Page 10 of Swept for Forever
“Listen, I take cowboy conversion very seriously.”
“Uh-huh. Do you even know how to saddle a horse?”
“Doyoueven know how to file a tort claim?”
“I don’t need to,” he shot back. “You don’t need to know how to saddle a horsehere. You just need to know how to ride one.”
“Well,” I said, “that’s a minor issue.”
“A minor—” He groaned. “I’m gonna have to teach you, aren’t I?”
“You offering? Because I’ll take you up on that.”
Noah sighed dramatically. “This is gonna be painful.”
“For me or for the horse?”
“Both.”
I smirked. “Good thing I’ve got six months to figure out how to sit on one without falling off.”
Noah groaned again. “Jesus. Buffaloberry’sdoomed.”
3
AUTUMN
Morning came slowly.
Or maybe it just felt that way because I was still drenched, still cold, and still huddled under the shallow rock overhang like some washed-up stray. The fire I’d managed to start had done little. Setting up the tent in a clearing wasn’t an option. Too risky.
So much for a starfish sleep!
I reached for my phone. It should’ve been charged. I’d plugged it into my power bank before sleeping and tucked it away so it stayed dry.
I pressed the button. Nothing.
I held it down longer. Still dead.
Yanking out the power bank, I checked the connection. No blinking light. No charge.
Fuck!Something must’ve shorted it out. I had no clue where the hell I was, except that the Blodgett trailhead was way behind me. Turning around could be an option, but it was too dangerous.
Think, Autumn.
I’d glimpsed the map last night before my battery gave out, so I had a general idea. I just needed to keep heading south.
The useless phone went back into my crossbody bag.
I pulled myself up, and pain shot up my leg. I bit back a curse, gripping the nearest tree for balance. My ankle wasn’t broken, but it sure as hell wasn’t happy with me.
Anyway, it didn’t matter. I couldn’t stay. That stiff-necked bastard would find me.
I gave my surroundings a quick scan. There was no sign of him. No sign of the dog.
It was time to move.
The first few steps were a mess, stumbling over roots, every movement making my ankle protest. The swelling wasn’t terrible. On pavement, I’d have managed just fine. But with the pack on my back and the trail underfoot, even a mild ache felt like a parade of pain.
