My Favorite Mistake (16 page)

“I hear you.” Alex smiled at the waitress who'd just appeared to refill their water glasses. “So is that why you're going to the barn today? To ride Legs?”

“I might hop on if there's time,” Tommi said. “But he's felt good all week, so I might just give him today off. I'm mostly going out to meet my friend Kate so we can hit the tack store near the barn.”

“Tack store?”

“That's where you buy horse stuff,” Tommi explained. “I need to pick up a new pair of bell boots for Legs. Plus I'm getting bored with all my show shirts—might just have to pick up a few new ones for the next show.”

Alex laughed. “Okay, I was just going to try to invite myself along,” he joked. “But some girly shopping trip where you'll be trying on clothes and crap like that? Sorry, not even for you. Still, it sounds like you guys have lots of fun at the barn. I'd love to check it out sometime. Maybe you could teach me to ride.”

“Really? Sure, that'd be fun. Just let me know when you
want to do it.” Tommi smiled, then checked her watch. “Uh-oh, I'd better hurry. I don't want to be late to meet Kate.” She grabbed her sandwich and took another bite.

“What's the big deal?” Alex said. “Just tell her traffic was bad on the bridge.”

“That's not the point. Today's her day off, and she'll probably have to disguise herself to sneak into the barn and meet me.” Seeing his look of confusion, she added, “Kate's a working student—she works for Jamie in exchange for rides and stuff. Her family doesn't have a ton of money, so that's the only way she can afford to ride there.”

“So?” Alex waved at the waitress to get her attention. “What's the big deal about showing up at the barn on her day off ? I'd think your trainer would be glad for a little free help.”

“Yeah, normally he probably would. But Kate's different.” Tommi thought about how to explain Kate to someone who didn't know her. “She'd probably work twenty-four/seven if Jamie let her. Like, literally almost. He pretty much had to banish her from even coming to the barn on her day off to keep her from burning herself out.”

Soon they were stepping out onto the sunbaked sidewalk in front of the restaurant. Alex immediately pulled out a pair of sunglasses and put them on. Paired with his shirt and tie, faded jeans, and spiky dark hair, they made him look cuter than ever. Acting on impulse, Tommi slipped an arm around his waist.

“Walk me to my car?” she said.

He put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “Absolutely,” he said. “Anything to put off visiting you-know-who for a few more minutes.”

They walked up Madison Avenue together, chatting about nothing in particular. Tommi actually caught herself slowing down her usual Manhattan march to more of a stroll, pausing to look into store windows—anything to draw out the pleasant moment. All too soon, though, they reached the street entrance to the parking garage where Tommi's family kept their cars.

“Here we are,” she said reluctantly.

Alex spun her around, putting his other hand around her waist. “Are you sure you have to go?” he wheedled.

“I'm sure,” Tommi said with a smile. “Sorry. Maybe we can get together over the weekend? I don't have a show or anything.”

“Sounds like a plan. I'll text you later.” He leaned forward to kiss her. She kissed him back, then suddenly pulled away.

“Hey,” she said. “You said your aunt's up on Eighty-Eighth Street, right? I could drop you off if you want—it's not that far out of my way.”

“Really? Cool.” He kissed her on the tip of the nose. “Thanks.”

Tommi smiled. Okay, so the slight detour would make her even later. Oh well. Kate would understand.

“Sorry!” Tommi rushed into the barn. Kate was in the aisle, picking out a horse's hooves. “I know I'm way late. I just totally lost track of time.”

Now that she was here, she felt a little guilty for blowing off their meeting time. Not that she'd trade a minute of her morning for anything. The more time she spent with Alex, the
more time she wanted to spend with him. It seemed as if they never ran out of things to talk about. And if they did? Well, talking wasn't the only thing she enjoyed doing with him.

In any case, she was here now. No point stressing about it, especially since Kate looked as if she'd been keeping herself busy, as usual.

Kate set down the horse's left front and straightened up. “It's okay,” she said. “I got your text. Was traffic bad?”

“Sort of.” Tommi glanced at the horse, a fancy bay mare belonging to one of the adults. “What are you doing?”

“Mrs. Walsh just finished her lesson. Javier was busy dragging the indoor, so I offered to untack and groom.”

“Well, you'd better let one of the other guys finish that before Jamie catches you.”

She was mostly joking. But just then Jamie himself rounded the corner and spotted them.

“Kate,” he said with a sigh. “Isn't this supposed to be your day off ?”

“It's totally my fault, Jamie,” Tommi put in with a rueful smile. “I asked Kate to meet me here and then I was late, and—”

“It's all right, Tommi.” Jamie didn't even glance at her. He was gazing at Kate with a serious, vaguely worried expression on his face. “Can I talk to you for a sec, Kate?”

“Sure,” Kate said in a small voice. She shot Tommi a glance. “Be right back.”

“Okay.” Tommi watched them disappear into Jamie's office a couple of doors down from the tack room. What was that all about? Sure, everyone knew about Kate being banned from the barn on her day off. It was kind of a running joke. But Jamie
hadn't been joking around just now. Was something going on with Kate that she didn't know about?

Whatever. She figured it was none of her business—if Kate wanted to share, she would. Mrs. Walsh's mare seemed to be groomed and ready, so Tommi stuck her back in her stall, then continued down the aisle to look in on Legs.

