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CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Thursday, June 17
“Her name is Sweet Caroline,”Morris says, handing me the reins of a beautiful bay chestnut. I immediately start to hum Neil Diamond’s song with the same name. Connor gives me that little amused grin of his. I softly rub the velvet of her the mare’s nose and begin to whisper sweet nothings to her. I’m reminded of the times Willow and I spent riding horses at summer camp when I was a kid. Get ready to giddyup, girl!
“You’re going to be sweet to me, aren’t you beautiful Caroline? We’re going to go for a little ride today. It’s going to be hot, but so much fun.”
“I wish you’d whisper in my ear like that,” Connor says playfully. “I’d give you a hell of a ride, baby.”
I give his shoulder a tough punch and he pretends to wince, but I know granite can’t feel pain. And that’s what his shoulder feels like it’s made of.
“You two randy lovebirds cut all that out. All that squeaking in that bed last night was enough,” Morris groans as if he’s exasperated. He winks at me which puts me at ease. Morris is one of those people who tease as if he’s serious and you never quite know if he’s truly angered and offended or just genuinely giving you a hard time. This morning, it seems, he is definitely giving Connor a hard time.
“That damn bed is the world’s best cock blocker, Morris. What happened to the other bed? The one I slept in when I lived here? It didn’t squeak.”
My ears prick at these words. Morris helps me up into the saddle. When I find my seat, I chime in. “You lived here?”
“Yep. What, like three or four months, wasn’t it, Connor?” Morris says, scratching his head to jog his memory. “Georgia taught him to cook and he was a big help with the animals. The chickens adored him.” Another wink. Ah, so this is ribbing Connor again. I smile.
“Chickens?” I ask with a playful chuckle.
“Demon poultry, not chickens. That rooster spurred me every chance he got. I guess he didn’t like me touching his ladies.” I laugh out loud at that.
Morris and Connor throw their legs easily over their horses and we set out. The sun blazes down with intensity and the humidity is stifling. I’m so hot, but it’s too humid to sweat. The stickiness clings to my skin like a wet wool blanket. Connor pulls his hair up into a neat little man bun that sticks out of a ball cap. I am not as smart and pick up my hair feeling long strands of it cling to the back of my neck. I need air. A breeze, something.
“Where are we headed?” I ask Morris, who seems to be allowing his horse, Apple Eater, to amble wherever she wants to go.
“I thought we’d see if the fish are biting down by the stream. You fish?” Morris asks.
“Never have before, but I bet I could figure it out. Which direction?” I call back to him a horse’s length behind me.
Morris nods his cowboy hat-clad head in the direction of a line of trees a good distance away. “All right, I’ll see you two slowpokes there.” I give Sweet Caroline a little click of my tongue and a tap of my heel and work her into a nice canter. She’s got a graceful gait that my spine naturally falls into. I prod her to go a little faster and she’s eager to run. The breeze picks up and I’m finally cooling down by the time we reach the water.
Morris calls this a stream, but it’s more like a river to me. The water doesn’t look like it’s moving too fast. I lead Sweet Caroline down and she takes in a long drink. I pull off her saddle and let her sweat-slicked skin cool under a shady tree. “You’re making me look good today, girl. Enjoy a little clover snack. I’m going to cool off, too.”
I kick off my shoes and socks and wade into the water up to my thighs. It’s cold and moving a bit more swiftly than I first noticed. My white T-shirt is splashed a bit by the water dancing off of a cluster of nearby rocks, so I turn to make my way back up to the shore. I see Connor and Morris dismount and lead their horses for a drink. I smile and wave at them. Connor’s face morphs into sheer horror and the color drains from it.
“Don’t move, Lainey!” He’s screaming at me. I freeze. I know without even looking there’s something in the water with me. Something dangerous. I have no idea what it is, but Connor’s face has paled to a light shade of greenish-yellow that immediately twists my stomach into knots.
“Connor?” I plea.
“Hush. Close your eyes. Don’t move,” he instructs in a straightforward and authoritative voice.
I can’t close my eyes. I’m too scared to move any part of my body. I watch as Connor slowly pulls a pistol from his back and points it just to the left of me, close to the cluster of rocks. My eyes do close then as he takes his aim and squeezes off a single shot. I shriek and scream, curling myself into a ball as a hard splash of water spits over me. My arms and hands cover my head protectively.
I scream again when something strong and stiff comes around my waist and I feel myself being hauled out of the water. My feet are scooped up and loud splashes erupt around me. Blood pounds in my ears. My heart beats like a kettle drum.
“I’ve got you, Little Bird. You’re OK. Just a snake. You’re OK,” I hear Connor’s voice soothe as he carries me up to the tree where Morris comforts the three horses. They’re less startled by the gunshot than I am. I guess on a farm they hear it more.
I’m crying, more out of sheer terror than of being hurt. Connor’s hands drift over my body and he smooths the hair from my wet face, brushing it back out of my eyes.
“Hey, baby. Look at me. You’re OK. Did I hurt you?” His eyes scan me from top to bottom over and over again.
I shake my head no, but honestly, the feeling hasn’t come back into my skin yet. It’s still tingling with numbness from the sudden onslaught of adrenaline. My hands shake as I reach out and cling to Connor’s forearms. He presses his forehead to mine.
“Jesus, that scared the shit out of me.” He kisses me hard, and with more emotion than I’ve ever felt from him before. His lips tremble slightly. He kisses me like I nearly died. I didn’t. Did I?
“Wh …What was it?” My teeth chatter, but I’m not cold.
