Blazing the Trail (Sunshine & Shadow Book 5) Read online

  “We did it,” she whispered to him.

  They turned the mustang loose in the round pen, leaving the lariats dragging from her neck. April untacked in record time and rushed to give her some water. She filled a bucket from the well and carried it into the corral. The mare stood as far from her as she could manage and April set the bucket down and retreated back to the gate. Slipping out, she climbed the first rail and watched.

  “Come on, girl,” she murmured. “Aren’t you thirsty?”

  The horse just looked at her warily.

  “She won’t drink with you there,” a voice said from behind her.

  April turned around as Kip approached. He climbed the fence beside her.

  “She will,” she said, stubbornly.

  “Come on, April. Leave her alone. She needs to relax before she’ll eat or drink anything. Otherwise she could colic.”

  April knew Kip was right but she didn’t want to give him the satisfaction.

  “I can do whatever I want, Kip,” she said.

  Kip stepped off the fence. “Yep, you sure can,” he said. He turned his back on April and she heard him suck in a breath. He patted her on the shoulder. “You did good out there, kid.”

  April smiled as he walked away.

  That night, April dreamt of mustangs with long, flowing manes and meadows filled with wildflowers. She woke up restless. Looking over at the clock, she sighed. It was already morning, yet she felt like she hadn’t been asleep at all.

  She pulled on her jeans from the previous day and shrugged a thick sweatshirt over her head. Running down the stairs, she met her dad in the hallway.

  “Morning honey! Sleep well?” He opened the office door.

  “Yeah, great!” April said.

  He raised his eyebrow. “Me neither.”

  “How did you...?”

  Her dad tapped his temple.

  “Right,” April said, as he disappeared into the office. “Father’s intuition.”

  Laughing, she headed to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. Sipping it, she wrapped her hands around the mug and looked out of the window. She could see Kip carrying an armful of hay towards the round pen, and she nearly ran from the lodge.

  She reached the corral as he was tossing it over the fence. Her eyes searched until they found the empty water bucket in the middle of the sand.

  “It was empty this morning,” Kip said. “I filled it up and went to get hay. Guess the mustang was thirsty.”

  “Willow,” April said as she stepped up onto the fence. She peered over and watched the horse begin to nibble the hay.

  “Willow,” Kip confirmed.

  April’s eyes travelled down the mustangs injured fetlock.

  “Her leg...”

  “Yeah, we’ll have to doctor her today. Probably need to get some tranquilizer too.”

  “We don’t have any?”

  Kip shook his head. “Not a big deal. It’ll take me an hour to run to town and get some.”

  “Can I...Can I come with you?”

  Kip looked at her. “Danielle’s coming with me.”

  April turned back to the horse, feeling the rejection hit her in the stomach. “Yeah,” she said. “That’s fine.”

  He was quiet for a moment, the only sound was the rhythmic munching of the mare.

  “I wonder what Linda will say when your dad calls her.”

  “You think she’ll want her back?” April asked.

  Kip shook his head. “Doubt it. Linda’s not really doing the horse thing anymore, not since Danny died, anyway.”

  “I want to keep her...” April murmured. “My Willow.”

  “It’s risky keeping domesticated mustangs when there’s a wild herd nearby. Chances are they’ll be taken by the stud. It happened to this one once; how would you feel if it happened again?”

  “Chinook hasn’t been taken.”

  Kip raised his eyebrow. “Even I can admit, the relationship you have with that horse couldn’t be broken. But Chinook’s a gelding. What would a wild herd want with a gelding? The studs come to take domesticated mares.”

  “They just go with the wild ones?”

  “Not always. I heard Danny had fourteen mares in his back pasture and the wilds only got five, which means the other nine were either too domesticated to recognize the blood connection, or too dominant to be bossed around by the stallion. Either way, it’s for the best. Those ones couldn’t have survived out there.”

  “The other ones that got taken...” April said, “Do you think they are alive?”

