At the Premiere. JoAnn S. Dawson

I’m just fine, and you, Mary?” she said, wiping her brow and dropping a handful of freshly picked green beans into a basket at her feet.

      “We’re fine, just going out for a ride to talk about the trip coming up, you know.”

      “I do know, and it’s very exciting, isn’t it then?” Mrs. McMurray answered in her lilting Irish voice.

      “Is Mr. McMurray excited about going too?” asked Jody.

      “Oh, dear, we aren’t going!” Mrs. McMurray chuckled with a wave of her hand. “We’ve got to stay back and mind the farm, you know.”

      “But, Mrs. McMurray, you should come! They used your farm for the movie! You should be the guests of honor on the red carpet!”

      Mrs. McMurray laughed out loud at this outburst from Mary. “Mary, the only red carpet I know is the one in the front hallway of the farmhouse, and it’s faded at best. I’m happy to stay back and hear all about the festivities from you girls when you come back. You’ll promise to take lots of pictures, won’t you?”

      “Oh! That’s the other thing we have to figure out,” Mary said, looking wide-eyed at Jody. “I dropped my camera in the water trough that day I brought it up to take pictures of Star. I leaned over to fill the trough and if fell out of my shirt pocket!”

      “My dad has a camera,” Jody laughed. “He likes to take pictures, too. We promise, Mrs. McMurray.”

      “Well, we have to get a move-on – lots of plans to make!” Mary said, turning Gypsy and giving her a gentle squeeze.

      “But I think you should change your mind, Mrs. McMurray. It’s going to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience!” Jody called over her shoulder, leaving the kindly woman looking after them with a shake of her head and a smile.

      4.

      Asking Annie

      By the time Mary and Jody arrived back at Lucky Foot Stable after their ride around the McMurray farm, decisions had been made and plans in place for the trip to New York City. Now it was just a matter of making them work, and the first step was to pay a visit to Annie.

      “What do you think she’ll say?” Jody asked, putting the finishing touches on Lady’s coat with a soft brush.

      “Guess we’ll find out,” Mary replied, hanging Gypsy’s bridle carefully on her bridle rack. “Let’s turn the ponies out and go find her.”

      “Hey, I have an idea,” Jody said. “Let’s take Star with us. He’s been out in his paddock by himself all day.”

      Just at that moment, Star hung his head over the dutch door of the stable and nickered as if to say, “yes! I would like to have an outing, if you don’t mind.”

      So Lady and Gypsy were released at the pasture gate to go trotting off to their favorite spot under the weeping willow tree, and Star was led from the stable. Jody held his lead rope while Mary walked alongside, patting him on the shoulder. The first thing the trio saw as they approached the house trailer where Annie lived was her little brother Heath, throwing a ball onto the trailer roof and catching it as it rolled down.

      “Wow, that boy’s getting big,” Mary commented. “Remember how little he was when they first moved here? He was just starting to walk and Annie had to put a leash on him to keep him from running off around the farm!”

      Heath had just thrown the ball once more on the roof when he heard the girls behind him. When he turned around to face them, the ball rolled down and whacked him squarely on top of the head.

      “Hey!” he yelled, and began giggling uncontrollably. The girls couldn’t help but join in, and all three laughed hysterically when the ball stopped rolling at Star’s feet and he snorted and kicked it with his hoof.

      “What’s going on out here?” Annie poked her head from the trailer door and frowned.

      “Nothing, Annie,” laughed Mary. “We were just coming to talk to you about something, and the ball hit Heath on the head, and...”

      “Talk to me about what?” Annie said, stepping down into the tiny yard. She held her hand out to Star, who immediately snuffled her palm and started licking it. Mary and Jody looked at each other, always baffled at the effect Annie seemed to have on animals.

      “Well,” Jody began, “you know how we’re going to New York and everything…”

      “And you know how you asked if you could take care of Star while we’re gone…” Mary continued.

      “Yeah.” Annie said, and waited expectantly.

      “Well,” Mary went on, “We decided that instead of you taking care of Star while we’re gone…” (and here she stopped for a dramatic pause while Annie waited expectantly) “… you should just come with us.”

      Annie did not make a sound. She looked at Mary, and then at Jody. She looked down at Heath, who was rolling the ball up to Star’s hoof, trying to make him kick it again. Finally she crossed her arms and looked up at the sky. Still she didn’t speak.

      “What do you say, Annie?” Jody asked anxiously. “Do you want to come?”

      Annie looked at the ground again, and as the girls waited for a reply, they saw a single lone tear trickle from Annie’s eye and drip from the end of her nose to the ground.

      “Yes,” she said quietly.

      Mary and Jody looked at each other awkwardly, not sure what to say. It was Star who broke the silence, sniffing at Annie’s face and then snorting wetly all over the three girls.

      “Star!” Mary yelled, Heath giggling as they all wiped their faces. “It’s settled then. You’ll come with us and we’ll have all sorts of adventures!”

      “But, but, I have to ask my Dad…and who will take care of Star if I’m not here?”

      “That’s all settled, too. We talked to Mr. McMurray on our way back from our ride, and you won’t believe it, Annie, he said that while we were gone Star could go out in the pasture with the cows! We just have to turn him out with them gradually for the next few days so his stomach can get used to the grass.”

      “And we’re hoping that when he’ll be able to stay out there with Lady and Gypsy after we come back,” Jody added. “Besides, Willie said something about having more grass pretty soon, or something like that. Remember, Mare?”

      “Yeah, but he wouldn’t say why. You know how he is, he won’t tell us until he’s good and ready.”

      Annie wiped her face with the back of her hand, picked up the ball and handed it to Heath, and turned away. “I’ll ask Dad and let you know,” she said, her back to the girls. Just as he reached the trailer, she turned suddenly and smiled. “Thank you,” she said flatly, and disappeared through the screen door.

      Mary and Jody looked at each other and shrugged. “I guess she’ll let us know,” Mary said, a little disappointed at Annie’s reaction to her generous invitation.

      Jody gathered up Star’s lead rope and the girls turned back toward the barn with the frisky colt in tow. “You know how Annie is, Mare,” Jody consoled. “I think she’s afraid if she gets too excited about things, and then they don’t happen, she’ll be really, really disappointed. I think she’s probably been let-down a lot in her life, so she tries to not expect much.”

      “Well, thank you for your expert opinion, doctor… I guess you’re right, though. Anyway…Star, quit it, for pete’s sake,” Mary giggled, pulling a lock of her hair from Star’s inquisitive muzzle. His habit of nibbling on her long curly hair had yet to be cured. “When we get back to the barn, we have to start packing up for the trip. Willie said we have to be organized.”

      “I can’t wait to see the truck and trailer we’re going to use. Do you think