Bareback(13)
Jessica stood and quickly dropped her jeans to expose her legs. A blush warmed her face. It wasn’t just that Skyler’s eyes were fixed on her string bikini panties rather than her knee; the disapproving scowl on her face made Jessica self-conscious.
“I’m hoping that isn’t what you wear under your riding breeches,” Skyler said.
“I…what should I be wearing?” Jessica felt exposed standing there in her skivvies, but Skyler’s tone was all business.
“You should be wearing compression shorts.”
“You mean like basketball players wear?”
“They’ll support the major muscles that attach to your knee. Pick up five or six pairs at the sports shop in town.”
Jessica nodded. “Okay, compression shorts.”
“And an elastic support sleeve for that knee,” Skyler instructed. “A huge part of training is working to ensure both you and your horse do not suffer injuries that will lessen your competitive chances. You wrap your horse’s legs before you take him out to jump, don’t you? Why shouldn’t you take the same precaution for your legs?”
“I’ll wrap the knee,” Jessica repeated.
“Have a seat.” Skyler waved a hand toward the couch before taking a seat herself on an ottoman next to it. “Prop your leg right here.”
Jessica sat and plopped her good leg in Skyler’s lap with a saucy smile. When Skyler rolled her eyes, she switched legs, warning, “It looks worse than it is.”
Skyler probed, then carefully flexed the knee in all directions. “How much do you still use that cane?”
“Less and less often. If I’ve been sitting too long, it gets stiff and it still aches when I’ve worked it too much. I use the cane to give it a break when I’m not riding.”
Skyler’s long fingers slid down the angry-looking surgery scars on Jessica’s shin. “You must have taken some spill to do this much damage.”
It had been the worst moment of Jessica’s life. She stared past Skyler, picturing the sky that day. Clouds were gathering and the wind was beginning to sway the trees on the cross-country course. She and her dappled gray Thoroughbred, Racer, were only a half point away from taking the lead in the competition. Racer was in top form and they’d sailed over the course, but the encroaching storm was beginning to distract him. The next jump was not one of the gelding’s favorites. The approach was downhill and required that the competitor clear a fence and land in knee-deep water.
Jessica felt his tension as they neared the jump. “You can do this, boy,” she’d urged.
Her sure hands relayed her confidence to the gelding and his ears pricked forward in anticipation. Just as they launched into the air, lightning split the darkening sky and thunder boomed. Racer twisted in midair, landing all of his weight on his right front leg. A sickening crack resonated in Jessica’s ears and she felt them tumbling as Racer screamed. Pain shot up her leg. She struggled to breathe as many hands held her head and shoulders above the water. Was that her or Racer screaming?
“She’s hung up in the saddle or something,” someone yelled. “Cut her free. Hold that horse down until we can get her free.”
Another voice, harsh with horror. “Oh God, look at his leg. Somebody get the vet here quick.”
“Racer!” she heard herself scream.
Skyler felt Jessica shudder. The color had drained from her face and a fine sheen of sweat covered her brow. “Jessica?”
The vacant blue eyes refocused. “That spot is sensitive to touch because of the pins still in the bone.” Jessica’s voice was thin. “I’m still icing the knee occasionally, when it swells, and I’m scheduled to work with a therapist three days a week here on the farm.”
Her tension stiffened the muscles beneath Skyler’s hands. Sensing she’d entered sensitive territory, Skyler carefully moved upward, testing the tone of the calf muscle. “It’s important that you tell me when it swells or gets too painful so I can adjust your training schedule appropriately. It doesn’t mean we have to stop, it just means we may need to change the order in which we do some things, or find a way to compensate for any weakness in the joint.”