The Impossible Art of Falling (Impossible Art #1) (5 page)

A gentle nicker in the field caught her attention, and she allowed her eyes to wander toward it. Gatsby was standing in the distance, and Jena couldn’t help but appreciate his beauty. Muscles rippled under his dark bay coat. His mane and forelock were long and shaggy, but his hair coat was smooth and shiny. Despite his lack of regular exercise, he was still in excellent shape. That is part of what drew her to him. He was exceptionally athletic, and she had known that he would be a great eventing horse. For a moment, she closed her eyes and remembered being on his back, the two of them a team soaring over the fences. She could feel the breeze blowing on her face, feel the ground tremble below her as his hooves sought their way to the next fence. It was music…a symphony of rhythm, and they had been in harmony. It didn’t take long for her demons to resurface. The feel of the sand beneath her knees, as she lay next to her father’s crumpled body. The pained call of his horse, as they caught and eventually put him down. No, she couldn’t do this. She couldn’t go there. She couldn’t get back on a horse. She was afraid that this new nightmare would become a reality.

Gatsby raised his head and looked at her, as if he had asked her a question and was waiting for an answer. Jena stared back for a moment, then closed her book and walked inside… her answer to the question was clear. The horse watched her briefly, shaking his head before turning the other direction, in search of more grass.

chapter 5

T
HE SMELL OF BREAKFAST WOKE Jena up the next day. She knew everyone would be down there, but as much as she wanted to avoid them, she knew she must at least show herself. Despite the constant invitations, it had been a few days since she had joined them for a meal. The thought of crawling back into her warm bed and sleeping for a few more hours sounded appealing, but there was a part of her that wanted to be part of something again. Deep down, she knew that she was slowly slipping away, and that she needed to at least try to find her way back. It was what her father would want her to do, and it was his voice in her head that convinced her to try.

She dressed slowly then made her way down the stairs, careful to avoid the right side of the third step, as the creak would give her away.

Aunt Meg liked to take care of people and cooking was just one of the many ways. This morning’s spread was no exception. Thick slices of bacon accompanied piping hot, fluffy eggs. Warm maple syrup and creamy butter sat atop steaming piles of pancakes. Fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh milk filled the pitchers, giving everyone a choice. Meg, Rob, and Luke were already sitting at the table. Luke stared, as usual, when she sat down, and Rob let the corners of his mouth turn up apologetically, trying to make up for Luke’s rudeness, although it was hard not to feel the atmosphere change. Meg smiled warmly and handed her a plate. Their eyes met and Jena smiled back. She found herself drawn to Meg more and more each day. She never looked at her with pity, and she never tried to ignore the big elephant in the room. She was just her Aunt Meg; the one who took care of people, no matter what their lot in life.

Meg had filled Jena’s plate, and despite the fact that Jena had been eating sparsely since she had gotten here, the first bite of warm pancakes seemed to awaken her appetite. The conversation continued around her, and she let it. Soon, she had cleared everything on her plate and for the first time in a few weeks, felt satisfied and content. She was finishing her glass of milk when Rob spoke to her.

“Jena, I’d really like it if you would help with the trail rides in the park today. You don’t have to actually ride,” Rob clarified at the alarmed look his niece gave. “We could just use the help leading horses over to people and checking their stirrup lengths and tightening girths.”

Jena froze for a moment, the breath leaving her. She knew that eventually, her uncle would expect her to help out, but it seemed so soon. She had only been here for a week and was not ready to dive back in.

“Rob, perhaps she doesn’t want to work with the horses. I could actually use the help in the office with release forms and helmets,” Meg interjected. She turned to Jena and smiled, as if the two of them were in on some secret. “Besides, you have Kyle and Luke helping you out, and I have no one.”

Jena opened her mouth to speak but then nodded, letting them know that she could do that. If she had to help, this would be a much easier task. She wasn’t ready to work around the horses yet. Jena pushed her empty plate away and slid her chair from the table. She tried not to look in the direction of Luke’s glowering, but couldn’t help sneaking a glance. He wasn’t smirking this time, but looking at her curiously. His eyes were warmer and softer, a contrast to their usual hardness. It startled her, and she quickly turned and went upstairs to change into something more appropriate for a day of working.

In the quietness of her bedroom and out of everyone’s stares, she was better able to let the realization of what she just agreed to do sink in. She opened her drawers and carefully touched her jeans, deciding which ones would be the best to put on. A gingham button down was next. From the back of her closet, she found a worn pair of cowboy boots, something her aunt must have sneaked in. Throwing a weathered straw hat on her head, she was ready. When she looked into the mirror at her completed ensemble, she realized that she was shaking.
I can do this
, she told herself, before heading back down the stairs. The small voice in her head agreed.

Luke was still in the kitchen when Jena came back down, and he almost didn’t recognize her. With jeans that hugged all of her curves and her worn boots, for the first time, she looked like she belonged here on this small ranch on the mountain. He couldn’t help but grin and turned away to hide his smile.

An hour later, the breakfast dishes were put away, and the front gates opened to a cavalry of cars full of tourists, wanting their chance to ride in the Great Smoky Mountains. Jena followed Meg to the office and stood in the background, waiting for instructions.

The Grayson Ranch stood just outside of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Many years ago, Rob and Meg had seen a demand for trail-riding in the park. They found twenty acres which also had trail access into the park. The operation started small, just five horses, and they only did a few rides a week. Twenty years later, the business had grown into a successful endeavor, with thirty horses leading tourists into the park six days a week, several times a day. Plus, they had managed to be the only trail rides allowed to actually go into the southern part of the park, which made them a top tourist destination in Townsend.

