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Authors: Narelle Atkins
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injured.”
“What can we do?” She checked the screen. No signal.
“I need you to ride up the hill and call for help.”
She gulped. “You mean ride across the creek?”
He nodded. “The pine forest is too dense on this side. The foal is injured and I need to keep his mother calm.”
She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. Lord, give me the strength to do this.
Chapter Seven
Serena opened her eyes, her mind resolute. She had no choice. It would take too long to wade through the thigh-deep creek water and climb the mile-long trail up the hill on foot. Bessie had negotiated rivers in her younger days, including the ill-fated day Serena couldn’t erase from her memory.
“Okay, Harry.” She shoved his phone in her shirt pocket. “Please pray.”
“I will, sweetheart. You can do this, and Bessie won’t let you down.”
The foal let out a weak neigh and the mare sniffed her foal, prodding it to move. Harry comforted the mare, his kind voice soothing the frightened mother.
Serena straightened her spine, focusing on her posture before speaking quiet words to Bessie. “Girl, we can do this. We’ll go slowly through the water, and we’ll see if you have the energy to canter up the hill.”
She guided Bessie back to the narrow bend in the creek, the banks less than twenty feet apart. The mare stepped into the water and plowed ahead, the gentle current swirling around her legs.
Serena’s stomach clenched into a hard knot, her body rigid as water splashed on her riding pants. She kept a steady hand on the reins and relaxed her posture. Bessie responded to the release of pressure, taking the water in her stride.
They reached dry ground and Serena let out a deep breath. She’d survived the first crossing. “Okay, Bessie. Let’s see if you have any pace left in your legs.”
She shifted her leg into the correct position and Bessie took off, her slow trot picking up speed. Serena adjusted the lead and the pressure in her calf muscles, the subtle movement in her hips inspiring Bessie to canter at a respectable pace.
“Good girl. You remember your training.” She slowed the horse to a trot as they reached the summit, bringing her to a halt at the highest point on the hill.
She tugged Harry’s phone out of her pocket and checked the screen. Yes. A strong signal appeared and she returned her mother’s missed call.
“We’ve found the horses. The foal is injured.” Serena gave a detailed update on the situation, answering her mom’s questions.
“Where are you?” her mom asked.
“I’m on top of the hill that has been cleared, and Harry is with the mare and foal on your side of the creek.”
“You rode across the creek?”
“Yep. We couldn’t get a phone signal in the valley.”
“Okay. The vet and I are only a few minutes away from Harry. We’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She disconnected the call and whispered a prayer. The foal had a better chance of surviving now the vet was on his way.
She guided Bessie back down the hill. By the time she reached the river, her mother and the vet were there with Harry.
Serena brought Bessie to a halt at a sandy spot near their original crossing. She dismounted and splashed cool water on her face. It was like old times. Nostalgia for her carefree childhood touched her heart.
Adult life was complicated. She couldn’t imagine life without Harry, yet she was due to leave him and Snowgum Creek in less than four weeks. How could they make a relationship work when they lived more than a hundred miles away from each other?
Harry appeared on the other side of the creek, sitting tall astride the majestic Mighty Boy. He waved, pausing opposite her. “I was wondering where you were.”
“I’m fine. How’s the foal?”
“My boss is examining him now.”
“Does he need your help?”
He shook his head and rode through the water to join her. “Your neighbors are there. They think the foal will be okay.”
She let out a slow
“What can we do?” She checked the screen. No signal.
“I need you to ride up the hill and call for help.”
She gulped. “You mean ride across the creek?”
He nodded. “The pine forest is too dense on this side. The foal is injured and I need to keep his mother calm.”
She closed her eyes and whispered a prayer. Lord, give me the strength to do this.
Chapter Seven
Serena opened her eyes, her mind resolute. She had no choice. It would take too long to wade through the thigh-deep creek water and climb the mile-long trail up the hill on foot. Bessie had negotiated rivers in her younger days, including the ill-fated day Serena couldn’t erase from her memory.
“Okay, Harry.” She shoved his phone in her shirt pocket. “Please pray.”
“I will, sweetheart. You can do this, and Bessie won’t let you down.”
The foal let out a weak neigh and the mare sniffed her foal, prodding it to move. Harry comforted the mare, his kind voice soothing the frightened mother.
Serena straightened her spine, focusing on her posture before speaking quiet words to Bessie. “Girl, we can do this. We’ll go slowly through the water, and we’ll see if you have the energy to canter up the hill.”
She guided Bessie back to the narrow bend in the creek, the banks less than twenty feet apart. The mare stepped into the water and plowed ahead, the gentle current swirling around her legs.
Serena’s stomach clenched into a hard knot, her body rigid as water splashed on her riding pants. She kept a steady hand on the reins and relaxed her posture. Bessie responded to the release of pressure, taking the water in her stride.
They reached dry ground and Serena let out a deep breath. She’d survived the first crossing. “Okay, Bessie. Let’s see if you have any pace left in your legs.”
She shifted her leg into the correct position and Bessie took off, her slow trot picking up speed. Serena adjusted the lead and the pressure in her calf muscles, the subtle movement in her hips inspiring Bessie to canter at a respectable pace.
“Good girl. You remember your training.” She slowed the horse to a trot as they reached the summit, bringing her to a halt at the highest point on the hill.
She tugged Harry’s phone out of her pocket and checked the screen. Yes. A strong signal appeared and she returned her mother’s missed call.
“We’ve found the horses. The foal is injured.” Serena gave a detailed update on the situation, answering her mom’s questions.
“Where are you?” her mom asked.
“I’m on top of the hill that has been cleared, and Harry is with the mare and foal on your side of the creek.”
“You rode across the creek?”
“Yep. We couldn’t get a phone signal in the valley.”
“Okay. The vet and I are only a few minutes away from Harry. We’ll see you soon.”
“Thanks, Mom.” She disconnected the call and whispered a prayer. The foal had a better chance of surviving now the vet was on his way.
She guided Bessie back down the hill. By the time she reached the river, her mother and the vet were there with Harry.
Serena brought Bessie to a halt at a sandy spot near their original crossing. She dismounted and splashed cool water on her face. It was like old times. Nostalgia for her carefree childhood touched her heart.
Adult life was complicated. She couldn’t imagine life without Harry, yet she was due to leave him and Snowgum Creek in less than four weeks. How could they make a relationship work when they lived more than a hundred miles away from each other?
Harry appeared on the other side of the creek, sitting tall astride the majestic Mighty Boy. He waved, pausing opposite her. “I was wondering where you were.”
“I’m fine. How’s the foal?”
“My boss is examining him now.”
“Does he need your help?”
He shook his head and rode through the water to join her. “Your neighbors are there. They think the foal will be okay.”
She let out a slow
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