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knew at school. She certainly didn’t intend to bring up the rear when it came to these resolutions. “I know,” she said, with a sudden inspiration. “I’ll vow to embroider something for the bake sale, okay? How about a tablecloth and napkins? We can sell them at the end of the sale.”
    “That’s a great idea, Lisa!” Carole said. “Then your resolution would have a real purpose. You’ll make your mom happy and you’ll also earn some money for Horse Wise.”
    Stevie had to agree that Lisa’s suggestion was a good one. “All right,” she said reluctantly. “That sounds fair.”
    “Of course, we haven’t thought up an incentive yet, so maybe we should just …” Lisa let her voice trail off. The resolutions were her idea. So she, of all of them, shouldn’t be the one to suggest that they forget about keeping them. Besides, they were a good idea! It would be good for Stevie to lay offVeronica for a while, it would be good for Carole to eat better food, and, Lisa thought with a sigh, it would be good for her to learn embroidery.
    “Maybe we should just what, Lisa?” Stevie challenged her.
    “Maybe we should—should think of something really terrible to prevent ourselves from breaking our resolutions,” Lisa said in a hurry, trying to keep herself from sounding as defensive as she felt.
    “Maybe we should change the subject,” Carole said more quietly.
    That was all the urging Stevie and Lisa needed. As soon as they switched to a new topic, the girls began to chat amiably. They compared notes on their morning rides, agreed that Mrs. Reg was as loony as ever, and eventually began to discuss the bake sale. Lisa suggested that they spend some time at Pine Hollow going over the Horse Wise equipment to see what they needed. “And I also told my mom that we would make the signs for the bake sale,” Lisa said, “and then give them to other members to distribute around Willow Creek.”
    “Great. We can do that Monday,” Carole volunteered.
    Stevie said that she thought Lisa’s mother would do an excellent job of running the sale.
    “If she runs it anything like she runs the PTA Holiday Wreath Sale, Horse Wise is going to rake in the money,” Lisa predicted. “I just hope she has enough volunteers.”
    “Speaking of which, we absolutely must recruit members. We should call every single person who’s ever been a part of Horse Wise and make them rejoin the club,” Carole said.
    “I agree,” Stevie said, hazel eyes twinkling, “and I think there’s one call that Lisa should make.”
    Lisa burst into laughter. “Just when I thought it was safe to forget all about Simon Atherton, he’s back!” she said, mocking an advertisement for a horror movie.
    “And if you don’t watch out,” Carole said menacingly, “he’s going to get you!”
    The girls found their joke so amusing that they spent the next ten minutes thinking up fake scenarios involving Simon Atherton. “Picture this,” Stevie said. “You’re at the water fountain, taking a drink. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a pair of feet approaching in sturdy, sensible shoes. You look up—it’s him! And he wants to eat lunch with you!”
    “No, no, no.” Lisa waved her hands. “It’s like this: You’re at Pine Hollow. It’s deserted—or so youthink. All of a sudden, behind you, someone says, ‘Excuse me, Miss Atwood? Would you do me the honor of discussing tomorrow’s algebra assignment on horseback as we wend our way down a local trail?’ ”
    Stevie and Carole snorted with laughter. Lisa could perfectly imitate Simon’s formal speech and his upper-class, English way of talking. “I guess for the sake of Horse Wise, though, we have to call him if he’s back in town as Mrs. Reg says,” Lisa commented.
    “Attagirl,” said Stevie, toasting water glasses with Lisa. “Do it for the club.”
    “Me? Who said anything about me?” Lisa joked.
    Carole sighed with relief—not because she knew that one of them would relent