said. “Red O’Malley was riding her outside the ring. I’m sure he let her step on sharp stones. Poor baby.” She flung her arms around Garnet’s neck.
Stevie couldn’t let her get away with blaming Red. “Actually, Veronica, if you’ll remember,
you
were the one who insisted on trotting down the driveway last week, and there are a lot more stones there than on the grass beside the ring. And if you’d exercise your own horse for a change—”
“Who cares whose fault it is!” Veronica snapped. “The only thing that matters is that I’m not going to be able to ride!”
“That’s right. Two weeks’ vacation while the bruise heals,” Judy said pleasantly. “You’re lucky it’s not worse.”
“Two weeks!” Veronica wailed. “What am I supposed to do for two weeks?”
“Well, you could brush up on Pony Club horsemanship, starting with the various lamenesses,” Judy suggested.
Veronica smiled weakly. “Sure—I guess I could,” she said.
“I hate to vet and run, folks, but I’ve got to go tube-worm a barn of two-year-old Thoroughbreds at the track,” Judy explained. She bade them all good-bye and hurried off to her truck.
Once she had gone, Veronica pouted in earnest. “Two weeks! What a waste!”
Simon patted her shoulder. “Gosh, Veronica, don’t be upset. I’m sorry about Garnet.”
Veronica softened her tone. “Thanks, Simon. If you want, you can put her away for me.”
“Sure thing, Veronica,” he said. “I’ll do anything to help such a devoted rider.”
Veronica looked pointedly at Lisa and Stevie. “It’s so nice having
friends
around here to help me out.”
“I’m sure it is,” Lisa said. She and Stevie turned to go.
As they walked past Garnet’s stall, Simon yelled, “Hey, you guys aren’t leaving yet, are you?” When they nodded, Simon looked disappointed. “Aw, too bad, too bad. I guess we’ll just have to wait till first-period math to see each other again, huh, Lisa?”
“I guess so,” Lisa said, forcing herself to be polite.
Veronica immediately broke into the conversation. “Simon, I’ve got something else you can do for me. I—”
“ ’Bye, Lisa!” Simon called after them.
Once they were out of sight, Lisa and Stevie burstinto laughter. “You know, we really ought to straighten Simon out about the real Veronica,” Lisa said.
“You mean the devoted rider?” Stevie asked, grinning.
“I mean the devoted mall shopper!” Lisa said. “We should tell him what she’s really like.”
“Let’s hold off on that particular explanation,” Stevie said mysteriously. “I just may have an idea.” Then she told Lisa all about the idea she’d come up with at lunch-time that day.
“E ASY DOES IT . Watch that ankle.” Colonel Hanson helped Carole lower herself into the front seat of the sedan. Then he took the crutches from her and tucked them into the backseat. Once she was all settled, he closed the door firmly and got in on the driver’s side. He started the engine and pulled slowly out of the Quantico Military Base Hospital parking lot.
Carole stared out the window glumly. Usually she liked going onto the base with her father. It was fun to watch the enlisted men and women marching in formation. Today she hardly noticed them. She kept hearing Dr. Curtis’s diagnosis echo in her mind: sprained ankle. Treatment: soaking and rest. No riding for two weeks.Keep walking to a minimum, and use crutches to keep the weight off.
“How does it feel, honey?” Colonel Hanson asked gently.
“A little better,” Carole said. She made an effort to smile. It seemed as if her father felt worse than she did about her ankle.
“Good thing it’s wrapped so well,” he joked. They both laughed. Dr. Curtis had tried to explain to Carole how she should wrap the Ace bandage, but she already knew how. “It’s just not that different from bandaging a horse’s leg,” she had told him honestly.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Colonel Hanson said.
“It’s
Stevie couldn’t let her get away with blaming Red. “Actually, Veronica, if you’ll remember,
you
were the one who insisted on trotting down the driveway last week, and there are a lot more stones there than on the grass beside the ring. And if you’d exercise your own horse for a change—”
“Who cares whose fault it is!” Veronica snapped. “The only thing that matters is that I’m not going to be able to ride!”
“That’s right. Two weeks’ vacation while the bruise heals,” Judy said pleasantly. “You’re lucky it’s not worse.”
“Two weeks!” Veronica wailed. “What am I supposed to do for two weeks?”
“Well, you could brush up on Pony Club horsemanship, starting with the various lamenesses,” Judy suggested.
Veronica smiled weakly. “Sure—I guess I could,” she said.
“I hate to vet and run, folks, but I’ve got to go tube-worm a barn of two-year-old Thoroughbreds at the track,” Judy explained. She bade them all good-bye and hurried off to her truck.
Once she had gone, Veronica pouted in earnest. “Two weeks! What a waste!”
Simon patted her shoulder. “Gosh, Veronica, don’t be upset. I’m sorry about Garnet.”
Veronica softened her tone. “Thanks, Simon. If you want, you can put her away for me.”
“Sure thing, Veronica,” he said. “I’ll do anything to help such a devoted rider.”
Veronica looked pointedly at Lisa and Stevie. “It’s so nice having
friends
around here to help me out.”
“I’m sure it is,” Lisa said. She and Stevie turned to go.
As they walked past Garnet’s stall, Simon yelled, “Hey, you guys aren’t leaving yet, are you?” When they nodded, Simon looked disappointed. “Aw, too bad, too bad. I guess we’ll just have to wait till first-period math to see each other again, huh, Lisa?”
“I guess so,” Lisa said, forcing herself to be polite.
Veronica immediately broke into the conversation. “Simon, I’ve got something else you can do for me. I—”
“ ’Bye, Lisa!” Simon called after them.
Once they were out of sight, Lisa and Stevie burstinto laughter. “You know, we really ought to straighten Simon out about the real Veronica,” Lisa said.
“You mean the devoted rider?” Stevie asked, grinning.
“I mean the devoted mall shopper!” Lisa said. “We should tell him what she’s really like.”
“Let’s hold off on that particular explanation,” Stevie said mysteriously. “I just may have an idea.” Then she told Lisa all about the idea she’d come up with at lunch-time that day.
“E ASY DOES IT . Watch that ankle.” Colonel Hanson helped Carole lower herself into the front seat of the sedan. Then he took the crutches from her and tucked them into the backseat. Once she was all settled, he closed the door firmly and got in on the driver’s side. He started the engine and pulled slowly out of the Quantico Military Base Hospital parking lot.
Carole stared out the window glumly. Usually she liked going onto the base with her father. It was fun to watch the enlisted men and women marching in formation. Today she hardly noticed them. She kept hearing Dr. Curtis’s diagnosis echo in her mind: sprained ankle. Treatment: soaking and rest. No riding for two weeks.Keep walking to a minimum, and use crutches to keep the weight off.
“How does it feel, honey?” Colonel Hanson asked gently.
“A little better,” Carole said. She made an effort to smile. It seemed as if her father felt worse than she did about her ankle.
“Good thing it’s wrapped so well,” he joked. They both laughed. Dr. Curtis had tried to explain to Carole how she should wrap the Ace bandage, but she already knew how. “It’s just not that different from bandaging a horse’s leg,” she had told him honestly.
“I’m sorry, honey,” Colonel Hanson said.
“It’s
Similar Books
