Driving Team (13 page)

“They sure do,” agreed Red. “Just like a real team of horses.” He looked at Stevie. “You’d better go inside before Max starts the meeting. I’ll stay out here with them until it’s time for your demonstration.”

“Thanks, Red,” Stevie said as she hurried back to the indoor ring. “I don’t know what I would have done without you!”

Inside, the stands were almost filled. Lisa and Carole were sitting near the front with Phil; Stevie had to search for a seat in the back row. Just as she was sitting
down, she heard Betsy Cavanaugh give a little yell. “Look!” Betsy cried. “Here comes Veronica!”

Stevie turned. There, in the doorway, stood her partner. Stevie felt a warm wave of relief wash over her. Veronica had shown up! Stevie had known all along that Veronica wouldn’t let anything stop her from fulfilling her responsibility. Red had been wrong about her. Veronica was every bit the teammate that Stevie had thought she was.

For the first time in two weeks, Stevie felt truly relaxed. All the extra work she’d put into this project had been worth it. Everything was going to be okay. She smiled as Max stepped to the center of the ring and began the meeting.

“Welcome, Cross County riders,” he said. “We’ve got an interesting program for you today, all about driving horses as teams. We’ll start out with some informative reports, then we’ll end with a demonstration of two saddle horses pulling our Pine Hollow wagon. First, though, let’s begin with the history of driving.” Max smiled. “Lisa Atwood and Carole Hanson are going to tell us all about that.”

Everyone applauded while Lisa and Carole walked to the front of the ring. Carole showed several posters that illustrated the various ways horses had pulled wagons throughout history, while Lisa read from a stack of note cards. Though Stevie already knew a lot of the
information, Carole and Lisa added several things that were new to her. She’d never realized that horses had been used by people for such a long time, she’d never heard that they might have even helped the Egyptians build the pyramids, and she’d never known that sulkies were the lightweight rigs that trotters pulled in races.

“Wow,” Stevie whispered to herself as Carole and Lisa ended their report and received another round of applause. “They really do know a lot about driving.”

Polly and Anna gave their report on driving tack. Next there were reports on wagons and driving costumes. Everything was interesting, and the riders from both Pony Clubs cheered the presentations. Again Stevie felt butterflies in her stomach as Max stood to move the meeting outside.

“Okay. We’ll take a five-minute break now. If everyone will move to the fence around the back paddock, we’ll have a demonstration by our own Pine Hollow driving team.”

Everyone began talking and moving slowly toward the door. Stevie struggled through the crowd, trying to reach Veronica. She had to find out about Robespierre before they got outside with the wagon.

“Veronica!” she called over all the noise. “Veronica!”

“Yes?” Veronica turned. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks were rosy. Her face showed no sign of tears or sorrow. Suddenly Stevie decided that maybe it would be better not to mention the dog right then. Why bring up a painful subject right before the demonstration? It might totally wreck Veronica’s concentration.

“I just, uh, wanted to say hi,” Stevie said. She leaned forward to give Veronica a supportive hug, but Veronica shrank back, horrified.

“Please don’t do that!” she cried. “You might wrinkle my outfit!”

Stevie stopped and blinked. She hadn’t noticed Veronica’s outfit until then. It was like nothing she’d ever seen before. Veronica wore a pale gold riding coat that flared out from the waist. Ruffles covered the front of her creamy silk blouse, and she wore a shiny top hat with a lacy black veil that cascaded down the back. With her tall black boots, Veronica looked as if she were going to a costume ball instead of a ride in the Pine Hollow wagon.

“Did you remember to bring gloves?” was the only thing Stevie could think of to say.

“Of course.” Veronica held up a pair of elegant black kid gloves. “They’re made especially to match my boots.”

“Well,” Stevie said, suddenly feeling horribly
underdressed in her simple boots and breeches. “I guess we’re ready to go, then.”

They hurried out to the paddock, where the riders were already gathered around the fence. Red stood waiting for them, holding both horses by their bridles.

“I see the whole team made it,” he said, glancing slyly at Stevie.

