Chapter Twenty
Jasper
The sun was hotter today, so hot that riders were allowed to ride without their jackets, and our team was clad all in white but for their boots. I stood beside Hallie, as always. She was the last to ride again today. Henry was stomping his feet, ready to go.
She pulled at her collar. “I’m boiling,” she said.
But like she always did, she conducted her precompetition ritual: chin strap, girth, water.
Mila handed her the water bottle. Hallie downed it in one.
“That’s better,” she said, and smiled at me.
It was normally just a sip, but today the weather clearly required more.
“Remember . . .” I said, but Hallie cut me off before I could finish.
“Lots of rein, hold him back on the triples, and lots of leg on the oxers.”
“Smart arse,” I said, smirking at my attitude. I leaned in closer. “Just for that, I’m going to make you wait to come tonight, Angel. Delayed gratification.”
“Sadist,” she sniped.
I shrugged. “Perhaps.”
Hallie swallowed her laugh, and Leon patted Henry’s neck, just as Dillon Matthews from Team USA came trotting out.
As he passed by, he said to Hallie, “Keep riding like this, Hallie, and you’ll be called up to Team USA in no time!”
“Thank you, Dillon!” she said, and beamed at me. My heart squeezed. She was getting all the acclaim she deserved, and she was amazing on Henry. I didn’t think I’d been prouder of anyone in my life.
The announcer called Hallie’s name, and she trotted out into the ring. Leon and I walked to the viewer’s plinth, Atticus and Sage coming too now that their rides were done.
She cantered around the outside, waiting for the starting bell to sound.
When it did, Hallie approached the first fence.
As Henry cleared it, I suddenly narrowed my eyes on Hallie and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
By this point, I knew exactly how she rode.
I knew her tells and her movements as if they were my own.
And right now, her seat wasn’t as good as it usually was.
Sage moved beside me, as did Leon. Even Atticus wasn’t speaking—we were all too busy staring at my girl. As she approached fence two, Hallie’s hands dropping too low with her reins, I said, “Something’s wrong.”
As Henry landed, the crowd murmured as Hallie nearly lost her stirrups, swaying in the saddle. “She’s too unsteady,” Leon said, a slight urgency in his voice.
“What’s wrong with her?” Sage said. “Is she too hot?”
As always, Henry picked up speed as he approached the triple, the triple that was directly in front of us. I leaned over the railing to get a closer look and watched as Hallie approached. My heart nearly stopped dead when I saw her eyes were rolling and her head was dropping forward.
“Stop her!” I suddenly shouted and ran past Sage and my cousin. I never took my eyes off her as I darted toward the ring, Hallie began to tilt, seemingly losing consciousness.
But I knew my horse, and there was no stopping him as he gunned for the triple.
Somehow, Hallie was able to stay seated over the first fence, but when I saw her eyes close on the approach to the second, Henry lifted off the ground, and Hallie’s body went completely limp.
I made it into the ring just as Hallie slipped from Henry’s back and slammed with a deafening thud onto the spread poles before falling into the wing.
Henry jumped the third fence alone, Leon rushing from behind me to stop my stallion from taking off.
My heart was in my throat as I beelined for Hallie.
The crowd was silent, so silent that only I could be heard in the still arena.
“Hallie!” I shouted, not seeing her move.
The fence had fallen, Hallie taking the full brunt of the poles and tall standard on her backbone.
“Hallie!” I screamed, just as I reached her, throwing all the broken lumber and fiberglass aside.
She was out cold. I leaned over her injured body.
“Hallie, baby, talk to me,” I begged. My heart was thundering in my chest, and panic took me in its hold.
There was a moment of relief when Hallie opened her eyes, her gaze trying its best to find me, I squeezed her hand, seeing medics running toward us in the distance.
“Look at me, Angel,” I said, but when she tried, her pupils were blown, and my stomach fell, all the blood draining from my face.
There was a suspicious-looking substance gathered in the corners of her mouth.
Had she been given something?
Had she been drugged?
“Hallie! Talk to me. Look at me!” I demanded, unable to keep any kind of calm, but her eyes rolled back again and she lost consciousness. “Hallie!” I pushed, but she wasn’t fucking waking up. “Hallie!” I tried again, my heart ripping in two.
“NO!”