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Authors: Kathryn Brocato
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didn’t have time to shriek. The wind pushed any sound she made back down her throat. She relived her entire life within a grand total of five seconds.
Rhyolite flew down the driveway, galloping at full tilt toward the road that ran in front of the house. Gravel flew in all directions from beneath his mighty hooves. The only thing Felicity could see was a blur of grass. She bent forward, gasping, and wrapped her arms in a death grip around the horse’s neck. She dimly heard Aaron’s shouts and the yells of the two little boys. The rumble of Rhyolite’s hooves thundered in her ears.
Tires screeched. A horn blared. Rhyolite reared violently and made a two-legged turn. Felicity felt her body become weightless as she parted company with the saddle on Rhyolite’s back. She floated across space and made a three-point landing on Aaron’s well-maintained lawn.
She lay on her back, gazing up at the white-blue sky of deep summer. Dazed, Felicity found herself fascinated by a fluffy white cloud hovering overhead. She studied it, dimly amazed that it was so white and so scalloped around the edges. She had never seen a cloud quite like it before.
People bent over her, blocking her view of the sky. It irritated her, but she couldn’t summon interest in telling them to move. She focused on the pieces of blue she could see while the summery odor of green grass caressed her senses.
“Felicity, are you all right?” Pete cried. “You really are a good cowgirl. You made old Rhyolite do a pirouette.”
Felicity smiled. She didn’t know what that meant, but she could see that in Pete’s eyes she had earned her cowgirl’s spurs.
“Felicity, please get up,” Joey pleaded.
“She almost rode that horse over my truck,” an aggrieved voice said. “Damn it, Aaron, you ought to be more careful who you let ride that crazy gelding of yours.”
“Shut up, Chance.” Aaron sounded frantic. “You nearly hit one of my cows last week doing ninety miles an hour down this road. This wouldn’t have happened if you’d been driving at a decent speed.”
“Felicity,” Joey called. “Felicity, wake up.”
Felicity was dimly aware of the way Aaron checked her limp body over, tight-lipped and pale with anxiety. Although she found his concern heart-warming, it was misplaced. She felt wonderful.
“Aaron, is she all right?” Deborah approached at a run. “Should I call an ambulance?”
Felicity noted Aaron’s concern. But when he tapped her cheek gently with his forefinger, she saw the motion but didn’t feel it.
“I don’t know,” he bit out. “She seems conscious, but I can’t get her to respond.”
“Felicity, wake up,” Pete called.
Felicity wished everyone would quiet down and let her continue her peaceful communing with the summer sky. A full five minutes passed before Felicity’s senses fully returned; she wished they hadn’t. Everything had been so quiet and restful.
“I think I’m all right,” she said at long last. “I just had the breath knocked out of me for a minute.”
Aaron sucked in his own breath and carefully lifted her to a sitting position. The moment she sat up unaided, he laid into her.
“You ought to be horse-whipped,” he roared. “You nearly got my horse killed.”
“Hush, Aaron,” Deborah begged. “What if she has a concussion?”
“Your crazy horse nearly dumped me on the road in front of that man’s truck,” Felicity returned. “I ought to sue you for possessing a wild, unruly animal and making people ride it.”
Aaron’s mouth opened, but for a moment no sound came out. Then he appeared to find his voice.
“I ought to sue you for pretending you knew how to ride a horse, you phony cowgirl,” he shouted. “You’ve never ridden a horse before in your life, have you? Well? Have you?”
“Aaron, please,” Deborah said. “She might be hurt.”
“Don’t mind him, Deborah,” Felicity said. “He’s just behaving like a jerk because he’s so relieved his stupid
Rhyolite flew down the driveway, galloping at full tilt toward the road that ran in front of the house. Gravel flew in all directions from beneath his mighty hooves. The only thing Felicity could see was a blur of grass. She bent forward, gasping, and wrapped her arms in a death grip around the horse’s neck. She dimly heard Aaron’s shouts and the yells of the two little boys. The rumble of Rhyolite’s hooves thundered in her ears.
Tires screeched. A horn blared. Rhyolite reared violently and made a two-legged turn. Felicity felt her body become weightless as she parted company with the saddle on Rhyolite’s back. She floated across space and made a three-point landing on Aaron’s well-maintained lawn.
She lay on her back, gazing up at the white-blue sky of deep summer. Dazed, Felicity found herself fascinated by a fluffy white cloud hovering overhead. She studied it, dimly amazed that it was so white and so scalloped around the edges. She had never seen a cloud quite like it before.
People bent over her, blocking her view of the sky. It irritated her, but she couldn’t summon interest in telling them to move. She focused on the pieces of blue she could see while the summery odor of green grass caressed her senses.
“Felicity, are you all right?” Pete cried. “You really are a good cowgirl. You made old Rhyolite do a pirouette.”
Felicity smiled. She didn’t know what that meant, but she could see that in Pete’s eyes she had earned her cowgirl’s spurs.
“Felicity, please get up,” Joey pleaded.
“She almost rode that horse over my truck,” an aggrieved voice said. “Damn it, Aaron, you ought to be more careful who you let ride that crazy gelding of yours.”
“Shut up, Chance.” Aaron sounded frantic. “You nearly hit one of my cows last week doing ninety miles an hour down this road. This wouldn’t have happened if you’d been driving at a decent speed.”
“Felicity,” Joey called. “Felicity, wake up.”
Felicity was dimly aware of the way Aaron checked her limp body over, tight-lipped and pale with anxiety. Although she found his concern heart-warming, it was misplaced. She felt wonderful.
“Aaron, is she all right?” Deborah approached at a run. “Should I call an ambulance?”
Felicity noted Aaron’s concern. But when he tapped her cheek gently with his forefinger, she saw the motion but didn’t feel it.
“I don’t know,” he bit out. “She seems conscious, but I can’t get her to respond.”
“Felicity, wake up,” Pete called.
Felicity wished everyone would quiet down and let her continue her peaceful communing with the summer sky. A full five minutes passed before Felicity’s senses fully returned; she wished they hadn’t. Everything had been so quiet and restful.
“I think I’m all right,” she said at long last. “I just had the breath knocked out of me for a minute.”
Aaron sucked in his own breath and carefully lifted her to a sitting position. The moment she sat up unaided, he laid into her.
“You ought to be horse-whipped,” he roared. “You nearly got my horse killed.”
“Hush, Aaron,” Deborah begged. “What if she has a concussion?”
“Your crazy horse nearly dumped me on the road in front of that man’s truck,” Felicity returned. “I ought to sue you for possessing a wild, unruly animal and making people ride it.”
Aaron’s mouth opened, but for a moment no sound came out. Then he appeared to find his voice.
“I ought to sue you for pretending you knew how to ride a horse, you phony cowgirl,” he shouted. “You’ve never ridden a horse before in your life, have you? Well? Have you?”
“Aaron, please,” Deborah said. “She might be hurt.”
“Don’t mind him, Deborah,” Felicity said. “He’s just behaving like a jerk because he’s so relieved his stupid
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