finished, the other girls were deeply involved in a game of Monopoly, and Lisa had no problem sneaking out of the house undetected.
“That’s okay,” John assured her with a smile. “You’re worth waiting for.” Lisa and John began to stroll around thecorral toward the pasture beyond. They leaned on the fence and watched the herd for a while in silence. The sun was setting, and the sky on the horizon was streaked with a dozen different shades of pink, blue, and violet. The peaceful horses were silhouetted against this breathtaking background, and Lisa thought she could watch the scene forever.
In fact, Lisa was so taken in by the beauty of the Western landscape before her that she almost forgot that John was at her side. However, when he put his arm around her, she had trouble concentrating on the scenery.
After a few minutes one of the horses broke away from the herd and started frisking around the edges. “Oh, look, it’s Chocolate! Doesn’t she look pretty?” Lisa exclaimed.
“Not as pretty as you,” John countered.
Lisa wasn’t sure quite what to say to that, so she just smiled. As she looked up at John, it seemed the most natural thing in the world that he should lean over and kiss her. It was a warm, lingering kiss, and it was nicer than Lisa had imagined a simple kiss could be.
“That was nice,” Lisa whispered when it ended.
John smiled his agreement. He leaned toward her for another kiss, but before their lips met, a sharp whinny startled them apart. They looked up to see Stewball standing at the fence, staring at them quizzically.
“Oops,” John said. “I think I know what he wants.” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a couple of sugar lumps. Stewball whinnied again and stretched hisneck out to take them from John’s palm. “I swear this crazy horse can smell sugar a mile away,” John added.
Lisa laughed. “It figures,” she said. “Since Stevie isn’t here to interrupt us in person, Stewball decided to do it for her.”
John chuckled, too, obviously remembering the times Stevie had barged in on their conversations in the past. He reached out to pat Stewball and his face grew serious. “We’re really going to miss this fella around here.”
“You know, I hadn’t really thought of that,” Lisa said. “I was just excited that Stevie is finally getting her own dream horse. But I guess you’ll miss having Stewball around for roundups and that kind of thing, won’t you?”
“Well, that wasn’t really what I was thinking,” John replied. “I just meant that we’ll miss his zany sense of horse humor. There are plenty of other horses to take his place here as far as the work is concerned. In that respect The Bar None will only miss Stewball a little—but I’m afraid old Stewball will miss The Bar None a lot.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa asked. “I’m sure he’ll like Pine Hollow just as well once he gets used to it.”
John shook his head. “I’m not so sure. I think this land and this way of life are in Stewball’s blood. He belongs here in the West, at The Bar None. Stevie shouldn’t be taking him to Virginia.”
Lisa took a step backward. “Well, I think you’re wrong,” she said defensively. She couldn’t believe this was the same boy who had just kissed her so tenderly. He obviously wasn’tthinking about Stevie’s feelings at all. “All that matters is that Stewball will have an owner who’s crazy about him and will take good care of him. That’s what’s important.”
“I was afraid you’d feel that way,” John said. “But I figured it was worth mentioning to you. I was hoping to convince you to try to talk her out of it.”
“You were what?” Lisa couldn’t believe her ears. “Was that why you asked me to meet you here? To talk about
Stevie?
” She stared at him for a moment before whirling on her heel and storming away.
Tears came to her eyes, making it difficult for her to see where she was going. When she was
“That’s okay,” John assured her with a smile. “You’re worth waiting for.” Lisa and John began to stroll around thecorral toward the pasture beyond. They leaned on the fence and watched the herd for a while in silence. The sun was setting, and the sky on the horizon was streaked with a dozen different shades of pink, blue, and violet. The peaceful horses were silhouetted against this breathtaking background, and Lisa thought she could watch the scene forever.
In fact, Lisa was so taken in by the beauty of the Western landscape before her that she almost forgot that John was at her side. However, when he put his arm around her, she had trouble concentrating on the scenery.
After a few minutes one of the horses broke away from the herd and started frisking around the edges. “Oh, look, it’s Chocolate! Doesn’t she look pretty?” Lisa exclaimed.
“Not as pretty as you,” John countered.
Lisa wasn’t sure quite what to say to that, so she just smiled. As she looked up at John, it seemed the most natural thing in the world that he should lean over and kiss her. It was a warm, lingering kiss, and it was nicer than Lisa had imagined a simple kiss could be.
“That was nice,” Lisa whispered when it ended.
John smiled his agreement. He leaned toward her for another kiss, but before their lips met, a sharp whinny startled them apart. They looked up to see Stewball standing at the fence, staring at them quizzically.
“Oops,” John said. “I think I know what he wants.” He reached into the pocket of his jeans and pulled out a couple of sugar lumps. Stewball whinnied again and stretched hisneck out to take them from John’s palm. “I swear this crazy horse can smell sugar a mile away,” John added.
Lisa laughed. “It figures,” she said. “Since Stevie isn’t here to interrupt us in person, Stewball decided to do it for her.”
John chuckled, too, obviously remembering the times Stevie had barged in on their conversations in the past. He reached out to pat Stewball and his face grew serious. “We’re really going to miss this fella around here.”
“You know, I hadn’t really thought of that,” Lisa said. “I was just excited that Stevie is finally getting her own dream horse. But I guess you’ll miss having Stewball around for roundups and that kind of thing, won’t you?”
“Well, that wasn’t really what I was thinking,” John replied. “I just meant that we’ll miss his zany sense of horse humor. There are plenty of other horses to take his place here as far as the work is concerned. In that respect The Bar None will only miss Stewball a little—but I’m afraid old Stewball will miss The Bar None a lot.”
“What do you mean?” Lisa asked. “I’m sure he’ll like Pine Hollow just as well once he gets used to it.”
John shook his head. “I’m not so sure. I think this land and this way of life are in Stewball’s blood. He belongs here in the West, at The Bar None. Stevie shouldn’t be taking him to Virginia.”
Lisa took a step backward. “Well, I think you’re wrong,” she said defensively. She couldn’t believe this was the same boy who had just kissed her so tenderly. He obviously wasn’tthinking about Stevie’s feelings at all. “All that matters is that Stewball will have an owner who’s crazy about him and will take good care of him. That’s what’s important.”
“I was afraid you’d feel that way,” John said. “But I figured it was worth mentioning to you. I was hoping to convince you to try to talk her out of it.”
“You were what?” Lisa couldn’t believe her ears. “Was that why you asked me to meet you here? To talk about
Stevie?
” She stared at him for a moment before whirling on her heel and storming away.
Tears came to her eyes, making it difficult for her to see where she was going. When she was
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