Horse Shy Read Free Page A

Pine Hollow’s stableboys, asked Carole.
    She checked her list and told him they were packed.
    When Carole was certain everything on her clipboard had been checked twice, she helped load the horses onto the vans. Most horses learned to accept occasional van trips. Some even liked them. But a few, like Barq, whom Lorraine would ride, were van haters. He was an Arabian—named after the Arabic word for lightning—and when he got near a van, he tried to streak the other way! To avoid trouble this time, they led him up the ramp with a bucket of oats. With his nose in the feed bag, he was in the van before he knew it, and it was too late for protests.
    Today, Carole saw with a sigh of relief, Barq was no trouble at all. Diablo and Harry gave Max and Red a hard time, but eventually, the horses were loaded. When Carole assured the drivers that all the horse gear was aboard, the vans took off. The bus would follow in a few minutes.
    Lisa stowed her bedroll and pack in the bus and came over to chat with Carole while the last items were loaded. She was followed closely by her mother. Mrs. Atwood had originally insisted that Lisa learn to ride. She thought all nice young ladies should knowsomething about horses. But she never expected Lisa to become horse crazy, and she was very nervous that something terrible would happen to her daughter on the MTO.
    She hovered around Lisa. While the girls talked about riding, Mrs. Atwood uttered dire warnings like “Don’t go too close to the edge of the mountain, now, dear,” and “Don’t drink any water that hasn’t been boiled, will you?” Lisa just nodded sweetly, assuring her mother she’d be careful. Carole wondered at Lisa’s patience, but she knew Mrs. Atwood was just being caring, in her own way.
    “Mom, I think it’s time for parents to go,” Lisa said gently. She gave her mother a brief hug. “See you Sunday at six o’clock, okay?”
    “Okay, dear,” Mrs. Atwood said, backing toward her station wagon. “Have a good time!” Lisa smiled.
    Lisa wasn’t the only rider with a mother hanging around. Mrs. diAngelo drove up in her Mercedes and rolled down the window. “Oh, I’m so glad you’re still here, dear,” she said. “I brought this for you.”
    Mrs. diAngelo offered Veronica a set of saddlebags. Even from across the parking area, Carole could see they weren’t just saddlebags. They were from Hermès, the exclusive French saddlery. Carole knew she’d probably ridden horses that cost less than that set of saddlebags.
    Veronica accepted the offering as if her mother had handed her an old pair of pajamas. “Thanks, Mother,” she said drily.
    “Open them up,” her mother said, her voice tinged with excitement. Veronica lifted up the flap and pulled out a sack of expensive Perugina candies. “I thought you’d enjoy sharing those by the campfire,” she said.
    Veronica smiled briefly. “Thanks, Mother. I guess it’s time to go now. See you Sunday.”
    Mrs. diAngelo raised her push-button window and drove off.
    “Isn’t that something?” Stevie said, joining Carole and Lisa. “I didn’t know she cared.”
    Carole had to agree. Mrs. diAngelo seemed to be trying very hard to please Veronica. It was too bad that Veronica was such a pain. “Doesn’t matter to me, though,” Carole said. “She’s still a pain.”
    “Yeah, but now she’s a pain with some wonderful treats to share at the campfire.”
    “You know,” Lisa said, “I think I’d rather have a mother who worries too much than one who brings me five-hundred-dollar saddlebags filled with expensive candies.”
    “Me, too,” Stevie agreed.
    Carole was quiet for a moment. Her own mother had died after a long illness the previous fall. She hadn’t been like either Mrs. Atwood or Mrs. diAngelo. She’d been just about perfect. Carole really missed her, but she was glad she had her memories.
    “Time to board the bus!” Max announced. At once, eleven people jostled over to the minibus, which would