Free Starlight Christmas by Bonnie Bryant

foal wants to come into the world hind-end-first and that can be real trouble. We’ve got to get there as fast as we can.”
    The holiday traffic was heavy as families drove to spend the evening with relatives. Judy drove alertly and fast. There was no time to waste.
    Judy pulled up to Mr. Michaels’s stable and hopped out of the truck, leaving Carole to bring the tools she might need.
    Carole entered the stable a few minutes later, carrying Judy’s “birthing box.” Judy and Mr. Michaels were carefully examining the mare, a pretty bay, who was walking around irritatedly. Judy and Mr. Michaels both lookedworried. Carole knew it was going to be a long night and Judy would need all the help she could get.
    Carole put the tool kit down near the mare’s stall and returned to the truck. When it came right down to it, cocoa and cookies weren’t as important as a foal’s life. The Starlight Ride, wonderful as it might be, couldn’t compare with the importance of a healthy mare and a newborn foal. She picked up the car phone and called Pine Hollow.
    Max answered. Carole explained the situation and told him where she was. It wasn’t very far from Pine Hollow. She was only about three miles away across some fields. But she might as well have been on the moon because there was nobody who could drive her there. Besides, she wanted to be at Mr. Michaels’s in case Judy needed help. So she would stay there until Judy was done. Max understood, completely.
    “You’re at Michaels’s place?” he said. “How interesting.” He paused, then spoke again. “Look, you’ll get here when you get here,” he said. “If you’re late, you can meet up with us wherever we are. If you don’t make it at all, well, there will be another Starlight Ride next year and you’ll still be the best rider in the stable, so you’ll lead the way then. Now, stop wasting time worrying about this. Go see if Judy needs your help. Oh, and, Carole, don’t forget to have a Merry Christmas.”
    “Thanks, Max,” she said. She hung up and quickly returned to the barn.
    *  *  *
    “C AROLE MAY NOT make it?” Stevie said to Max. “How awful! What about later on? What about tomorrow? Max, how are we going to—?”
    “Take it easy,” Max said. “These things have a way of working themselves out, you know. Besides, if Carole’s not here, you’ll be the leader on the Starlight Ride.”
    “I don’t want to be the leader,” Stevie said truthfully. “I want Carole here!”
    “Don’t you have something more important to do than to worry about whether she’s here or not?” Max asked. “I know I do. I’ve got to go check the trail to make sure the snow hasn’t hidden it.”
    It irritated Stevie, but she knew Max was right. There
was
a lot of work to do. And if she had her way, Max would never know the half of it!
    She left Max’s office and explained the situation to Lisa.
    “Well, now we’ve got more time and we needed that,” Lisa said reasonably. “Cheer up, Stevie. It’ll work out.”
    “Do you know when he’s coming?” Stevie asked.
    “He just said he’d be here later, maybe while we’re out on the Starlight Ride. We should be able to get everything done before that.”
    “I guess so,” Stevie agreed. “Look, Max told me the things were stowed in the closet in Mrs. Reg’s office. Why don’t you get what you can and we’ll work on thisuntil Phil and A.J. arrive. Then, when they get here, we’ll handle Miss diAngelo and her flunkies.”
    Lisa agreed that that was a sensible plan. She turned hurriedly to get to Mrs. Reg’s office and found herself bumping right into none other than Veronica diAngelo.
    “What’s the big rush?” Veronica asked.
    Sometimes Lisa had time to be civil to Veronica. Sometimes she didn’t. This was one of the “didn’t” times.
    “None of your business,” Lisa said, and brushed past her on her way to Mrs. Reg’s office.
    Veronica checked the sleeve of her blouse as if to see if Lisa had