Star Rider Read Free Page B

to be grooming the ponies now?” Max asked, approaching them from the rear.
    They jumped in surprise. Of course, they were supposed to be grooming the ponies, but there was so much to see right where they were that they didn’t want to leave.
    “Aw, Max!” Stevie complained.
    “A promise is a promise,” Max said. “Otherwise …” He let his words hang like a threat. They would have tried to talk him out of making them work right thenexcept that somebody wearing a set of headphones came running over to him with an urgent question having to do with water for coffee. Max was whisked into action.
    “If Max has to become a gofer, the least we can do is groom the ponies,” Carole conceded. “However, we don’t have to do it indoors, do we? Why don’t we groom them in the paddock next to the trucks so we can see everything while we work?”
    It was a brilliant idea. It took only a minute to bring three ponies into the paddock and begin work.
    The girls were fascinated with everything. All around them the large crew bustled away, hoisting things, moving things and measuring things. Nobody paid any attention to the three girls grooming the three ponies.
    They became so engrossed with an argument between the headphone-wearer and somebody else that they didn’t notice the arrival of six Winnebago vans. Skye Ransom emerged from one of them. He spotted his friends, all hanging on every word the assistant director said to the other man.
    “You shouldn’t eavesdrop on nasty conversations like that,” he said, approaching them from behind.
    The three girls turned to see their friend, and all interest in the nearby argument dropped instantly.
    “Skye!” Lisa exclaimed, so excited that she dropped her curry comb. It hit the pony’s foot and startled him sothat he bolted away, yanking at the knot that secured him to the fence. The knot slipped, and the rope dropped from the fence. The pony started prancing around the paddock. The girls would have loved nothing better than to ignore the problem and chat with Skye, but horses came first.
    “Be right back,” Stevie said, excusing herself.
    “Can I help?” Skye offered.
    “No thanks,” Carole told him.
    It took them only a minute to catch the pony and bring him back to the fence, but it was long enough for Veronica diAngelo to seize an opportunity. Veronica was a spoiled rich girl who always seemed to think that only she was allowed to have good things happen to her.
    “It’s so wonderful you could join us here,” Veronica cooed to Skye when The Saddle Club girls were busy trying to tie the pony’s lead rope securely.
    Skye looked a little confused. “Uh, thanks,” he said awkwardly.
    “Skye, this is Veronica diAngelo,” Lisa said. Skye nodded politely. Then Lisa completed the introduction. “Veronica,” she said. “This is Mr. Ransom.”
    Skye offered his hand. It was Veronica’s turn to look confused. She had been outfoxed and she knew it. She didn’t like it when she got outsnubbed. She shook Skye’shand and tried to smile. At the same time, The Saddle Club was trying
not
to smile.
    “I have to go see to my purebred Arabian mare now,” Veronica said. “I’ll see you all later, maybe.” She spoke through clenched teeth. Stevie, Lisa, and Carole loved every second of it.
    “Who was
that
?” Skye asked, watching Veronica walk off.
    The girls couldn’t hold it anymore. They burst into giggles and, between waves of laughter, told Skye all about her.
    “She thinks she owns everybody and everyone,” Lisa said. “Uh, including you.”
    “I gathered that,” Skye said. “She’s in for a disappointment, though, because I am not a purebred Arabian mare type. I’m more the—here, let me show you. It’s right in my trailer.”
    The girls looked at him quizzically, but saved their questions. First they had to finish grooming the ponies and take them back to their stalls. When that was done, they followed Skye to his trailer. He told them about the