  “Maybe, but...maybe not. Willow was, though, right? Maybe they’re all as strong as she is.” Kip nodded his head. “Sometimes I wonder if they’d be better out there, without humans messin’ them up.”

  “I didn’t even know there was still wild mustangs this close.”

  “No-one really likes talkin’ about ‘em,” Kip said, stepping away from the fence and heading towards the barn.

  “Why not?” April said, following him.

  “Folks get scared when someone says they saw a mustang in the mountains.”

  “But...why? They’re just horses.”

  “Horses that can travel by the hundreds. They can strip a pasture overnight. Ranchers call ‘em parasites. They’ll starve off domesticated herds.”

  “They’re just trying to survive.”

  “Yeah, but put yourself in your dad’s position. If a mustang herd moves in on Blue Haven land, not only does he have to worry about them taking his mares, but what about grazing the cow pastures down to nothing? Then he can’t feed his animals. Which means he can’t feed you and your mom. Having mustangs around really is as bad as having a parasite infestation.”

  “I’d just catch them and train them.” April nodded tenaciously.

  Kip laughed. “All of ‘em?”

  A car came up the driveway and stopped by the lodge. Danielle stepped out, her gleaming blonde hair shining in the sunlight.

  Kip tipped his hat to April.

  “See ya,” she murmured as he walked away.

  Stopping by the doors, he turned back to her. “I swear to God, April, if you try and gentle that mustang while I’m gone, you’ll be in serious shit from me.”

  April kicked sand in his direction, smiling. Once he had disappeared, and she heard his truck start and then leave the driveway, she busied herself in the barn, organizing the tack room, which had been severely neglected since she had been absent from Blue Haven.

  Hailey joined her, and soon the two of them had the room looking neat and tidy.

  “I saw you talking to Kip by the round pen,” Hailey said as they were finishing up.

  April nodded, smiling.

  “So, he’s forgiven you. It’s about time.”

  Her smile faded. “I don’t know if he has. Maybe.”

  “Well, figure it out. The longer he’s with Danielle, the harder it’s gonna be.”

  “What are you talking about?” April frowned. “What does Danielle have to do with anything?”

  “You need to be with Kip, April. Everyone knows that.”

  “Everybody, except me! I want Kip to forgive me because he’s my best friend.”

  Hailey nodded, biting her lip. “Let me ask you a question; do you like Danielle?”

  April looked at her hands, still fiddling with a piece of leather that didn’t have a home yet in the newly-organized tack room. She nodded. “I don’t dislike her.”

  Hailey raised her eyebrow.

  “Fine,” April said. “No, I don’t particularly like her.”

  “Why not?”

  Hailey slid to the floor against the wall and April mirrored her.

  “I don’t know...”

  “Come on, April. Think. Why don’t you like her?”

  April shook her head.

  “Come on! What’s wrong with her? Is she mean? Is she a liar? Does she use him for something?”

  “No, she...”

  “What? What does she do that is so terrible
, April? What is it?”

  “She makes him happy!” April said, standing up. Her fist clenched around the strap. “And...I used to make him happy.”

  Hailey nodded. “So you’re jealous. The thought that someone else is making him happy now drives you crazy.”

  “She took my spot, Hailey! She took...”

  “Him,” Hailey finished for her. “She’s taken him, from you.”

  April looked at the ground, ashamed of herself. From the second she had arrived back at Blue Haven and learned about his new relationship, she had felt replaced. She had felt cheated, all over again.

  “You love him,” Hailey said.

  April slid back to the floor, putting her head in her hands. “Yes,” she murmured. “Yes, I think I love him. Why else would I feel like this? Why else would I hate her? She took what was mine, Hailey.”

  Hailey nodded. “Finally,” she said, “You’re finally admitting it.”

  April looked across the room at Kip’s saddle. She could almost see him beside it; a sight so burned into her memory that she didn’t think she would ever forget it.

