The rain had only continued to intensify, and Sabrina was becoming increasingly nervous. It didn’t help that Garrett kept looking at the sky, which continued to unleash its load, yet never lightened it steel gray color. As they traveled over the sodden ground Sabrina noticed new streams and small lakes forming from the rain.
“This doesn’t look good.” She said, pointing to an especially large stream running down the side of the mountain.
“No, that delay really cost us. We need to get moving faster, those streams are going to be rising.” Garrett said, looking grim.
“What should we do?” She asked.
“We need to get the kids across first. I’ll have the other wagons move back, they’ll be able to cross with no problem, the water won’t be that deep and they're heavy, but we don’t dare take the kids across in the wagon. If it tips we’re in trouble.”
“So, how do we get them across?” She asked, watching as he signaled the lead wagons to let the kids through. She was shocked to see the whole operation completed with hand signals.
“We’ll string a rope between the two sides, then the adults will stand in the river at intervals and help the kids across.” He explained, gesturing for her to ride on one side of the horses pulling the wagon, while he took the other.
“Okay, that sounds good.” She had wanted to say more, but the rain had increased and there was no way to talk unless she yelled over the noise it was making. She just had to trust that Garrett would keep them safe.
Even with them urging the horses on, it still took far longer than she would have hoped to get them to the water crossings. When they came upon the first one, Sabrina couldn’t believe her eyes, what had once been a small trickle of water had turned into a torrent. With a sinking feeling she realized that she could see the edge of the other stream through the trees.
This was going to be difficult for all of them, but at least there was no sign of the cattle, which meant that they were all safely on the other side. Garrett had told them to keep moving until they found a good place to make camp. They would ride the rain out with a temporary cow camp, it was too dangerous for anyone to travel, including the cattle.
But first they had to get across the raging water. Garrett’s plan was put into action immediately, the strongest of the parents, would take the river spots, tied to the line for safety. Garrett rode Hercules across with the rope, the huge horse had no problem getting across and back, but the rain was now coming down in sheets.
Once the rope was in place, Denise crossed first to be on the other side when the kids came across, it was a brave thing to do and Sabrina’s respect for the woman only increased. She hoped that they could be friends when this was all over. Daphne stationed herself half way across the water, best placed to give the kids encouragement as they made the dangerous crossing.
Once the adults were all in place, they began to send the kids across, it was a slow process and Sabrina watched horrified as the water continued to rise. They’d sent the kids across in size order, starting with the smallest. Everyone made it across safely, but they still had the second, larger of the streams to cross.
Luckily when they reached the second stream, which was now only a short distance from the first, most of the hands who had gone ahead had come back to help them cross. They would need more spotters on the rope to get the kids and now even the adults safely across. This time they used two ropes, afraid that only one wouldn’t be enough.
Garrett found Sabrina, nervously pacing back and forth by the river, worried about the crossing. “Hey, it’s going to be fine. We’ve got them, someone will be touching them the whole time. Then we’ll get them to camp and into dry clothes, some of the boys are already setting up the tents. They found a good spot under the trees, there’s already a roaring fire and hot coffee or chocolate.”
She didn’t care who saw them, she needed some reassurance and knew that Garrett was the only one who could give it to her. Stepping up to him, she threw her arms around him and held on, his arms came around her slowly, then tightened like a vise around her. She immediately felt better, her faith restored just by his strength.
“Hey, it’s going to be okay. I won’t let anything happen to the kids, Hercules can still make it through that water no problem, even Stormy could.” He said, giving her a quick kiss. “Let’s get this show on the road, Denise is across and the spotters are in place.”
One by one the kids made it across the raging river, Sabrina could think of it as nothing less. The charming stream that they had all waded across, once only as deep as their ankles, came up to the middle of their thighs. Daphne’s girls and Marie were carried across on horseback, small enough to fit in front of Garrett’s saddle.
The rest of the kids, waded across, the adults and the rope providing enough stability that none fell in. There were a few close calls, but everyone made it across safely. Garrett insisted that he would be the last to cross, the water becoming even more turbulent, debris begging to come barreling down the stream with the water.
Everyone except Sabrina and Garrett was safely across when they heard a huge crash up river, everyone looked in the direction of the noise, to see a tree crashing down into the river. At first it lay across the river, creating no problem, but then it began to slip into the water, which quickly grabbed it and swept it down stream. It was headed straight for Garrett and Sabrina.
In a split second decision, Garrett grabbed Stormy’s reigns and spun them around, he dug his heels in, and got them out of the way just in time. They watched as the giant tree collided with the trees they had just been using for the ropes and brought two more down. The river crossing was now a mess of tangled branches, it would take a chain saw and several men to remove.
Sabrina stared speechless at the spot where they had just been standing. If Garrett hadn’t pulled them away, they would have been buried in that mess. She was immediately grateful that the kids had all gotten across safely, then she began to shake at the thought of what might have happened. But then she realized that everyone was safe, thanks to Garrett and the rest of the crew.
