Love You to Death (22 page)

“Well...” I hedged, kicking the blacktop with
the toe of my shoe.

“A girl could do worse. I like that about me.
People tend to do what I want when they think I’ll make a
fuss.”

“You’re a terrorist.” I grinned.

“Pretty much.” She nodded, her smile fading
to a frown. “But I never wanted Cort to think I liked Gideon enough
for him to give me up without a fight. I just wanted to make him
jealous enough to do something for once.”

“Well, I can tell he likes you, but he isn’t
going to say so because he’s convinced you want Gideon. I think
Cort is the type to give you what you want even though it means
giving up what he wants. That, to me, is true love,” I
lectured.

“Ugh. What a freakin’ mess.” She plopped into
the driver’s seat. “I guess he’ll never ask me out now.”

I leaned my hip against the front fender,
thinking.

“Maybe not.” I tapped my chin with my
forefinger.

Maggie tilted her face in my direction,
waiting. I don’t know why, but all of the sudden it was important
to me to help Cort and Maggie. Maybe it was selfishness. Maybe I
was doing it to clear a path for me and Gideon. I gave myself a
mental shake. That was never going to happen. Not in this lifetime.
I guess the least I could do was help make someone else’s true love
dream come true.

“Are we bonding?” She smirked.

“God no.” I made myself shudder with
exaggeration. She tossed her head back and laughed.

“I think I might like you, City.”

“Great, then maybe you can stop calling me
City.”

“We’ll see.” She closed her door, waving her
hand, motioning me to get in. “What’s your plan?”

“Okay... this is what we’re going to
do...”

* * * *

Maggie saddled up Sampson for me. I was a
nervous wreck. I knew this was my plan, but after weeks of setting
it up I failed to think clearly enough to realize I would have to
actually get
on
the horse.

“Relax. You’ll be fine. Sampson is a perfect
gentleman,” Maggie said, tightening the flank cinch.

“I’ve never been on a horse before, Maggie,”
I said, licking my lips. “When I suggested this little scenario, I
thought it would be you riding off into the great unknown.”

“Look, this is the perfect way to get Cort’s
attention. You need to calm down.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re the one sweeping
in for the rescue,” I whined.

“Just keep to the trail and you’ll be fine.
Remember where I showed you to stop?”

“Yes, yes, I know all the steps.” I waved her
off.

The plan was better in theory than in action.
Now that I was about to kick off the chain of events, I wasn’t so
sure they’d work.

“Stop worryin’.” Maggie giggled. “You’re like
an old lady. This is a great plan. It’ll work. Giddyup.” She patted
the saddle. I swallowed a rising lump and stepped into the
stirrup.

OhGod.OhGod.OhGod
.

Sampson stood perfectly still as I threw my
leg over his back. He only snorted once, as if to say, ‘Get a move
on.’

“I’ll wait about an hour then raise the
alarm,” Maggie said, shoving a bag of snacks into the saddle bag.
“See ya then, partner.” She gave Sampson a pat on his hind quarter.
He snorted indignantly. I dug my heels in, like Maggie showed
me.

I had to make myself breathe in and out as
the horse sauntered off toward the wooded trail. According to the
plan, I was supposed to be taking a leisurely ride and suddenly
become lost so that Maggie could grab Cort and the two of them
could spend hours looking for me, just the two of them, then I’d
call her and tell her I was okay. But hopefully by that time she
and Cort would be miles away and end up camping out.

The Northern Star was 126 acres large with an
equal mix of open space and wooded area. Without knowing where I
was headed I could very easily get lost. But my good friend Maggie
assured me I wouldn’t get lost as long as I stuck to the trail.

Maggie and I developed a speedy alliance
since our night of combat. She learned I wasn’t after her identity.
I learned she wasn’t as selfish and spoiled as she pretended.

Mid-September in Kentucky was pretty much the
same as back home. The waning summer days were pleasantly warm,
giving way to colder temperatures at night. After the sun went down
the night wind was chilly enough for us to break out heavy
sweaters. I was wearing a thick cream colored cable knit and a pair
of jeans.

Sampson ambled along the trail. He seemed to
be enjoying the walk as much as I was. I figured I’d stay out here
about two hours, an hour out and an hour back. I’d be back in time
for dinner. Aurora was making her own version of Burgoo.

