Into The Light
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in this fic!
Chapter Six
"Trixie." Her name burst past his shocked lips. He was at her side in an instant, his knees next to her hip, and leaned over her. He stared at her with a mixture of shock and caring and then bit back a gasp of horror at the hard, pointed rock only six inches from where her head lay, cushioned on the long green grass. Without wasting a second, he shifted his body to block it, not wanting her to see how close she had come to something extremely disastrous. Crouching down, he studied her face closely, taking in the pale white that had stolen across it, her slack lips and the few tears that slipped past her closed eyelids. He desperately wanted to see her blue eyes. "No, no," he denied softly, her tears nearly doing him in. "Don't do that." With shaking hands he wiped away the tears. "I hate it when you cry."
She opened her eyes at the soothing touch, met green eyes swirling with concern and something else she was too dazed to interpret. She focused in on him, needing him to help her through the pain; not seeing the signs of the beautiful spring day carrying on around them. Her eyes were alight with pain and a touch of confusion and the remains of tears she didn't want to shed. Crying was something she did not like to give in to, was something she fought hard not to do. It was difficult but she managed to hold back the urge. "Jim," she whispered back, her voice hoarse and wobbly, and tiny tremors of fear and belated panic shooting through her.
The relief he felt when she looked at him was immense. One worry down. Now he needed to start checking off the rest of them. "Trixie," he repeated, relieved that she was awake and not unconscious, and felt himself stop shaking. She was going to be all right, he knew it. The fall hadn't inflicted any serious, long-lasting injury. Now he had to discover if there were any other injuries.
"What happened?" she asked with a shake of her head, a little groggy and unsure, but it all came back to her the second he started to talk.
"Susie threw you," he explained quickly. When she made a move to lift her head off the ground, he was there. Concerned hands touched her shoulders, held her down, gently but insistently. "No, Trix, not yet. Let me check you over first. I want to make sure that you are fine." In other words, he wanted to search for broken bones, but he didn't tell her that, not wanting to worry her anymore than she already was. "Do you hurt anywhere?"
She closed her eyes and focused in on the countless aches. "I don't hurt in any one place. I kind of ache all over." The worst part was her bottom but she didn't want him to know that. She figured that part of her body must have hit first, taking the brunt of her fall. Better than her head, she thought with a realistic shrug.
"I'm not a doctor but that's probably a good thing. I'd be more concerned if you had a pain in one place or if you didn't feel anything at all." He immediately starting working, competently running his hands over one arm and then the other, lightly checking her rib cage for any signs of bruising or broken bones, and finally ended up feeling each leg carefully from thigh to foot. He tried to remain true to his honorable objective and refused to note any pleasure at the feel of her compact body under his hands. It was tough, he was only human, after all, but he managed to keep a vicious grip on the more primitive thoughts that were begging for an escape. She was hurt. That alone was enough to keep them at bay.
It felt too good to stay on the ground, almost comforting against the pain that had blossomed so sharply and intensely. Trixie laid there, uncharacteristically still and quiet, letting him run his hands over her to make certain there wasn't anything broken or sprained. She didn't grimace in pain during any part of his search, only watched him with unfathomable eyes as he examined her with such infinite care. Later she would remember how nice it was to have him touch her in such a complete and focused way. His touch was gentle and sure and made her long for something she didn't understand. He didn't miss a part of her body, even lifting her head to make sure she didn't have any bumps or cuts there. She had a hard time breathing through it all and finally released a small gasp of air when he came to an end.
"You feel good," he said huskily after checking each part of her, his words taken on two separate meanings, one hidden and only for him; the other one very obvious. She only caught the obvious one, much to his relief. It wasn't time yet for declarations of something entirely different from friendship. "There's nothing broken, Trixie."
She didn't want to try and sit up just yet. "Just bruised, then." It was a relief. She really didn't want any broken bones, especially with the school year coming to a close and her summer job starting. It would be hard to fulfill her duties as a lifeguard with a part of her body in a cast.
