Read Online The Cedar Tree (Love Is Not Enough) by Danni McGriffith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Danni McGriffith
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glanced over his shoulder at the sky. "How much farther, now?"
She twisted, too. "Two or three miles probably," she said tightly.
"Is there any place closer?"
"Not that I know of."
He considered the angry stain filling the horizon and extending rapidly toward them in spite of a sudden ominous calm in the trees around them. Unpredictable changes in high country weather posed a threat at any time, but at over nine-thousand feet altitude and unprepared…?
He swore under his breath. Why had he forgotten his slicker that morning? "It'll be bad here in a minute. We're gonna have to make a run for it."
She sagged, her forehead lightly touching his back.
He turned sharply. "What's wrong?"
"My leg feels pretty swelled. I don't think I can hang on."
He loosened his right boot from the stirrup. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his bad knee, he slid his leg across the saddle between them.
"Get in the saddle. I'll shorten the stirrups. It'll ease your leg some."
"What about you?"
He jumped down, eyeing the sky behind them. "Don't argue. We've gotta move."
"What about Tim?" Her gaze held deep worry.
"He'll be okay."
She hesitated then heaved herself over the cantle of the saddle and onto the seat. He shortened the stirrups as much as they'd go, casting a quick glance over the herd. They'd just have to fend for themselves.
Grasping the reins and saddle horn in his left hand, he vaulted onto Lucky, circled Katie with his arms, and kicked the horse into a gallop, all in one motion.
She grabbed for the saddle horn with a startled shriek. "You'll fall off."
"Would you care?" he shouted in her ear.
"Yes, you idiot," she exclaimed. "You'd make me fall, too."
"I ain't gonna let you fall. Just hang on."
The first drops of rain rattled the aspen leaves. Then a sudden blast of wind roared through the trees like a freight train, whirling his hat away. Lucky staggered against its force. A wall of pine needles, dust, and aspen limbs obscured the way, followed by an icy torrent of rain that instantly soaked his shirt.
An ear-splitting explosion of lightning rocked the world directly in front of them. Katie screamed. Lucky planted his hooves and reared, squealing and pawing.
Blinded and with his ears roaring, he clawed for some hold on the saddle around the screaming girl in front of him. He strained every muscle, desperately trying to grip the horse's rain slick hide, but he slid relentlessly backward.
"God," he yelled in unconscious prayer. "Katie, lean forward. Get him down."
She lunged forward in the saddle and brought her fist down between the horse's ears. Lucky came down, but in mid-drop—like a too tightly wound spring exploding—the gelding gave a terrific bound forward.
He hauled on the reins. "God," he yelled again.
Adrenaline laced desperation—or something else—found him a viselike grip with his legs. He shoved forward to regain his seat behind the saddle. A groan of effort welled from his belly and ground between his teeth as he dragged Lucky's head inch by inch to the right, forcing the horse to wheel in a tight circle.
Another searing bolt of lightning and instantaneous thunder detonated in the darkness.
Katie screamed again, cowering into him with her arms over her head.
"Hang on, I said," he yelled.
She blindly grabbed at the saddle horn. He gave up controlling Lucky—terrified beyond reason, now—and brought the rein ends lashing down on the gelding's haunches. The horse vaulted forward into a driving, out of control gallop, and he let him go.
A deadly race through the deluge of rain and lightning stretched on without end. Lashed by branches and blinded by rain, he used every skill he possessed to keep the horse on its feet in the slick leaves and pine needles littering the rough track.
Without warning, Lucky planted his hooves and skidded through the mud, his lathered haunches collapsing.
He lost his grip and hurtled from the horse, falling heavily onto his shoulder. Instantly, he lunged
She twisted, too. "Two or three miles probably," she said tightly.
"Is there any place closer?"
"Not that I know of."
He considered the angry stain filling the horizon and extending rapidly toward them in spite of a sudden ominous calm in the trees around them. Unpredictable changes in high country weather posed a threat at any time, but at over nine-thousand feet altitude and unprepared…?
He swore under his breath. Why had he forgotten his slicker that morning? "It'll be bad here in a minute. We're gonna have to make a run for it."
She sagged, her forehead lightly touching his back.
He turned sharply. "What's wrong?"
"My leg feels pretty swelled. I don't think I can hang on."
He loosened his right boot from the stirrup. Gritting his teeth against the pain in his bad knee, he slid his leg across the saddle between them.
"Get in the saddle. I'll shorten the stirrups. It'll ease your leg some."
"What about you?"
He jumped down, eyeing the sky behind them. "Don't argue. We've gotta move."
"What about Tim?" Her gaze held deep worry.
"He'll be okay."
She hesitated then heaved herself over the cantle of the saddle and onto the seat. He shortened the stirrups as much as they'd go, casting a quick glance over the herd. They'd just have to fend for themselves.
Grasping the reins and saddle horn in his left hand, he vaulted onto Lucky, circled Katie with his arms, and kicked the horse into a gallop, all in one motion.
She grabbed for the saddle horn with a startled shriek. "You'll fall off."
"Would you care?" he shouted in her ear.
"Yes, you idiot," she exclaimed. "You'd make me fall, too."
"I ain't gonna let you fall. Just hang on."
The first drops of rain rattled the aspen leaves. Then a sudden blast of wind roared through the trees like a freight train, whirling his hat away. Lucky staggered against its force. A wall of pine needles, dust, and aspen limbs obscured the way, followed by an icy torrent of rain that instantly soaked his shirt.
An ear-splitting explosion of lightning rocked the world directly in front of them. Katie screamed. Lucky planted his hooves and reared, squealing and pawing.
Blinded and with his ears roaring, he clawed for some hold on the saddle around the screaming girl in front of him. He strained every muscle, desperately trying to grip the horse's rain slick hide, but he slid relentlessly backward.
"God," he yelled in unconscious prayer. "Katie, lean forward. Get him down."
She lunged forward in the saddle and brought her fist down between the horse's ears. Lucky came down, but in mid-drop—like a too tightly wound spring exploding—the gelding gave a terrific bound forward.
He hauled on the reins. "God," he yelled again.
Adrenaline laced desperation—or something else—found him a viselike grip with his legs. He shoved forward to regain his seat behind the saddle. A groan of effort welled from his belly and ground between his teeth as he dragged Lucky's head inch by inch to the right, forcing the horse to wheel in a tight circle.
Another searing bolt of lightning and instantaneous thunder detonated in the darkness.
Katie screamed again, cowering into him with her arms over her head.
"Hang on, I said," he yelled.
She blindly grabbed at the saddle horn. He gave up controlling Lucky—terrified beyond reason, now—and brought the rein ends lashing down on the gelding's haunches. The horse vaulted forward into a driving, out of control gallop, and he let him go.
A deadly race through the deluge of rain and lightning stretched on without end. Lashed by branches and blinded by rain, he used every skill he possessed to keep the horse on its feet in the slick leaves and pine needles littering the rough track.
Without warning, Lucky planted his hooves and skidded through the mud, his lathered haunches collapsing.
He lost his grip and hurtled from the horse, falling heavily onto his shoulder. Instantly, he lunged
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