After schooling on the flat, the girls set off at an easy walk, glad to escape the dusty ring. Schooling was important, but taking a breather was, too. Horses that spent too much time in the ring could get bored, just like kids who got sick of school. Besides, riders could learn as much from hacking outside as from drilling in the ring. Trail riding was a great time to get used to riding over different terrain, splashing through water puddles, and hopping over small obstacles such as fallen trees.
The great thing about a trail ride was that it was a way for a horse and rider to relax and have fun. Some of The Saddle Club’s most memorable adventures had taken place on the trail.
Starlight, Prancer, and Belle knew the route to Willow Creek by heart, so Carole, Lisa, and Stevie loosened the reins, relaxed, and talked. By mutual consent they had decided not to mention any of the not-so-wonderful things going on. They were doing their best to help Red, and, until the representative from the Equestrian Center came, they would just have to be patient.
When they got to the creek, the three of them tied their horses and sat at the water’s edge. They all took off their riding boots and rolled up their pants so they could dangle their feet in the cool stream. In the hot Virginia summer the creek was always a favorite spot.
“This water just reminded me: What’s left to plan for the Bath?” Carole asked.
Lisa reached into her pocket and withdrew a folded piece of yellow legal paper. “I think we’re almost all set,” she said. “For food and drinks we’ve got people signed up to bring brownies, oatmeal-raisin cookies, tortilla chips with salsa, cheese popcorn, root beer, ginger ale—oh, and, ah, Jell-O.”
“Jell-O?” Carole and Stevie repeated in unison.
Lisa gave a sheepish smile. “Simon Atherton told me it was his absolute favorite food, and I didn’t have the heart to tell him not to bring it.”
Carole and Stevie nodded understandingly. Simon was one of the stranger students who rode at Pine Hollow. There was nothing exactly wrong with him, he just seemed to march to his own drummer. Evidence of this was that he had a persistent crush on Veronica despite the fact that she had repeatedly been as rude as humanly possible to him.
“How about decorations?” Stevie inquired. “I hope whoever volunteered is prepared to turn the tack room into a thing of beauty.”
The girls had decided that cleaning out the tack room was the best solution for the setting of the Groom’s Bath. “We have two riders who have sworn to buy out all the streamers at the mall,” Lisa answered, checking her list. “If all goes as planned, we’ll just have to set up and supervise on the actual day. Oh, wait, I forgot one thing: We still have to think up a theme for the presents. A lot of kids have been asking me what to get Max.”
“I noticed his tack was getting kind of worn out. Why don’t we all pitch in and buy him a new bridle at the tack shop?” Carole suggested.
Stevie and Lisa looked at each other, eyebrows raised. Finally Stevie said, “Are you going to say it, or am I?”
Before they could decide, Carole jumped in. “Just because we give Max a bridle doesn’t make this a bridal shower!” she exclaimed, exasperated.
“Anyway, the point is, we have to give him gifts that will be appropriate for a man who is about to get married, not for a man who is about to go hacking,” Lisa pointed out. “I did look up ‘showers’ in my mother’s book on manners to see what was acceptable, but somehow tea towels and place mats don’t seem right.”
“I can’t even imagine what a tea towel is, let alone Max using it,” Stevie said.
“Yeah, it’s funny, but I guess Max does do things like eat breakfast, doesn’t he?” Carole asked.
Because they always saw Max in the stables—riding, teaching, or training—sometimes it was hard for the girls to imagine him doing normal, everyday things.
“I wonder who will do the cooking,” Lisa mused idly, splashing water over her ankles and calves. “Deborah’s career takes up at least as much time as Max’s, and she’ll have to commute to the city.”
“That’s it!” Stevie cried suddenly. Carole and Lisa were all ears. “Deborah is giving Max the gift of learning to ride so that she can share in his career. Maybe Max should learn something about the newspaper business in return.”
“So the theme for the Bath would be—journalism?” Carole asked.
“Right. Everyone will have to bring something to do with Deborah’s job as a reporter,” Stevie said. She paused, letting the other two absorb the idea.