"Well, you hit the ground hard," he explained carefully. He was still crouched over, still ready to offer any assistance that he could. His handsome face blocked out the bright light, giving her much-needed shade from the sun high above them. Unable to resist, he smoothed his hands over her blonde head. She had lost her baseball cap somewhere in the tumble and her curls were in a riotous tumble that he simply had to touch.
Now that she knew her body was fine, bruised a bit but with nothing seriously wrong, it was time to start feeling the annoying sting of embarrassment. It had prickers that went deep, that stole into her and made her hurt in a different way. It had been a very long time since she had been thrown from a horse. And it had to happen in front of Jim, who happened to be the best rider of them all, as well as the recipient of her hopefully well-hidden crush, she thought with an inward groan. If she was the type to curse she imagined she could have turned the air around them blue but she had to settle for a small sigh instead. While the attention was certainly welcome, she couldn't help but wish she hadn't earned it by doing something so juvenile. "Susie threw me?" she questioned even though she remembered the unavoidable toss, hoping he didn't see the flush working its way up from her toes.
He nodded and was pathetically grateful to see color returning to her pale face, bringing back life to her uncommonly waxen features, and unaware of the embarrassment she was successfully hiding. "I don't know what happened. You had barely had time to sit down in the saddle before she went wild. I've never seen Susie do something like that before." He had a strong feeling that the scene would replay in his mind through many nights to come and cause him a few sleepless moments. It had been awful to watch. He'd been unable to do anything to prevent it.
"Well, I've never felt her do something like that before," she grumbled and made a move to sit up.
He was ready to help, insisted upon it. "Here, let me," he murmured softly, using his hands to gentle wrap around her waist and guided her into a sitting position. He didn't let go but stayed as close as he could to her and pulled her head to rest against his chest, in case she felt dizzy or disoriented. "Do you feel comfortable?"
She nodded, her head rubbing against his chest, and could hear the rhythm of his heart against her ear, surprised to find it beating so fast and quick. He must have been really scared, she thought with a blinding flash of insight, and made her wonder what she must have looked like when she had tumbled off of the horse. It couldn't have been a pretty scene, not by his reaction, and one she simply didn't understand. "What did I do wrong?" she asked him lowly, hoping he had an answer, and needing to reason it out.
"Nothing. You did absolutely nothing wrong," he informed her swiftly. He didn't tell her he had been pleasurably studying her and that he hadn't missed a single move of hers. He could say with one hundred percent certainty that Trixie hadn't made a wrong move. "You were perfect. You did everything right. Something had to have happened to Susie. Maybe she was stung or..." he paused and tilted his head off to one side. He couldn't think of anything else that could have possibly made gentle Susie react so violently. The mare adored Trixie. "Well, that's all I can think of. I don't know why she would have become angry all of a sudden. It's very unlike her."
"That makes me feel a little better. I'm glad I didn't do something to cause it happen." She blushed more at the praise and felt immensely better. Jim never wasted his words. If he said something, he meant it, and she couldn't have been more pleased, especially now that the pain had started to recede and was more a dull throb than anything else. A few Motrin ought to help and would be the first thing she sought once she got home. She even thought she'd be brave enough to attempt to stand in a few minutes but for now, she was more than content to stay in the circle of his arms.
He wasn't in any hurry to let her leave but was careful to keep his arms loose around her. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable or force her to leave by being too greedy. Instead, he enjoyed the way she fit against him. Simple, sweet, and perfect. There wasn't any doubt about that in his mind. He breathed in deep, taking in the smell of her shampoo. It was clean with a hint of something fruity. Possibly strawberry or raspberry or maybe even peach. He didn't know or particularly care. He simply enjoyed the smell and laid his head on top of hers. They sat like that for a while, both comfortable, and in a relaxed silence. Neither one wanted to be the first to break the contact or to speak. While he didn't like the reason why she was in his arms, he wasn't going to be the one to end it. And Trixie simply enjoyed the comfort he was giving her.
