back at Michael Grant as she spoke. Stevie’s sides quivered; it was all she could do not to break into waves of hysterical laughter. But no, for the sake of the Goodluck Horseshoe she kept her mouth closed. “Sure,” she said weakly. “We know all there is to know about matters of the heart.”
Veronica smiled. “Maybe I’ll pay your little booth a visit,” she said. Then, looking again at Michael Grant and glancing quickly at Jessica to her side, Veronica asked, “Do you mind riding here, Stevie? I’d like to ride where I could have some interesting conversation.”
“Be my guest,” Stevie said. At least that would leave her alone with Jessica. Veronica dropped back a few rows—to Michael Grant’s side. Stevie shook her head. Matters of the heart!
Without Veronica’s interference, Jessica had succeeded in calming Penny down by talking to her soothingly. Her reins were still too tight and she was still nervous, but at least Penny wasn’t fighting to trot.
“You seem to have her pretty well in hand,” Stevie said to Jessica. “Try not to feel too nervous—I remembermy first Founders’ Day parade. I was riding Nickel, not Penny, and boy was I shaking! I know just how you’re feeling.”
Jessica smiled weakly. “I just don’t ride well enough for this,” she said. “I guess I shouldn’t have come.”
“What do you mean? You’re doing fine!”
Jessica shook her head. “Veronica told me about thirty things I was doing wrong, and I didn’t even know I was doing them wrong. And I’m sure Penny’s going to run away.”
“Don’t ever listen to Veronica,” Stevie told her firmly. “Listen to me instead. Max would never let anyone ride in the parade if he didn’t think they were ready, and he let you, so you must be a good enough rider to do it. Penny’s about twice as old as you and she likes parades. She’s not going to run away. Just give her a pat and tell her she’s okay.”
Obediently Jessica bent to pat Penny’s neck. In doing so, she automatically loosened the reins, and Penny stretched her neck out, relieved. “Good girl, Penny,” Jessica said softly. Bending forward also made some of Jessica’s tense muscles relax. Penny felt the change and relaxed even further.
“See?” said Stevie. “You just needed to tell her she’s okay. Now I’ll teach you my Stevie-Lake-riding-nervous-horses trick. Do you want to know it? It’s avery special trick—I almost never share it with anyone.”
“And you want to tell me?” Jessica’s eyes were big.
“I’ll share it with you, Jessica, because I can tell you’re going to be a really good rider someday, and I want to be able to say that I helped you.” Stevie bent toward Jessica. “The secret is: breathe.”
“Breathe?” Jessica looked confused. “That’s it?”
“That’s it. Sounds amazing, but it works. Breathe great big deep breaths, the bigger and deeper the better. Your horse will calm right down. Guaranteed.”
“It really works? Why?”
Stevie bent down again, looking mysterious. “I have no idea,” she said solemnly. Jessica giggled. The parade was starting to be fun.
Stevie rode close to Jessica for the rest of the parade. As they passed the judges’ grandstand, they formed up into even rows and columns and went by at a stately show walk. Stevie glanced to her side. Jessica was riding solemnly, her hands low and her chin held high. When she saw Stevie looking at her, she winked. Stevie grinned. Jessica would be okay.
A T THE END of the parade route, Horse Wise rode to a temporary corral on the fairgrounds that Max had set up for them. The drill wasn’t until late afternoon, sothis gave the horses a comfortable, shady place to stay while they waited.
“I can’t stand Veronica,” Stevie said as she began to untack Belle. “Every day she annoys me more and more. She had Jessica so
“ ‘Matters of the heart?’ ” Stevie repeated. She couldn’t help but notice that Veronica glanced back at Michael Grant as she spoke. Stevie’s sides quivered; it was all she could do not to break into waves of hysterical laughter. But no, for the sake of the Goodluck Horseshoe she kept her mouth closed. “Sure,” she said weakly. “We know all there is to know about matters of the heart.”
Veronica smiled. “Maybe I’ll pay your little booth a visit,” she said. Then, looking again at Michael Grant and glancing quickly at Jessica to her side, Veronica asked, “Do you mind riding here, Stevie? I’d like to ride where I could have some interesting conversation.”
“Be my guest,” Stevie said. At least that would leave her alone with Jessica. Veronica dropped back a few rows—to Michael Grant’s side. Stevie shook her head. Matters of the heart!
Without Veronica’s interference, Jessica had succeeded in calming Penny down by talking to her soothingly. Her reins were still too tight and she was still nervous, but at least Penny wasn’t fighting to trot.
“You seem to have her pretty well in hand,” Stevie said to Jessica. “Try not to feel too nervous—I remembermy first Founders’ Day parade. I was riding Nickel, not Penny, and boy was I shaking! I know just how you’re feeling.”
Jessica smiled weakly. “I just don’t ride well enough for this,” she said. “I guess I shouldn’t have come.”
“What do you mean? You’re doing fine!”
Jessica shook her head. “Veronica told me about thirty things I was doing wrong, and I didn’t even know I was doing them wrong. And I’m sure Penny’s going to run away.”
“Don’t ever listen to Veronica,” Stevie told her firmly. “Listen to me instead. Max would never let anyone ride in the parade if he didn’t think they were ready, and he let you, so you must be a good enough rider to do it. Penny’s about twice as old as you and she likes parades. She’s not going to run away. Just give her a pat and tell her she’s okay.”
Obediently Jessica bent to pat Penny’s neck. In doing so, she automatically loosened the reins, and Penny stretched her neck out, relieved. “Good girl, Penny,” Jessica said softly. Bending forward also made some of Jessica’s tense muscles relax. Penny felt the change and relaxed even further.
“See?” said Stevie. “You just needed to tell her she’s okay. Now I’ll teach you my Stevie-Lake-riding-nervous-horses trick. Do you want to know it? It’s avery special trick—I almost never share it with anyone.”
“And you want to tell me?” Jessica’s eyes were big.
“I’ll share it with you, Jessica, because I can tell you’re going to be a really good rider someday, and I want to be able to say that I helped you.” Stevie bent toward Jessica. “The secret is: breathe.”
“Breathe?” Jessica looked confused. “That’s it?”
“That’s it. Sounds amazing, but it works. Breathe great big deep breaths, the bigger and deeper the better. Your horse will calm right down. Guaranteed.”
“It really works? Why?”
Stevie bent down again, looking mysterious. “I have no idea,” she said solemnly. Jessica giggled. The parade was starting to be fun.
Stevie rode close to Jessica for the rest of the parade. As they passed the judges’ grandstand, they formed up into even rows and columns and went by at a stately show walk. Stevie glanced to her side. Jessica was riding solemnly, her hands low and her chin held high. When she saw Stevie looking at her, she winked. Stevie grinned. Jessica would be okay.
A T THE END of the parade route, Horse Wise rode to a temporary corral on the fairgrounds that Max had set up for them. The drill wasn’t until late afternoon, sothis gave the horses a comfortable, shady place to stay while they waited.
“I can’t stand Veronica,” Stevie said as she began to untack Belle. “Every day she annoys me more and more. She had Jessica so
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