Heartbreak Bronco
Page 12
Once the girls’ grumbling had tapered off and they were working at a steady pace, Sam decided it was safe to go visit Tempest.
“Watch for snakes,” Sam cautioned as she walked toward the barn.
“And dragons and vampires and…”
Crystal added more mythical creatures, as if rattlesnakes weren’t real, but Sam stopped listening.
Dark Sunshine and her filly had chosen the shade of their stall instead of the bright pasture.
“Good idea, girls,” she said as she entered the cool darkness. “It’s much nicer in here.”
Sunny greeted Sam with a nicker, which made her smile. This was why she preferred the company of horses.
She talked to the mare for a minute before slipping into the stall. Once inside, Sam bolted the door behind her.
Dark Sunshine watched with interest as Sam worked her way around the stall wall to the far corner.
Already the smells of oats, straw, and leather were relaxing Sam. She didn’t mind being patient as she waited for Tempest’s curiosity to get the better of her.
Since birth, the long-legged black filly had shown curiosity toward people. Sam’s plan was to wait until the foal made a habit of coming to her for pats and scratches, then she’d slip on the tiny leather halter Dad had given her for a birthday gift.
“Hey Tempest,” Sam called. “Come here, baby.”
As soon as Sam held out her hand, Tempest took a few steps forward.
Tempest glanced back at her mother, seeking permission. When Dark Sunshine lipped the straw underfoot, Tempest took a few more steps.
Finally, the filly extended her neck as far as it would go. Three feet of air still lay between her ebony nose and Sam’s fingertips.
Sam rippled her fingers. Tempest’s ears tipped forward, but when she realized the flicking fingers made no sound, she ventured a few steps closer to see how they’d taste. As her lips touched Sam’s fingers, Tempest made slight sucking movements. It tickled and Sam had to bite her lip to keep from giggling.
With a tiny snort, Tempest raised her muzzle to Sam’s face, and Sam decided that was a good time to give Tempest a delicate scratch behind the ears. The filly flinched, but she didn’t move away.
Her dark eyes watched Sam carefully, but she wasn’t worried enough to let something that felt so good end just yet.
“That’s it,” Sam crooned. “What a good baby. We’ll do this for a couple more days and then I’ll try on your pretty halter. Dad made it just for you.”
Both horses’ heads swung toward the barn door at the sound of loud voices.
“Leave it alone!”
“I’m just going to catch it.”
“Crystal, it could be poisonous!”
Sam dashed for the stall door. Each step lasted forever, as if she dragged her boots through knee-deep honey.
She wished she hadn’t left the girls alone.
She prayed Crystal had better judgment than she’d shown so far.
Startled by Sam’s sudden movement, Dark Sunshine bolted forward.
“Easy, girl!” Sam tried to soothe the mare, then realized she’d shouted.
Oh, please let someone else be out there. Brynna and Gram were in the house. Maybe they’d heard.
Sunny’s eyes rolled, showing white rims, but Sam put a hand on her shoulder.
“You’re fine,” she said.
Would it be safer to go in front of the buckskin or behind her? Sam’s mind spun, calculating risks.
“Gotcha!” Crystal’s voice sent the mare wheeling toward the barn pasture.
Swirling straw and dust blinded Sam as the mare and foal disappeared.
Sam made it through the stall door. With a quick swipe, she shot the bolt closed and headed for the woodpile.
She could hardly believe what she saw.
Crystal held the brown snake by the middle of its body. Both ends thrashed, constantly reforming in S shapes.
Crystal’s face wore an expression of victory. And revulsion.
Sam approached slowly, afraid to shout for help. Could noise provoke the snake to strike?
It was already trying to attack Crystal. Fighting its captor the only ways it could, the snake made a sound that could have been hissing, or the whir of rattles on its tail.
Even in Crystal’s hand, the desperate snake tried to coil, but its writhing didn’t bring it close enough to bite.
“Get me the sack,” Crystal croaked, and for the first time Sam glanced at Amelia.
