Chapter 12
The following week, Jessica watched from her bedroom window as Michael took his turn working with Tempest. Herr Mendelssohn was there also, watching intently as the two worked. Jessica couldn’t take her eyes off the pair as they worked through a Grand Prix Special test. Just as they had in Germany, Michael and Tempest looked as if they had been working together for years, not days.
Jessica also couldn’t help but be drawn to the raw masculinity of Michael as he sat tall and proud aboard the magnificent stallion and made the intricate movements of Grand Prix dressage appear effortless, when Jessica knew they were not. She knew from her experience riding Tempest that he could be strong and he was intelligent enough to come up with creative evasions that made riding him a constant mental and physical challenge. Jessica also noticed that Herr Mendelssohn seemed very impressed with the work Michael was doing with Tempest. That meant that her challenge in proving herself more worthy of Tempest than Michael was clearly going to be even more difficult than she originally thought.
At least Hailey was coming, and would keep her company through this. Jessica had spoken with Charlotte, who easily agreed to send Hailey over two weeks from today. Jessica was grateful to Charlotte and her brother Blake for their kindness to her and Hailey. They made it seem so easy to make what otherwise would have been very complicated arrangements. Jessica was just beginning to realize how much she missed Hailey in just the past week away from home. Jessica had been honest with Hailey when she told her she was lonely. Without Liz here with her, Jessica didn’t have anyone to talk to, no one to confide her fears and insecurities to. She certainly wasn’t going to reveal them to Michael or Herr Mendelssohn and especially not to Michael’s friend Lionel. This was a competition after all, and none of them had her best interests at heart.
~ ~ ~
Today it was Jessica’s turn to train with Tempest, and Michael was there, eager to watch. Today, the weather wasn’t cooperating very well, with rain in the forecast, so Jessica’s work session moved into the indoor arena. The video camera was set up inside, and Tempest again appeared nervous about the strange appearance. This time, Jessica was having a hard time getting Tempest to relax, and Michael suggested she allow the stallion to gallop around the arena to let out the excess energy in a more productive way. Jessica hesitated at first, thinking the last things she wanted was to be aboard a 1500-pound animal hurtling itself around the arena in a barely controllable state, but she was beginning to trust Michael’s judgment and sent Tempest forward. She could feel the stallion collect himself underneath her then rocket forward. Jessica leaned forward to make as low a profile as possible and still maintain some control. It didn’t take long for Jessica to feel comfortable with Tempest’s ground-eating gallop, and she had time to contemplate the amount of power the stallion had. Even at a gallop, the horse demonstrated self-carriage and suspension, and he felt lighter than air to ride. After three good circuits around the arena, Jessica found to her surprise that Tempest had calmed significantly, and that she did have a great deal of control over the stallion. She slowed her seat and gradually brought Tempest back to an easy working canter.
“What do you think?” Michael was smiling at her, because he knew exactly how that experience felt.
“All I can say is Wow!” Jessica replied. “What a ride!” She knew she was grinning ear to ear, and her confidence level soared. Michael did this for me. She thought to herself. He knew that Tempest would relax if he were allowed to gallop, and that I was going to have the ride of my life. Jessica’s nerves had disappeared completely, and they were ready to work. Tempest’s fears of the video camera were a thing of the past. He hardly noticed anything beyond Jessica on his back. They had a spectacular work session, focusing on passage and piaffe, as well as the other more collected movements since Tempest had energy to burn this day.
When they were finished, and after Jessica had untacked Tempest and put him away in his stall, she approached Michael, who had been waiting for her at the entryway to the barn. “Thank you for what you did out there, Michael. Even though you have only known Tempest and me for two weeks, you knew exactly what we both needed to get past his spookiness. You’re a great trainer. I’m surprised you don’t have more students coming here to learn from you.”
Michael hesitated then cleared his throat “I decided to focus my efforts on developing another international class horse for myself, and dedicated my time to those pursuits instead.” Even to him that sounded false, and he hoped Jessica was gullible enough to believe his rather flimsy lie.
“I see,” Jessica said skeptically. She had heard of the rumors about Michael, but realized after his response that he wasn’t willing to talk about what the rumor mill had labeled his “dark period.” “What happened with that? You obviously weren’t successful, or you wouldn’t be competing for Tempest.”
“No. I wasn’t successful, at least not in finding my next competition horse,” Michael responded. “But I have developed two horses I can market and sell to talented adult amateur riders. Come down here and let me introduce you to my ‘projects.’”
Michael led Jessica down the aisle and they made a ninety-degree right turn to enter the aisle that housed Michael’s horses, and the horses of a small number of boarders. He stopped in front of a stall that housed a 17-hand chestnut gelding with a white blaze and a curious and intelligent look in his eyes. “This is Monty. He’s a seven-year-old Danish Warmblood with spectacular bloodlines. Unfortunately, he doesn’t have the fire necessary to compete at the Grand Prix level internationally. He has a spectacular canter and a respectable trot, but his walk is problematic. He will make some adult amateur a great competition horse, though. He also has a fantastic personality and a great work ethic. He’s just fun to ride. Unfortunately, I can’t keep a horse just because he’s fun. He’s for sale right now.”
