“I didn’t think the movie was that bad,” Tory joked.
Jessica blushed. “I’m sorry. I guess I’ve just got something on my mind.” More like someone.
Tory cocked a questioning eyebrow. “Care to talk about it?”
Skyler had said Tory was a friend. Would it be wrong to ask her some questions? Jessica needed to understand why Skyler was pushing her away. She knew if she didn’t get answers she wouldn’t be able to relax and enjoy the rest of the night.
“You may not want to talk about this, but I was wondering what the real story is on Skyler. What exactly happened that got her blacklisted from the circuit?”
Tory gave a deep sigh. She wished she could go out with just one woman who didn’t ask the same question, but Jessica was more than just another Skyler groupie wanting to know her whole life story. Tory collected her thoughts. She didn’t want to send Jessica rushing back to the Creek Barn to try to “save” Skyler from herself. She’d tried that once, herself, to no avail.
“Skyler was one of the first kids to go though the equestrian program at Cherokee Falls,” she told Jessica. “She’s an exceptional rider, and with the Parker family backing, she was working in no time as a professional. But she has a wild streak. Her downfall was rich, straight women. Seducing them was a conquest for her, these rich women throwing themselves at a kid from the wrong side of the street.”
“Like Alexandra Rourke,” Jessica said quietly.
“Yes, and dozens of her ilk. Skyler overplayed her hand, though, when she went after Sarah Berrington Tate. She made the mistake of falling in love. Sarah wasn’t married, but they didn’t hide their affair very well, and Sarah’s father found out. He gave Sarah an ultimatum. Either she drop Skyler or he would cut off all her money.”
“That’s appalling.” Jessica could imagine how effective that threat would be for many of the people she met on the circuit, who lived lives of privilege.
“Sarah wasn’t anxious to share a barn apartment with Skyler and have to work for her money. Skyler was crushed. Old man Tate went a step further. He managed to convince the rest of gentry that Skyler was a sexual predator and he got her blacklisted on the circuit. Nobody would hire her as a professional rider, so she had to wait tables, groom horses, muck stalls, or whatever else.”
“That’s when Kate came to her rescue?”
Tory nodded. “She gave Skyler a job training horses and equestrians. But Skyler was still devastated. She’s never returned to the circuit and rarely goes to any of the shows. She hasn’t seen Sarah since. At least, I don’t think she has.”
“That really sucks,” Jessica said sadly.
“I’ve known Skyler since we were in high school.” Tory took a sip of wine. “Sarah really, really hurt her. Since then, Skyler has stuck to one-night stands or married women who won’t leave their husbands’ money.” Her eyes sought Jessica’s. “Don’t underestimate how damaged she is. It’s more than a broken heart. Skyler’s father was abusive. I think the first time she ever let herself open up to another person was with Sarah.”
“Quite a betrayal,” Jessica sighed. Now that she had a context for Skyler’s behavior, she should feel optimistic. But she wasn’t confident that Skyler was the kind of person who could just “get over it.”
“I’m not sure she could trust someone enough to fall in love again. Some really good women have tried, but only been hurt. Skyler knows her limitations. She values your friendship too much to encourage anything more. You should respect that.”
“I guess that was what Kate’s been trying to tell me, too,” Jessica said.
“However, I would love to cultivate more than a friendship with you.” Tory smiled warmly and held out her hand to Jessica. “Would you like to dance?”
Jessica smiled and took her hand. Tory was an excellent dancer and they glided smoothly across the floor. Her arms were strong and Jessica felt safe and relaxed in her embrace. There was no denying that the veterinarian was very attractive. Many of the women in the bar had been eyeing both of them all evening. Tory pressed warm, soft lips against Jessica’s forehead. Jessica smiled weakly and responded with a soft kiss to Tory’s lips. The sensation was pleasant, but it did nothing to ease the pain or chase away the sad thoughts of her tall, blond trainer.
