Reining In by Bonnie Bryant

Author:Bonnie Bryant
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781497653870
Publisher: Open Road Media Teen & Tween

TEN

By midafternoon, the hustle and bustle around the stable had quieted a bit. Lisa and her friends were cleaning bridles in the spacious tack room. Lisa was still worried about Carole’s interest in Jeremiah, but his name hadn’t come up since their earlier conversation. She hoped that meant Carole had taken her warning to heart.

Aside from that one nagging concern, Lisa felt relaxed and happy. It was nice being with Carole and Stevie again. Really nice. She suspected they were starting to see why she liked California—and this job—so much. She hoped so. It would make it easier to readjust to returning home if they could understand and help her cope.

The girls were chatting lazily about the previous day’s sightseeing when Rick poked his head into the room and took in the scene. “Still working them hard, Lisa?” he asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“It’s okay. We’re used to it.” Stevie let out an exaggerated sigh of exhaustion.

Rick laughed. “I can tell. You girls are good workers. Almost as good as Lisa.”

“Thanks, Rick.” Lisa smiled at him. Two compliments in a week, she thought. That must be some kind of record!

She was so amused at the thought that she almost missed what Rick said next. “So why don’t you knock off a little early today, Lisa? Show your friends around. We can manage here for the rest of the day.”

Lisa opened her mouth to thank him again. It was a generous offer, especially after she’d taken off the day before. Still, she knew he was right. It had been a busy morning, but the afternoon was shaping up to be relatively slow. They could get along without her.

“You heard the man, Lisa,” Stevie said excitedly. “They can manage without us.” She grinned. “Besides, if they need any help after we leave, some of these TV stars can just call in their agents or masseuses or manicurists to fill in!”

The words hit Lisa like a sledgehammer. What was that supposed to mean? She frowned, her calm, comfortable mood shattered. She’d thought their hard day of work had proved to her friends that her job was for real. But maybe not.

Carole fluttered her eyelashes dramatically. “Fabulous idea, dah-ling,” she told Stevie in a hoity-toity voice. “Let’s do lunch! Better yet, let’s hit the beach.”

Lisa felt her hands clench around the smooth leather of the bridle she was holding. Her job was no joke. What could she do to make her friends understand that?

“Sorry,” she snapped, feeling stubborn. “I wouldn’t feel right leaving now. There’s still too much to do here. I’ve got to make sure Topsy is ready for those close-up shots later, and someone has to finish these bridles before tomorrow’s run-through.”

Rick looked surprised, but that was nothing compared to the stunned, disappointed expressions on the faces of her friends. For a moment Lisa regretted her hasty words. What was she getting so worked up about? Carole and Stevie knew her job was serious—that any job that involved caring for horses was serious.

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