Page 54 of A Steadfast Heart
The cow ignored the noise Kaitlyn made. Her head went down and she charged.
Right at Jo.
Kaitlyn’s mind froze, but her body didn’t. Without conscious thought, she flung herself over Jo’s still body. She covered her head with her arms, braced for the hooves to hit her back.
Please, Lord, protect us!
Nothing hit her. She peeked out between her arms. Black legs stood in front of her. Black? She looked up. Drew and Solomon had planted themselves between her and the cow. Crazy Cow slid to a stop inches away from the horse. “Get up, Kaitlyn. Back toward the fence slowly. I’ve got this.”
“But Jo?” Her breath snagged in her throat.
“I’ll get her.” Ed’s horse slid to a stop on her other side, and he swung down. He never took his eyes from Crazy Cow. “Get yourself over the fence. I’ll take care of Jo, and that walking pile of salt beef will never get past Drew and Solomon.”
Kaitlyn scrambled to her feet, her eyes on the dance between Drew and the cow. Solomon matched every move the angry bovine made with grace and precision. Jo groaned, bringing Kaitlyn back to reality.
She held herself to a slow pace as she crossed the fence.
Ed passed Jo over. Kaitlyn staggered at the young girl’s weight, but cradled her against her chest. They’d almost lost her.
Ed reached between the rails to wipe a trickle of blood from Jo’s face. “Is she okay?”
Jo’s eyelids fluttered, and she groaned again.
Kaitlyn laid her on the ground. “I don’t know. She has a pretty big bump on her head.”
“Once everyone’s out of the pen, Drew can join you. He’ll want to check Jo over.” He swung astride Lightning and they crossed the pen, Nick following on Surrey. Both horses gracefully cleared the fence, then Drew followed on Solomon.
Kaitlyn carefully straightened the little girl’s limbs. No shouts of pain. That had to be a good sign.
All three men gathered around Jo. Drew spared Kaitlyn a brief glance and ran a hand along her shoulder. “You okay?”
She nodded, and his shoulders relaxed just a bit. Then he turned to Jo, ran hands down her arms and legs. She opened her eyes and tried to sit up but sank back against the ground. Drew ran his hands along her ribcage, and she winced, but didn’t cry out.
Drew released a pent-up breath. Kaitlyn felt the force of his anger. “What on earth were you thinking?”
* * *
He’d almost lost them both.
Drew leaned against the porch post and rubbed his hand across his face. In the two hours since the accident, Jo had recovered far more than he had. He’d always liked his daughter’s spunky independent streak, but now it had almost gotten her killed. Nick had warned him that Jo didn’t listen to anyone but him. If Drew had listened, maybe today wouldn’t have happened.
Kaitlyn had put herself between Jo and Crazy Cow’s hooves. The moment he’d seen her climb into that cow pen, he’d thought his heart would stop. Even now, his knees weakened and his head swam at the memory. He could be preparing them both for burial right now. He released the breath that had tangled in his chest, took another, and released it slowly before a fraction of his equilibrium returned. Another breath, maybe two, and he would be calm enough to face the storm inside the house without making it worse.
He entered the house, barely stopping himself from slamming the door behind him. Jo had to learn to listen. His heart wouldn’t survive another day like today.
The door to the kitchen stood mostly open. Kaitlyn’s and Jo’s voices floated out from behind it. He stood still for a moment, letting those voices flow over him. He’d almost lost them, and the mere thought caused his stomach to churn. He softly closed the door, the sight of his shaking hands stopping him in his tracks. It was over, and they’d both survived.
He edged closer to the door and peeked inside. Kaitlyn had dragged a couple of chairs into the kitchen for them to sit in. She faced the doorway but didn’t acknowledge his presence. She was focused on Jo, who had her back to him.
“I could have ridden him. Pa says I’m a great rider.”
Even from this angle, he could tell that Jo had her arms crossed angrily over her chest, and he could imagine her stubborn expression.
Kaitlyn squeezed the water from a washrag and dabbed it along Jo’s forehead. “Hmm.” The sound was kind. How could she care so deeply for a little girl who treated her so callously?
Drew could almost see Kaitlyn biting her tongue.Be careful what you say, she’d whispered to him as he’d carried a still-dazed Jo into the house. Now she was following her own advice.
“I could. I’ve ridden green-broke horses before.”
