1.
Lisa, Carole and Stevie, the illustrious Saddle Club of Pine Hollow, along with all the other riders and students, were all gathered in the lounge waiting and wondering what Max's big announcement was going to be. The murmuring of excited and curious voices filled the room.
They didn't have to wait long.
"Everyone listen up," said Max signaling for silence, everyone quieted down and Max continued, "As you already know, for the next week, Willow Creek will be playing host to the International Show jumping junior championship!
"The DiAngelos already have a private box in the arena reserved." bragged Veronica
"I'm sure you do," said Max fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
Stevie sneered and rolled her eyes at the back of Veronica's head.
Max continued:
"Pine Hollow will play guest headquarters to several of the competing riders including Kayla Brennan." He explained.
"The Kayla Brennan?" gasped Carole, "She's already won the International Junior Championship for the last two years and this year, if she wins, it'll be three in a row!"
"Yes, that Kayla Brennan," said Mrs. Reg, "So I expect all of you to be on your best behavior and make her feel welcome, but don't make pests of yourselves!"
"When will they be arriving?" asked Lisa
"They're supposed to start getting here later this afternoon," replied Max, "So I'm postponing regular classes because I want everybody to pitch in and help us finish getting the place ready."
Mrs. Reg spoke up again.
"Toward that end, I need some volunteers to help with some jobs around Pine Hollow." She paused as she turned and retrieved her clipboard from the nearby table.
"Okay," she said, "I need two volunteers to go with Red and Jack to help pick up a couple extra loads of hay. With the extra horses we're going to have around here this week we're going to need it."
Every hand but Veronica's shot up. Mrs. Reg picked the two girls that raised their hands first.
"Thank you, Tanya, Janet." She said to two of the older girls.
Kristy scowled as the two girls walked off with Red and Jack.
Mrs. Reg continued.
"Now I need two volunteers to shine up the extra saddles in the tack room." She announced.
Hands shot up again.
And again Mrs. Reg picked the two who raised their hands first.
"Thank you, Jess, Melanie," she said
"You can't be serious," snapped Veronica you're letting those children shine expensive tack like those saddles!?"
"They raised their hands first, Veronica," sighed Mrs. Reg.
Mrs. Reg was a person of great patience, but even Veronica tested it sometimes with her elitist attitude.
"Don't worry," said Kristi, "We'll get the next job for sure!"
Veronica nodded and she and Kristy got ready to raise their hands fast!
Mrs. Reg looked at the next job on her list.
"Oh yes," she murmured, "that's a job we certainly can't have done halfway!"
"I need volunteers to_,"
Veronica and Kristy's hands shot up before Mrs. Reg finished.
"_Muck out all the stalls including the extra ones." Mrs. Reg finished
Veronica's mouth dropped open. She and Kristy looked mortified!
"Thank you, Veronica and Kristy," said Mrs. Reg making a check mark on her list.
"Wait, Wait, Wait, Wait," said Veronica, "You can't be serious! Muck out stalls?!"
"You Volunteered for it!" said Stevie, her face was turning red from the strain of trying not to bust out laughing right in the bratty girl's face.
"Don't worry girls," said Mrs. Reg sweetly, "We've got gloves and everything for you, with any luck you should easily have all the stalls done before the competitors arrive."
"Yeah," snickered Lisa, "And thanks to the gloves you won't even mess up your $400 dollar manicure."
"Okay girls," said Mrs. Reg turning to the Saddle Club and ignoring the rest of Veronica's protests, "That means that you three get the last job on the list which is helping me in the guest house, we need to get Kayla Brennan's room ready for her.
Veronica facepalmed.
"This can't be happening!" she groaned
"Those stalls aren't going to muck out themselves." Said Carole
"She's right," said Max handing Veronica and Kristy gloves and pitchforks, "Get to work."
Lisa, Carole and Stevie followed Mrs. Reg. They made their way to guesthouse number 2. Just as they stepped up onto the front porch, they heard the sound of a motorcycle pulling into the parking area. When they paused, turned and looked, they saw a teenage boy in a blue shirt and grey zip up hoodie climbing off the bike.
