Skyler. Jessica smiled at the thought of her.
They were proving to be a good team. Kate was right. Skyler had been in that winner’s circle and understood what it took to get there. She was steady and sure in her instructions. It made Jessica feel a confidence in herself that she hadn’t felt before, and Rampage responded to the change.
A couple of times during the past weeks, Skyler had ridden him herself to see what kind of cues he was giving Jessica and recommend responses that could improve his performance. When Skyler took the saddle, she and her mount became one beast. Even the temperamental Rampage bowed to her commanding confidence and moved smoothly through his paces. The roguishly charming trainer atop twelve hundred pounds of equine muscle was the sexiest thing Jessica had ever seen.
Her pulse jumped at the thought and she stumbled slightly. She was eager to get back to the bleachers and take her place next to Skyler again. Maybe they could go to a nice restaurant before they headed home. Why she wanted to spend more time with Skyler outside their training arrangement wasn’t something she wanted to analyze just yet. She was looking forward to the afternoon and didn’t plan to spend it trying to second-guess herself.
Jessica took a shortcut through the barn next to the warm-up ring, and was surprised to spot Skyler leaning against the entrance talking to a very attractive, slender blonde. Not just talking. There was something else going on. The blonde was standing a little too close for casual conversation, and Skyler was gazing down at her.
Jessica forced a pleasant expression on her face as she approached the pair. “There you are, Sky. Rachel and her horse are warming up, so they must be on the program soon. We should get back to our seats.”
But Skyler avoided looking at her. Waving a dismissive hand, she said, “You go ahead.”
Jessica felt her hackles rise. “I thought we came here to evaluate horses and riders. To see who our competition is.”
“I’m going to watch from down here,” Skyler said.
“You’ll miss Rachel’s run through the jumps.”
The blonde finally dragged her eyes away from Skyler to look Jessica up and down. “Do I know you?”
“Amy, this is Jessica Black,” Skyler said with obvious reluctance. “I’m training her and her stallion. Jess, this is Amy Satterfield. She’s…”
“An old playmate,” Amy supplied. She trailed a slender finger along the outline of Skyler’s deep-cut V-neck shirt.
“Are you coming or not?” Jessica asked Skyler.
The hesitation said it all. “I told Kate I’d meet you guys back at the farm.”
“Fine.” As Jessica turned on her heel, she heard a stifled giggle.
The blonde’s smug words followed her. “Pity about the accident. She must have been quite attractive before it happened.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Jessica snapped, hovering over Kate.
“Now? Isn’t Rachel coming up in the program soon?”
“Not much point in evaluating the competition without our trainer, is there?”
“Well, I’m here. What am I? Chopped liver?”
Jessica’s shoulders slumped. She was tired. The sunny day was suddenly too warm, the glare too bright, and she wasn’t in the mood for company anymore. “Do I have the only trainer who is terminally in heat? She draws every bitch in season like a magnet.”
Kate didn’t reply, but her eyes were apologetic. The gentle older woman was a steady, bright spot in Jessica’s life, and had always been her confidante for issues she didn’t want to discuss with her mother. But, Kate wasn’t the person to talk to about her confusing feelings for Skyler.
“I must be PMSing or something,” Jessica said. “I just want to go home, okay?”
“Sure, baby, whatever you want. I’ll just go make sure Sky has a way home if she isn’t coming with us.”
“If the blond hussy I saw her with earlier has anything to say about it, Skyler may not be home for days,” Jessica muttered.
“Yeah, well, that’s our Skyler.”
Jessica glared at her. “That’s your Skyler.”
Kate wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “Honey, you need to accept who Sky is. She’s one of the best trainers I’ve ever worked with. And, she’s not a bad person. In fact, she’s the best friend you could ever have. She’s just lousy in the love department. There are reasons for that, reasons that are too deep and too personal for me to share with you. That’s up to her to share if you become good enough friends. But to get the good part of Sky, you have to allow for her flaw. When you accept that, you’ll have a friend you can always rely on.”