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“Yes, Cadence Bently. I’m here to pick up my order.” I smiled at the young brunette behind the counter.
“Ah, yes. One moment. It’s in the back.”
I walked over to the display case and searched out what sorts of things they had for dessert when I spied a tray of pumpkin scones. I remembered they’d been Connor’s favorite when we’d been younger.
“Can I get you anything else?”
“Two of the pumpkin scones, please,” I answered.
Once I paid, I made my way back toward the door. That was when I spotted a flyer for the Christmas tree lighting. It was being held at the end of November. I smiled to myself. I hadn’t been to the holiday tree lighting here in Willow Valley since I was in my teens. I could remember then it had been one of the town’s signature events. I wondered if it had changed much. The last one I’d been to was the Christmas before Ella and Connor had gotten together. I made a mental note of the date and left the diner.
I got back to the farm a little after two and put dinner into the fridge. Connor had parked his truck beside mine, and I looked out toward the barn where I saw him working away with one of the farmhands. I made my way down to the barn where I saddled up Ember. I had just gotten on her when I heard Connor’s voice behind me.
“Heading out for a ride?” he questioned, coming over to me.
“I am. Just going to go out to the small field and take a ride around. It’s a beautiful day for a fall ride.”
“Have you been out there recently?”
“No, I normally go out to the other field, but since that bear has been around, I haven’t gone as you asked.”
“Good. Well, be careful. I noticed a few gopher holes out there the other day. They need to be filled.”
“No problem. I’ll watch for them.”
I clicked my tongue and Ember and I took off toward the field. After almost half an hour, I stopped to take in the view of the landscape. The trees out here were in full colour, bright and glimmering with the sun on them. I flicked the reins and guided Ember over to a side of the field we hadn’t been in.
I was watching off in the distance as Ember trotted at a quick pace. Suddenly, I felt her fall from underneath me, and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. I lay there for a minute, trying to catch my breath, and then slowly sat up. I looked over to where Ember lay. She hadn’t gotten up and wasn’t moving.
Panic filled me. She should have gotten up by now, I thought to myself. I pushed myself up off the ground, dusted off my pants, and ran over to her. I felt her legs, and the second I touched one of the front ones, she let out a cry. That was when I noticed the gopher holes, too many too count, just as Connor had warned. Tears clouded my eyes. I did not know how badly she had broken her leg, but there was no doubt in my mind that she had broken it. As I stood there petting my beloved horse, trying to figure out what to do, tears streamed down my face. “Hold on, Ember. Just hold on. I’ll go get Connor.”
I looked around, not sure if I should leave her or not, but didn’t really have a choice. I didn’t want her to be in pain. I took off in the direction we’d come, running as fast as I could. It was getting dark by the time I arrived back at the farm. I stopped at the gate to the paddock where I normally kept Ember and tried to catch my breath. My heart was beating wildly, my chest aching. Then I saw Connor come around from the barn.
I tried calling to him, but it did no good. My throat was dry, and I still hadn’t caught my breath. It took me a minute, but finally I made my way over toward him, waving my arms. Finally, he caught me from the corner of his eye and stopped, then came running over to me.
“Cadence, what is it?” he asked, looking at me with worry.
“It’s Ember. She fell,” I cried.
I’d had Ember since I was a little girl. She meant the world to me. The hardest thing I ever had to do was leave her here when I’d moved to my grandparents’.
“In a hole?” Connor questioned. “Cadence, did she step in one of those holes?”
Tears rolled down my cheeks as I met Connor’s eyes. I could see the worry and sadness lining his blue eyes. “Cadence, was it a gopher hole?”
I nodded my head, saying nothing. I knew the chances of her being able to be repaired were slim to none. I’d grown up with horses my entire life. I’d seen my share of them put down because of the holes out in the field. It happened all the time when my dad ran the ranch. All I could do was pray this wasn’t the end for my Ember.
“Cadence, go call the vet. Tell him to meet me out there,” Connor replied before taking off in the direction I’d come. “And whatever you do, don’t come out into that field.”
* * *
Darkness had fallen. Connor and the vet had been out there for two hours, closing in on three. I sat in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in front of me while dinner heated in the oven. The vet had arrived quickly, and I’d had one of the farmhands take him out to the field to meet Connor.
I was just about to get up and pour some more coffee into my mug when I heard the front door shut. I closed my eyes, sending one more prayer upstairs for my beloved horse, then pulled the casserole out of the oven.
“Dinner’s ready. Just got the casserole heated through. Why don’t you come on in and sit down?” I said, as if nothing were wrong.
I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Connor standing in the doorway, hat in his large hands. I placed the casserole in the middle of the table, on the protective pads I’d placed down, then turned to grab a large spoon.
