Stable Hearts Read Online Free

waiting for them. “The girls’ horses look considerably more winded than yours,” she observed to Mr. Stowe. “I hope they didn’t abandon you.”
    Mr. Stowe dismounted and explained about the jumping demonstrations. Mrs. Reg smiled. “I’ll help you put Delilah away,” she offered. She took the reins from his hands.
    “You don’t need to, Mrs. Reg!” Carole assured her. “He really does a fine job.”
    Mrs. Reg smiled—not at Carole, but at Mr. Stowe. “I’ll help him anyway,” she said.
    Once the three Saddle Club members were alone, Carole shook her head. “Mrs. Reg just doesn’t trust him,” she said.
    “You can’t blame her, can you?” Lisa asked. “After all, we didn’t trust him, either, until you watched him tack up. You know, he really is a nice old man, even if he is a little strange.”
    “We’ll have to teach him things,” Carole said. “I just think it’s so great that he’s able to ride again. It must be like a dream come true.”
    “I don’t mind teaching him around the stable,” Stevie said. “And I agree, Lisa, that he is a really nice old man. But let’s not take him on trail rides again, okay?”
    “Why not? It wasn’t that bad. We still got to jump.”
    Stevie grinned. “I couldn’t talk about Phil!”
    Lisa looked at Carole and laughed. “Remember that,” she said. “If Stevie’s Valentine’s Day attitude gets too oppressive to those of us without boyfriends, we’ll just make sure to take Mr. Stowe with us.”
    Carole agreed. “He’ll be our Valentine’s Day antidote,” she said. “Our anti-valentine.”

T HE NEXT MORNING Horse Wise met at Pine Hollow and then traveled to Cross County for the mounted games practice. The Pony Clubs held several different competitions each year, including games, which were relay races on horseback. This meeting with Cross County was only a practice, but of course everyone from Horse Wise wanted to do well. “
Well
,” Stevie explained, “as in ‘better than Cross County.’ ”
    Lisa and Carole rolled their eyes. Colonel Hanson, Carole’s father, was driving them, along with Meg Durham and Betsy Cavanaugh, to Cross County. Meg and Betsy were sitting in the very back of the Hansons’ station wagon, whispering.Finally Betsy said, “Okay, great,” and Meg turned around.
    “Is it okay if I’m on your team today?” Meg asked The Saddle Club. Teams were made of four riders.
    “If Max lets us pick teams, sure,” Lisa answered. “But don’t you want to be on Veronica’s team?” Meg and Betsy were both Veronica’s friends more than they were The Saddle Club’s friends.
    Meg made a face. “See, Veronica asked Simon Atherton to be on her team.”
    “And she kicked you off?” Stevie said. “That’s despicable!”
    “No,” Meg said, “but we know both Betsy and I can’t be on her team—I mean, Adam’s on it, too, and Betsy—well …” Meg paused; Betsy blushed.
    “Betsy likes Adam,” Carole supplied. She’d guessed that already.
    “I’m hoping he’ll ask me to the Valentine’s Day dance,” Betsy confided.
    “Besides,” Meg said confidently, “I think any team with you three on it is more likely to win than any team full of lovebirds.”
    “Thanks,” Carole said. “But Stevie here, she’s a lovebird herself.”
    Stevie smiled and fingered the red heart-shaped invitation she was bringing for Phil. “It’s different with us,” she said. “I mean, we’re an established couple. I know Phil will want to go to the dance with me.”
    A S SOON AS they arrived on the Cross County grounds, Stevie jumped out of the car. Lisa and Carole followed more slowly, heading for the horse van Max had brought from Pine Hollow. They could see Phil detach himself from a group of Cross County riders and hurry toward Stevie with a big smile on his face.
    “Uh-oh,” Lisa said. “Is that an invitation in Phil’s hand?”
    Carole looked and nodded. “Trouble,” she said.
    A moment later they could hear