CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE #2
“Hey, pookie, what’s up?” Pookie? He’d never called her that before. “Are you calling to make sure I don’t forget my doctor’s appointment? I’m already on my way to his office and should be there in about twenty minutes.”
But he already—
Wait … he must’ve heard Udall! And it sounded like he was talking through his truck’s speakers. Which meant he was probably already on his way here.
A plan popped into her mind, and she had to figure out a way to let Boone know what it was.
“I need you to come home.” Luna kept her eyes on Udall. “I’m … I’m having trouble with Sassy.”
“What’s that crazy horse doing now?” She heard the roar of his truck’s big engine in the background.
She watched Udall for any signs he might be on to them.
“I put her out in the main pasture this morning, and she keeps trying to head up to the ridge.” Would Boone know what she meant?
“She did it again?” He sighed dramatically. “I’ll call the doctor to reschedule, then I’ll head home right away. Are you sure you’re okay until then?”
“Yeah, I can handle it.” Luna assumed he was twenty minutes away, since he’d mentioned that before.
“No, I don’t want you to risk getting hurt.” Boone definitely meant that. “Just relax, and I’ll deal with it.”
Meaning, leave Udall to him? Not if she could pull off her plan.
“I love you, pookie, and I’ll see you soon,” he said.
“I love you, too.”
Udall stomped over, snatched her phone from her hand, and stomped it beneath his boot.
She prayed Boone understood what she was saying and hoped she could make her plan work.
“Pookie? Fucking disgusting,” he muttered beneath his breath. “To think, some chick actually managed to neuter big, badass Boone Langston.” He pointed the gun at her. “How long till he gets here?”
“About thirty minutes.” She shifted so her butt was on the front of the chair and pointed toward the front window. “You’ll be able to see his truck through that window.”
Udall didn’t know there was another way onto the ranch, through a gate at the east side of the property.
As she hoped, he limped back over to the window, peeked through the blinds, and with the gun hand hanging down by his thigh, he returned his attention to the road.
With her eyes only, Luna looked from him to the back door, then back to him.
Now was her chance.
She exploded up from the chair, ran toward the kitchen and straight to the back door as fast as she could. Her fingers wrapped around the doorknob and she started to turn it.
“STOP!” he shouted. The gun went off, and the bullet impacted the wooden doorjamb.
She felt the sting of splinters hitting her cheek, but it would take more than that to stop her.
Luna yanked the door open and smacked the screen door so hard it banged against the side of the house. Down the steps she flew, across the yard and into the barn.
“You bitch!” He tumbled down the steps and landed in a heap on the grass. He put the butt of his rifle on the ground and used it to help himself stand, then he started after her.
Luna rolled the main door shut and flipped the latch into place to secure it. She hurried over to the wide door at the back of the barn, pushed it open to run out, and stopped when she heard Patience whinny.
No way would she leave the girls there with that madman.
She ran over to Patience’s stall and swung the door open, then did the same with Sassy’s.
“Open this fucking door!” Udall yelled. The latch rattled, and he pounded on the door.
Sassy turned to the sound, her nostrils flaring.
Patience moved in front of Luna, as if protecting her.
There was a boom. Dirt kicked up near Patience’s hoof where the bullet dug into the floor, and daylight streamed through a hole in the wood next to the latch. It sounded like he was slamming the butt of his rifle against the wood to make the hole bigger.
The horses became restless, shifting their feet around, bumping Luna as they swung their big butts away from the noise.
She looked around, grabbed the bucket of carrots, dumped them out, and set it upside down next to Sassy.
Patience immediately lowered her head and started munching her way through the smorgasbord of carrots.
Wood cracked and splintered, then the big door creaked and shuddered as Udall rolled it open.
Patience lifted her head with a half-eaten carrot sticking out of her mouth.
Luna ran over to the shelf and grabbed the large can of bear spray. She flipped the top open, extended her arm as far as possible, and pointed it directly at his face.
Udall started to lift the rifle. She scrunched her eyes, turned her face away, and pressed the button. A powerful blast of orange liquid coated his face and the entire front part of his body.
