On Saturday morning Kate pulled into her usual spot in the Pelham Lane parking lot. Her car let out a funny little wheeze as she cut the engine, making her wince. She really hoped there wasn’t something wrong with it. No way could she afford a mechanic’s bill right now, and she hated asking her father for help.
Kate climbed out of her car and glanced toward the barn, tempted to go in and see if Joy needed her to do anything before she took off for Happy Acres. But Fitz would be here any minute to meet her. Besides, she didn’t want to risk another little talk from Jamie like the one yesterday. What had gotten into him, anyway? She hadn’t been acting any differently than normal lately—well, unless you counted that pathetic ride she’d given Fable in their last eq class. Could that be why he was upset with her? Maybe he thought she needed to spend less time working at the barn and more time working on her eq so she wouldn’t embarrass him again at the next show.
She forgot about that as she saw Fitz’s cherry-red convertible race up the drive, sending gravel flying everywhere. He didn’t bother to park, just throwing it into neutral behind Kate’s car.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said, hopping out without bothering to open the car door. “I actually left like twenty minutes before I normally would, but there was an accident on the bridge.”
“It’s okay, I just got here,” Kate said.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her in for a quick kiss. Then he hurried around to the passenger side of his car. “Your chariot awaits,” he said, opening the door with a flourish.
Soon they were heading back down the drive. Kate noticed that Fitz was taking it a lot slower than he had on the way in. Was that for her benefit?
“So how was your girls’ day out thing yesterday?” he asked.
“Fine. Fun, actually.” Kate felt a rush of mixed feelings when she thought back to yesterday’s shopping trip. Hanging out with Tommi was always fun, but Kate had been surprised by how well Zara had fit in. Plus Kate always loved window-shopping at that place, even if she could only dream of affording anything bigger than a hoof pick there.
But then there was the thing with those gloves. Guilt gnawed at her every time she thought about that. Why hadn’t she protested harder when Zara had offered to buy them for her? It wasn’t like her old show gloves were totally worn out yet. Then again, Zara seemed like the kind of person who didn’t take “No thanks” as an answer.
“You okay?” Fitz glanced over as he coasted to a stop at the bottom of the driveway. “You just went all quiet.”
Fitz pulled out onto the quiet country highway. “So?” he said. “What’s got you looking all emo all of a sudden?”
“It’s nothing,” Kate said. “Just, um …” She caught herself about to concoct some lame excuse about not getting enough sleep or something. It was pretty obvious that Fitz was trying hard with her. If she wanted things to work between them, she needed to meet him halfway. At least start trusting him about the little stuff. Otherwise, what was the point?
“Um, it’s just that Zara ended up tagging along to the tack store,” she said. “She showed up at the barn as we were getting ready to leave, and Tommi invited her.”
“Ouch.” Fitz shot her a look. “Since when are Tommi and Zara friends? I thought they bitched each other out every chance they got.”
“No, they’re over that. I think.” Kate shrugged. “Anyway, she was really nice yesterday.”
“So what’s the problem?”
Kate glanced over at him. “I was looking at these gloves, and she decided to buy them for me.”
“And?” Fitz said expectantly.
“And they were really expensive. Like fifty bucks.”
Fitz laughed. “And you’re stressing about it? Listen, Kate, don’t bother. Zara probably drops more than that tipping her hairdresser. I’m sure she didn’t think twice about it, and neither should you.”
Kate forced a smile. She knew he was trying to make her feel better, but it was having the opposite effect. Sometimes it really sucked, feeling so different from her friends at Pelham Lane. Like being the only one riding a Shetland in a hack class full of warmbloods, and knowing she was stuck with that shaggy little pony forever thanks to forces beyond her control.
She snapped out of it as she realized their next turn was coming up. “Take a left up there by the crooked tree,” she said, pointing. “The farm’s a couple of miles down that road.”
“So what’s this friend of yours like, anyway?” Fitz asked as he spun the wheel. “She a good rider?”
“Sure, I guess.” Kate hesitated, wondering how to translate Natalie into terms Fitz would understand. “I mean, she’s pretty bold and gets the job done. But she’s never had the chance to train with someone like Jamie, so she doesn’t have the same kind of, you know, show-ring polish that we’re used to at Pelham Lane.”
“Okay,” Fitz said. “Should be interesting.”
His tone was neutral, even light. But Kate felt her nerves flare again. Had it been a mistake to let him come? Oh well, too late now.
