The a Circuit by Georgina Bloomberg Page B

jumpers, more adjustable than hunters. The price even to lease a good one was stratospheric. There weren’t enough hours in Kate’s entire life to work off that kind of money.
    “I—um, thanks,” she said. “But I’m not sure—”
    “I’m serious about this, Kate,” Jamie said before she could go any further. “And I think I have the right horse for you. Fabelhaften.”
    “Fable?” Kate had ridden the big, flashy gray in five or six lessons so far. He was a well-trained Hanoverian who’d already had a successful career as a third-level dressage horse and a somewhat less illustrious one as a hunter. He’d come to Jamie’s barn to be sold when his current owner moved overseas. Fable was a dream to ride, though Kate had already discovered that he had a few quirks, like a strong sense of justice and an unpredictable and athletic buck.
    “You handle him well and seem to bring out the best in him,” Jamie said. “I think you could be just the rider to help me turn him into an eq specialist.” He smiled. “And he’s just the horse to take your riding to a new level. Maybe even help you qualify for a finals or two.”
    “Wow,” Kate said, still having a little trouble taking this in. “I don’t know what to say.”
    “Say you’ll give it a try,” Jamie said. “That’s all I ask.”
    “Okay. I’ll give it a try.”
    “Good girl.” Jamie checked his watch. “Gotta go. We’ll talk details later.”
    He raced off toward the rings, and Kate wandered in the other direction, her mind spinning. Big Eq. Her. Could it really happen? It sounded as if Jamie was saying Fable would be her eq horse—her way to compete regularly and really learn the ropes. And with the owner who was trying to sell footing all the bills, she wouldn’t even have to figure out how to swing entry fees.
    She turned the corner and almost bumped into Fitz. He was standing in the aisle giving Marissa a back rub while an Asian girl Kate didn’t know leaned against the wall nearby.
    “Hey, Kate,” Marissa said. “What’s up? This is my friend Susan.”
    “Hi.” Kate flashed the other girl a smile, noting her expensive-looking beaded cami top, short shorts, and strappy sandals. Not exactly riding attire. “Are you here to watch Marissa ride?”
    “Yup. Here to watch. And I’m definitely enjoying the view.” Susan shot a look at Fitz.
    Fitz didn’t seem to notice. He dropped his hands from Marissa’s shoulders and cracked his knuckles.
    “Dr. Feelgood is closed for business,” he announced with his usual rakish grin. “I’ve got to jet. Later, ladies.”
    “Bye, Fitz!” Marissa and her friend singsonged.
    Kate recognized the look in Susan’s eyes. She’d already fallen for Fitz’s charm. Chances were pretty good she’d be a notch on his Gucci belt before the end of the show.
    But that wasn’t any of Kate’s business. She hurried past, wanting to steal a few minutes of alone time to think about Jamie’s offer. She’d just rounded the corner at the end of the aisle when Fitz caught up with her.
    “Yo,” he said. “You okay? You look kind of—I don’t know, like worried or something.”
    “I do?” She forced a smile. “Probably just lack of sleep.”
    He trailed along behind her as she headed into the equipment stall to grab a bucket. “Nope, not that,” he said. “Seriously, is anything wrong?”
    She shot him a look, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. Since when was he Mr. Sensitive?
    “It’s nothing,” she said. “I was just talking to Jamie about maybe riding Fable more from now on.”
    “That’s cool,” Fitz said. “I watched you ride him in lessons last week. You looked good on him. Really fit him well. And you handled it great when he tried to balk at that one jump.”
    Kate was a little surprised. So apparently he’d been watching her closely enough to remember that sticky jump. What did that mean?
    “Anyway,” she said, “Jamie wants me to do him in the Big Eq.”
    “Really?