*
Across town, Skyler stepped into a dimly lit bar not quite as upscale as the piano bar Tory had picked out for Jessica. The black walls and ceiling vibrated with the dance music spun by a disc jockey in a booth overlooking a strobe-lit dance floor. At one end of the bar, a pool of light illuminated denim-clad women gathered around four pool tables and leaned casually against the wall to watch the action and the dancers. Her faded Levi’s and thin, sleeveless Lycra shirt accented Skyler’s athletic physique, and many eyes followed her from the door to the bar.
“So, Skyler Reese is on the prowl tonight,” teased the bartender as she poured the neat Bourbon Skyler asked for.
“Pickings are getting slim around the barn, Mindy.”
The bartender ran her fingers through her short dark hair. “There’s not much here you haven’t already had or turned down.” She laughed. “There is a really cute blonde I haven’t seen in here before. Seems to be single, just hanging out with friends.”
Skyler’s eyes traveled to the table Mindy indicated with a subtle nod of her head. She shrugged her disinterest. “Not what I’m looking for.”
“One day, you’re going to reach a point where you have to go out of town to find what you’re looking for.”
Skyler’s eyes settled on a short woman leaning uncertainly against the wall near the pool tables. “That’s more my style tonight.”
Mindy’s eyes followed her stare. “Hold on, Ace. She’s just here for the weekend, and Robbie is already working that one. In fact, I think she’s trying to impress the girl right now with her billiards expertise.”
Skyler glanced toward the stocky woman bent over the pool table. Robbie sank a bank shot and tossed a grin at the short woman. The woman returned a weak smile.
“Give me another bourbon and one of what she’s drinking, Mindy.”
“Shit, Skyler. Don’t go starting anything. We make all our money on the weekends. I don’t need the cops hanging around here and scaring my customers off.”
“No sweat. I’ll whisk that girl right out from under Robbie before she notices.” Skyler took the two drinks and made her way across the room. She leaned against the wall next to the woman. “Are you waiting a turn at the pool table?”
“No. I’m just watching,” the woman said tentatively. She didn’t have Jess’s sexy voice, but she was cute enough. Her eyes were blue and they moved over Skyler with interest.
“Looks like you could use another drink.” Skyler turned a brilliant smile on her new acquaintance and replaced her empty glass with the one Mindy had just filled. “The bartender told me what you were drinking.”
The blue eyes softened with amusement. “Oh, you’re smooth.”
Skyler rewarded her with her cutest, crooked smile. “I’m Skyler Reese. And you are…”
“Kelly Thompson.”
“Ah. What are you doing in Cherokee Falls, Kelly Thompson?”
“I install computer systems for a software company. I’ve been in town all week to install a new system at the Savings and Loan on Fifth Street. I’m heading back to Seattle soon. That’s where I live.”
Skyler smiled.Perfect. Short-term and no strings attached. Her maneuvers had not gone unnoticed, unfortunately. Robbie glowered at them as she missed a shot at the eight ball and proceeded to lose the game.
She threw her cue down and stalked over as the deejay began a new dance tune. Ignoring Skyler, she asked, “How about a dance, Kelly?”
Kelly handed her drink to Robbie, who took it, obviously thinking Kelly wanted her to put it somewhere safe for her. “Actually, I had just told Skyler here that I would dance with her. You seemed tied up shooting pool. Do you mind holding my drink for me?”
; Robbie stuttered in surprise as Skyler took Kelly’s hand and guided her expertly to the dance floor.
“You’re pretty smooth yourself.” Skyler chuckled.
Kelly turned out to also be a very good dancer, mimicking Skyler’s timing. She watched Skyler through her thick eyelashes and moved her hips in perfect sync. They danced through two songs while Robbie still glowered from the edge of the dance floor, and then Skyler pulled her close when the third song slowed the tempo. Kelly’s eyes were hungry, and Skyler kissed her deeply as she pressed their bodies together.
“Let’s get out of here,” Kelly suggested. “I’m staying at the Marriott.”
Skyler smiled her agreement, and they headed for the door.
“Hey, Reese. Just where do you think you’re going?” Robbie moved between them and the exit.