But Trixie knew that all good things had to come to an end. She had responsibilities she needed to take care of and not much time left. They still had to get back to the stables, take care of the horses, and then she needed to get ready for her meeting. She reluctantly lifted her head and stared at Starlight, who was only a few yards away. A feeling of peace overcame her as she watched him swish his tail while he munched on the grass. "I guess we should be getting back." Her body was ready to make the attempt.
"Are you able to stand up?" He drew back and studied her again. She looked much different, more like herself. He nodded in appreciation. Her eyes were their normal blue, the paleness was gone, and she wasn't shaking.
"I think so." With his help she stood, a bit wobbly at first, but with more confidence as the seconds passed. It helped that there wasn't any more dizziness and that her mind felt much clearer. She still hurt but it was more distant, with the promise of an end to it soon. "Yeah, I think I can make it, Jim. I feel much more like myself than before."
He took his arms away from her waist, a bit reluctantly, and walked over to fetch Starlight, keeping her in sight the entire time, in case she should need him. But she didn't. She bounced back with the resiliency she was known for. Her strength had returned and she was ready to move on. He brought the placid horse back over to her. "I figure we can ride Starlight together. You should probably ride in front instead of in back. That way I could catch you if you start to fall."
She didn't think she was going to fall but didn't tell him that. The thought of riding double with him behind her was a little too delicious for words. She nodded, her cursed blush returning yet again, and let him help her mount the horse. Starlight behaved beautifully, standing majestically as his riders got on him, and began trotting away in the direction Jim gave him.
They didn't talk much, both remembering the earlier incident, both feeling immense relief that nothing serious had occurred. While he enjoyed the feel of her in front of him, he couldn't truly enjoy it, not with what it could have cost her. He couldn't stop thinking about that rock that she could have landed on, so near to her head. They wouldn't be having such a nice ride back if her head had made contact with it. He gave a brief of prayer of thanks, grateful that fate had stepped in and looked out for her during the unexpected accident.
Trixie tried not to focus on the way their bodies periodically touched during the ride back to the stables. A hand brushing her hip, her back against his chest, his warm breath on her neck, or her hand accidently coming into contact with his leg. It was disconcerting. It was exhilarating. And it was something she was sure to dream about. She closed her eyes, wondered what he really thought about it, but didn't have anywhere close to the nerve to turn around look at him or ask him about it.
As they neared the Manor House, she chewed on her lip nervously and shared a bothersome thought. "Do you think Susie made it home, Jim?" It worried her. She wouldn't want anything to happen to the horse.
"They always do. She's probably right at the stables or munching on the flowers in the garden. She knows her way home, Trix. You don't have to worry about her," he assured her quietly. "If she's not home when we get there, she will be soon. I guarantee it."
Sure enough, when they exited the path, the little black mare was right near the entrance to the stable, looking as happy and content as normal. Trixie wasted no time in dismounting, much to Jim's chagrin. He'd been looking forward to a few more minutes with her. Back to herself with only a bit of stiffness, she hurried over to the horse to make certain that she was fine. It was time to fuss over Susie. She made crooning sounds and ran her hands along the mare's neck, absolutely positive that she could read an apology in the deep, dark, soulful eyes of the horse. "It's all right, Susie," she murmured soothingly. "I know you didn't mean to do it." She leaned her head against the velvety smoothness of Susie's face and breathed in the smell.
And yet another thing to like about her, Jim thought to himself with a grin. The list grew for him everyday. She couldn't hold any type of a grudge and easily found forgiveness. He dismounted, led Starlight up to the two, and said, "I see everything is back to normal with you two."
"Susie's promised me another ride just as soon as she can manage it," she shot back with a small laugh. It was best to get right back on after fall. Trixie would see to it that she did just that. "She also said she's very sorry and that it won't ever happen again."
Jim patted the mare. "Glad to hear that, Susie. You've got to take better care of Trixie than that." Together they led the horses into their stalls. He aimed a glance at the clock and came to a quick decision. "I'll take care of the horses and the tack, Trix. I don't think you have enough time if you want to make it to your meeting."
