Page 36 of Waiting for the Rancher
“I’m not proud that I’m so scared to get on a horse.”
He shot her a quick look over his shoulders, his eyes warm with compassion. “Reckon we all got our issues.”
She didn’t need to have him spell out his. She could see them well enough every day. The guilt he felt over his pa’s death, theguilt he carried for his ma’s deterioration, and even the guilt for the trouble with his siblings. She’d wanted to soothe away the lines in his forehead more times than she could count and tell him he wasn’t to blame for anything that had happened, but she suspected he’d only toss aside her platitudes.
No, the best way to help him was simply by walking by his side and helping bear his burden as best she could.
She was relieved that so far during their hike, everything between them had seemed normal again, as if nothing had happened—no kiss, no attraction, and no hurt feelings.
If only they could go back to simple friendship.
“Sterling once told me you got lost during the journey here to Colorado.” Maverick’s voice held an invitation to talk about the incident.
She didn’t like to dredge up the memories. She’d had nightmares for years and had found that it was easier to leave the past behind her. Yet if Maverick wanted to hear about the story from her, shouldn’t she be willing to share at least a little? If the roles had been reversed, she would have wanted the same openness.
“You don’t have to say anything.” He tossed the comment over his shoulder, clearly sensing her hesitation.
“It was a long time ago.” She tried to laugh at herself for her silly fears, but the fears hadn’t diminished with age, and her laugh came out sounding forced.
“Reckon the stuff from long ago ends up haunting a person the most.”
Her thoughts traveled back to that fateful day when she’d been riding one of the mares alongside their wagon train.
“It had been a particularly exhausting day of walking, so Father had let me and Scarlet take turns riding our one mare.”
At her words, Maverick halted and turned so that he was giving her his full attention.
At nine, Hazel had already been a talented rider, and no one had thought anything of her wandering away for a short while to explore or to chase after a wild animal. She never went far or stayed away long.
“That evening as we started preparing to make camp, I spotted what I’d hoped was a buffalo on a nearby ridge. By the time I reached the area and realized it was just a boulder, I turned around and the wagon train wasn’t in sight.”
“You couldn’t find your way back?”
“I probably could have, but the mare got spooked by a rattlesnake and took off so fast that it was all I could do to hang on.”
Maverick’s features were rugged and handsome, and the blue of his eyes was bright with an intensity that told her he was upset for her.
“By the time I got control of the mare, I was hopelessly lost. I rode for hours, well into the night, searching for everyone and calling out for them. But I didn’t see a single person.”
“You must have been terrified.”
The horror of that night made her shiver. “I’ve never felt more alone or afraid than during those hours. I thought for sure I’d be lost forever and end up dying in the plains.”
“Valid concern. It was a mighty dangerous time to be traveling west.”
She’d heard the tales of vigilantes wandering the West—mainly war criminals who preyed upon unsuspecting travelers. There had still been ongoing wars and hostilities with the Natives. And the wild creatures of the plains were a constant threat too.
“By dawn, I knew I had to keep going, even though I was hungry and thirsty and miserable from so many hours in the saddle. I could thankfully tell directions, and so I turned myhorse toward the west and figured I’d keep riding until I reached Colorado or died, whichever came first.”
Maverick muttered angry words under his breath.
“I only rode for a short while before I saw a fellow from our wagon train out riding. He was part of a large group that had set out at dawn to look for me.”
“So how far away was the wagon train?”
“Not all that far, actually. Maybe half a mile or so to the southeast.”
“With them being so close, they should’ve found you sooner.”
