New Rider (14 page)

“Leaving the door unlatched was very careless,” he agreed. “But thank goodness you had a careless moment.”

Carole couldn’t believe what she had just heard. She looked at Max in astonishment.

He put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t you realize that if you hadn’t, you wouldn’t have come back to check on her and Sunset might have died alone in her stall this morning?”

Carole hadn’t thought of it like that. It made her
feel a little better. She had still messed up, but, strangely enough, it had turned out for the best.

Mrs. Reg appeared from inside the stable. “Carole, Lisa is on the phone. You can take the call in my office, but don’t be long.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Reg,” Carole said, hurrying inside.

When she got to the phone she heard a worried Lisa hanging on the line. “What’s going on? You sneak out of the house and leave us this note that says you have to go to Pine Hollow?”

“Calm down. Everything’s fine. But you have missed out on some excitement. Sunset had her foal!”

Lisa’s squeal of delight was so loud Carole was forced to move the phone away from her ear. “I don’t believe it!” Lisa gasped with excitement.

Carole could hear Stevie in the background demanding to be let in on the news. When Lisa told her, Carole heard another shriek of joy.

Lisa came back on the phone. “I can’t believe we missed it,” she wailed.

“Actually you didn’t miss it by much,” Carole told her. “Anyway, I’ll tell you all about it when you get down here.”

“We’re on our way,” Lisa said and hung up.

Carole put down the phone and left the office. She
found Zach in Starlight’s stall. He had untacked her horse and was giving him some water.

“Thanks, Zach,” she said.

Mrs. Reg came down the hall toward them. “I heard you two had quite the adventure this morning, and I thought you could use a little pick-me-up.” She handed them each a cup of hot chocolate.

“Thanks, Mrs. Reg. It smells great.” Carole took the mug gratefully. There were even miniature marshmallows floating on the top, just the way she liked it.

“Sure does,” Zach agreed. He took a tiny sip. “Yow! Be careful, C, it’s pretty hot.”

“I should hope so,” Mrs. Reg sniffed. “I believe that is where the term
hot chocolate
came from. Why don’t you two go sit down somewhere while you drink it. You both look a little worse for wear.”

Carole led the way to the locker room and sank onto a bench.

Zach did the same. “Man, having babies sure is hard work.”

Carole laughed. “You should try it from the other side sometime.”

“Not something I’m ever going to have to worry about,” Zach chuckled. “But, wow, that was something. Beats television hands down!”

Carole came to a decision. She had planned on waiting until Lisa and Stevie had arrived to talk to Zach, but this felt like the right moment. “Zach, did Mrs. Reg ever tell you about a pony named Sprinkles?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

She told him the story about the pony who was only good at walking. At the end the boy looked at her blankly. “I don’t get it. What fun is just walking?”

“What’s
fun
is doing something well,” Carole replied. “Even if you can only do one thing, that’s still better than not being able to do anything, right?”

“I guess,” he said, taking a sip of his cocoa.

Carole put down her cup. “What I’m trying to say is, you love to ride fast and you love just being with your horse. That’s what you do well. That’s what makes you happy.”

For the first time since the birth of the filly, Zach looked depressed. “That’s never going to win me a blue ribbon.”

“No, it’s not. But, you know, Zach,” she said as gently as she could, “some people don’t like to compete in horse shows. It’s simply not their thing. As a matter of fact, I’ve heard a theory that people who don’t compete may have a better bond with their horse because their relationship is based purely on mutual
pleasure. Neither the horse nor the rider is under any pressure.”

Zach looked interested. “Not everyone who rides competes?”

“Of course not,” she told him.

“But everyone around here does.”

“We show our horses because that’s fun for us. There may come a time when I won’t want to do it anymore, and then I’ll stop. But even if I do, I know I’ll never give up horses.”

“Are you saying I can just take classes and go for rides?” he asked cautiously. “I don’t have to compete in the shows?”

Carole smiled. “Absolutely, and anyone who tries to tell you different is wrong. Someday you may decide to try it again, but until then Stevie and Lisa and I can show you lots of fun things to do on horseback.”

Zach grinned. “Cool. I’ll take you up on that, C.” He looked at his watch. “Wow! I’ve got to go home.” He leaped to his feet. “I kind of sneaked out without telling my folks. They’re gonna be worried about me.”

“In case you’re interested, we’re playing mounted games again next week.”

“Count me in,” he said enthusiastically.

Carole smiled. “See you in school tomorrow.”

Zach headed for the door. He paused and turned to Carole. “Thank you,” he said.

After he had left, Carole sat back to finish her hot chocolate. She was slurping the last few drops when Lisa and Stevie rushed in. “Hi, guys,” she greeted them. “Have you seen the new foal yet?”

“We just came from her,” Lisa gushed. “Have you ever seen anything so cute?”

“And funny,” Stevie added. Then she stopped and stared. “Have you considered taking a shower lately?”

Carole laughed.

“You look terrible,” Lisa informed her. “What have you been up to?”

“Didn’t Max or Judy tell you?” Carole asked, surprised.

Stevie and Lisa shook their heads.

“I helped deliver Sunset’s baby,” she told them happily. “Actually, Zach and I did.”

“Alone?” Stevie asked, clearly astonished.

“Yep! In the field.”

Stevie and Lisa threw themselves down on the bench beside her.

“Okay, start talking,” Lisa demanded. “And don’t you dare leave out any of the details.”

In the next few minutes Carole told them the entire
tale. Her two best friends were clearly amazed by the story.

“I can’t believe a boy would do that,” Stevie said. “Guess Zach isn’t a typical boy after all.”

