cautiously as Carole walked Samson forward. “We didn’t want to rush him, you know.”
“Of course not,” Max replied, his eyes on the colt.
After a couple of steps, Samson snorted and then dug his toes in. Carole clucked loudly. “Come on, Samson. Wa-alk, wa-alk. Good boy, walk on,” she chirped.
In response, Samson lunged forward, stopped deadagain, and reached his head around to nip at the sides of the saddle in annoyance.
“How long has he been doing that?” Max asked.
“Doing what?” said Lisa, feigning innocence.
“Biting at the saddle like that.”
“Oh, that,” she replied with relief. “Only since this morning. It’s one of his newer—” All at once Lisa stopped herself, realizing how terrible what she’d said sounded. She had just admitted to Max that Samson was developing
new
bad habits.
Max nodded and said nothing more while Carole attempted to lead Samson in a circle. The colt bowed away from her playfully. When she came around again, Max motioned her over. Lisa didn’t dare say anything. She waited while Max cleared his throat.
“Girls, I wanted to tell you that I appreciate all the time you’ve been putting in with the colt, but—”
“But he’s not usually this bad!” Carole interrupted with a cry.
“She’s right, Max. By the end of yesterday, he was working well,” Lisa chimed in. She didn’t bother to add that by that point they’d taken both the saddle and bridle off.
Max half smiled at the girls’ fervent responses. Then he cleared his throat again. “Listen, what I’m about tosay has nothing to do with you. That might be hard to understand right now, but it’s true. It’s just that Mr. Grover happens to be swinging by tonight to pick up a horse a couple of miles down the road, so I’ve arranged for him to get Samson at the same time. If you want to say good-bye to him, you can bandage him and load him onto the van when it comes.”
Carole stared in shock as she struggled to catch her breath. She hadn’t heard what Max said past the word “tonight.” It just couldn’t be true! How could he take Samson away from his home just like that?
“Max, please! We’ll work with him all the time. We’ll come in the mornings before school—” Carole cried.
Max put a hand up to stop her plea. “Carole, my mind is made up. Samson belongs at Mr. Grover’s right now. And you two have been spending too much time away from your own horses as it is. I don’t think I’ve seen you two on Starlight and Prancer in days, have I? Besides,” he added, dropping his voice to a gentler tone, “it’s not simply a question of how much time you put in.”
Carole couldn’t answer. Her face burned and her throat felt tight. She was afraid she was going to burst into tears any minute, and she clenched her hands trying to keep them back. There was only one solution: They had to find a way to get Samson past his stirrup problem
right away.
She swallowed hard. The minute Max left the ring, she turned to Lisa. “We’ll solve it right now. We have to,” she urged.
Lisa looked at her searchingly. “Carole, you know that in a couple of hours we can’t—” she began.
“Look, Lisa, are you with me or not?” Carole demanded in a strangled voice.
Lisa stared at Carole, completely taken aback. She had never seen her friend look so upset. Carole’s face was heated, and she obviously wanted to cry. But the strangest thing was the panicked look in her eyes. In her heart of hearts, Lisa knew it was a lost cause. But she couldn’t desert her friend—not when Carole looked so fragile that she might break any minute. “I’m with you, Carole,” she said quietly.
“Lisa, you won’t regret it. We can keep Cobalt here where he belongs,” Carole responded eagerly.
Lisa paused for a second to see if Carole would realize her slip and correct “Cobalt” to “Samson.” When she didn’t, Lisa put a comforting arm around her friend. “Sure, Carole,” she said. “We’ll do
“Of course not,” Max replied, his eyes on the colt.
After a couple of steps, Samson snorted and then dug his toes in. Carole clucked loudly. “Come on, Samson. Wa-alk, wa-alk. Good boy, walk on,” she chirped.
In response, Samson lunged forward, stopped deadagain, and reached his head around to nip at the sides of the saddle in annoyance.
“How long has he been doing that?” Max asked.
“Doing what?” said Lisa, feigning innocence.
“Biting at the saddle like that.”
“Oh, that,” she replied with relief. “Only since this morning. It’s one of his newer—” All at once Lisa stopped herself, realizing how terrible what she’d said sounded. She had just admitted to Max that Samson was developing
new
bad habits.
Max nodded and said nothing more while Carole attempted to lead Samson in a circle. The colt bowed away from her playfully. When she came around again, Max motioned her over. Lisa didn’t dare say anything. She waited while Max cleared his throat.
“Girls, I wanted to tell you that I appreciate all the time you’ve been putting in with the colt, but—”
“But he’s not usually this bad!” Carole interrupted with a cry.
“She’s right, Max. By the end of yesterday, he was working well,” Lisa chimed in. She didn’t bother to add that by that point they’d taken both the saddle and bridle off.
Max half smiled at the girls’ fervent responses. Then he cleared his throat again. “Listen, what I’m about tosay has nothing to do with you. That might be hard to understand right now, but it’s true. It’s just that Mr. Grover happens to be swinging by tonight to pick up a horse a couple of miles down the road, so I’ve arranged for him to get Samson at the same time. If you want to say good-bye to him, you can bandage him and load him onto the van when it comes.”
Carole stared in shock as she struggled to catch her breath. She hadn’t heard what Max said past the word “tonight.” It just couldn’t be true! How could he take Samson away from his home just like that?
“Max, please! We’ll work with him all the time. We’ll come in the mornings before school—” Carole cried.
Max put a hand up to stop her plea. “Carole, my mind is made up. Samson belongs at Mr. Grover’s right now. And you two have been spending too much time away from your own horses as it is. I don’t think I’ve seen you two on Starlight and Prancer in days, have I? Besides,” he added, dropping his voice to a gentler tone, “it’s not simply a question of how much time you put in.”
Carole couldn’t answer. Her face burned and her throat felt tight. She was afraid she was going to burst into tears any minute, and she clenched her hands trying to keep them back. There was only one solution: They had to find a way to get Samson past his stirrup problem
right away.
She swallowed hard. The minute Max left the ring, she turned to Lisa. “We’ll solve it right now. We have to,” she urged.
Lisa looked at her searchingly. “Carole, you know that in a couple of hours we can’t—” she began.
“Look, Lisa, are you with me or not?” Carole demanded in a strangled voice.
Lisa stared at Carole, completely taken aback. She had never seen her friend look so upset. Carole’s face was heated, and she obviously wanted to cry. But the strangest thing was the panicked look in her eyes. In her heart of hearts, Lisa knew it was a lost cause. But she couldn’t desert her friend—not when Carole looked so fragile that she might break any minute. “I’m with you, Carole,” she said quietly.
“Lisa, you won’t regret it. We can keep Cobalt here where he belongs,” Carole responded eagerly.
Lisa paused for a second to see if Carole would realize her slip and correct “Cobalt” to “Samson.” When she didn’t, Lisa put a comforting arm around her friend. “Sure, Carole,” she said. “We’ll do
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