Page 63 of Won’t Let You Get Away

However, it’s not just about me anymore.

If we can’t have an open conversation about this, how will we communicate about our child?

A distant rumble of thunder quickens my pace. By the time I reach the crest of the hill and the cabin comes into view, I’m panting and regretting my decision to leave. My daily walks toand from the winery clearly haven’t prepared me for this trek. Although, in my defense, the path on my parents’ property is flat.

The sudden flash of lightning illuminates the sky, startling a scream from me. The sky opens up almost immediately afterwards, urging me to quicken my pace. As I approach the fence, something stirs, nearly causing me to lose my footing.

“Oh my god,” I gasp, instinctively rushing closer before remembering to slow down at the last minute.

Rosie neighs, rearing up as much as she can before snorting at me.

“How long have you been out here?” I ask Rosie calmly, hoping it will help calm her enough to let me get closer.

She responds with a huff, dramatically shaking her head and pulling back again.

From what I can see, some of the replacement posts have fallen, and her lead must have gotten caught when she tried to pass through.

“It’s okay. I’m here,” I attempt to soothe her over the sound of the rain.

I hadn’t considered that Rosie would be here when I decided to stay at Noah’s last night, even though she has been here every day for the past couple of months.

“I’m so sorry,” I tell her.

I step closer, but she flinches again. When I move away to give her some space, I stumble into the fence beside me. Wiping my soaking wet hair from my face, I sigh and glance towards the cabin.

At this point, my clothes are completely soaked through. The darkness and mud make everything slippery. Adding a frightened horse into the mix? I’m nowhere near capable of helping her without risking being trampled on in the process.

The fence isn’t very high, so although I don’t think it’s safe to slip past Rosie through the broken section, climbing shouldn’t be an issue.

Shifting my purse around my shoulder, silently praying it’s keeping my phone dry, I reach for the fence and lift my foot. Stepping onto the bottom horizontal post, I test my weight and make sure my shoe won’t slip. Taking into account that it’s been years since I climbed a fence and considering my drenched clothes and baby bump, I think I’m doing good.

That is until I’m on the verge of pulling myself up to swing my leg over the top when suddenly a voice yells from directly behind me. “What the hell are you doing?” Noah yells over the rain, causing me to yelp in surprise.

I scramble to maintain my hold as I tumble backwards, but it’s futile. Before I even have time to brace myself for impact with the ground, Noah catches me with a grunt. It’s far from a graceful fall; I don’t land perfectly cradled in his arms as one might see in a movie scene. Instead, it’s a crash landing: one of his arms ends up between my legs while the back of my head collides with his face. His other arm holds me close to him. If anyone were to see us, we must look like a parent struggling to restrain a flailing toddler.

Noah stumbles back but ultimately steadies us, cursing under his breath. He lowers my feet to the ground, removing his arm from between my legs and helping me turn to face him. The headlights from his truck cut through the rain, illuminating his face.

“Why were you climbing the fence in the rain?” Noah asks through gritted teeth.

I bristle at his tone and point at our horse. “Rosie’s stuck.”

“So you climbed a fence? What if you fell and something happened to you or the baby?” he asks.

I narrow my eyes at him. “I was managing just fine until you scared the shit out of me.”

Noah pinches the bridge of his nose and sucks in a deep breath. “You shouldn’t be climbing fences in the middle of a storm, especially not six months pregnant.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I resist the urge to shiver as the wind picks up. “I wasn’t rock climbing without a harness. It was either this or get too close to a frightened horse and risk getting crushed. I knew what I was doing.”

I clench my fists and hide them under my arms. He doesn’t have the right to chastise me for this, especially when it’s his farm staff’s negligence that left Rosie unaccounted for.

Noah mumbles something under his breath but turns his attention to Rosie.

She huffs at him, attempting to free herself.

I watch with fascination as Noah relaxes, raising his hands in the air and murmuring soothing words to her. She calms down, allowing him to place a hand on her nose while he reaches for her reins with his other hand.

He makes it look easy as he untangles her and keeps her calm enough to lead away from the fence. Without looking back at me, Noah guides her towards his truck and releases her.

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