Page 70 of The Older Woman

I chuckled, shaking my head at my internal monologue. I’d been told on more than a few occasions that I could be the cocky sort. To that end, I’d cultivated a mental discussion designed to keep my ass in check. It was true that I was a few years shy of fifty. Maybe it was time I started acting like it.

Maybe. For the time being, I was having too much damn fun.

I held position for a bit longer, making sure that the bears had moved on. As I stood, I glanced up into the trees above. A few different types of birds were there and I passed the time by naming them off.

I let my eyes linger on a Goldfinch for a while, the beautiful golden color of its wings a striking contrast to the greens and whites around it. The bird hopped along the branch before finally taking off, flying into the distance.

Buddy turned his head toward me, letting his tongue hang out as he panted. I reached down and scratched the top of his head.

“Alright. You ready to get a mo—”

Before I could finish my sentence, another rustling sounded out, this time behind me. I turned in the direction of the path up Wheeler Hill—the border of Wheeler Ranch—and watched the trees. I’d expected to see the bear coming back.

It didn’t. Whatdidrace down the path was a horse. The beast was running too damn quickly to get a good look at it, but I could tell by the golden coat that it was likely a Palomino. And the fact that it was loaded up with riding gear told me that it was a tamed and owned horse, not one of those wild mustangs I’d seen around before.

The sight brought questions to mind. Namely—what the hell had happened to the rider?

It looked like the horse was headed in the direction of Wheeler Ranch, a good few miles away. Best guess if I wanted to find who’d been on top of that beast was to head the opposite way. I looked up at the darkening clouds and the storm on the horizon.

“Let’s go, Bud,” I said, following my words with a sharp whistle. “Let’s get moving, see what we can find.”

I’d already been out for a few hours. My legs were aching in that good sort of way, the kind where you knew the relief would be instant the moment you plopped your butt down. I’d been looking forward to getting back to the cabin—putting on a fire and spending the rest of the night reading—with some whiskey close at hand while the snow came down outside, Buddy curled up on the rug in front of the fireplace. Nights like those were about as close to heaven as I could imagine.

Eager as I was to get to it, there wasn’t a chance I’d be heading home without checking the trail to make sure no one was there. With what I’d seen of the horse, the odds were good I’d find some poor SOB lying hurt and cold.

Buddy and I made our way through the woods in the direction of the trail and it didn’t take long before we were on the path and heading up. The snow came down harder, the intensity greater than I’d expected. I pulled my coat tight, glancing down to make sure Buddy was close as we continued up the trail. Good boy that he was, Buddy remained right at my side.

The snow had accumulated enough that it began to crunch under my boots, my breath puffing in the air in front of me. It was getting cold enough that staying out in the open would quickly become a real danger.

I kept my eyes fixed forward on the trail, following its winding path up the hill.

Right in the middle of my trek, Buddy let out a sudden and sharp bark before tearing off ahead.

“Bud!” I shouted, watching him disappear over the horizon. “Where the hell are you going?”

I picked up the pace, moving into a jog as I hurried after my dog. He wasn’t the sort to get distracted by a rabbit or some such nonsense, he was too well-trained for that. Another bark cut through the air as I continued on as fast as I could.

“I’m coming!” I called out.

I reached the top of the slope, my lungs burning from the run and the cold air.

That’s when I spotted her.

She was curled up on the forest floor, her body covered in a fine layer of snow. She was still, her legs flopped over to one side and her arm draped over her chest.

“Ah, shit.”

I hurried over and dropped down to my knees, slipping my hand slowly and carefully behind her head. As I turned her toward me, it was impossible not to notice right away how damned beautiful she was.

Her beauty was striking, in fact. It was enough to make the windy, snowy and cold world around me vanish. Her face was heart-shaped, with delicate cheekbones, a pert chin, and a small nose. Her lips were so damn full and ripe that all I could think about was kissing them, as insane as that might’ve been to think about in a situation like that.

I shook my head, coming back to the moment and focused on the important matter before me. It was hard to tell her age for certain, but I guessed that she was somewhere in her mid-twenties. She was slender and slight, her jeans clinging to her curves and pulling my attention back to things that I shouldn’t have been thinking about. But damn if she wasn’t a beauty.

A bit of blood seeped from the back of her head, the scalp red and raised. I only knew basic first-aid, but it didn’t take a damn doctor to put together what might’ve happened. The horse was probably hers and got spooked somehow, tossing her off and giving her head a nasty knock. She was still alive, her chest rising and falling at a steady, slow pace. In her gloved hand was a phone, the screen cracked beyond use or repair. All the same, I took it and tucked it into my back pocket.

I stood and glanced to the right at Wheeler Ranch down below in the valley. There was a possibility that the girl was from there although there was no way to know for sure. Even if she was, the ranch was miles away. Not a good idea to hoof it down the mountain carrying her in the inclement weather. Besides, my truck wasn’t far.

“What do you think, Buddy?” I asked, giving the girl a once-over. “Up for some company?” Once the girl woke up and told me who she was and where she was from, I’d take her home straightaway.

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