“I always keep my appointments,” snapped Veronica. She put one foot on the wagon wheel and daintily climbed up on the seat. Stevie climbed in from the other side, hoping that her shirttail was staying tucked in. Suddenly the crowd grew quiet.

“Okay, everybody.” Max stepped into the paddock. “I’m pleased to introduce Veronica diAngelo and Stevie Lake, the Pine Hollow driving team.”

Everyone clapped. Veronica smiled and picked up the reins and whip. Stevie held her breath. Was Veronica actually going to try to drive the wagon? She hadn’t had a moment’s practice! But then Veronica did something that she’d practiced all her life. With a brief nod to the audience, she passed the reins and whip to Stevie, as if she couldn’t be bothered with actually driving the horses around the paddock.

“Ready?” Red asked softly.

Stevie nodded. “Let’s go.”

He let go of the bridles while Stevie gathered the reins. With a gentle flick of the whip above the horses’
heads, Danny and Belle began to move as a team, pulling the wagon smoothly along the fence line. They started off at a slow walk; then, as the horses got accustomed to the brisk wind and the crowd staring at them, Stevie urged them into a trot. Everyone clapped.

She drove them in a big figure eight around the ring, the horses stopping and starting on her command. Once again the crowd began to cheer as Max stepped forward.

“I think Stevie and Veronica deserve a big hand,” he said proudly. “They are both riders who’ve never driven a team before. And until two weeks ago, neither of these horses had worked together or pulled a wagon. I think that’s wonderful teamwork!” Max looked at the girls and grinned. “Stevie, why don’t you and Veronica take a victory lap and celebrate your success?”

Stevie grinned at Max and pulled the horses around for a final lap. She had just turned the far corner when a familiar white Mercedes pulled up and parked beside the paddock fence.

“Oh, look!” Veronica cried, standing halfway up in the seat. She waved her hand wildly. “My parents are here!”

Stevie could barely steer the wagon for Veronica’s waving. She turned to catch a glimpse of what was so exciting. In Mrs. diAngelo’s arms was a wiggling ball of fluffy white fur.

Robespierre!
Stevie thought, her heart soaring with joy.
All Veronica’s work and worry paid off! Doc Tock saved him!

With a grin spreading across her face, Stevie pulled the wagon up in the center of the ring. Veronica was already halfway out of the wagon. “Wait, Veronica,” Stevie said breathlessly. “I just wanted to tell you how glad I am that Robespierre’s been cured.”

Veronica’s smile faded. “Robespierre?” she replied distastefully, wrinkling her nose. “You mean that old poodle?” She gave a little laugh. “Yes, Robespierre’s been cured. Permanently. Dr. Takamura gave him a shot and it was all over. He didn’t feel a thing!” She looked over at her parents and grinned. “That’s our new little Sugarlump. My parents just picked her up this morning. She’s so cu-u-ute! And her pedigree is much better than that other old dog’s.”

With that, Veronica hopped off the wagon and ran to her new puppy.

For a long moment Stevie couldn’t move. Though she heard people clapping for her and Max’s voice congratulating her, all she could do was sit there and watch as Veronica cradled the new puppy in her arms and let it cover her face with kisses.

“I can’t believe it,” Stevie finally whispered, still holding on to the reins. “I just can’t believe it.”

As Max dismissed the meeting, Red hurried out to the middle of the paddock.

“Is everything okay?” he asked worriedly. “You’ve been sitting there like a statue for the last five minutes.”

“Yes, I’m okay.” Stevie shook her head as if she were trying to wake up from a bad dream. “Someone I thought had changed a lot turned out not to have changed at all.”

Red shrugged. “That happens sometimes.” He looked over at Veronica. “Particularly when you’re dealing with the diAngelos.” He looked up at Stevie and smiled. “Try to see it this way, though. Today you became a real whip. Veronica will never be anything but a piece of baggage.”

Suddenly Stevie heard other voices.

“Stevie!” Carole and Lisa ran up to the wagon. “You did a wonderful job!”

“Yeah, Stevie,” said Phil. “Anytime I have a wagon to drive, you’ll be the first person I call. You were terrific!”

