Page 17 of Tusks & Saddles
“I’m okay, Will—”
“Shh-shh-shh, it’s fine. It’s just a scratch.” She tried to shush him as she ransacked the saddle. Her Nightmare doused her own flames with a whinny, and she was back to being a regular, non-flaming horse. Saddle and reigns intact, but disheveled as Will ripped things out of it left and right.
“Will,” he laughed.
“Shut! Up! It’s in here—”
“Baby, look at me.”
Her head snapped back to him and found him staring at her, a warm smile on his face. He ripped the barb out of his own leg, flames licking up his body and closing the wound. She let out a ragged breath as he proceeded to take the others out with a heavy grunt. “Shit, that stings.”
“But you’re alright?” Hissing tears trickled down her cheeks as she patted down his once wounded leg.
“Flesh wounds I can fix,” he grumbled as he rolled his shoulders back. A loud, concerning crack filled the air, followed by his appreciative groan.
“Gods above, why couldn’t you have been there when Jacobus broke his leg then?” Her voice came out in a shaky sob.
“Bones I can’t fix.” Boone took her clawed hands off his body and lifted them to his lips. Her shoulders sagged immediately toward him. “And besides, I told him not to go, but those idiots got to him.”
“Thank you!” she barked, nearly smacking him silly with the back of her hand as she fell backward into the sand dramatically. “I tried to tell him that, but does he listen? No! No oneeverlistens to Will!”
Her heart stopped as she laid there, on her back, coated in sand and grime, staring up a multi-colored sky with only a glimmer of light reaching above the dunes...and watched as Boone slowly crawled over her. His hands landed on either side of her head. She swallowed hard.
“I listen to you all the time.”
“Yeah, well, you aren’t a bumbling idiot who needs saving.”
“He’s not that bad,” Boone chuckled warmly, his lips curling up in that charming way that tied up her stomach in knots.
“You know...” She had to fight her breathlessness, shivering as he shifted to be on his elbows instead. His fingers brushed the crusty hair from her face, and she wanted so very much that this moment wasn’t happening after a fight. What she wouldn’t give to be one of those glamorous princesses he was used to from the stronghold. The girls in pretty dresses and good hair that never frizzed, who were patient and kind and sweet. They would be so demur,flirtily batting their eyelashes up at him. But she wasn’t. “If this is going to work, you’re going to have to deal with us bickering.”
“Who? You and me?” He scoffed, cocking his head to one side. “You forget I purposely push those buttons of yours because I like when you talk back to me. Or you mean you and Jacobus, wherein you’re usually right and he’s just doing his best.”
Boone dug into the sand to put her cheeks in his palm.
“I’m mean, Boone.”
“I like you mean, we’ve established this.”
“I can’t...” She cut out as her throat closed up on her, two hot tears spilling down her cheek where the pad of his thumb caught them. “I can’t give you an easy life, Boone.”
“I ain’t askin’ for one, Baby...Level with me. Let’s get back to Roger, pick up what’s left, figure out the damage, then let’s me and you talk about this later? Huh? That way you can make me a list of every reason you think this won’t work. And I can prove each of those things wrong.” He pressed a soft, dry kiss to her forehead and it was the sweetest feeling in the world. Will didn’t trust herself to say any more. Firstly, because she desperately needed to rinse off and there wasn’t a river for a whole day’s ride. Secondly, because if she tried her luck here, they might be caught screaming at each other when another sand slither snuck up, lured by the smell of blood and their racket. And thirdly, because she wanted to kiss him so bad it hurt, but if she kissed him, she’d end up naked in the sand andyet againthere wasn’t a lick of water for miles.And I’m not riding with grit between my ass cheeks.
Boone hoisted her up and out of the sand, putting Betty’s reins in her hands in one fluid motion. Her horse butted her head against her side and Will ruffled the hair on top of her head. They lumbered forward, their limbs heavy already. The ride for todaywould be slow and agonizing, but sitting still would be a death sentence.
“There you are!” Roger called out as the three crested the last dune between their camp and the cattle. The enchantment had fallen, leaving Roger as their only guardian. The soft, confused moo’s as he urged them to walk forward fell away as more cattle agreed to move. Her ranch hand rode up slow on Killer, the destroyed bones of a hundred skeletons littered the sands. A hot morning breeze as the sun rose up another inch on the horizon licked up her back as Will stopped walking. “I was worried I was pushing this herd by myself now.”
“You know I wouldn’t leave you to do that alone. It would take The Bellringer dragging me her damn self to stop me.” She threw her leg up and over the saddle, settling back into the hard leather.
“Where’s Kaffa?” Roger looked around.
“She didn’t run back to you?” Boone spun, searching the horizon.
“Didn’t see her.” Roger’s eyes grew wide.
“It’s fine," Will gritted her teeth.This is not fine.Gracie’s horse was likely running like a hare through the desert, lost and confused. Boone didn’t have a horse and three people was already cutting it pretty thin. Will leaned forward, putting her face directly in Betty’s braid. The thick smell of woodsmoke and amber filled her nose, clearing her senses that were already pretty shot.Think, think, think, what would daddy do?
“Will, I—”
