he’s had a chance to look around and get his bearings, he’s fine.”
They reached the empty stall. “Here we are,” Stevie said. She swung open the door, expecting to see exactly what she’d seen in the other five stalls—the wooden floor swept clean, the walls scrubbed and spotless, and an overturned water bucket near the door, ready for use. She saw all that in this stall, but this time there was something extra as well. A large wire cage sat square in the middle of the stall—and perched atop it, lazy eyes half closed, was a large, green, scaly iguana.
Stevie glanced over her shoulder at Mick and saw his eyes widen. But the groom didn’t say a word. He just backed Tempest up a little so the lizard was out of the nervous horse’s view and continued talking to him soothingly.
Suddenly the horse’s ears flicked backward, and a second later Stevie and Mick heard Luke and Max coming toward them. Luke was complaining to Max about how long it was taking to get the horses settled.
Stevie jumped into the stall and grabbed the iguana. She had no idea whose it was or how it had gotten there, but she could figure that out later. Right now the important thing was to make sure Luke didn’t see it. She shoved the sleepy lizard under onearm, grabbed the empty cage, and hurried out of the stall. She managed to duck around the corner and into the tack room just in the nick of time. Quickly shoving the iguana into its cage, she snapped the door shut and then hurried back to the others.
“What on earth is taking so long, Bonner?” Luke snapped as Stevie returned.
“You know how Tempest gets in a new place, Luke,” Mick replied mildly. “You’ve got to take him in slowly.” Ignoring the older man, he turned his attention back to the horse and led him into the stall. Tempest went calmly and immediately began snuffling at the walls around him.
Stevie grabbed the water bucket. “I’ll go take care of this,” she said.
“I think you might want to take care of putting some straw down on the floor before that,” Luke said rudely. “I can’t believe it wasn’t done before we got here.”
“The other girls are dealing with that right now,” Max said firmly. “And Stevie will be going to help them—
after
she fills the water bucket.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Well,” he drawled in a sarcastic tone, “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but I think I might just stop by tomorrow and make sure the nags have settled in okay. I’m responsible for them, you know, and I’m sure my boss wouldn’t want me to leave them somewhere if I wasn’t a hundred percent satisfied it was all right.”
Max nodded. “Of course, you’re more than welcome to stop in to check on your horses anytime,” he said stiffly. “Although I can assure you—”
“Hey, Luke, didn’t you say something about going to a ball game tomorrow?” Mick broke in.
“Oh, yeah,” Luke said with a frown. “I almost forgot.”
“If you want, I could stop by for you,” Mick offered. “I’m not doing anything special tomorrow.”
Luke seemed to consider the young man’s offer for a second. Then he shook his head. “No, that won’t work. I’m head groom. It’s my responsibility. I guess it’ll just have to wait until Sunday. I’ve had these tickets for months. There’s no way I’m passing up this game—especially not while I’m supposed to be on vacation.”
“Sunday it is, then,” Max said, heading for the entrance. “Allow me to show you the way out. And don’t worry about a thing. Your horses are in good hands here.”
“I can see that they are,” Mick said politely. But Luke just grunted in reply.
Stevie watched them go, then quickly filled the water bucket and hung it in Tempest’s stall. She found Carole and Lisa a few minutes later, hauling bales of straw toward one of the other polo ponies’ stalls.
“Um, listen, guys,” Stevie said. “Is there anything you’ve forgotten to tell me today? You know,
They reached the empty stall. “Here we are,” Stevie said. She swung open the door, expecting to see exactly what she’d seen in the other five stalls—the wooden floor swept clean, the walls scrubbed and spotless, and an overturned water bucket near the door, ready for use. She saw all that in this stall, but this time there was something extra as well. A large wire cage sat square in the middle of the stall—and perched atop it, lazy eyes half closed, was a large, green, scaly iguana.
Stevie glanced over her shoulder at Mick and saw his eyes widen. But the groom didn’t say a word. He just backed Tempest up a little so the lizard was out of the nervous horse’s view and continued talking to him soothingly.
Suddenly the horse’s ears flicked backward, and a second later Stevie and Mick heard Luke and Max coming toward them. Luke was complaining to Max about how long it was taking to get the horses settled.
Stevie jumped into the stall and grabbed the iguana. She had no idea whose it was or how it had gotten there, but she could figure that out later. Right now the important thing was to make sure Luke didn’t see it. She shoved the sleepy lizard under onearm, grabbed the empty cage, and hurried out of the stall. She managed to duck around the corner and into the tack room just in the nick of time. Quickly shoving the iguana into its cage, she snapped the door shut and then hurried back to the others.
“What on earth is taking so long, Bonner?” Luke snapped as Stevie returned.
“You know how Tempest gets in a new place, Luke,” Mick replied mildly. “You’ve got to take him in slowly.” Ignoring the older man, he turned his attention back to the horse and led him into the stall. Tempest went calmly and immediately began snuffling at the walls around him.
Stevie grabbed the water bucket. “I’ll go take care of this,” she said.
“I think you might want to take care of putting some straw down on the floor before that,” Luke said rudely. “I can’t believe it wasn’t done before we got here.”
“The other girls are dealing with that right now,” Max said firmly. “And Stevie will be going to help them—
after
she fills the water bucket.”
Luke rolled his eyes. “Well,” he drawled in a sarcastic tone, “I hope you won’t take this the wrong way, but I think I might just stop by tomorrow and make sure the nags have settled in okay. I’m responsible for them, you know, and I’m sure my boss wouldn’t want me to leave them somewhere if I wasn’t a hundred percent satisfied it was all right.”
Max nodded. “Of course, you’re more than welcome to stop in to check on your horses anytime,” he said stiffly. “Although I can assure you—”
“Hey, Luke, didn’t you say something about going to a ball game tomorrow?” Mick broke in.
“Oh, yeah,” Luke said with a frown. “I almost forgot.”
“If you want, I could stop by for you,” Mick offered. “I’m not doing anything special tomorrow.”
Luke seemed to consider the young man’s offer for a second. Then he shook his head. “No, that won’t work. I’m head groom. It’s my responsibility. I guess it’ll just have to wait until Sunday. I’ve had these tickets for months. There’s no way I’m passing up this game—especially not while I’m supposed to be on vacation.”
“Sunday it is, then,” Max said, heading for the entrance. “Allow me to show you the way out. And don’t worry about a thing. Your horses are in good hands here.”
“I can see that they are,” Mick said politely. But Luke just grunted in reply.
Stevie watched them go, then quickly filled the water bucket and hung it in Tempest’s stall. She found Carole and Lisa a few minutes later, hauling bales of straw toward one of the other polo ponies’ stalls.
“Um, listen, guys,” Stevie said. “Is there anything you’ve forgotten to tell me today? You know,
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