A Winning Gift by Catherine Hapka

Author:Catherine Hapka
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aladdin

“Ready?” Maddie tightened the girth on Cloudy’s saddle, then stepped back and brushed off her hands.

Bridget was slowly running a brush over the mare’s rump. “Not quite yet,” she said. “I want to clean off this spot.”

Maddie stepped around to look. “Silly—that’s one of her spots,” she said. “Not dirt.”

“Oh. Um, then, I guess I’m ready.” Bridget glanced around the quiet stable.

Maddie followed her gaze, relishing the unusual quiet. A gaggle of adult lesson riders had just been finishing their post-ride grooming when the two girls had arrived, and now that they’d cleared out, the place was practically deserted. There were no other lessons scheduled for more than an hour. Vic and Val had other after-school activities that day. Ms. Emerson was busy in the office. Even Seth hadn’t arrived yet.

“Great. Let’s go.” Maddie quickly bridled Cloudy and led her down the aisle.

“Wait. I forgot to get a helmet,” Bridget said as they stepped outside. “Stay here. I remember where they are.”

She dashed back into the barn. Maddie led Cloudy over to a patch of grass and let her graze, enjoying the feel of the pale November sun on her face.

This is nice, she thought. Just me and Cloudy.

Suddenly she felt tears filling her eyes. That was weird—Maddie hardly ever cried. Even when a big midfielder had crashed into her at soccer practice a couple of years ago and snapped her wrist, she hadn’t shed a single tear.

But the thought of leaving Cloudy was much worse than a broken bone. Bones healed, and life went on. But moving away from her favorite pony? Maddie wasn’t sure she’d ever recover from that.

“Dramatic much?” she muttered under her breath. “Bridget must be rubbing off on me.”

Realizing her friend was taking an awfully long time finding a helmet, she tugged on the reins and led Cloudy back over to the doorway. Peering in, she saw Bridget ambling slowly along the aisle, pausing to glance into the stalls she was passing.

“Stop sightseeing and hurry up!” Maddie called. “We want to have time to get your ride in before the next lesson starts.”

“Okay, okay.” Bridget picked up the pace. “I don’t have to trot today, do I?”

“Not if you don’t want to,” Maddie promised. “Let’s just see how it goes, okay?”

She stood Cloudy next to the mounting block, and soon Bridget was in the saddle. She fiddled with the reins, glancing toward the barn now and then.

“What are you looking for?” Maddie asked.

“Nothing,” Bridget said. “Just checking to make sure the lesson people aren’t coming.”

Maddie pulled out her cell phone to check the time. “Don’t worry. We’ve got like half an hour before they even get here to start tacking up. Now, come on. Let’s start by walking around the ring, nice and easy. . . .”

They circled the ring several times. At first Bridget was tense, leaning forward and clutching the reins tighter every time Cloudy flicked an ear or swished her tail at a fly. But after a couple of circuits she seemed to relax.

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