The Impossible Art of Falling (Impossible Art #1) (29 page)

Luke nodded. He knew the busiest tourist season was beginning to wind down. Kyle was back at the university, and classes would start up next week.

The sound of tires on the gravel driveway made him look up from where he had been shuffling food around on his plate. Meg and Rob looked at each other for a minute with a smile, as Luke sat there, confused. The car came to a stop, and he heard the sound of its door slam. No one was expected.

“Ah, Luke, would you mind going to see who that is? I forgot to pull the pie out of the oven,” Meg asked, as she shuffled out into the kitchen, not waiting for his answer.

“Sure.” He put his napkin down on the table and slowly pushed his chair back, wondering why Rob didn’t go out instead.

The screen door clicked shut behind him, and the heels of his boots echoed on the wooden floor of the porch. He looked out into the fading light, at the car stopped near the barn, and the girl that was standing next to it.

Her blonde hair fell about her shoulders and her t-shirt and jeans hugged her body. Jena. Relief and happiness at actually seeing her again, coursed through his body. He wanted to run to her. To take her into his arms and never let her go. He wanted to apologize and tell her he never should have insisted that she leave. Instead, he hesitated going down the stairs, taking each one slowly and deliberately.

“I don’t want to live in Florida. I don’t want to train for the Olympics. I don’t want that,” she said, walking toward him with purpose.

Luke opened his mouth to tell her he had been wrong, but she silenced him with a finger on his lips. The electricity from her touch alone was enough to send him over the edge.

“I love to ride, and I might want to compete again,” she continued. “But I can do that from here. I can do that from the farm. And if you don’t want to be with me, then I’ll understand and we can just be friends, but I miss you. This is my home now. This is exactly where I want to be.”

Luke stood there, stunned. He had been wrong to tell her to go. He had been wrong to think that he didn’t want her in his life. She stood there, waiting for him to respond.

“Okay.”

“Okay? You push me away, and I’m miserable, so I come back and tell you that I want to be here… and all you can say is okay?”

              “Okay, you should stay, if that’s what you want. I don’t want you to leave again.” He moved closer to her, and their bodies were touching. He lifted a hand to move a strand of hair off of her forehead. Jena moved to say more, but Luke didn’t let her as he pressed his lips to hers, letting her know exactly how much he wanted her to stay.

“Welcome home, Jena. Welcome home,” he whispered, before kissing her again.

And as the world fell into place around her, she finally was.

author’s note

This book is about the exciting world of Three-Day eventing. Yes, this is a dangerous sport. Yes, people and horses have been injured or worse in competition. I want my readers to know that this is a sport just like any other. It carries risks and rewards. Because of the risk, please don’t assume that the horses are being abused or that this is an unfair sport. Having followed and watched the sport for many year, I am have seen how much the horses love their job. I support the world of eventing and this book is in no way meant to showcase the sport in a negative way. It is meant to show people the power of horses and their ability to help us heal.

acknowedgements

This book is truly a labor of love and I am so excited to finally have in my readers hands! This is the kind of book that I want to read which made it all the more fun to write.

As always, I must thank the many people who helped me along the way. My bestie, Kate who is the best running partner, travel friend, and beta reader a girl could ask for! I definitely couldn’t write with having her there to cheer me on. Also, Georgia and Jennifer who have supported me from the beginning and introduced me to an amazing writing community. I also want to thank my readers who like what I do and are always there with a word of encouragement.

              Last, but certainly not least, my husband. Not only does he support my late night writing sessions and traveling, but he is also the best copy editor I could ever ask for!

—Happy Reading!

Sara

about sara:

Sara lives on the shores
of Lake Michigan with her husband, two girls, dog, and horse. She has been known to speak only in movie quotes, randomly break out in song, and spend hours on the internet researching abandoned places. Her friends think she is a great date to an amusement park and a decent, but slow, running companion. In addition to being a writer, Sara is also a high school English and theatre teacher. Riding horses and music make her happy and she believes that bacon should be included at every meal.

CONTACT SARA:

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