“Are you okay?” Garrett asked, when he could finally find his voice. He too had been thinking about what had almost happened. While he was certainly concerned about the kids, it was Sabrina who had been at the forefront of his thoughts when that tree came crashing down the river. He’d just found her and he wasn’t about to lose her, he couldn’t imagine a life without her in it.
It had happened so fast, but he knew without a doubt, as he sat there on his horse looking at the destruction, that he was in love with Sabrina. She was perfect for him, for his whole family. Scott was already half in love with her, Marie was a great kid, and Sabrina had shown that she was as tough as she was smart.
But for now they had to get themselves to safety, there was no way they were going to be able to cross that stream and join the rest of the group, they were on their own for now.
Chapter 7
“We’re never going to get across now, and if we don’t get across the other stream we could be stuck here until the water recedes.” He said, getting both of their horses moving.
“What are we going to do?” She asked.
“Well, there a line shack in the meadow, you probably saw it. We can hole up in there. It’s got everything we need to survive for a few days, a stove, food, bedding, and it will be dry. It’s not very big, but we’ll be safe and warm.” He said, as they approached the raging water of the other stream.
The water level had risen quite a bit while they’d been gone and Sabrina was suddenly nervous about the crossing. Garrett, seeing her hesitation, said. “Just give Stormy her head, let her pick the route, she’ll get you across.”
“Okay, I’m ready. Let’s do this before it gets any deeper.” She said, patting Stormy on the neck, then digging her heels in.
They hit the water going full force, but the current was so strong that it took both Sabrina and Stormy by surprise. Stormy faltered for a second and Sabrin
a was almost swept off her, the water was up to the middle of Stormy’s body, almost touching Sabrina’s knees. She managed to get her arms around Stormy’s neck and hung on as the horse regained her footing and surged through the water.
When they reached the other side, both were breathing heavily but unharmed. Sabrina turned and watched as Garrett and Hercules charged though the water as if nothing could stop them. Safely across, they immediately got away from the stream, both remembering the giant tree crashing through the forest.
They rode in silence for a while, Sabrina’s heart still beating furiously in her chest. The surge of adrenaline that her body had produced during the crossing was beginning to fade and she was beginning to feel exhausted. Garrett dug in his pack and came up with two candy bars.
“Eat that, it will help.”
She ate the candy bar, immediately feeling the sugar rushing through her body, giving her some much needed fuel. Taking a deep breath, she turned to Garrett and smiled. “Thanks, that’s much better.”
“It will only last for a bit. We should try to get to the shack a quickly as we can. I don’t think this rain is going to let up any time soon.”
“I just want to be dry.” She said, taking off her hat and wringing her hair out.
“Soon.” He said, digging his heels in and increasing their pace.
They made good time back to the meadow, with only the two of them to worry about. The horses seemed as anxious as they were, to get someplace safe, and were happy to give their last energy to climbing the mountain again. When they got to the little shack, Garrett offered to take care of the horses, if she would go get a fire started and make them something hot to drink.
She hesitated at first, it didn’t seem fair to leave him out in the rain to take care of the horses alone, but the allure of a fire and something hot to drink made the decision for her, besides when he did come in she’d be ready for him, she might even be able to make them something to eat.
The shack was just as Garrett had promised, small but snug, there was nothing more than a bed, stove, and a little kitchen with a small table. There was a pile of wood next to the little stove, she’d built a fire before, but not for a long time. She was relieved to find that there was already the makings for a fire in the stove.
She put a lit match to the kindling and the fire roared to life, the heat immediately warming her. She stripped out of her wet outer layers and left them in a heap at the door to deal with later. She was still wet, but the fire had already begun to heat the little room. She added more wood to the fire, then stepped into the little kitchen to see what was available.
To her surprise there was a water pump and a little sink, it only took a couple of pumps to get the water going, then she filled the coffee pot, added coffee she’d found in the one cabinet and placed it on the stove. Now able to add larger pieces of wood to the fire, she was truly beginning to feel warmer.
She’d have to fashion a clothes line to dry their clothes, since neither had anything else to wear. She found some rope in a storage box along with some nails and a hammer. She was busy stringing the line when Garrett came dripping into the shack.
“Stop right where you are.” She said. “Strip and leave your clothes right there, I’ve already tracked water everywhere.”
“Music to my ears. I love it when my woman tells me to strip.” He said, dropping his wet clothes on the floor.
Sabrina couldn’t help but stop and watch as his gorgeous body was revealed piece by piece. He had goosebumps on his flesh and she wanted nothing more than to run her tongue over them. Her heart actually skipped a beat when he called her his woman.
She got down off the chair she’d been standing on and pulled the blanket and the sheet off the bed, then handed him the sheet. “Put this on and behave yourself. We need something hot to drink and something to eat.”
