Autumn Trail

by Bonnie Bryant

  Stevie didn’t say anything. Instead, she dug her hands into the pockets of her jeans and looked worried.

  Carole knew Stevie so well that at certain times, she could almost read her mind. This was one of those times. “Don’t worry, Stevie,” she said. “I have some extra money you can borrow for bus fare. And for breakfast.”

  “Oh, great,” Stevie exclaimed, looking relieved. “So what are we doing still hanging around here? Let’s go!”

  A SHORT TIME later The Saddle Club was seated in a large booth in the bustling, brightly lit interior of Let Them Eat Pancakes, which was on the opposite side of Willow Creek from Pine Hollow. Before leaving the stable, the girls had called Lisa’s parents and asked them to pick them up there in an hour and a half. They knew it wouldn’t take nearly that long to eat, but they had a lot to talk about.

  The cheerful young waiter handed them each a menu and returned a moment later with three glasses of water. “I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your orders,” he promised before rushing off to take care of a large table that was occupied by what looked like an entire troop of Cub Scouts.

  Stevie raised her eyebrows as she watched him start to take their orders. “I have the funniest feeling we’re not going to see that waiter for a while,” she predicted.

  As they waited, the three girls chatted about the events of the past few days. Carole and Stevie tried to keep the conversation upbeat to take Lisa’s mind off Pepper’s death. They knew she would talk about it with them when she was ready, but they didn’t want to rush her.

  “So, Stevie,” Carole said, picking up a menu. “What have you learned about the meaning of Thanksgiving this week?”

  “A lot, actually,” Stevie said. “For one thing, I learned that just when I thought my school’s play couldn’t possibly get any more boring—it did!”

  The others laughed. “At least the other Thanksgiving play you saw this week was much more interesting,” Lisa reminded her, thinking again of the play Stevie had masterminded at Pine Hollow. Lisa had thought it was a pretty silly idea at first but had ended up enjoying herself. And it really had made her think about the meaning of the holiday, especially when she was making up her speech.

  “Right. And I’ll bet the audience was a lot more appreciative,” Carole added. “Maybe next year your school should try serving oats and apples after the play.”

  Stevie grinned. “It was a good idea, wasn’t it?” she said. “But anyway, I also learned something a little more important this week.”

  “That taking care of an entire stable full of horses all by yourself is hard work?” Lisa guessed.

  “That papier-mâché turkey doesn’t taste as good as the real thing?” Carole teased.

  “Even better,” Stevie replied. “I learned that it’s hard to be totally selfless. Maybe impossible.”

  Carole wrinkled her brow. “But I thought you were having fun helping out at Pine Hollow this week. I mean, I know it was hard work, but …”

  “No, no,” Stevie said. “That’s not exactly what I mean. It’s the totally selfless part that’s hard, not the generous part. I mean …”

  “I think I know what you mean, Stevie,” Lisa said, coming to her rescue. “You found out that doing something generous makes you feel good, and maybe helps you learn new things, too. So even though your motives might be selfless when you begin, the experience itself doesn’t feel selfless at all, since you benefit, too.”

  Stevie looked at her gratefully. “That’s exactly it, Lisa.”

  “Lisa, sometimes I think you should take on a full-time job as Stevie’s interpreter,” Carole said with a laugh.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” Lisa said. “You’re pretty fluent in Stevie-ese yourself. Remember that incident with the bus fare?”

  They all laughed at that, Stevie most of all. But then she quieted down and looked at Lisa seriously. “How are you doing, Lisa?” she asked. “I wish I were as good at Lisa-ese as you are at Stevie-ese, so I’d know what you’re thinking about right now.”

  Carole nodded. “Me, too. We’re all sad about Pepper, but you’re really the one who was the closest to him.”

  Lisa shrugged. “I guess I’m okay,” she said. “I keep thinking about Pepper, and I feel really sad and sort of empty inside, but I also feel kind of relieved in a strange way, because I know that at least he’s not in pain anymore. So I guess I’m upset for me, but kind of, well, happy for him, I guess. Does that sound weird?”

  “Not at all,” Carole said. “You really did the right thing by deciding it was time to call Judy.”

  “That’s what everybody keeps saying,” Lisa said. “But I miss him terribly already. I still can’t quite believe he’s gone forever.”

