Seventeen-year-old Chloe Matthews is done with guys, done with her ex, and done with the cowboys of the Grand Teton Mountains. She refuses to get hurt again.
All that matters now are the horses. Every horse Chloe helps is another piece of herself pu...
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I parked the truck in front of the rec center, took a deep cleansing breath to gather courage, and walked in. What I hadn't expected was a huge water park inside the building. There were water slides, spraying fountains, a lap pool, and a twenty-person Jacuzzi. The Jackson winters must've been long and frigid if the town sank that much money into an indoor swim park.
After I registered at the front counter, the receptionist pointed me toward the opposite side of the building. I hurried into the gym, where I was by far the youngest person there. All the women were middle-aged or older. I groaned inwardly. What were they going to teach a bunch of geriatrics? I needed real kick-ass techniques that could save my life.
"Good morning, ladies!" A small, slim woman about Mom's age walked to the front of the room. "Oh, we have a newcomer." She smiled as I edged toward the door. "You must be Chloe."
No escaping now.
"Yep," I said as the ladies turned and smiled at me.
"I'm Tina, your instructor. Go ahead and find a seat."
There was no choice but to sit through this one, but I didn't have to come back. I found a seat in the back row, resigned to waste another couple hours of my life.
Tina continued. "We have guest instructors from time to time, like today, experts in certain areas, but mostly you'll have to put up with me." She wore tennis shoes, black yoga pants, and a pink tank top beneath a blue Jackson, Wyoming hoodie.
"We're all here for the same reason," Tina said. "To stay safe. Chloe, there's something you can start doing immediately that will increase your safety. Do you know what that is?"
I shook my head.
"Be aware," Tina said. "of what is going on around you, of the people around you."
She explained that most women go through their day thinking they'll never get hurt, that nobody will ever attack them. When in reality, someone gets assaulted every two and a half minutes. Sometimes by complete strangers. Sometimes by people they know.
"Look around when you're in a store," Tina said. "or heading to your car. Even when you come out your front door. Look around your car and inside it before you get in. Be aware of the people in the parking lot. If someone acts strange, don't hunch over and try to avoid their eyes. Stand tall, walk confidently, and stare them down. This shows you're not afraid and that you could ID them, making you a far less attractive target."
I straightened immediately and rolled my shoulders back. No more victim. I forgot all about not wanting to be there. Tina was on it. I'd never thought of looking around, of staring someone down if they came too close, but I was all for it.
Tina showed us a surveillance video of how one woman fought her way out of an attack in a parking lot, in broad daylight. As she opened her car door, a guy grabbed her from behind, wrapping his arms around the woman's waist like a boa constrictor. He swung her away from her car. She hadn't seen him coming. I didn't see how she could possibly get out of it.
