Country Girls Do It Better... Book 1 Of The Healing Through Horses Trilogy

Chapter 24

Kate's p.o.v.

          I hear nothing except a small grunt, and yet, it's enough to make me turn around in my saddle. 

          Hunter's horse, Bomber, is standing in the middle of the path, his head held low, favoring his front left hoof. 

          Hunter's not in the saddle. 

          I felt my heart drop down to my toes.

         It was only a few steps until we could be on a larger path. I walk Ozzy up towards a short maple tree, before dismounting. I loop her reins on one of the branches and hurry back to Hunter's horse. 

        A low rumble in the distance is gradually getting louder, and it is unmistakably thunder. 

       Bomber just stands there, not knowing what to do exactly. I grab his reins and lead him up by Ozzy. Once he is secured to the tree, I make my way back down the trail, looking for Hunter. 

         Soon, I see him. He is lying on the ground, about eight feet down. 

         I freeze, not knowing what to do. The first thought that pops into my head is: 'is he dead? ' 

          Suddenly, he groans. "This is my life now. I have climbed this hill, and now I will die upon it." 

           I sigh and flop down, laughing with relief.

          "Oh, Okay, so you're going to lay there laughing at me, but you're not going to help me up. That's great. Real great." 

          "Right. Stay there, be right back."

         "Stay here? Yeah, like I can leave!" he yells after me. 

         I grab my lariat off my saddle, and prepare to throw it down to him. 

        He still had his eyes closed, and when I tossed the lariat down, it hit him in the face. 

       He shot up as if he had been poked with a branding iron. "Help! I'm falling! Hurry up!" 

         It took a moment for him to realize what had happened, and then he glared up at me. "Jerk." he mutters, just loud enough for me to hear him. I simply smirk down at him. 

         He loops the lariat around his waist. "Tie it tightly around a tree. I can climb up." I do as he instructed and stand back, just in case the rope decided to snap. It would totally be an accident if that happened. I would have nothing to do with it...

          Hunter gruntes as he starts climbing. I edged over and looked down the side at him. His biceps were rippling under his t-shirt as he climbed.

           I was rendered immobilized. 

           He reached the top, his hands clawing at the ground, trying to pull himself over the edge. I snap out of it and hold out my hand. 

             Gratefully, he took it. I helped heave him over the side, but tripped and fell over backwards. He lurched forward and landed on top of me. I gasped for breath, as his body was crushing my lungs. 

              "Geerrrofff!!" I tried shoving him off, but he weighed about as much as a cow. 

             "Oh, I don't know. This is kind of comfortable." He didn't move an inch. His head was lying next to mine, and his breath tickled my ear. I couldn't move, and he wasn't moving. 

              "Hunter. You're crushing me, baby hippo." I pushed at his chest again. 

              He turned his head and stared at me. "Did you just call me a baby hippo?" He asked, an eyebrow raised, his eyes fixed intently on my face.