“I like it,” Carole said. “Besides, it’s the least Deborah deserves, after working so hard to surprise Max.”
“I know—we could bring things like copies of books by investigative reporters,” Lisa said.
“Yeah, and then the tools of an investigative reporter … say, a magnifying glass,” Stevie said.
“Lock picks—for breaking into rooms!” Carole added.
“Fake IDs!”
“Reporters’ notepads!”
“A mini-tape recorder!”
“A tube to put up against the wall so you can hear through it, fingerprint dusting powder, a camera that looks like a fountain pen!”
Lisa looked doubtfully at Stevie. “Stevie, have you been watching too many old detective movies?”
“We-ell, I did catch a triple feature last weekend,” Stevie confessed.
Lisa hastily scribbled some of their ideas on the back of her party list so that they could make suggestions to the other riders. None of them was sure how many of the things they had thought of actually existed, but they were positive that everyone would have fun choosing them.
“And what’s most important, Max may not actually need any of the silly gifts he’ll be getting, but at least he’ll enjoy opening them,” Carole concluded.
“The theme should make Deborah laugh, too. And that’s what a party’s for, right?” Lisa said.
With the Bath planned, The Saddle Club was ready to make the leisurely trip back to Pine Hollow. They felt cool and refreshed, mentally and physically.
The feeling did not last long. When they reached the stable yard, they saw the diAngelos’ white Mercedes parked outside Max’s office.
“Why is it that whenever I see that car, I just know they’re up to something bad?” Lisa remarked.
“I don’t know, but you don’t have to be an investigative reporter to come to that conclusion,” Stevie said dryly.
The three of them dismounted and were heading into the barn when Mrs. diAngelo appeared, followed by a sulking Veronica. “It’s not fair, Mother! You and Max think you can get away with ignoring me! But I’m going to win in the end!”
“Keep your voice down,” Mrs. diAngelo snapped. “You’re making a scene!”
In response, Veronica swung her foot back and kicked the front tire of the Mercedes as hard as she could. Mrs. diAngelo fixed her with an iron expression. “Your father will speak to Max as soon as he comes home from his business trip. We will discuss your behavior later,” she said icily. “Now get into the car.” Pouting, Veronica flounced over to the passenger side and got in. As she did, she caught a glimpse of Lisa, Carole, and Stevie, all of whom were staring at her. She sneered at them, then slammed the car door hard.
The three girls watched the sleek white car disappear down the driveway. Carole was the first to speak. “Do you think it’s good or bad that Veronica and her mother are in a fight over something that’s going on at Pine Hollow?”
“And what is Mr. diAngelo going to speak to Max about?” Lisa asked.
“And why is Max ignoring Veronica?” Stevie said.
Without saying it, they were all sure that Veronica’s attacks on Red must have somehow been the cause of the scene they had just witnessed. But before they could answer any of their own questions, Red emerged from the stable. He nodded briefly to them and then hurried toward his truck. A minute later he, too, disappeared down the driveway.
“First the diAngelos storm off, then Red rushes out? What on earth could be going
on?” Lisa demanded.
Carole sighed, leaning against Starlight. “I don’t know, but this day is getting more confusing than a tangled four-in-hand harness.”
STEVIE WAS THE first to arrive for class on Tuesday. On the way over, she had tried to think of something she could say to Max that would make him want to reveal his wedding and honeymoon plans. Once he had made an announcement about the cruise, she would feel okay about asking why he wasn’t leaving Red in charge as usual. But she didn’t want to bring up the subject herself, because she would have to admit to snooping on Max’s desk, and it also might sound as if she didn’t like Denise. Everyone agreed that Denise was wonderful; the point was how unfair it was for Max to pick anyone over Red.
She had tried the joking approach already. Hinting about the wedding and the cruise hadn’t worked. Now Stevie thought she might be able to engage Max in a casual conversation, which she could then turn toward the wedding. She went directly to his office and rapped lightly on the door.
“Yes?” Max said, looking up from his paperwork.