Skyler was nonchalant. “Well, Robbie. Kelly here has invited me up to her hotel room, and I accepted. So, if you’ll excuse us.”
The stocky woman held her ground. “I’m sick and tired of you waltzing into this bar like you own it and every woman in it.”
“I’m not looking for trouble. We were just leaving.” Skyler was navigating a path around Robbie when the woman’s fist connected with her left eye.
Mindy was immediately at her side, restraining Robbie and hustling her to a nearby chair. Another large woman who worked as the bar bouncer stood over Robbie, assuring she would remain seated.
“Tell me you don’t want to press charges, Sky,” Mindy pleaded.
Skyler touched her cheekbone to feel the swelling, but shook her head. “No. Just keep her in here until we can get out of the parking lot.”
“You got it.” Mindy sighed in relief. “You should put an ice pack on that eye. You’ll probably have a pretty good shiner tomorrow.”
“Great.” Skyler nodded and nudged Kelly toward the door.
*
Skyler had forgotten about her eye until she crept home just before feeding time and looked in the mirror after climbing out of the shower. Damn. Robbie had sucker-punched her a good one. Lots of alcohol and a burning desire for the elusive raven-haired rider with pale blue eyes had fueled a sex-filled night. But the encounter hadn’t quelled Skyler’s need, and only left her feeling worse. There was no substitute for the woman who haunted her every thought.
Her bad mood lifted when she heard Jessica’s voice downstairs near Rampage’s stall, but sank again when she saw it was Tory, not Rampage, Jessica was talking to while she mucked the stallion’s stall.
Tory grinned when she spotted Skyler. “Whoa! Who gave you that shiner?”
Jessica’s head jerked around.
“That new colt head-butted me when I was working him in the round pen,” Skyler lied.
Jessica walked over for a better look, grasping Skyler’s chin to turn her face toward her. “Maybe you should have a doctor look at that.”
Skyler looked away, afraid her eyes would reveal more than she wanted. She grasped Jessica’s slender wrist, holding it for a moment before pulling her hand away. “I’m fine,” she replied gruffly. “No reason to see a doctor for a simple black eye.”
Jessica looked to Tory for help, but the vet only shrugged. They watched Skyler quickly tack up the colt she was breaking and head for the round pen.
Chapter Ten
Fall had begun to turn the center’s hardwoods into an artist’s palette of red, yellow, and gold before the mild winter put a nip in the air that energized both riders and steeds. Because Jessica’s knee didn’t seem to bother her as much anymore, Rampage’s training sessions lengthened. Skyler would saddle Con Air to share their exercises, and both women relished the hours they spent riding and talking together. They didn’t speak again about Skyler’s black eye, and the tension between the women began to ease once Skyler seemed assured Jessica wouldn’t press the bond that continued to grow between them into something more than friendship. It was Jessica’s relationship with Tory that didn’t seem to be going anywhere. While every day was a struggle not to fall into Skyler’s arms and kiss her senseless, Jessica was content to keep her physical relationship with Tory limited to a few innocent kisses. She’d noticed that Skyler was keeping a low profile. She seemed to have lost her lust for one-night stands. Instead, she’d thrown herself into the youth equestrian program, spending additional hours training the kids and their horses, swimming with them in the center’s pool, and helping them with their homework in the afternoons.
Jessica had followed her to a paddock behind Creek Barn an hour earlier, to watch a group of kids testing their mounts at barrel racing. The object of the contest was to run their ponies the length of the arena, loop tightly around first one then a second barrel, and race back across the arena in the shortest time.
Jessica’s smile faded when she saw Scott showing a short whip made of braided rawhide to the other boys. He waved to the boy holding a stopwatch, mounted his horse and headed for the barrels. He whipped the pony with the rawhide quirt around the first barrel and aimed for the second. The pony was running hard, but slipped coming around the second barrel and struggled to recover. When he was back on his feet, Scott flogged him hard to make up the lost time.
“Skyler,” Jessica began, but the woman next to her was already heading across the paddock, her face flooded with anger.
Scott quickly dismounted and, holding the colt by the reins, he whipped him repeatedly across the face. The young horse dragged him several feet, trying to escape his tormentor.
