Horse Crazy...or Crazy Horses

I'm a day late for Work in Progress Wednesday. I've been struggling a little for the last week with Mom Stuff, and then when I sat down to do this post yesterday, my computer wouldn't cooperate lol. I might have been able to do this on my phone, but last time I tried, I wasn't happy with the way it turned out. Plus, I also couldn't get onto Scrivener to pick out an excerpt (note to self: BACK UP BOOK NOW!).

Anyway, on the plus side, while we are having another storm overnight tonight and into tomorrow, it feels like springtime. The sun is even shining right now, and the ice in our driveway is disappearing in a hurry. Thank goodness!

I hope you're all having a good week, and I really hope you enjoy this excerpt from Rescue. Thank you for reading!

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“I can fix him,” Paige said.

Billy snorted. “Anyone sayin’ those words usually ends up cryin’.”

“Oh, just let her give it a try, Billy. Won’t hurt anything,” Nick said.

Paige smiled gratefully at him, and he grinned back.

“In case you hadn’t noticed, it already HAS hurt something,” Billy snapped. “He’s laying over there lookin' like Casper the fucking ghost.”

“I think it was Casper the friendly ghost,” Nick corrected.

“Whatever.” Billy pulled his cowboy hat down further on his head. “I gotta take Joe to get that leg looked at. You guys do whatever the fuck you want. But if you get hurt, no one’s payin' for your time off.”

"Well, I mean, I'm the one signing the paychecks..." Nick said, earning himself a glare from Billy.

The old man stomped off toward a shining pickup truck in front of the barn. Paige glanced nervously at the other men, then went to the fence. She shut everything out of her mind except the black colt, and focused on feeling calm, then transmitting that feeling to Sapphire. He snorted and shook his head. Paige transmitted an image of her approaching the colt and rubbing his neck, while the colt stood quietly.

She climbed the fence, and once her boots hit the dirt, the horse charged.

Paige felt like she was staring down a freight train. She was frozen to the ground, while everyone yelled for her to move. She ignored them and focused every fiber of her being on feeling calm. And she squared her shoulders and called, “Whoa!”

Sapphire slid to a stop, dropped his head, and stood in front of her and snorted horse snot all over her. She sighed out the breath she’d been holding, and mentally gauged whether she was going to have to run to her cottage for a quick underwear change.

“Thanks,” she said, wiping her face.

Sapphire let out a sigh, too, as if he’d also been holding his breath. Paige reached out carefully and laid her hand on his neck. Sapphire flinched, and his ears flicked back on his head. For half a second, Paige was sure she was about to have her arm bitten off. But the colt’s ears relaxed just as quickly, and he dropped his head to nibble at Paige’s shirt.

“What the actual fuck?” Joe said.

Sapphire snorted again at the sound of Joe’s voice and bolted, slamming himself against the fence closest to Joe. Joe screamed and rolled out of the way. And he yelped again because he'd jarred his injured leg. Paige heard Jim and Nick snicker, but she kept her eyes on the horse. She moved to the center of the round pen, letting Sapphire gallop around the outside, waving her arms at him if he tried running at her. After seeing how he acted with Joe, Paige was surprised the arm-waving actually worked.

Billy returned with the truck, and stood at the roundpen gate, eyes on Sapphire.

The black colt’s pace slowed after a few laps. He was tired out and nearly white from lather. Page angled her body away from him, and he stopped for a moment, unsure of how to react. Again, he picked up a run, then slid to a stop inches from Paige.

“Well, at least you didn’t spray me with snot this time,” she murmured as he grabbed the hem of her shirt. She walked away from him, and he followed behind her like a pet dog. She made a point to keep away from the audience watching at the fence, hoping she could keep him quiet for a few more minutes. She walked aimlessly around the pen for a few laps, then stopped. Sapphire stopped too, and stood quietly while Paige rubbed his neck and shoulders.

She looked at Billy, who was holding his phone up and scowling. When he caught her eye, he shoved his phone in his pocket and yelled, “All right, show off. If you’re done proving an old man wrong, cool that colt out and put him up in the barn. He’s your goddam problem now.”

Paige grinned, and Billy scowled even harder. Paige giggled, thinking he looked like an apple doll.

“Don’t come crying to me when he kills you, either!” he added. Then he turned away, and he and Nick helped Joe into the pickup.

“Make sure you tag me when you post that," Paige called, as Billy walked around to get in the driver's seat of the truck. "I’d sure like the internet to know me as something other than ‘Goose Girl’."