Gift Horse by Bonnie Bryant Read Free Book Online Page B

just for riding her own horse. It didn’t seem fair at all.
    Then the answer came to Stevie. It was so simple she couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of it before. She could only get in trouble for riding No-Name if anyone saw her doing it. But the Webbers couldn’t possibly see her if she only rode inside. Stevie would have to convince Carole, Lisa, and Veronica to do all their practicing in the indoor ring. Then she’d just have to hope that the whole business was settled by Saturday so she could ride her horse in the Pony Club rally.
    Stevie smiled for the first time since she’d arrived home that afternoon. It was so simple, it was brilliant—like the best of her schemes. Why hadn’t she thought of it sooner?
    There was a knock on her bedroom door. “Come in,” Stevie called.
    Her mother poked her head into the room. “Hi, sweetheart. I just wanted to see how you’re holding up.”
    “I’m okay, Mom,” Stevie assured her. “Really. It’s all going to be okay.”
    “Well, I certainly hope so,” Mrs. Lake said. “And I want you to know that your father and I are going to do absolutely everything we can to be sure you get to keep No-Name.”
    “I know, Mom,” Stevie said. “I’ve never been more glad that you and Dad are both lawyers. And such good ones.” “Well, thanks, dear,” her mother replied. “But remember,even good lawyers have to follow the rules. We have to obey the restraining order. So just in case you were cooking up one of your schemes to get around it by riding indoors or something like that, you should forget about it.”
    Stevie gasped. Her mother had read her mind.
    “But Mom,” she wailed. “I don’t know if I can go for even a few days without riding No-Name! I just can’t!”
    “Well, you’ll have to,” Mrs. Lake said gently. “I’m sorry, but that’s the way it has to be. We’ll be here to help you through this, honey. Just hang in there.”
    “I’ll try,” Stevie muttered, but her heart wasn’t in it.
    “That’s the spirit,” Mrs. Lake said. “Why don’t you come on downstairs now? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes.”
    “I’ll be right down,” Stevie replied. After her mother left, Stevie sat on the edge of her bed for a minute, staring into space. She was still having trouble believing that she was actually forbidden to ride her horse.
    Then another thought crept into her mind. How had her mother guessed her plan so fast? She wondered if either of her parents had ever been as sneaky and clever as she was. They must have been, since they’d figured out exactly what was on her mind.
    Stevie almost smiled. Somehow the thought made her feel just a tiny bit better. She got up and headed downstairs for dinner.

T HE NEXT DAY after school Stevie, Carole, and Lisa met at Pine Hollow to practice for the rally. Even though Stevie wasn’t going to be able to ride No-Name, they still wanted to be prepared. After all, the rally was two whole days away. It was possible that everything would be cleared up by then so that No-Name could compete.
    Veronica was nowhere in sight. The girls went to Garnet’s stall to check there, but the mare was alone.
    “Where could she be?” Carole wondered.
    Stevie shrugged. “She didn’t mention anything to me today in school about not coming.” Stevie and Veronica were students at Fenton Hall, a private school on the other side of town from the public school that Carole and Lisa attended.
    “Oh, well,” Lisa said with a shrug. “We’ll just have to get started without her, I guess.”
    “I can’t say I’m sorry about that,” Carole remarked. “Even if she has been nice lately.”
    “Come on,” Stevie said. “Let’s go ask Mrs. Reg if it’s okay for me to ride Topside today.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe my parents figured out what I was up to.”
    Carole grinned. “Sneakiness is in your genes, Stevie.”
    “Maybe that’s why your parents are such good lawyers,” Lisa chimed