boots came flying out the door.
Amelia had thrown herself into a complete tantrum. She grabbed a box of hair supplies out of Veronica’s cubby andhurled it after Veronica’s boot. Before Max could reach her, she flung herself down on the floor, sobbing incoherently and kicking her feet like a two-year-old.
“Quiet!” Max roared. He hauled her to her feet. Amelia subsided into whimpering moans. “I said
quiet
!” She quit crying and gave Max a sulky look.
She doesn’t even look ashamed
, Lisa thought in amazement.
“Veronica, go check on Danny for a moment,” Max said. Veronica left in a flash, her eyebrows raised in disdainful astonishment. “Now, Amelia”—he put his face very close to hers—“if you
ever
want to ride here again, you will quit blubbering, wash your face, and report to my office in exactly two minutes. Now, scoot!” He gave her a little push out the door.
“As for you three …” Max straightened and suddenly looked weary. “Let’s go to my office.”
S TEVIE , C AROLE , AND L ISA slowly filed into Max’s office. Lisa felt drained. Just witnessing Amelia’s tantrum had sucked all the energy out of her. She would not be able to stand six more days of this. Max shut the door behind him, and they all looked at one another awkwardly.
“Please sit down,” Max said. “You didn’t drop that bucket, did you?” he asked Carole.
She shook her head.
“Did Amelia throw it, by any chance?” he continued. Carole looked miserable. Finally she nodded.
“I owe you an apology. It looks like I misjudged thesituation with Patch and Amelia. Will you please forgive me?” He solemnly held out his hand.
Carole shook it. To her surprise, tears came to her eyes. She felt so relieved.
Max looked around the room. “Lisa, Stevie, I should have listened to you, too. I’m very sorry.”
“It’s okay, Max,” Lisa said softly. She felt heartsick that things had gone this far. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Amelia knocked and came in.
Her eyes were still red from crying, but she had washed her face, brushed the dirt off her sweater, and retied the ribbons on her braids. “Max,” she said, as soon as she came into the room, “I’m very, very sorry for everything I did. I promise I’ll be much better, if only you let me ride again.” She smiled at him beseechingly. Her lower lip trembled.
Max didn’t smile back. “You should apologize to Stevie and Lisa and Carole,” he said. “Especially to Carole.”
Amelia turned and held her hands out to Carole. “I’m very sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about you.”
“You should apologize to Patch,” Carole said. “You scared him.”
Amelia nodded. “Okay, I will. Lisa, Stevie, I’m sorry, okay?” She turned to Max. “Now can I ride again? Please?”
“Why did you throw the bucket that spooked Patch?” Max asked.
Tears filled Amelia’s eyes, and one ran down her cheek. “I didn’t know he would act like that,” she said. “I thought he would just jump a little. I didn’t mean for all the horses to run! I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to ride Patch.”
“Patch is a good horse,” Max said firmly.
“I’m really sorry,” Amelia said.
Max drew in a heavy breath. “It’s not as easy as that,” he said. “Sometimes apologies are not enough. I misjudged The Saddle Club here, especially Carole, and I should not have, so I need to do something to make it up to them. They had earned my trust, and I should have trusted them.
“Riding is a privilege, not a right,” he continued. “Especially, riding at my barn is a privilege, and privileges, like trust, are something you earn.
“I should kick you out, Amelia. You scared Patch on purpose, and you were planning to ride a horse without my permission. Both of those are dangerous and should be enough to end your riding privileges here. But, as I said, I owe something to The Saddle Club, too.”
He sat back in his chair, and Carole thought she could
Amelia had thrown herself into a complete tantrum. She grabbed a box of hair supplies out of Veronica’s cubby andhurled it after Veronica’s boot. Before Max could reach her, she flung herself down on the floor, sobbing incoherently and kicking her feet like a two-year-old.
“Quiet!” Max roared. He hauled her to her feet. Amelia subsided into whimpering moans. “I said
quiet
!” She quit crying and gave Max a sulky look.
She doesn’t even look ashamed
, Lisa thought in amazement.
“Veronica, go check on Danny for a moment,” Max said. Veronica left in a flash, her eyebrows raised in disdainful astonishment. “Now, Amelia”—he put his face very close to hers—“if you
ever
want to ride here again, you will quit blubbering, wash your face, and report to my office in exactly two minutes. Now, scoot!” He gave her a little push out the door.
“As for you three …” Max straightened and suddenly looked weary. “Let’s go to my office.”
S TEVIE , C AROLE , AND L ISA slowly filed into Max’s office. Lisa felt drained. Just witnessing Amelia’s tantrum had sucked all the energy out of her. She would not be able to stand six more days of this. Max shut the door behind him, and they all looked at one another awkwardly.
“Please sit down,” Max said. “You didn’t drop that bucket, did you?” he asked Carole.
She shook her head.
“Did Amelia throw it, by any chance?” he continued. Carole looked miserable. Finally she nodded.
“I owe you an apology. It looks like I misjudged thesituation with Patch and Amelia. Will you please forgive me?” He solemnly held out his hand.
Carole shook it. To her surprise, tears came to her eyes. She felt so relieved.
Max looked around the room. “Lisa, Stevie, I should have listened to you, too. I’m very sorry.”
“It’s okay, Max,” Lisa said softly. She felt heartsick that things had gone this far. They sat in silence for a few moments, until Amelia knocked and came in.
Her eyes were still red from crying, but she had washed her face, brushed the dirt off her sweater, and retied the ribbons on her braids. “Max,” she said, as soon as she came into the room, “I’m very, very sorry for everything I did. I promise I’ll be much better, if only you let me ride again.” She smiled at him beseechingly. Her lower lip trembled.
Max didn’t smile back. “You should apologize to Stevie and Lisa and Carole,” he said. “Especially to Carole.”
Amelia turned and held her hands out to Carole. “I’m very sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about you.”
“You should apologize to Patch,” Carole said. “You scared him.”
Amelia nodded. “Okay, I will. Lisa, Stevie, I’m sorry, okay?” She turned to Max. “Now can I ride again? Please?”
“Why did you throw the bucket that spooked Patch?” Max asked.
Tears filled Amelia’s eyes, and one ran down her cheek. “I didn’t know he would act like that,” she said. “I thought he would just jump a little. I didn’t mean for all the horses to run! I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to ride Patch.”
“Patch is a good horse,” Max said firmly.
“I’m really sorry,” Amelia said.
Max drew in a heavy breath. “It’s not as easy as that,” he said. “Sometimes apologies are not enough. I misjudged The Saddle Club here, especially Carole, and I should not have, so I need to do something to make it up to them. They had earned my trust, and I should have trusted them.
“Riding is a privilege, not a right,” he continued. “Especially, riding at my barn is a privilege, and privileges, like trust, are something you earn.
“I should kick you out, Amelia. You scared Patch on purpose, and you were planning to ride a horse without my permission. Both of those are dangerous and should be enough to end your riding privileges here. But, as I said, I owe something to The Saddle Club, too.”
He sat back in his chair, and Carole thought she could
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