Page 7 of Something Tangled Something True
“Ryder! Hurry! We need to run faster, or we’ll never make it!” I screeched, my feet pounding against the dusty, sunbaked road as we chased after any horse's worst nightmare.
“Lols, we’ll makeit!” he hollered back with a false bravado that did nothing to settle the angry swarm of bees in the pit of my gut.
I glanced at him long enough to see the way his thick brows pinch together, eyes set on the trailer ahead. My arms pumped at my sides, my calves burning as I willed myself forward. Don’t worry, big guy. We’re coming.
The massive Friesian horse was the sleekest shade of midnight black, so dark, it appeared almost blue in the hot summer sun. His mane was a stunning wave that fell below his chest, blowing in the light breeze as he stared out the metal grate, his dark eyes pleading with us to move faster.
“You need to get your freaking driver's license soon, Ry!” I yelled in frustration as my muscles fatigued, sweat dripping down my brows, burning my eyes.
“I promise, I will! We’ve almost got him, Lols. They’ve gotta slow down at the turn ahead. There’s no way we’ll miss him!” he assured me, and I let his confidence swaddle me, giving me the strength to push forward.
“What’s the plan?!” My voice was shrill over the crunch of gravel from the truck ahead.
“I’ll use my momentum to jump onto the back edge, unlatch the trailer, and then you’ll have to grab the reins and hope like hell he has the same will to save himself as we do!”
My tongue raked across my dry lips as I beat back the fear this could all go so terribly wrong. I squeaked out a less-than-assured, “Great, what could go wrong?”
Ryder’s playful grin and twinkling eyes met my twisted expression, sending a fluttering of warmth low in my belly.
“I’ll count down from five, Lols. Got it?” he asked.
“Sure!”
“Five. Four. Three,” Each descending number pressed more firmly on the heavy weight over my chest. “Two. One!”
The white trailer rig tilted slightly to the left, kicking up clouds of dust that concealed us from the truck’s side mirrors as it made the wide turn. Ryder sprinted ahead, pushing off theballs of his feet and catapulting himself high enough to grab hold of the door, steadying his lanky body on the metal lip of the trailer.
My pulse roared against my eardrums as I continued sprinting, waiting for a signal. He unlatched the door, yanking it open and grabbing for the reins, tugging firmly to urge the hulking horse to make the jump. He shot me a thumbs-up when the horse cleared the trailer and got to work grappling for the door.
I reached out for the end of the rope, my heart soaring when I grabbed it on my first try, and the Friesian made the leap out of the trailer.
The trailer buckled from the fourteen-hundred-pound loss. The rear right tire hit a rut, jostling the trailer with Ryder still on it. With wide eyes and a still, beatless heart, I led the horse in the direction we came as the metal doors swung back, slamming into Ryder’s face before he fell off the back into a heap on the dirt road.
“Ryder!” I screamed, the sound deafening.
“I’m fine, Lola! Just keep going!” he shouted back, rolling over and pushing himself up before following me. My heart rate calmed, and a wide smile stretched my lips as he sprinted to catch up with us.
I turned my attention to our new friend, gesturing for him to slow as I ran my hands over his sleek coat. “Good boy,” I cooed. “See? I told you we’d get you in time.”
Ryder let out a huff as he sidled up to us, bending forward, his hands on his knees as he panted, catching his breath. Sweat trickled down his temples, his high cheekbones flushed, dark waves curly at the sweat-dampened ends.
God, he’s beautiful.
He straightened, meeting me with a heart-stopping smile that left the organ clenching painfully in my chest. “I can’t believe we did it,” he said with a deep chuckle, his voice no longer cracking as he settled into his post-puberty voice.
I smacked his shoulder, shaking my head and rolling my eyes. “Seriously, Ry? You seemed so confident!”
He shrugs. “I didn’t want you to lose hope! See how far it got us?”
We continued walking for a few more minutes, peering behind usseveral times to make sure they weren’t coming back. Ryder took the reins from me, pulling the horse to a stop along the shoulder of the empty clay road.
“What should we name him?” Ryder mused, stroking a hand down the nameless horse's back.
“I’m not sure, but I wish we’d known what his name was before. Imagine living almost three years of your life under one identity, only to be taken to auction all because you can’t be used to reproduce,” I huffed out, crossing my arms over my chest.
“It’s a shame. He’s beautiful and well-mannered. Great temperament. It’s unfortunate he wouldn’t survive in the wild. I think he’d have been happiest grazing, running of his own will.”
“We’ll give him a good life,” I said with conviction, nodding for good measure.