  “What am I going to do?” she whispered.

  Hailey joined her, putting an arm over April’s shoulder. “We all know that he loves you, but...”

  “I hurt him, yeah, I know. I wish I could go back and change what I did, but I can’t. So what do I do now?”

  Hailey wouldn’t meet her eyes. “You can’t force anything, April. He’s with Danielle now. He chose her.”

  “If you love someone, let them go, right?” April’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Maybe your happy ending with Kip is how it started; best friends.”

  “But...how can I be his friend, feeling like this? It feels like someone is squeezing my heart...It’s horrible.” The tears rolled down her cheeks and she blinked, clearing her vision.

  “You’ve always loved him, April. You’ve always felt like this.”

  “But I didn’t know.”

  “On some level I think you did. But I think you love him so deeply that even your subconscious mind just wanted what was best for him; wanted him to be happy, even if that happiness wasn’t with you. Maybe in the future, you guys will be together; who knows. But for now...”

  “For now,” April murmured, “I have to let him be with her.”

  Hailey nodded.

  April buried her face in her arms and felt Hailey rub her shoulders. She couldn’t believe what had transpired in the last hour. In a way, Hailey was right; April had known all along that she had feelings for Kip, but she had misread them because they were too alike. And now, she had lost him.

  A vehicle came up the driveway. April looked up.

  “They’re back,” Hailey said.

  “I can’t be here. I’ll do the right thing; I’ll leave them be, but I can’t see them together right now.” She stood up, brushing Hailey off.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’ll take Chinook to the creek. I won’t be gone long.”

  April knew Hailey was watching her go. She unlocked Chinook’s door and slipped inside, sliding her hand up under his mane and feeling him tremble. She slid her bridle over his nose and led him from the stall. Once in the aisle, she hoisted herself onto his wide back.

  “Get me out of here,” she murmured, touching her calves to the horse’s sides and feeling his muscles bunch. She gripped with her knees and wrapped a section of his mane around her hand. Leaning forward, the big pinto pushed himself forward into a gallop, and left the barn, heading down the driveway. April glanced over her shoulder and saw Kip and Hailey rushing towards her.

  “April!” Kip called.

  April looked back the way she was going and squeezed her legs tighter, sending Chinook faster through the snow. She narrowed her eyes against the onslaught of snow that was still settling from the truck’s path and felt her horse slow once they were out of sight of the house.

  “Come on, buddy,” she murmured. “Let’s go to the creek.”

  Chapter 4

  The creek trail was one of her favorite rides. The water was always crystal clear, allowing her to see the giant rocks that lined the bed, and though cold, there were perfect swimming holes dotted along the stretch that touched the Blue Haven property line.

  Chinook touched the fresh powder and traipsed through it, slowing and beginning to breathe hard. April patted him on the neck. She relaxed into the warmth of his back and zipped her jacket up higher. The wind had a bite to it, turning her cheeks a crimson color.

  Overhead, an eagle soared, looking for something to eat in the quiet, winter landscape. He called out, and April admired the sound.

  She watched the trees go by as they rode, laden with snow and ice, the branches touching the ground in places. Underneath the boughs were warm spots of bare earth, where the heavy, white blanket couldn’t reach, providing little refuge for the deer and other animals that called the forest home. Up ahead, she could hear the creek gurgling. She urged Chinook into a trot, and the horse moved up the trail quietly, choosing his path carefully.

  The creek appeared, bordered by snow, but just as April knew it would be; clear and beautiful. She scanned the rocks as they rode past, searching for the golden ones she used to find when she was a little girl, imagining they were worth millions of dollars. She spotted a few and smiled to herself.

  Suddenly time seemed to freeze. Chinook stopped in his tracks. As April glanced forward, she lost her breath.

  There, in front of her, standing stock-still was a fully-grown, crouched, mountain lion.