Soon they were turning into the bumpy gravel drive. Kate grinned nostalgically as she spotted a fat gray pony grazing behind the patched-together but functional wood-and-wire fencing of the front pasture.
“Look, it’s Elmo!” she exclaimed, pointing. “I’ve been afraid to ask Nat if he’s still alive—he must be like pushing forty by now! He was one of the first ponies I ever rode.”
“Cool.” Fitz grinned, glancing at the pony. “I can totally picture it—you as a little kid with long, skinny legs riding some evil little monster pony across a field at top speed.”
Kate laughed. “Yeah, that was pretty much how I learned to ride after the first few lessons,” she said. “Elmo was pretty old even back then, but he definitely had an evil side. He was a great teacher, though.”
They rounded the curve and came within sight of the barn. The parking area between the barn and the equipment shed was jammed with cars, minivans, and a few bumper-pull trailers. Horses, ponies, kids, parents, and dogs were milling around everywhere. Beyond the barn, Kate could see a few riders already warming up in the big outdoor sand ring.
“Wow, the place looks exactly the same,” she said as she took it all in. “Well, except the flowers by the barn doors. They must’ve put those there to decorate for the show.”
“Cool place,” Fitz said as he squeezed his car into a free spot between an old Chevy pickup and the wall of the shed. “Very homey.”
Kate shot him a look to see if he was being sarcastic. But he was looking around with what appeared to be real interest.
“Yeah,” she said. “Come on, let’s go find Nat.”
She led the way toward the barn. A stout woman was just coming out as they neared the door. She was in her fifties with a long, gray ponytail.
“Katie!” she exclaimed, rushing over to envelop Kate in her plump, sunburned arms. “You made it! Nat said you might come. It’s so good to see you again, darling. How come you never come to visit us?”
“I’ve been meaning to, Mrs. Tanner.” Kate was a little breathless from the barn owner’s enthusiastic hug. “It’s just been a really busy summer.”
Just then a pair of preteen girls raced over. One was dressed in yellowish-beige schooling breeches and a pale blue polo shirt with a cardboard number flapping on a string tied around her waist. The other was in jeans and a T-shirt.
“Mrs. T, Roscoe won’t let us catch him!” the first girl cried, sounding frantic. “And I’m supposed to be in the walk-trot equitation class, and I can’t even find the saddle I usually use! I think someone else took it!”
“Yeah. Plus Roscoe rolled in the mud, and Marc said we can’t ride in the show unless the horses are totally clean,” the second girl offered.
Mrs. Tanner rolled her eyes. “Settle down, girls. I’ll help you catch Roscoe. And you should know better than to listen to that son of mine.” She shot Kate an apologetic look. “I’d better go deal with this, darling.”
“Sure,” Kate said. “Um, but wait, is Natalie around?”
“Pretty sure she’s in the barn helping the kids tack up.” The barn owner waved, then hurried off after the two younger girls.
Fitz was peering into the barn. It was a long center-aisle setup with a dozen stalls and bad lighting. Horses and ponies were cross-tied all up and down the aisle, with kids running here and there grooming, tacking up, and adjusting their own clothes.
“Looks like an obstacle course in there,” Fitz joked.
“Yeah. It’s always a little crazy at these shows,” Kate said. “Come on, follow me.”
She spotted Natalie halfway down the aisle, standing in the open doorway of an unoccupied stall. She had a bridle draped over each shoulder and a hoofpick in her hand. “Get over here, Jenny!” she was hollering. “You can’t show unless you pick out your pony’s feet, you hear me?”
“But he’ll kick me!” a little girl whined as she ducked under a sleepy-looking pinto’s nose and hurried over. She was dressed in a short-sleeved button-down shirt and what appeared to be a pair of black leggings. Her paddock boots were dusty, and stray blond hairs drifted from under the edge of her plastic schooling helmet. Back in the day, Kate wouldn’t have thought twice about the girl’s turnout. These shows were supposed to be casual, after all—a way for lesson kids to get their first taste of showing in a supportive atmosphere. And they were perfect for that.
But now she couldn’t help seeing it through Fitz’s eyes—all of it. She glanced around at all the secondhand schooling breeches in wild colors, the hodgepodge of shirts and jackets, the mostly unbraided manes, and barely a hairnet in sight. What must he be thinking about the whole scene?
“He won’t kick you. I promise.” Natalie stuck the pick into the girl’s hand, gave her a shove in the direction of one of the ponies cross-tied farther down the aisle, then spun around. “Where’s Frannie? She’s supposed to …”
Her voice trailed off as she spotted Kate. Kate smiled tentatively. “Hey,” she said. “It’s me.”