Jessica reached over the stall door to scratch Monty on the nose. He snuffled at her hand, and snorted gently. “He’s so cute!” Jessica laughed. “It’s a shame he doesn’t have a permanent home yet. Let me ask around and see if I know anyone who might be interested.”
Just then, the horse in the next stall, seeing Monty getting attention, nickered at Michael and stuck her head out over her stall door. She was a dark bay mare with a black mane and tail and a white star on her forehead. “This is Abby,” Michael said. “She is a Dutch Warmblood mare I also purchased as a prospect, but alas, she also isn’t working out. Abby would rather stay at home than perform for a crowd. She gets so nervous at shows that she won’t eat, and paces in her stall so much, I fear when she does eat, she might colic. She would make a wonderful brood mare, though, and I sometimes use her as a school horse because she is very patient and not easily spooked.
“She is so sweet,” Jessica exclaimed, as Abby nuzzled her and rested her large head against Jessica’s shoulder. “All she wants to do is snuggle.” She smiled at Michael, who was immediately entranced. Any words he might have said in response were stuck in his throat.
Ian’s voice came to them from down the aisle. “It looks like you’ve made a couple of friends today.” Michael and Jessica looked up to see Ian approaching. “It’s time for these two to go out for some pasture time.” Ian looked at Jessica and winked. “This is my way of earning my keep while I’m staying here mooching off of my big brother.”
Michael felt a stab of irritation at the way Ian was obviously flirting with Jessica, and at the implication that he was a burden on Michael. As a result, his attitude toward Ian was gruff. “Ian, you’re not mooching. I’m happy to have you staying with me.” Michael’s demeanor softened as he turned to Jessica. “It is time for these two to go out. Let’s go back to the house and see what the video from today’s session looks like.”
“Certainly.” Jessica smiled. “I’m anxious to see how the passage and piaffe looked. They felt spectacular.”
“They were,” Michael replied. “It’s too bad Herr Mendelssohn wasn’t here to see it. He had to go back to Germany and his breeding farm. There was too much going on in anticipation of the next auction at Verden. He felt he should be there.”
“Oh,” Jessica said, disappointed. “I had hoped he would be able to watch our progress in person. Will you send him links to the training sessions along with Liz?”
“That’s my plan. Does that work for you?”
“Yes. I suppose a video is better than nothing at all. Most certainly.”
“My thoughts exactly. That means, however, that you have to supervise the taping of my riding sessions as well. Will that be all right?”
Jessica smiled to herself. If only Michael knew that she watched his sessions with Tempest surreptitiously anyway, and would love to have an excuse to watch his sessions in person. “Sure. That will be fine. I’m looking forward to it. Do you mind if I ask questions while you’re riding? I might learn something from you as well.”
Flattered that a rider as good as Jessica expected to learn from him, Michael said, “Certainly. I have no objection whatsoever. Ask away.”
As they turned away from Ian to make their way back to the house, Michael instinctively reached his hand toward the small of Jessica’s back unconsciously staking his claim on her. Realizing what he was doing, he stopped himself at the last second. He looked back at Ian to see his brother grinning at him. Damn his brother for seeing what Michael was trying to ignore. He was attracted to Jessica like he hadn’t been attracted to a woman since Emma. He was going to have to resist this attraction. It reminded him too much of how he felt about Emma before she betrayed him. He was definitely in dangerous territory.
Jessica’s body hummed with awareness when Michael’s hand came oh so close to touching the small of her back, then retreated. She looked up at Michael, who was determinedly trying to avoid meeting her eyes. She tried desperately to think of something to talk about that would break the tension that had suddenly appeared between them when Michael’s friend Lionel drove up.
“Lionel!” Michael called. “It’s good to see you. What brings you by this fine day?”
“Actually, I’m here to meet the horse you asked me to look at that needs rehabilitation.” And I have been away from this situation far too long. I need to observe the situation and make plans accordingly.
“Ah, yes. I do recall telling you about Rocky.” Grateful for the interruption, Michael turned to Jessica. “Before we look at the video, I’d like to take Lionel in to see Rocky. Do you mind?”
“Of course not,” Jessica replied. “I’ll just call my sister and check in. Take all the time you need.”
“Thanks.” Michael’s smile was genuine, and the tension between them had disappeared. “I’ll be in as soon as I can.”
Jessica nodded and made her way back to the house. Was she mistaken, or was Michael fighting his attraction to her. Jessica hadn’t been in a serious romantic relationship since her longtime boyfriend broke up with her soon after her parents’ accident, but she wasn’t so naive or inexperienced with men that she couldn’t tell that Michael was as attracted to her as she was to him. Why the resistance? Maybe he thought she wasn’t good enough for him. Of course, that’s it. It made sense. He’s an internationally famous dressage rider acknowledged to be one of the world’s most beautiful people. What could he see in a small-town Ohio girl who was only marginally pretty, and not nearly as sophisticated and worldly as the women he most likely attracted. Or, maybe he had looked into her background and learned about the details surrounding the accident that had claimed her parents’ lives and injured Hailey. Jessica shook her head. No, he couldn’t know that. If Michael had known everything about her, he wouldn’t even be speaking to her, let alone volunteering to train her, or allowing himself to be attracted to her. As much as it hurt her to do it, Jessica resolved not to encourage Michael’s affections. She was not worthy of someone like him.