Amelia stood just steps away. Her body angled back from her planted boots and her hands were thrust out as if warding off the snake. From one hand, a gunnysack dangled.
“No,” Amelia whispered, but Crystal didn’t seem to hear.
“I can’t wait to tell my dad I caught a snake. Just hold that sack open.”
As Crystal wobbled closer to Amelia, the snake renewed its struggle. The sight shook Amelia from her horrified trance.
“No!” Amelia shouted. Then she tossed the sack away. “Put it down, Crystal.”
“Just open your hand and drop the snake,” Sam said quietly.
Crystal didn’t seem to hear. As she stared at the snake, so did Sam.
Was it a rattlesnake? Its brown and beige markings were right, but its swinging tail was a blur. Was the end of its tail round or pointed? That single detail could mean the difference between life and death.
“It’ll crawl away, if you just drop it,” Sam insisted.
Still, Crystal didn’t react. Was she imagining her father calling this “bravery”? Couldn’t she see the difference between courage and foolhardiness?
“You’re scaring it, and it’s going to bite you.” For the first time, Amelia sounded impatient, not scared.
“Shut up,” Crystal said.
Maybe Amelia had heard those words one time too many. Before Sam could stop her, the bespectacled girl darted forward and gave Crystal’s wrist a violent swat.
The snake should have been grateful, Sam thought, but it fell at the same time that Amelia’s hand hit Crystal’s. For one awful minute, the snake’s mouth hit and hung onto Amelia’s hand.
“Brynna!” Sam yelled. “Gram! Help!”
Frantic barking greeted Sam’s shouts. Hadn’t Brynna warned that snakes were more dangerous to dogs than humans, because dogs put their tender noses right down in striking range?
“Keep Blaze back!” Sam screamed.
Without turning toward the house, Sam heard Gram gasp, “Oh lands, it must be a snake.”
It seemed to take forever for Amelia to shake the reptile loose from her right hand, but finally she did.
As the snake plopped on the dirt and went weaving away, Sam got a good look at it. Its tail was smooth and pointed, not bumpy with rattles.
She was almost certain it wasn’t a rattlesnake. Almost.
“I didn’t mean to!” Crystal looked around frantically. “I was going to keep it in the sack.”
Sam ignored her and moved closer to Amelia. The girl’s face looked no paler than usual, but she gripped her right wrist, hard.
“His jaws were like—grinding,” Amelia pronounced the words with slow precision.
“You picked a fine time to stand up to Crystal,” Sam teased, and then she pressed her lips closed. She sounded like Jake. Or Dad.
Amelia laughed faintly, and swayed against her.
“Don’t pass out on me,” Sam ordered.
“And let go of that wrist.” Brynna stood beside them now.
“It didn’t look like a rattlesnake,” Sam told her at once.
Brynna nodded that she’d heard.
“Since we can’t be sure, don’t hold onto your wrist that way,” she repeated to Amelia. “Your grip acts as a tourniquet and that’s the last thing we want.”
When Brynna moved to loosen Amelia’s fingers, she wore a calm and competent expression, but Sam would bet Brynna’s heart was beating just as madly as hers.
“What’s a person have to do to get some sympathy around her
e?” Amelia asked in a barely audible—but amused—tone.
“You guys are sick!” Crystal accused. “I’m going to call 911.”
“Good idea,” Sam said.
Brynna helped Amelia sit down. She held the hand level. She and Gram squatted to examine the bite.
“No fang marks,” Brynna said, exhaling. “It barely broke the skin.”
It made Sam feel dizzy, just looking down on the three of them, but the bite didn’t look serious. On the web of skin between Amelia’s thumb and forefinger, Sam saw what looked like tiny pinpricks forming a half-moon shape.
“I think the snake had a long, pointed tail,” Sam said.
“He did,” Amelia said. She used her other hand to wipe beads of perspiration from her top lip. “But he coiled and hissed before Crystal grabbed him.”
The mere movement of her head shaking in disapproval made Amelia unsteady. Gram scooted closer to keep the girl from falling.
