her too and waved his arms. “No, no, no! Get out of here!”
She continued on, running as fast as her shorter legs could carry her. Her hair was a dark flag behind her, and her features were stretched with fear.
“Stop her!” At that minute, Holden didn’t care whether or not he and Jens were competing for the same woman. All he cared about was keeping that woman safe. She was just green enough not to know that deaths involving farm equipment occurred every day.
Holden’s muscles burned as he sprinted through the thick sod. The tractor rumbled slowly away, at a pace he or Jens could have easily caught up to had they been on flat ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of Stargazer’s chestnut coat.
“Jens! The horse!”
Whipping around, Jens stuck two fingers in his mouth and blew a shrill whistle that stood the hair up on Holden’s neck. Laurel stopped in her tracks as Stargazer answered his master’s call. The horse raced toward Jens. At the ready, Jens leapt as the quarter horse whipped past. Jens caught the mane and swung onto its bare back, digging in his heels and riding full-tilt for the runaway tractor.
The giant vehicle seemed to be bumping along faster. The screech of the discs extended into one long howl.
Running toward Laurel, Holden kept his gaze on Jens’s every movement. If the man was killed because of Holden’s stupidity, he’d never forgive himself. His heart drummed wildly at his ribs, and he fought for air.
“Oh my God, Holden! Jens!” Laurel’s face was a mask of horror as Holden reached her.
Holden snagged her, yanked her off her feet and into his arms. He cradled the back of her head and drew it to his shoulder. If Jens was about to be injured—or worse—Holden didn’t want her to see.
She quaked uncontrollably. The waves of her hair bounced on her shoulders and down her spine, releasing Jens’s musk. Holden’s gut clenched.
Jens spurred Stargazer on. The horse’s flanks worked as it struggled to gallop in this terrain.
A little closer.
Jens drew up beside the tractor, leaned all the way to the side and swiped a hand through the air to catch the steering wheel. He tilted precariously and nearly toppled off Stargazer’s back.
Holden sucked in a harsh breath. Jerking her head up, Laurel screamed.
Jens caught himself, using his strong thigh muscles to retain his grip on Stargazer. He pushed the horse forward again. The horse shied away from the enormous tire, so Jens took a chance—
And launched himself off the horse’s back. He sprawled over the tractor, legs dangling off.
“Holden, do something!”
Feeling as helpless as he ever had in his life, he released Laurel and raced across the field. The tractor had trundled about two hundred fifty yards away. His lungs were on fire and adrenaline sparked in his veins.
Clinging to the tractor, Jens kicked his legs, attempting to gain enough footing to hoist himself up onto the moving equipment. God, one slip and he’d be pulled under the tractor and crushed.
Holden’s throat clamped shut with terror, but somehow he continued to run.
Use your arms, man. Pull yourself up!
Had he said that aloud? Even if he did, there was no way Jens could have heard him above the drone of the engine and those maniacally squeaking discs.
But Jens pulled himself up inch by inch. His hat toppled off and rolled away into a rut of earth. Looking on, Holden’s heart squeezed as Jens suddenly surged upward. He caught the wheel and the tractor made a left-hand turn. His grip gave Jens enough leverage to throw himself across the seat.
With a sharp jerk, he set the brake.
Numbness infused Holden’s face and tingled in his fingers. Relief swept him and for the second time in days, tears burned in his eyes. He stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose hard, fighting the tears back.
Laurel rushed past him, cries bursting harshly from her with every breath she released. She reached Jens’s hat and scooped it up. Just as
She continued on, running as fast as her shorter legs could carry her. Her hair was a dark flag behind her, and her features were stretched with fear.
“Stop her!” At that minute, Holden didn’t care whether or not he and Jens were competing for the same woman. All he cared about was keeping that woman safe. She was just green enough not to know that deaths involving farm equipment occurred every day.
Holden’s muscles burned as he sprinted through the thick sod. The tractor rumbled slowly away, at a pace he or Jens could have easily caught up to had they been on flat ground.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught the flash of Stargazer’s chestnut coat.
“Jens! The horse!”
Whipping around, Jens stuck two fingers in his mouth and blew a shrill whistle that stood the hair up on Holden’s neck. Laurel stopped in her tracks as Stargazer answered his master’s call. The horse raced toward Jens. At the ready, Jens leapt as the quarter horse whipped past. Jens caught the mane and swung onto its bare back, digging in his heels and riding full-tilt for the runaway tractor.
The giant vehicle seemed to be bumping along faster. The screech of the discs extended into one long howl.
Running toward Laurel, Holden kept his gaze on Jens’s every movement. If the man was killed because of Holden’s stupidity, he’d never forgive himself. His heart drummed wildly at his ribs, and he fought for air.
“Oh my God, Holden! Jens!” Laurel’s face was a mask of horror as Holden reached her.
Holden snagged her, yanked her off her feet and into his arms. He cradled the back of her head and drew it to his shoulder. If Jens was about to be injured—or worse—Holden didn’t want her to see.
She quaked uncontrollably. The waves of her hair bounced on her shoulders and down her spine, releasing Jens’s musk. Holden’s gut clenched.
Jens spurred Stargazer on. The horse’s flanks worked as it struggled to gallop in this terrain.
A little closer.
Jens drew up beside the tractor, leaned all the way to the side and swiped a hand through the air to catch the steering wheel. He tilted precariously and nearly toppled off Stargazer’s back.
Holden sucked in a harsh breath. Jerking her head up, Laurel screamed.
Jens caught himself, using his strong thigh muscles to retain his grip on Stargazer. He pushed the horse forward again. The horse shied away from the enormous tire, so Jens took a chance—
And launched himself off the horse’s back. He sprawled over the tractor, legs dangling off.
“Holden, do something!”
Feeling as helpless as he ever had in his life, he released Laurel and raced across the field. The tractor had trundled about two hundred fifty yards away. His lungs were on fire and adrenaline sparked in his veins.
Clinging to the tractor, Jens kicked his legs, attempting to gain enough footing to hoist himself up onto the moving equipment. God, one slip and he’d be pulled under the tractor and crushed.
Holden’s throat clamped shut with terror, but somehow he continued to run.
Use your arms, man. Pull yourself up!
Had he said that aloud? Even if he did, there was no way Jens could have heard him above the drone of the engine and those maniacally squeaking discs.
But Jens pulled himself up inch by inch. His hat toppled off and rolled away into a rut of earth. Looking on, Holden’s heart squeezed as Jens suddenly surged upward. He caught the wheel and the tractor made a left-hand turn. His grip gave Jens enough leverage to throw himself across the seat.
With a sharp jerk, he set the brake.
Numbness infused Holden’s face and tingled in his fingers. Relief swept him and for the second time in days, tears burned in his eyes. He stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose hard, fighting the tears back.
Laurel rushed past him, cries bursting harshly from her with every breath she released. She reached Jens’s hat and scooped it up. Just as
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