Great Plains Brides by Ramona K. Cecil

Author:Ramona K. Cecil [Cecil, Ramona]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-62416-413-2
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 3

H –help!” Regina struggled to pull her foot from the thick black mud. But the harder she tried, the deeper she sank. Her heart pounding in her ears, she glanced over her shoulder at Papa’s bull, Stark. The huge dark beast had trotted to within feet of her. With his head lowered, he snorted and pawed at the sodden ground. His big eyes, dark and malicious, fixed her with an unwavering glare. What would it feel like when his head struck her like a giant boulder? Would she feel the pain when his horns pierced her body and his sharp hooves slashed at her flesh? Or would the first butt of his mighty head have already sent her to heaven where the scriptures told her there was no pain?

Determined not to learn the answers to the questions flashing in her mind, she managed to pull enough air into her fear-paralyzed lungs to let out another scream. Where was Eli? Couldn’t he hear her? As perturbed as she had been that he’d surprised her in the barn after she had explicitly told him to stay away, the knowledge of his nearness helped to quell her growing panic. Surely he would hear her calls and come to her rescue.

The ground shook as Stark trotted closer. It almost seemed a game to the bull, like a cat that had cornered a mouse.

Finding strength she didn’t know she had, Regina pulled one foot from the black ooze, but the other foot refused to budge, and she fell face forward again in the muck. Pushing herself up with her palms, she came up spitting unspeakable filth. If Eli had already left, maybe she could get Papa’s attention. Mustering all her lung power, she let out another strangled scream.

Suddenly, she looked up to see a tall, broad-shouldered figure racing toward her. Clean shaven and lithe, the man was definitely not Papa…or Eli. Instead, she got the impression of gentle gray eyes that reminded her of soft, warm flannel, filled with concern. Straight brown hair fell across his broad forehead and his strong jaw was set in a look of determination.

Relief spilled through Regina as the stranger scooped her up in his arms. Murmuring reassurances, he ran with her toward the barn lot’s open gate. The next several seconds passed in a series of sensory flashes. The clean scent of shaving soap filled her nose as she rested her face against his hard chest. Against her ear, she heard the deep, quick thumping of his heart like the muffled beats of a distant drum. The sound of his voice, rich and deep, uttered words of assurance as he strode toward the house, cradling her securely in his strong arms.

At the back door, he set her gently on her feet before Mama, whose face registered an ever-changing mixture of shock, fear, horror, and dismay. Gingerly grasping Regina’s mud-drenched shoulders, Mama uttered unintelligible laments in tones that reflected the varied emotions flitting across her face.

Glancing over her shoulder, Regina managed to catch a parting glimpse of her rescuer before Mama whisked her into the house.

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