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Samantha came around the corner, her face pale again. “Callie, I’m going to stay behind. I don’t think a rough car ride is what I need right now. I’m gonna go back to sleep.”
My conscience kicked me with a load of guilt. “Shit, Sam, I am sorry. I…” I glanced back and forth between my friend and the trailer.
Samantha took my hand, squeezing it until I looked at her. “You go and take care of the horse. You’re right in this, Calamity, and I have always believed in your gift. You go with that smoking hot cowboy and keep that horse safe. I will be fine. After all, its only morning sickness, not the plague.”
She chuckled at her own joke, smacked me on the back, waved at a wide-eyed Mathis, and ambled back toward the house, leaving me with no room to argue. I loved my friend. She was strong and always seemed to know what needed to be done.
20
The ride to Mathis’ house was tense, to say the least. I had not only dropped a bombshell on him, which he didn’t even understand, but I had also asked him to go against my father. I knew that as soon as my family arrived home from church and discovered the missing horse, I was in for one hell of a phone call. So, I switched my cell off, hoping to avoid them as long as possible. Every so often, Mathis glanced at me, but his jaw muscle was tight with irritation, and he wouldn’t say a word. I tried several times to say something, but each time, I fell silent with many unsaid thoughts.
It wasn’t until his truck came to a stop in front of the barn at his house that he spoke to me. “Okay, Callie, I did what you asked. Now, tell me what’s going on.”
I groaned. “Mathis, right now really isn’t the time. I just wasn’t willing to let this horse be put down when I believe there’s a chance to save him. Can we just focus on getting him hidden somewhere?”
Mathis’s jaw clicked, and he yanked his black Stetson off his head, rubbing his face with his hands. “Damn it, Callie, now you want me to hide him?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes. My dad and brother are bound to come here looking for him. So, he must be somewhere they can’t see him. I was thinking we could set up a little pasture for him somewhere on the back of the property.”
Mathis got out of the truck, slammed the door, and walked off toward his house. I waited in unease, not knowing what to do. What should I say, should I go after him? He was much more upset over all of this than I had expected him to be. After a brutal moment of torture, he turned back, circled the hood of the truck, and yanked my door open.
“Okay, Callie. I don’t like any of this one bit, not one bit, you hear me?” when I nodded, he continued, “But, I’m going to do this. I don’t know why, I guess there’s just some feeling inside of me telling me it’s the right thing to do, but damn it, don’t make me regret this.”
I let go of a long breath. Relief and hope washed through me. “Thank you, Mathis. Really. I know this horse can be saved. I know he’s not a dangerous as they say.”
His dark brows lifted over his topaz eyes as he seemed in doubt. “For your sake, as well as mine, I hope your right, Callie, but I am not convinced.”
Shrugging it off, I slid out of the truck, accidently brushing against him since his big frame took up most of the space. I ignored the shiver of delight that coursed through me at the merest touch of him. “Kay, so, where are we putting him?”
Now his lovely face drew into a dark frown. He seemed to be troubled by something, and his eyes glanced at me, then away several times as if he were coming to a decision. After several minutes of deliberation, Mathis sighed deeply. “Okay, I know where we can put him, but I’ll have to stay out there until you can get him under control and prove to your father he’s worth saving. It’s too far out to go back and forth every day.”
I frowned. “How am I supposed to work with him if I can’t go back and forth? That’s just not going to work.”
Mathis shrugged. “It’s the only place I know of. It’s a long ride out there, so someone’s got to stay with him, and I’m not leaving you out in cougar country alone.”
I couldn’t begin to know what to do, where he was speaking of, or what to say. So, I yanked out my phone, turned it on, and called Samantha. After explaining the situation to her, I waited in silence as she mumbled and thought over all the details.
Several minutes passed when she finally said, “Okay, Callie baby, this is what you’re going to do. You go out there with Mr. Smoking hot cowboy, and you prove that this thing you say is a curse is really magic. You spend every minute with that horse, and when he’s gentled-which I know he will be-you bring him back here and show everyone what fools they’ve been to laugh at you. I will cover for you. Your ma will figure most of it out, but I know she’ll be on your side.”
I stuttered. “Sammy, I can’t! Ma’s…” glancing nervously at Mathis, who watched me like a hawk, I stepped a little away and turned my back to him, trying to lower my voice. “Sammy, Ma has only just started chemo, she hasn’t even had the effects hit her yet, you are pregnant, Elaine is pregnant, and her bastard husband doesn’t want the kid cause he’s cheating, and Dad’s having a harder time with mom’s sickness than he lets on. I can’t just disappear for a few weeks!”
Tears had welled up in my eyes just from talking about all the drama in my family. I couldn’t leave right now.
Samantha’s voice was gentle and patient when she replied, making her seem so much older than she was. “Calamity, the world will not fall apart while you are gone. All of those reasons are why your family needs to see real magic, real hope. When you return with that untamable stallion eating out of your hand, you’ll show them what hope and belief in things which are not tangible and not visible can do. They need that right now, all of them. I will be fine. I have the best thing helping me right now, your parents. Goodluck, Callie. Love ya.” And she hung up.
I stared open mouthed at my phone. She actually hung up on me. She finalized her decision and left me no room to argue. My chin wobbled for a moment because I was filled with trepidation. What if they were all right and I was crazy? What if this didn’t work? What if something happened while I was gone? All the fears and what ifs threatened to overwhelm me, until I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. Mathis spun me around, looked into my eyes, and then pulled me against him roughly. I thought he was going to kiss me, but instead, he embraced me, holding me in comfort for a long moment before whispering into my hair, “She’s right, and I believe you can do this.”
An hour later, I surveyed the situation from my saddle on Pizazz’s back. Mathis rode a big blue roan gelding, as stocky as he was tall, both of our saddles carrying packs full of equipment and supplies, and on his, a rifle was secured as well. The black stallion pranced behind us, with two ropes around his neck, one leading to Mathis, and the other to me. He had fought us hard for the first thirty minutes or so, but now he had calmed somewhat, and tended to wander too close to my mare, so Mathis had to keep his rope taut. We were climbing hills in the back of his property, every mile or so seeming to gain more ruggedness as well as a steeper grade.
Thus far, we hadn’t said much to one another, because our focus was directed on the horse behind us. now that he’d cooled his temper and was tiring, I directed some questions at Mathis which had been eating away at me.
“So, Mathis, where exactly are we going, anyway?”
Mathis flinched at my question, never removing his gaze from the tall grasses and trees around us. “Its…well, it’s the reason my uncle bought this property in the first place.”
Okay…that explained exactly…nothing. Something told me this place was a touchy subject to Mathis, I just couldn’t figure out why. As I’d considered this, Mathis had fallen silent, and his brows were drawn together so I resisted the urge to ask anything else.
Another hour had passed when Mathis stopped his horse and pulled out a water bottle. I glanced back, relieved that Dark Temptation seemed to be content to rest quietly. Pulling out my own water, I took a deep swig, and allowed my eyes to rove over the land. We had left the hills behind, and now we were in the rugged Colorado mountains. Boulders popped up all around us, and tall pines dominated the skies. Rugged didn’t even begin to describe this place, and beautiful didn’t do it justice. I could see why they called this mountain lion country, and a chill slithered up my spine.
