looks with Carole. They were thinking the same thing, that Stevie was making way too big a deal over the dance. She only saw Phil every few weeks anyway. Why was Valentine’s Day such a big deal? And if it
was
such a big deal, why didn’t Stevie just go to Phil’s dance?
Lisa wondered if she would understand better if she had her own boyfriend.
“How can it be too expensive when it’s so important?” Stevie demanded.
“How can what be too expensive?” a friendly voice asked.
The three girls turned. “Mr. Stowe!” said Lisa. “What a surprise!”
“The horses don’t need to rest today, do they?” he asked with the glint of a smile in his eye.
“No …,” said Carole. She wondered what job she could find to keep Mr. Stowe out of Mrs. Reg’s hair today. Red usually cleaned the stalls early in the mornings on weekdays.
“What is too expensive and so important?” Mr. Stowe asked Stevie again.
“The Valentine’s Day dance!” she exploded. “We want it to be special, and the decorations are very important.”
“I don’t think Phil is going to change his mind and come to Pine Hollow if our decorations are better than his,” Lisa said quietly. She didn’t want to upset Stevie, but she did think she was pinning too much hope on a bunch of balloons.
Stevie looked angry. “Atmosphere is extremely important. Every last detail counts. You know Mrs. Reg always says that.”
“But she wasn’t talking about a dance—” Lisa began. Carole elbowed her in the ribs, and Lisa shut her mouth. She understood what Carole meant, that anything Lisa said was only going toannoy Stevie more. Stevie wasn’t being logical, but they had never been able to make her be logical. The best they could do was be her friend.
Lisa remembered when Mrs. Reg had given a talk about atmosphere and details. She’d been talking about stable management during a Pony Club rally! She meant all the bridles had to be on hooks, and the water buckets in the stalls tied at the proper heights, and things like that. She hadn’t been talking about DJs or paper streamers.
“Mrs. Reg is in charge of the decorations for the dance, but she’s been so busy and
distracted
lately that she’s just not able to give them much time,” Stevie told Mr. Stowe sadly. “Of course, I want the bam to look nice because I expect that my boyfriend, Phil, will be coming. But that’s not the only reason. The reputation of Pine Hollow is at stake.”
Carole made a choking noise.
“Elizabeth wants the place to look nice, but she doesn’t want to spend a lot of money, is that it?” Mr. Stowe asked.
“That’s it exactly,” said Stevie. “I think Max must have put her on a very tight budget.” Shesighed dramatically. “If this barn dance isn’t absolutely spectacular, I think my love life will be over.”
Mr. Stowe looked concerned. “We can’t let that happen,” he said.
L ISA AND C AROLE looked at one another in amazement. Could they have heard Mr. Stowe right? Could he be concerned about Stevie’s love life? Carole thought Stevie was laying it on just a bit too thick. If her love life ended this Valentine’s Day, it would be because she and Phil were both so stubborn, not because the hay bam wasn’t pretty enough.
“Seriously?” Stevie asked. Even she sounded surprised.
“Seriously,” Mr. Stowe said. “I’m more than happy to be of assistance to Elizabeth.”
“Eli—oh, right.” None of The Saddle Club had gotten used to Mrs. Reg’s being called Elizabeth.
Carole ran her hand down Starlight’s chest. It no longer felt warm or sweaty. “Let’s take them inside,” she suggested. The wind had picked up, and she was starting to feel cold.
Mr. Stowe followed them down the stable aisle. “What did you all have in mind?”
“Not much,” Lisa said. “Stevie’s the mastermind.”
Stevie smiled modestly. “I’m not suggesting anything out of the ordinary,” she said. “I realize a laser light show is probably too
was
such a big deal, why didn’t Stevie just go to Phil’s dance?
Lisa wondered if she would understand better if she had her own boyfriend.
“How can it be too expensive when it’s so important?” Stevie demanded.
“How can what be too expensive?” a friendly voice asked.
The three girls turned. “Mr. Stowe!” said Lisa. “What a surprise!”
“The horses don’t need to rest today, do they?” he asked with the glint of a smile in his eye.
“No …,” said Carole. She wondered what job she could find to keep Mr. Stowe out of Mrs. Reg’s hair today. Red usually cleaned the stalls early in the mornings on weekdays.
“What is too expensive and so important?” Mr. Stowe asked Stevie again.
“The Valentine’s Day dance!” she exploded. “We want it to be special, and the decorations are very important.”
“I don’t think Phil is going to change his mind and come to Pine Hollow if our decorations are better than his,” Lisa said quietly. She didn’t want to upset Stevie, but she did think she was pinning too much hope on a bunch of balloons.
Stevie looked angry. “Atmosphere is extremely important. Every last detail counts. You know Mrs. Reg always says that.”
“But she wasn’t talking about a dance—” Lisa began. Carole elbowed her in the ribs, and Lisa shut her mouth. She understood what Carole meant, that anything Lisa said was only going toannoy Stevie more. Stevie wasn’t being logical, but they had never been able to make her be logical. The best they could do was be her friend.
Lisa remembered when Mrs. Reg had given a talk about atmosphere and details. She’d been talking about stable management during a Pony Club rally! She meant all the bridles had to be on hooks, and the water buckets in the stalls tied at the proper heights, and things like that. She hadn’t been talking about DJs or paper streamers.
“Mrs. Reg is in charge of the decorations for the dance, but she’s been so busy and
distracted
lately that she’s just not able to give them much time,” Stevie told Mr. Stowe sadly. “Of course, I want the bam to look nice because I expect that my boyfriend, Phil, will be coming. But that’s not the only reason. The reputation of Pine Hollow is at stake.”
Carole made a choking noise.
“Elizabeth wants the place to look nice, but she doesn’t want to spend a lot of money, is that it?” Mr. Stowe asked.
“That’s it exactly,” said Stevie. “I think Max must have put her on a very tight budget.” Shesighed dramatically. “If this barn dance isn’t absolutely spectacular, I think my love life will be over.”
Mr. Stowe looked concerned. “We can’t let that happen,” he said.
L ISA AND C AROLE looked at one another in amazement. Could they have heard Mr. Stowe right? Could he be concerned about Stevie’s love life? Carole thought Stevie was laying it on just a bit too thick. If her love life ended this Valentine’s Day, it would be because she and Phil were both so stubborn, not because the hay bam wasn’t pretty enough.
“Seriously?” Stevie asked. Even she sounded surprised.
“Seriously,” Mr. Stowe said. “I’m more than happy to be of assistance to Elizabeth.”
“Eli—oh, right.” None of The Saddle Club had gotten used to Mrs. Reg’s being called Elizabeth.
Carole ran her hand down Starlight’s chest. It no longer felt warm or sweaty. “Let’s take them inside,” she suggested. The wind had picked up, and she was starting to feel cold.
Mr. Stowe followed them down the stable aisle. “What did you all have in mind?”
“Not much,” Lisa said. “Stevie’s the mastermind.”
Stevie smiled modestly. “I’m not suggesting anything out of the ordinary,” she said. “I realize a laser light show is probably too
Similar Books