“You must have been scared,” Lisa said. “I know I would have been.”

“I was,” Carole admitted. But I was more scared for Sunset and her baby. Besides, we had no choice.”

“You’re really amazing, Carole,” Stevie told her.

“You’re going to make a fantastic veterinarian,” Lisa added warmly.

“Do you suppose Judy goes through something like that every day?” Stevie wondered.

“Let’s go find her and ask,” Lisa suggested.

“Do you mind if we stop by Sunset’s stall again first?” Carole pleaded. “I’d really like to take another look at her foal.”

Stevie and Lisa didn’t need coaxing. They were more than happy to take another peek at the baby.

A few moments later The Saddle Club was gathered outside the birthing stall, watching the pair. Nestled deep in the soft hay, the new little filly was sound asleep, and Sunset, who had been so restless for so long, was standing quietly and peacefully over her new baby.

“Judy said the filly’s perfect,” Carole whispered.

“She sure looks it from where I’m standing,” Lisa said dreamily.

“You did an amazing thing today, Carole,” Stevie said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

“Amazing,” agreed Lisa.

Carole smiled dreamily. It had been amazing.

“Now,” said Stevie, “about that shower …”

B
ONNIE
B
RYANT
is the author of more than a hundred books about horses, including The Saddle Club series, The Saddle Club Super Editions, the Pony Tails series, and Pine Hollow, which follows the Saddle Club girls into their teens. She has also written novels and movie novelizations under her married name, B. B. Hiller.

Ms. Bryant began writing The Saddle Club in 1986. Although she had done some riding before that, she intensified her studies then and found herself learning right along with her characters Stevie, Carole, and Lisa. She claims that they are all much better riders than she is.

Ms. Bryant was born and raised in New York City. She still lives there, in Greenwich Village, with her two sons.

Horse lover CAROLE …
Practical joker STEVIE …
Straight-A LISA …

#1 HORSE CRAZY

#2 HORSE SHY

#3 HORSE SENSE

#4 HORSE POWER

#5 TRAIL MATES

#6 DUDE RANCH

#7 HORSE PLAY

#8 HORSE SHOW

#9 HOOF BEAT

#10 RIDING CAMP

#11 HORSE WISE

#12 RODEO RIDER

#13 STARLIGHT CHRISTMAS

#14 SEA HORSE

#15 TEAM PLAY

#16 HORSE GAMES

#17 HORSENAPPED

#18 PACK TRIP

#19 STAR RIDER

#20 SNOW RIDE

#21 RACEHORSE

#22 FOX HUNT

#23 HORSE TROUBLE

#24 GHOST RIDER

#25 SHOW HORSE

#26 BEACH RIDE

#27 BRIDLE PATH

#28 STABLE MANNERS

#29 RANCH HANDS

#30 AUTUMN TRAIL

#31 HAYRIDE

#32 CHOCOLATE HORSE

#33 HIGH HORSE

#34 HAY FEVER

#35 HORSE TALE

#36 RIDING LESSON

#37 STAGE COACH

#38 HORSE TRADE

#39 PUREBRED

#40 GIFT HORSE

#41 STABLE WITCH

#42 SADDLEBAGS

#43 PHOTO FINISH

#44 HORSESHOE

#45 STABLE GROOM

#46 FLYING HORSE

#47 HORSE MAGIC

#48 MYSTERY RIDE

#49 STABLE FAREWELL

#50 YANKEE SWAP

#51 PLEASURE HORSE

#52 RIDING CLASS

#53 HORSE-SITTERS

#54 GOLD MEDAL RIDER

#55 GOLD MEDAL HORSE

#56 CUTTING HORSE

#57 TIGHT REIN

#58 WILD HORSES

#59 PHANTOM HORSE

#60 HOBBYHORSE

#61 BROKEN HORSE

#62 HORSE BLUES

#63 STABLE HEARTS

#64 HORSE CAPADES

#65 SILVER STIRRUPS

#66 SADDLE SORE

#67 SUMMER HORSE

#68 SUMMER RIDER

#69 ENDURANCE RIDE

#70 HORSE RACE

#71 HORSE TALK

#72 HOLIDAY HORSE

#73 HORSE GUEST

#74 HORSE WHISPERS

#75 PAINTED HORSE

#76 HORSE CARE

#77 ROCKING HORSE

#78 HORSEFLIES

#79 ENGLISH HORSE

#80 ENGLISH RIDER

#81 WAGON TRAIL

#82 QUARTER HORSE

#83 HORSE THIEF

#84 SCHOOLING HORSE

#85 HORSE FEVER

#86 SECRET HORSE

#87 SHOW JUMPER

#88 SIDESADDLE

#89 LUCKY HORSE

#90 DRIVING TEAM

#91 STARTING GATE

#92 MILLION-DOLLAR HORSE

#93 HORSE LOVE

#94 HORSE SPY

#95 SHOW JUDGE

#96 NEW RIDER

#1 A SUMMER WITHOUT HORSES

#2 THE SECRET OF THE STALLION

#3 WESTERN STAR

#4 DREAM HORSE

#5 BEFORE THEY RODE HORSES

#6 NIGHTMARE

#7 CHRISTMAS TREASURE

STEVIE: THE INSIDE STORY

LISA: THE INSIDE STORY

CAROLE: THE INSIDE STORY

B
est friends Stevie, Carole, and Lisa have always stuck together. But everything has changed now that they’re in high school. They’ve got boyfriends, jobs, and serious questions that they must grapple with on their own.

More and more they’re discovering that sometimes even the best of friends can’t solve your most serious problems.