The episode opens with the news that Deborah wants The Saddle Club to teach her how to ride. Carole remarks that Deborah must like Max a lot, which Lisa thinks is super romantic. Mrs. Atwood comes in to share the news that she's invited the 'nice girl' from the stables to stay with them for a week. Said nice girl turns out to be none other than Veronica. Her parents are in Europe, and their house is getting painted, so Veronica needs somewhere to say.
Mrs. Reg is tidying up Max's desk, and comes across an engagement ring. Max comes in. He initially pretends he's keeping it safe for a friend (suuure), but quickly comes clean. Mrs. Reg is thrilled, and thinks the two are a perfect match for each other. Max explains that he's made a reservation at Deborah's favourite restaurant, and that he's proposing tonight.
Veronica sneers at Lisa's bedroom, and says it's 'worse than camping.' (Hah!) She sneers at the fact that Lisa doesn't have her own wide-screen television (double hah!) and Lisa tells her that, if she doesn't like it, she should stay with someone else. Stevie and Carole arrive to provide some emotional support for Lisa, and to plan how they're going to teach Deborah to ride. Lisa says that she's supposed to bring Veronica with her, but Veronica insists she's happy on her own, and tells them to go. However, when Mrs. Atwood asks where the girls are headed, Veronica acts all sad, and says that the girls were deliberately excluding her. Mrs. Atwood demands Lisa apologise for being rude, and Veronica giggles menacingly. (Mrs. Atwood, who is still in the room, somehow fails to notice this.)
Max runs into Deborah at the stables, and she says she forgot about their dinner because she has something to do. She asks if they can have the dinner tomorrow, instead. Max is disappointed, but insists it's fine.
Deborah commences her first riding lesson. It goes about as well as expected, with her having trouble getting into the saddle. Deborah explains that she needs to be able to ride by Saturday.
Lisa is writing in her diary at home, when Veronica comes in to taunt her. Lisa asks why she put on the act in front of her mum, and Veronica says she literally did it for excitement.
Mrs. Reg tries to give Max advice on proposing to Deborah, because she has heart set on her as a daughter-in-law. Max says that he's planning to wing his proposal. Mrs. Reg reminisces on her own, and explains that Max's dad bungled it by choking on his dinner, and Mrs. Reg had to finish proposing to herself. I have to say, I find the image of Mrs. Reg having to Heimlich Max Regnery Sr. and propose marriage to herself completely hilarious.
Veronica tries to ring Kristi, but can't get through to her. She proceeds to go snooping through Lisa's things, and reads her diary. She reads an entry that's particularly scathing towards herself, and looks hurt. ('Is this a moment for self-reflection? No, it's the Saddle Club who are wrong!) She keeps reading, and then breaks out in a grin. Evidently, Veronica's not the only one Lisa trash-talked in her diary.
At the lounge, The Saddle Club are brainstorming ideas to help Deborah's riding. Veronica walks in, and begins quoting Lisa in front of them: Carole's a know it all, Stevie's impatient and insensitive ... Carole and Stevie leap to Lisa's defence, saying that Lisa is their friend, and she would never say those things. Lisa immediately bungles this by admitting, out loud, that those quotes are from her diary. Stevie and Carole look shocked. Lisa tries to tell them she didn't mean it, but it's too late. They're both furious.
Carole and Stevie try to give Deborah a lesson, and proceed to clash over their differing instruction styles. Deborah proceeds to give up, and says she wasted everyone's time.
Back at Lisa's, Veronica is trying to reach her parents on the phone but they're still not picking up. Lisa comes in to glower at her, then uses a ribbon to draw a line down the middle of the room. They'll each stay on their side from now on.
Veronica and Lisa arrive at Pine Hollow. They both stomp into the tack room, clearly mad with each other, which Mrs. Reg notices. She gives Lisa an inspirational speech about living in Veronica's shoes, and how Veronica might actually be feeling lonely. She's an only child, her parents left her to go on vacation, and they haven't phoned once to check in with her. The speech hits home, and Lisa realises that Veronica is feeling lonely.
Lisa speaks to Veronica, and apologises for leaving her out. Veronica admits that she shouldn't have ready Lisa's diary - but that Lisa shouldn't have left it around for her to read, which is the closest she'll get to a genuine apology. Veronica remarks that the girls wouldn't be as mad at Lisa if they's seen all the 'sappy stuff' she'd written about them, too.
Carole and Stevie are grooming Belle together, and are beginning to soften up towards Lisa. They're still upset about what Lisa wrote, but admit that there was a kernel of truth to the comments. Lisa shows them the other things she wrote about them - yes, Carole is a know-it-all, but that, most of the time, she's right, and that Lisa would be lost without her. That Stevie is the funniest, most adventurous person, and that Lisa's life is more exciting with her. The girls are touched by what Lisa wrote, and the girls make up. Veronica is lurking in the background during all of this. Lisa gives Veronica credit for coming up with apology, but Veronica says all the sap is making her sick and leaves.
Lisa chases after Veronica, and shows her that she wrote other things about Veronica, too. She wrote about how great Veronica and Garnet were amazing at a recent show, and how she wishes Veronica was there to see it. Veronica actually sniffles.
Deborah wants one last try at riding lesson, and it goes much better than the others. She explains she wants to plan a surprise for Max, and asks the girls to get Barq ready.
They head out on a trail ride together. Deborah reveals that it's a special occasion - she pulls out her own ring, and proposes to Max. Max gets his own ring out, and they accept each other's proposals. I'm a giant sap, but it's genuinely a cute moment.
Deborah shows off her ring The Saddle Club. They offer to keep teaching her, but Deborah says she'll try something less scary next time - maybe skydiving.
Overall, this was a fun episode. I do feel the need to point out that Max's proposal plan was to wing it, while Deborah's was thoughtfully tailored to Max's hobbies and interests AND involved conquering her fear of horses - further cementing my opinion that she was way too good for him.
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