any English.
The people she’d been talking to most of all had been Lisa and Carole. That first afternoon, in the tack room, she’d talked a lot and she hadn’t thought it was going to do any good.
“Don’t you see what Mrs. Reg is telling us?” she had asked.
“Us?” Carole had said.
“Yeah,
us
. The answer is in making everything happen at the same time,” she had said.
“It
is
happening at the same time,” Lisa had reminded her. “That’s the problem!”
“Right,” she had replied. “So, now what we have to do is to make it all happen at the same place.”
Seventy-three phone calls later, it had all been settled. The hospital had agreed to let the school use its grounds for the school’s Spring Fair, which was where the Hospital Festival would also take place, and where the candidates’ speeches would be delivered. All of this was going to happen with the help of the Saddle Club, including all of its out-of-town members and, with some luck, the Italian equestrian team.
Stevie sat up. “Uh, Max,” she began tentatively. “I have a little favor to ask you.”
He glanced at her quickly. “Well, Stevie, you can try, but right now I’m having a little touble keeping track of all the favors I’m already doing you.”
Stevie really hoped he was joking.
“It’s about Saturday,” she began. “See, the boys’ first demonstration is scheduled for late afternoon, but I’ve got something else right then that I have to do. Can Carole and Lisa be their hostess for that?” She wasn’t sure exactly how truthful to be. After all, if Max found out how many things she had going at once, he might decide that she shouldn’t take on the extra responsibility of the Italian boys. Veronica had taken the time to remind him every day that she’d be more than happy to pitch in.
“Does this have anything to do with Favor Number Two—my pony cart?” Max asked.
“Uh, yes,” Stevie said.
Max gripped the wheel of the car tightly. “Stevie, if there is one thing I’ve learned about you over the years it’s that I can’t possibly trust you—”
The words hung heavily in the air. Stevie braced herself for the worst.
“—to do anything in the slightest bit predictable,” Max finished. “But since I know you’ve worked so hard to plan a visit for these boys, I don’t suppose it will matter if you’re not there for an hour or two.” Stevie sighed with relief. “Now, about Favor Number—what is it, Three? Where exactly do we have to go first?”
“The private aviation hangar,” Stevie replied. “It’s on the far side of the airport.”
One of the things Stevie had arranged was for Frank Devine’s plane to arrive half an hour before the Italian boys. And since they were all going to the same place, Max and Stevie were picking up Kate and Christine as well. “After all,” she had reminded Max when she’d requested Favor Number Three, “Kate is a championship rider, too.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Max had asked.
“Nothing,” she’d said. “I just thought, well, think of the honor to your van, to have five championship riders in it, all at—”
“I give up! I give up!” Max had cried. “We’ll do it.”
S TEVIE THOUGHT IT was a good sign that Christine and Kate were already waiting for them when they got to the hangar. Frank explained that there had been favorable head winds, so they’d made good time. Stevie had no idea what head winds were, but she was glad for them anyway.
She hugged Kate, Christine, and Frank, and introduced Christine and Frank to Max. Max already knew Kate from her involvement in the gymkhana.
The girls tossed their bags into the back of the van and hopped in, waving goodbye to Frank.
“This is going to be fantastic,” Kate said when the girls were settled in their seats. “Christine and I are exhausted from all the work we’ve been doing at school. We need a nice relaxing vacation.”
“Maybe you’d rather try a
The people she’d been talking to most of all had been Lisa and Carole. That first afternoon, in the tack room, she’d talked a lot and she hadn’t thought it was going to do any good.
“Don’t you see what Mrs. Reg is telling us?” she had asked.
“Us?” Carole had said.
“Yeah,
us
. The answer is in making everything happen at the same time,” she had said.
“It
is
happening at the same time,” Lisa had reminded her. “That’s the problem!”
“Right,” she had replied. “So, now what we have to do is to make it all happen at the same place.”
Seventy-three phone calls later, it had all been settled. The hospital had agreed to let the school use its grounds for the school’s Spring Fair, which was where the Hospital Festival would also take place, and where the candidates’ speeches would be delivered. All of this was going to happen with the help of the Saddle Club, including all of its out-of-town members and, with some luck, the Italian equestrian team.
Stevie sat up. “Uh, Max,” she began tentatively. “I have a little favor to ask you.”
He glanced at her quickly. “Well, Stevie, you can try, but right now I’m having a little touble keeping track of all the favors I’m already doing you.”
Stevie really hoped he was joking.
“It’s about Saturday,” she began. “See, the boys’ first demonstration is scheduled for late afternoon, but I’ve got something else right then that I have to do. Can Carole and Lisa be their hostess for that?” She wasn’t sure exactly how truthful to be. After all, if Max found out how many things she had going at once, he might decide that she shouldn’t take on the extra responsibility of the Italian boys. Veronica had taken the time to remind him every day that she’d be more than happy to pitch in.
“Does this have anything to do with Favor Number Two—my pony cart?” Max asked.
“Uh, yes,” Stevie said.
Max gripped the wheel of the car tightly. “Stevie, if there is one thing I’ve learned about you over the years it’s that I can’t possibly trust you—”
The words hung heavily in the air. Stevie braced herself for the worst.
“—to do anything in the slightest bit predictable,” Max finished. “But since I know you’ve worked so hard to plan a visit for these boys, I don’t suppose it will matter if you’re not there for an hour or two.” Stevie sighed with relief. “Now, about Favor Number—what is it, Three? Where exactly do we have to go first?”
“The private aviation hangar,” Stevie replied. “It’s on the far side of the airport.”
One of the things Stevie had arranged was for Frank Devine’s plane to arrive half an hour before the Italian boys. And since they were all going to the same place, Max and Stevie were picking up Kate and Christine as well. “After all,” she had reminded Max when she’d requested Favor Number Three, “Kate is a championship rider, too.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?” Max had asked.
“Nothing,” she’d said. “I just thought, well, think of the honor to your van, to have five championship riders in it, all at—”
“I give up! I give up!” Max had cried. “We’ll do it.”
S TEVIE THOUGHT IT was a good sign that Christine and Kate were already waiting for them when they got to the hangar. Frank explained that there had been favorable head winds, so they’d made good time. Stevie had no idea what head winds were, but she was glad for them anyway.
She hugged Kate, Christine, and Frank, and introduced Christine and Frank to Max. Max already knew Kate from her involvement in the gymkhana.
The girls tossed their bags into the back of the van and hopped in, waving goodbye to Frank.
“This is going to be fantastic,” Kate said when the girls were settled in their seats. “Christine and I are exhausted from all the work we’ve been doing at school. We need a nice relaxing vacation.”
“Maybe you’d rather try a
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