Page 130 of Samuel

The rain poured down in buckets, both men soaked through to the bone.

“Make sure Derrick has finished with the horses and get the barn closed up. It’ll only take me a few more minutes out here to finish up this one section.”

“Evie’s going to have my hide if I leave you alone out here.”

“Yeah, well, she’s already going to have mine when I get back to the house. I told her we’d be done before the storm rolled in.”

“Oh shit. Yeah, you’re screwed, Boss.”

“How about you do something helpful and get that calf up to the barn? I’ll be right behind you!”

Zeke threw his hands up in the air and marched away from Sam. The fence had been more damaged than they were anticipating. He couldn’t leave until it was fixed without risking injury to his herd.

He wasn’t sure how much time had passed since Zeke left, but the rain was coming down even harder by the time he was finished. Jasper was pacing under the tree he was tied to.

“Alright, old man, let’s get back up to the house.”

The second Sam was up on his back, Jasper took off.The old grump was just as ready to be some place warm and dry as he was. Lightning lit up the sky and Sam swore, tightening his hands on the reins.

It was no use. The clap of thunder that sounded across the open field rattled his bones. Jasper spooked, and Sam only had a second of warning before he was falling towards the ground…

Thirty-Seven

“Sylvie, I need to go out there. He’s not answering his phone. What if he’s hurt?” Evie rubbed the ache in her back as the storm rained down on the house. He should know why she’d be restless. He should have made it back to the house. She needed him. She needed his arms wrapped around her so the pain that every shake of thunder pulsed through her body at the memory of the night her parents died wasn’t overwhelming.

But he wasn’t back. He wasn’t back and there was an underlying sense of dread that just would not leave her alone.

“No, Evie. I can’t have you going out there. What if something happens to you? You have to think about the baby.”

“I have the worst feeling something is wrong. He wouldn’t be somewhere far enough away that he couldn’t answer his phone.” Her belly tightened, and she tried to hide how hard it was to breathe through, but Sylvie saw right through her.

“Sit. I’m going to go put some tea on and try to call him again. If he doesn’t answer, I’ll see if I can get a hold of Zeke or Derrick. Someone has to know where he’s at on this damnranch. And I’ll grab my tarot cards. We’ll ask for some guidance.”

Sylvie disappeared into the kitchen, and Evie knew what she needed to do. She walked to the door, grabbing the key ring she’d seen Sam use a million times for the ranch trucks.

She opened the front door and froze. Her heartbeat thundered loudly in her ears. She couldn’t do it. Why did it have to be storming? Why didn’t he just make it home before the storm came through?

And then it hit her like lightning. Evie couldn’t avoid the storm any more. The love of her life was somewhere out there, and she knew she needed to get to him. She needed to go out into the heart of the storm and face her past one last time. She had to, in order to save her future.

Her feet carried her forward as rain crashed over her.Get into a truck and start driving.She didn’t want to leave Sylvie, but she couldn’t be in the house without Sam for another minute. By the time she reached the barn, her clothes had become soaked through, and her teeth chattered painfully.

“Evie? What are you doing?” Derrick yelled over the rain, pulling her quickly into the barn.

“I’m trying to find Sam,” she shivered, rubbing her hands up and down her arms.

“Are you okay?” He looked at her belly before meeting her eyes again.

“Yes. I just… I don’t know how to explain it. I can feel that something is wrong?”

“Zeke is still out with him. I’m sure they’re fine. Let’s get you back up to the house.”

“No! I’m not going back until he’s here.”

Headlights flashed into the barn and Evie spun around, letting go of the breath she’d been holding.

Zeke got out of the driver’s seat and her heart sank. Shewatched as he rushed into the barn with a calf in his arms, but no Sam in sight.

“Evie, you shouldn’t be out here.”

---