Ch 4

AN: sorry it took so long!

"Mom, I have to go to Ireland! You just have to let me! Think of what a culture experience it would be! Besides, Veronica is going to be going too! I bet we even get to room together. Wouldn't you like that? Mom. Please?" Lisa was busy trying to convince her mother to let her go to Ireland with everyone else.

"What about Melanie? Did you think to invite her? What would I do with her if you were to go away?" Lisa's mother was always trying to get the two girls to do things together.

"Mom! This is supposed to be an outing for the Saddle Club. Not the Saddle Club and guests." Lisa whined as she followed her mother into the kitchen. She did not want her sister tagging along on her journey. "What about Melanie's friend, Ashley? Can't she stay with her for a while?"

"The Saddle Club, huh? Well, I never understood why you girls won't let the younger girls in. What about this Veronica business? I thought you guys didn't like each other?" Lisa's mother would have been right a month ago. Before everything changed. Before Veronica let her status down and saved Pine Hollow, for everyone.

"Please, Mom!" Lisa begged again. "Just at least think about it. Please?"

"Okay. I'll think on it. You wouldn't mind if I just called up Mr. DiAngelo and discussed the details of the trip with him, would you?" Lisa's mother might have agreed on her own, but with Mr. DiAngelo in on this, who knew what her mother would decide now.

"Yea, sure. I guess it is okay, Mom." Lisa slumped into a chair in the kitchen. Not wanting to miss out on the conversation between her mother and Mr. DiAngelo.

Meanwhile, Carole was working on her father.

"Dad! I want to go to Ireland!" Carole wasted no time discussing with her father about the trip the Saddle Club and Scooter planned.

"I don't know, Carole. Ireland is a very long way away for my little girl to go." He was correct. Ireland was a good distance from where they were.

"I'll be careful, dad. Promise." Carole reassured him.

Carole's father looked down onto his girl's face. Chuckling, he kissed her forehead. He knew she would and he knew he was going to let her go before she even promised to be careful. "Okay. Be the careful one I know you to be."

Carole squealed in delight. "Thank, you so much, dad!"

She rushed upstairs to her room to start a list of things needed to pack and take on the trip with her.

Stevie sighed. She rushed home to talk to her parents about a summer free from her 7 brothers, but neither of them were home.

She tried to think of when she could talk to them both without being interrupted by a brother.

Dinner was way out of the question and she wasn't going to bother them by calling them now.

"I will wait until bed." She decided.

Kristy's mother had no troubles saying yes to the trip.

Culture differences would be good for her Kristy. And since she was only going with Veronica it made the decision easier.

So Kristy lied to her mother and said it was just her and Veronica going. She knew that if she had said who all was really going, it would be a straight no.

Kristy began packing up her clothes. She would be sure to leave room for new clothes bought for the trip and clothes bought on the trip.

"This is going to be so much fun!"

"My answer is no, Veronica." Mr. DiAngelo was not about to let his daughter go gallivanting off through the world with a posse of people with her.

"Dad! If you met Scooter it would be different! You would like him and his family." Veronica thought that this would help her dad make a decision.

"I don't care if it's the prince of Persia, darling. You are not going on this long trip!" Mr. DiAngelo had made up his mind.

Veronica did not want to take no for an answer though. "Kristy has probably already packed, dad!"

"Veronica, how many people are there in this world? There are millions. People who can use you for money, my dear and I just can't have that happening. Especially if you go all the way to Ireland!" Veronica's father was tired of this subject.

"Dad. None of these "people" as you say, are going to use me for money. They're all my friends. And Scooter, well, he's different too daddy. He's charming, funny, logical yet capable of emotion. He works hard for what he has." Veronica hadn't noticed herself drift away from the subject and onto Scooter.

"And that is exactly the kind of person who would take advantage of my little girl. You have to be careful of people who work hard for a living. Trust me, I'm surrounded by them all day long, darling." Mr. DiAngelo didn't like the tone of his daughter's voice while talking about a boy.

"Daddy, Scooter is rich. He doesn't have to work, but he does." Veronica wanted to leave that detail out of this conversation but it seemed she had no choice.

"Bring him to me then. I must meet him and…" Mr. DiAngelo didn't get a chance to finish his sentence because the family phone rang.

"Yes, this is he. Well sure. I was just telling my Veronica what a bad idea it was. You think it is too? I knew there were people with sense left in the world. Who is your daughter? I remember Lisa. Careful one she is. Ill keep talking with Veronica. Ill call you when I make my decision. Two hours. Yes. You too. Bye." Veronica's father hung up the phone with Lisa's mother and stared at his daughter's longing face.

"Bring this, Scooter here Veronica. Two hours I have to give my decision to that mother." He didn't seem happy but Veronica got what she wanted.

Seeing the way his daughter's face lit up as she walked out the door and turned to thank him made him believe he was doing the right, fatherly thing in waiting to make a decision.