those twenty stalls for me anytime you want.”
Phil helped her lift the unloading ramp back into place. “I wondered how you would manage to bring Belle here,” he said. “Am I really worth mucking out twenty stalls?”
“Only on your birthday,” Stevie told him. “Besides, Belle and I have got a problem that we need your help with.”
“Belle’s allergies haven’t come back, have they?” Phil asked, his voice concerned.
“No—and if you’ll remember, I helped you with that one, not the other way around! No, this is something different—wait, Red!” The van was starting to pull away. Red stopped when he heard Stevie’s shriek. He opened his door and asked her what was wrong.
“The picnic!” Stevie said, running to open the passenger door. “I almost forgot our lunch!”
“You wouldn’t want to do that, not with what you brought,” Red agreed, laughing. “Or at least, I wouldn’t want you leaving it in my truck!” Stevie grabbed her backpack and shut the door, and Red drove away.
“What did you bring?” Phil asked.
“It’s a specialty—a Stevie Lake Specialty!”
Phil groaned. “I hope it isn’t like your ice cream sundaes,” he said. “Even I don’t see how you can stand to eat those!”
“It’s a very nice lunch,” Stevie said defensively. “And if you don’t like it, you can feed it to Teddy!”
“Oh, no—you brought me oats and apples!”
Stevie stuck out her tongue. “I’m not even going to show you,” she said.
“You didn’t dye everything green, did you? Because I seem to remember you serving me green hamburgers once. Or purple—Stevie, promise me it’s not all purple!”
Stevie laughed. “The green hamburgers were my brother’s fault,” she said. “If I remember correctly, you ate them. A little food coloring never hurt anyone.” She swung her backpack onto her shoulder and took Belle’s lead rope away from Phil. “Let’s go get Teddy. I’m dying to get in the saddle.”
“You didn’t dye your saddle purple, did you?”
Stevie rolled her eyes. “I’m going to ignore everything you say,” she said.
Phil turned and slipped his hand around her waist. “Will you ignore this, Stevie?” he asked, his face close to hers. “I’m very glad that you came to spend my birthday with me, I’m very glad you think seeing me is worth mucking out twenty stalls, and I’m going to show you just how glad I am.” He leaned forward to kiss her. Stevie closed her eyes.
“Phil! Phil-lip!” Phil sprang away from Stevie. Stevie’s eyes flew open. Phil’s mother came around the corner of the barn with a tattered knapsack in her hands. “Oh, there you are. Hello, Stevie, it’s always nice to see you. Phil, I packed the two of you a little lunch, just in case”—she glanced doubtfully at Stevie—“just in case you’re still hungry after—anyway, dear,have a nice time.” She handed the knapsack to Phil and walked back to the house.
“I understand why you don’t entirely trust my lunch,” Stevie said thoughtfully. “After all, you did have to eat a green hamburger. But I don’t understand why your mother doesn’t trust my lunch.”
Phil shrugged. “Maybe she heard about the green hamburgers.”
They took Belle into the barn. Stevie had groomed her and tacked her up before putting her in the trailer, and Phil had already groomed Teddy. Within minutes they were in the saddle. Phil signaled Teddy to walk.
“Before we go out to the trails, Phil,” Stevie said, “remember—”
“That’s right.” Phil pulled Teddy up. “You wanted to ask me about something, didn’t you? Something to do with Belle?”
“I thought maybe we could use your outdoor ring,” Stevie said, riding Belle toward the small, sand-filled arena next to the Marstens’ barn. “You see, Phil, I’m having trouble teaching Belle to do a flying lead change.” Stevie sighed. “I’ve been going through some exercises with her, but we’re still having trouble.
Phil helped her lift the unloading ramp back into place. “I wondered how you would manage to bring Belle here,” he said. “Am I really worth mucking out twenty stalls?”
“Only on your birthday,” Stevie told him. “Besides, Belle and I have got a problem that we need your help with.”
“Belle’s allergies haven’t come back, have they?” Phil asked, his voice concerned.
“No—and if you’ll remember, I helped you with that one, not the other way around! No, this is something different—wait, Red!” The van was starting to pull away. Red stopped when he heard Stevie’s shriek. He opened his door and asked her what was wrong.
“The picnic!” Stevie said, running to open the passenger door. “I almost forgot our lunch!”
“You wouldn’t want to do that, not with what you brought,” Red agreed, laughing. “Or at least, I wouldn’t want you leaving it in my truck!” Stevie grabbed her backpack and shut the door, and Red drove away.
“What did you bring?” Phil asked.
“It’s a specialty—a Stevie Lake Specialty!”
Phil groaned. “I hope it isn’t like your ice cream sundaes,” he said. “Even I don’t see how you can stand to eat those!”
“It’s a very nice lunch,” Stevie said defensively. “And if you don’t like it, you can feed it to Teddy!”
“Oh, no—you brought me oats and apples!”
Stevie stuck out her tongue. “I’m not even going to show you,” she said.
“You didn’t dye everything green, did you? Because I seem to remember you serving me green hamburgers once. Or purple—Stevie, promise me it’s not all purple!”
Stevie laughed. “The green hamburgers were my brother’s fault,” she said. “If I remember correctly, you ate them. A little food coloring never hurt anyone.” She swung her backpack onto her shoulder and took Belle’s lead rope away from Phil. “Let’s go get Teddy. I’m dying to get in the saddle.”
“You didn’t dye your saddle purple, did you?”
Stevie rolled her eyes. “I’m going to ignore everything you say,” she said.
Phil turned and slipped his hand around her waist. “Will you ignore this, Stevie?” he asked, his face close to hers. “I’m very glad that you came to spend my birthday with me, I’m very glad you think seeing me is worth mucking out twenty stalls, and I’m going to show you just how glad I am.” He leaned forward to kiss her. Stevie closed her eyes.
“Phil! Phil-lip!” Phil sprang away from Stevie. Stevie’s eyes flew open. Phil’s mother came around the corner of the barn with a tattered knapsack in her hands. “Oh, there you are. Hello, Stevie, it’s always nice to see you. Phil, I packed the two of you a little lunch, just in case”—she glanced doubtfully at Stevie—“just in case you’re still hungry after—anyway, dear,have a nice time.” She handed the knapsack to Phil and walked back to the house.
“I understand why you don’t entirely trust my lunch,” Stevie said thoughtfully. “After all, you did have to eat a green hamburger. But I don’t understand why your mother doesn’t trust my lunch.”
Phil shrugged. “Maybe she heard about the green hamburgers.”
They took Belle into the barn. Stevie had groomed her and tacked her up before putting her in the trailer, and Phil had already groomed Teddy. Within minutes they were in the saddle. Phil signaled Teddy to walk.
“Before we go out to the trails, Phil,” Stevie said, “remember—”
“That’s right.” Phil pulled Teddy up. “You wanted to ask me about something, didn’t you? Something to do with Belle?”
“I thought maybe we could use your outdoor ring,” Stevie said, riding Belle toward the small, sand-filled arena next to the Marstens’ barn. “You see, Phil, I’m having trouble teaching Belle to do a flying lead change.” Stevie sighed. “I’ve been going through some exercises with her, but we’re still having trouble.
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