  “Me, neither,” said Carole and Stevie in a single voice. They were quiet for a moment. Then Carole spoke. “Actually, Lisa, I think you really did discover the secret to true selflessness.”

  “I did?” Lisa said.

  “She did?” Stevie said at the same time.

  Carole nodded. “You did something that was very painful to you. After all, you’ll miss Pepper like crazy, probably more than anyone else. And it must have been practically impossible for you to make the decision to let him die.”

  Lisa nodded, looking down at her hands.

  “Well,” Carole continued, “but that’s only looking at the situation from your point of view. From Pepper’s point of view, he was in terrible pain and discomfort most of the time, and it just kept on getting worse and worse. The most important thing was to prevent that from going on any longer than necessary, once it became clear that Pepper wasn’t ever going to get better. So what you did was the best thing for him, even though it was hard for you.”

  Lisa nodded again and looked up at Carole. “You’re right. That’s why I did it—why I knew I had to do it. I guess I just never thought about it as selflessness before.” She shrugged. “I’ve been so busy worrying about Pepper and helping Stevie at the stable that I never had a chance to think of my own Thanksgiving project. But I guess one sort of found me itself, didn’t it?”

  “Well, I for one am proud of you for being able to do it. I don’t know if I could have,” Stevie said frankly. She raised her water glass and saluted Lisa with it. “Here’s to you.”

  “Hear! Hear!” Carole agreed wholeheartedly, raising her own glass.

  “Thanks,” Lisa said, smiling at her two best friends. “And as long as we’re making toasts, I have one of my own.”

  “Go for it,” Stevie encouraged her.

  Lisa raised her glass. “Here’s to Pepper. Long may his memory live and inspire us to be the best riders we can be.”

  Carole knew that Lisa was thinking about everything Pepper had taught her about riding. She definitely agreed with the sentiment. “Hear! Hear!” she said again. The three girls clinked their glasses together and then they each took a drink.

  Lisa was glad she’d made the toast to Pepper, but it had made her feel as though she might start to cry. She decided the safest thing to do was change the subject. “So, Carole,” she said as she set her glass down. “I’ve been so preoccupied lately that I haven’t had a chance to find out how things were going with you and Veronica.”

  “Yeah, talk about selfless,” Stevie added. “How is it living with the self-proclaimed queen of Willow Creek? Did she bring any of her servants with her?”

  “Or complain because you didn’t have any pure-silk sheets for her to sleep on?” Lisa joked.

  “Or borrow any twenty-dollar bills from your father to blow her nose on?” Stevie added.

  “Enough, enough!” Carole exclaimed, laughing. “The answer to all of those things is no. Veronica was practically the perfect guest. She and my dad got along famously. It turns out they’re both travel buffs, not to mention chess freaks. She even beat him at a game.”

  Stevie cocked an eyebrow. “It almost sounds like it was fun having her there.”

  Carole shrugged. “You know, I would have preferred spen
ding the time alone with Dad, but it wasn’t as bad as I was afraid it was going to be, and as rotten as Veronica is most of the time, I was happy to see that even she has a nice side. It made me glad I invited her. And I guess it really proves there’s good in everyone.”

  “I noticed she’s been awfully nice lately,” Lisa said.

  “I noticed, too,” Stevie said. “I couldn’t believe it, but I noticed it. I wonder what’s gotten into her?”

  “Well, unfortunately, whatever it was, I think it’s gotten out of her again,” Carole said. “You’ll never believe what she said to me back at Pine Hollow after Pepper died.”

  “What?” Stevie asked curiously. She had almost forgotten about the strange exchange she and Lisa had witnessed in the locker area.

  Carole shook her head in disgust. “She said she hoped that now Max would let her put Garnet in Pepper’s stall.”

  “Why?” Lisa asked, confused.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Carole said. “Not only is Pepper’s stall bigger than Garnet’s, it’s also closer to the tack room. Now, on the infrequent occasions when Veronica tacks or untacks Garnet herself—”

  “Better make that extremely infrequent,” Stevie interrupted.

