My Spy

Whiplash

Ryan sucked his talkative side back in on the way back to the house. I still catch myself glancing to him off and on as we trot down the wide path. I try and think of something to say to bring his playful side out again, but nothing intriguing comes to mind. I am about to guide Maybelle down to the left of the fork when she unexpectedly slows her pace. Ryan notices me fall behind and we both watch as Maybelle drops her long head down towards the dirt. I lean forward to check on her and suddenly she kicks her front legs back and rears up with an unexpected thrust back. I don't have a secure grip when her legs fly into the air and I am almost knocked off of her. I frantically grip onto the pommel, but I hit the leather with such force that I can feel the tips of my fingernails break off.

Almost as quickly as she reared back, Maybelle lurches forward and takes off galloping down the wrong side of the path. I'm trying not to focus on my fingers that are throbbing in pain as I attempt to get a good grip back on the reins. She's running faster than I have ever experienced so I don't know what to do to gain control of my wild horse. I'm tugging on the reins but my right hand is in so much pain, I don't have the strength to slow her down. I hear Ryan call out behind me but I am too traumatized to turn and look at him.

I can hear Honeysuckle gaining speed behind me but Maybelle is still sprinting toward the meadow. I watch her black hair flop around and her head is consistently bobbing and weaving with me bouncing around on top. There is a clearing up ahead of us and I am hoping Maybelle will slow down when we reach it. My arms are shaking and my butt bone throbs from being slammed against the saddle. I see Ryan come up on my left side and he extends his arm out. I don't want to turn to the side; worried I'll get thrown off Maybelle since my right hand is basically useless- even with all the adrenaline pulsing through me. My galloping horse doesn't seem to be slowing down and I'm struggling to hold on. I don't have the strength to continue at this speed much longer and if I let go at all I could go soaring off the side of her.

"I've got you Sawyer, give me your left arm!" Ryan yells as he gets close to Maybelle. I shake my head at him and yell back, "I can't hold on with my right hand. I'll fall off!" Ryan suddenly takes control of Honeysuckle and veers the horse to my right. He once again holds out his arm for me to jump over but I am too panicked to let go. Maybelle doesn't look to be slowing down and I know I can't hold on much longer.

"Trust me Sawyer, I won't let you fall!" Ryan yells to me over the loud patter of the horse's hooves on the solid dirt beneath us. I finally get the nerve to look to my right and Ryan is less than a foot away from Maybelle. He has his left arm out and a solid grip on Honeysuckles reins. The pain in my right hand is almost unbearable so I decide to trust Ryan. I extend my arm out to him and within seconds he has a grip around me and tugs me off of Maybelle. I throw myself at him and he swings me into him in one fluid motion. It takes a second to get my leg around him but I immediately throw my arms around his neck.

He forces Honeysuckle to slow down but Maybelle continues to sprint off in front of us.

My heart is beating me senseless and my adrenaline has me shaking. I am fully aware that I am tucked into Ryan's chest, my legs straddling both him and Honeysuckle. Ryan pulls Honeysuckle to a stop and we watch Maybelle disappear into the woods beyond the meadow.

"I don't know what spooked her," I breathlessly say to Ryan. We are both breathing heavily and my arms are still limp on his thighs. I look to him while we try and catch our breath and laugh, "Are you a frickin' stunt man or something?" He shakes his head, trying to believe what just happened as well and I realize I should probably get off of him. I scoot back so I can lift my legs and he gently slides off the horse.

"There was a big snake in the path. I noticed it right as Maybelle lurched forward," Ryan answers. He holds his arms out to help me slide off the saddle. We've managed to do a lot of touching in the past fifteen minutes.