Free Horse Guest by Bonnie Bryant Page B
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
you’ll lend us one of your horse toys,” Carole said, “we’ll make the props for your shopping game before the gymkhana.” She gestured to Lisa, who looked surprised but nodded quickly.
Veronica thought it over for a second. “All right,” she said at last. “It’s a deal. Okay, Max? If they make the props, is my game in?” When Max nodded, Veronica turned back to the other two girls. “That means you’ll have to gather some stuff to use for merchandise and make receipts and signs for each store.”
“Fine,” Lisa said. “We can handle that.”
Veronica wasn’t finished. “
I’ll
supply the shopping bags, though,” she said, brushing a bit of lint off her immaculate, expensive-looking breeches. She tipped her head up and looked down her nose at Carole and Lisa. “After all, you two probably don’t frequent the kinds of shops I want represented in
my
game.”
“T HANKS FOR COMING with me, Britt,” Lisa said the next afternoon. She and Britt were once again walking up Hedgerow’s curving driveway. “I really wanted to come back and visit again, and Carole and Stevie couldn’t come with me.”
Britt shrugged and smiled shyly. “I guess I’m the designated fill-in,” she said. “Yesterday I went to visit a horse with Polly because Stevie couldn’t do it.”
Lisa frowned at the mention of Britt’s trip with Polly. “Oh, right,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Stevie mentioned something about that.”
“Romeo’s brother looks a lot like him, except he’s bay instead of brown,” Britt said. “He seemed like a really nice horse.”
Normally that wouldn’t sound like a very strong recommendation. But Lisa knew that with Britt it was hard to tell. She hoped that the fact that Britt had brought up the topic without being prompted didn’t mean that she was really interested in Romeo’s half brother.
Still, Lisa wasn’t too worried. She’d arranged for Britt to ride Applesauce during today’s visit to Hedgerow. And once that happened, Britt was sure to fall in love with the sweet-tempered mare. Lisa just hoped that Elaine had filled in her head groom as promised. The ride had to seem like a spur-of-the-moment idea, or Britt might catch on and the surprise would be ruined.
“T HEY ’ RE LATE ,” S TEVIE said, glancing at her watch.
Carole drummed her spoon on the table. The two girls were sitting in their favorite booth at TD’s, an ice cream parlor at a shopping center near Pine Hollow. “I know,” she said. “I wonder if that means she can’t bear to tear herself away from Applesauce.”
Earlier in the day, The Saddle Club had arranged to meet at TD’s. Lisa was supposed to bring Britt along after their trip to Hedgerow. It was all part of the plan to befriend Britt and, if all went well, ask her to join The Saddle Club.
Stevie rested her head on one hand and gazed at the empty seat across from her and Carole. “You know, I never noticed it before,” she mused. “The three of us almost always sit in this booth. But it’s reallya table built for four. Do you think that’s some kind of sign?”
“I don’t know about that,” Carole said. “I think a better sign is the fact that Britt fits our requirements so well. So far she’s always seemed willing to help us out, no matter what we ask her to do.”
“True,” Stevie agreed. “She even pitches in to help with Magoo the medical monster without complaining at all.”
Carole nodded. “And we already know she’s completely horse-crazy,” she said. She wasn’t wearing a watch, so she grabbed Stevie’s arm to check hers. “I just wonder if she’s becoming crazy about one particular horse right now.”
At that moment, the small bell above the shop’s door tinkled softly. Carole and Stevie looked up and saw Lisa and Britt entering.
Soon all four girls were seated. The waitress brought them glasses of water. “I’ll be back to take your order in a second,” she said, giving Stevie a noticeably sour
Veronica thought it over for a second. “All right,” she said at last. “It’s a deal. Okay, Max? If they make the props, is my game in?” When Max nodded, Veronica turned back to the other two girls. “That means you’ll have to gather some stuff to use for merchandise and make receipts and signs for each store.”
“Fine,” Lisa said. “We can handle that.”
Veronica wasn’t finished. “
I’ll
supply the shopping bags, though,” she said, brushing a bit of lint off her immaculate, expensive-looking breeches. She tipped her head up and looked down her nose at Carole and Lisa. “After all, you two probably don’t frequent the kinds of shops I want represented in
my
game.”
“T HANKS FOR COMING with me, Britt,” Lisa said the next afternoon. She and Britt were once again walking up Hedgerow’s curving driveway. “I really wanted to come back and visit again, and Carole and Stevie couldn’t come with me.”
Britt shrugged and smiled shyly. “I guess I’m the designated fill-in,” she said. “Yesterday I went to visit a horse with Polly because Stevie couldn’t do it.”
Lisa frowned at the mention of Britt’s trip with Polly. “Oh, right,” she said, trying to sound casual. “Stevie mentioned something about that.”
“Romeo’s brother looks a lot like him, except he’s bay instead of brown,” Britt said. “He seemed like a really nice horse.”
Normally that wouldn’t sound like a very strong recommendation. But Lisa knew that with Britt it was hard to tell. She hoped that the fact that Britt had brought up the topic without being prompted didn’t mean that she was really interested in Romeo’s half brother.
Still, Lisa wasn’t too worried. She’d arranged for Britt to ride Applesauce during today’s visit to Hedgerow. And once that happened, Britt was sure to fall in love with the sweet-tempered mare. Lisa just hoped that Elaine had filled in her head groom as promised. The ride had to seem like a spur-of-the-moment idea, or Britt might catch on and the surprise would be ruined.
“T HEY ’ RE LATE ,” S TEVIE said, glancing at her watch.
Carole drummed her spoon on the table. The two girls were sitting in their favorite booth at TD’s, an ice cream parlor at a shopping center near Pine Hollow. “I know,” she said. “I wonder if that means she can’t bear to tear herself away from Applesauce.”
Earlier in the day, The Saddle Club had arranged to meet at TD’s. Lisa was supposed to bring Britt along after their trip to Hedgerow. It was all part of the plan to befriend Britt and, if all went well, ask her to join The Saddle Club.
Stevie rested her head on one hand and gazed at the empty seat across from her and Carole. “You know, I never noticed it before,” she mused. “The three of us almost always sit in this booth. But it’s reallya table built for four. Do you think that’s some kind of sign?”
“I don’t know about that,” Carole said. “I think a better sign is the fact that Britt fits our requirements so well. So far she’s always seemed willing to help us out, no matter what we ask her to do.”
“True,” Stevie agreed. “She even pitches in to help with Magoo the medical monster without complaining at all.”
Carole nodded. “And we already know she’s completely horse-crazy,” she said. She wasn’t wearing a watch, so she grabbed Stevie’s arm to check hers. “I just wonder if she’s becoming crazy about one particular horse right now.”
At that moment, the small bell above the shop’s door tinkled softly. Carole and Stevie looked up and saw Lisa and Britt entering.
Soon all four girls were seated. The waitress brought them glasses of water. “I’ll be back to take your order in a second,” she said, giving Stevie a noticeably sour