“Katie!” Natalie grabbed her in a hug. “You made it!”
“I said I would, right?” Kate hugged her back. Just like that, their fight was over. It was always that way with Nat. She had a temper, but she wasn’t the type to stay mad for long. She didn’t have the attention span.
Natalie pushed Kate away when she spotted Fitz. “So who’s this?” she asked with obvious interest.
Fitz stepped forward. “Fitz Hall,” he said. “Nice to meet you, Natalie. Kate’s told me all about you.”
“Really? Because she’s pretty much been keeping you a big, bad secret.” Natalie smirked as she took his outstretched hand. “No, seriously, she’s mentioned you, but you know how our Katie can be.” She laughed. “But now I get it. No wonder she wants to keep you all to yourself. Lucky girl.”
Kate felt her face go red, but Fitz just laughed. “No way, I’m the lucky one.” He put an arm around Kate’s shoulders. “I mean, just look at her, right?”
“Sweet,” Nat declared. Then she grabbed Kate’s arm and checked her watch. “Whoa. I’m way behind—I should be bridling Flame right now.”
“Flame?” Fitz said. “Is that your horse?”
Nat shrugged. “Well, he’s not technically mine, but I’m the only one riding him right now. He’s this new horse the Tanners got off the track. Kind of a nut, but we’re making progress. Anyway, I said I’d take him in a couple of classes today, see how he does. So I’d better go finish getting him ready.”
“Want some help?” Kate offered.
“Sure.” Nat flashed her a grateful smile. “Grab a brush and come with me.”
“Here’s Legs.” Tommi stopped in front of the gelding’s stall.
“Cool.” Alex watched as she fed Legs a treat. “So this is the beast who’s going to launch your fabulous career as a horse pro, huh?”
“Knock on wood,” Tommi said with a smile. She was having fun showing Alex around the barn. So far he’d met Jamie, Joy, Toccata, several other horses, and most of the barn dogs.
Just then she heard the clatter of hooves. Glancing down the aisle, she saw Javier leading Summer’s horse toward the wash stalls. Summer was wandering along behind them, peeling off her crochet-back gloves.
As the groom disappeared around the corner, Summer spotted Tommi and Alex. “Hi, Tommi,” she said, sizing up Alex with naked interest as she hurried over. “What’s up?”
“Not much,” Tommi said. “Just showing Alex around. Alex, this is Summer. Summer, my friend Alex.”
“Friend?” Summer said.
Alex stepped up behind Tommi and wrapped both arms around her waist. “Yeah,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “We’re really good friends.”
“Oh.” Summer’s face dropped. “Nice to meet you. I’d better go check on my horse.”
Tommi waited until Summer scurried off to laugh. “That wasn’t very nice,” she chided jokingly. “She was ready to jump your bones.”
“I know, I was kind of scared.” Alex grinned. “Now come on—are you going to teach me to ride, or what?”
“Sure, let’s go.” Tommi led him to a stall farther down the aisle.
Alex looked dubious when he saw the slightly swaybacked chestnut dozing inside. “This is the horse I’m going to ride?” he said. “He looks kind of small.”
“That’s Sir. He’s not as tall as my horses, but he’s plenty big enough, trust me,” Tommi said. Sir belonged to one of the barn’s adult clients, who allowed Jamie to use the steady older gelding as a lesson and lease horse for newer riders. He was leased out to a pre-children’s rider this summer, but the kid was on vacation with her family in Maine this week, and so Jamie had given Tommi permission to use Sir for Alex’s riding lesson.
She tacked up quickly, then led Sir and Alex outside to the flatwork ring, which was unoccupied at the moment. The sweet old gelding stood quietly at the mounting block as Tommi tossed the reins over his head and checked the girth.
“Put your left foot in the stirrup and grab a hunk of his mane,” Tommi instructed Alex. “Then swing your—oh, okay. You’ve got it.”
Alex vaulted on, landing in the saddle with a thump. “Okay,” he said with a grin. “Now what? Do I just say ‘Hi-ho, Silver!’ and give him a kick?”
“No!” Tommi said quickly. “I mean, please don’t. Sir might look quiet, and he is, but he’s also pretty well tuned. He’ll walk on if you just give him a little nudge with your heels.”
“Got it.” Alex grabbed the reins and poked the horse in the gut with both heels. Sir lifted his head, then stepped off.
