to her sister and crossed the field to her horse. She caught him and led
him over to the barn, busying herself with brushing him down and saddling him
up.
A week or two from now, she’d be
back in the city. Dealing with her normal life, planning events that people
with way too much money paid her way too much to organize. Then, she’d hardly
remember what it was like to get dirt under her nails and do simple things like
ride a horse.
She led Finn out and mounted,
before nudging him into a walk, then a brisk trot. What she needed was a good
gallop to take her mind off everything. Jack
included. Because deciding on what her future held was tying her all up in
knots.
Finn was fighting to go faster, so
she loosened the reins a little and pushed him forward. She cantered across the
field, coming closer to the boundary between her family’s land and the
Gregory’s. Even after all these years, she still remember exactly where the
jump was that had been the gateway between their two properties – as kids
they’d jumped it daily on their ponies, both families hanging out together.
It was well maintained, like it was
still in use, and she pointed Finn toward it. Jumping had always made her heart
race a little faster, and she was ready for that feeling again. For the exhilaration of flying through the air.
She slowed her horse, sitting
deeper in the saddle, guiding him with her legs more than her hands. She
counted out the strides as they approached, just like she’d been taught as a
pony-mad girl, but she felt it go wrong. And
it was too late to stop.
Finn took off sooner than he should
have, missing the final stride and launching himself into the air. She tried to
stay on, tried to clutch at his mane and then his saddle, but it was too late. Maddison went airborne, lost her stirrups and flew through
the air solo, the ground coming at her so fast she knew it would knock her
breath straight from her lungs.
She hit with a
thump, her horse’s hooves coming down too fast toward her head, and she rolled
out of the way before everything became a blur.
A movement caught Jack’s eye. He
stopped what he was doing, leaned on his spade and turned.
Fuck.
Maddison’s horse was trotting, head held high as the reins dangled. Which meant he’d lost his rider.
Jack brushed his hands off,
whistled for his dog and ran for the truck. Where
the hell would she be? He changed his mind, got back out and called her
horse. She’d kill him if he didn’t at least take the bridle off, make sure Finn
couldn’t stand on his reins and break his neck.
Jack got close, did what he needed
to do and sprinted back to the vehicle. Fast. He didn’t like second-guessing
himself, but when it came to accidents? He’d never trust himself again that he
knew the right things to do in an emergency.
“Where are you,” he muttered,
searching back and forth with his eyes, leaning hard over the steering wheel.
His pulse was racing, fingers drumming a beat as his panic levels started to
rise.
He
didn’t need this. If she was seriously hurt… he forced the thoughts away.
Finn could have bucked and dislodged her, leaving her annoyed and stranded. She
could have dismounted and he’d just gotten away from her.
So
was why his heart hammering so hard it felt like it was ready to explode?
He drove toward the boundary fence,
still methodically surveying the land. There was the jump and… shit.
He planted his foot and drove
faster when he saw her pink T-shirt, slowing only when he was almost beside
her. Jack leaped from the truck and ran, skidding to his knees at her side.
“ Maddison ?” He touched her shoulder gently. What the hell was she doing riding without a
goddamn helmet when she was jumping? “ Maddison ,
can you hear me?”
She moaned. Jack didn’t want to
move her in case it was something more serious, in case he made the situation
worse, but there was no chance he was leaving her.
“ Maddie ,
can you move for me?”
The moan became
him over to the barn, busying herself with brushing him down and saddling him
up.
A week or two from now, she’d be
back in the city. Dealing with her normal life, planning events that people
with way too much money paid her way too much to organize. Then, she’d hardly
remember what it was like to get dirt under her nails and do simple things like
ride a horse.
She led Finn out and mounted,
before nudging him into a walk, then a brisk trot. What she needed was a good
gallop to take her mind off everything. Jack
included. Because deciding on what her future held was tying her all up in
knots.
Finn was fighting to go faster, so
she loosened the reins a little and pushed him forward. She cantered across the
field, coming closer to the boundary between her family’s land and the
Gregory’s. Even after all these years, she still remember exactly where the
jump was that had been the gateway between their two properties – as kids
they’d jumped it daily on their ponies, both families hanging out together.
It was well maintained, like it was
still in use, and she pointed Finn toward it. Jumping had always made her heart
race a little faster, and she was ready for that feeling again. For the exhilaration of flying through the air.
She slowed her horse, sitting
deeper in the saddle, guiding him with her legs more than her hands. She
counted out the strides as they approached, just like she’d been taught as a
pony-mad girl, but she felt it go wrong. And
it was too late to stop.
Finn took off sooner than he should
have, missing the final stride and launching himself into the air. She tried to
stay on, tried to clutch at his mane and then his saddle, but it was too late. Maddison went airborne, lost her stirrups and flew through
the air solo, the ground coming at her so fast she knew it would knock her
breath straight from her lungs.
She hit with a
thump, her horse’s hooves coming down too fast toward her head, and she rolled
out of the way before everything became a blur.
A movement caught Jack’s eye. He
stopped what he was doing, leaned on his spade and turned.
Fuck.
Maddison’s horse was trotting, head held high as the reins dangled. Which meant he’d lost his rider.
Jack brushed his hands off,
whistled for his dog and ran for the truck. Where
the hell would she be? He changed his mind, got back out and called her
horse. She’d kill him if he didn’t at least take the bridle off, make sure Finn
couldn’t stand on his reins and break his neck.
Jack got close, did what he needed
to do and sprinted back to the vehicle. Fast. He didn’t like second-guessing
himself, but when it came to accidents? He’d never trust himself again that he
knew the right things to do in an emergency.
“Where are you,” he muttered,
searching back and forth with his eyes, leaning hard over the steering wheel.
His pulse was racing, fingers drumming a beat as his panic levels started to
rise.
He
didn’t need this. If she was seriously hurt… he forced the thoughts away.
Finn could have bucked and dislodged her, leaving her annoyed and stranded. She
could have dismounted and he’d just gotten away from her.
So
was why his heart hammering so hard it felt like it was ready to explode?
He drove toward the boundary fence,
still methodically surveying the land. There was the jump and… shit.
He planted his foot and drove
faster when he saw her pink T-shirt, slowing only when he was almost beside
her. Jack leaped from the truck and ran, skidding to his knees at her side.
“ Maddison ?” He touched her shoulder gently. What the hell was she doing riding without a
goddamn helmet when she was jumping? “ Maddison ,
can you hear me?”
She moaned. Jack didn’t want to
move her in case it was something more serious, in case he made the situation
worse, but there was no chance he was leaving her.
“ Maddie ,
can you move for me?”
The moan became
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