She followed his gaze, her mouth dropping open. She was shocked at the time. It hadn't felt like they'd been out there for that long. She only had an hour to get ready, eat lunch, and get to the Country Club. "Gleeps! Our ride took much longer than I thought!"
"I don't think it was the ride that took so long, Trixie," he replied in a dry tone.
"Can't argue with that." Quickly calculating all she needed to do, Trixie decided she wouldn't be able to ride over with Honey and would have to beg, borrow or steal another form of transportation, hopefully her mother's. "Would you let Honey know that I'll meet her at the Country Club? The three of us were supposed to go over together but I don't want to keep them waiting on me. It wouldn't look good if all three of us are late, especially on our first technical day of work. I'll get there on my own."
"No problem." He had seen the Bob-White station wagon parked in the driveway. Honey had returned home during their ride, possibly with Di in tow. "I'll walk you back to your house."
"Oh, no! You don't have to do that, Jim. I can make it on my own," Trixie objected, not wanting to put him out anymore than she already had. "I'm fine now, Jim. Fit as a fiddle."
He considered her closely. She wasn't one to be babied but he felt a little uneasy letting her go off on her own, even if it was on a well-worn path with her home only a few short minutes away. But he didn't see anything physically wrong with her. "We'll make a deal, then, Miss Belden. You go home on your own but you call my cell phone the second you get into your house." He took his phone out of his pocket to show her he had it on him. "Deal?"
"Deal," she agreed quickly and with a disarming grin. A few years ago he would have insisted, cutting into her growing need for independence. She was grateful they were beyond that stage, where he valued her opinion as much as she did his. She paused at the entrance to the doorway, her hand on the doorframe, wanting to say more to him but only finding a few short words to give him for the way he had taken care of her. She would never forget it. It was one of those rare times when she wished she had Mart's gift for words. "Thanks for your help, Jim." Then she was gone.
He watched her go, noting her easy gait and the return of her energy and verve. She was back to normal. It made him feel good. And then he had to laugh. The small hole in the back of her jeans could now be termed a tear. It was much larger, courtesy of her fall, and there were two huge grass stains on the back of her jeans. He doubted if she'd ever be able to wear them again. Then he sighed. He wouldn't have minded seeing her in them. When she was out of sight, he turned to Susie. "I think I'll take care of you first, young lady." He slipped off the bridle first, looking closer to see if there were any marks on her face, searching for any possible reason for her uncontrollable outburst at the bluffs. Nothing. Hanging the bridle over the stall, he reached over and lifted off the saddle, leaving only the blanket left.
Then the shrill call of the bob-white rang out, his choice for his ring. There was only person who it could be. He gauged the time, noticed that she must have set quite a pace on the way home. "Hey, Trix," he said into it without looking at the number. He took off the blanket, intent on the conversation, and didn't hear the soft clink of metal on wood. He didn't see the small, sharp object roll to the side, on the outskirts of the fresh hay littering the stall, well out of his line of view, and camouflaged by the shadows.
"I made it home, safe and sound," she assured him and with a laugh to her voice. "No problems. Didn't fall, trip, faint, or do anything remotely dangerous on the way home."
"Good to know," he replied back, taking it as a good sign that she could joke. "We'll have to go riding again sometime." His mouth smiled. She sounded exactly the way his Trixie should. Happy, smiling, and beaming with vitality. He imagined that her blue eyes would be shining the way he liked best.
"Anytime...but without the fall, of course. Gotta go, Jim. Way behind schedule now! I'll see you later." She gave him a quick farewell and then hung up.
He laid the blanket on the side of the stall with the other items and then walked closer to Susie. Talking lowly to her, wanting to put her at ease, he checked her over closely, needing to see if there was any possible evidence of why she would have rejected Trixie so violently. All he could find was a small trace of blood on her back, almost too tiny for him to have spotted it. "Maybe it really was a bee sting," he muttered before heading back over to get the antiseptic to clean the infinitesimal wound. A sunbeam came through the window, landing on the sharp tack lying unnoticed on the floor.
