Stevie had a better reason than that.
They’d made a date with Christine. They didn’t have time to go for a dawn ride with her, but she’d agreed to come to their bunkhouse for a visit after she’d watched the sunrise and then join them all for a farewell breakfast of steak and eggs.
Stevie slipped out of her bunk and put on a clean pair of jeans, her new belt from Eli, a cowboy shirt, and her red bandanna. She decided she didn’t care
how
out of place she’d look in the Washington airport, she wanted to wear her cowboy clothes.
When she was dressed, she left the bunkhouse, creeping silently into the gray dawn. She could see the first streaks of color coming over the mountains and she knew Christine would be there soon. She wanted to be ready.
She walked to the back of the barn and turned the knob on the cobweb-covered door, retracing her steps from her several visits to Mel and her puppies. This time, when she opened the final door to see the golden-colored mother and her puppies, Mel’s tail wagged happily in greeting.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Stevie said. “I need to borrow one of your puppies for a while.” Mel regarded her carefully. Stevie had the feeling that Mel knew she could trust her. “I’ll take care of it,” she promised. “And I’ll bring it back.”
Mel lay down and put her chin on her outstretched front paws. She watched every move Stevie made.
The puppies were waking up as the sun began filtering into their little room. It was a fact of life that all puppies were cute, Stevie thought. But which was the cutest?
The variety was astonishing. Some of them seemed to have more retriever blood than anything else. A couple of them looked like there was English sheepdogblood in them. Two tended toward a shepherd look. Stevie didn’t think that was a good idea. And one had curly brown-and-white fur. His markings reminded Stevie of Stewball and she thought that was a good idea for what she had planned. She stroked the puppy’s head gently as he slept. His eyes popped open and he stared at her for a second. Then, as if to thank her, he began licking her hand. His soft tongue tickled her skin. As he licked, Stevie could see that his hindquarters were going into action. In a flash, the little puppy was standing up because his tail was wagging so excitedly that he had to.
“I know a winner,” she said, patting the puppy for a few more seconds. Then, while Mel watched dubiously, Stevie picked up her puppy. She gave the mother one more reassuring pat and left the room, closing the door carefully behind her.
In a few minutes, Stevie was back at the bunkhouse. During her absence, her friends had awakened to their alarm clock and had dressed as she had.
“Where have you been?” Carole asked.
“I’ve been working on my surprise,” Stevie told her friends. And then, as she stepped up onto the porch, she produced the puppy.
“Where did
that
come from?” Carole asked, enchanted.
“It came from the barn,” Stevie began to explain.She sat down on the floor of the bunkhouse and crossed her legs to make a little pen for the puppy. She put him down gently and began playing with him as she explained. Her friends took turns patting the puppy, and having their hands licked, while Stevie talked.
“Eli has this dog, Mel,” she began. “She had a litter of puppies and Eli wanted to keep it a secret so a whole bunch of dudes wouldn’t bother the puppies too much. But they’re almost old enough to be weaned now, and he wants to find homes for them.”
“What on earth will your mother say?” Lisa asked, trying to think how she would explain it to her mother if she showed up with a puppy from a dude ranch.
“My mother?” Stevie said in surprise. “What’s she got to do with it?”
“Aren’t you planning to take him home?” Carole asked.
“Oh, no,” Stevie said. “It’s not for me. It’s—”
There was the sound of steps on the bunkhouse porch. “Good morning!” Christine
They’d made a date with Christine. They didn’t have time to go for a dawn ride with her, but she’d agreed to come to their bunkhouse for a visit after she’d watched the sunrise and then join them all for a farewell breakfast of steak and eggs.
Stevie slipped out of her bunk and put on a clean pair of jeans, her new belt from Eli, a cowboy shirt, and her red bandanna. She decided she didn’t care
how
out of place she’d look in the Washington airport, she wanted to wear her cowboy clothes.
When she was dressed, she left the bunkhouse, creeping silently into the gray dawn. She could see the first streaks of color coming over the mountains and she knew Christine would be there soon. She wanted to be ready.
She walked to the back of the barn and turned the knob on the cobweb-covered door, retracing her steps from her several visits to Mel and her puppies. This time, when she opened the final door to see the golden-colored mother and her puppies, Mel’s tail wagged happily in greeting.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Stevie said. “I need to borrow one of your puppies for a while.” Mel regarded her carefully. Stevie had the feeling that Mel knew she could trust her. “I’ll take care of it,” she promised. “And I’ll bring it back.”
Mel lay down and put her chin on her outstretched front paws. She watched every move Stevie made.
The puppies were waking up as the sun began filtering into their little room. It was a fact of life that all puppies were cute, Stevie thought. But which was the cutest?
The variety was astonishing. Some of them seemed to have more retriever blood than anything else. A couple of them looked like there was English sheepdogblood in them. Two tended toward a shepherd look. Stevie didn’t think that was a good idea. And one had curly brown-and-white fur. His markings reminded Stevie of Stewball and she thought that was a good idea for what she had planned. She stroked the puppy’s head gently as he slept. His eyes popped open and he stared at her for a second. Then, as if to thank her, he began licking her hand. His soft tongue tickled her skin. As he licked, Stevie could see that his hindquarters were going into action. In a flash, the little puppy was standing up because his tail was wagging so excitedly that he had to.
“I know a winner,” she said, patting the puppy for a few more seconds. Then, while Mel watched dubiously, Stevie picked up her puppy. She gave the mother one more reassuring pat and left the room, closing the door carefully behind her.
In a few minutes, Stevie was back at the bunkhouse. During her absence, her friends had awakened to their alarm clock and had dressed as she had.
“Where have you been?” Carole asked.
“I’ve been working on my surprise,” Stevie told her friends. And then, as she stepped up onto the porch, she produced the puppy.
“Where did
that
come from?” Carole asked, enchanted.
“It came from the barn,” Stevie began to explain.She sat down on the floor of the bunkhouse and crossed her legs to make a little pen for the puppy. She put him down gently and began playing with him as she explained. Her friends took turns patting the puppy, and having their hands licked, while Stevie talked.
“Eli has this dog, Mel,” she began. “She had a litter of puppies and Eli wanted to keep it a secret so a whole bunch of dudes wouldn’t bother the puppies too much. But they’re almost old enough to be weaned now, and he wants to find homes for them.”
“What on earth will your mother say?” Lisa asked, trying to think how she would explain it to her mother if she showed up with a puppy from a dude ranch.
“My mother?” Stevie said in surprise. “What’s she got to do with it?”
“Aren’t you planning to take him home?” Carole asked.
“Oh, no,” Stevie said. “It’s not for me. It’s—”
There was the sound of steps on the bunkhouse porch. “Good morning!” Christine
Similar Books
