Horse Magic Read Online Free PDF Page A

around it. My name is on the tag.”
    “Got it. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” Mr. Lake said, hurrying toward the escalator.
    “Dinah, this is Lisa Atwood,” Carole said.
    “Hi, Dinah,” Lisa said politely, extending her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you from Stevie.”
    “Same here,” Dinah said, glancing at Lisa’s hand and then taking it. “Like, she said you had good manners, and I guess she was right.”
    Lisa blushed. She supposed it was a little formal to offer to shake hands, but the gesture had been automatic, thanks to years of training by her parents. “Um, well, anyway, welcome to Virginia—I mean, welcome back,” she said lamely.
    “Welcome back is right!” Dinah exclaimed, turning to Carole. “I can’t believe I haven’t been here at all since we moved. How are things at Pine Hollow? Still the same?”
    “Always,” Carole said with a giggle. “You know Max and his traditions.”
    “Well, actually there’s a lot going on there right now,” Lisa said, eager to share some of the exciting news with the visitor. “Did Stevie tell you about the Halloween party we’re giving for some underprivileged kids on Saturday?”
    “A little,” Dinah said. “She said there are going to be a bunch of games and activities, like a hayride and a treasure hunt.”
    “And riding lessons for the kids,” Carole added.
    “That’s right,” Lisa said excitedly. “Carole and I are both going to help teach. We’re the only students Max asked,” she couldn’t help adding, still feeling proud of her selection as assistant instructor.
    “Well, Carole always was the teacher’s pet as far as Max isconcerned,” Dinah said, giving Carole a playful punch on the arm. “And I guess you must be one at Pine Hollow as well as at school, huh, Lisa?”
    “What?” Lisa said.
    “Oh, Stevie told me about you,” Dinah said with a grin. “She said teachers and other adults just love you to death. She said your grades are always practically perfect—just like everything else you do.”
    Lisa frowned. She was pretty sure Dinah was joking, but she didn’t want her to get the wrong idea before they’d even gotten to know each other. “Well, being a teacher’s pet has got nothing to do with why I was picked for this,” she said. “I worked hard to earn this, just like I do for my grades at school.”
    Dinah shrugged, looking a little taken aback. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything bad by it,” she said. “I was just repeating what Stevie said.”
    Lisa was sure Stevie might have said something like that, but she was equally sure it hadn’t come across as an insult, the way Dinah made it sound. Taking a deep breath, Lisa decided a change of subject would do them all good. “Stevie said you’ve been taking riding lessons in Vermont, Dinah,” she said. “How do you like your new stable?”
    “Yes, how is it there?” Carole put in quickly. She was sensing some tension between Lisa and Dinah. She figured the best way to smooth things over would be to get the girls talking about a topic of mutual interest—namely, horses.“Stevie told us about some of the horses there, and they sound wonderful.”
    Dinah laughed. “Carole, to you
all
horses sound wonderful,” she pointed out.
    Carole laughed, too, and agreed. “But seriously, how’s your riding going? Is the instructor in Vermont as good as Max?”
    “Oh, he’s excellent,” Dinah said. “I’m learning a lot from him.”
    “That’s good. Having a good teacher really makes a difference, doesn’t it?” Carole said. She’d thought about that a lot, since she was considering becoming a riding instructor someday—unless she decided to become a trainer, a breeder, a vet, or a competitive rider instead.
    “It does,” Lisa said. She was thinking about the task ahead of her on Saturday. She hoped she’d do well, and she hoped the kids would appreciate it. “Although I guess it helps to have good students, too.”
    Dinah glanced at Lisa. “Is that