Read Online Tumbleweed by Heather Huffman - Free Book Online Page B

It was exhilarating and terrifying. When I was a little girl, I would look out over hills just like these and imagine myself galloping across the fields on the back of a trusty steed, free as the wind. Well, a lope was just shy of a gallop and I probably wasn't quite as stunning as I had been in my daydreams, but this was still amazing.
    By the time we headed back, I was feeling less like Sheena, Queen of the Jungle, and more like a frozen Popsicle. Winters in these partsmight be milder than they used to be, but it was still pretty danged chilly. My fingers were starting to go numb despite the gloves and the screaming in my thighs had taken on a banshee-esque quality. I hunkered down into my coat and scowled at nobody in particular.
    “What in the….” Ethan pulled up short, his jaw clenched in anger as he glared ahead.
    “What do you suppose he's trying to accomplish with that?” David cocked his head and studied Hobbes, who was coming our direction in a beaten down old truck with the little red roan filly Aaron and I had dubbed Allie in tow. He had her tied to the bumper, and every time the truck would backfire, she'd go into a dead panic and begin trying to pull herself free from the monster. I was a little surprised she didn't pull the bumper right off.
    “He's insane,” Cheyenne shook her head.
    “What are we going to do?” I looked to Ethan.
    “Good question.” His expression darkened. The closer the two came, the more evident it was that the horse was neglected when she wasn't terrified. Her coat was filthy, her mane and tail were matted, and her hip bones jutted out in a tell-tale sign that she wasn't getting enough to eat.
    The animal lover in me wanted to beat the tar out of Hobbes for what he was doing to this poor creature. The mother in me was afraid I would bring the wrath of a psychopath down on my son. This guy's house was within walking distance, and we lived in a pretty remote locale.
    My brooding was interrupted when Ethan flagged down Hobbes and approached the truck, with David close behind. From my vantage point, I couldn't quite tell what they were saying, but it was obvious that the conversation went from “howdy” to “screw you” in about two seconds flat. When the cretin started gesturing towards me and Aaron, I moved in so I could hear.
    “She an' that brat of hers need to stay away from my horse,” he snorted indignantly and I cringed a little inside.
    “We haven't stopped by to pet her in weeks, and maybe if you ever took care of your animals we wouldn't feel the need to check on her,” I spat back without thinking.
    “That ain't your concern.” His eyes narrowed to slits and a chill ran down the length of my spine. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. Heat seeped through me and I knew – however badly I wanted to protect this horse, I was more terrified of this man.
    “You know people in this town don't take to someone hurting a horse, Hobbes,” David jumped in. “If Hailey here noticed it, she's not the only one. That pasture of yours is a wreck, and this horse looks pathetic.”
    “There's nothin' wrong with my field!”
    “You have old car batteries sitting in it. Every time I see this horse she has a new gash from the barbed wire laying in the fields.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair; I think to keep himself from grabbing Hobbes by the collar and yanking him out of the truck.
    “This town ain't nothin' but a bunch of nosey bastards with nothin' better to do. Mind yer own business, all of ya'.” With that, his truck roared to life and he took off down the road, the helpless little filly slipping and sliding as she tried to keep up.
    “We gotta call the sheriff over this one,” David shrugged.
    “Oh I'll call him, all right,” Cheyenne flushed angrily. “Why Bobby hasn't done something about that jerk before now, I don't know.”
    “Mom?” Aaron tugged on my arm, his voice quivering a little. “Is Allie going to be okay?”
    “She will,