scheduled for this morning.”
Carole’s eyebrows rose. “ ‘Scheduled’?” she mouthed behind Chad’s back.
“Thank you, Chad,” Lisa continued. “I’m sure you’ve made a difference. She may not have gotten better, but at least she hasn’t gotten any worse.”
Carole turned away. Lisa and Chad could see her shoulders quivering. “I’m sorry,” Carole said, choking.
“She’ll be okay,” Chad said, desperately trying to comfort Carole. He’d certainly never seen Carole Hanson cry!
“I’ll watch her now,” Lisa commanded. “You two go.” She had to get Carole out of here before she ruined everything. Carole was just about to explode with laughter.
Chad heard the urgency in Lisa’s voice and understood that she didn’t want Carole upset any further. “Let’s go,” he said gently. He put his hand on Carole’s shoulder and guided her down the aisle. Carole, overcome, covered her face with her hands.
Lisa steeled herself against a similar outburst.
It wouldn’t be so funny
, she thought,
if he weren’t swallowing
everything, hook, line, and sinker.
They had Chad completely in their power. She grabbed a brush and began to clean the dirt off Belle.
“I T ’ LL BE OKAY ,” Chad repeated for perhaps the hundredth time as they walked up the sidewalk toward the Lakes’ house. Carole nodded. She still didn’t trust herself to speak.
“Look,” Chad continued, pointing to the second story of the house, “there’s Stevie waving.”
Carole waved back. As they came closer, she could see the anxious expression on Stevie’s face. Stevie opened her window and sailed a paper airplane down.
Chad looked over Carole’s shoulder as she unfolded it.
Why a vet?
the note said.
Is Belle sick?
Chad looked at Carole. Carole felt her stomach drop. What could she possibly say? She didn’t want to make Stevie think there was something wrong with Belle—she knew how much it would worry Stevie. And yet Chad was watching. So far, he believed them.
Carole bit her lip. Finally she called up to the window, “She’s not eating.”
Carole hoped Stevie would be content with that much of an explanation, but she didn’t really expect that she would be. After all, if something was wrong with Starlight, Carole would demand to know all the details.So Carole wasn’t really surprised when, a moment later, a second airplane flew out of Stevie’s window.
Colic?
it read.
Carole shrugged unhappily. Chad watched her, his hands on his hips. “We’re afraid it might be,” Carole said at last, even though her heart was breaking at the thought of what she was doing to Stevie. Stevie gasped. She shut her eyes, slammed the window down, and backed away, disappearing from view.
“You didn’t have a choice,” Chad told Carole solemnly. “She deserves to know the truth.”
Carole walked miserably back to Pine Hollow. Stevie deserved the truth, all right—and Carole had told her a lie.
Chad walked into his house. He stopped in the entryway. Even from so far away, he could hear his sister’s sobs.
“L ISA ?” M AX STUCK HIS HEAD out of his office door just as Lisa walked into the stable. “Did you remember that Judy’s coming to do Belle’s teeth this morning?”
“Of course,” Lisa said. “That’s why I’m here so early. Carole and I are both going to help.”
Max smiled. “Great. I’ve got an early lesson, so I can’t attend to it, though I’m sure my mom or Red could have if you two couldn’t. But it’s a good chance to learn something, especially since you said you’d never seen teeth floated before.”
Lisa grimaced. “It seems like everything is a goodchance to learn something,” she complained. “I never quit learning!”
Max came out of his office. He crossed his arms and spoke to her seriously. “I agree it gets frustrating sometimes,” he said. “But I think one of the truly wonderful things about horses is that they’ve always got something new to teach us, if we stay willing
Carole’s eyebrows rose. “ ‘Scheduled’?” she mouthed behind Chad’s back.
“Thank you, Chad,” Lisa continued. “I’m sure you’ve made a difference. She may not have gotten better, but at least she hasn’t gotten any worse.”
Carole turned away. Lisa and Chad could see her shoulders quivering. “I’m sorry,” Carole said, choking.
“She’ll be okay,” Chad said, desperately trying to comfort Carole. He’d certainly never seen Carole Hanson cry!
“I’ll watch her now,” Lisa commanded. “You two go.” She had to get Carole out of here before she ruined everything. Carole was just about to explode with laughter.
Chad heard the urgency in Lisa’s voice and understood that she didn’t want Carole upset any further. “Let’s go,” he said gently. He put his hand on Carole’s shoulder and guided her down the aisle. Carole, overcome, covered her face with her hands.
Lisa steeled herself against a similar outburst.
It wouldn’t be so funny
, she thought,
if he weren’t swallowing
everything, hook, line, and sinker.
They had Chad completely in their power. She grabbed a brush and began to clean the dirt off Belle.
“I T ’ LL BE OKAY ,” Chad repeated for perhaps the hundredth time as they walked up the sidewalk toward the Lakes’ house. Carole nodded. She still didn’t trust herself to speak.
“Look,” Chad continued, pointing to the second story of the house, “there’s Stevie waving.”
Carole waved back. As they came closer, she could see the anxious expression on Stevie’s face. Stevie opened her window and sailed a paper airplane down.
Chad looked over Carole’s shoulder as she unfolded it.
Why a vet?
the note said.
Is Belle sick?
Chad looked at Carole. Carole felt her stomach drop. What could she possibly say? She didn’t want to make Stevie think there was something wrong with Belle—she knew how much it would worry Stevie. And yet Chad was watching. So far, he believed them.
Carole bit her lip. Finally she called up to the window, “She’s not eating.”
Carole hoped Stevie would be content with that much of an explanation, but she didn’t really expect that she would be. After all, if something was wrong with Starlight, Carole would demand to know all the details.So Carole wasn’t really surprised when, a moment later, a second airplane flew out of Stevie’s window.
Colic?
it read.
Carole shrugged unhappily. Chad watched her, his hands on his hips. “We’re afraid it might be,” Carole said at last, even though her heart was breaking at the thought of what she was doing to Stevie. Stevie gasped. She shut her eyes, slammed the window down, and backed away, disappearing from view.
“You didn’t have a choice,” Chad told Carole solemnly. “She deserves to know the truth.”
Carole walked miserably back to Pine Hollow. Stevie deserved the truth, all right—and Carole had told her a lie.
Chad walked into his house. He stopped in the entryway. Even from so far away, he could hear his sister’s sobs.
“L ISA ?” M AX STUCK HIS HEAD out of his office door just as Lisa walked into the stable. “Did you remember that Judy’s coming to do Belle’s teeth this morning?”
“Of course,” Lisa said. “That’s why I’m here so early. Carole and I are both going to help.”
Max smiled. “Great. I’ve got an early lesson, so I can’t attend to it, though I’m sure my mom or Red could have if you two couldn’t. But it’s a good chance to learn something, especially since you said you’d never seen teeth floated before.”
Lisa grimaced. “It seems like everything is a goodchance to learn something,” she complained. “I never quit learning!”
Max came out of his office. He crossed his arms and spoke to her seriously. “I agree it gets frustrating sometimes,” he said. “But I think one of the truly wonderful things about horses is that they’ve always got something new to teach us, if we stay willing
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