Veronica led Danny into the paddock.
“We’re ready,” Veronica announced, standing impatiently with one hand on her hip.
Stevie looked up and frowned. “Where’s Belle?”
“I don’t know. In her stall, I suppose,” snapped Veronica.
“You were supposed to bring her out, too, Veronica. A team of horses implies that there will be more than one horse.”
“So?”
Stevie felt her face heating up with anger. “So go get Belle now, like you promised, while I finish with this tack.”
“Oh, whatever.” Veronica unclipped Danny’s leadline and walked slowly back to the stable. A few moments later she came out with Belle walking beside her. “Here’s your beast, Stevie,” she said, flipping the lead rope in Stevie’s direction.
“Thanks,” Stevie muttered, giving Belle a reassuring pat on the neck.
If there’s any beast in this paddock
, she thought,
it walks on two legs and answers to the name of Veronica
. She took a deep breath and whispered the word
patience
three times.
“Why don’t we try to get them into this harness first?” Stevie suggested. “All this stuff needs to fit properly.” She held up one bridle. “This goes on the horse who pulls on the right.”
“Well, that will have to be Belle,” Veronica sniffed.
“Why?” asked Stevie.
“Because the left horse is the lead horse, and Danny needs to be the lead horse.”
“Why?” Stevie asked again.
“Because he’s high-strung. He needs to lead.”
Stevie frowned. “If he’s that high-strung, maybe he should follow. He might spook being in the lead.”
“If he’s not in the lead, he probably won’t pull at all,” Veronica warned.
“He can’t help but pull, if Belle’s in the lead and she’s pulling, too.”
“It doesn’t work like that.” Veronica turned her mouth down in a stubborn line.
“How do you know? How many wagons have you driven?”
Veronica’s green eyes flashed. “About as many as you have.”
Stevie took another deep breath and whispered
patience
again. “Well, why don’t we just try longeing them together like this and see what happens?”
“I don’t see the point in longeing them if they aren’t going to pull the wagon in the same way.”
“Well, then, let’s get the rest of the tack adjusted on them,” Stevie suggested. “Then we can decide who pulls where.”
“Oh, all right.” Veronica walked over and looked at the tack Stevie had cleaned. She picked through it, choosing the best pieces for Danny and leaving the more worn bits for Belle.
“Hey!” cried Stevie. “Let’s divide this up more equally. It’s not fair for Danny to have all the best pieces.”
“Why not?” asked Veronica. “He’s obviously the best horse.”
Stevie opened her mouth to give Veronica a large dose of her opinion about Danny when Max’s voice rang out.
“Veronica!” he called, cupping his hands around his mouth. “You’ve got a call in the office! They said it was important.”
“Thanks,” Veronica replied. She tossed Danny’s lead rope to Stevie. “Here. You can hold him till I get back.”
Seething with anger, Stevie watched as Veronica hurried into the stable and Max sauntered over to the fence.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
Stevie led both horses over to him. “Max, Veronica has just hit a new low in being the most obnoxious person at this stable. She won’t cooperate over anything. Danny has to lead. Danny has to have the best tack. Danny can’t be bothered with longeing with Belle. I don’t think this partnership is going to work!”
“Oh, I bet it can,” Max replied calmly.
“No, it won’t. Not when Veronica acts like the biggest, most stubborn jerk who’s ever pulled on riding boots!” Stevie’s voice rose so high that Belle jumped.
“Well, did you ever think it might not be much fun to be Veronica? You don’t know what’s going on in her life right now.” Max frowned at her. “Stevie, you shouldn’t judge people until you’ve ridden a mile in
“We’re ready,” Veronica announced, standing impatiently with one hand on her hip.
Stevie looked up and frowned. “Where’s Belle?”
“I don’t know. In her stall, I suppose,” snapped Veronica.
“You were supposed to bring her out, too, Veronica. A team of horses implies that there will be more than one horse.”
“So?”
Stevie felt her face heating up with anger. “So go get Belle now, like you promised, while I finish with this tack.”
“Oh, whatever.” Veronica unclipped Danny’s leadline and walked slowly back to the stable. A few moments later she came out with Belle walking beside her. “Here’s your beast, Stevie,” she said, flipping the lead rope in Stevie’s direction.
“Thanks,” Stevie muttered, giving Belle a reassuring pat on the neck.
If there’s any beast in this paddock
, she thought,
it walks on two legs and answers to the name of Veronica
. She took a deep breath and whispered the word
patience
three times.
“Why don’t we try to get them into this harness first?” Stevie suggested. “All this stuff needs to fit properly.” She held up one bridle. “This goes on the horse who pulls on the right.”
“Well, that will have to be Belle,” Veronica sniffed.
“Why?” asked Stevie.
“Because the left horse is the lead horse, and Danny needs to be the lead horse.”
“Why?” Stevie asked again.
“Because he’s high-strung. He needs to lead.”
Stevie frowned. “If he’s that high-strung, maybe he should follow. He might spook being in the lead.”
“If he’s not in the lead, he probably won’t pull at all,” Veronica warned.
“He can’t help but pull, if Belle’s in the lead and she’s pulling, too.”
“It doesn’t work like that.” Veronica turned her mouth down in a stubborn line.
“How do you know? How many wagons have you driven?”
Veronica’s green eyes flashed. “About as many as you have.”
Stevie took another deep breath and whispered
patience
again. “Well, why don’t we just try longeing them together like this and see what happens?”
“I don’t see the point in longeing them if they aren’t going to pull the wagon in the same way.”
“Well, then, let’s get the rest of the tack adjusted on them,” Stevie suggested. “Then we can decide who pulls where.”
“Oh, all right.” Veronica walked over and looked at the tack Stevie had cleaned. She picked through it, choosing the best pieces for Danny and leaving the more worn bits for Belle.
“Hey!” cried Stevie. “Let’s divide this up more equally. It’s not fair for Danny to have all the best pieces.”
“Why not?” asked Veronica. “He’s obviously the best horse.”
Stevie opened her mouth to give Veronica a large dose of her opinion about Danny when Max’s voice rang out.
“Veronica!” he called, cupping his hands around his mouth. “You’ve got a call in the office! They said it was important.”
“Thanks,” Veronica replied. She tossed Danny’s lead rope to Stevie. “Here. You can hold him till I get back.”
Seething with anger, Stevie watched as Veronica hurried into the stable and Max sauntered over to the fence.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
Stevie led both horses over to him. “Max, Veronica has just hit a new low in being the most obnoxious person at this stable. She won’t cooperate over anything. Danny has to lead. Danny has to have the best tack. Danny can’t be bothered with longeing with Belle. I don’t think this partnership is going to work!”
“Oh, I bet it can,” Max replied calmly.
“No, it won’t. Not when Veronica acts like the biggest, most stubborn jerk who’s ever pulled on riding boots!” Stevie’s voice rose so high that Belle jumped.
“Well, did you ever think it might not be much fun to be Veronica? You don’t know what’s going on in her life right now.” Max frowned at her. “Stevie, you shouldn’t judge people until you’ve ridden a mile in
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