joked.
Stevie laughed, too, recalling her own misconceptions when she’d first met Christine.
“First stop, Pine Hollow,” Max announced. “I’ll drop you all off there with your saddles, and I’ll take the luggage back to my house. Stevie, you’re the tour guide. Take everybody around. Have a good time!”
Stevie, Christine, and Kate helped the boys unload their saddles. Kate and Christine took out their luggage as well. Then they all waved goodbye to Max. The boys laughed when they saw that he was actually only driving about twenty extra feet to get to the driveway of his house.
“
Andiamo!
” Stevie announced brightly, finally remembering a useful Italian phrase. What she’d said was, “Let’s go.”
“Very good. Your Italian has improved tremendously already!” Marco teased.
Stevie didn’t mind being teased. She had a feeling that everything was going to go just fine from here on out.
Stevie led the way through the stable, showing the boys the tack room first so they could put down their saddles. She was proud of Pine Hollow and pleased at the chance to show it off to her new friends. She walked down the main walkway with them and introduced them to some of her favorite horses, including Topside, who had had a distinguished career as a show horse. One of the boys would no doubt be riding him for the demonstration. She also showed them Starlight, Delilah, a pretty palomino, and her colt, Samson. They all admired Samson’s mane and his beautiful sleek black coat.
Stevie enjoyed showing Christine and the boys everything on the tour, but her very favorite part was when she got to show them Veronica diAngelo. It seemed that Veronica had found it necessary to groom Garnet that afternoon. Veronica had never done any work at all in her life if she could help it. Stevie knew perfectly well that she was just there to look at the boys and to show off. Veronica was decked out in her newest, most fashionable, and most expensive, riding outfit. Garnet was also groomed and gleaming.
“Oh, Veronica,” Stevie said sweetly. “I’m glad you’re here. I was so afraid I would miss the opportunity to introduce you to Enrico, Andre, Gian, and Marco.”
Veronica tried to look up at the boys as if she hadn’teven known they were coming, but she gave herself away when her jaw dropped. The color rose in her face. Although it appeared to be red, Stevie was certain that underneath it all, it was green. Veronica was so jealous, she could hardly speak. Stevie just loved it!
Stevie waved casually to Veronica. “See you around,” she said sweetly. Veronica had still not managed to utter a syllable by the time Stevie and her troop rounded the corner to the indoor ring.
When they’d finished their tour of the stable, including the feed room, tack room, locker area, and schooling rings, Stevie knew it was time to get her plan back into action.
“Next stop?” Enrico asked.
“The hospital,” Stevie told them.
Six sets of eyes looked at her with concern, to say nothing of confusion.
“Well, there are a few things I need to tell you about,” she began.
“H AVE YOU SEEN Stevie?” a girl whom Carole didn’t know asked her.
“Not since this morning,” Carole said. She tried to keep the sharpness out of her voice, but she was getting a little annoyed. She had arrived at the fairground right after school. Stevie and her schoolmates had gotten the day off from school to help set up the fair, but as far as Carole could see, Stevie was nowhere in sight.
Carole stood in the open yard of the hospital grounds. A school fair was slowly growing before her eyes. All around her, wooden booths were being assembled, bolted together and decorated. An oval path had been laid out to one side for the pony cart rides for the hospital patients.
Lisa approached her. “Have you got a hammer?” she asked.
“I loaned it to somebody—I don’t know his name—about half an hour ago,” Carole replied. “That’s the trouble, you
Stevie laughed, too, recalling her own misconceptions when she’d first met Christine.
“First stop, Pine Hollow,” Max announced. “I’ll drop you all off there with your saddles, and I’ll take the luggage back to my house. Stevie, you’re the tour guide. Take everybody around. Have a good time!”
Stevie, Christine, and Kate helped the boys unload their saddles. Kate and Christine took out their luggage as well. Then they all waved goodbye to Max. The boys laughed when they saw that he was actually only driving about twenty extra feet to get to the driveway of his house.
“
Andiamo!
” Stevie announced brightly, finally remembering a useful Italian phrase. What she’d said was, “Let’s go.”
“Very good. Your Italian has improved tremendously already!” Marco teased.
Stevie didn’t mind being teased. She had a feeling that everything was going to go just fine from here on out.
Stevie led the way through the stable, showing the boys the tack room first so they could put down their saddles. She was proud of Pine Hollow and pleased at the chance to show it off to her new friends. She walked down the main walkway with them and introduced them to some of her favorite horses, including Topside, who had had a distinguished career as a show horse. One of the boys would no doubt be riding him for the demonstration. She also showed them Starlight, Delilah, a pretty palomino, and her colt, Samson. They all admired Samson’s mane and his beautiful sleek black coat.
Stevie enjoyed showing Christine and the boys everything on the tour, but her very favorite part was when she got to show them Veronica diAngelo. It seemed that Veronica had found it necessary to groom Garnet that afternoon. Veronica had never done any work at all in her life if she could help it. Stevie knew perfectly well that she was just there to look at the boys and to show off. Veronica was decked out in her newest, most fashionable, and most expensive, riding outfit. Garnet was also groomed and gleaming.
“Oh, Veronica,” Stevie said sweetly. “I’m glad you’re here. I was so afraid I would miss the opportunity to introduce you to Enrico, Andre, Gian, and Marco.”
Veronica tried to look up at the boys as if she hadn’teven known they were coming, but she gave herself away when her jaw dropped. The color rose in her face. Although it appeared to be red, Stevie was certain that underneath it all, it was green. Veronica was so jealous, she could hardly speak. Stevie just loved it!
Stevie waved casually to Veronica. “See you around,” she said sweetly. Veronica had still not managed to utter a syllable by the time Stevie and her troop rounded the corner to the indoor ring.
When they’d finished their tour of the stable, including the feed room, tack room, locker area, and schooling rings, Stevie knew it was time to get her plan back into action.
“Next stop?” Enrico asked.
“The hospital,” Stevie told them.
Six sets of eyes looked at her with concern, to say nothing of confusion.
“Well, there are a few things I need to tell you about,” she began.
“H AVE YOU SEEN Stevie?” a girl whom Carole didn’t know asked her.
“Not since this morning,” Carole said. She tried to keep the sharpness out of her voice, but she was getting a little annoyed. She had arrived at the fairground right after school. Stevie and her schoolmates had gotten the day off from school to help set up the fair, but as far as Carole could see, Stevie was nowhere in sight.
Carole stood in the open yard of the hospital grounds. A school fair was slowly growing before her eyes. All around her, wooden booths were being assembled, bolted together and decorated. An oval path had been laid out to one side for the pony cart rides for the hospital patients.
Lisa approached her. “Have you got a hammer?” she asked.
“I loaned it to somebody—I don’t know his name—about half an hour ago,” Carole replied. “That’s the trouble, you
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