Page 75 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

William and Betsy were trapped against the rocks, but the cows weren’t pressing them, which was good. “You okay?” I asked William.

He nodded, and I swear he had one eye on the bull, who lurked nearby.

“Good, just give them a minute to calm down, and we should be able to walk—”

Jake reared again, only this time he screamed like the cow had. I grabbed his neck in order to stay on.

My eyes roamed the herd, wondering what had set Jake off. Had one of them nipped him?

“I really hate cows,” I said through gritted teeth. “So. Much.”

Then true chaos broke out.

Jake tried to jump over a cow, but he crashed into it.

A bovine on the other side of Jake pushed into another one, and they both stumbled away. It was like someone had spiked their punch and it was now taking effect.

This left another gap, through which I saw the tell-tale red, yellow, and black sections of a coral snake. My fingers tightened around the reins, my heart leapt into my throat, and I leaned down close to Jake.

No wonder the other animals were freaking out.

Now I was freaking out.

“Easy, boy,” I said to my horse in a shaky voice. If I only looked at the snake for a second at a time, I might not start screaming.

Jake ignored me and tried to jump into a cow again.

“Seriously, we’re going to have training on this.”

“What’s going on?” William asked.

“There’s a snake,” I managed to say without sounding shrill.

He frowned. “Where?”

I pointed.

I never should have let the reins go, even with one hand.

The snake lunged at a nearby cow hoof, which provoked the animal to swerve toward Jake and me.

The two animals were going to slam sides, and if I didn’t move my leg, it would be caught between them. So I pulled my foot out of the stirrup and flung it over my horse, now riding side saddle.

At that same moment, Jake lurched the other way.

Without a leg on both sides of him, I slipped off. One second, I was on his back, and the next, my back was on the ground, and my wrist was wailing.

I’d planned to make fun of William for screaming earlier, but now a bubble of fear launched up my throat and came out as a piercing cry of terror.

“Brooke!” William shouted.

I didn’t pay attention, because all I could see were hoofs and the snake, which happened to be inches from my hand.

I jerked my arm to my side, sat up, and tried to scoot back, but ran into a leg. A hoof thumped hard next to my other hand, and I curled in on myself.

This was not good. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the danger noodle that sat coiled and ready to strike.

I was going to get bitten, then trampled. William would have to retrieve my dead body and take it back to the house.

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