tenants.”
“Yes, let’s,” Stevie agreed, tossing her head as she brushed past Veronica. “Excuse us, Veronica. We’ve got an important responsibility to take care of. Oh, but I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” She stuck her nose in the air and sauntered after Max.
As she followed, Lisa felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was already exhausted from rushing over after school, taking care of Honeybee, and figuring out what to do with Mr. Munch. The Saddle Club still had to fit in training sessions for Memphis and Romeo, as well as take care of their own horses, before they left for the day.
Carole was thinking the same thing. Stevie had really gone too far this time. They were having trouble dealing with three extra horses, and one of those was a fat old mare that didn’t even have to be ridden. There was no way they could handle six spirited, highly trained polo ponies on top of that, no matter how much Max was willing to pay them. But how could they tell him that now, when he was counting on them? She was pretty sure he had only agreed to Stevie’s crazy plan because he didn’t realize how much extra work the girls had already taken on. He knew they were taking care of Honeybee, but she suspected he might have forgotten about Romeo and Memphis. That wasn’t like him—but then again, Max had been doing a lot of things that weren’t like him lately. Carole’s stomach growled, and she sighed. It looked as if dinner was going to be awfully late that night.
* * *
T HE SIGHT OF the polo ponies temporarily took Carole’s and Lisa’s minds off their troubles. As the younger of the two grooms who had come with the horses led the first one off the van, the girls gasped. The horse was a compact, athletic-looking bay. As Max took the lead rope and led it into the barn, the girls admired the polo pony’s strong, quick gait.
“Wow,” Stevie said.
“You can say that again,” Carole agreed. She hurried forward to take the next horse from the young groom. This one was black with white front stockings that reached almost to his knees. He looked as though he had some Arabian blood in him, and he also looked lively and curious.
The rest of the polo ponies were just as gorgeous. There were three more bays, each glossier and more muscular than the last. The girls took turns leading the horses into the stable and putting them into stalls under Max’s direction. Meanwhile Veronica leaned against a fence nearby, watching everything with a disgruntled look on her face.
As the young groom led the last horse, a sleek gray, off the van, Max excused himself and went inside to ask Red to bring down some straw for the visitors’ stalls.
“They’re pretty great, aren’t they?” said the young groom, a slim man in his early twenties, when he noticed Lisa admiring the gray.
“They sure are,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “I can’t decide which one is my favorite.”
The groom laughed. “I can’t either,” he said. He held out his hand. “By the way, my name’s Mick Bonner.”
“I’m Lisa Atwood,” Lisa replied, shaking his hand. She called over her friends, who had just returned from inside, and introduced them to Mick.
“It must be great to work with such beautiful horses all the time,” Carole said, stroking the gray’s sleek neck.
“All horses are beautiful,” Mick replied, sounding a little like Carole. He grinned. “These just happen to be more expensive than most.”
Lisa gulped, her nervousness returning. She hoped Stevie realized what she’d gotten them into.
“Well, they’re really wonderful,” Carole said. “It’ll be an honor to help take care of them.”
“Do you work here?” Mick asked.
“Uh, not exactly,” Lisa said. “Max is a little shorthanded right now, so he hired us to take care of these horses for him while they’re here.”
“We’re very experienced,” Stevie added quickly.
But Mick didn’t seem worried.
“Yes, let’s,” Stevie agreed, tossing her head as she brushed past Veronica. “Excuse us, Veronica. We’ve got an important responsibility to take care of. Oh, but I guess you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” She stuck her nose in the air and sauntered after Max.
As she followed, Lisa felt a sinking sensation in the pit of her stomach. She was already exhausted from rushing over after school, taking care of Honeybee, and figuring out what to do with Mr. Munch. The Saddle Club still had to fit in training sessions for Memphis and Romeo, as well as take care of their own horses, before they left for the day.
Carole was thinking the same thing. Stevie had really gone too far this time. They were having trouble dealing with three extra horses, and one of those was a fat old mare that didn’t even have to be ridden. There was no way they could handle six spirited, highly trained polo ponies on top of that, no matter how much Max was willing to pay them. But how could they tell him that now, when he was counting on them? She was pretty sure he had only agreed to Stevie’s crazy plan because he didn’t realize how much extra work the girls had already taken on. He knew they were taking care of Honeybee, but she suspected he might have forgotten about Romeo and Memphis. That wasn’t like him—but then again, Max had been doing a lot of things that weren’t like him lately. Carole’s stomach growled, and she sighed. It looked as if dinner was going to be awfully late that night.
* * *
T HE SIGHT OF the polo ponies temporarily took Carole’s and Lisa’s minds off their troubles. As the younger of the two grooms who had come with the horses led the first one off the van, the girls gasped. The horse was a compact, athletic-looking bay. As Max took the lead rope and led it into the barn, the girls admired the polo pony’s strong, quick gait.
“Wow,” Stevie said.
“You can say that again,” Carole agreed. She hurried forward to take the next horse from the young groom. This one was black with white front stockings that reached almost to his knees. He looked as though he had some Arabian blood in him, and he also looked lively and curious.
The rest of the polo ponies were just as gorgeous. There were three more bays, each glossier and more muscular than the last. The girls took turns leading the horses into the stable and putting them into stalls under Max’s direction. Meanwhile Veronica leaned against a fence nearby, watching everything with a disgruntled look on her face.
As the young groom led the last horse, a sleek gray, off the van, Max excused himself and went inside to ask Red to bring down some straw for the visitors’ stalls.
“They’re pretty great, aren’t they?” said the young groom, a slim man in his early twenties, when he noticed Lisa admiring the gray.
“They sure are,” she agreed wholeheartedly. “I can’t decide which one is my favorite.”
The groom laughed. “I can’t either,” he said. He held out his hand. “By the way, my name’s Mick Bonner.”
“I’m Lisa Atwood,” Lisa replied, shaking his hand. She called over her friends, who had just returned from inside, and introduced them to Mick.
“It must be great to work with such beautiful horses all the time,” Carole said, stroking the gray’s sleek neck.
“All horses are beautiful,” Mick replied, sounding a little like Carole. He grinned. “These just happen to be more expensive than most.”
Lisa gulped, her nervousness returning. She hoped Stevie realized what she’d gotten them into.
“Well, they’re really wonderful,” Carole said. “It’ll be an honor to help take care of them.”
“Do you work here?” Mick asked.
“Uh, not exactly,” Lisa said. “Max is a little shorthanded right now, so he hired us to take care of these horses for him while they’re here.”
“We’re very experienced,” Stevie added quickly.
But Mick didn’t seem worried.
Similar Books
