Broken Horse Read Online Free Page A

because she let out a disgusted snort and stomped off toward the kitchen.
    Carole followed. “You weren’t kidding about Alex,” she said as soon as they were out of earshot. “He has it bad.”
    “I told you,” Stevie said. “Isn’t it annoying? I’ve been waiting for the day when Alex finally found a girl who could stand him. I thought then I’d have a chance to get him back for all the times he’s teased me about Phil. But now I can’t even get him to pay attention long enough to make him mad.” Phil Marsten was Stevie’s boyfriend, who lived in a town a few miles away. Luckily he had sisters, so he understood when Stevie’s brothers teased her about the relationship.
    Carole laughed. “At least you’re making a valiant effort,” she comforted her friend. “And isn’t that what counts?”
    “I don’t know,” Stevie said. Finally she gave in and broke into a grin. “Okay, I guess you’re right. Everything is more fun if it’s a challenge.”
    The girls heated up a couple of slices of frozen pizza and headed for the living room. Alex was there watching TV.
    “Am I seeing things?” Stevie asked, pretending to be surprised.“Don’t tell me you’re staying home alone on a Saturday night—date night. Is there trouble in paradise?”
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Stevie,” Alex replied. “Paige and I don’t have to see each other
every
night. Our relationship is much stronger than that. Besides, she’s visiting her grandmother tonight.”
    Stevie finished chewing a bite of pizza and shot Carole a sly look. “Hey, Alex, Carole was just asking me what Paige is like,” she said innocently. “Why don’t you tell her?”
    Alex’s face lit up. “She’s great!” he said. “You’d really like her, Carole. I mean, everybody does. She’s really pretty, and sweet, and she has a terrific sense of humor.”
    “No, no, Alex,” Stevie said. “You must have misunderstood me. I asked you to tell her about
Paige
, not Belle.” Belle was Stevie’s horse. She was a sweet, pretty mare with a playful disposition.
    “Ha, ha,” Alex said with a frown. “I should have known you’d find a way to change the subject from the greatest girl in the world to your old nag. Now if you’ll excuse me, this is Paige’s and my favorite show. I promised I’d tell her all about it tomorrow.” He slumped down in his chair and turned back to the TV, doing his best to ignore the girls.
    Carole tried hard not to giggle. Alex really seemed to be just as obsessed as Stevie had described.
    “Guess what happened yesterday in school,” Stevie said to Carole.
    Carole glanced up from her pizza, surprised by the sudden change in topic. “What?”
    “I was taking an open-book quiz, and I couldn’t find the answer to the first question anywhere,” Stevie said. “Guess why?”
    “Why?” Carole asked, more perplexed than ever. Normally the last thing Stevie liked to talk about was school quizzes, especially when she didn’t know the answers.
    Stevie grinned. “I was on the wrong
page
.” She put special emphasis on the last word, and Alex looked up quickly from the television.
    “What did you say?” he asked eagerly.
    Stevie laughed, and this time Carole couldn’t help joining in. Alex quickly realized what had happened, and his face turned red. “Laugh all you want, Stevie,” he said stiffly. “It doesn’t matter. Paige and I understand each other, and that’s what counts. You obviously can’t fathom that, so you might as well just leave me alone.”
    “All right, all right,” Stevie said. “Don’t go on a rampage or anything.”
    This time the girls’ laughter was interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.
    “That must be Lisa,” Stevie said. She and Carole went to answer it, still chuckling.
    As soon as they opened the door and saw Lisa’s grim, tired face, they stopped laughing.
    “How is she?” Carole asked immediately.
    Lisa shrugged. “The same,” she said wearily. “It’s as if everything