Page 292 of Conveniently Wed
“Whoa, boys! Whoa!” Erik called, pulling back on the reins, frantic to get the team under control.
Aundy clung to the side and back of the seat, praying for the runaway horses to stop.
“Get down, Aundy,” Erik yelled, motioning for her to climb beneath the wagon’s seat. She followed his orders, wedging herself into the space as she listened to the thundering of the horse’s hooves and Erik’s shouts for them to stop.
The wagon veered sideways, then slid back before hitting the side of the ditch bank and flipping over, sliding in the mud.
Aundy’s screams mingled with Erik’s shouts before everything went black.
2
Cautiously opening her eyes, Aundy tried to recall where she was, what was happening.
She remembered the runaway wagon and shifted her gaze upward. The floor of the wagon loomed above her head while her back rested on the base of the broken wagon seat. Swiftly realizing the wagon was upside down, she felt grateful the seat had kept her relatively safe.
After taking a quick inventory to make sure she could feel her toes and fingers, she discovered her left arm throbbed painfully, but everything else seemed to be in working order.
Carefully turning over, she hoped Ilsa would forgive her for completely ruining the travel suit she had painstakingly remade from some of their mother’s clothes.
Mud oozed through the fabric of her skirt and into her petticoat as she scooted forward over the front end of the wagon. Cold and slimy, it made her shiver as she climbed from beneath the wagon and pulled herself upright.
The horses were both still on their feet, hooked to the wagon. Blood trickled down the hindquarters of the one nearest her. Nervous and antsy, each time they moved, the wagon creakedand shifted. Afraid of them spooking again, Aundy looked around, wondering where Erik had gone.
Two of her trunks sat upended in the road, a little muddy but none the worse for wear. The third rested at an odd angle with the lid hinges broken. A pile of frothy white unmentionables floated in the mud near her bedraggled coat. Hastily gathering her soiled clothes, she rolled them in her coat and set the bundle on top of one of the unbroken trunks.
Upset, she craned her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of Erik, when she heard a deep moan. She walked around the end of the wagon and drew in a sharp intake of breath. A corner of the wagon bed rested on her husband’s chest, pinning him in the mud with his head twisted to one side.
“Erik,” she whispered, hurrying to him. Aundy dropped to her knees and lifted his head to her lap. “Erik, can you hear me? Please, Erik. Please wake up.”
Another deep moan answered her pleading. Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she wiped at the mud on his face and begged him to wake up. His eyelashes fluttered and he finally opened his eyes.
“Aundy?” Erik raised his eyes to hers. Pain and despair filled their blue depths.
Tears rolled down Aundy’s cheeks. “Erik, what can I do? How can I help you?” She had no idea what to do. Nothing helpful came to mind. She certainly couldn’t move the wagon herself and was afraid to get near the horses.
“Unhook the horses,” Erik said, clenching his teeth as the animals moved nervously and the wagon shifted on top of him.
Aundy carefully lifted his head from her lap. She spied Erik’s hat lying a few feet away and slid it beneath his head to keep him out of the mud.
“I don’t know how. What do I do?” Aundy straightened her spine and turned to look at the horses as they took anothernervous step, dragging the upended wagon across Erik, causing him to gasp for air.
Finally regaining the ability to speak, Erik gave her instructions using as few words as possible while Aundy swallowed down her fear. She unhooked the horses, just as Erik told her, and hurried back to him. The team took a few forward steps then dropped their heads to graze on the side of the road, unaware of the havoc they created with their wild run.
“Get Garrett,” Erik whispered as she bent down beside him. His voice grew weak and he squeezed his eyes shut.
“Who’s Garrett? Does he work on your farm?” Aundy racked her brain for the name Garrett. Had Erik mentioned anyone named Garrett in his letters? Not that she could recall.
“Neighbor. Garrett Nash.” Erik slowly turned his head in the direction of town.
“Garrett Nash,” Aundy repeated. Erik had pointed out the Nash farm about a half-mile down the road. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”
Erik didn’t answer but he opened his eyes and blinked.
Aundy grabbed her mud-soaked skirts in one hand while she held her injured arm close to her side and started running down the road, sending a steady stream of prayers heavenward for Erik to be fine. By the time she reached the turnoff to the Nash farm, her lungs burned and she was convinced she’d accumulated so much mud on her shoes and clothes, it added an extra twenty pounds of weight.
She topped the little rise in the Nash’s lane and took in a massive barn and corrals. A big two-story farmhouse offered a welcoming porch that wrapped all the way around. She hated to go to the front door in such a state, but she didn’t know what else to do. After racing up the steps, she rapped sharply on the door, trying to catch her breath.
The door swung open as she raised her hand to knock again. She looked into the cheery, round face of a small woman with dark hair and silvery gray eyes.
