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Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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expression at having to carry Rose Marie Ambrosia Lee was pure indignance. “I thought you were going to do something,” Lisa whispered to Stevie.
“Worried?” Stevie asked nonchalantly.
“Yeah. Worried that Rose Marie might want to try a trot,” Lisa returned.
“Wait, she’s getting off. Look,” Carole said. The three of them looked. Having made one trip around the ring at a slow walk, Rose Marie seemed to have made up her mind. She slithered to the ground and came over to the girls.
“I’ve just about made up my mind, so unless there’s any problem with the vet check, I’ll—” Rose Marie started to say.
“Oh, we’re so happy that you like Garnet!” Stevie gushed. “You know, I don’t know if we mentioned this, but she even has parade experience.”
“You’re joshing me,” Rose Marie said.
Stevie shook her head. “Nope. It’s the truth. Last summer, at the—the—”
“The Founder’s Day Parade!” Lisa blurted out.
“Right, it was the Founder’s Day Parade,” Stevie continued,shooting a look of gratitude at Lisa. “Anyway, Veronica, Garnet’s owner, was riding her and they just looked great. Of course, when Garnet took off, Veronica’s hair got a little mussed, but—”
“Took off? Why did she take off?” Rose Marie demanded.
Carole jumped in to back up Stevie. “She kept spooking at the people on the sidelines and finally she just went crazy, I guess, and she took off and—”
“—and ended up trampling a float of senior citizens and war veterans, but it wasn’t that bad because only a few of them were injured, and Veronica only got a minor concussion, so you know what they say, all’s well that ends well,” Stevie finished triumphantly. “So, as I was saying, we’re so happy that—”
Rose Marie held up a green-nailed hand. “Listen, kids, I think I’m going to have to think this one over. Sorry about that. It’s just that I don’t want to do anything hasty, you know what I mean? But look, thanks a lot, and I’ll be in touch.”
Stevie, Lisa, and Carole shook Rose Marie’s hand and forced themselves to be silent while the woman made her way from the ring. When she was safely gone, they each breathed a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know whether I should cheer that we avertedanother disaster or cry that we’re back to square one,” Carole said.
“I’d cheer if I were you,” Stevie said, her eyes lighting up.
“You would?” Carole asked.
“Naturally. You wouldn’t want to get all puffy-eyed before your date with Cam,” Stevie teased, ducking as Carole brandished a crop at her.
E VEN THOUGH S TEVIE had been kidding, Carole quickly checked her appearance in the ladies’ room mirror at TD’s while she waited for Cam. She pulled a little piece of straw from her hair and tucked in her shirt. She didn’t look half bad for having come right from Pine Hollow.
In her eagerness to be on time, Carole had arrived ten minutes early. A few seconds after she sat down at a booth, Cam walked in. Carole waved him over. “Guess we’re both running early today, huh?” she asked.
“Hi, Carole; yeah, I guess we are,” Cam said, sitting down with her.
Although he greeted her warmly, Carole noticed that Cam looked distracted, even solemn. For a few minutes the conversation was awkward. To have something to say, Carole began to tell him about all the people who had come to Pine Hollow to look at Garnet. She described Rose Marie,Jimmy Jones, and then Katie Miller, whom they had liked so much.
“But she sounds perfect,” Cam said, perking up.
“She is perfect. The problem is that Garnet was anything but. Katie was the first person who saw her and Garnet looked terrible and acted worse. Katie still liked her, but her parents didn’t want to buy their daughter a neglected-looking horse who acted up,” Carole concluded.
“So what you have to do now is find another Katie, right?” Cam asked.
Carole nodded. “Yes, but there’s a catch.” Briefly she
“Worried?” Stevie asked nonchalantly.
“Yeah. Worried that Rose Marie might want to try a trot,” Lisa returned.
“Wait, she’s getting off. Look,” Carole said. The three of them looked. Having made one trip around the ring at a slow walk, Rose Marie seemed to have made up her mind. She slithered to the ground and came over to the girls.
“I’ve just about made up my mind, so unless there’s any problem with the vet check, I’ll—” Rose Marie started to say.
“Oh, we’re so happy that you like Garnet!” Stevie gushed. “You know, I don’t know if we mentioned this, but she even has parade experience.”
“You’re joshing me,” Rose Marie said.
Stevie shook her head. “Nope. It’s the truth. Last summer, at the—the—”
“The Founder’s Day Parade!” Lisa blurted out.
“Right, it was the Founder’s Day Parade,” Stevie continued,shooting a look of gratitude at Lisa. “Anyway, Veronica, Garnet’s owner, was riding her and they just looked great. Of course, when Garnet took off, Veronica’s hair got a little mussed, but—”
“Took off? Why did she take off?” Rose Marie demanded.
Carole jumped in to back up Stevie. “She kept spooking at the people on the sidelines and finally she just went crazy, I guess, and she took off and—”
“—and ended up trampling a float of senior citizens and war veterans, but it wasn’t that bad because only a few of them were injured, and Veronica only got a minor concussion, so you know what they say, all’s well that ends well,” Stevie finished triumphantly. “So, as I was saying, we’re so happy that—”
Rose Marie held up a green-nailed hand. “Listen, kids, I think I’m going to have to think this one over. Sorry about that. It’s just that I don’t want to do anything hasty, you know what I mean? But look, thanks a lot, and I’ll be in touch.”
Stevie, Lisa, and Carole shook Rose Marie’s hand and forced themselves to be silent while the woman made her way from the ring. When she was safely gone, they each breathed a sigh of relief.
“I don’t know whether I should cheer that we avertedanother disaster or cry that we’re back to square one,” Carole said.
“I’d cheer if I were you,” Stevie said, her eyes lighting up.
“You would?” Carole asked.
“Naturally. You wouldn’t want to get all puffy-eyed before your date with Cam,” Stevie teased, ducking as Carole brandished a crop at her.
E VEN THOUGH S TEVIE had been kidding, Carole quickly checked her appearance in the ladies’ room mirror at TD’s while she waited for Cam. She pulled a little piece of straw from her hair and tucked in her shirt. She didn’t look half bad for having come right from Pine Hollow.
In her eagerness to be on time, Carole had arrived ten minutes early. A few seconds after she sat down at a booth, Cam walked in. Carole waved him over. “Guess we’re both running early today, huh?” she asked.
“Hi, Carole; yeah, I guess we are,” Cam said, sitting down with her.
Although he greeted her warmly, Carole noticed that Cam looked distracted, even solemn. For a few minutes the conversation was awkward. To have something to say, Carole began to tell him about all the people who had come to Pine Hollow to look at Garnet. She described Rose Marie,Jimmy Jones, and then Katie Miller, whom they had liked so much.
“But she sounds perfect,” Cam said, perking up.
“She is perfect. The problem is that Garnet was anything but. Katie was the first person who saw her and Garnet looked terrible and acted worse. Katie still liked her, but her parents didn’t want to buy their daughter a neglected-looking horse who acted up,” Carole concluded.
“So what you have to do now is find another Katie, right?” Cam asked.
Carole nodded. “Yes, but there’s a catch.” Briefly she
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