While he was busy trying to get the sheet to stay wrapped around his hips, she quickly pulled off her wet clothes and fashioned a toga out of the blanket. Then silently pointed to the fire, which needed tending. Garrett shrugged his shoulders and stuck his tongue out at her but did her bidding without saying a word.
She went to the kitchen and came back with two mugs which she filled with steaming coffee. After a few sips, she began to feel warm for the first time since the morning. She let Garrett pull her into his arms as they stood in front of the flames, soaking in the heat from both the fire and the coffee.
“How about something to eat, I bet there’s soup in some of those cans I saw.” She said, going back into the kitchen area and opening the cabinet.
After she’d put the soup on the stove to heat, they hung their clothes from her improvised line to dry. The soup hot, they ate in silence, then cleaned up the little mess together. The little stove had made the shack nice and warm and Sabrina was very sleepy, the sun hadn’t gone down but she was ready for a nap.
Since there was no place else to sit, they climbed onto the bed and snuggled up together. Between feeling safe and secure in his arms and finally feeling warm and dry, Sabrina fell asleep with her head on Garrett’s chest, listening to his heart beat. It was slow and steady, just like the man, she thought as oblivion over took her.
Garrett watched Sabrina sleeping, thinking that even though they were stuck here, this might just be the best day of his life. Too bad it had taken half of his life to find her, but they still had lots of time together, they weren’t that old. He’d regretted all the time he’d had to spend chasing his ex-wife around the world to get a divorce, but maybe that had happened for a reason.
Now he was a free man, and a much smarter man as well. He’d gotten married much too young, charmed by his ex’s sophistication. They’d met during college, he’d been on his own for the first time, unhappy not to be in the mountains he loved so much. She’d blown into his life and swept him up into the world of high society, a place he’d avoided until then.
He’d never considered that she was after his wealth as much as anything else. After they’d been married for only a year, she’d insisted on buying a house in the best area of the city, then spent a small fortune decorating it. Then the parties had started. One after another, until Garrett had found himself a totally different person.
He’d all but deserted the ranch, much to the dismay of the family. He’d begun drinking too much, not realizing how unhappy he was. Then Sophia announced that she was pregnant and Garrett’s whole word had changed. The pregnancy had been difficult from the start, terrible morning sickness, then other complications.
Garrett had insisted on going home to the ranch where it was quieter, it would be better for the baby. His ex-wife had fought him on the decision, but had finally agreed when he wouldn’t back down. She was less than happy at the prospect of a child, but Garrett was thrilled. He even hired a private nurse to care for her during the pregnancy.
When Scott was born healthy and happy, he was sure she would want to stay at the ranch. But by the time Scott was a year old, she had moved back to their house in the city, leaving Garrett and Scott at the ranch. The separation would last for more than a year, until Garrett had pushed her to make a decision.
She’d chosen to leave, just packed up her things and moved to California where her parents lived. Garrett was devastated, the mother of his child had left without a word, moved on without them. He then realized that their marriage had all been a lie. She hated the ranch and everything about it. After months of angry phone calls and text messages, he’d given up and concentrated on raising his son.
She refused to get a divorce, hoping the longer she waited the more money she could get out of him. Meanwhile she began a long string of relationships with men of questionable backgrounds. Garrett had done everything in his power to get her to sign the divorce papers, but since she’d signed a prenuptial agreement, the settlement was much lower than she though she deserved, after all she’d given him a son.
This had gone on for years, until he’d finally given her a substantial settleme
nt to get her to sign. Part of the reason he’d finally done so was because Scott had begun to understand what his mother was really like. She’d used him to get to Garrett, hurting him in the process. So he’d given in, now he didn’t even know where she was. He’d heard that she was in Europe living the high life.
Maybe he thought, he’d had to live through all that pain and hurt to recognize Sabrina for what she was when she came into his life. She was sleeping soundly in his arms, safe and secure, there’d been a moment when she’d been crossing the last time, when he thought she was going in. His heart had stopped until she was safely back on the horse.
He drifted off to sleep, thinking about how they might blend their complicated lives together. But first, he was sure he was going to have to convince her that she belonged with him and Scott at the ranch. He wasn’t ever going to leave it again, of that he was sure.
Sabrina woke up to her arm completely asleep where it was crushed between them. At some point Garrett had removed his sheet and her blanket had come lose and was bunched beneath her. He’d thrown another blanket over them and she was so warm and content that she didn’t want to move. The rain was still pounding on the roof and with sunset the temperature had dropped significantly.
She eased out of bed, grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around herself, added some more wood to the stove then turned to get back in bed. She’d tried not to wake him, but he was awake and when her eyes met his, they were full of desire. Anticipation thrumming through her veins, she climbed back under the covers and snuggled up against Garrett.
“Sorry, I was trying not to wake you. It was getting cold in here and the fire was going out.” She said, putting her cold feet on his leg.
“Hey now, none of that. What makes you think you can put your cold feet on me?” He said, with false anger.
You Complete Me: A BWWM Single Parent Older Couple Romance (Brothers From Money Book 1) Page 7
