Blue Ribbon Summer by Catherine Hapka Read Free Book Online

sorry. She’s not used to being inside.” Tears welled up in Brooke’s eyes. “I didn’t know she was going to have to stay in a stall, she’s never done that before, and—”
    Robin interrupted. “I see. Never mind, I have an idea.”
    She stepped forward, grabbing Foxy’s halter the next time the mare leaped forward. Foxy shook her head and tried to back up, but gave up quickly when Robin hung on. The stable owner snapped a lead rope onto Foxy’s halter and led her out of the stall.
    â€œWhere are you taking her?” Hannah asked.
    â€œShe can stay in Hero’s stall.” Robin glanced at Brooke. “Hero is one of my horses. His stall has a large attached run so he can move around more—he’s older and has arthritis. Do you think Foxy will like that better?”
    â€œI’m sure she will,” Brooke said. “But is that okay? If your horse has arthritis, doesn’t he need that stall?”
    â€œIt’s fine,” Robin assured her with a smile. “Hero is mostly retired—he can live outside for a couple of weeks.”
    â€œReally?” Livi said. “Won’t he freak out?”
    â€œAbsolutely not,” Robin replied. “He’s lived out before.Most horses actually like being outside, you know.”
    Paige giggled. “Not Vegas. Hannah’s trainer says he’s a hothouse flower.”
    â€œHmm.” Robin didn’t really respond to that. She led Foxy down the aisle to a different stall. It was larger than the other one, and had a wide doorway at the back leading out to a narrow paddock overlooking the riding ring.
    As soon as Robin released Foxy into the stall, the pony headed toward the paddock with her ears pricked. She trotted out through the door, head raised and ears swiveling in all directions.
    â€œOne of my boarders has the other run-out stall.” Robin waved a hand at a large bay horse that was standing in an open doorway, looking out into an adjoining paddock. “So Foxy will have company whether she stays in or out.”
    â€œThanks,” Brooke said, relieved that her pony seemed much less upset already. “Sorry for all the trouble.”
    â€œNo trouble at all.” Robin’s smile was wide and genuine. “Now let’s go into the house for a snack and leave her to get settled. We can come back and check on her later.”

    Later that evening, Brooke lay on her bunk and stared at the wooden ceiling beams. The other three girls had been chattering nonstop since returning to the cabin. They didn’t even stop talking when one of them went into the tiny shared bathroom to shower and change into pajamas; they just talked louder so nobody would miss anything.
    Once in a while one of them—usually Paige—made an effort to include Brooke, but mostly they seemed to forget she was there. From listening to the three-way conversation, Brooke had figured out that the other girls had been coming to this camp for the past three years, and that Camp Pocomoke was where the three of them had met. Hannah was from a fancy suburb of Baltimore; Paige lived in Virginia, south of Washington, D.C.; and Livi had come all the way from Pennsylvania, where her mother was a U.S. congresswoman. The three of them only saw one another at summer camp and the occasional horse show, which meant they had a lot of catching up to do.
    Brooke yawned, wondering if the other girls were going to talk all night. Sleeping through their conversation couldn’t be much harder than sleeping through one ofEthan’s tantrums or Emma’s screaming fits, right?
    The windows were open to let in the evening breeze, and Brooke smiled as she heard the faint sound of a horse nickering somewhere in the night. A second later another horse responded.
    â€œI think that was Foxy,” she said.
    The other three girls turned to look at her. “What?” Livi said.
    â€œThat nicker.”