The Heart of Deception

Chapter 10

Jumping the boundary fence had frightened the living daylights out of Lauren, and landing on the other side had thrown her forward, against her horse’s neck. Her left foot had shot out of the stirrup, and she found herself sliding over the saddle.

Her right foot was trapped. If she fell now, she’d be dragged!

She desperately clutched to Lightning’s mane and neck, as the forest loomed towards. Suddenly feeling numb, she realised, if she lost control before they hit the trees, she could very easily be killed.

With an amazing calmness, she managed to tense her left leg, allowing the pommel to take most of her weight, and praying fervently that the saddle wouldn’t slide.

She silently thanked God for Lightning’s relatively smooth gallop - Helen had described him as a Cadillac. Even at a trot, Lauren had no need to rise and fall in the saddle.

Almost draining her last ounces of strength, she lifted herself up by her left leg, and succeeded in freeing her right foot.

Branches and twigs scraped the full length of her body, ripping her clothing and gouging into her skin. She ground her teeth against the pain, and buried her face in Lightning’s sweaty neck, when the branch of a thorn tree scored her left side.

As Lightning swung around the next bend, Lauren plucked up the courage to let go. Drawing her limbs into her chest, she thudded to ground, and found herself rolling down a sharp descent, towards the muddy creek below.

She finally came to a stop, face down in the black muddy water, winded and disorientated.

Somewhere in the distance, she heard the sound of thundering hooves. She tried to move, but every inch of her felt raw. Even breathing hurt. She lay still for a minute gathering her wits, before cautiously trying to move various parts of her body.

“Great,” she grimaced, trying to sit up. “At least nothing is broken.”

On limbs that felt like jelly, Lauren crawled up the steep embankment, and sank onto her knees, next to a tree. Close by, she could hear someone calling her sister. It took a while to register that the caller was actually looking for her.

Taking a deep breath, she clutched at the right side of her chest, and managed a hoarse response. Still very shaken, she stood up, at the same time as Kurt came towards her, leading both horses. His pale face reddened, as relief was replaced with anger.

“What kind of stunt was that?” he exploded. “You nearly got yourself killed.”

Lauren stood as still as statue, with her mouth opening and closing silently like a goldfish. She was still in shock. She had been to hell and back, and now he was yelling at her as if it was all her fault!

They glared at one another in silence. Then Kurt began to smile.

No, she realised. He isn’t smiling, he’s laughing. He’s laughing at me. I’m in agony, and he’s laughing at me!

Lauren flung a muddy tendril of hair stuck to her cheek, out of the way. She was on the verge of tears. With a large lump in her throat, she swung around and stomped off down the path, in the direction of the homestead.

“Diane, come here,” he chuckled.

Lauren ignored him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Home,” she called back.

“I’ve had enough,” she muttered under her breath. “Diane can do this by herself. The sooner I can get away from here, the better.”

“You go nowhere without your horse.”

Lauren saw red. It wasn’t her horse! She wanted nothing more to do with the damned creature. She wouldn’t give a continental if it grew wings and flew away.

“Don’t ignore me Diane. Get back on your horse right now.”

Lauren swung around, spurting language she’d never before been driven to use. Kurt was left with no illusions as to what he could do with the Palomino, before she flounced off.

Strong hands gripped her shoulders, and swung her around. Expecting him to be furious, Lauren was floored when she found him smothering a laugh.

“Don’t be a fool, Diane. You know as well as I do, if you don’t get back up there right now, you might never ride again.”

“You got it in one mister. I don’t care if I never see that fucking animal again.”

Kurt lifted her over his shoulder, and dumped her over the rump of her horse. Lauren tried to wriggle free, kicking him in the ribs in the process.

“Get back in that saddle,” he warned.

His expression hardened when she scrabbled to dismount. Lauren found herself looking into an angry pair of blue eyes.

“If you get off before we get home, I’ll put you over my knee and give you a damn good hiding. If you want to behave like a spoilt child Diane, you can expect to be treated like one!”

Glaring down at him, she doubted it was just an idle threat. He actually looked as if he was daring her to disobey him.

"Choosing to be a coward?"

He didn't just accuse her of cowardice did he?

"Fuck you!" Lauren ground through gritted teeth, grabbing the reins and turning Lightning towards the homestead. 

The ride home was agonising, but pride made her hold her head up high. Even the stable hand smirked when he saw her - that only made her walk back to the house, tall and straight, pompously concealing her pain and discomfort.