idea of Lisa being drawn into their problems. Lisa was older than she was, but in some ways she seemed younger. When it came to friends, other than her Saddle Club friends, Lisa could be impressionable. She’d get an idea in her head about how wonderful somebody was, and then no matter how wonderful that person
wasn’t
, it took Lisa a long time to stop being nice. A lot of the problem was that Lisa was such a nice person herself. Some of it, in this case, was that Lisa just didn’t see that Amy was using Seth and Seth was using Lisa.
Then it dawned on Stevie that Lisa could be in trouble. As long as she was part of Amy’s schemes, eventhrough Seth, it was dangerous because Amy was dangerous. Stevie wanted to help Lisa, but Stevie knew from experience that just telling her to stay away from Seth and Amy wasn’t going to do it. This, Stevie realized, was going to have to be a Saddle Club project. It was a good thing so many people on the trip were in the Saddle Club. With Carole’s help, plus Kate’s and Christine’s, she’d do whatever she had to do to make Lisa see that Amy and Seth were bad news.
Stevie sighed with relief, her breath a little puff of steam in front of her. Now all she had to do was find a way to talk to Carole alone.
C AROLE STOWED B ERRY ’ S saddle for the night and looked around the campsite for her next chore. Everywhere people were working busily. The day’s ride had been wonderful but long, going all the way up, and then back down, the mountain. All the riders were ready for an early supper and a good night’s sleep.
“Give me a hand, will you, Carole?” Stevie asked.
“Sure,” Carole responded wearily before she even knew what Stevie wanted her to do. “I’m never too tired to help a friend, except maybe now, but you’re a
good
friend. How can I help?”
“I think Stewball picked up a stone. I want to check his hooves.”
Carole willingly followed Stevie out of the campsite to the temporary corral but realized quickly that something odd was going on. Stevie was the best stone picker at Pine Hollow There was no way she needed help.
“What’s up?” Carole asked. “I mean, I know you don’t need me to help you with a stone in your horse’s shoe. That’s the lamest excuse—pardon the pun—you ever came up with. Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, I’m going to remind you how long I’ve been riding and how tired I am.”
“No joke. It’s about Lisa,” Stevie began, shaking her head with concern. “I think we’ve got a Saddle Club project on our hands, and I needed to talk to you alone.”
“Lisa? What’s the matter?” When it came to friends, there was no such thing as being too tired. Carole was wide awake.
“It’s not so much Lisa as it is Seth and Amy, really. They’ve drawn Lisa into their problems, and Lisa just doesn’t see how they use each other. Now they’re using Lisa, too.”
“I noticed,” Carole agreed. “Everytime Seth runs to help Amy, Lisa runs to help Seth—even when nobody really needs help.”
“Correction,” Stevie said. “Both of them need help, but not the kind Lisa can give them.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Carole said.
“Me neither, but we’ve got to do something.”
When they arrived at the corral, they stood and looked at the horses. Somehow they always seemed to be inspirational, just like The Saddle Club.
“I could look at horses for hours,” Stevie remarked.
“I could, too,” Carole agreed, gazing across the field. “They are so—” Carole stopped and stared at the small herd. Her eyes caught something, and she wasn’t sure what it was.
“What’s the matter?” Stevie asked, suddenly alarmed.
“I don’t know,” Carole said. “But look at the horses; something’s wrong.”
Stevie turned and looked, too. There were all the horses, now gathered in a small area of the field, as if for the protection of the group. All of them looked very alert, ears turning this way and that,
wasn’t
, it took Lisa a long time to stop being nice. A lot of the problem was that Lisa was such a nice person herself. Some of it, in this case, was that Lisa just didn’t see that Amy was using Seth and Seth was using Lisa.
Then it dawned on Stevie that Lisa could be in trouble. As long as she was part of Amy’s schemes, eventhrough Seth, it was dangerous because Amy was dangerous. Stevie wanted to help Lisa, but Stevie knew from experience that just telling her to stay away from Seth and Amy wasn’t going to do it. This, Stevie realized, was going to have to be a Saddle Club project. It was a good thing so many people on the trip were in the Saddle Club. With Carole’s help, plus Kate’s and Christine’s, she’d do whatever she had to do to make Lisa see that Amy and Seth were bad news.
Stevie sighed with relief, her breath a little puff of steam in front of her. Now all she had to do was find a way to talk to Carole alone.
C AROLE STOWED B ERRY ’ S saddle for the night and looked around the campsite for her next chore. Everywhere people were working busily. The day’s ride had been wonderful but long, going all the way up, and then back down, the mountain. All the riders were ready for an early supper and a good night’s sleep.
“Give me a hand, will you, Carole?” Stevie asked.
“Sure,” Carole responded wearily before she even knew what Stevie wanted her to do. “I’m never too tired to help a friend, except maybe now, but you’re a
good
friend. How can I help?”
“I think Stewball picked up a stone. I want to check his hooves.”
Carole willingly followed Stevie out of the campsite to the temporary corral but realized quickly that something odd was going on. Stevie was the best stone picker at Pine Hollow There was no way she needed help.
“What’s up?” Carole asked. “I mean, I know you don’t need me to help you with a stone in your horse’s shoe. That’s the lamest excuse—pardon the pun—you ever came up with. Is this some kind of joke? Because if it is, I’m going to remind you how long I’ve been riding and how tired I am.”
“No joke. It’s about Lisa,” Stevie began, shaking her head with concern. “I think we’ve got a Saddle Club project on our hands, and I needed to talk to you alone.”
“Lisa? What’s the matter?” When it came to friends, there was no such thing as being too tired. Carole was wide awake.
“It’s not so much Lisa as it is Seth and Amy, really. They’ve drawn Lisa into their problems, and Lisa just doesn’t see how they use each other. Now they’re using Lisa, too.”
“I noticed,” Carole agreed. “Everytime Seth runs to help Amy, Lisa runs to help Seth—even when nobody really needs help.”
“Correction,” Stevie said. “Both of them need help, but not the kind Lisa can give them.”
“I don’t know what to do,” Carole said.
“Me neither, but we’ve got to do something.”
When they arrived at the corral, they stood and looked at the horses. Somehow they always seemed to be inspirational, just like The Saddle Club.
“I could look at horses for hours,” Stevie remarked.
“I could, too,” Carole agreed, gazing across the field. “They are so—” Carole stopped and stared at the small herd. Her eyes caught something, and she wasn’t sure what it was.
“What’s the matter?” Stevie asked, suddenly alarmed.
“I don’t know,” Carole said. “But look at the horses; something’s wrong.”
Stevie turned and looked, too. There were all the horses, now gathered in a small area of the field, as if for the protection of the group. All of them looked very alert, ears turning this way and that,
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