Kate automatically flicked the lead out of Ford’s way as the gelding stepped over to a tastier section of grass. But most of her attention was elsewhere. She was grazing Ford on the patch of lawn between the main barn and the large outdoor jumping arena, giving her the perfect view of Tommi’s ride on Legs. Jamie was perched on the ring fence, watching every move horse and rider made.
“Nice,” he called as Tommi and Legs finished a line of two jumps. “Take him around and try again. This time, do it in five strides instead of four.”
Kate didn’t get to see how Tommi and Legs did with the exercise. Just as they picked up a canter again, she heard a flurry of high-pitched barking from the direction of the barn. A fuzzy brown-and-white shape came streaking out, aiming straight at Ford.
“Whiskey, no!” Kate exclaimed, quickly taking up the slack in the lead line in case the gelding spooked. “Stay back.”
The dog, a hard-eyed Jack Russell terrier wearing a pink collar studded with lime-green crystals, actually stopped and stared at her. That gave its owner, a blandly pretty blond girl a year younger than Kate, time to hurry out of the barn and scoop him into her arms.
“Naughty boy,” Summer Campbell cooed into her dog’s ear, hugging him so tightly that he squirmed with annoyance. “I told you not to run off!”
Kate wanted to shake her, even though Ford hadn’t reacted except to lift his head and take a step back. It could have been a lot worse. That was why visiting dogs were supposed to stay on a leash—barn rules. But Summer never thought the rules applied to her.
“So what’s going on out there?” Summer turned to stare at the ring. “Is Tommi having a private lesson?”
“Sort of, I guess,” Kate said, keeping an eye on Whiskey as Ford went back to grazing. “Jamie’s advising her on her training plan for Legs.”
“Oh.” Summer set her dog down as he started wriggling harder. He spotted a barn cat wandering past and took off after it, barking at the top of his lungs.
Kate winced, even though she knew the barn cat would be okay—thanks to his stubby legs and overfed belly, the obnoxious little dog hadn’t managed to catch one yet. “Um, you might want to keep an eye on Whiskey,” she said. “Joy’s teaching the beginner adults in the flatwork ring right now, and if he spooks one of their horses …”
She let her voice trail off, since she could tell Summer wasn’t listening. That happened a lot. Summer’s parents had clawed their way into the privileged class in Manhattan on the healthy profits of their busy textile company. As a result, Summer seemed to think that anybody who couldn’t afford custom Vogel field boots and a Devoucoux saddle wasn’t worth her attention. Which made Kate pretty much invisible.
“I still don’t know why Tommi wanted to buy a green horse like that when she already has her own nice made horses to show,” Summer commented, watching as Legs circled around for another go at the jumps. “He’s not even that nice looking. He’s way skinnier and smaller than Toccata or her eq horse, or even her other jumper. If I didn’t know better, I’d think he was a rescue horse or something instead of a show horse.”
Kate didn’t bother to answer. Of course Summer wouldn’t see the point of Tommi getting a horse who didn’t match the rest of her string. Or consider what a horse could do in the ring instead of what brand was on its butt. For some reason, she seemed to expect Tommi to be the same way.
But Tommi wasn’t like that. That was why she and Kate were such good friends despite their very different backgrounds. Sure, Kate always felt a little weird when Tommi made some offhand comment about partying with the governor’s daughter, or when she turned up at the barn wearing new custom half-chaps that had probably cost more than Kate made in a week. At least they were always comfortable when the subject was horses.
Thinking about that made Kate realize that things were pretty much the opposite with her other best friend, Natalie. Kate had been thinking about Nat a lot these past few days. The two of them had grown up together in their little blue-collar hometown just a few miles from Pelham Lane. They’d started riding together, too. Natalie still rode at their old lesson barn—and still didn’t seem to get why Kate had wanted to move on. These days, when horses came up, things could get a little touchy. In fact, the two of them hadn’t spoken in over a week—since the day Nat had called to invite Kate to a party, then gotten mad when Kate had told her she couldn’t make it because of the Hounds Hollow show.
Kate bit her lip as she thought about the way Nat had hung up on her. She put her free hand in her pocket and touched her cell phone, wondering if she should call Nat now, see if she was ready to make up.
“Looks like they’re finished,” Summer said, breaking into her thoughts.
Kate glanced at the ring. Tommi had dismounted and was running up her stirrups. Feeling sort of relieved, Kate pulled her hand out of her pocket. Calling Nat would have to wait.
