Page 6 of Sweet Beginnings

Wincing, his mom shook her head slightly. “Spooked Blaze. Someone better check and see if he got bit. I don’t want to lose that horse.”

Rachel set the first aid kit at her brother’s side. “I’ll run over and check.”

While his sister trotted over to where the horse stood, Preston squatted by his mom’s left leg. “I’m going to cut you lose so that you can put some weight on that leg.”

“And I’m going to put my arm under your middle and try to keep the pressure from shifting on the wires,” Carson added.

“You be careful now,” she told her son in the same commanding voice she used on them as children about to get into mischief. “Don’t need you all cut up too.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Sucking in a fortifying breath, Preston snipped at the first wire, carefully helping to support his mom’s leg with his other hand. Two more snips and the foot was untangled and on the ground. The sound of Blaze’s heavy hoofs thundered in his ears. Didn’t matter what kind of horsepower it was, Rachel simply didn’t do slow.

“No harm done, and no sign of that rattling rascal.” Rachel slid off the horse, and dropped the reins to ground tie her mom’s horse, then hurried back to her side.

A few more snips and their mother was free and actually smiled at them. Preston already had his handkerchief pressed against the gash on his mother’s arm, and without a word, his sister added packing and quickly wrapped the wound.

Cut up from her forehead to her ankles, the woman had spent at least an hour stuck on biting barbed wire and yet here she stood wobbly but smiling at them. “I admit I wasn’t looking forward to spending the night on that torture chamber until y’all figured out where I was.”

“I don’t even want to think about how this could have turned out if we hadn’t been at the house looking for you.” Preston tossed the wire cutters into the bag and debated if he dared lift his mother to carry her to the car.

“Forget about it, Preston Sweet. I can see what you’re thinking and the answer is no. I can walk.” Their mom leaned over to scratch Brady’s ears and almost fell over. No water in this Texas heat, a bloody gash, and trickling wounds, she had to be dangerously weak.

“Easy, Mom.” Rachel lurched forward, grabbing hold of her mother’s arm to steady her and sucked in a deep breath when her mom winced at the maneuver. “Sorry.”

“No problem.” Except she moved to take a step toward the Jeep and almost went down again.

“Sorry Mom, this may hurt.” Preston leaned against his mother’s less injured side, carefully slid an arm under her legs and eased her up. “We need to get you to the doc’s.”

“Not necessary. A little antiseptic here and there and after a good night’s sleep, I’ll be fine.”

“Mother.” Carson shadowed the pair. “Don’t be difficult.”

Rachel grabbed hold of the horse’s reins. “I’ll ride Blaze and meet you back at the house. But this time I agree with these two. You need to have those cuts and that foot looked at.”

“Better add her wrist.” Carson nudged his chin in her direction.

Preston had been so concerned with the cuts and new bruises that were beginning to show up that he hadn’t even noticed the changing color on her wrist and that it was nearly twice the size of what it should be.

His mom followed his gaze and waved him off. “I may have twisted it pulling on the reins. I managed to stay in the saddle the first time Blaze reared up, but by the time he’d worked up a good strong panic and reared up again, not only couldn’t I hang on, I bounced against him before he tossed me several feet.”

“Right onto the fence,” Preston spoke through clenched teeth and pulled his phone from his pocket. “If you won’t go to the doctor, then the doc will just have to come to you.”

His mom lightly rubbed her swollen wrist with her good hand. Just about the only part of her that had been spared a biting kiss from the wire fence. “I suppose it will be fine if it keeps you two from hovering like overzealous boy scouts.”

Brady hopped into the Jeep as Carson started the engine, and sat guard over his mistress. Either too tired, or in too much pain, his mom merely smiled at the large German Shepherd. “I knew I could count on you.”

As soon as Preston was sure his mother was taken care of, that dog was getting the biggest steak he’d ever seen. “Man’s best friend.”

“Isn’t that the truth?” Carson’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Who knows how long before we would have found you without Brady.”

An image of finding his mother days later flashed through his mind. Maybe the dog would get steak for the rest of his life.

Chapter Three

Deep in the numbers for her latest foster project, the unexpected ringing of the old kitchen landline startled Sarah out of her thoughts. Springing up, she trotted to the other room, too late to answer. Halfway back to the sofa, the phone rang again.

This time she darted back more quickly. “Hello.”

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