  “Okay,” Carole continued, “on the extremely infrequent occasions when Veronica tacks or untacks Garnet herself, she won’t have as far to walk to the tack room.” It was true. The stall Pepper had spent his last days in was only a few yards from the tack room. It actually wasn’t his original stall, because a horse named Prancer was living there now. But it was one that had been empty when Pepper had moved back inside, and it was large and spacious, not to mention well located.

  At first all three of them felt angry at Veronica for being so selfish. But then, as she realized how ridiculous the whole thing was, Lisa began to giggle. As she did, she felt some of the tension she’d been feeling about Pepper drift away. She still felt an aching sadness that she knew wouldn’t go away anytime soon, but even that couldn’t stop the laughter from bubbling out of her.

  At first Stevie and Carole looked surprised, but soon they were giggling, too. “Whew,” Carole said when they had quieted down again. “It feels good to laugh.”

  To her surprise Lisa found herself agreeing. “But I do think it’s kind of sad that Veronica is so selfish. Even Pepper’s death didn’t make her stop thinking of herself for very long.”

  “I know,” Carole said thoughtfully. “I really do feel kind of sorry for her. I think she’s had a pretty lonely life. She wants to belong, but she never really learned how, and now she’s so obnoxious that nobody wants to help her learn.”

  “Lonely?” Stevie said. “Come on. She’s always had all that money to keep her company. And she never lets us forget it.”

  Carole shrugged. “Still, I know I’d rather have my life than hers. That’s one thing I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about for the past few days. Veronica may have a ton of money and trips around the world and her own purebred Arabian mare, but I wouldn’t trade my friends and family for all that.” She paused for a moment to consider what she’d just said. “Although,” she added, “I wouldn’t mind having Garnet myself.”

  Lisa and Stevie laughed. “Don’t let Starlight hear you say that,” Stevie teased. “He’d be jealous.”

  “Starlight will always come first with me, you know that,” Carole replied quickly. Then she laughed. “But where is it written that I can have only one horse?”

  “Well, in your father’s checkbook, for one,” Stevie said. She ducked just in time to avoid the spray of water that Carole had just flicked at her from her glass.

  “Speaking of jealousy, which reminds me of romance …” Lisa began, realizing that there was something else she’d been forgetting to think much about lately. Her friends were instantly all ears.

  “Are you referring to that romantic fellow, Max Regnery?” Stevie guessed with a sly grin.

  Lisa nodded. “I wonder how his weekend is going with his mystery woman.”

  “I hope he’s having a good time,” Carole said.

  “I hope we get to meet her,” Lisa said.

  “I hope all that stuff, too,” Stevie said. “But right now, I mostly hope that waiter gets over here to take our order soon. I’m starving!”

  As if he’d heard her, the waiter appeared at their table at that very moment. “Sorry to keep you waiting, ladies,” he said breathlessly. “Can I take your order?”

  Stevie noticed that the waiter was pretty young, maybe college-age, and very cute. In fact, he reminded her a little bit of her boyfriend, Phil. Because of that, she almost felt bad about what she was about to do to him. Almost.

  Lisa was already ordering. “I’ll have the banana pancakes with maple syrup,” she told the waiter.

  “And you?” he asked, turning to Carole.

  “I think I’ll try the French toast,” she decided. “And a glass of orange juice, please.”

  The waiter turned to Stevie. “And for you, miss?” he asked, his pen poised expectantly over his notepad.

  Stevie gave him a devilish grin. “Well, I’m pretty hungry …” she began.

  “Uh-oh,” Carole whispered to Lisa. Stevie was famous for the bizarre and frequently revolting combinations of ice cream and toppings she always ordered at TD’s, and Carole and Lisa had a feeling they knew what was coming.

  And they were right. “… so I’d like the half-dozen flapjack special,” Stevie continued sweetly.

  “Gotcha,” the waiter said cheerfully, jotting a note on his pad.

  “Wait, I’m not finished,” Stevie said as the young man started to turn away. “I’d like to make a couple of adjustments to the special.”

  “No problem,” the waiter said. “What would you like?”

  “First of all,” Stevie said briskly, “I’d like two of those pancakes to be blueberry, two to be buckwheat, and the other two to be raisin-walnut. Then, on top of them all, I’d like some honey, some boysenberry syrup, some peach jam, and some mint sauce. Oh, and do you happen to have any chocolate syrup?”

