extra-large load of manure she had noticed that day, there didn’t seem to be a single thing different about the gelding’s appearance or behavior. If there had been, Max or Red would have noticed and called the vet. Still, the question about the odd-looking droppings had been nagging at her all evening.
Max
counts on the riders to check their horses carefully
, Carole fretted.
And he thinks Tessa is a totally responsible rider
…
She sighed and closed the book. Staring at the surface of her desk, she ran back over the last few days in her mind. Tessa had been awfully busy with Veronica lately. Could that have distracted her enough to make her make all those mistakes—the tack, the water bucket, the dirty stall?
Worse yet, Carole thought, could it be that they were only now seeing Tessa’s true personality emerging? Maybe she wasn’t as nice and smart and responsible as they hadthought. Maybe she had just been on her best behavior before—and now that she had found a more compatible friend in Veronica, she was finally letting her true colors shine through. How well did they really know her, after all?
Carole sighed and opened the book to the index again. Would they ever figure out the truth?
L ISA CLICKED ON the Save icon with the mouse on her family’s computer and sat back in her chair while the machine hummed away. She rubbed her eyes, which were tired from staring at the screen for the past two hours. She had just put the finishing touches on the program for the point-to-point. Now all she had to do was save it onto a separate disk so that her mother could take it to the printer’s office the next day.
At least she can manage to do that
, Lisa thought grumpily. But she immediately felt bad. It really wasn’t her mother’s fault that she couldn’t work the computer very well. And Lisa had volunteered to take care of the program—mostly because she was sick to death of painting Parking and No Parking signs, which was the other big job that remained. Lisa had also felt responsible for the changes that had to be made in the program because of the addition of the scurry race. After all, it had been her friend’s idea to add the new event.
Of course, it would be nice if Tessa were here to help out
, Lisa thought. And this time she didn’t feel the least bitbad about the thought. She glanced at her watch. Tessa had been with Veronica all day. Lisa couldn’t imagine what they were doing.
But she knew what Tessa
wasn’t
doing: helping. And wasn’t that what The Saddle Club was supposed to be about? Maybe they had been premature, asking Tessa to join when they really didn’t know her very well. Lisa knew that if she had called Stevie or Carole anytime this afternoon and asked them to come over and help out, they would have done it if they could. In fact, she had thought about doing just that more than once. But she had held back. She told herself it was because they had other things on their minds. But deep down, she knew the real reason: She felt too guilty. After all, she was the one who had first introduced them to Tessa …
“O OH , V ERONICA, YOU were right!” Tessa called across the outdoor ring. “Danny’s trot is heavenly!”
“I told you.” Veronica looked smug. “He’s a dream, isn’t he? Oh, but of course Topside has his good points, too.”
“Gag,” Lisa whispered as she watched the scene. It was the next day, and since Friday would be spent getting ready for the point-to-point, they were having their riding lesson a day early. “I can’t believe Max actually agreed to let them switch horses today.”
Carole shrugged. “I can,” she said, loosening Starlight’s reins slightly as he stretched his head to sniff at a clod of dirt. “He’s always saying it’s good practice to ride differenthorses sometimes. I’m just surprised he didn’t die of shock when Veronica suggested it. Usually she won’t let anyone come within five feet of Danny without pitching a
Max
counts on the riders to check their horses carefully
, Carole fretted.
And he thinks Tessa is a totally responsible rider
…
She sighed and closed the book. Staring at the surface of her desk, she ran back over the last few days in her mind. Tessa had been awfully busy with Veronica lately. Could that have distracted her enough to make her make all those mistakes—the tack, the water bucket, the dirty stall?
Worse yet, Carole thought, could it be that they were only now seeing Tessa’s true personality emerging? Maybe she wasn’t as nice and smart and responsible as they hadthought. Maybe she had just been on her best behavior before—and now that she had found a more compatible friend in Veronica, she was finally letting her true colors shine through. How well did they really know her, after all?
Carole sighed and opened the book to the index again. Would they ever figure out the truth?
L ISA CLICKED ON the Save icon with the mouse on her family’s computer and sat back in her chair while the machine hummed away. She rubbed her eyes, which were tired from staring at the screen for the past two hours. She had just put the finishing touches on the program for the point-to-point. Now all she had to do was save it onto a separate disk so that her mother could take it to the printer’s office the next day.
At least she can manage to do that
, Lisa thought grumpily. But she immediately felt bad. It really wasn’t her mother’s fault that she couldn’t work the computer very well. And Lisa had volunteered to take care of the program—mostly because she was sick to death of painting Parking and No Parking signs, which was the other big job that remained. Lisa had also felt responsible for the changes that had to be made in the program because of the addition of the scurry race. After all, it had been her friend’s idea to add the new event.
Of course, it would be nice if Tessa were here to help out
, Lisa thought. And this time she didn’t feel the least bitbad about the thought. She glanced at her watch. Tessa had been with Veronica all day. Lisa couldn’t imagine what they were doing.
But she knew what Tessa
wasn’t
doing: helping. And wasn’t that what The Saddle Club was supposed to be about? Maybe they had been premature, asking Tessa to join when they really didn’t know her very well. Lisa knew that if she had called Stevie or Carole anytime this afternoon and asked them to come over and help out, they would have done it if they could. In fact, she had thought about doing just that more than once. But she had held back. She told herself it was because they had other things on their minds. But deep down, she knew the real reason: She felt too guilty. After all, she was the one who had first introduced them to Tessa …
“O OH , V ERONICA, YOU were right!” Tessa called across the outdoor ring. “Danny’s trot is heavenly!”
“I told you.” Veronica looked smug. “He’s a dream, isn’t he? Oh, but of course Topside has his good points, too.”
“Gag,” Lisa whispered as she watched the scene. It was the next day, and since Friday would be spent getting ready for the point-to-point, they were having their riding lesson a day early. “I can’t believe Max actually agreed to let them switch horses today.”
Carole shrugged. “I can,” she said, loosening Starlight’s reins slightly as he stretched his head to sniff at a clod of dirt. “He’s always saying it’s good practice to ride differenthorses sometimes. I’m just surprised he didn’t die of shock when Veronica suggested it. Usually she won’t let anyone come within five feet of Danny without pitching a
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