her arm. “Wait!”
The three of them froze as Max walked out into the driveway. “If he recognizes Samson, the jig is up!” Stevie muttered. Carole elbowed her to be quiet. Behind them a door was shut. Mr. Grover emerged from the truck. “All set? Oh, hi, Max. We’re just getting loaded up.”
“So I see. I didn’t realize you had another horse in tow.”
To keep from laughing nervously, Stevie focused intently on Gold Dust.
“Yeah, I’m taking this guy home. He’s been at summer camp,” said Mr. Grover, not missing a beat.
“Then, girls, hop to it!” Max ordered. “Get those bandages on Gold Dust so Mr. Grover can get out of here.”
“Right!” Carole said, sprinting for the barn.
In a matter of minutes Gold Dust was ready to join Samson in the trailer. Max offered to help them load the horse. “Oh, no,” Stevie said, “let us do it. You go on talking to Mr. Grover.” Carole stood so that she blockedSamson from view, Stevie put Gold Dust on board, and Lisa raised the ramp in a jiffy.
“You guys go with Mr. Grover!” Stevie urged. “I’ll stay behind to distract Max.”
“Deal!” Carole and Lisa whispered.
Stevie came out from behind the trailer. “Okay, Max.
Now
can I ask my question?”
Max threw up his hands good-naturedly. He said good-bye to Mr. Grover and followed Stevie toward the barn.
Ten minutes later, as the trailer rumbled slowly down the driveway, Carole let out a sigh of relief. “Phew! Now that we’ve stolen Samson, riding him should be a piece of cake!” she joked.
Lisa chewed her lip worriedly. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I guess you’re right.”
“… SO WHEN I put my arm like this, my leg should slide back like that, but only if my head is turned in the opposite direction—”
“Stevie?” Max interrupted. “You’ve been explaining this new position for ten minutes. I still have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Why don’t you just stick to the riding positions outlined in the official manual of the United States Pony Club, okay? I think they should serve your purposes nicely.”
“Okay,” Stevie said, untwisting her arms and legs from the bizarre position they were in. By then she thought Mr. Grover and his cargo should be well out of sight. “I’ll do that, Max.”
Max let out a weary sigh. “Good. And now I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Stevie inquired, tagging along toward Max’s office. “Lisa and Carole are gone on a trail ride, so I said I’d stay behind in case anything urgent came up here.”
Max gave her a funny look. “That’s very kind of you, Stevie. I appreciate all the work you’ve been doing, too. But I don’t expect you to miss riding to help me, you know.”
“But I wanted to, Max!” Stevie protested. “Honest!”
They had come to the door of Max’s office. Max stepped through it. Stevie attempted to follow him, but Max barred the way. “Stevie,” he said. He looked her in the eyes. “For heaven’s sakes, go find something else to do!”
Stevie smiled wanly. “Okay, Max. If you’re sure—”
“I’m sure!” The door shut abruptly in Stevie’s face.
“Excellent,” Stevie murmured to herself. “He’ll be too scared to come out now.”
With Max taken care of, at least temporarily, Stevie looked around for something to do. It didn’t take her long. “Something” materialized in the form of some
one
—VeronicadiAngelo, busy tacking up Danny on the cross-ties. Stevie eyed her prey from down the aisle. She was about to move forward for the pounce when she had a better idea. Quickly she got Belle out of her stall.
“Hello, beautiful,” Stevie crooned. “Ready for some A.M. espionage? Nothing like a horse for camouflage,” she muttered under her breath. Belle snorted in reply.
Putting a dejected expression on her face, Stevie led Belle out to the cross-ties closest to Danny. “Oh. Hi,” she said glumly to Veronica, as if
The three of them froze as Max walked out into the driveway. “If he recognizes Samson, the jig is up!” Stevie muttered. Carole elbowed her to be quiet. Behind them a door was shut. Mr. Grover emerged from the truck. “All set? Oh, hi, Max. We’re just getting loaded up.”
“So I see. I didn’t realize you had another horse in tow.”
To keep from laughing nervously, Stevie focused intently on Gold Dust.
“Yeah, I’m taking this guy home. He’s been at summer camp,” said Mr. Grover, not missing a beat.
“Then, girls, hop to it!” Max ordered. “Get those bandages on Gold Dust so Mr. Grover can get out of here.”
“Right!” Carole said, sprinting for the barn.
In a matter of minutes Gold Dust was ready to join Samson in the trailer. Max offered to help them load the horse. “Oh, no,” Stevie said, “let us do it. You go on talking to Mr. Grover.” Carole stood so that she blockedSamson from view, Stevie put Gold Dust on board, and Lisa raised the ramp in a jiffy.
“You guys go with Mr. Grover!” Stevie urged. “I’ll stay behind to distract Max.”
“Deal!” Carole and Lisa whispered.
Stevie came out from behind the trailer. “Okay, Max.
Now
can I ask my question?”
Max threw up his hands good-naturedly. He said good-bye to Mr. Grover and followed Stevie toward the barn.
Ten minutes later, as the trailer rumbled slowly down the driveway, Carole let out a sigh of relief. “Phew! Now that we’ve stolen Samson, riding him should be a piece of cake!” she joked.
Lisa chewed her lip worriedly. “Yeah,” she said quietly. “I guess you’re right.”
“… SO WHEN I put my arm like this, my leg should slide back like that, but only if my head is turned in the opposite direction—”
“Stevie?” Max interrupted. “You’ve been explaining this new position for ten minutes. I still have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about. Why don’t you just stick to the riding positions outlined in the official manual of the United States Pony Club, okay? I think they should serve your purposes nicely.”
“Okay,” Stevie said, untwisting her arms and legs from the bizarre position they were in. By then she thought Mr. Grover and his cargo should be well out of sight. “I’ll do that, Max.”
Max let out a weary sigh. “Good. And now I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Is there anything I can do to help you?” Stevie inquired, tagging along toward Max’s office. “Lisa and Carole are gone on a trail ride, so I said I’d stay behind in case anything urgent came up here.”
Max gave her a funny look. “That’s very kind of you, Stevie. I appreciate all the work you’ve been doing, too. But I don’t expect you to miss riding to help me, you know.”
“But I wanted to, Max!” Stevie protested. “Honest!”
They had come to the door of Max’s office. Max stepped through it. Stevie attempted to follow him, but Max barred the way. “Stevie,” he said. He looked her in the eyes. “For heaven’s sakes, go find something else to do!”
Stevie smiled wanly. “Okay, Max. If you’re sure—”
“I’m sure!” The door shut abruptly in Stevie’s face.
“Excellent,” Stevie murmured to herself. “He’ll be too scared to come out now.”
With Max taken care of, at least temporarily, Stevie looked around for something to do. It didn’t take her long. “Something” materialized in the form of some
one
—VeronicadiAngelo, busy tacking up Danny on the cross-ties. Stevie eyed her prey from down the aisle. She was about to move forward for the pounce when she had a better idea. Quickly she got Belle out of her stall.
“Hello, beautiful,” Stevie crooned. “Ready for some A.M. espionage? Nothing like a horse for camouflage,” she muttered under her breath. Belle snorted in reply.
Putting a dejected expression on her face, Stevie led Belle out to the cross-ties closest to Danny. “Oh. Hi,” she said glumly to Veronica, as if
Similar Books
