Saddlebags Read Free Page A

Brightstar. She simply enjoyed being back in this wonderful place. Lisa rocked in the chair and smiled.
    A few minutes later Stevie and Carole joined her on the porch.
    “I can’t believe we’re here!” exclaimed Stevie.
    “Me neither,” answered Carole, “and I can’t wait to go for a ride!”
    At that moment Kate rounded the corner to the bunkhouse. “How about right now?”
    “Kate!” All three girls bounded off the porch to hug their friend. She looked the same as last time they’d seen her except maybe taller, her deep auburn hair pulled back in a ponytail.
    “Sorry I couldn’t meet you at the airport. I had this dumb dentist appointment—”
    “That’s okay,” said Lisa.
    “How are you?” Carole asked.
    “Great, just a little numb,” answered Kate, rubbing her jaw.
    “Nothing a ride won’t cure, right?” said Stevie.
    “You got it.” Kate grinned. “I’m so glad to see you guys.”
    “Hey, thanks for working on your dad to invite all of us,” said Stevie.
    “No problem,” answered Kate. “I just had to agree to help train a couple of our new fillies.”
    The girls smiled. Kate was probably the most experienced rider of all of them, and they knew she’d love training the young horses.
    “Let’s go for that ride,” said Stevie.
    “Sounds good,” said Lisa, “but let’s check on our parents first. Maybe they’ll want to come.”
    As they headed over to the parents’ bunkhouse, Stevie turned to Kate. “So just how long did
you
know about this surprise?”
    “Longer than any of you!” Kate replied.
    “Do we ever owe you one,” said Stevie. “Just you wait.”
    Kate laughed. “Uh-oh, I’d better watch out. I’ve heard lots of stories about Stevie Lake’s revenge schemes—none of them pretty!”
    “Hi!” called Mrs. Atwood as The Saddle Club walked up. To Lisa’s surprise, her mother’s face was glowing. “The view is great from every window, and I love this little porch.”
    “How’d you like to see the view from horseback?” Lisa asked.
    Mrs. Atwood nodded. “Sounds good.”
    Stevie’s mother appeared from inside the cabin. “Can I come too?”
    “Of course!” Stevie answered, “Everyone’s invited!”
    “Let’s all meet at the corral in twenty minutes, okay?” said Kate.
    “See you there,” Mrs. Atwood replied.
    “I’ll tell the dads in here,” said Mrs. Lake.
    “Speaking of dads, I want to go check on mine,” said Carole. “He’s up at the big house.” The girls walked over to the main house, a long, low ranch with a porch that stretched across the front.
    As they walked in, Phyllis Devine, Kate’s mother, came out of the kitchen.
    “Stevie! Carole! Lisa!” she said, hugging them each. “How’re my favorite dudes? I’m so glad you brought your folks. Carole, your dad is staying in the guest room right down the hall from us.”
    Carole headed down the hall and met her father coming out of his room. He had changed into jeans and a Western shirt.
    “Are you ready for a ride?” she asked.
    “Does a coyote howl?” Colonel Hanson answered with a big smile.
    “Meet us at the corral in fifteen minutes,” Carole told him. Then she and her friends headed back outside.
    As the others chattered away, Lisa kept her eyespeeled for John Brightstar. He and his father, Walter, worked at the Bar None, and during her last couple of visits to the ranch she had become good friends with John.
    She drew in a deep breath when she finally spotted the tall, black-haired wrangler coming out of the barn with his father.
    Walter nodded. “Hello, girls,” he said quietly.
    John gave each of the three visitors a friendly hug—though it felt to Lisa as if he hugged her just a little bit longer than the others.
    “You dudes look great—not like you’ve been cooped up all winter,” he teased them.
    “Hey,” said Carole indignantly, “we’ve been riding a lot.”
    “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” John grinned. “Welcome back to the Bar