“Hi, Max,” Stevie said, trying to make her voice sound normal. She sat down on the sofa and picked up a horse magazine. “Great weather for our lesson, isn’t it?”
“Is there something you need, Stevie?” Max asked, his voice testy. He glanced at his watch distractedly, stood up, and began to stack the mess on his desk into neat piles.
“Oh, are you in a hurry?” Stevie asked. “There’s plenty of time until the lesson.”
“I realize that, Stevie, but I have a few things to take care of, all right? If you need to talk to me, say so.”
Stevie stared openmouthed at her riding instructor. Max was acting more irritable than she’d seen him in a long, long time. She was about to make another attempt at conversation. Then she thought better of it. With the diAngelos and Red to worry about, and his own plans to consider, Max obviously had a lot on his mind. Before he could get more worked up, Stevie murmured something about being glad that Denise was going to teach at camp, and slipped out the door.
To her surprise, Max called after her. “Stevie! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you. See you in the lesson, okay?”
Now Stevie was really astonished. It was one thing for Max to get annoyed with her for pestering him. It was quite another for him to apologize for getting annoyed. In fact, Stevie could count on one hand—maybe even on a couple of fingers—the number of times Max had said he was sorry to her. Backing away, she gave him the best smile she could manage and then hurried to the stalls to find Lisa and Carole.
“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Lisa commented when she saw Stevie’s face. She had Prancer cross-tied in the aisle and was currying the mare vigorously. Carole had stationed Starlight one pair of cross-ties down so that she could talk with Lisa while they groomed.
“Actually, I saw something weirder,” Stevie said. “I went to try to get Max into a conversation about his wedding, but before I could get two words in, he nearly bit my head off.”
“That’s weird?” Carole asked. She pulled a few long hairs out of Starlight’s perfectly kept mane.
“No, that’s normal—or close to it. The thing that spooked me is that he apologized for snapping at me.”
Both Carole and Lisa stopped grooming and looked at Stevie. “Boy, this Red-Veronica thing must really be bothering him,” Carole said, her voice sympathetic.
“The poor guy is trying to make plans for marrying the woman he loves, and instead he has to worry about Veronica’s stupid accusations,” Lisa said.
“Yeah, it’s no wonder he’s not himself,” Stevie agreed. “Any sign of the Equestrian Center examiner?” she asked hopefully. She and Carole and Lisa had gotten into the habit of scanning the driveway for strange cars.
“Nope. The only cars in the driveway are Max’s, Red’s, and Mrs. Reg’s. And I guess that means you haven’t heard anything by mail?” Lisa asked.
Stevie shook her head. “I check the mailbox every day, though,” she said glumly. Stevie left to get Belle ready. She didn’t want to risk another run-in with Max, this time about being late. She stopped by the tack room on her way to the mare’s stall. Startled, she saw Max standing inside. He was staring blankly at the row of saddles.
Stevie entered the room quietly and grabbed her tack. Max looked at her and smiled vaguely. Stevie didn’t feel like waiting around for him to snap out of whatever daze he was in. He had said he had lots of things to take care of before the lesson. Evidently, one of them was gazing at saddles.
WHEN THE LESSON started, Max called the group into the center of the ring. Veronica straggled up, the last to arrive. She grabbed her reins from Red, who had been holding Garnet at ringside, waiting to give Veronica a leg up. Without a word of greeting, the girl put her foot into Red’s hands and sprang into the saddle. Max looked at her disapprovingly but said nothing. “Uh, today we’ll be working on relaxation of the horse and rider,” he announced.
The Saddle Club exchanged glances.
“We’re working on it again, you mean?” Lisa asked timidly. Normally she wouldn’t have questioned Max, but today he looked plain out of it.
Max frowned. “How silly of me. Of course, we did that last week. What I meant to say is, ah … is … why doesn’t everyone warm up using the exercises we learned last week. I know you’ve been practicing them on your own, and I want to see your progress.”