He screamed, dropped the rifle, and his hands flew to his face as he fell to his knees.
Not unlike the way Luna had when she thought this man had killed Boone.
Wasting no time, she grabbed a shovel, swung it, and slammed it against his bad leg.
He howled in pain and fell to the ground.
She stepped onto the stool, gripped a handful of Sassy’s mane the way she’d seen Boone do it before, and hopped up to swing her leg over the tall horse.
Luna plopped down onto her broad back and shifted her weight.
She’d never ridden Sassy before and realized just how much bigger she was than Patience.
“You”—cough cough —“bitch!” Udall pushed up from the ground and reached down to feel around for his rifle. His hand brushed against the barrel, and he grabbed it.
Snot and drool dripped from his nose and mouth.
Eyes nearly swollen shut, he stumbled around and bumped into the front of one of the stalls, where his fingertips brushed over the canvas feed bag hanging there.
Desperate to see, he used it to wipe across his face.
All he managed to do was mix pieces of grain in with the sticky pepper spray clinging to his skin.
Luna kept a gentle grip on Sassy, tapped her heels to the horse’s side, and steered her through the open back door, careful to ensure Patience was right behind them.
The second they were clear, she shouted, “CHA!” and gave her a slightly sturdier heel to the side.
The big, powerful thoroughbred took off like a shot and headed toward the open gate to the large pasture.
Luna guided her toward the path, and Patience easily made her way up alongside them. Their tails flew out behind them and their heads bobbed up and down in rhythm with the thundering of their hooves over the ground, kicking up clumps of dirt and grass as they headed up to the ridge.
Luna glanced over her shoulder and saw Udall staggering through the back door of the barn. He dragged his leg as he made his way into the pasture and lifted his rifle to his shoulder.
“CHA! CHA!” She leaned down close to Sassy’s neck and thumped her heels against her sides.
The beautiful horse responded instantly, picking up her pace to a speed Luna had never ridden before. Her heart hammered against her chest, and the feel of the wind in her face was exhilarating. And Patience, bless her heart, managed to stay right with them.
Luna heard the crack of the rifle just before a burning sensation ripped across her thigh.
She glanced down and saw a rip in her jeans, and blood began to soak the fabric. But she couldn’t afford to stop—she just kept holding on. Only a few more feet and they would be over the ridge and out of sight of Udall.
Another crack from the rifle, and Patience faltered and threw her head up and let loose a horrible wailing sound. Blood began to seep from a spot on the right side of her butt. The sonofabitch shot her, and still she kept moving.
They finally cleared the ridge, and Luna headed straight toward the willow tree.
“Whoa.” She gave a light tug on Sassy’s mane.
The horse slowly came to a stop, and her sides heaved in and out with heavy breaths from their ride.
With his limp and about twelve ounces of bear spray in his face, Luna figured it would take Udall some time to make his way up there. All she cared about right now was making sure Patience was okay.
Her injured thigh throbbed with pain when she dragged her leg over the top of Sassy’s back. She sort of slid off of her, and when she tried to put weight on her leg, it gave out and she ended up landing on her butt in the dirt.
Patience moved over to her and lowered her head to sniff Luna’s hair.
“I’m okay, baby.” She sucked air between her teeth as she pushed herself up and flattened her hand on Sassy’s side to steady herself. “Let me look at you.”
She hopped on one foot to where she saw the blood on Patience’s butt.
Upon closer inspection, Luna noticed there were two holes right next to each other.
If she had to guess, it looked like the bullet went in about an inch deep and came right out about two inches away.
It didn’t appear to be as bad as she thought it was, but she wouldn’t feel better until a vet looked at it.
“I’m so sorry.” Luna wrapped her arms around Patience’s neck and actually teared up at the thought of something horrible happening to her.
Sassy plodded over to them and nudged the middle of her back.
“I love you, too.” She stroked her hand down the side of the big horse’s neck.
Sassy lifted her head and snuffled a few times, then her ears turned toward the trail.
Patience’s ears perked up, too, and she turned to look in the same direction.
A minute later, Luna heard it too … the sound of a car engine approaching.
Oh, shit … Udall had her keys.