  The cougar’s eyes were wild, depraved. He opened his mouth, his lips curling over his long, sharp teeth, and he growled. The sound sent shivers down April’s spine and Chinook spun on his haunches. April grappled for a hold of his mane and managed to keep herself upright. The horse leapt into action and the world snapped back into focus for April.

  She wanted to close her eyes; she knew she could be of no help to Chinook. The best thing she could do was let him choose his own path and allow his flight instinct to overtake his obedience to her. He flew through the forest, leaving the creek behind.

  April could hear the lion’s snorts behind them and prayed they could get back to the ranch before he caught up. Chinook ducked and dove through the thick brush, forcing April to drop to his neck and wrap her arms around it. She lost her hold on his reins and the leather strap flapped as the horse ran

  The world seemed silent to her at that moment, the only sounds were her own heartbeat, and the heavy breathing of her horse. She opened her eyes, looking at the trees flying past, and wondered where they were. She didn’t recognize this stretch of forest.

  Chinook’s coat was slick with sweat, causing April to lose her hold and slide to the right as he ducked around a fallen tree. She clambered and found a section of hair. Pulling herself back upright, she searched the forest ahead of them for any sign of the driveway or the lodge. She could see a clearing through the trees and gripped Chinook’s sides harder. She didn’t think it would make any difference; he was already running for his life.

  As the trees broke, she could see the creek again on their right. April heard a scream, and after a moment, realized it had come from her. The cat echoed a screech behind her and she prayed again. She didn’t just pray for her own life; she prayed for the life of her horse, the animal that was risking his own life by not dumping her on the ground and continuing on. April knew how much faster a horse could run without a rider.

  Something triggered inside April’s mind. She recalled her dad’s conversation with their neighbor Bill. And when she saw the snow ahead had been disturbed by something, in a line towards the creek, she remembered what her dad had said about the beavers...

  “Chinook, no!” April closed her eyes as the horse stumbled in the redirected water.

  She was thrown over his shoulder, landing hard in the freezing water. She tumbled, and as she was brought back to the surface by the surging current, she heard her horse scream.
She fought against the powerful water, feeling the ice hit her veins and freeze all the way up her spine. She kicked out, trying to find balance on the slippery rocks beneath her, but the current was too strong, and the water was too deep.

  Her head broke through the surface and she saw a splash behind her. “Chinook!” she screamed.

  She went under again, trying to inhale as much air as possible, but getting a lungful of ice water instead. She coughed, spluttered, against the heavy freeze that had set deep in her lungs. She couldn’t breathe. She tried to open her eyes, but was faced with the churning bubbles and the grey water that had always looked so clear from above.

  She tried to swim but her arms wouldn’t work. Her limbs were numbed by the cold and she felt her eyes drift shut for a second. The only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat, sounding like gunshots in her mind.

  She watched the water churn ahead of her and could see a fallen tree leaning off the riverbed. She reached for it. As the branches touched her numb skin, she grabbed them and managed to stop her relentless journey to a frozen death. With her last ounce of strength, she pulled herself higher up the tree, until her head broke the surface, the ice water splashing in her eyes.

  “Help!” she cried, her voice going.

  She heaved herself until her torso lay over the trunk of the tree, closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She couldn’t hear anything over the roar of the river. She had no strength left.

  Suddenly, something warm touched her arm, and she was moving. Panic hit her heart and she struggled.

  “It’s okay! It’s okay!” A man looked down at her. “I got ya.”

  April felt her eyes close again. “Kip...” she murmured, her lips numb like the rest of her. “Kip...find...Chinook.”

  “It’s okay. We’ll find him. I got ya.”

  April felt the cold numbness of unconsciousness hit her, and she slipped away into darkness, wrapped in Kip’s arms.

  April’s mind was spinning. She was stuck between a dream and reality and she didn’t know how to pull herself out of it. She could hear screaming, but it was like there were cotton-balls in her ears, muffled. She felt the water on her cheeks, ice cold, numbing her. She struggled against it.