Luke and Rob had already saddled up all thirty horses and had them tied to the fence posts, when someone pulled up in a brand new Ford F-150. The truck slid to a stop, sending dust swirls all around it. Jena stood with Meg and watched as a man climbed out.

“That’ll be Kyle,” Meg nodded toward the truck. “He helps us out with the trail rides in the summer. It’s easier with two people out on the trails, and that allows me to stay here and run the office all the time.”

Jena scowled. Meg didn’t know that she had already met Kyle, and that he had already tried to introduce himself to her. She turned her head toward Kyle. He was six feet of thick muscle. His jeans hugged him tightly and his plaid button-down was rolled up around his massive arms. Stubble shadowed a hard, square jaw, and his smile showed straight, white teeth. A baseball cap topped his dark hair. When he turned toward her, she saw eyes the color of liquid chocolate. Eyes that were hardened and impossible to read. It made her uneasy.

“Kyle, this is my niece, Jena. Jena, Kyle,” Meg said. Kyle strutted toward them and just like before, Jena couldn’t help but notice the confident way he carried himself. It felt too artificial. He was a bit too much for her.

“Well hello,” he said, thrusting his hand toward her. This time, she gingerly gave him her own and felt sure he would break her hand with his bear-like grasp. A bear… that is exactly what he was like, she decided. Luke came up behind him scowling, and Jena turned away.

“Come on, Kyle, let’s go. We’ll have customers before long,” he said and then was gone.

“Oh, yeah, I’ll see you around,” Kyle said to Jena and winked before walking away. It was obvious to Jena that there was tension between the two men and for the first time, she began to wonder if Kyle wasn’t the reason for the constant frown on Luke’s face. As the men walked toward the horses, she and Meg both walked back to the office and got themselves settled inside. Within minutes, the parking lot was full of city slickers in new jeans and boots, ready for a taste of the country. 

“Hi there,” Meg said to their first customers, as they came up to the office. Jena watched Meg intently as she had the customers sign release forms and pay for their ride. Meg had an easy-going personality as she talked to the customers, asking them where they were from and how they were enjoying their vacation. It was clear that she was good at her job.  Jena watched in silence for several minutes. She felt bad for not helping, but she didn’t know where to start and Meg seemed content doing it herself. Finally she turned to Jena and rambled off a bunch of helmet sizes. Jena looked behind her and grabbed the sleek black helmets from their places on the shelf and handed them over. When they group had gone, Meg handed her the pile of signed release forms.

“We file these alphabetically by last name in this file cabinet. After each season, I clean it out and put them in boxes by year, to be saved for another five years. You never know when someone will try to come back, claiming that they were injured here. Anyway, as I hand them to you, if you could file them in these drawers, it would be a tremendous help. Then I wouldn’t have to go back on the weekends and try to catch up.”

“Okay.” It came out without effort, and even Jena was surprised. It was the first word she had uttered since the few short words she had whispered on the day she arrived in Tennessee. Meg didn’t flinch or even acknowledge the utterance, and for this, Jena was grateful.

“Thank you, dear,” she said instead and turned back to the window for the next customer.

They worked this way for the rest of the morning, finding an easy routine. Trail rides ran every two hours, with ten to fifteen horses going out each time. Each ride lasted around an hour. Rob, Luke, and Kyle took turns taking them out, leaving someone behind to take care of the horses and get the next group ready to go out. The horses were on a rotation and had plenty of break time throughout the day. Jena watched through the small window as the first group left. Some of the tourists had ridden before, and some were riding for the first time. Most of the time, they were all smiles and giggles as they started on their way. Jena shivered at the thought of how unsuspecting people were.
At least everyone had to wear a helmet,
Jena thought. They were completely unaware of the dangers that could happen on the back of a horse. She shook away the dark memories of her father lying on the ground, his neck broken.

Finally, it was noon and the last ride of the morning came back in. They would break for lunch and then start again at two o’clock, not taking any horses out during the hottest part of the day. Jena smiled to herself and nodded, as she and her aunt began walking toward the house. Helping with the paperwork was just what she had needed. She hadn’t thought about her father for most of the morning, and when she did, it was easier to push the thoughts aside. A vast improvement from the last few weeks when all she did was have time to think. The day was going well working with her aunt, and it made Jena relax a bit. Maybe living here wouldn’t be so bad.

The two of them were side-by-side in the kitchen making sandwiches when Rob, Kyle, and Luke walked in and took their seats. Meg poured tall glasses of sweet tea and Jena took her seat. Kyle plopped himself down in the seat next to her, while Luke glared from across the table. When Kyle tried to talk to her, Meg or Rob steered the conversation away until he stopped trying. Luke simply ignored her all the same and somehow, this bothered her the most. Perhaps it was because she didn’t like him…or maybe it was because she did. Part of her had been longing for someone to talk to, and at first, he had seemed like a logical choice, being that he must be only a few years older.  Now that Kyle was in the picture, it was clear that she wasn’t simply looking for someone to talk to, because he would have been an easy choice. She felt uneasy around his aggressive demeanor and thought he acted as if he were hiding something. Luke was another story. His brooding made him hard to read and brought out her curiosity. At times, though, his stares were probing…like he was looking for something in her. Or maybe just trying to figure her out. Either way, it both unnerved and excited her.

The sound of voices brought her back to the lunch table, and she realized that Rob and Luke were talking about horses and the particular clients they had taken out earlier.

“I don’t know, Luke,” Rob started, “I think that girl from New York would have ridden any horse you wanted her to, just to get closer to you.”

Luke laughed, a deep musical sound.

“That girl hadn’t ridden a day in her life!” he said.

“I know,” Rob said. “Like I said, she would have done anything for you. She only said it to try to impress you. You could have given her your number and at least set yourself up on a hot date. You need to get out more.”