My thoughts quickly turned to Gideon. He and
JD left this morning to look at a sick colt for a neighbor. I
missed him, which was silly. If he’d stayed home I wouldn’t be with
him anyway. He’d be holed up in the hospital or making rounds with
JD. He’d be back in time for dinner which is why I was in a hurry
to get back.

We were still going for our Sunday drives.
Every now and then he’d tell me I was ready to take my test and
offer to take me. Then I’d feign lapses of forgetfulness, making my
three-point turns into six or run off the road a few times so he’d
recant the suggestion.

There was no way I could get my license. I
couldn’t tell him that though. I think he knew I was holding
something back. I liked to think he wanted to be alone with me and
that’s why he kept up the pretense of teaching me. He was giving
off all the signals of being interested, but he never made a move.
Part of me was glad. The other half, though, the half that wasn’t
afraid of what I was feeling wanted him to grab me by the shoulders
and kiss me senseless.

Sampson stopped. I snapped out of my daze to
look around. I didn’t see or hear anything.

“What’s wrong, boy?”

He perked his ears and started prancing. I
smoothed a hand down his velvety neck, trying to placate him. He
whinnied. Suddenly, a fox darted out from behind a tree, startling
Sampson. He reared up and took off.

“Whoa!” I screamed, clamping onto the reins.
I was literally holding on for dear life. Sampson galloped off the
trail and into the woods.

I bent forward, trying to get as low as I
could so my head wouldn’t get knocked off by a low branch. I was
gritting my teeth to prevent screaming and scaring Sampson more
than he already was. Maggie had taught me how to stop the horse,
but I was so scared I forgot what it was. Saying “whoa” wasn’t
working.

Where was the off button?

* * * *

Sampson finally slowed down to a stop. He was
breathing heavy and snorting. I was cramped from squishing my body
into a pocket sized version of myself. I swear I could hear the
squeak of a rusty hinge as I sat up straight.

“Oh man, Sampson. Where are we?” I groaned,
looking around. We were standing on the edge of the woods with
nothing, but the rolling hills of pasture, as far as the eye could
see. I slid from Sampson’s back, contemplating my situation. I had
no cell phone, no camping gear, and absolutely no friggin’ idea
where, on the farm, I was.

First rule of thumb when lost is to stay put.
But the sun had already disappeared, taking the last of the
daylight with it. The temperature was dropping steadily. When a
forceful breeze blew by, the heavy sweater wasn’t enough to keep me
warm. I rubbed my arms briskly.

Taking the reins, I led Sampson to the cover
of the trees, tying him to a branch. I started pacing. Someone
would come for me. All I had to do was stay here and remain calm.
And warm. On queue my stomach growled. I remembered the bag of
snacks Maggie packed and dug them out. Beef jerky and trail mix. I
inhaled the trail mix first, it had chocolate.

Somewhere in the dark an owl hooted. The
thought of my being alone out here in the woods with other living
creatures freaked me out. Visions of sharp teethed little
flesh-eating varmints played in my head. I parked myself cross
legged under the tree where Sampson was tied. He bent his head to
nuzzle my cheek.

“I know, big boy, you’re hungry too.” I
patted his nose. “Sorry, Mags didn’t pack you anything. We’re going
to have to hope really hard that someone will find us...and sooner
rather than later because I’m cold and hungry.” Sampson snorted his
agreement, making me smile.

* * * *

According to the watch Maggie loaned me it
was 9:00. I’d been gone for over three hours. I was curled up in
the fetal position trying to keep my body heat from escaping. As I
lay there, huddled on the freezing cold ground, I wondered if our
plan had worked so my suffering would not be in vain. Where were
Maggie and Cort right now? Huddled inside a nice warm tent,
snuggled together in a lovers embrace?

Probably.

While I froze my tush off in no man’s land,
they were getting busy. My fingers were losing feeling so I gave
them a quick shake. The things I get myself into.

“I’m an idiot,” I said to Sampson.

I was getting sleepy. I checked the time
again, a little after ten. Just as the first wave of
unconsciousness crept over me I thought I heard my name. It was
faint, echoing.

Dreaming,
I thought, huddling tighter
into myself.

