she eased the handle of the pick until she felt the resistance of the stone, then with a swift and smooth motion she flexed the tool—“the stone will”—it popped out—“pop out,” she said proudly.
“Nice work,” John said.
Lisa lowered Chocolate’s foot and patted the mare affectionately. Chocolate regarded her and then blinked. Lisa was pretty sure that was as close as she was going to get to a thank-you from Chocolate. “You’re welcome,” she told the horse. Then she unhooked the lead rope from Chocolate’s halter and slapped her flank gently, telling the mare it was time to run free—until tomorrow. Chocolate obeyed willingly.
Lisa turned to John, then, though she didn’t really know what to say to him. This boy had a way of turning up when she least expected him.
“You did a good job with the crepe paper this afternoon,” she said. That sounded pretty lame to her, but it was the best she could come up with right then.
“Yeah, and you did a wonderful job holding the ladder,” he returned. She shrugged and blushed. It was clear that John wasn’t the kind of boy who would let her get away with being lame. She wished she hadn’t made the remark about the crepe paper, but it was too late to take it back, and John was on to something else.
“I want to show you something,” he said. “Come with me.”
Before she could say anything, he took her hand and led her into the barn. Lisa wasn’t used to having a boy hold her hand. It gave her a nice chill and madeher knees feel a little funny—a little off balance. John did seem to have a way of making her feel off balance no matter what he did.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Remember the mare?”
“Of course.”
“The vet was wrong.”
“About what?”
“About how long it would be until she foaled.” John drew to a stop at the box stall where he had been sitting with the edgy mare just a little less than twenty-four hours earlier. The stall was still occupied, but now there was more than just a mare. There was a mare and a foal.
“Oh, when was it born?” she asked breathlessly.
“This afternoon. Isn’t she a cute filly?”
Lisa nodded. The filly seemed to know that they were talking about her. She looked curiously at Lisa, her bright eyes taking in everything. Then she flicked her skinny little gray tail and turned all her attention to her mother. It was, after all, supper time.
“She’s adorable!” Lisa said. “Thanks for showing her to me.”
“I knew you’d love her.”
Lisa crossed her forearms on the top of the door to the stall and put her chin on her wrist so she could watch the filly and the mare.
“You know, a newborn horse is an amazing creature,” she observed. “They usually stand up within a few minutes of being born and walk almost immediately. When I compare that to how long it takes the average human to do those things, it’s not hard to understand why horses are so much more fun to ride.”
John laughed. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re probably right.”
“Were you here when she was born?” Lisa asked.
“I was,” he said. “I’m glad I was, too. The mare didn’t turn out to need any help, but I wanted to be here in case she did. The vet said she had more than a week to go, but I didn’t think he was right.”
“How did you learn so much about horses and foaling?” Lisa asked.
John seemed to hesitate, but he answered. “My mother was a horse breeder,” he told her. “She taught me everything I know. It’s part of the legacy she left me.”
“Left you?” Lisa asked.
“She’s dead,” he said. And the way he said it warned Lisa she shouldn’t ask any more. His tone of voice was like a door slamming in her face. This was the mystery, she recalled. It had something to do with John’s mother. There probably was an answer, but Lisa wasn’t going to get it from John. She was slightly annoyed that he trusted her so little. She wanted to changethe subject, and she
“Nice work,” John said.
Lisa lowered Chocolate’s foot and patted the mare affectionately. Chocolate regarded her and then blinked. Lisa was pretty sure that was as close as she was going to get to a thank-you from Chocolate. “You’re welcome,” she told the horse. Then she unhooked the lead rope from Chocolate’s halter and slapped her flank gently, telling the mare it was time to run free—until tomorrow. Chocolate obeyed willingly.
Lisa turned to John, then, though she didn’t really know what to say to him. This boy had a way of turning up when she least expected him.
“You did a good job with the crepe paper this afternoon,” she said. That sounded pretty lame to her, but it was the best she could come up with right then.
“Yeah, and you did a wonderful job holding the ladder,” he returned. She shrugged and blushed. It was clear that John wasn’t the kind of boy who would let her get away with being lame. She wished she hadn’t made the remark about the crepe paper, but it was too late to take it back, and John was on to something else.
“I want to show you something,” he said. “Come with me.”
Before she could say anything, he took her hand and led her into the barn. Lisa wasn’t used to having a boy hold her hand. It gave her a nice chill and madeher knees feel a little funny—a little off balance. John did seem to have a way of making her feel off balance no matter what he did.
“What is it?” she asked.
“Remember the mare?”
“Of course.”
“The vet was wrong.”
“About what?”
“About how long it would be until she foaled.” John drew to a stop at the box stall where he had been sitting with the edgy mare just a little less than twenty-four hours earlier. The stall was still occupied, but now there was more than just a mare. There was a mare and a foal.
“Oh, when was it born?” she asked breathlessly.
“This afternoon. Isn’t she a cute filly?”
Lisa nodded. The filly seemed to know that they were talking about her. She looked curiously at Lisa, her bright eyes taking in everything. Then she flicked her skinny little gray tail and turned all her attention to her mother. It was, after all, supper time.
“She’s adorable!” Lisa said. “Thanks for showing her to me.”
“I knew you’d love her.”
Lisa crossed her forearms on the top of the door to the stall and put her chin on her wrist so she could watch the filly and the mare.
“You know, a newborn horse is an amazing creature,” she observed. “They usually stand up within a few minutes of being born and walk almost immediately. When I compare that to how long it takes the average human to do those things, it’s not hard to understand why horses are so much more fun to ride.”
John laughed. “I never thought of it that way, but you’re probably right.”
“Were you here when she was born?” Lisa asked.
“I was,” he said. “I’m glad I was, too. The mare didn’t turn out to need any help, but I wanted to be here in case she did. The vet said she had more than a week to go, but I didn’t think he was right.”
“How did you learn so much about horses and foaling?” Lisa asked.
John seemed to hesitate, but he answered. “My mother was a horse breeder,” he told her. “She taught me everything I know. It’s part of the legacy she left me.”
“Left you?” Lisa asked.
“She’s dead,” he said. And the way he said it warned Lisa she shouldn’t ask any more. His tone of voice was like a door slamming in her face. This was the mystery, she recalled. It had something to do with John’s mother. There probably was an answer, but Lisa wasn’t going to get it from John. She was slightly annoyed that he trusted her so little. She wanted to changethe subject, and she
Similar Books
