Horseshoe by Bonnie Bryant Page A

AROLE RETURNED TO her friends. “I’d say this day has been just about perfect,” she said.
    “It’s entirely perfect,” Lisa replied. “Look!”
    Carole looked. Before the drill had started, Max had put white buckets reading DONATIONS TO CARL near the exits of the stands. Now, as people were leaving, almost every one of them dropped something into the buckets. Some of them also stopped to talk to Judy. More people had come to the drill than they expected—CARL was going to make a lot of money!
    “It’s super.” Just as Carole was saying that, someone hugged her hard from behind. “Hi, Dad,” she said. “What did you think?”
    “I think,” said her father, “that for once Stevie was absolutely right. I am proud of you!”

L ISA SLID INTO their favorite booth at TD’s, an ice cream parlor not far from Pine Hollow. “Whew! When I think about all the work we’ve done today, I know I need some ice cream!”
    “Ice cream and a Saddle Club meeting,” said Stevie.
    Carole only nodded. For the moment she felt too tired to speak. After the excitement of the drill, they’d had the work of cooling out the horses, untacking them, loading them and all their gear onto the horse trailer, and then, back at Pine Hollow, unloading them and settling them for the night.
    “When I think of all the work we have waiting forus tomorrow—” she began. All of her tack was filthy, and would have to be cleaned and oiled. Starlight would need a good grooming, her boots needed polishing—
    “Don’t,” said Stevie.
    “Don’t what?”
    “Don’t think. At least not about tomorrow. Whatever we have to do then we’ll still have to do whether we think about it or not. For now I think we should enjoy today.”
    “Here, here,” Lisa said weakly. Maybe a double sundae would revive her.
    The waitress came to take their order. It was the same waitress they had had many times before, and she frowned when she saw them. “You again,” she said by way of greeting.
    “Us again,” Carole agreed. “And we’re tired. I need something invigorating—I’ll take a banana split.”
    Lisa raised an eyebrow, considering. Bananas? No. “I’ll have a large turtle sundae with extra whipped cream,” she decided.
    The waitress swiveled to face Stevie, her face set. Lisa and Carole smiled. This was always fun.
    “I think I’d like a sundae to commemorate my horse,” Stevie said. “She was awfully good today.She’s a light-colored bay, almost chestnut. Do you have any chestnuts?”
    “Absolutely not,” the waitress said.
    “What’s the closest thing you have?”
    “We’ve got chopped peanuts, whole peanuts, almond slivers, cashews, pecans, and walnuts in sauce.”
    “I’ll take all of those,” Stevie said. “And caramel sauce, since that’s almost chestnut colored, and marshmallow sauce, since that sort of starts out the same as ‘mare.’ Let’s see—all that on, make it fresh peach ice cream.”
    Carole choked. The waitress looked grim.
    “And don’t forget the cherry,” Stevie said.
    “I never do.” The waitress stalked away.
    “That was mean,” Lisa said. “How could you order something like that?”
    “I always eat it, don’t I?” Stevie asked. “Besides, I don’t think she really minds—I add color to her life.”
    “I’m not talking about the waitress,” Lisa replied. “I’m talking about Belle. How could you commemorate her great performance by ordering a sundae that’s completely nuts?”
    Carole burst into laughter. Stevie looked appalled. “I didn’t think of it that way.” She thought hard. “We just won’t tell Belle about it, okay? I wouldn’t want her to get the wrong idea.”
    “Horses don’t understand English, Stevie Lake,” Carole intoned. It was something that Max said to them often.
    “I just don’t want to take any chances,” Stevie replied.
    Their sundaes arrived and they dug in happily. “I’m beginning to feel better,” Carole announced. “Actually, I’ve been