Page 43 of Rest In Pieces

“Wow, she’s beautiful.”

“I know,” I say with a smile. “You know that’s the one thing I miss when it comes to having an RV—not being able to have a horse.”

“One day, though.” I give her a look, and she continues. “I know you love your job, but you already said that retirement comes pretty early for stunt people. And no matter how hard you wish it, eighty-year-old you probably won’t be getting many gigs.You know, unless there’s a need for badass grannies that I’m unaware of.”

I laugh as she passes me a bottle of Gatorade. I take a sip and hand it back. “I like to think I’ll be on to my next big adventure by then.”

She sighs. “You’re never going to just retire like a normal person, are you?”

“Now, where’s the fun in that?” I smile.

She shakes her head just as Jack and Stefan walk up to us.

“Amity, are you ready to do a run-through before we get you in costume?”

“Yep, absolutely.”

“Excellent.” He turns to Nevaeh and frowns. “You. I don’t know you.”

“Nevaeh is my assistant. She makes sure I’m all set and ready to go.”

“Ah, well, good.” He looks around and then bellows, “Get ready for a run-through. Anyone not needed, get off my set.”

I give Nevaeh’s arm a squeeze, her cue to move away. She nods and heads off, leaving me to listen to Stefan run through everything he wants once more and how he wants me to do it. I nod and listen as Jack takes over, pointing out the best and safest ways to perform the stunt without injury.

Once everyone’s ready and in position, I mount Jasmine and block out everything around me. I visualize every move I’m about to make, every action down to how I breathe, and as soon as Stefan shouts “Action,” I’m off.

Jasmine responds beautifully, racing across the dirt and grass at breakneck speed, her hooves kicking up a cloud of reddish dust. As we approach the first marker, I gently pull on her reins, signaling her to slow down just a touch before I release them and hold onto the saddle’s horn. This saddle hasbeen modified, making it easier to place both feet on it. Once I’m centered, I ease myself into a standing position.

I keep my eyes on the upcoming marker, using my core to maintain my balance. As soon as we reach it, I move swiftly, jumping up to grab the branch. I bang my head against it, but my grip holds firm, even as I feel the rough bark dig into my hands.

Jasmine continues to gallop away from me until Stefan yells, “Cut!” I drop down to the ground and check out my hands.

Jack walks over, looks at my hands, and whistles for someone.

“We’ll get you cleaned up real quick, and I’ll see if I can find a pair of flesh-colored gloves. I don’t know how many takes we might have to do. No point tearing up your skin if we can avoid it.”

“Thanks.” I let the set medic lead me over to her station, where she uses a pair of tweezers to remove a few splinters from my hands before cleaning them up and applying some ointment.

“Most of the stunt crews I’ve worked with complain when I patch them up,” she says, making me jump. “Sorry, I’m Mary, by the way.”

“Amity. And don’t worry about it. I was in a world of my own.” I smile as I clench and unclench my hands, feeling no residual pain. “When I first started out, I hated needing first aid too. I thought it made me look weak.”

“What changed your mind?”

“I’m not sure it was any particular incident, though there have been a few times over the years that first aid has been a lifesaver. But honestly, I think it was just getting older and caring less about fitting in that made me realize I was being an idiot. Cuts left unattended could easily get infected, and injuries left unchecked could lead to more serious injuries. And for what? I wouldn’t be able to do my job. It was stupid, really.”

“Well, maybe if they see you here with me, they won’t be so reluctant to come to me, too.”

I look over my shoulder to see where she’s looking and see Henry, Jack’s assistant, talking to a couple of the newer stunt guys I don’t really know. I’ve never worked with either of them before, and I can’t remember their names for the life of me. One of them seems okay—he pays attention, is pretty quiet, and has a certain intensity that shows how much he wants this. The other guy’s cocky—the kind of cocky that borders on reckless. I make a mental note to be cautious around him before turning back to Mary.

“I have a funny feeling you’ll get your hands on them eventually. One of them, at least.”

She chuckles as Stefan walks over.

“Everything okay?”

“Yep, nothing too bad. How did it look?”

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