“Looking good, Tommi!” Summer called out as horse and rider walked toward them on their way to the barn door. “Your new horse is gorgeous. And are those new breeches? They look like the new Tailored Sportsmans; are they? They’re fabulous on you.”
“Thanks,” Tommi said without bothering to answer the girl’s questions. She smiled at Kate. “What’d you think? He’s really starting to trust me on our distances.”
“I could tell,” Kate said. “All the flatwork you’ve been doing is paying off.”
Jamie had paused behind the others to check his messages, but now he hurried over. “Kate,” he said. “I’m glad you’re here. I’d like to talk to you about something, if you’ve got a moment.”
“Um, sure,” Kate said, switching Ford’s lead to her other hand and shooting Tommi a nervous look. Tommi shrugged slightly, then moved on with both Legs and Summer trailing behind her.
When Kate turned back to Jamie, she was relieved to see that he was smiling. Good. At least that meant he probably wasn’t about to ream her out for screwing something up. He trusted her with a lot of responsibility around the barn—almost as much as his senior grooms, Miguel and Elliot, who’d both been with him for over ten years. Kate always tried to live up to that trust, but sometimes it made her feel like a juggler with too many plates in the air, certain that at least one of them was about to come crashing down any minute now.
“Thanks for taking such good care of Ford,” Jamie said, stepping over to give the gelding a rub on the neck. Ford ignored him, tugging at his lead as he stretched toward a tasty patch of clover. “I know the Halls really appreciate all the extra attention you’ve been giving him since he got hurt.”
Kate just nodded, trying not to let her emotions show on her face. Ford belonged to Fitz’s parents now. They’d bought him from his previous owners right after Hounds Hollow, paying the gelding’s former asking price even though he’d probably never be worth anything close to that again. Kate still had trouble believing that one evening in the hay stall at Hounds Hollow had led to this. It remained a little painful for her to think about what had happened that night, the night of the party and Ford’s accident, the night that had left Kate feeling used—and worse yet, stupid. Stupid for trusting Fitz, for believing that a hound dog could change his ways.
But the very next day, Fitz had surprised her again. They were all upset about what had happened to Ford—and even more so about Zara’s threat to tell Jamie that everyone’s favorite new groom was in the country illegally if they spilled the beans. Just when Tommi and Kate had almost convinced Zara to confess, Fitz had come along with Jamie—and before the rest of them knew what was happening, he’d confessed to the Ford incident himself!
Kate knew the others still didn’t quite understand why he’d done it. But she knew. He’d done it for her. It was his twisted, Fitz-like way of proving that he’d do anything to win her trust back.
“But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about,” Jamie went on, glancing quickly at his cell phone as it buzzed, then tucking it away again without answering. “We haven’t had much chance to chat since Hounds Hollow, but I’ve been thinking about you and Fable.”
Fabelhaften, better known as Fable, was a sales horse that Jamie had just started letting Kate ride in the hypercompetitive 3’6” junior equitation division known as the Big Eq. The big gray gelding’s owner had moved overseas and was footing all the bills until Fable sold, which meant Kate didn’t even have to worry about paying entry fees. It was an amazing opportunity, and she knew she’d never be able to work hard enough to pay Jamie back for it.
“I’m really pleased with how you did with him,” Jamie went on. “Not many new horse-and-rider teams actually pin in their first attempt at the Big Eq, especially when neither of them has ever done it before.”
“Thanks,” Kate said softly. “Fable’s a really talented horse.”
“I know he is. And I can already tell I was right about you being a good match for him.” He smiled. “That means it’s time to talk about next steps for you two.”
“Good boy,” Tommi crooned as she ran a brush over Legs’s already gleaming back. “You were a superstar today, you know that?”
The lean bay gelding shifted impatiently in the cross-ties. He hated standing still for long, even when he was tired, and could be a handful when he got bored with being groomed. Or led. Or ridden, for that matter.
But Tommi didn’t mind any of that. Quirky was okay, as long as the horse could back it up in the ring. And this one could. After today’s ride, she was more certain of it than ever.
Just then Kate hurried around the corner. “Hi,” she said. “Need some help?”
“Sure, if you’ve got time.” Tommi tossed her another brush from the grooming tote at her feet. “Thought you were still out grazing Ford.”
“I just put him back in his stall.” Kate went to work on Legs’s other side.
Tommi could tell her friend had something on her mind. But when it came to sharing her thoughts, Kate could be as spooky as a fresh horse on a windy day, so Tommi kept quiet as long as she could stand it.