“Good boy,” Tommi told the horse. “Walk on.” Then she glanced at Alex. “You’re not holding the reins right,” she said. “Turn your hands like this.” She lifted her own hands to demonstrate. “And keep your heels down.”
He adjusted his grip and jammed his heels down. “Got it. When do I get to canter?”
Tommi laughed. “You haven’t even learned to trot yet.”
“What’s to learn? Come on, boy—let’s trot!” Alex gave Sir a kick.
The horse flicked an ear back, seeming uncertain, but broke into a slow, lumbering trot. Tommi winced as she saw Alex’s seat bounce out of the saddle and slam down again at the next stride. She’d sort of forgotten that Sir was famous for two things—his sweet temperament and his jarring trot. He was the one Jamie used to test the cocky advanced beginners who were convinced that they had the sitting trot down.
“Push your heels down!” Tommi called. “Pull on the reins and he’ll slow back down to a walk.”
Alex didn’t answer. She wasn’t sure he’d even heard her. He was still bouncing around in the saddle, and as Sir bent to follow the curve of the ring fence, Alex’s left foot flew out of the stirrup.
“Whoa!” he cried, slipping to the side. Dropping the reins, he grabbed the front of the saddle to keep himself in place.
“Easy, boy!” Tommi called to the horse. “Walk, Sir. Walk on.”
The horse slowed immediately, giving Alex the chance to haul himself back into position and jam his foot back in the stirrup. “Thanks,” he said with a sheepish grin. “This riding stuff’s harder than it looks in the movies.”
“Yeah.” Tommi couldn’t help smirking. “Now you know why I take all those lessons.”
He laughed good-naturedly. “Guess so,” he agreed. “Can I blame it on being totally distracted by my hot riding teacher?”
“Nice try. Want to give it another go?”
“Sure. Maybe a little slower this time.”
Tommi smiled, glad that he was being such a good sport. A lot of guys who came out to ride with their girlfriends started off just like he had—convinced that riding was no big deal, that all you had to do was sit there. Most of them never got any farther than that. But she already knew Alex wasn’t like most guys.
By the end of half an hour or so, Alex was looking pretty competent at the walk and learning to post Sir’s trot. He was pretty athletic, and once he started listening to Tommi’s instructions, he learned fast.
“That was fun,” he said as he watched Tommi untack Sir in the cross-ties. “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”
Tommi grinned. “You might not say that tomorrow,” she said. “You’ll be sore in muscles you didn’t even know existed. Trust me on that.”
Alex didn’t answer. He was staring down the aisle. Following his gaze, Tommi saw that Zara had just appeared around the corner. She’d unbuttoned her tight polo shirt so her cleavage was on full display, and at first Tommi assumed that was what had caught Alex’s attention. He was a guy, after all.
Then he glanced over at her. “Isn’t that Zac Trask’s daughter?” he said. “I’d love to meet her.”
Zara was already wandering over. “Hey,” she said, her green eyes sweeping up and down Alex’s body. “So you found another hottie to bring out to the barn, huh, Tommi?”
Tommi wondered if that meant she had something going with Grant. She hadn’t mentioned it on their shopping trip yesterday, but then again, Tommi hadn’t asked.
“This is Alex,” she said. “Alex, Zara Trask.”
“I know. It’s cool to meet you, Zara—I’m a big fan of your dad’s,” Alex said eagerly. “Tommi told me you rode here. That’s cool. So does your dad ever come to watch you ride?”
“He’s not going to show up today, if that’s what you’re wondering.” Zara rolled her eyes. “He’s in Europe for most of the summer.”
“Oh, I know. I read all about it on his Facebook fan page.” Alex laughed self-consciously. “I know, I know, totally geeky, right? But I can’t help it—the guy’s a genius. But I guess you know that if he’s your own father!”
“Yeah,” Zara said dryly. “Total genius.”
Tommi finished grooming Sir as Alex continued to shoot questions and comments at Zara. It was pretty obvious that Zara was getting kind of annoyed, but Alex didn’t seem to notice. In fact, he was pretty much inviting himself to hang out with Zac once he was back in the country.
Okay, obnoxious. But hey, the guy was a total music freak. So he was geeked about maybe meeting his idol. So what? Tommi wasn’t going to hold something like that against him when everything else about him was so amazing. It was actually kind of refreshing to find out that he might have a flaw or two. Because up until now, he’d seemed so perfect that she’d almost started to wonder if he could possibly be for real.