Page 102 of The Cowgirl's Secret Love
“Hope not, but I don’t want to have to scramble if I need it.”
“Understood.”
They rode across a new section of land, the low brush backlit with moonlight that turned the edges of green leaves into shimmering silver where the dew had begun to gather. It was beautiful and surreal considering they were currently sneaking up on a herd of wild horses.
The murmur of the water grew louder as they moved in.
“How deep is the river here?” Julia asked quietly enough to not carry farther than Karen’s ears.
“We can ford it if we have to.” Karen strained to make out details as the moon played peekaboo behind clouds. She lifted a hand. “The stallion.”
“Your herd.” Julia pointed farther to the east. “That’s good. They haven’t moved very much. They’re still close to the fence line.”
“Your eyes are better than mine,” Karen said, hauling out her binoculars to check.
She’d just got them in view when the quickcrackof a gunshot went off. Instantly, the mares panicked, turning to run. They left behind the fence and headed toward where Julia and Karen stood on the far side of the water.
“It’s that idiot again,” Karen said even as she urged Starlight forward. “Come on. Let’s stop them before they hit the river.”
Water sprayed upward as she and Julia ran their horses across the shallows then up and across the land toward the panicked mares. To the east, the fence line was clear except where a batch of trees blocked her sight line.
There was no sign of the shooter. After checking to be sure they were far enough away to not be a target without a person visibly moving toward them, Karen concentrated on the horses.
Julia pivoted to the left, Karen to the right. The mares instinctively moved together, slowing their motion and circling back toward the familiarity of their new home.
Another circle, and the horses slowed again, heads and ears twitching as they tried to figure out what to do next.
Across the river, Kelli and Lisa eased toward the wild herd to push them back toward government land and the wilderness where they belonged.
Finn and Zachleft their horses in the shelter of the trees and made their way to the fence line, sneaking up on the man who just stood there, shouting every now and then at the horses who weren’t doing what he wanted.
“Tackle him?” Zach murmured softly.
“Take him down.”
Then the bastard pulled out a gun and shot into the sky, and everything went sideways. Zach grabbed Finn, hauled him to the ground, and settled into one of the low-lying dips not even thirty feet from where the man stood.
They both lay motionless, expecting to be discovered at any moment. When nothing happened, Finn cautiously poked his head up to discover the man still had his back toward them, staring at the horses.
Zach took a peek as well, and when he laid back down, his friend pointed toward the mountains. “Horses to the west,” he whispered. “And the girls.”
Ice-cold terror ran through Finn’s veins. “How close?”
“Far enough for now.” Zach tilted his head toward the man. “Rush him?”
It was agony to lie there, making a plan instead of getting it done. “Can he shoot the girls?”
Zach shook his head. “Too far. Not even a lucky shot.”
Then that was the answer. “We wait. He moves, we move. He shoots, we move.”
His friend dipped his chin in agreement.
They sat in silence. One minute. Two.
Time inched like slow-melting water down the side of an icicle.
Another crack went off,only this time the horses didn’t bolt. Just shuddered as if they really wished Julia and Karen would make this night go away.
