Hayride Read Online Free PDF Page B

say she wants them for shows.” Stevie turned over the price tag. Eighty dollars. She sighed. “Never mind.”
    They peered around the shop carefully.
    “Look!” Lisa exclaimed.
    “They’re perfect!” Stevie cried. It was true: All at once they had found the perfect gift. It was a pair of gold horse earrings. They were dangly and had a horse jumping through a horseshoe fence.
    Timidly Lisa asked the saleswoman to take them out of the glass case so they could look at them. The gray-haired woman had been watching them in their search. She was very friendly. “Take as long as you want deciding. I’ve got to help another customer,” she said.
    Lisa held up the earrings to her earlobes, and together she and Stevie admired them in the mirror. “Really, really nice,” Lisa breathed.
    Stevie caught sight of the tiny price tag flapping below Lisa’s right ear. “Really, really, one hundred and fifty dollars!” she wailed.
    “Oh no,” Lisa said, dismayed. “They’re so
perfect
, and now—”
    “They’re completely out of the question,” Stevie finished for her. Dejectedly, they put the earrings back on the tray they had come from. They were too disheartened to look any further in The Saddlery—everything else would just seem second best.
    “You’re not going to take them?” the saleswoman asked as they shuffled toward the door.
    “No, thank you,” Lisa said dully.
    They stood outside the store and looked across to the opposite row of shops. Neither pets nor sporting goods sounded promising. But Mama Leone’s Pizza had a nice ring to it.
    “I think we might need pizza to help us decide a plan of action for finding
another
perfect gift,” Stevie said.
    “My thoughts exactly,” Lisa said.
    The enticing smell of the pizza inside the restaurant lifted their dampened spirits somewhat. Stevie ordered a slice with pepperoni, Lisa got a slice with cheese, and they decided to split a soda. They took their trays to the back, where there were a few tables.
    Munching earnestly, neither noticed the blond boy waving in their direction until he was standing in front of the table.
    “Stevie! Hello! Earth to Stevie Lake!” Distractedly, Lisa and Stevie looked up … and into the smilingface of Bob Harris. It took all of ten seconds for Lisa to blush about nine shades of red. Luckily, Stevie rose to the occasion just as fast.
    “Bob! Great to see you! How’s it going?” she said between mouthfuls.
    “It’s going well, Stevie. How are you?”
    “I’m fine, except we’re looking for a birthday present for a friend, and everything’s too cheap or too expensive.”
    “I know the feeling,” Bob said. “I remember when I was shopping for my mom’s birthday, I couldn’t find anything here. I ended up making her a lamp out of a hollowed-out log.”
    “What a good idea!” Lisa blurted out. Bob glanced at her, looking surprised at her enthusiasm.
    “Thanks,” he said with a grin. Lisa gulped. She twisted her napkin in her lap. She stared at the grease dripping off her pizza.
    “Hey, haven’t I met you before?” Bob asked.
    “I, uh …” Lisa’s voice gave out temporarily.
    “Of course you know Lisa, Bob!” Stevie said. “Remember, my evil brother introduced you last summer.”
    “That’s right. Of course. I remember you were wearing your riding clothes,” Bob said.
    Lisa managed a nod. Why was he still standing there? It wasn’t surprising that he’d stopped to say hi to Stevie; he was Alex’s friend, and besides, everyone liked outgoingStevie. But wasn’t Bob meeting friends here? Why was he alone? Why was he talking to them? Why was he asking her to scooch over so he could sit down?
    Stevie kicked Lisa underneath the table.
    In a daze Lisa slid over. Bob sat down next to her. Their elbows brushed. By now Lisa was so red that she was surprised no one had called an ambulance. So much for subtly meeting Bob at the party! Her interest in him might as well have been posted on a neon sign.
    To her