After a minute or two of silence, her patience ran out. “So what’d Jamie want to talk to you about?” she asked.
“Oh.” Kate glanced up. “Um, just about where he wants me to go with Fable. He’s entering us in the eq again at the show this week.”
“Totally not surprised. Wish I’d seen your round last time—I heard you two did great.”
Tommi smiled, suddenly flashing back to the memory of Kate when she’d first arrived at Pelham Lane a couple of years earlier, fresh from that backyard lesson mill of hers. Some of the other riders had snickered about her faded no-name jods and battered paddock boots, the way she barely spoke above a whisper and called Jamie “sir,” and how she always ended up with hay, shavings, and/or horse slobber in her blond hair by the end of the day.
But Jamie had believed in her and given her the chance to prove him right. And Kate had. Big-time. These days, she still only had one good pair of breeches and regularly walked around with hay stuck in her ponytail. But nobody could imagine Pelham Lane without her.
“So is he thinking you two might be able to qualify for any of the finals this year?” Tommi asked Kate.
Kate shrugged, then glanced up as a burst of laughter came from the end of the aisle. A second later Marissa rounded the corner, along with another junior rider named Dani.
“Hi, guys,” Marissa said when she saw Tommi and Kate. “What’s up?”
“Kate was just telling me about Jamie’s big plans for her in the Big Eq,” Tommi replied, reaching up to flick some dust off Legs’s haunches. “He’s already mapping out their triumphant journey to finals.”
“Yeah, congrats again on that ribbon last weekend, Kate,” Dani said.
“And thanks for making the rest of us look bad,” Marissa added with a playful groan. “Now I’ve got no excuse for never pinning in the eq. Well, except not being as tall and skinny as you—I keep telling Jamie I’ve got a medical condition that requires me to eat at least fifteen bagels a week, but I’m not sure he believes me.”
Dani laughed, and Tommi rolled her eyes. Marissa was always joking around about her weight and her many failed attempts to diet, even though she wasn’t even really heavy—just not built naturally long and lean like Kate.
Kate smiled, looking a little uncomfortable, then bent to grab a different brush out of Tommi’s tote. Meanwhile Dani stepped over to give Legs a pat.
“How’s your new guy doing, Tommi?” she asked.
“Great,” Tommi said. “Most of the time, anyway. He’s still having quite a few greenie moments, though. I was actually sort of wondering if I should skip this next show, give him a break. Maybe just work at home this week, then have both of us take the weekend off.”
“Really?” Marissa sounded surprised. “You mean you wouldn’t go to the show at all? Even to ride your other horses?”
“Is that what Jamie suggested today?” Kate asked. “Giving Legs a week off ? You didn’t mention that.”
“No, Jamie didn’t suggest it. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about.” Tommi was already wishing she hadn’t said anything.
But now that it was out there, she had to wonder. The idea had seemed perfectly logical in her head. But was it really what she thought was best for Legs? Or was she mostly thinking about herself—specifically, that Hamptons trip and the chance to spend the whole week getting to know Alex better instead of just a couple of days? It would be so easy to make it happen. Jamie’s assistant trainer, Joy, always stayed home from shows to keep the barn running. Tommi could ask her to school Legs a few times, or maybe just lunge him to keep him in shape …
The buzz of her cell phone broke into her thoughts. Grabbing the phone out of her pocket, she saw that it was a text from Grant.
Hi! What’s up? Party was fun last night, huh?
Tommi frowned. Uh-oh. She and Grant were still friends. But not the type of friends that sent chatty texts to each other for no reason. Had seeing her at that party rekindled his interest in her? She hoped not—telling him she didn’t like him in that way had been uncomfortable enough the first time. She didn’t want to do it again.
“Everything okay, Tommi?” Marissa asked.
Tommi glanced up quickly, remembering she wasn’t alone. Marissa was watching her face curiously. The girl liked to play the clown most of the time, but Tommi knew she wasn’t nearly as ditzy as she let on. And she loved any hint of gossip.
“Oh. No, I’m fine,” Tommi said, quickly pasting on the neutral expression she’d perfected after so many years of living in her family. She reached out to unclip the closest cross-tie. “Just thinking it’s probably time to get Legs put away.”
Halfway to the gelding’s stall, she heard her phone buzz again. She waited until she got Legs settled, then checked the message as she stepped toward the aisle. It was another text from Grant: By the way, do u have Zara’s #? I might give her a call if u don’t mind.
Tommi paused in the stall doorway, staring at the message. Zara? He wanted Zara’s number?