“You’re probably just fine, but I’d feel better if we got you into Darton to the hospital, dear,” Gram said.
Amelia snatched her arm away from Brynna, then winced.
“Definitely,” Brynna agreed.
“But if I go to the hospital, they’ll call my parents,” Amelia moaned.
“We’ll need to call them anyway,” Brynna told her.
“And they’ll make me come home—”
“Maybe not, Amelia,” Gram said.
“—and I won’t be able to ride Jinx in the race.”
In the sudden quiet, Sam heard a siren approaching from the direction of Three Ponies Ranch. Jake’s father, Luke Ely, was captain of the volunteer fire department, so it made sense he’d be first to respond.
Poor Dad. If he and the hands were close enough to home to hear it, he’d be worried all over again. First the sheriff’s car and now the fire department. He’d never leave them home alone again.
Sam was feeling almost amused, when Amelia’s words echoed in her mind.
I won’t be able to ride Jinx in the race.
“The claiming race?” Sam asked. “What made you think you were going to ride Jinx?”
“Samantha,” Gram tsked her tongue.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to sound rude, but—”
“Clara said I could,” Amelia answered.
“What?” Sam yelped.
“When I called her yesterday,” Amelia said, weakly.
Gram, Sam, and Brynna exchanged quick looks.
“So you weren’t calling your parents yesterday,” Brynna said.
“No,” Amelia said. She swallowed hard. “Can I have some water? I’m really thirsty.”
“Shock,” Gram said. “Poisonous snakebite or not, she’s acting shocky.” Gram bent to look into Amelia’s eyes. “We’d better get her examined by a doctor.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Here comes the volunteer fire engine,” Brynna said. “Luke’s trained as a first responder, so let’s get his opinion, too.”
In minutes, the volunteer firefighters had checked out the snakebite and agreed with Brynna. Although the small wound was painful and a little swollen, they were virtually certain the snake hadn’t injected any venom.
Just the same, Brynna and Gram loaded Amelia into the Buick for a trip to Darton County Hospital. They’d decided to leave Sam behind with Crystal.
“Sam, your dad should be home soon,” Brynna said. “In the meantime, just make sure you feed the stock before dark and make yourselves something for dinner.”
Brynna’s lips hardened into a straight line as she studied Crystal, standing on the front porch beside Sam.
“While I’m in town, I’ll take care of calling the girls’ parents and notifying HARP.”
Sam glared at Crystal. Even though the girl finally looked her age, hanging her head as if she hoped her dark hair would curtain her face from them, Sam didn’t feel sorry for her.
“Placing blame isn’t going to help at this point,” Brynna said.
“Okay,” Sam replied, but why shouldn’t she yell at Crystal? She’d almost certainly cost them the HARP program.
And the ironic thing, Sam thought, was that Amelia had learned not to be a follower. She’d stood up to Crystal even though it put her in danger.
Car keys jingled as Brynna glanced into the Buick’s back seat where Amelia sat with Gram, then waved good-bye.
As soon as the car crossed the bridge and rolled from sight, Sam opened the screen door. Its creak and slam were the only sounds. Sam didn’t ask Crystal to follow her, but she did.
Inside, Blaze greeted Sam with a whine. She sank to her knees beside him, then circled his neck in a hug.
Now that the danger had passed, Sam’s hands trembled and her insides felt like shaking jello.
Blaze smelled dusty and doggy, but Sam pressed her face into his fur.
“It’s okay, Blaze,” she said. “Everything’s okay now.”
When she realized Crystal was looking down on her, Sam stood. She took a pitcher of iced tea from the refrigerator. Amber puddles of tea slopped onto the counter as she poured two full glasses. She added two spoonfuls of sugar to hers, then sat down. She leaned back in her chair, waiting for Crystal to make the next move.
Amazingly, Crystal took a paper towel from the roll and blotted up the spilled tea.
But so what? That could have been a rattlesnake. Instead of being checked “just in case,” Amelia could be fighting for her life.
