Free Crown Prince Challenged by Linda Snow McLoon Page A

wasn’t long before her cell vibrated. It was a text message from Kayla.
“What’s up, kid?”
    Sarah called and told Kayla the whole story, ending with the choice remarks the girls had made to her after she apologized. “This totally freaks me out!” she said. “I can’t have people saying my horse is dangerous—what if my parents hear these rumors?”
    â€œThey’re dorks!” Kayla said. “Your horse isn’t vicious or dangerous! But you’ve got to be careful. If those losers are trying to keep you out of their class, they’re going to complain to Jack. I wouldn’t put it past them to make up some crazy story.”
    Sarah shut her eyes and gripped her phone tighter. “You’re right, Kayla. They’re going to exaggerate what happened and blow it all out of proportion.”
    â€œYou know, it’s a no-brainer that those two jerks are jealous of you. If they really want to ride better, they should think about losing a few pounds. Did you give them a piece of your mind when they opened up on you with both barrels?”
    Sarah was quiet for a moment. Kayla had a point. When Kelly and Nicole were spewing all their venom, she should have set the record straight. Instead she’d just walked away. “You know I’m not good at that. I’m not fast on my feet, and I never know what to say.”
    â€œWell, I wouldn’t have let them get away with it. I’d have told them off and then some. You’re going to have to grow some backbone, kid. But Mom’s yelling for me—gotta go. Don’t forget. You need to tell Jack what’s going on before they do!”
    After Sarah had finished cleaning Prince’s stall and returned the wheelbarrow to the shavings shed, she met Derek and Bismarck on their way back from the indoor arena. She studied the horse as Derek led him by. Bismarck had a lot of Prince’s refinement, plus other qualities that would serve him well, specifically as a show jumper. His legs had substantial bone and a larger foot, and like Chancellor, he had massive hindquarters for pushing over large fences.
    â€œIt was a zoo out there!” Derek complained. “Is the indoor arena always this busy?”
    â€œNo, thank goodness,” Sarah said. “They usually don’t hold two classes at the same time. How did Bismarck handle the mass confusion?”
    â€œHe was a little nervous, but not bad.” Derek led Bismarck into his stall and removed the lead shank from his halter. “If only people wouldn’t ride so close. We’re not dealing with bicycles here.”
    â€œTell me about it,” Sarah replied. She considered revealing what had happened with Prince in the arena earlier to Derek, but decided against it.
Derek’s new here. He doesn’t need to hear about all the drama.
    â€œBismarck’s been exposed to a lot,” Derek continued. “The shows in Germany can be really big. After doing that a couple years, it would take something pretty wild to get him totally unglued.”
    â€œYou probably can’t wait to show him,” Sarah said.
    â€œI love doing the jumpers and sailing over big fences. We have a few wrinkles to work out, though. That’s where Jack comes in.”
    Sarah watched him head for the tack room with his box of grooming equipment.
What a cool guy!
she thought.
But why would he ever be interested in me? Anyway, I’ve got more important things to think about right now.
    Sarah left to give the horses their evening feed, and after making the rounds distributing the grain and filling the plastic pails with the next morning’s rations, she climbed the stairs leading to the hay loft. She was lost in thought as she picked up flakes of hay with the pitchfork and tossed them down into each horse’s stall. After her confrontation with Rita, now she had to deal with Kelly and Nicole. Why couldn’t things just go smoothly?