  The waiter nodded weakly.

  “Good. Add a double portion of that. Oh, and maple syrup, too, of course, and some fresh strawberries.”

  “Of course,” the waiter said with a gulp, writing it down. “Will—will that be all?”

  “Well, let’s see,” Stevie mused. “Do you have any maraschino cherries, by any chance?”

  “Uh, I’ll have to check with the kitchen,” the waiter said, rushing away before Stevie had the chance to say another word.

  “That wasn’t very nice of you, Stevie,” said Lisa, trying to keep from smiling. “Where’s your Thanksgiving spirit?”

  “That poor guy probably thought those Cub Scouts were going to be his toughest customers of the day,” Carole said, shaking her head. “He didn’t even see it coming. At least the waitress at TD’s knows what to expect. More or less.” The regular waitress at TD’s had heard Stevie order so many of her crazy concoctions that she paled as soon as she saw The Saddle Club enter the ice-cream parlor.

  Stevie just grinned again. “And my brothers are always telling me that men have stronger stomachs than women,” she commented. “I think we’ve just proved them wrong. Isn’t that wonderful?”

  And in spite of themselves, Carole and Lisa had to admit that it was.

  THE NEXT DAY, much to Carole’s relief, the diAngelos returned from the Bahamas and Veronica went home. Veronica had returned to being nice after the incident about Pepper’s stall, but Carole was glad that her life would now be able to return to normal. Veronica hadn’t really demanded caviar for breakfast and daily massages as Stevie still seemed to suspect, but her presence had meant some life-style changes for Carole, who was used to being an only child and not having to share her father with anyone.

  When she told her father what she was thinking after Veronica left, he gave her a hug and told her he was glad he didn’t have to share her anymore, either. He also said that he was proud of her for invit
ing Veronica to share their Thanksgiving. It was quite obvious to him that Veronica’s home life was far from perfect, and he just hoped that being with them had helped her a little. Carole agreed, thinking—not for the first time—that her father was a very wise man. She gave him another big hug for that.

  Carole was also glad that she wouldn’t have to bring Veronica along with her to Pine Hollow that day. Max and Mrs. Reg were scheduled to return at around three o’clock in the afternoon, and Carole, Stevie, and Lisa had arranged to meet shortly before that time so they could greet them upon their return. For one thing, The Saddle Club wanted to be able to tell Max and Mrs. Reg about Pepper in person. For another thing, The Saddle Club wanted to hear all about Max’s romantic weekend in person, and meet his girlfriend if he brought her back with him as they were hoping he would.

  Carole arrived half an hour early so she’d have enough time to give Starlight a quick grooming before her friends arrived. She’d been so busy lately with Veronica and Thanksgiving and everything else that she hadn’t been able to spend as much time as usual with her horse, and she missed him. He seemed to miss her, too, since he nuzzled her as she entered his stall—although that could have been because of the carrots she had in her pocket. Carole didn’t believe in spoiling horses with a lot of treats, but this time she felt that Starlight deserved it. Part of the reason was that she hadn’t spent enough time with him for the past few days. But she knew that another part of it was that she wanted to thank him just for being there.

  Carole had been so busy worrying about how Lisa was feeling that Pepper’s death hadn’t really hit her until that morning, when she had arrived at the stable and walked past his empty stall. Even at her young age, Carole felt that she’d already had more than her share of experience with death. Her mother’s death from cancer had been the worst thing that had ever happened to Carole. When Cobalt had died, Carole hadn’t been sure she could handle that kind of pain again, but somehow, she had.

  Since then, working with Judy, Carole had seen other horses die, and she had felt the same kind of painful sadness for every single one of them. No matter how many times it happened, it never got any easier to take. When she had seen Pepper’s empty stall, the knowledge that she would never again see his familiar gray face looking out at her over the half door hit her heart like a fist in the stomach. The most comforting thing she could think of to do, luckily, was what she’d been planning to do anyway. She could take care of her own horse, to make sure that his life was as comfortable and happy as she could make it—as comfortable and happy as Pepper’s long life had been, thanks to Lisa and Carole and Stevie and Max and Mrs. Reg and Red and a whole list of other people who had loved and cared for him.