Hobbyhorse by Bonnie Bryant Page A

news to me in person,” Carole said. “I’m so afraid that Starlight will never be right again.”
    “You shouldn’t worry about that until you know for sure,” Lisa said.
    “Remember,” Stevie urged. “His hoof was hot. That
must
mean it’s an abscess.”
    Carole took a deep breath. “When my mother got cancer,” she said, “they did some tests first. Then when they got the results back, her doctor wouldn’t tell her over the phone. He made her come into his office, so he could tell her in person.”
    “Right,” Stevie said. “But Judy
is
going to tell you over the phone, so it can’t be bad news. It’s not the same.”
    “It’s a lot the same,” Carole said. “He could be permanently lame, Stevie. He really could be. I’ve thought so all weekend.”
    The waitress brought their change to the table. Lisa picked a quarter out of it. “Carole, I won’t argue with you because you’re right. It could be bad news. The only way we’re going to find out is to call her, right now.”
    They went to the phone booth outside TD’s and all crowded in. “She was gone when I called before,” Carole said.
    “If she’s not in now, we’ll walk back to Pine Hollow and try again,” Lisa said firmly. Carole nodded. She dialed Judy’s office.
    “Hello? Oh, Judy, it’s Carole.” Stevie held up two fingers, crossed for good luck. Lisa held her breath. “He does? He is? Oh, wonderful!” She cupped the phone against her shoulder. “He’s got an abscess! He’ll be fine in a week!”

“L ISA !” T HERE WAS a pounding on the bedroom door. “Lisa, are you up yet?”
    Lisa rolled over, pushed the covers off her face, and blinked sleepily at her bedside alarm clock. “No!” she said. “It’s too early!”
    “Lisa, you have to be awake if you’re talking! We have to hurry! Can I come in?”
    “Okay,” Lisa muttered. She sat up just as Amelia rushed into the room. “Oh, geez,” Lisa groaned. “You’re already dressed. It’s only seven o’clock, and Horse Wise doesn’t start until nine. And we can’t ride until after that, I already told you.”
    “I know.” Amelia bounced on the corner of Lisa’s bed. “I just couldn’t sleep. Can’t you get up yet?”
    “And you’re getting my bedspread dirty.”
    Amelia looked down at her grimy jodhpurs. She’d quit asking Mrs. Atwood to wash them. “Oops. Sorry.” She bounced herself off the bed and plunked down on the floor. “Can I look at
Black Beauty
again? Are you going to get up?”
    “Only if you are completely silent until I’m all the way dressed,” Lisa said fiercely.
    “Okay.” Amelia rolled over and fished
Black Beauty
off the bottom shelf of Lisa’s bookcase. Lisa sighed. She was used to quieter mornings, and she’d had an entire week of disruption. Still, after its awful start, the week of Amelia hadn’t gone too badly. On Tuesday, still uncomfortable sleeping in the guest room, she’d informed Amelia that she wanted her own bedroom back. Amelia had thrown a pout, and in the end Lisa had loaned her one of her model horses to make up for it, but at least she’d slept comfortably from then on.
    On Wednesday Amelia had had a bad lesson, and when she got done, she took off her helmet and threw it on the ground. Then, under Max’s cold stare, she blushed, apologized, and retrieved it meekly. She also spent half an hour rerolling leg wraps to make up for it.
    On Thursday Amelia stumbled in the aisle and ripped ahole in her hundred-dollar jodhpurs. Lisa thought she seemed rather proud of it.
    On Friday, which was yesterday, Max told her that she could go on a trail ride with The Saddle Club after Horse Wise’s unmounted meeting. It was Amelia’s first-ever trail ride.
No wonder she’s so excited
, Lisa thought with a smile. Trail rides were wonderful.
    Best of all, Judy had come back and opened the small abscess in Starlight’s hoof. She hadn’t had the proper instrument with her on her earlier visit. Carole had been diligent