Then I heard the unmistakable drone of a
vehicle. The best I could manage was to half-open my eyes, and even
that was a struggle.

Dark figures leapt from horses, headlights
wiggled in and out.

“Oh man...” I heard Cort say.

“Cherry!” Maggie cried out.

“Hey,” I managed, despite my dry scratchy
throat. I was spittin’ dust, as Gideon would say. “It worked.” I
coughed, looking up at her. She cast a worried glance over her
shoulder then reached out to take a blanket from Cort and cover me
with it.

“It worked alright.” She sighed
disgustedly.

“What? You mean it didn’t?”

“Let’s talk about it later, okay?” She cupped
the back of my head, lifting a thermos cup to my parched lips. Warm
broth trickled down my throat. It was heavenly.

“What time is it?

“A little after midnight.” She cringed when
she said it.

“All this was for nothing?” I whimpered. “I’m
such an idiot.”

“You said it.” Gideon emerged from the night
like a ghost. He threw me a look so hot I could almost feel the
flames. His angry stride quickly brought him to my side.

He knelt down next to me and opened his
doctor’s bag. Reaching for me, he took my hands from under my arms
where I’d tucked them for warmth.

“You’re an ice cube,” he snapped.

“This isn’t exactly Palm Beach,” I tried to
joke. The chattering of my teeth cut off any attempt at laughter.
He took something out of the doctor’s bag. There was a brief rustle
of plastic before he shoved something into my hands. Heat flooded
through my fingers.

“Next time you two think up a scheme, try to
know what you’re doin’,” he snapped again. This was a new side of
Gideon. Tiny sparks of joy exploded in my chest. I shuddered with
excitement at the thought of dear, sweet, Gideon all beside himself
over a lost little old me. I couldn’t hold back the satisfied grin
spreading over my face.

“You think this is funny?” he nearly shouted,
sitting me upright.

I shook my head, trying to turn my smile into
a frown. Nope, wasn’t happening. Gideon’s face was shadowed, but I
could make out the fierce scowl puckering his mouth.

Cort busied himself with Sampson. He
unsaddled the horse and covered him with two thick woolen blankets
before leading him away. Maggie carried the saddle, following
him.

“Do you know what could’ve happened to you
out here? It’s supposed to get down to forty degrees tonight. You
could’ve gotten hypothermia or been attacked by an animal. You do
know there are wolves and bears out here, right?” He grabbed my
arms and gently hauled me to my feet. He wrapped the blanket so
tight around me I felt like a burrito.

Then he lifted me off the ground. I relaxed,
happy to be safe and warm in the arms of Gideon. Even if he was mad
at me.

“We’ll take Sampson,” Cort said. “Meet ya
back at the house.” He and Maggie climbed onto their horses. Maggie
tossed an unidentifiable look over her shoulder as she rode
away.

Gideon managed to open the truck door while
still holding me. A rush of hot air gusted over my face. I almost
purred. He settled me in the front seat and shut the door. My eyes
were heavy and drooping when he opened the driver’s door and
climbed in.

“Oh no you don’t, Sleeping Beauty,” he said,
expelling a ragged breath, “I wanna hear what the heck you were
thinking. You had no business on that horse or riding out here
alone at sun down.”

“It wasn’t supposed to be this long,” I
mumbled. “Sampson got spooked. He just took off, and I was too busy
hanging on for dear life to see where he was going.”

“That’s you’re excuse? The horse took off on
you? The horse you shouldn’t have been on in the first place?”

“Yeah, the dead one you’re beating,” I
quipped.

“Stop it, just stop it!” he yelled, hitting
the steering wheel with his fist.

Instinct kicked in. I came to life, jumping
out of my slump. Without thinking I yanked the handle, swinging the
door open. I didn’t wait to see if he’d follow. I took off running,
pumping my half-frozen legs for all they were worth, which wasn’t
much.

I ran back into the woods, into the cover of
the trees, their branches reaching out and scraping my face and
snagging the arms of my sweater like talons. But I wasn’t fast
enough. Gideon’s fingers caught the fabric at my shoulders. He held
tight, slowing down until I did too.

I fought like a wild animal. Kicking,
screaming while trying to squirm out of his grip. I didn’t realize
I was crying until I heard Gideon’s soft voice.