But the bay gelding's stall was empty. Elliot was sweeping the aisle nearby and saw her looking.

“He's outside,” he called, leaning on his broom. “Jamie didn't think you were coming to ride today, so he said put him out to let him stretch his legs.”

“Oh. Okay, thanks.” Tommi thought about going to find the horse in his paddock, but decided against it. She didn't want to keep Kate waiting yet again.

As she wandered back down the aisle, she heard Jamie's voice drifting out of his office. “… and I'm really starting to get concerned about how hard you've been working lately,” he was saying. “If you keep it up, you're liable to burn out. Trust me, I've been there.”

Kate said something in response, but her voice was too soft for Tommi to make out the words. Just as well. She definitely hadn't meant to eavesdrop. Feeling guilty, she hurried quickly past the office door so she wouldn't hear any more.

“Thanks so much for the ride, Stacie!” Zara said with a big, cheerful smile. She shut the door of Zac's second-favorite Corvette ragtop a little harder than necessary, smirking as she saw her cousin wince.

“Yeah, you're welcome. Bye,” Stacie said in a voice that sounded like it was coming from the bottom of a sewer pipe. When you tossed in her pasty skin, unwashed hair, and the red eyes behind her shades, she was pretty much the dictionary definition of a bad hangover.

Throwing the car into gear, she pulled out. Zara grinned and watched until the convertible disappeared around the first bend in Pelham Lane's long, winding drive. Served her right. The girl's constant partying was really getting on Zara's nerves. Didn't she ever take a break? Zara was starting to think the prissy nanny type she'd been expecting would've been easier to deal with after all.

She headed into the barn and found Tommi sitting on the bench just inside the main entrance, scratching Jamie's fat old bulldog behind the ears. “Hey,” Zara said. “What's up?”

“Not much,” Tommi said. “You have a lesson today or something?”

“No.” Zara shrugged. “Nothing going on back in the city, so I figured I'd come out and hack or something.”

“Oh.” Just then Tommi glanced down the aisle and stood up.

Following her gaze, Zara saw Jamie and Kate emerging from Jamie's office. The trainer spotted her in turn and walked over.

“Zara,” he said. “I didn't know you were coming out today.”

“Just call me Miss Spontaneous,” Zara said. “I decided I felt like a ride.”

Jamie frowned. “I see. Well, Keeper lost a shoe in turnout last night, and you scheduled a schooling ride for Ellie today and Joy already worked her pretty hard.”

“Oops, I forgot about that.” Zara shrugged. “Guess it's not my lucky day.”

Jamie checked his watch. “Look, I can find you something else to ride if you like,” he said. “But it'll have to wait. I'm already keeping Mrs. Walsh waiting for her lesson. Come find me afterward if you want.”

“I have a better idea,” Tommi spoke up as the trainer hurried off. “Why don't you come tack shopping with us?” She gestured to herself and Kate.

“Really?” Zara was surprised. Sure, the other juniors had been acting a bit friendlier lately. At least off and on. But they still weren't exactly BFFs.

“Sure. Have you been to the big tack store near here? It's actually pretty good.” Tommi shrugged. “Like I said, we're heading over there anyway, so you're welcome to join us.”

“Sounds like a plan.” Zara glanced at Kate, who hadn't said anything. She was staring off into space, not even seeming to be paying attention. “Actually, I could use a new jacket,” Zara told Tommi. “The one I bought at that last show is a little too big.”

“Then let's go,” Tommi said. “I'll drive.”

Half an hour later the three of them were browsing through the apparel section of the spacious, well-stocked tack shop. “You were right, this place is pretty cool,” Zara told Tommi, examining a white-on-white striped Van Teal shirt, then glancing around the hushed, dark-wood interior of the store. “Who knew you could find such nice stuff out in the boonies?”

Tommi was digging through a rack of show shirts marked
NEW ARRIVALS
. “I know, right?” she said. “It's super convenient to the barn. Most of us do all our shopping here.”

She tossed a pale green windowpane-checked shirt into her basket and moved on to the next rack. Zara followed, picking up a pastel yellow Marigold shirt.

“How's this color on me?” she asked, holding up the shirt. “It would go great with my dark brown jacket.”

“Looks good. That color really works with your skin,” Tommi said, glancing up. “Plus my motto is, you can never have too many show shirts.”

Zara grinned. “Can't argue with that.”

She dropped the shirt into her own basket, atop the new schooling helmet, several pairs of fun funky-colored boot socks, and two pairs of breeches she'd already picked out. Then she glanced over at Kate, who was checking out a rack of gloves nearby.

“Finding anything good?” Zara asked, wandering over to take a look herself. “Hey, you don't even have a basket.”

“I don't really need anything.” Kate looked up with that wimpy little smile of hers. “I'm just browsing today.”

“Whatever floats your boat.” Zara shrugged and turned to examine the gloves. She wasn't much of a browser herself. Shopping was a lot more fun when you came home with lots of pretty new toys.

Then again, it was obvious just from looking at her that Kate probably couldn't afford to shop at a place like this. Why else would she bust her butt working at the barn all the time?

Oh, well. Too bad, so sad. At least maybe she could live vicariously through Zara and Tommi.

“Ooh, those look nice,” Zara said, noticing that Kate had just picked up a pair of black Roeckl gloves. “I need a new pair of show gloves.”

She grabbed another pair of the same gloves and pulled them on. The material was buttery soft.