Stevie.”
Lisa nodded. She had realized, belatedly, that John had been trying to tell her exactly the same thing Kate was telling them now. She also realized that they both might very well be right—and if that was true, then she definitely owed John an apology. “That’s not going to be easy. You know how she is when her mind is made up. We’ll have to be careful about how to approach her.”
“I take it you agree, then?” Kate asked.
“I was half-convinced before I came in here,” Lisa admitted. Before her friends had a chance to ask her what that meant, she offered a suggestion. “There’s only one way to do it. We have to make Stevie think it’s
her
idea.”
“Definitely,” Carole agreed. “But how?”
“Maybe the wilderness camp-out will be a good time,” Kate said.
“Agreed,” Carole said. “But what should we do?”
“Well, I—”
Whatever Kate had been about to say was interrupted by Stevie’s arrival. Stevie came rushing into the bunkhouse, letting the door slam shut behind her. She was practically bouncing with excitement, and the words rushed out of her mouth so fast that the others had trouble following them.
“I talked to my parents,” Stevie gushed. “They’re such wonderful parents, did I ever mention that? Well they are. I mean I know I complain about them sometimes, but really, how many parents would buy their daughter her very own horse? Not that I don’t deserve it or anything, I mean I’ve wanted one for ages and they did buy Chad that mountain bike which was really expensive, and Alex has his own computer and a really great stereo, but still, it’s great that they just agreed to it without me even begging much at all. I think they really understood when I explained how special Stewball is and what a great opportunity it is to be able to buy him. I think Max did too—did I tell you I spoke to Max?—and I think he’s excited to meet him, although of course with Max it’s hard to tell.…”
Stevie chattered on excitedly while she started to change into her nightclothes. When she stuck her head into the bathroom to look for her hairbrush, Kate leaned over toward the others.
“Let’s meet before breakfast to figure out a plan,” she whispered.
Lisa and Carole nodded. Then they all settled back for another long conversation about Stewball. Only this time their hearts weren’t really in it. Plan or no plan, they couldn’t imagine how they were going to be able to get Stevie to change her mind about buying Stewball—without breaking her heart.
T HE FOLLOWING MORNING after breakfast the girls headed toward the barn to pick up their saddles and bridles and the other equipment they would need for the camp-out. Lisa looked around as she and her friends saddled up their horses, hoping John would come out to help, but for once he was nowhere to be found. His father, Walter, was helping them instead.
“Where’s John this morning?” Lisa asked him in what she hoped was a casual voice.
“He’s with the herd, checking out the horses that’ll be sold at the auction,” Walter replied.
“Oh.” Lisa was disappointed. She had hoped to have a chance to talk with John and apologize for her behavior the night before. But it looked as though that would have to wait until after the camp-out. She sighed and decided to tryto put the whole incident out of her head. Instead she thought about the plan she, Carole, and Kate had come up with earlier that morning. She just hoped it would work.
“Come on, lazybones, let’s get a move on!” Kate shouted playfully to Lisa. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.”
“Coming!” Lisa quickly finished getting ready. The others were already mounted and waiting outside the corral.
When Lisa had joined them, they started off across the desert to Christine’s house. There they found Christine waiting on her horse, Arrow. Her dog, Dude, was with her.
When Stevie spotted the dog, she dismounted and hurried to greet him.
Lisa nodded. She had realized, belatedly, that John had been trying to tell her exactly the same thing Kate was telling them now. She also realized that they both might very well be right—and if that was true, then she definitely owed John an apology. “That’s not going to be easy. You know how she is when her mind is made up. We’ll have to be careful about how to approach her.”
“I take it you agree, then?” Kate asked.
“I was half-convinced before I came in here,” Lisa admitted. Before her friends had a chance to ask her what that meant, she offered a suggestion. “There’s only one way to do it. We have to make Stevie think it’s
her
idea.”
“Definitely,” Carole agreed. “But how?”
“Maybe the wilderness camp-out will be a good time,” Kate said.
“Agreed,” Carole said. “But what should we do?”
“Well, I—”
Whatever Kate had been about to say was interrupted by Stevie’s arrival. Stevie came rushing into the bunkhouse, letting the door slam shut behind her. She was practically bouncing with excitement, and the words rushed out of her mouth so fast that the others had trouble following them.
“I talked to my parents,” Stevie gushed. “They’re such wonderful parents, did I ever mention that? Well they are. I mean I know I complain about them sometimes, but really, how many parents would buy their daughter her very own horse? Not that I don’t deserve it or anything, I mean I’ve wanted one for ages and they did buy Chad that mountain bike which was really expensive, and Alex has his own computer and a really great stereo, but still, it’s great that they just agreed to it without me even begging much at all. I think they really understood when I explained how special Stewball is and what a great opportunity it is to be able to buy him. I think Max did too—did I tell you I spoke to Max?—and I think he’s excited to meet him, although of course with Max it’s hard to tell.…”
Stevie chattered on excitedly while she started to change into her nightclothes. When she stuck her head into the bathroom to look for her hairbrush, Kate leaned over toward the others.
“Let’s meet before breakfast to figure out a plan,” she whispered.
Lisa and Carole nodded. Then they all settled back for another long conversation about Stewball. Only this time their hearts weren’t really in it. Plan or no plan, they couldn’t imagine how they were going to be able to get Stevie to change her mind about buying Stewball—without breaking her heart.
T HE FOLLOWING MORNING after breakfast the girls headed toward the barn to pick up their saddles and bridles and the other equipment they would need for the camp-out. Lisa looked around as she and her friends saddled up their horses, hoping John would come out to help, but for once he was nowhere to be found. His father, Walter, was helping them instead.
“Where’s John this morning?” Lisa asked him in what she hoped was a casual voice.
“He’s with the herd, checking out the horses that’ll be sold at the auction,” Walter replied.
“Oh.” Lisa was disappointed. She had hoped to have a chance to talk with John and apologize for her behavior the night before. But it looked as though that would have to wait until after the camp-out. She sighed and decided to tryto put the whole incident out of her head. Instead she thought about the plan she, Carole, and Kate had come up with earlier that morning. She just hoped it would work.
“Come on, lazybones, let’s get a move on!” Kate shouted playfully to Lisa. “We’ve got a lot of ground to cover today.”
“Coming!” Lisa quickly finished getting ready. The others were already mounted and waiting outside the corral.
When Lisa had joined them, they started off across the desert to Christine’s house. There they found Christine waiting on her horse, Arrow. Her dog, Dude, was with her.
When Stevie spotted the dog, she dismounted and hurried to greet him.
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