With the soggy paper towel still in her hand, Crystal started talking.
“I just want to go home. Why can’t he let me stay home?” Crystal still faced the counter instead of Sam.
Would you want yourself around? Sam thought, but she didn’t say it. Even angry as she was, that was too harsh.
“Think about what you’ve been doing,” Sam said, instead.
“But I’m his daughter!” Crystal whirled, shouting. “He should love me no matter what!”
“Are you testing him?” Sam asked. “Trying to see how much he’ll take?”
“So what if I am?” Crystal’s chin jerked upward and her eyes were defiant again.
“That’s pretty mean,” Sam said. “What do you think he’ll say about today?”
“That I’m crazy. I mean, sometimes, I don’t know. It’s like I can’t tell the difference between brave and crazy. I kinda think that if I could just stay home for a while, and be quiet, I could get that straight.”
“Why don’t you call your dad and tell him that?” Sam asked.
“Like he’ll believe me after talking to Brynna,” Crystal said.
“She’s not in Darton yet. The drive takes a half hour. Call him now, Crystal. Get to him first so that he hears it from you.”
Crystal’s eyebrows rose. She looked tempted. Then she glanced at the clock.
“He’s a dealer at the casino and he works the graveyard shift. He’s probably getting ready for work.”
“Fine,” Sam said. She stood, then patted her jeans so Blaze would heel. “You sit here and think of excuses. Blaze and I are going to go feed the stock.”
“You don’t know what it’s like,” Crystal said. “He’s always disappointed in me.”
“Then do something right,” Sam said and, before she started sounding even more like some lecturing adult, she walked out, slamming the door behind her.
As Sam checked the horses’ water troughs, she scolded herself for trying to tell Crystal what to do. She was no expert, so why had she even tried?
As she shooed the hens inside for the night, Sam kicked herself for encouraging Crystal to stay on River Bend Ranch until the program ended on Friday. She didn’t even like the girl, so why had she done that?
As she measured out grain and vitamin supplements for Dark Sunshine, she wondered what would be happening this time next week. The first week of HARP would be over. The claiming race would be over, too.
“Blaze!” Sam called as the border collie began sniffing around in the tack room. “Come back here.”
Crystal had been in the house for about half an hour when she called from the front porch.
“Sam! Phone.”
Brushing away the hay prickling through her shirt, Sam hurried toward the house. Brynna had had time to get to Darton. It was probably her.
Feeling overheated after working outside, Sam slid open a kitchen window before taking the telephone from Crystal. As she did, she noticed Crystal wore a lopsided smile.
Oh my gosh, what’s up now? Sam wondered, but she’d stalled long enough.
“Hello?”
The caller turned out to be Clara.
“Linc Slocum just stopped in for pie and coffee—” Clara broke off and Sam could hear Linc Slocum’s voice in the background. She pictured the telephone next to the coffee shop cash register and imagined Linc standing there, instructing Clara what to say. “He mentioned he passed Brynna and Grace on the road.”
“They were heading for town like a coyote for a campground,” Linc’s voice boomed.
Sam joined in as Clara laughed.
Linc Slocum was the richest man in this part of Nevada, but more than anything, he wanted people to think of him as a cowboy. He was greedy, gossipy, and prone to buying anything that might give him Western credentials. One of those things was the Phantom.
Linc Slocum didn’t care if he owned the Phantom through legal or illegal means. He’d scarred the stallion by snubbing him to barrels filled with concrete. He’d tried to adopt him through the BLM and failed. He’d arranged for the wild stallion to be taken off the range by a shady rodeo promoter who’d drugged and abused him. Linc Slocum never stopped trying to take away the Phantom’s freedom, and Sam despised him for it.
But since Clara was calling and Linc was just waiting in the background, it might be okay to explain why Gram and Brynna had been driving so fast toward town.
“We, uh, had an accident out here. Amelia’s fine, but she was bitten by a snake. Gram and Brynna just took her into town to be checked out by a doctor.”
As Clara sympathized, Sam watched Crystal.