wake-up call?” Lisa wailed.
The others went still. Kate collapsed on the bed with a sigh. Stevie looked down ruefully at the rug burn on her knee, and Carole began to giggle.
“Maybe Dorothy didn’t call us because we didn’t have to get up until seven,” Carole suggested brightly. Stevie began to giggle, too, then Kate, then Lisa. Soon the room roared with laughter.
Kate wiped tears from her eyes. “My heart is still beating so fast,” she said. “I think I’m going to die. Lisa, I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Lisa said. “I saw the clock, and we’ve been getting up so early …”
“It’s strange,” Stevie said. “Imagine thinking that seven o’clock in the morning is late!”
Kate began to rebutton her shirt. “Since we have a few extra minutes this morning,” she said, “I believe I will take the time to brush my hair. And by the way, Stevie, there are Olympic rings carved into the soap in the bathroom. There were Olympic rings dug into the frosting on the cake I had at dinner last night. Olympic rings seem to be following me this weekend.” Stevie started to speak, butKate held up her hand. “I don’t want to know why, not right now. I just wanted you to know that I’ve noticed.”
Carole laughed. She knew Stevie had been drawing Olympic rings wherever Kate might see them, but she hadn’t seen the soap. Carole was relieved that Kate looked happier than she had the night before.
T HERE WASN ’ T MUCH to do at the show grounds that morning, even with the early horse inspection. Dorothy checked over Campfire and Southwood closely. Neither horse showed any sign of lameness or injury from the exertions of cross-country.
Kate had had all of the previous afternoon to make sure Southwood was comfortable, to groom him, to rebraid his mane, and to clean his tack. She and the rest of The Saddle Club gave him a quick going-over before the final horse inspection, but they didn’t need to do much. Southwood looked magnificent. He trotted out in perfect form, bold and energetic.
“He doesn’t look at all tired,” Stevie said admiringly as they walked him back to his stall.
“
I’m
tired,” Kate said. “Let’s take a rest, can we? My show jumping won’t be until this afternoon, and I’ve hardly talked to you guys all weekend. How about a Saddle Club meeting?”
“Sounds great,” Carole said. They made Southwood happy in his stall with a full hay net and a handful ofcarrots, then settled themselves on the grass near the stable.
Kate lay back and stretched herself in the sun. “So nice,” she murmured. “Listen, I really haven’t been able to spend much time with all of you this weekend, and I wanted to. One of the problems with showing is that it takes so much concentration and work. I hope you aren’t upset with me.”
“We understand,” Lisa said quickly. “This event was really important, not to mention difficult—of course you had to concentrate! We’d never be upset with you about that, Kate.”
“We think it’s great you got to compete on Southwood,” Carole said. “We’re glad we were here to watch you do it. You did so well.”
“You’re in second place going into show jumping,” Stevie said. “Think about it, Kate! You could win!”
Kate’s face screwed up in sudden agony. Her friends stared at her, shocked. “I am thinking about it,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t want to do well—of course I do—but it seems like all I can think about, at times like this, is winning. Winning, and beating Karen, because right now she’s the only person ahead of me. I dreamed last night about it. I woke up this morning and thought about it. I ate breakfast and thought about it. Groomed Southwood and thought about it.” She forced a smile. “Sat on the grass and thought about the three of you—my three best friends,”she continued. “You’ve always been such a good influence on me. If it weren’t for you, I would have given
The others went still. Kate collapsed on the bed with a sigh. Stevie looked down ruefully at the rug burn on her knee, and Carole began to giggle.
“Maybe Dorothy didn’t call us because we didn’t have to get up until seven,” Carole suggested brightly. Stevie began to giggle, too, then Kate, then Lisa. Soon the room roared with laughter.
Kate wiped tears from her eyes. “My heart is still beating so fast,” she said. “I think I’m going to die. Lisa, I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“I’m sorry, too,” Lisa said. “I saw the clock, and we’ve been getting up so early …”
“It’s strange,” Stevie said. “Imagine thinking that seven o’clock in the morning is late!”
Kate began to rebutton her shirt. “Since we have a few extra minutes this morning,” she said, “I believe I will take the time to brush my hair. And by the way, Stevie, there are Olympic rings carved into the soap in the bathroom. There were Olympic rings dug into the frosting on the cake I had at dinner last night. Olympic rings seem to be following me this weekend.” Stevie started to speak, butKate held up her hand. “I don’t want to know why, not right now. I just wanted you to know that I’ve noticed.”
Carole laughed. She knew Stevie had been drawing Olympic rings wherever Kate might see them, but she hadn’t seen the soap. Carole was relieved that Kate looked happier than she had the night before.
T HERE WASN ’ T MUCH to do at the show grounds that morning, even with the early horse inspection. Dorothy checked over Campfire and Southwood closely. Neither horse showed any sign of lameness or injury from the exertions of cross-country.
Kate had had all of the previous afternoon to make sure Southwood was comfortable, to groom him, to rebraid his mane, and to clean his tack. She and the rest of The Saddle Club gave him a quick going-over before the final horse inspection, but they didn’t need to do much. Southwood looked magnificent. He trotted out in perfect form, bold and energetic.
“He doesn’t look at all tired,” Stevie said admiringly as they walked him back to his stall.
“
I’m
tired,” Kate said. “Let’s take a rest, can we? My show jumping won’t be until this afternoon, and I’ve hardly talked to you guys all weekend. How about a Saddle Club meeting?”
“Sounds great,” Carole said. They made Southwood happy in his stall with a full hay net and a handful ofcarrots, then settled themselves on the grass near the stable.
Kate lay back and stretched herself in the sun. “So nice,” she murmured. “Listen, I really haven’t been able to spend much time with all of you this weekend, and I wanted to. One of the problems with showing is that it takes so much concentration and work. I hope you aren’t upset with me.”
“We understand,” Lisa said quickly. “This event was really important, not to mention difficult—of course you had to concentrate! We’d never be upset with you about that, Kate.”
“We think it’s great you got to compete on Southwood,” Carole said. “We’re glad we were here to watch you do it. You did so well.”
“You’re in second place going into show jumping,” Stevie said. “Think about it, Kate! You could win!”
Kate’s face screwed up in sudden agony. Her friends stared at her, shocked. “I am thinking about it,” she said. “It’s not that I don’t want to do well—of course I do—but it seems like all I can think about, at times like this, is winning. Winning, and beating Karen, because right now she’s the only person ahead of me. I dreamed last night about it. I woke up this morning and thought about it. I ate breakfast and thought about it. Groomed Southwood and thought about it.” She forced a smile. “Sat on the grass and thought about the three of you—my three best friends,”she continued. “You’ve always been such a good influence on me. If it weren’t for you, I would have given
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