Dinner went quickly. Kate skillfully introduced conversation subjects she knew were common ground between Jessica and Skyler. They all laughed at Skyler’s compulsion to build her burger always exactly the same way each time—mustard on the bottom, mayo on the top with tomato, then pickles. Jessica’s habit of using a French fry to draw designs in her ketchup was the object of teasing until everyone began competing to see who could draw the best ketchup picture. Kate pressed Charlie into service as the ketchup art judge. She then hustled him off to get ready for bed as dusk had turned to dark, leaving Jessica and Skyler on the patio.
The still-burning torches cast a flickering light across Jessica’s face. With her elbows resting on the table, she leaned forward and said, “I was there the day you won the gold medal. I remember thinking that you seemed so calm and confident. You and that big gray made those jumps look like it was just the same walk in the park you took every day.”
Relaxed by the three beers she’d consumed, Skyler closed her eyes and was instantly back in that indoor arena. She felt Con Man rise powerfully over each jump. The sound of his hooves against the dirt flooring thundered in her ears. Her mind constantly ran ahead to the next jump before they touched the ground from the one they were clearing. Shorten his stride, line it up, find her balance, push forward.
“Tell me what it felt like,” Jessica’s soft voice urged.
Skyler opened her eyes. She’d been asked many questions about that day. Were you nervous? Did you worry about the last jump? What are your plans now? No one had ever asked her to put them in that saddle and tell them what it felt like to conquer. The experience was a treasure she’d kept to herself. But at this moment, it was a piece of her that she wanted to share with this woman whose eyes were filled with so much vision, so much want.
There was barely a foot between them. Her eyes never left Jessica’s. “When we entered the arena and the crowd went silent, the quiet sounded louder than a million drums beating in my ears,” she said softly. “It was one of those perfect moments, you know, when you feel yourself slipping into the zone…when you feel like you and the horse are one animal. The jumps seemed so small and Con felt so powerful. He seemed to know what I wanted before I even thought it. It was almost like we could fly if we really tried. I didn’t really have to look at the clock when we hit the home stretch. I knew we had done it.”
Skyler’s eyes glowed as she relived the memory, and Jessica’s heart soared with her over that last jump. “I want to be in that same place,” she said fervently. “Rampage and I can do it. I know in my heart this is our time.”
For a few seconds, Skyler simply stared at her, then she said, “Well, it was a ‘walk in the park,’ as you called it. We’d practiced it over and over until we could have run any course blindfolded. Reaching that pinnacle takes hard grueling training with few days off. I was healthy, and it still was hard for me.”
“How did you do it?” The question sounded lame. Jessica explained, “I don’t mean physically. I mean…”
“I know what you’re asking,” Skyler said softly. “It has to be the total focus of your life. There’s no time for personal issues or downtime to rest. Not just for days, weeks, or even months. If we get you a spot on the Olympic team, the rest of your life goes on hold for years as you prepare. If you aren’t absolutely sure you can make that kind of commitment, then it’s best not to start at all.”
“I have no personal life,” Jessica said. “There aren’t too many dates willing to take a backseat to a horse.” She reached out impulsively and curled her fingers around Skyler’s bare forearm. “I want this more than anything in my life.”
Looking into those eyes, Skyler found herself believing just that.
Chapter Four
Rampage ran through flying lead changes with the abandon of a kid skipping along the sidewalk, his thick neck arched and chin tucked toward his broad chest. His gaits were smooth and flawless. It was hard not to be impressed. The power and presence of this horse drew Skyler back to the time when she first saw Con Man. She’d known then that she was watching the ride that would put a gold medal within her reach. Just like her gut was telling her now this big bay could be her next golden ticket.
“He’s an incredible mover, isn’t he?” Jessica’s dark head was tilted in concentration, her eyes pinned to the stallion’s every movement.