Clint
“May?” The whole house seems empty, and I wonder where she might have gone. Her car is still out front. But again, that feeling that something is wrong settles in my gut.
“Boss?” Carson asks, and I shake my head.
“Something isn’t right,” I tell him and he dips his head. We both look at the front door as Shane walks in. There’s an odd look on his face. A look I know. I walk up and grab the front of his shirt before slamming him back against the door.
“What did you do to her?” I demand, seeing red. He’d fucking told Amanda to leave that night. He told her to go, to take her space. She died alone, injured and scared on the road that night. My fist balls up and I draw back, but he lifts his hands.
“Nothing! Lady is missing!” He brings his hands up to cover his face, but I let him go. Straightening my shirt, I turn to Carson.
“Get a search party together.”
“On it, boss.” Carsen says, hurrying out the door.
“Thunder is saddled, sir.” Shane’s looking at me with a mixture of anger, hate, and apologies. I nod and head toward the barn, my balled fists shaking with rage. At least, I tell myself it’s rage. I grab Thunder’s saddle and pull myself up.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Shane mount up. We say nothing, but I nod to him. His help will be appreciated. We head out, taking the only real path out of this place. It’s the most logical direction someone who doesn’t know this area would ride.
As we ride, I see Lady trotting back toward us, her saddle bare. And my blood runs cold.
Shane tosses me a glance and we both kick our horses.
***
The world flies by and I struggle to keep thoughts of losing May from my mind. I can’t lose her. I’ve lost so much. Sure, the past haunts me, but I feel I’ve found balance. The sorrow comes back in waves, but it’s less than it was. I’ll always miss Amanda. She was sweet, imperfect, and kind. She gave me the greatest gift I could have ever asked for, Grace.
The sun bears down on us with the smite of a god as we ride. We’re just looking, searching, hoping we find her. She’s out here, somewhere, possibly hurt. Or worse.
A toss from a horse can kill, or injure. What if she snapped her leg? Severed an artery? Snapped her neck? The list of what-ifs racing through my mind is impossibly long and every bit of me aches as I try to put the horror of the whole situation out of my mind.
I didn’t tell her I wanted to work it out. I didn’t tell her how much she means to me. I didn’t ever tell her I wanted to make it real. What felt weird before seems less so now that I know I’ve known her for so very long. I’d been upset at myself for falling so impossibly fast. On some level I must have known who she was all along. That’s why she felt like home, why I felt like I’d known her forever. Because I had.
I don’t care what life has done to her since I saw her last. I know who she is, how pure and sweet, how loving and kind she is. She’d be a wonderful mother to Grace. She’d be an amazing wife. She’s an incredible woman.
And whatever is in her past is hers to fight. I’ll be there to support her, for her to lean on, but she doesn’t have to share with me. I’m happy being the man she leans on, comes to, and trusts. And with time, I’ll learn to trust her too. I don’t believe she lied to harm me, to hurt my feelings or to make me look like a fool.
Shane cuts away from me and I look over, wondering if he found something. Still, something tells me to stay the course. It’s the same feeling that made me cut the day short, to come home, to check on May. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s god, maybe it’s a miracle, maybe it’s some invisible bond between our souls that keeps us coming back to one another.
She’s counting on me. She needs me. I can’t let her down.
The steady pulse of a chopper begins to register in my brain and I thank my lucky stars Carson got a group together so quickly. I’ll give huge donations to every organization involved in such a quick search and rescue.
It’s a hot day. I feel sweat dripping down my back and my eyes sting as salty dampness seeps into them. How long has she been out here? We were gone for hours. If she’s been lying in the sun somewhere, she’s going to be in trouble. Hell, she’s going to be in trouble anyway. The desert is unforgiving. She’s at risk for heatstroke, for…
I put the worry out of my mind. I need a clear head to keep an eye out for clues. And something catches my eyes. Buzzard Rock, straight ahead, looks like it’s got something on it. Something like cloth.
Letting out a whooping holler, I ride toward it at full speed, charging like I’m headed into battle. And I see her, motionless on the shade of the rock. Jumping out of the saddle, I drop to my knees and check for her pulse. Her heart is still beating strong, but she’s hot.
And those beautiful blue eyes flutter open and lock on me.
“Clint?” She whispers, before her arms come around my shoulders like I’m the only person in the world. “I knew you’d come…” she whispers as her whole body goes limp in my arms.
Shane is up on me in an instant. “Is she…?” he asks, and I shake my head.
“Passed out.” I nod to him and there’s just a flash between us. A comradery that whispers to the past, the friend I’d had for so long before he’d let me down and ruined my life.
From his belt, he pulls a flare and pops it off into the air.