The Impossible Art of Falling (Impossible Art #1) by Sara Fiorenzo Page B

she had been on the roof. It would be easy to avoid the entire scene by just going back upstairs, yet it would be obvious to Luke that she was avoiding him if she didn’t show up. There would only be one way to find out what would happen and that was to go down to breakfast.
    She took her seat at the table and reached for the eggs. Her aunt and uncle greeted her as she piled food on her plate. While grabbing a thick slice of bacon, she looked through veiled lashes in Luke’s direction. He was looking at her, but something in his face was softer today. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips, and he gave her a slight nod. A small acknowledgement before turning his attention back toward the conversation with her aunt and uncle, which reassured Jena that their chance meeting last night would not be breakfast conversation.
    After breakfast, they separated. Meg and Jena went toward the small office, and Luke and Rob began saddling up the trail horses. She felt relieved to know that Kyle wasn’t working. It would be one less thing for her to worry about today.
    From the window of the office, Jena could see the few horses that remained in the fields, including Gatsby. His dark bay coat shimmered in the early morning light. Suddenly, a noise off in the distance startled him. He tossed his head and cantered a few steps away. His nostrils flared and his tail flew out behind him. He was so majestic and for a moment, she was a horse-crazy six-year old. He was beautiful and all at once, she longed to be on his back. The thought took her back for a second, but she shook it away. She hadn’t thought about riding in months, but now she felt the ache of wanting to have the wind in her hair from the back of a horse.
    “Jena?” Her aunt’s voice broke her from the spell. She turned toward Meg, but not before noticing Luke, who had slowed what he was doing and was casually watching her. She realized that one hand was on her heart and the other lay flat against the window pane. Her cheeks flushed and she turned away. He knew that she had felt the heat of his stare.
    “Jena,” Meg began again, “will you file this stack of release forms?” Jena nodded and smiled. She glanced back out the window, but Luke was already gone.
    Luke was realizing that Jena was becoming a presence that he couldn’t shake. At first it was in anger, then curiosity, and now, now he didn’t know why. He seemed to be able to feel her wherever she was. He often caught her gazing in his direction and found himself drawn toward her, as well. He grabbed the reins of the nearest horse and walked off toward the next customer, trying to pretend that she wasn’t affecting him.
    The rest of the morning went by in a blur, just as the day before had. The office work allowed Jena to forget, at least for a time, all about why she was at the ranch in the first place. Luke tried to focus on the horses and the trail rides. Again, when they stopped for lunch, Meg and Jena went back to the house to make sandwiches, while Rob and Luke tended to the horses. Jena smiled to herself, as she and her aunt walked into the kitchen and wordlessly, to begin to make lunch. How quickly this life was becoming routine. Even mealtimes were becoming less awkward for her. She had yet to contribute to the conversation, but her silence no longer felt like something to hide behind, and more of a sign that she was thinking. A few times, she looked up and found herself caught in Luke’s gaze again. At one point, she reached for the vegetables at the same time he did, his fingers grazing her own, and she felt a heat rush up her arm and settle in her chest.
    “I’m sorry,” he murmured. “You go ahead.” She smiled and nodded in thanks. Meg looked at Rob, who raised an eyebrow, having seen their interaction. Rob smiled to himself, realizing that things were indeed settling down. Perhaps his niece would find a life here after all. Meg looked at her full table. They were becoming an awkward