Stable Farewell by Bonnie Bryant

But the Millers had left a check with Max for the mare’s full purchase price. Provided the vet gave her approval, Garnet had a new home.
    When the Millers had driven away, Max congratulated Stevie, Lisa, and Carole on their first sale. “They’re nice people, and the girl knows how to ride,” he said, which, for Max, was very high praise. Then he raised one eyebrow. “
I
have just one question—no,
two
questions: One, I never did ask what was that emergency the Kingsleys’ vet had to deal with, and two, were you planning to sell my best lesson horse?”
    “It’s a long story,” The Saddle Club said in unison.
    Surprisingly, Max accepted their answer with barely another raise of the eyebrow. He said he would call the diAngelos to tell them the good news, and went to start the evening feeding.
    “Did I hear the Millers say that they wanted to have Garnet picked up on Saturday?” Stevie asked.
    Carole nodded. “I think so.”
    “Good, that’s perfect. It gives us time for the other thing I want to do,” Stevie said mysteriously.
    “What’s that?” Lisa inquired.
    “Let me put it this way: I have just one secret.” She glanced at Carole. “No, actually two secrets. I’ll let you guys in on one of them.”

A FTER THE H ORSE Wise Pony Club meeting on Saturday, Pine Hollow was abuzz with excitement. The horses were put away in a hurry. Then all the Pony Clubbers started pulling snacks and drinks out of their cubbies. The older kids, including Carole and Lisa, set up folding tables in the indoor ring. People darted back and forth bringing cups and napkins as well as carrots, apples, and sugar cubes.
    Stevie stood in the middle of the hubbub with a satisfied smile on her face: She had organized so many parties at Pine Hollow that she wasn’t even nervous about this one. Everybody had been eager to help out.
    “Here comes the guest of honor now,” Lisa said, pointing.
    “Oh, good,” Stevie said. “I was getting worried that she’d be late for her own going-away party.”
    “Garnet? Please,” Carole said. “She’s always been a lady.”
    As Betsy Cavanaugh led Garnet into the ring, Lisa stepped forward and snapped a few pictures. The chestnut mare looked wonderful. The Saddle Club had given her another extraspecial grooming, and, as an added touch, Lisa had braided red and yellow yarn into her mane. She entered the ring, raised her noble Arabian head, and then snorted loudly.
    “Well, we’re glad to see you, too,” Carole kidded, giving Garnet a big pat.
    As planned, Lisa said a few words of praise in honor of Garnet. “And even though we know she’s going to have a great home at the Millers’, we’ll all miss her very much,” she concluded. Everyone clapped and gathered around with their treats of carrots, apples, and sugar cubes. “I think we’d better hold off,” Carole reminded them after Garnet had eaten a few. “She vetted out perfectly—we don’t want her to show up at Katie’s with colic!”
    “Then we at least want Garnet’s new owner to take the treats with her for future use,” Polly Giacomin urged.
    “I’m sure she’ll be happy to,” said Carole.
    “Are we too late?” The party crowd turned in unison to see Max and Deborah hurrying in.
    “Not if that’s a cake!” Stevie cried.
    Max and Deborah presented their offering to Garnet first. It was a big cake they’d bought at the grocery store, and it said “Bon Voyage!” Once Max was satisfied that Garnet had gotten a good look at it, he set it down and cut slices for everyone. Mrs. Reg had come, too. She poured hot cider from a huge thermos. Everyone took turns eating cake and holding Garnet.
    In the middle of the party, a hush suddenly fell over the crowd. One look at the door to the ring revealed why: Veronica had finally shown up. Stevie had told Veronica about the plan, naturally—Garnet was her horse, after all—but she hadn’t known whether Veronica would bother to come. Now that she had arrived, it was