isn’t …”
“Is it my imagination, or is she looking right at a certain someone?” Carole whispered. All three of them glanced at Veronica, who was squirming slightly in her seat.
“I’ll also want to talk to each of you about your individual riding goals for the summer. So, I guess that’s about it. I’m really looking forward to being at Pine Hollow full-time,” Denise concluded.
When she had finished, everyone cheered again. Finally Max broke in, reminding them to bring in their signed parental permission forms.
As The Saddle Club left the office to go tack up, Stevie couldn’t resist one more chance to see if Max would rise to her bait. “Camp should be really fun,” she said casually, “although not as much fun as—say—taking a long sea voyage.” She glanced at Max to see how he would respond.
Max looked up from the camp sign-up list, a worried expression on his face. “Stevie, I have to say, you are talking more nonsense than usual today. Is anything bothering you?” he asked.
Stevie beamed at him. “Why, no, Max, nothing’s bothering
me
,” she said. She slipped quickly through the door to join Carole and Lisa in the tack room, where they were gathering up their saddles, bridles, and hard hats.
“Can you believe it? He wouldn’t admit a thing,” Stevie whispered.
“I know,” Lisa whispered back. “I didn’t know he could keep a secret like that.”
“What do you think about Denise teaching at camp?” Carole asked. “I’m so excited.”
“I think it’s great!” Stevie said. “It will make even less work for Max to worry about before he goes off on his romantic honeymoon cruise.”
“I don’t know,” Lisa said worriedly. “I feel bad for Red.”
“Red?” Carole repeated.
Lisa nodded. “Yes. It just shows that Max believes what Veronica’s been saying about him. Why else would he hire Denise?”
“You mean you think Max doesn’t trust Red to run things while he’s gone? Because of Veronica?” Carole asked, horrified.
“If he did, why wouldn’t he have made the usual announcement he makes—that Red is going to be his cocounselor?” Lisa said. “He didn’t even mention Red.”
A dark look crossed Stevie’s face. “But that’s totally unfair! I mean, Denise is great, but how could Max do that to Red?”
“I don’t know, but I think we should have a Saddle Club meeting at lunch,” Lisa said.
The girls agreed to meet at the knoll for lunch. Then they hustled to get to class on time.
“P HEW ! W HAT A workout!” Carole exclaimed an hour and a half later. She sat down beside Lisa and Stevie and got out her bag lunch.
“That was fantastic,” Lisa agreed. The lesson had focused on jumping, and Denise and Max had set up a stiff course that would really challenge the class. “I’m so happy that Prancer and I could keep up with the class,” Lisa added. In the past it had been frustrating for her and Prancer to jump with the more experienced riders, since both of them were green over fences. But now that she felt more confident, Lisa loved to jump.
“I’ll say you kept up—you were the only ones who did the in-and-out in one stride,” Carole said appreciatively.
“Really?” Lisa asked.
Carole nodded. An in-and-out was a two-jump combination. Max and Denise had set the two jumps fairly far apart to challenge the horses to stretch the stride in between. But a lot of the horses had simply put in two short strides.
After a minute, Lisa asked, “Didn’t you like the lesson, Stevie? Belle did so well, too.” Stevie had been noticeably silent as they walked out to the knoll.
“Oh, yes—I loved it, too,” Stevie replied. She paused, lost in thought. Finally she explained. “It’sjust that I kept thinking about what you said about Max picking Denise over Red, and I felt like I was betraying Red by enjoying the lesson.” She stared glumly at her peanut butter and jelly on white.
“I know what you mean,” Lisa replied. “I kept
“Is it my imagination, or is she looking right at a certain someone?” Carole whispered. All three of them glanced at Veronica, who was squirming slightly in her seat.
“I’ll also want to talk to each of you about your individual riding goals for the summer. So, I guess that’s about it. I’m really looking forward to being at Pine Hollow full-time,” Denise concluded.
When she had finished, everyone cheered again. Finally Max broke in, reminding them to bring in their signed parental permission forms.
As The Saddle Club left the office to go tack up, Stevie couldn’t resist one more chance to see if Max would rise to her bait. “Camp should be really fun,” she said casually, “although not as much fun as—say—taking a long sea voyage.” She glanced at Max to see how he would respond.
Max looked up from the camp sign-up list, a worried expression on his face. “Stevie, I have to say, you are talking more nonsense than usual today. Is anything bothering you?” he asked.
Stevie beamed at him. “Why, no, Max, nothing’s bothering
me
,” she said. She slipped quickly through the door to join Carole and Lisa in the tack room, where they were gathering up their saddles, bridles, and hard hats.
“Can you believe it? He wouldn’t admit a thing,” Stevie whispered.
“I know,” Lisa whispered back. “I didn’t know he could keep a secret like that.”
“What do you think about Denise teaching at camp?” Carole asked. “I’m so excited.”
“I think it’s great!” Stevie said. “It will make even less work for Max to worry about before he goes off on his romantic honeymoon cruise.”
“I don’t know,” Lisa said worriedly. “I feel bad for Red.”
“Red?” Carole repeated.
Lisa nodded. “Yes. It just shows that Max believes what Veronica’s been saying about him. Why else would he hire Denise?”
“You mean you think Max doesn’t trust Red to run things while he’s gone? Because of Veronica?” Carole asked, horrified.
“If he did, why wouldn’t he have made the usual announcement he makes—that Red is going to be his cocounselor?” Lisa said. “He didn’t even mention Red.”
A dark look crossed Stevie’s face. “But that’s totally unfair! I mean, Denise is great, but how could Max do that to Red?”
“I don’t know, but I think we should have a Saddle Club meeting at lunch,” Lisa said.
The girls agreed to meet at the knoll for lunch. Then they hustled to get to class on time.
“P HEW ! W HAT A workout!” Carole exclaimed an hour and a half later. She sat down beside Lisa and Stevie and got out her bag lunch.
“That was fantastic,” Lisa agreed. The lesson had focused on jumping, and Denise and Max had set up a stiff course that would really challenge the class. “I’m so happy that Prancer and I could keep up with the class,” Lisa added. In the past it had been frustrating for her and Prancer to jump with the more experienced riders, since both of them were green over fences. But now that she felt more confident, Lisa loved to jump.
“I’ll say you kept up—you were the only ones who did the in-and-out in one stride,” Carole said appreciatively.
“Really?” Lisa asked.
Carole nodded. An in-and-out was a two-jump combination. Max and Denise had set the two jumps fairly far apart to challenge the horses to stretch the stride in between. But a lot of the horses had simply put in two short strides.
After a minute, Lisa asked, “Didn’t you like the lesson, Stevie? Belle did so well, too.” Stevie had been noticeably silent as they walked out to the knoll.
“Oh, yes—I loved it, too,” Stevie replied. She paused, lost in thought. Finally she explained. “It’sjust that I kept thinking about what you said about Max picking Denise over Red, and I felt like I was betraying Red by enjoying the lesson.” She stared glumly at her peanut butter and jelly on white.
“I know what you mean,” Lisa replied. “I kept
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