Mail Order Groom by Dana Wayne

Author:Dana Wayne [Wayne, Dana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: novel
Publisher: Dana Wayne
Published: 2017-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

By the time he neared the herd, the rain slacked off to a light shower from the torrential downpour he battled since shortly after leaving Emma. He estimated the herd to be maybe a mile up ahead, trailing parallel to the creek. The banks along this stretch were steep and they would stay well away from it. And after this much rain, flash floods were a real possibility. When he picked out the sounds of bawling cattle over the waning storm, he knew was close.

He heard the sharp retort of a gunshot a split second before a bullet ripped into his thigh. “Sonofabitch!” He ducked low over the horse’s back and urged him forward. Another bullet tore into his shoulder, almost knocking him from the saddle. “Shit!” He estimated the gunman to be somewhere ahead and to the left of him, hidden by the dense foliage surrounding the creek. He pulled hard on the reins and sent his mount toward the semi-shelter of the trees. The next shot whistled by his ear, and then he was among the trees, reaching for his rifle, but unable to make his hand work.

Diablo stamped and side-stepped away from the noisy, rising waters.

“Easy boy, easy.” He tried to calm the skittish horse without much luck. Another shot dug into the tree behind him. “Where the hell is he!” He tried again to reach for his rifle but his arm was useless. He grabbed for his pistol with his good hand as the next shot came, grazing across his forehead, sending him over the bank into the now raging river. He inhaled sharply as the chilly water hit him, sucking him under. The pain of his injuries, momentarily forgotten, he struggled against the fast-moving current to get his head above water. Ears ringing, lungs burning, he at last broke the surface and pulled in air, flailing his good arm about looking for something – anything – to hold on to. A limb tickled his fingers and he grabbed for it just as something hard – his first thought was an uprooted tree — slammed against his head, pushing him back under the murky depths.

Stunned, he lost his hold on the limb as the water swept him downstream. His ears rang and his head hurt like a sonofabitch as he struggled to stay afloat. His fingers touched wood and he grabbed on, barely getting his face out of the water as darkness threatened to consume him. Weakened from his injuries and the struggle, he could only hold on and pray he didn’t pass out and drown as the flood carried him downstream.

“I love you, Red,” he whispered as darkness overtook him.

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