Stevie grinned down at her friends. All at once she was very glad to see them.

“Hey, are we just going to stand around here admiring Stevie and her team, or are we going to eat lunch?” Phil held up his cooler invitingly.

“Let’s help Stevie unhitch Danny and Belle,” said Carole. “The faster we work as a team, the faster we can eat!”

“Good idea,” said Stevie, once again smiling. “Everybody hop in the back and I’ll drive us over to the stable.”

Everyone piled into the back of the wagon, and Stevie clucked the horses into a trot.
How lucky I am
, she thought.
I’ve got a real team behind me
.

“T
HIS IS A
great-looking lunch, Phil.” Carole eyed the big blue-checked tablecloth Phil had spread out in the hayloft. On it were several different kinds of sandwiches and chips, some apples and oranges, various cans of soda, and a pile of huge chocolate chip cookies. Down below, in the stable, people were still milling around, but upstairs Phil and Carole and Lisa and Stevie were having a cozy, private picnic of their own.

“Thanks,” said Phil. “Although you probably should thank my mom. She did most of it.”

“Then tell your mom thanks.” Lisa laughed. “Everything looks delicious.”

Everyone grabbed what they wanted to eat and
settled down in the soft hay. The sounds of Belle munching her own lunch wafted up from the stall below.

“Sounds like Belle’s hungry,” said Carole, peering down through the cracks in the hayloft floor. “She’s worked pretty hard these past two weeks.”

“So has Belle’s owner,” added Lisa. She looked over at Stevie, who for once was only picking at her sandwich. “What’s wrong, Stevie? Are you too exhausted to eat?”

“No, I’m not exhausted,” Stevie said quietly. “I think I’m still stunned.”

“Still stunned?” Phil frowned. “How come?”

“Because I actually thought Veronica had changed,” Stevie replied. “I actually thought she and I had become friends.”

Phil looked over at Lisa and Carole, puzzled.

“Stevie and Veronica had a long heart-to-heart talk about Veronica’s dog. She told Stevie that her dog was really sick and about to die,” explained Carole. “Veronica actually cried real tears.”

Phil almost dropped his turkey sandwich. “Veronica diAngelo cried? Tears?”

“Yes,” said Stevie. “We thought she was totally devastated about Robespierre, but today her parents showed up with a brand-new puppy. When I asked Veronica about it, she acted like she could barely
remember Robespierre’s name. She said Doc Tock had put him to sleep several days ago.”

“Oh, no!” Tears came to Carole’s eyes. “That’s terrible.”

“That is terrible, but what’s also terrible is the amount of extra work I put into this driving demonstration just to take the pressure off Veronica, who was supposedly distraught over Robespierre.” Stevie’s face grew red with anger. She held up her bandaged fingers. “I worked my fingers to the bone!”

Lisa said, “And we bought her that expensive china dog.”

“China dog?” Phil frowned.

“We ran into Stevie at the BonTon gift shop. She told us about Veronica and her sick dog, so we chipped in and bought her this really expensive poodle figurine,” Carole explained.

“And not once did she say thanks,” griped Stevie. “She never even opened her card!”

“Oh, Stevie, don’t you realize that’s the real Veronica?” Carole asked. “What you saw that afternoon in the paddock was some kind of weird seizure. Veronica allowed herself to be a real human being for about ten minutes. Then she got over it and returned to her nasty old self. You just happened to be there for the whole show.”

“That’s right,” agreed Lisa. “Veronica may have a heart somewhere deep inside her, but I wouldn’t ever count on her revealing it for any length of time.”

“You
are
right,” Stevie said, finally taking a bite of her ham sandwich. “I should have known better. I should have remembered that Veronica will always be Veronica.”

“You mean a despicable human being?” asked Phil.

“On her good days,” replied Stevie with a laugh. She took another bite of sandwich, then turned to Carole and Lisa.

“Say, I’ve been meaning to ask you: Whatever happened with Cynthia and her mother?”

“Who’s Cynthia?” Phil frowned again. “I thought we were discussing Veronica.”