She flashed back to the party at the hotel the last night of Hounds Hollow. Zara and Grant had ended up in a serious makeout session in the pool. Tommi had assumed it was just a little drunken fun, but could it have been more than that, at least for Grant? Could he really be interested in Zara?
And why shouldn’t he be? Zara had inherited the best of both her parents’ looks—flawless dark skin and glossy black curls from her gorgeous Trinidadian actress mother, striking green eyes and a strong chin from her ruggedly handsome father. Tommi wasn’t sure which side of the family the big boobs came from, but whatever. She was pretty sure the guys didn’t care where they came from.
But Grant wasn’t totally shallow, at least Tommi didn’t think so. One drunken evening wasn’t enough for him to know what Zara was really like. Tommi still wasn’t sure she knew herself. Everyone had known Zara’s rep since long before she’d moved to Jamie’s barn—the bad girl, the celebubrat from LA who did whatever she wanted and screw the consequences. Tommi knew better than to assume that anyone’s public image was totally true, even if most of the others didn’t. She knew people were more complicated than that.
But was Zara the exception to that rule? At first it had sort of seemed like it. Tommi had been ready to write her off, especially after the disaster with Ford. But then Zara had stepped up, ready to confess to Jamie what she’d done. Fitz had jumped in before she got the chance—Tommi still wasn’t sure what to think about that, but Fitz was another topic—and so Jamie still didn’t know the truth. But the important thing was that she’d been willing to do it. That had won her more than a few points in Tommi’s eyes.
Was it enough to make up for all the other crap? Tommi wasn’t sure yet. She bit her lip, feeling oddly uncomfortable. Why did Grant have to put her in the middle of this? He was one of her oldest friends, and she didn’t want to see him get hurt.
But she quickly shook that off. Grant was a big boy—he could take care of himself. Giving Legs a pat, she fastened his stall guard, then headed to the office to get Zara’s number. As soon as she had it, she texted it to Grant, trying not to think about it too much.
Her phone was hardly back in her pocket for five seconds before it buzzed again. This time it was a phone call. Tommi didn’t even bother to check the screen, figuring it was Grant calling to thank her. He was just that kind of guy.
“Hi,” she said.
“Tommi? Is that you? Hi!”
Tommi blinked. That definitely wasn’t Grant, but it took her a second to place the voice.
“Alex?” she said, her stomach doing a funny little flip. “Hey! What’s up?”
“Hope you don’t mind me calling,” he said. “Parker gave me your number. I just came up with an idea and wanted to run it by you.”
“Sure,” Tommi said. “What is it?”
“Think I already told you, I’m crashing at a friend’s place in the city this weekend,” he said. “I was going to hop the Jitney back home on Monday, but then Parker said you’d probably drive yourself out for the house party.”
“That’s the plan,” Tommi said. “Want a ride?”
“That’s what I was hoping you’d say.” She could almost hear his grin through the phone. “I’m seriously bummed that you have to cut out early for your show, but at least this way I’ll get to hang with you a little longer, you know?”
“Sounds fun,” Tommi said. “It’s a date.” Then, realizing a half second too late what she’d said, she gulped. “Um, I mean, you know—”
“No, it’s okay,” he said quickly. “It’s definitely a date. If that’s okay with you. You know.”
“Yeah.” Tommi felt awkward. She was usually better than this at talking to guys.
Then Alex laughed sheepishly. “Okay, how’d this conversation suddenly go all middle-school dance on us? Or is it just me?”
“Nope.” Tommi laughed, too. “Not just you. So let’s review here: I’m driving out to the Hamptons, you’re coming along. Deal?”
“Deal,” Alex said. “Hey, and if you’ve got an iPod dock in your car, how about I bring some stuff to listen to? I want you to hear that band I was telling you about at the party. I think you’ll really like them.”
“Cool,” Tommi said. “But I should probably warn you—if I don’t like something, I don’t fake it. If your favorite band sucks, I’m going to say so.”
“You’d better,” Alex retorted quickly. “I’m not much into pushovers or fakers. I could tell you weren’t like that as soon as I met you. It’s what made me want to find out more.”
“Okay, good.” Tommi felt a little shiver of anticipation run through her. She was looking forward to finding out more, too. “So what’s this band like again?”
She was smiling when she hung up a few minutes later. So maybe her idea to skip the show entirely was kind of lame. But compromising by going out a couple of days later than she’d originally planned?
Yeah, that seemed to be working out just right.