sigh. “Carole and I are doing everything we can, but she’s notimproving. In fact, she’s getting worse. We think she needs companionship. Someone to take her mind off Stevie.” Lisa gazed at him with what she hoped was an expression of sorrowful hope. “We need you to come sit with her for a while.”
“Okay,” Chad said, nodding.
Lisa stifled a shout of surprise. She couldn’t believe it had been that easy!
“I’ll come tonight, okay?”
“Oh. No, that won’t work,” Lisa said. She fought hard to think of an excuse. “See, Carole and I are staying with her, and so are some of Stevie’s other friends, but right now we’ve got something else to do and no one can fill in. We need you now. Right now,” she added.
Chad still looked concerned, but he frowned. “I can’t come now! I’ve got a game this morning!”
Lisa shrugged. “Well, okay, I understand,” she said, then gave a second small, sad shrug. “If one soccer game is more important to you than the life of your sister’s beloved horse … sure, I understand. How many games do you have each week, anyway? Four? Five?”
“Only three,” he answered. “Look, of course Belle is more important than a game—hey, I know, let’s get Alex to sit with her now. I can do it later. You can put me on your schedule.”
Lisa wondered if it would help if she started to cry.She decided it wouldn’t. She wasn’t sure she could cry convincingly anyway. She wasn’t
that
good an actress.
“I don’t think Alex would help her,” she said after a long pause. “He’s almost never been to the barn. He doesn’t understand horses at all. Horses can tell, you know, when people have empathy with them. You’re the only person in your family besides Stevie who does. Remember?”
She desperately hoped he would remember his riding lessons but forget that he’d taken them because he had a crush on her. “Chad,” she said beseechingly, “please.” She put out her hand. Chad took a cautious step backward, as if to keep her from touching him again, but Lisa had no intention of doing so. By now his unwashed jersey was probably crawling with germs. She shuddered. “Belle needs you, Chad,” she said. “She can’t have Stevie. You’re the next best thing.”
Chad stared at her for what seemed like a very long time. “Okay,” he said at last. “Wait here, and I’ll go call my coach. I guess I can give up one game for Stevie.”
“I know she’ll be grateful,” Lisa said.
“J UST SIT WITH HER for an hour or so,” Lisa said as she led Chad into the stable. “Carole and I have an errand to run, but we’ll be back just as soon as we possibly can.”
In Belle’s stall Carole was smoothing the last of thefine dirt Lisa had brought into Belle’s formerly glossy coat.
“How is she?” Lisa said. “Chad’s here, Carole. You were right. He does care.”
Carole looked up solemnly. “Thank you, Chad. I don’t know, Lisa. See how dull her coat is? And I’ve been brushing her, too.”
“So what if her coat’s dull?” asked Chad. He patted Belle’s nose a little uncertainly.
“It’s one of the sure signs of illness,” Carole informed him.
“Did she eat any grain?” Lisa asked anxiously, looking into the stall. What if Belle had!
Carole rattled the coffee-soaked grain in the bucket. “I’m afraid not.”
Lisa noticed that all Belle’s morning hay, however, was gone. The mare had made fast work of that—and with a full stomach, she wasn’t likely to work up an appetite for her
café au grain.
Lisa let out a sigh of relief. “Well, there’s not much anyone can do,” she said. “But we’ll keep doing all we can. Chad, just sit with her.” They moved a hay bale next to Belle’s stall door.
“Be her friend,” Carole implored him. They walked sadly down the aisle and out of the stable, leaving Chad alone with the poor, sick horse.
C AROLE SLID INTO their favorite booth at TD’s, Willow Creek’s best ice cream parlor and
“Okay,” Chad said, nodding.
Lisa stifled a shout of surprise. She couldn’t believe it had been that easy!
“I’ll come tonight, okay?”
“Oh. No, that won’t work,” Lisa said. She fought hard to think of an excuse. “See, Carole and I are staying with her, and so are some of Stevie’s other friends, but right now we’ve got something else to do and no one can fill in. We need you now. Right now,” she added.
Chad still looked concerned, but he frowned. “I can’t come now! I’ve got a game this morning!”
Lisa shrugged. “Well, okay, I understand,” she said, then gave a second small, sad shrug. “If one soccer game is more important to you than the life of your sister’s beloved horse … sure, I understand. How many games do you have each week, anyway? Four? Five?”
“Only three,” he answered. “Look, of course Belle is more important than a game—hey, I know, let’s get Alex to sit with her now. I can do it later. You can put me on your schedule.”
Lisa wondered if it would help if she started to cry.She decided it wouldn’t. She wasn’t sure she could cry convincingly anyway. She wasn’t
that
good an actress.
“I don’t think Alex would help her,” she said after a long pause. “He’s almost never been to the barn. He doesn’t understand horses at all. Horses can tell, you know, when people have empathy with them. You’re the only person in your family besides Stevie who does. Remember?”
She desperately hoped he would remember his riding lessons but forget that he’d taken them because he had a crush on her. “Chad,” she said beseechingly, “please.” She put out her hand. Chad took a cautious step backward, as if to keep her from touching him again, but Lisa had no intention of doing so. By now his unwashed jersey was probably crawling with germs. She shuddered. “Belle needs you, Chad,” she said. “She can’t have Stevie. You’re the next best thing.”
Chad stared at her for what seemed like a very long time. “Okay,” he said at last. “Wait here, and I’ll go call my coach. I guess I can give up one game for Stevie.”
“I know she’ll be grateful,” Lisa said.
“J UST SIT WITH HER for an hour or so,” Lisa said as she led Chad into the stable. “Carole and I have an errand to run, but we’ll be back just as soon as we possibly can.”
In Belle’s stall Carole was smoothing the last of thefine dirt Lisa had brought into Belle’s formerly glossy coat.
“How is she?” Lisa said. “Chad’s here, Carole. You were right. He does care.”
Carole looked up solemnly. “Thank you, Chad. I don’t know, Lisa. See how dull her coat is? And I’ve been brushing her, too.”
“So what if her coat’s dull?” asked Chad. He patted Belle’s nose a little uncertainly.
“It’s one of the sure signs of illness,” Carole informed him.
“Did she eat any grain?” Lisa asked anxiously, looking into the stall. What if Belle had!
Carole rattled the coffee-soaked grain in the bucket. “I’m afraid not.”
Lisa noticed that all Belle’s morning hay, however, was gone. The mare had made fast work of that—and with a full stomach, she wasn’t likely to work up an appetite for her
café au grain.
Lisa let out a sigh of relief. “Well, there’s not much anyone can do,” she said. “But we’ll keep doing all we can. Chad, just sit with her.” They moved a hay bale next to Belle’s stall door.
“Be her friend,” Carole implored him. They walked sadly down the aisle and out of the stable, leaving Chad alone with the poor, sick horse.
C AROLE SLID INTO their favorite booth at TD’s, Willow Creek’s best ice cream parlor and
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