“Thanks, guys. When we get back to the barn, make sure everything is locked up tight. This should blow over quickly, but I want to be safe.”
As I take the back road to the barn and pull up outside, I see the door is ajar. I know it was closed when we left, to make sure no other animals tried to scurry out. I hop out of the truck, and the guys do the same while the other men on horses round in the last of the cattle. I help them get the stragglers into the barn, and we lock up that side.
“Boss, there’s a horse missing,” someone calls, and I walk over to the stalls.
Walking down the rows one by one, I count off until I get the empty stall. Confusion pulls at me because I’ve counted all my horses, but then it hits me. Bow. I haven’t had her long enough to factor her into the count, and I take off like a flash to the truck.
Already it’s pouring outside, but I don’t care. Why the fuck would Kitty take her out in a storm? The horse would have been nervous to ride, knowing that bad weather was coming. Most animals can sense these kinds of things, so I’m shocked she let her ride her.
Maybe it had been too long, and she missed her owner, because that damn horse loves Kitty. Either way, I’m going to slap Kitty’s ass when I get my hands on her.
Sheets of rain come down as I take off back down the road and think about which way Kitty would have gone. Would she go back to the lake? The trail is off road, but it’s not hard to get to. If she went on it once, she could probably find it again. Taking the chance that might make all the difference, I stomp my foot on the gas and take off in that direction.
By the time I make it to the gazebo, I can hardly see more than ten feet in front of me. I jump out of the truck and rush over to it, and I see Kitty with Bow beside her taking shelter from the rain.
“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” I shout, but the second I get under the gazebo, Kitty throws herself in my arms.
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry,” she pleads, and I hold her close.
“Shhh,” I say softly when I feel her body shaking. I was so angry on the way here because she put herself in danger, but I didn’t stop to think about how scared she might be. “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay.”
“Oh god, Judge, I’m so sorry. I just wanted to go for a ride, and I wasn’t paying attention to the storm until it was right on us.” She sniffs, and I lean her back so I can look in her eyes.
She’s soaking wet, and yet I can still see the tears falling down her cheeks, so I wipe them away. “I’m here now, don’t worry.”
A loud rumble of thunder rolls, and Bow moves nervously around the small shelter. I look around to see if this kind of thing will hold in a storm, and I don’t know if it will. I also don’t know if Bow can make it back to the barn in this rain, but I don’t have a lot of options. It’s only going to get worse the longer we stay here, so I have to make a split-second decision.
“Can you hang on to me?” I ask, and Kitty looks at me and then at Bow. “We’re going to have to ride her back, and I’ll need you to hold on to me while I help her.”
Kitty nods and swallows hard as she straightens her shoulders. “I can do it.”
Just then the swans come into the gazebo and nestle into what looks like a little doghouse I had built for them. Kitty looks at them and a wave of relief washes over her. Was she out here making sure the swans were okay?
“We don’t have time to waste,” I say, picking her up and placing her on Bow’s back.
I take the horse by the reins and look her in the eyes. “You take care of my girl, and I’ll take care of you.” As if she understands my meaning, she nods her head. “Let’s do this fast.”
Thunder rolls again, and Bow stamps her feet like she’s waiting on me. I get on the saddle and feel Kitty wrap around me tightly. As soon as I feel her lock on, I grab the reins and call out for Bow to gallop.
Quick as a flash, we take off in the storm, and it’s much worse than I thought. Hard rain hits us like needles, and I try to hold on tight to the reins while Bow races to the barn. It’s a long trail on horseback, and I’m afraid the whole time. I’m afraid the storm is going to turn on us, that Kitty will let go, and that I’ll lose her forever. All of my fears are on the tip of my tongue as I call for Bow to go faster, faster.
She digs her hooves into the mud and cries out as we go. Kitty’s fingers dig into me, and I pray she’s strong enough to hold on. The leather of the reins cuts into my hands, but I steer Bow straight and true. We are running out of time as the thunder follows on our heels, and I can feel Kitty behind me beginning to falter.
“We’re almost there!” I shout over the rain, and Kitty’s