That sounded better. The riders filed out to the rail and began to go through the stretches they had learned. Max watched for a few minutes without saying anything. Then Mrs. Reg appeared at the rail of the ring and summoned him over. “Your suit has come back from the cleaners,” Lisa overheard the older woman tell Max.
The rest of the warm-up went haphazardly. Max seemed to be looking at his watch more than at his students. Carole noticed that a couple of times Veronica snatched at Garnet’s reins without provoking so much as a mild reprimand from Max. He stared right at her, then glanced away. It made Carole worry to see Max this way. She had seen him distracted, but now he seemed almost nervous.
“Mrs. diAngelo must have really gotten to him,” she whispered to Lisa, who had trotted up beside her.
“I know! I was waiting for him to yell at Veronica, and he ignored her completely,” Lisa responded. “If this goes on every day until his wedding, I don’t think I’ll be able to take it.”
By reflex, they glanced anxiously at Max to see if he had noticed them talking, but he seemed lost in thought.
NEAR THE END of the lesson, Deborah came out to the ring. She waved to The Saddle Club, who waved back. Max seemed delighted to see her. He interrupted the lesson, gave her a big kiss, and spoke with her for several minutes.
“She sure gets his mind off his worries, doesn’t she? That’s the most relaxed he’s seemed during the entire lesson,” Lisa said.
“You call this a lesson?” Stevie asked. “I call it the ‘everyone come talk to Max’ hour.”
“You can’t blame him for wanting to talk to his fiancée. Half the time she comes, she sneaks in and out without even saying hi,” Lisa said.
It was nice to see Max as half of a happy couple. The two of them talked and joked until Deborah left. Then Max seemed to remember himself. He shouted out a few commands to wake everyone up. But right as they got going, Mrs. Reg reappeared at the ring. Max seemed to realize that it was hopeless to try to continue the class for the remaining five minutes. He told everyone to pack it in for the day, and joined his mother at the rail. The two of them began to speak in hushed tones.
Meanwhile, Veronica, who had dismounted, began to holler for Red. Red showed up in a couple of minutes, walking hurriedly.
“I haven’t got all day,” Veronica said loudly. “And Garnet’s ears and muzzle need to be trimmed. They’re getting all gross and hairy.”
Red started to explain. “We trim the whiskers on all the horses at the same—”
“I don’t care when all the horses get done,” Veronica cut him off. “I
care only about Garnet, and I’m telling you to trim her whiskers today. Got it?”
Watching her rebuke Red for something that was beyond his control was too much for Carole. She felt anger at Veronica boiling over inside her. It wasn’t fair that one person should have so much control over another person. Without thinking about what she was doing, she opened her mouth and yelled at Veronica. “Just quit it! Stop telling Red what to do!”
Veronica gaped at Carole. Her face flushed an angry red. “How dare you interfere in something that’s not your business?” she demanded, her voice trembling.
Red motioned for Carole to keep out of it, but she was too wound up. It seemed as if she had been watching Veronica attack Red forever. Suddenly she couldn’t tolerate it. She stood her ground. “This happens to be my business—and everyone else’s at Pine Hollow. You’ve been unfairly criticizing Red for too long, and we’re sick of it.”
Lisa and Stevie, impressed with Carole’s courage, immediately backed her up. Stevie stood beside Carole while Lisa went to the rail to get Max’s attention. The three of them were so bent on telling Veronica off that none of them noticed the irritated expression on Red’s face.
“Max,” Lisa began, tugging on his sleeve, “we all think Red is great with the horses—I can’t believe you wouldn’t—I mean, he’s one of the best employees anyone could have,” she blurted out. She knew she wasn’t making sense, but she was too worked up to slow down and speak calmly.
Mrs. Reg and Max looked at her curiously. “I’m fully aware of all of Red’s capabilities,” Max said sternly, turning back to his mother.
Lisa didn’t know what to say to that. Max had taken all the wind out of her argument. She glanced anxiously back at Carole and Stevie. Carole seemed to have won round one, for Veronica had stormed off toward her mother’s waiting car.
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