Free Hunter Derby: (Show Circuit Series -- Book 3) by Kim Ablon Whitney Page A

your favorite singer or band?” Molly asked Zoe.
    “Me?” Zoe was taken aback that Molly was talking to her. “Um, maybe Blake Shelton or Luke Bryan.”
    “Luke Bryan?” Molly said. “My brother likes Luke Bryan.”
    “Who’s your favorite?” Zoe asked.
    “I like Carrie Underwood and Beyoncé. But my favorite favorite favorite is Taylor Swift. You’re really pretty.”
    Zoe’s face flushed red. Not at being called pretty necessarily but at being told she was pretty in front of John. How was she supposed to respond? Was she supposed to deny it? She decided to say, “Thank you. That’s so sweet.”
    Zoe had thought the talk about music was pretty random but it turned out the photographs Kirsten was pinning up on the walls were of singers. Kirsten came back into the middle of the ring and then instructed Molly to go find Christina Aguilera.
    Molly jostled Daisy with her lower leg and tried to direct her with an outstretched hand but Zoe had to help her maneuver Daisy toward her destination. The first photo wasn’t Christina, but Beyoncé. It took two more stops to find Christina. Then she had to find Gwen Stefani and back to Beyoncé before Kirsten announced she needed to find Taylor Swift.
    Molly’s face lit up. She had pretty blue eyes, freckles, and dark hair that was pulled back in a ponytail under her helmet. “Taylor!”
    “I like her music too,” Zoe said. Mostly Zoe liked the songs about Taylor’s troubled relationships. She could identify with the girl on that level.
    When they found Taylor’s photo, Molly leaned forward in the saddle. John moved with her, just in case, shadowing her.
    “You kind of look like her,” Molly said. “You’re both super super pretty!”
    “You are really making my day,” Zoe said. “You’re making me feel so good about myself!”
    It was kind of sad but honestly Zoe hadn’t had so much praise or attention in a long while. It
was
making her feel good.
    “Don’t you think she’s super pretty?” Molly said to John.
    “Taylor Swift?” John said.
    “No, Zoe.”
    Now, Zoe’s face was bright red. She looked at Daisy’s hooves, hoping John might not notice her blushing. The moment until he spoke felt long, as she wondered how the hell he was going to respond.
    “Both are super pretty,” John said. “But not as pretty as you, Molls.”
    Molly cocked her head to the side and smiled broadly at John.
    Now, look who’s sweet,
Zoe thought to herself.
    At the end of the lesson, Joanne appeared back in the ring. John and Kirsten helped Molly dismount. Joanne immediately took her position behind Molly again.
    “Mom,” John said. “Do you want me to help her out?”
    Mom.
Zoe’s head spun.
Mom.
Joanne was John’s mom?
    Zoe registered Joanne’s black hair and fair complexion. The fact that she was tall, probably around five-foot-ten.
    If Joanne was his mom, Molly was his sister.
    My brother likes Luke Bryan.
    Zoe remembered the Luke Bryan playing in John’s car.
    Shit. No wonder John had been so upset when Zoe had insulted Pepper for being an Appy and generally acted like Narrow Lane was beneath her.
    “I’m fine, sweetie,” Joanne said. “See you later.”
    “Bye John, bye Zoe,” Molly called.
    Zoe waved and smiled but she felt like she might throw up. She was such an ass.
    In the barn, she untacked Daisy, glad to have something to do.
    When John came in, she said, “I had no idea you—” She didn’t even know how to finish her sentence, which made her feel like even more of an ass.
    “That my sister has cerebral palsy? Yup, she does.”
    “I was such a jerk that day I said that stuff about Pepper. Now I’m starting to see how important these horses are.”
    “They’re important all right,” John said.
    “I’m really, really sorry,” she said again.
    “It’s okay,” John replied. “It’s certainly not the first time anyone’s been insensitive.”
    Zoe cringed at the word insensitive, even though that’s exactly what she had