Horse Blues Read Free

seconds to midnight!” Carole pointed to the TV, where the ball was dropping in New York City’s Times Square. Together the girls counteddown the last seconds. “Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Yea!” they yelled.
    “Let’s toast the New Year!” Stevie urged. All three of them picked up their sodas and prepared to drink.
    “Uh, Carole?” Lisa murmured, pointing at the can in Carole’s hand.
    Carole frowned. “Oh, right. Hold on. I’ll, um … get some water.”
    “Can’t she even have one sip of soda?” Stevie asked, annoyed.
    Lisa shrugged. “Don’t look at me.
I
don’t care. But a resolution is a resolution.”

T HE AIR AT Pine Hollow the next morning was buzzing with something, though it wasn’t exactly excitement. Max Regnery had assembled the active members of Horse Wise and their parents. Stevie’s parents couldn’t make the meeting because they were visiting out-of-town friends for the day. Mrs. Atwood had come as promised, however. And Colonel Hanson had arrived with a very sleepy Lisa, Stevie, and Carole. The tack room was packed with riders and parents waiting for Max to bring the meeting to order.
    “It looks like most of the members showed up,”Carole observed, glancing around the crowded room.
    “Most—but not all,” Stevie noted dryly. “Veronica’s probably too tired from her helicopter tour of the city to come to something as boring as an unmounted Horse Wise meeting.”
    “Stevie …,” Lisa said warningly.
    Stevie shot Lisa an annoyed look. “Look, I resolved not to be mean to Veronica,” she snapped. “That doesn’t mean I can’t talk about her behind her back.”
    Lisa was about to respond when her mother appeared in front of them. “Hi, honey. Hi, girls. Happy New Year,” said Mrs. Atwood. “How was the slumber party?”
    “It was fun, Mom. We—”
    “It was great!” Stevie said, jumping in. “Lisa told us that she almost stayed home because she wanted to work on her embroidery, but you’re glad you came, aren’t you, Lis’?” Stevie’s hazel eyes glinted tauntingly.
    “Did you say that, honey?” asked Mrs. Atwood, obviously pleased.
    Lisa glared at Stevie before recovering herself. “Yes, Mom. I can’t wait to start,” she said through clenched teeth.
    “Wonderful! I wasn’t sure if you liked your Christmas present, but I’m so glad you do! Thank you for telling me, Stevie. Perhaps you and Carole would like to join Lisa. All girls should know how to embroider, you know.”
    “Thanks, Mrs. Atwood, but …” Stevie paused, trying to think up an excuse.
    “Yes, thank you, but I’m going to be busy learning how to cook,” Carole cut in.
    “Are you, dear? That’s wonderful, too. What are you going to make?” Mrs. Atwood inquired.
    Lisa and Stevie looked at Carole curiously. They had no idea what she was getting at. Carole grinned. “Oh, I’ll be making nutritious meals—vegetable casseroles, salads, sugar-free desserts …”
    Lisa and Stevie laughed, both relieved that Carole had changed the subject from embroidery to her own resolution.
    “That’s nice, Carole,” Mrs. Atwood said vaguely. “It’s always good to eat healthy food.”
    “Healthy food?” Colonel Hanson asked, coming over to greet Lisa’s mother. “Yuck! I say, keep your alfalfa sprouts for the rabbits and give me a burger, fries, and a Coke any day of the week. Happy New Year, Eleanor.”
    As Mrs. Atwood and Colonel Hanson shookhands and began to chat, Stevie, Lisa, and Carole drifted away. It was bad enough having their parents present at a Horse Wise meeting: They didn’t want to talk to them, too!
    “Am I crazy, or is Max actually late?” Stevie asked when the three of them were settled on the floor in a corner. The talking had reached a higher pitch as the group waited for the meeting to start.
    “You
are
crazy, as we all know, Stevie,” Carole kidded, “but you’re right, too. Max is fifteen minutes late.” She pointed to the