My Favorite Mistake (17 page)

“They look comfortable,” Kate said, watching.

“They are. Go ahead—try them on and see.” Zara rolled her eyes as she saw Kate hesitate. Yeah, that pretty much confirmed what she'd been thinking earlier. Even the idea of trying on a pair of fifty-dollar show gloves sent Kate into a panic. “Who cares if you're not really shopping today? There's no law against trying stuff on.”

“I guess.” Kate slipped the gloves on over her long, slim hands. They fit like a—well, like a glove. Duh. Zara suddenly got where that saying came from.

“Nice, huh?” She flexed her fingers to test out the pair she was wearing. “No trouble handling the reins in these, even if you're riding in a pelham.”

“Yeah.” Kate pulled off the gloves. “They're really nice.”

Carefully hooking the gloves together, she hung them on the rack and then picked up a pair of cheap work gloves. Zara peeled off one of the Roeckls, still watching Kate. Here the girl was shopping with her and Tommi, two people who could buy out the entire store if they felt like it. And she wasn't even hinting for them to buy her something. Impressive.

Not to mention way different from most of the people Zara had ever known, at least the ones pretending to be her friends. If there was one thing she'd learned to despise over the years, it was a user. And Kate seemed to be pretty much the opposite of one. Sure, the girl was way too quiet, and maybe a little prissy. But she and Tommi might be the closest thing Zara had to friends at her new barn so far. That was worth something.

Zara dropped her pair of Roeckls into her basket, then
grabbed the ones Kate had tried on. “I can't stand to see anyone shop and not buy anything,” she announced, tossing the second pair on top of the first. “Think I'd better fix that. You're getting these.”

“What?” Kate looked alarmed. “No, seriously, Zara. I can't afford—”

“Forget it,” Zara said. “They're yours. My treat.”

It was actually kind of fun ignoring the other girl's feeble protests while she and Tommi continued shopping. And even more fun to see the look on Kate's face when Zara handed over the gloves as they left the store after checking out. Yeah, okay. Now she got why her mom and all those other Hollywood stars liked doing charity work. Doing something nice for someone, for no particular reason at all? Kind of awesome.

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.”

“Sorry. Um, turn right here.”

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.”