Emily and Nate for dinner, and they were just fine.”
“Good,” Steph said absently. She slid her gloved hands along the reins over and over, never tugging, but like a nervous habit.
“So tell me about the Chess Club,” Brooke said. “Any new members?”
Steph glanced at her, and a slow grin made her shake her head. “You just want to know if I asked Tyler Brissette to join.”
“Guess I’m not very subtle.”
The girl gave an exaggerated sigh. “All right, yes, I told him about the club. At first he was all, ‘That’s for nerds,’ but I told him it wasn’t like we really played chess or anything.”
“Hey, I like chess,” Brooke protested. “Not that I play regularly, but I have. My nerdy habit is reading.”
Steph rolled her eyes, but admitted, “Yeah, I read Harry Potter when I was a kid. And I like The Hunger Games.”
“I’ve read both those series. They’re very good.”
“Anyway, I didn’t think Tyler would come. And I’d asked him the day before Thanksgiving, and who knew if he’d even remember. Then yesterday, after school, he and a couple guys came to the community center. I was shocked!”
Steph’s blue eyes shone, and Brooke found herself wondering if this was more than an attempt to help a troubled classmate.
“Well, how did they do?” Brooke demanded.
“Some of his friends called it the Chest Club, like they thought they were so funny. Anyway, we didn’t have a big trip or anything planned, but we all hung out and played pool and Ping-Pong and Wii. He just watched for a while, but he’s pretty good at pool. I didn’t really talk to him much or anything,” she added quickly. “But he was cool about the whole thing.”
“Much as pool and Wii sound fun in the winter, do you have any outdoor events planned?” Although right now, when the wind picked up, she was wishing she had worn her coveralls. She wasn’t so sure anyone should be outside, including the horses, whose ears twitched with each gust.
“We try to go snowboarding together at least once during the season.”
“And is everyone able to afford that?”
Steph frowned. “I never thought about it before. But Tyler and his friends . . . I’m not so sure.” She glanced at Brooke as if embarrassed. “I don’t want to make anyone feel bad.”
“Then can I make a suggestion? What about if you come here to ride? I can give lessons to those who don’t know how, and we can do a trail ride or even a sleigh ride.”
Steph grinned. “That sounds awesome!”
Brooke was surprised to find herself equally excited. She’d enjoyed giving the occasional lesson to barrel racers like Steph, and the chance to help improve the skills of other teenagers sounded like a good challenge.
The corral fence suddenly loomed in front of them in the snow, and she realized that the weather had grown too bad. “I think we’re going to have to cancel, Steph. I’m not sure you can even see the barrels.”
The teenager released a big sigh. “Guess you’re right.”
They guided their horses in a circle and headed back the way they’d come. Brooke trusted the horses to find their way if things got worse.
Back in the barn, after rubbing down and oating the horses, then putting away the tack, Brooke insisted Steph couldn’t drive in that weather, so the girl came inside for dinner and some Trivial Pursuit before the weather had cleared enough for her to drive home. It was an old game, but Brooke had grown up playing it.
After Steph was gone, Sandy sat at the dining-room table and studied her. “You were really good with her.”
Brooke blinked in surprise and pleasure as she picked up a bowl now empty of chips. “What do you mean? She’s a nice kid—what was difficult about it?”
“I don’t know, but some people can be impatient—including Steph herself—but when she got frustrated about not knowing a lot of the answers in the game, you were able to head off any problems. You’d have been a good teacher.”
“Why . . . thanks,” Brooke said. “Dealing with teenagers one-on-one isn’t so bad. I can’t imagine controlling a whole class of kids.”
Sandy grinned. “Guess you’ll find out if the Chess Club takes you up on your offer.”
“Didn’t I tell you you’re in charge that day?” Brooke teased.
Sandy waved a finger at her. “Not this time, sweetie. You’re on your own.”
The next afternoon, Adam was getting a lesson from Josh on repairing leather tack when Nate came into the workshop looking