Hayride by Bonnie Bryant

Author:Bonnie Bryant [Bryant, Bonnie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-307-82513-1
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2013-02-06T05:00:00+00:00

“EASY DOES IT. Watch that ankle.” Colonel Hanson helped Carole lower herself into the front seat of the sedan. Then he took the crutches from her and tucked them into the backseat. Once she was all settled, he closed the door firmly and got in on the driver’s side. He started the engine and pulled slowly out of the Quantico Military Base Hospital parking lot.

Carole stared out the window glumly. Usually she liked going onto the base with her father. It was fun to watch the enlisted men and women marching in formation. Today she hardly noticed them. She kept hearing Dr. Curtis’s diagnosis echo in her mind: sprained ankle. Treatment: soaking and rest. No riding for two weeks. Keep walking to a minimum, and use crutches to keep the weight off.

“How does it feel, honey?” Colonel Hanson asked gently.

“A little better,” Carole said. She made an effort to smile. It seemed as if her father felt worse than she did about her ankle.

“Good thing it’s wrapped so well,” he joked. They both laughed. Dr. Curtis had tried to explain to Carole how she should wrap the Ace bandage, but she already knew how. “It’s just not that different from bandaging a horse’s leg,” she had told him honestly.

“I’m sorry, honey,” Colonel Hanson said.

“It’s okay.”

“We’re still going to make your party the best hayride birthday ever, you know.”

Luckily, Carole could still have the party. She wouldn’t be able to dance—so much for the slow dance with Cam she’d been imagining—but Dr. Curtis had said she could go on the hayride if she promised to sit still. What else was she going to do? Carole wondered. Stand up and hop around on her left ankle? She had to admit that it was still quite painful, even with the Ace bandage on.

“We’ll put our heads together one more time and think up sitting-down games for people who don’t want to dance,” Colonel Hanson said.

Carole was still excited about the party, of course, but even it wouldn’t make up for two whole weeks without riding. Carole had been riding for as long as she could remember. The only time she’d taken more than a day or two off was after the tragic death of one of her favorite horses, Cobalt. And not riding had just made her more miserable. Besides, even if she could handle it, she wasn’t sure Starlight could.

“He’ll be higher than a kite after two weeks off,” Carole said, voicing her thoughts.

Colonel Hanson reminded her that there were other people at Pine Hollow who could exercise Starlight for her. Carole nodded, but it was hard to think of the right person. Red and Max were far too busy. Lisa was too inexperienced. Maybe she would ask Stevie to take him out once or twice if she wasn’t too busy with Topside.

WHEN CAROLE AND her father got home, the phone was ringing. “Why did the horse make friends with the cow next door?” she heard her father say as she limped into the kitchen.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.