Horse-Sitters Read Free

Hollow right after school for a trail ride. They had ended up at their favorite spot, a secluded area along the banks of the creek that had given their town its name. Their horses were dozing in the shade nearby as the girls dunked their feet in the running water.
    “Do we have to?” Stevie moaned. She was lying on her back, eyes closed, legs dangling off the bank. “It’s so nice here.”
    Lisa stood up and stretched, then reached for her socks and boots. “Don’t worry, Stevie. We’ll have all summer to do this,” she reminded her.
    “If I survive that long,” Stevie said, opening her eyes but not sitting up. “I can’t believe how much work my teachers have been giving out lately. Haven’t they ever heard of winding down the school year?”
    Carole laughed. “If you had your way, the school year would start winding down around the second week in September.”
    “No, the first week,” Stevie corrected with a grin. She sat up and reached for her socks. “Anyway, I guess we should be getting back. I just remembered—Aunt Eugenia will be here soon.”
    “How could you forget?” Lisa asked, rolling her eyes. “Max has been running around frantically for the last day and a half.”
    “I don’t understand it,” Carole said, perching on a rock while she waited for her friends to finish putting on their boots. “Max is usually so levelheaded about everything. The last time I saw him this distracted was when he had just met Deborah.”
    “Maybe he’s in love with Aunt Eugenia,” Stevie joked.
    Lisa shook her head thoughtfully. “I doubt it,” she said, “but there is something going on. I wonder what?”
    “Max is probably just in a weird mood or something,” Stevie said with a shrug. “Anyway, we have more important things to think about, remember?”
    Carole groaned. “Please, Stevie. Don’t start up about your moneymaking schemes again. That’s all you’ve been able to talk about since Veronica bought that stupid bridle the other day.”
    Stevie looked hurt. “What do you mean?” she protested. “This isn’t just about the bridle—although Belle does deserve it. I’m also trying to think of ways to raise money for your stuff.” Carole and Lisa had pointed out how much they wanted thevideos and the chaps. They’d been trying to make her feel better about not being able to afford a new bridle, but the plan had backfired. Stevie was determined that The Saddle Club should have all the things they wanted, and she had been coming up with all sorts of wild schemes to earn money.
    “Come on, Stevie,” Lisa said. “Most of your plans have been pretty, well,
impractical
.”
    “No they haven’t,” Stevie said. “I still think we could raise a lot of money by holding a bake sale outside the supermarket. My brother’s scout troop did it, and they made a nice profit.”
    “Your brother’s scout troop had two dozen parents baking for them,” Carole reminded her. “Besides, I’m not sure most people would think donating money for Lisa’s new riding chaps is quite as worthy a cause.”
    “Well, how about my party-planning service?” Stevie said. “The Saddle Club knows how to plan a great party. We’ve done it plenty of times for free. Why shouldn’t we get paid for it?”
    “Nobody wants to spend a lot of money to hire someone to plan their party unless it’s a wedding or something,” Lisa said. “And nobody’s going to hire people our age to plan their wedding.”
    “My personal favorite was your plan to get Max to pay us to repave the driveway and parking area at Pine Hollow,” Carole said with a laugh as she walked over to her bay gelding, Starlight, and got ready to mount.
    “How about the one where she had the three of us mowing every field and lawn in the county with Max’s little riding mower?” Lisa added.
    “Of course, he’d probably demand a share of our profits for the use of the mower,” Carole pointed out. “That’s why I prefer the one where she