a Saddle Club hangout. “It’s a little early for a sundae, don’t you think?”
Lisa thought hard before replying. “No. I don’t.”
Their usual waitress set water glasses down in front of them. “Where’s your partner in crime?” she asked them.
“Grounded,” Carole answered.
The waitress grinned. “She earned it, I’m sure.” She handed them menus and walked away.
Lisa stared after her. “What a thing to say!”
Carole was laughing. “She’s right, you know.”
“Still, she doesn’t have to be so bitter. It’s not like Stevie orders weird sundaes just to get on the waitress’s bad side.”
When they were deeply involved in the enjoyment of two hot fudge brownie sundaes, Carole said, “I think it’s working. I think this plan of yours is going to work.”
“Maybe,” Lisa said, scooping a pecan off the top of her ice cream. “The only catch is, we’re relying on him to have a conscience.”
Carole grinned. “He’s got one. I’m telling you, I’ve got this whole sibling thing figured out.”
Lisa grinned in return. She was beginning to feel that she, too, had the whole sibling thing figured out. The night before, it had occurred to her that she wouldn’thave been nearly as upset about her riding if Carole and Stevie had been having trouble, too. She had been competing with them whether she’d realized it or not.
“So,” Carole asked, “which horse are you going to ride in our lesson this afternoon? Will Max let you have Prancer?”
Lisa thought, not for the first time, that Carole must be able to read her mind. “Max said this morning that he’d let me have Prancer,” she said. “But I told him I’d rather ride Barq. I know that sounds strange,” she added hastily, before Carole could say anything, “but after all I am taking Prancer to camp, and Barq and I came so close yesterday that I just don’t want to give up with him until we get that exercise right.” She scooped up a bite of ice cream. “You think I’m silly, don’t you?” she asked. “When I could be riding the horse I love?”
Carole smiled warmly. “I don’t think you’re silly at all,” she said. She thought about saying more, about how important she thought it was that Lisa not give up with Barq, and how much Lisa could learn from riding different types of horses, but she decided not to. From Lisa’s outburst the day before, Carole had gathered that her friend needed support but probably didn’t want to hear much advice.
Carole set her spoon down in her empty dish. “Youwere right, it wasn’t too early for a sundae. But we’d better get back. If we wait too long, Belle might get hungry enough to snack on that grain.”
“Wait,” Lisa said. “You’ve got fudge sauce on your chin.” She handed Carole her napkin. “What about me?”
Carole inspected her. “You’re clean.”
C HAD WAS SITTING on a hay bale outside Belle’s stall, but when he saw them he stood up right away. “She hasn’t eaten,” he said. “I even took the grain out of the bucket and tried to stick it in her mouth, but she wouldn’t eat it. She didn’t seem to like it at all.”
Carole tried not to laugh at her mental image of Chad poking grain between Belle’s lips.
“Poor Belle,” murmured Lisa.
Carole pressed her lips tight together. She would not laugh. They observed the suffering horse in silence.
“Lisa and I can walk you home,” Carole offered at last. She needed to get away from bright-eyed Belle before she had hysterics. His riding lessons obviously hadn’t taught Chad much about horses if he really believed this one was sick. Carole wouldn’t have been fooled for a moment. Belle’s coat was dull, sure, but it looked
dirty
.
“You’re not both going to leave her, are you?” Chadasked anxiously. “Can someone else watch her? I mean, she hasn’t eaten at all.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Lisa said. “You’re totally right, someone should, and I don’t think anyone else is
Lisa thought hard before replying. “No. I don’t.”
Their usual waitress set water glasses down in front of them. “Where’s your partner in crime?” she asked them.
“Grounded,” Carole answered.
The waitress grinned. “She earned it, I’m sure.” She handed them menus and walked away.
Lisa stared after her. “What a thing to say!”
Carole was laughing. “She’s right, you know.”
“Still, she doesn’t have to be so bitter. It’s not like Stevie orders weird sundaes just to get on the waitress’s bad side.”
When they were deeply involved in the enjoyment of two hot fudge brownie sundaes, Carole said, “I think it’s working. I think this plan of yours is going to work.”
“Maybe,” Lisa said, scooping a pecan off the top of her ice cream. “The only catch is, we’re relying on him to have a conscience.”
Carole grinned. “He’s got one. I’m telling you, I’ve got this whole sibling thing figured out.”
Lisa grinned in return. She was beginning to feel that she, too, had the whole sibling thing figured out. The night before, it had occurred to her that she wouldn’thave been nearly as upset about her riding if Carole and Stevie had been having trouble, too. She had been competing with them whether she’d realized it or not.
“So,” Carole asked, “which horse are you going to ride in our lesson this afternoon? Will Max let you have Prancer?”
Lisa thought, not for the first time, that Carole must be able to read her mind. “Max said this morning that he’d let me have Prancer,” she said. “But I told him I’d rather ride Barq. I know that sounds strange,” she added hastily, before Carole could say anything, “but after all I am taking Prancer to camp, and Barq and I came so close yesterday that I just don’t want to give up with him until we get that exercise right.” She scooped up a bite of ice cream. “You think I’m silly, don’t you?” she asked. “When I could be riding the horse I love?”
Carole smiled warmly. “I don’t think you’re silly at all,” she said. She thought about saying more, about how important she thought it was that Lisa not give up with Barq, and how much Lisa could learn from riding different types of horses, but she decided not to. From Lisa’s outburst the day before, Carole had gathered that her friend needed support but probably didn’t want to hear much advice.
Carole set her spoon down in her empty dish. “Youwere right, it wasn’t too early for a sundae. But we’d better get back. If we wait too long, Belle might get hungry enough to snack on that grain.”
“Wait,” Lisa said. “You’ve got fudge sauce on your chin.” She handed Carole her napkin. “What about me?”
Carole inspected her. “You’re clean.”
C HAD WAS SITTING on a hay bale outside Belle’s stall, but when he saw them he stood up right away. “She hasn’t eaten,” he said. “I even took the grain out of the bucket and tried to stick it in her mouth, but she wouldn’t eat it. She didn’t seem to like it at all.”
Carole tried not to laugh at her mental image of Chad poking grain between Belle’s lips.
“Poor Belle,” murmured Lisa.
Carole pressed her lips tight together. She would not laugh. They observed the suffering horse in silence.
“Lisa and I can walk you home,” Carole offered at last. She needed to get away from bright-eyed Belle before she had hysterics. His riding lessons obviously hadn’t taught Chad much about horses if he really believed this one was sick. Carole wouldn’t have been fooled for a moment. Belle’s coat was dull, sure, but it looked
dirty
.
“You’re not both going to leave her, are you?” Chadasked anxiously. “Can someone else watch her? I mean, she hasn’t eaten at all.”
“I’ll stay with her,” Lisa said. “You’re totally right, someone should, and I don’t think anyone else is
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