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I just didn’t have the time to be pulling out my phone in the moment.
“This is hard,” Cheyenne’s voice quivered, barely loud enough for me to hear her over the waters swirling around us. Part of me was tempted to just make the swim...
But I knew that was too risky.
Not only did I have to bring back Cheyenne, but I had to bring back Takoda as well. There was no way that I could do that without the rope as support. It was worth the extra few measures...
And I could double check the knot once I made it to her.
Assuming that the branch she was on could hold us both.
“Okay, come on,” Cheyenne called out, her voice a little stronger. “I think it’ll hold—it’ll hold,” she added.
“Okay, I’m going to dally off to Roanie, here, and have her pull tension to hold us steady.” I did exactly as I was saying aloud, wrapping the rope around the horse, and cueing Roanie to build tension against the line. I gave her a pat as she bravely held the rope taught, battling the current at the same time.
“You can do this, girl,” I murmured to her, slipping my left foot out of the stirrup. My eyes drifted to the dark waters swirling around us, and before I let my mind wander too much, I hopped down into the waters, the waters instantly to my waist.
It’s a good thing Roanie’s a big girl.
Hand on the rope, I fought the current, wading toward Cheyenne. It was going to take time to navigate the rushing waters, and within just a few feet, I was losing my footing, the water going as high as the middle of my chest.
Holy shit.
I’m going to be really swimming.
Keeping my wits about me, I used the rope, snugging my cowboy hat to my head. Ihadto get to Cheyenne and get the two of them out of there. Putting my trust in the rope, I continued forward, thinking of nothing but making it to the tree.
My boots stayed in contact with the ground until the last twenty feet, when the ground beneath me disappeared, leaving me to swim. And while swimming had never been my strongpoint, I actually moved much faster. However, the closer I got, the more I became aware of the cracking noise echoing in the night.
What the hell is that?
“The tree is losing its roots, I think,” Cheyenne must’ve read my mind. “I don’t know how long it’s going to hold against the current. I guess the roots just aren’t great on this big tree.”
“Something like that, I guess,” I muttered out, pushing the terrifying scene of all four of us, Roanie included, going down in the flood waters, dragged to our drowning deaths by a massive tree leading the way.
Yikes.
“Let’s not think about that,” I huffed, growing short of breath. “It’ll hold until we get out of here.”
“Right, okay.” Cheyenne’s voice was timid, but finallyrightabove me.
I made it.
ChapterTwenty-Three
Cheyenne
Asoaked Wade hovered beneath me, and I could already make out the fatigue on his face. Making the distance was only the beginning, and gettingoutwas still the biggest obstacle we had to get over.
“How’s the knot?” Wade called up to me, his eyes at my calves as he hung onto the branch.
My eyes went to the knot, double checking that it was still tight—and it was. “All good. It’ll hold us, I think.”
“Good enough answer for me.” He chuckled, his eyes holding mine. There was something comforting about them, warming my chilled body and settling my worried mind. “Let’s get on the move.”
“Okay, I don’t think I can hold onto Takoda,” I admitted, my arms burning as Takoda whimpered weakly. “He’s not doing good, either, Wade.” My voice broke, and for the first time in my entire life, a few tears slipped from my eyes in front of a man other than my abusive father.
Wade’s face softened. “It’s okay, Chey. He’ll be okay. We’ll take him straight to the vet, okay? Let’s just get the two of you out of here. I have a blanket under the tarp on the back of my saddle and the two of you can have it as soon as we make it.”
