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Authors: Grace Brannigan
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behind the barns now." Some of the excitement left her face. He
wondered if she was sorry, as he was, that they were back already. The ride
felt as if it had ended too soon. Before he knew he was going to voice the
words, he heard himself say, "Maybe we could do this again."
Her reply came swiftly. "I'd
love to."
She rode ahead. He stared after
her, wondering what impulse had taken hold of him. Why was he setting himself
up like this, spending time with Jacie? He shouldn’t have opened his
mouth and offered to take her out again, but the urge to do so had been too
tempting.
He nudged his horse with his knee
and headed in the opposite direction. She’d better not expect a tour
every day, he thought grimly, or he’d be so far behind in chores
he’d never catch up. For a minute, he wondered if that would be so bad.
Later the following afternoon,
Jacie gathered her training material and equipment together. James had set up
all her necessary equipment for the training sessions in a small field, and
today was the last ground session before the actual jumps.
"Jacie, I have to tell you Leo
and I are really looking forward to this jump," MaryAnn stated. "It's
a great idea too that you’re taking pictures. None of our friends would
believe it otherwise."
"It'll be fun," Jacie
told them, glancing around at the group of six. "I want everyone to relax.
If you have any last minute questions I'm in cabin three, so feel free to come
and see me. Tomorrow morning the list will be posted in the lodge for the jump
times. We’ll be doing two jumps tomorrow." The participants overall
seemed eager but she knew from past experience that some would decline to jump.
She had laid the groundwork for a safe and enjoyable experience, but when it
came down to stepping out of the plane it was ultimately a personal choice. She
wondered what they would think if they knew of her own pre-jump jitters.
"Do you need any help carrying
this equipment?" Emma asked. Emma was a slim woman somewhere in her
mid-to-late thirties.
"Thanks, Emma, but someone
should be coming by any minute with a truck to cart this equipment back."
She watched the couples disperse toward the lodge, which wasn't far away. Emma
waved and then she and her husband walked along the dirt road, trailing behind
the group.
Jacie would be jumping with some of
the newcomers, offering assistance and calming fears. She had planned six to
eight jumps this week, which was more than her leg had had to contend with
since her accident. She recalled how difficult it had been the first few times
she had jumped after recuperating from her accident. She constantly battled the
fear that something would go wrong. If she gave in to the fear, she might stop
jumping altogether. She had jumped eleven years without any major incidents,
but her accident last year had almost crushed her confidence.
Hearing a motor, she looked across the
small field. A tractor with a low wagon behind it was making its way toward
her. As it drew closer, she recognized Sloan in the driver’s seat.
Leaving the machine idling, he jumped down and walked over to her.
"Hello, Jacie. James asked me
to pick up your equipment."
"Oh, okay. I thought James
would be by. I hope everything’s okay."
"His eight-year old had a bike
accident. My nephew's okay, but he's going to be taking it easy for a while.
I'll bring your gear back to the lodge, but I'm kind of running behind so I
have to get hay while I’m out here."
She had already begun to load her
equipment on the low wagon near the front. "It's no problem, I'll walk
back and help you unload this when you're through."
He picked up the last nylon bag and
slid it across the wooden planks of the wagon. "I can take care of this.
If you want a ride the hay won't take long." His glance settled on her
knee and the brace. "Is your leg bothering you?" He asked bluntly.
"You're wearing that brace again."
"No, but maybe I will ride
along." She sat on the wagon, stretching her legs out.
wondered if she was sorry, as he was, that they were back already. The ride
felt as if it had ended too soon. Before he knew he was going to voice the
words, he heard himself say, "Maybe we could do this again."
Her reply came swiftly. "I'd
love to."
She rode ahead. He stared after
her, wondering what impulse had taken hold of him. Why was he setting himself
up like this, spending time with Jacie? He shouldn’t have opened his
mouth and offered to take her out again, but the urge to do so had been too
tempting.
He nudged his horse with his knee
and headed in the opposite direction. She’d better not expect a tour
every day, he thought grimly, or he’d be so far behind in chores
he’d never catch up. For a minute, he wondered if that would be so bad.
Later the following afternoon,
Jacie gathered her training material and equipment together. James had set up
all her necessary equipment for the training sessions in a small field, and
today was the last ground session before the actual jumps.
"Jacie, I have to tell you Leo
and I are really looking forward to this jump," MaryAnn stated. "It's
a great idea too that you’re taking pictures. None of our friends would
believe it otherwise."
"It'll be fun," Jacie
told them, glancing around at the group of six. "I want everyone to relax.
If you have any last minute questions I'm in cabin three, so feel free to come
and see me. Tomorrow morning the list will be posted in the lodge for the jump
times. We’ll be doing two jumps tomorrow." The participants overall
seemed eager but she knew from past experience that some would decline to jump.
She had laid the groundwork for a safe and enjoyable experience, but when it
came down to stepping out of the plane it was ultimately a personal choice. She
wondered what they would think if they knew of her own pre-jump jitters.
"Do you need any help carrying
this equipment?" Emma asked. Emma was a slim woman somewhere in her
mid-to-late thirties.
"Thanks, Emma, but someone
should be coming by any minute with a truck to cart this equipment back."
She watched the couples disperse toward the lodge, which wasn't far away. Emma
waved and then she and her husband walked along the dirt road, trailing behind
the group.
Jacie would be jumping with some of
the newcomers, offering assistance and calming fears. She had planned six to
eight jumps this week, which was more than her leg had had to contend with
since her accident. She recalled how difficult it had been the first few times
she had jumped after recuperating from her accident. She constantly battled the
fear that something would go wrong. If she gave in to the fear, she might stop
jumping altogether. She had jumped eleven years without any major incidents,
but her accident last year had almost crushed her confidence.
Hearing a motor, she looked across the
small field. A tractor with a low wagon behind it was making its way toward
her. As it drew closer, she recognized Sloan in the driver’s seat.
Leaving the machine idling, he jumped down and walked over to her.
"Hello, Jacie. James asked me
to pick up your equipment."
"Oh, okay. I thought James
would be by. I hope everything’s okay."
"His eight-year old had a bike
accident. My nephew's okay, but he's going to be taking it easy for a while.
I'll bring your gear back to the lodge, but I'm kind of running behind so I
have to get hay while I’m out here."
She had already begun to load her
equipment on the low wagon near the front. "It's no problem, I'll walk
back and help you unload this when you're through."
He picked up the last nylon bag and
slid it across the wooden planks of the wagon. "I can take care of this.
If you want a ride the hay won't take long." His glance settled on her
knee and the brace. "Is your leg bothering you?" He asked bluntly.
"You're wearing that brace again."
"No, but maybe I will ride
along." She sat on the wagon, stretching her legs out.
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