was instead of polishing them all, which is what Max had asked them to do. Most of them were actually pretty clean, and a dusting made them look cleaner. It wasn’t quite what Max had in mind, but since the afternoon was almost over, it was going to be all they had time for.
“Nice job,” Max said, walking past the tack room. Stevie smiled. Then she realized that she should take the opportunity to ask him if he’d actually been able to get tickets for them for the horse show.
“Uh, Max,” she began. He stopped and returned to the tack room. “Did you have time to call—”
His mind seemed to be on something else, though. He interrupted her, asking, “Weren’t you supposed to polish all those saddles instead of just dusting them?”
Stevie gulped. “I’m just about to,” she assured him. “Wanted to make sure they were dust free first.”
“Sure,” he said, but he didn’t sound as if he believed her. Before she had a chance to protest her innocence, he turned and left the tack room. Stevie picked up the tin of saddle soap. A couple of the saddles really were dirty. If she just soaped them, that would probably be good enough. She hoped so, anyway.
Lisa and Carole joined Stevie in the tack room and each picked up a sponge and pitched in. They didn’tlike the idea that Max had noticed their glaring omission.
Lisa grimaced as she polished. “I have to say, though, that maybe if we hadn’t been spending quite so much time on the party for tomorrow, we might have gotten more of these chores done.”
“But the whole idea of the wedding is to thank Max for all he’s done,” Stevie reminded her friends.
“Maybe,” Carole said. “But aren’t we sort of thanking him by doing all this work?”
“It’s been a
lot
of work,” Lisa added.
“Yes, it has,” Stevie agreed. “And Max is just going to
love
it. Tomorrow, while we’re having a blast at the wedding, you will forget all the hard things we’ve done, and all you’ll remember is how much fun we’re going to have. It’ll be the best April Fools’ Day of all.”
“And there
have
been a number of memorable ones,” Carole mused.
“Yeah,” Stevie said wistfully. Her friends thought she was probably remembering the horse-manure episode again. They didn’t think that was anything to be wistful about. Perhaps it was a lucky thing that Stevie had been so busy with this nice April Fools’ prank that she hadn’t had time to do any other ones.
“I guess you’re right,” Lisa said at last. “It’ll be worth it.”
“Girls?” It was Max. He was standing at the door of the tack room. They were worried that he might have overheard some of their conversation, but he seemed to have something else on his mind. “Are you still working? Shouldn’t you be home eating dinner and changing your clothes? We’re going to have to leave here before seven tonight to be sure to get to the horse show on time. You are planning on coming, aren’t you?”
T HE MINUTE THE girls entered the arena, they could feel the excitement of the horse show. All around them, spectators hurried to their seats.
“Look, there’s a man in a tuxedo!” Lisa whispered to Carole.
“And look what his wife’s wearing!” Stevie said, gawking at the full-length evening gown the woman had on. “Is this a dance, or what? Are we in the right place?” She looked down at her own very nice blue outfit, but it just didn’t match up to the woman’s gown.
“No, it’s just that it’s traditional for some people to dress up at the horse show.”
“We’re not traditional?” Stevie asked.
“We’re the
new
tradition,” Lisa explained. “Casual dress.”
Then Stevie looked around again. This time she noticed that there were a lot more blue jeans than evening gowns. She smiled.
“Which way?” Carole asked, eager to get past the crowds of people and into the crowds of horses.
Max checked their tickets. “This way.” He pointed to the left.
The girls, Max, and
“Nice job,” Max said, walking past the tack room. Stevie smiled. Then she realized that she should take the opportunity to ask him if he’d actually been able to get tickets for them for the horse show.
“Uh, Max,” she began. He stopped and returned to the tack room. “Did you have time to call—”
His mind seemed to be on something else, though. He interrupted her, asking, “Weren’t you supposed to polish all those saddles instead of just dusting them?”
Stevie gulped. “I’m just about to,” she assured him. “Wanted to make sure they were dust free first.”
“Sure,” he said, but he didn’t sound as if he believed her. Before she had a chance to protest her innocence, he turned and left the tack room. Stevie picked up the tin of saddle soap. A couple of the saddles really were dirty. If she just soaped them, that would probably be good enough. She hoped so, anyway.
Lisa and Carole joined Stevie in the tack room and each picked up a sponge and pitched in. They didn’tlike the idea that Max had noticed their glaring omission.
Lisa grimaced as she polished. “I have to say, though, that maybe if we hadn’t been spending quite so much time on the party for tomorrow, we might have gotten more of these chores done.”
“But the whole idea of the wedding is to thank Max for all he’s done,” Stevie reminded her friends.
“Maybe,” Carole said. “But aren’t we sort of thanking him by doing all this work?”
“It’s been a
lot
of work,” Lisa added.
“Yes, it has,” Stevie agreed. “And Max is just going to
love
it. Tomorrow, while we’re having a blast at the wedding, you will forget all the hard things we’ve done, and all you’ll remember is how much fun we’re going to have. It’ll be the best April Fools’ Day of all.”
“And there
have
been a number of memorable ones,” Carole mused.
“Yeah,” Stevie said wistfully. Her friends thought she was probably remembering the horse-manure episode again. They didn’t think that was anything to be wistful about. Perhaps it was a lucky thing that Stevie had been so busy with this nice April Fools’ prank that she hadn’t had time to do any other ones.
“I guess you’re right,” Lisa said at last. “It’ll be worth it.”
“Girls?” It was Max. He was standing at the door of the tack room. They were worried that he might have overheard some of their conversation, but he seemed to have something else on his mind. “Are you still working? Shouldn’t you be home eating dinner and changing your clothes? We’re going to have to leave here before seven tonight to be sure to get to the horse show on time. You are planning on coming, aren’t you?”
T HE MINUTE THE girls entered the arena, they could feel the excitement of the horse show. All around them, spectators hurried to their seats.
“Look, there’s a man in a tuxedo!” Lisa whispered to Carole.
“And look what his wife’s wearing!” Stevie said, gawking at the full-length evening gown the woman had on. “Is this a dance, or what? Are we in the right place?” She looked down at her own very nice blue outfit, but it just didn’t match up to the woman’s gown.
“No, it’s just that it’s traditional for some people to dress up at the horse show.”
“We’re not traditional?” Stevie asked.
“We’re the
new
tradition,” Lisa explained. “Casual dress.”
Then Stevie looked around again. This time she noticed that there were a lot more blue jeans than evening gowns. She smiled.
“Which way?” Carole asked, eager to get past the crowds of people and into the crowds of horses.
Max checked their tickets. “This way.” He pointed to the left.
The girls, Max, and
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