Read Online English Rider by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
Ads: Link
Carole asked.
“What
can
we do?” Stevie shrugged. “Let’s go check on our horses. Then we’ll rescue Phil and head over to TD’s. If anything calls for a Saddle Club meeting, it’s this.”
“R EADY ?” S TEVIE ASKED a short while later, poking her head into Starlight’s stall.
“Just about.” Carole didn’t look up. She was busy trying to pry a small stone out of her horse’s rear left foot with a hoof pick. Lisa was in the stall, too, standing near Starlight’s head and talking to him soothingly.
“Having trouble?” Stevie asked, immediately taking in the problem. She could see that Starlight had managed to get the stone stuck deep in the point of his frog. “Want some help?”
“Thanks.” Carole looked relieved as she handed over the hoof pick. “I just can’t get under it.”
Stevie nodded and got to work. She was known around Pine Hollow to be especially handy with a hoof pick. Within seconds, she had worked the tip of the pick beneath the stone and popped it out. “There,” she said, lowering Starlight’s hoof to the floor. “Good as new.”
Starlight snorted and turned to roll his eyes at Stevie over his shoulder. He shifted his weight onto the foot she had just let go and tossed his head.
Stevie grinned and patted him on the hindquarters. “You’re welcome, boy,” she said. “Always happy to help.”
Carole was looking around the stall, checking to make sure everything was done. “Fresh water—check. Hay—check. Feet cleaned—check,” she murmured.
Meanwhile, Lisa had moved closer to the front of the stall and cocked her head to one side. “Uh-oh,” she whispered. “Snob alert.” She had just heard the loud, familiar sound of Veronica’s voice coming from her horse’s stall, which was a short distance down the stable row.
Stevie groaned. “Just what I need,” she said. “Are Tessa and Phil there, too? Maybe we can lure them to safety.”
“I don’t hear them,” Lisa reported. She crept to the front of the stall, still listening. She frowned. “Actually, they must not be there. I think Veronica’s talking about them.”
“Who’s she talking to?” Carole asked.
Stevie hurried forward to join Lisa at the front of Starlight’s stall. “Never mind that,” she muttered. “What’s she
saying
?”
The three girls listened in silence for a moment. Veronica’s voice sounded a bit hoarse, as though she were trying to whisper but was too excited to remember to keep quiet. Her words floated toward them clearly over the other sounds of the stable.
“… so I think she likes him,” she said. “As in
likes
him likes him.”
“Really?” someone else asked with a giggle.
“Betsy Cavanaugh,” Lisa whispered, identifying the second voice.
Stevie didn’t reply. She leaned forward, still trying to hear.
“Definitely,” Veronica went on. “I mean, I totally felt like a third wheel in the tack room just now. I finally decided to take her not-so-subtle hints and leave the two of them alone.” She snorted. “I was glad to do it, though, believe me. If you ask me, this is the best thing that could happen to either of them.”
“How come?” Betsy asked breathlessly. “Do you think he likes her back?”
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Veronica replied, sounding pleased. “I’d swear I saw him wink at Tessa a couple of times.” She laughed. “I think it’s adorable. Maybe Phil is finally waking up and getting some taste!”
S TEVIE FELT AS though her head were going to explode. “How dare she!” she cried, rushing toward the aisle. “I’m going to—
mmmpf
.” The last part came out as a muffled but indignant squawk as Lisa grabbed her by the arm and Carole clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her.
“Hush!” Carole hissed. “You don’t want Veronica to know you heard her, do you?”
Stevie shoved her hand away. “Hey!” she said, spitting a small piece of hay into the corner of the stall. “You could at least wash your hands before
“What
can
we do?” Stevie shrugged. “Let’s go check on our horses. Then we’ll rescue Phil and head over to TD’s. If anything calls for a Saddle Club meeting, it’s this.”
“R EADY ?” S TEVIE ASKED a short while later, poking her head into Starlight’s stall.
“Just about.” Carole didn’t look up. She was busy trying to pry a small stone out of her horse’s rear left foot with a hoof pick. Lisa was in the stall, too, standing near Starlight’s head and talking to him soothingly.
“Having trouble?” Stevie asked, immediately taking in the problem. She could see that Starlight had managed to get the stone stuck deep in the point of his frog. “Want some help?”
“Thanks.” Carole looked relieved as she handed over the hoof pick. “I just can’t get under it.”
Stevie nodded and got to work. She was known around Pine Hollow to be especially handy with a hoof pick. Within seconds, she had worked the tip of the pick beneath the stone and popped it out. “There,” she said, lowering Starlight’s hoof to the floor. “Good as new.”
Starlight snorted and turned to roll his eyes at Stevie over his shoulder. He shifted his weight onto the foot she had just let go and tossed his head.
Stevie grinned and patted him on the hindquarters. “You’re welcome, boy,” she said. “Always happy to help.”
Carole was looking around the stall, checking to make sure everything was done. “Fresh water—check. Hay—check. Feet cleaned—check,” she murmured.
Meanwhile, Lisa had moved closer to the front of the stall and cocked her head to one side. “Uh-oh,” she whispered. “Snob alert.” She had just heard the loud, familiar sound of Veronica’s voice coming from her horse’s stall, which was a short distance down the stable row.
Stevie groaned. “Just what I need,” she said. “Are Tessa and Phil there, too? Maybe we can lure them to safety.”
“I don’t hear them,” Lisa reported. She crept to the front of the stall, still listening. She frowned. “Actually, they must not be there. I think Veronica’s talking about them.”
“Who’s she talking to?” Carole asked.
Stevie hurried forward to join Lisa at the front of Starlight’s stall. “Never mind that,” she muttered. “What’s she
saying
?”
The three girls listened in silence for a moment. Veronica’s voice sounded a bit hoarse, as though she were trying to whisper but was too excited to remember to keep quiet. Her words floated toward them clearly over the other sounds of the stable.
“… so I think she likes him,” she said. “As in
likes
him likes him.”
“Really?” someone else asked with a giggle.
“Betsy Cavanaugh,” Lisa whispered, identifying the second voice.
Stevie didn’t reply. She leaned forward, still trying to hear.
“Definitely,” Veronica went on. “I mean, I totally felt like a third wheel in the tack room just now. I finally decided to take her not-so-subtle hints and leave the two of them alone.” She snorted. “I was glad to do it, though, believe me. If you ask me, this is the best thing that could happen to either of them.”
“How come?” Betsy asked breathlessly. “Do you think he likes her back?”
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” Veronica replied, sounding pleased. “I’d swear I saw him wink at Tessa a couple of times.” She laughed. “I think it’s adorable. Maybe Phil is finally waking up and getting some taste!”
S TEVIE FELT AS though her head were going to explode. “How dare she!” she cried, rushing toward the aisle. “I’m going to—
mmmpf
.” The last part came out as a muffled but indignant squawk as Lisa grabbed her by the arm and Carole clapped a hand over her mouth to silence her.
“Hush!” Carole hissed. “You don’t want Veronica to know you heard her, do you?”
Stevie shoved her hand away. “Hey!” she said, spitting a small piece of hay into the corner of the stall. “You could at least wash your hands before
Similar Books