When he took off his helmet, he revealed a handsome face under and unruly mop of dark brown hair. But what surprised the girls even more was when Stevie took off running toward him. She ran up to him and gave him a big bear hug.
"Jacen Mathis!" she said excitedly, as Lisa and Carole caught up with her, "I haven't seen you in forever, how are you? What are you doing here? How're Uncle William and Aunt Jenny?"
Jacen held up his hands,
"Easy Stevie not so many questions so fast!" he laughed
Lisa and Carole cleared their throats.
"Oh, Sorry guys," Stevie said, "I was so excited I forgot myself."
"Guys this is my cousin Jacen Mathis, his dad is my mom's brother."
"Hi," said Jacen, "You must be Lisa Atwood and Carole Hanson."
The girls nodded.
"Stevie's talked about you so much I almost feel like I already know you." Smiled Jacen
"That's funny," said Carole, "Stevie never mentioned you once."
"Yeah, Sorry about that," said Stevie sheepishly, "Must have slipped my mind."
"Slipped your mind?!" Cried Lisa, "how can that be, you tell us everything?
Jacen came to Stevie's rescue.
"Well, it's like this, my dad runs a private security agency and I sometimes do undercover work for him, so I try to keep a low profile. Stevie's not talking about me that much helps with that, and it was my request, so please don't be mad at her."
This answer seemed to satisfy Lisa and Carole.
"That brings me back to my first question," said Stevie as they started back toward the guesthouses, "Why are you here?"
"My Dad's agency was hired to work security for the Showjumping championship," replied Jacen, "He wants me to stay here at Pine Hollow incognito to keep an eye on things. There are a couple of competitors staying here that have habit of getting into trouble when they're not in the riding ring."
"There's always someone like that, unfortunately," said Lisa as they reached the front steps of guesthouse number 2.
"This is where Kayla Brennan will be staying," said Carole motioning to the guesthouse, "We've got to go help Mrs. Reg get it ready for her."
"Okay," said Jacen, "I need to go and see if Mr. Regnery has a place where I can stay, My said he would call him and let him know I was coming."
The girls nodded in understanding.
"One last thing," said Jacen as he turned to go, "No one but you three, the Regnerys and the head stable hands are to know who I am why I'm really here."
"Your secret's safe with us," said Stevie, "Don't worry."
"Great, thanks." Smiled Jacen before heading off toward the office.
Max had spoken to Jacen's Dad and it had been arranged for Jacen to go undercover as a new stable hand. Jacen, for his part, was not entirely unfamiliar with the job having spent most of his summers on his grandfather's racehorse farm in Kentucky.
Max also told Jacen that he could stay in the bunkhouse with Red and Jack.
Jacen headed back to his motorbike to get his bag. Then he went and picked out an empty bunk in the bunkhouse, one that was right next to a window. After that he went out to help the remaining stable hands get things in the barn ready.
a few hours later, he was sitting on a bench inside the barn fixing a broken bridle when he looked up and saw two slightly disheveled blonde girls in mussed up and dusty clothing walking down the row of stalls.
"Those two have been mucking out stalls I'll bet." He thought to himself
"Look at this," whined Veronica, "My new designer clothes are ruined!"
"Well, you're not supposed to wear your good clothes to muck out stalls!" said a smirking Max from the top the stairs.
Veronica just huffed and stalked toward the doors with Kristy following at her heels. Just as she got there the doors opened and in walked a tall slender girl with long straight blonde hair and blue eyes. She was leading a coal black stallion and she was accompanied by the Saddle Club who were all gushing over the horse
"Kayla Brennan!" exclaimed Veronica, "Did you have to show up now? Oh, could this day get any worse?!"
Veronica rushed out of barn with Kristy at her heels leaving Kayla looking completely bewildered.
Stevie face palmed and muttered under her breath,
"We want her to like Pine Hollow, Veronica!"
To Be Continued...Please Review