“Scott!” Skyler grabbed for the whip, but Scott was quicker. He brought the quirt across Skyler’s face, its rawhide cutting into her cheek.
“Stupid bitch! Get out of my way!” he screamed. He was out of control.
He swung again at Skyler, but she was ready this time and ducked, grabbing the hand that held the whip. She twisted Scott’s arm to force him to the ground on his stomach, and put a hard knee in his back.
“I had better never, ever see you raise a hand to one of our horses again. Never, never, ever,” Skyler growled through clenched teeth. Her face was scarlet as she held the boy’s face in the sand.
Scott struggled underneath her strong grasp. “Get off me, dyke! You just let me up and I’ll take care of you. No woman is going to tell me what to do.”
Worried for both of them, Jessica was about to intervene when Charlie came running from West Barn with Clint in tow. “Skyler,” Clint called. “Let him up. I’ll take care of him.”
She stared up at Clint for a long minute before recognition began to register in her glazed eyes and she relaxed her grip.
Clint grabbed the boy by the collar and snatched the whip from his hand. “That’s it, Scott. Let’s go find Kate. It’s time we talked about whether you should be here at the center.”
Jessica followed as a dejected Skyler led the colt to the barn and cross-tied him in the wash stall. Skyler’s sure hands and low voice calmed the anxious animal as she examined his head and eyes closely for injury.
“Well, he looks okay, but we better keep an eye on him,” Skyler told Jamie, who stood at her elbow. “How about rubbing him down for me and putting him in the last stall for tonight,” she told the girl.
“Sky?” The girl hesitated. “All the other kids are afraid of Scott. We’ll be glad if you guys throw him out of the program.”
“That will be up to Kate.” Skyler stared at her boots. “I shouldn’t have handled Scott that roughly. I would never intentionally hurt one of you kids. You know that, don’t you, James?”
“We all know that, Sky. Scott is so big and strong, there wasn’t anything else you could do.”
When the girl led the colt away, Skyler leaned her forehead against the wall of the wash stall and closed her eyes. She flinched when Jessica laid a hand on her shoulder.
“Hey, you okay?”
After a moment, Skyler turned. She didn’t speak, but the haunted look in her eyes communicated more eloquently than words.
Jessica touched the blood oozing from the welt o
n her cheek. “That’s a nasty cut. We better clean it up. Do you have something more than horse first aid stuff in the office?”
Skyler cleared her throat. “In my medicine cabinet upstairs.”
“Come on. Let me take care of that for you.” Jessica took Skyler’s hand and guided her up the stairs. She sat her on the bed and went to find the supplies she needed in the bathroom. When she returned, Skyler’s shoulders were slumped and her head bowed. Tears trickled down her tanned cheeks.
Jessica knelt before her and spoke softly as she wiped at a tear with her finger. “Hey, what’s this, tough stuff?”
Skyler gave a hard shake of her head. “I never should have roughed him up like that. Scott has a lot of demons to deal with, and he can’t control his temper tantrums yet. I’m supposed to be the one who stays in control. Instead, I give him the same rough treatment that put him in the program in the first place. Just like my father, I just can’t seem to stop being a fuck-up.”
It tore at Jessica’s heart to see the strong trainer so emotionally fragile. She sat on the bed and gently grasped Skyler’s hand. “You can’t save them all. Scott needs more help than a few good role models and horses to play with. It has nothing to do with you failing him.”
When Skyler didn’t answer, Jessica reached for the medical supplies she had set on the bed. She gently cleaned the welt with a peroxide-soaked cotton ball, using her soft hands and low voice the same way Skyler did moments earlier, to gentle the injured colt.
“You are so good to these kids, Sky. Jamie and Charlie idolize you. You’ve helped so many. You shouldn’t beat yourself up because one came along who needs professional counseling.” She laid her hand on Skyler’s damp cheek and gently turned the anguished face toward her. “You have such a big heart. I don’t know why you spend so much time trying to convince people you’re such a rascal.”
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