8. Luke

After a tense breakfast at the Big House, Luke distracts himself with stall duty, thinking about Emmy and noticing she hasn’t been riding. While working near his rescue horse, Friday, he sees Emmy arrive to handle Maple but observes her shaking hands and stiff posture.

Concerned, Luke approaches. When Emmy doesn’t respond, he gently stops her grooming and turns her toward him, finding her in tears. Pressed, Emmy reveals she was thrown during drills in Denver, slammed into a fence, blacked out, and woke with blood in her eyes. Since then, she’s been having panic attacks and can’t get back on a horse despite trying daily.

As Emmy’s breathing spirals, she asks Luke to squeeze; he holds her tightly on the stable floor, rocks her, and guides her breathing until she calms. She admits the attacks predated the fall but worsened after, and nearly every ride attempt triggers them.

Luke reassures her that pushing through panic isn’t working and suggests rebuilding from the ground up. He offers to teach her like a beginner to restore trust in her skills. Emmy hesitates, noting they aren’t friends, but agrees on the condition that Gus and Wes not be told.

They set their first session for 8 a.m. the next day. Luke finishes Maple’s stall so Emmy can leave, and before she goes, they agree to be friends. Luke privately acknowledges the risk of his feelings but commits to helping her recover.