Big Sky Eyes Read online

  When dawn broke and the wranglers were making their way to the corrals to feed, guests were ambling sleepily toward the lodge, answering the inviting scents of bacon, eggs and coffee. Mackenna and Kelly chatted with a few guests on the front porch before tossing the remnants of their coffee over the railing and retrieving their footwear. Brent lounged against the stable doors beside Ty and Leslie who were chatting about the forecasted rain. His eyes and ears were pinned firmly on Mackenna as she slipped into her boots.

  She took one giant step, then stopped. A perplexed look on her face, she took another step. Her lips twisted in disgust as she made it down the steps and yanked her boot free. What was left of the horse droppings tumbled out while the rest was squished down into the boot and soaking the bottom of her sock. She let out a repulsed cry and her head snapped up, scanning the area for Brent. It wasn’t hard to find him. He was the man doubled over with laughter, leaning against the stables.

  “Really, Brent?!” she shouted over his guffawing, not amused at all. “How am I supposed to clean this out of my boot?”

  “With water, I imagine,” he said.

  Ty and Leslie looked between the pair and shook their heads in exasperation.

  “You two are as bad as a bunch of school kids,” Leslie scolded with a smile.

  “Oh, come on, Leslie,” Ty teased. “They’re just having a bit of fun.” He leveled a curious look at Brent as he made his last statement. Brent was not known for fun. Ever. “Let’s go get the horses saddled. Mackenna…just…catch up when you’re ready.”

  Brent followed the couple, turning back with a smile to watch as Mackenna peeled her now-green sock carefully from her foot. Her lips were curled against the smell and texture and he laughed once again before turning to his work.

  Mackenna watched him go, cursing him a hundred ways in her head. Just how was she supposed to clean this stuff from her boot anyway? He knew damn well that she couldn’t put water in her boot. It would ruin it. As soon as she had the thought, another for perfect revenge followed it and she leaned against the porch rail, watching Brent’s retreating back with a wicked grin on her lips.

  She’d spent the day riding in her tennis shoes, which wasn’t ideal. Luckily, Sass had become so accustomed to her that she hadn’t even needed spurs. She was anxious for night to fall so she could exact her revenge. After everyone turned in, she waited quietly in her bed for another hour, thinking that enough time had passed for Brent to be asleep.

  She tiptoed out of the house, across the gravel and slipped into the stables. The only light inside came from a soft yellow glow of dim electric lamps. She stood at the bottom of the wooden steps, listening to determine whether he was awake. When she heard nothing she took the steps quietly, one at a time, until her eyes were level with the platform. She peeked around and found him lying on a small pad in the corner, covered with a flannel blanket, sleeping peacefully.

  His boots were right near the top of the steps, within arm’s reach. She grabbed one and took it quietly out of the stables. Once she was back in the lodge, she filled the foot of it with water and stuck it in Bev’s large freezer. She returned to the loft, laughing under her breath. As soon as she shut the door, the light flicked on and Kelly was sitting up in her bed beside the lamp. Mackenna froze, like a child caught in some insidious act.

  “What are you doing, Mackenna?” her tone was accusatory and authoritative, and Mackenna didn’t like it.

  “What does it matter?” she responded.

  “Were you with Brent?”

  “Kelly, Brent is fast asleep.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because I just went and stole his boot.” She smiled at the thought of her prank, but Kelly wasn’t smiling. Mackenna sighed and plopped down on her bed. “What’s the problem, Kell?”

  “Are you after Brent?” she asked tightly. Mackenna eyed her friend curiously.

  “Don’t tell me you still are,” she said.

  “You know I like him, Mackenna.”

  Mackenna rolled her eyes. “Kelly, you like a lot of guys. I’m sure Brent won’t be the last one either.”

  “What the hell kind of a thing is that to say?” Kelly said with hurt and horror on her face. Mackenna wilted with guilt. “I’m sorry, Kelly. Look, I’m not after Brent. I’m just his friend. Okay?”

  She still looked wounded but accepted Mackenna’s statement and the two turned awkwardly away from one another in their beds once the light was out. Mackenna didn’t want to hurt Kelly, but she felt a sliver of anger over her laying some sort of claim on Brent. She was enjoying his company and his newfound playfulness, and she could tell that he was, too. She wasn’t going to give that up just because Kelly had gone and gotten herself another hopeless crush.

  As the night deepened, the cold front they’d been warned about settled all around them. Mackenna shivered under her covers until she came fully awake. She knew Bev kept blankets in the trunks at the foot of each bed and as she got up to retrieve one, she thought of Brent in the stables, covered with nothing more than a single flannel blanket. His boot in the freezer sprang into her mind as she thought of him waking in the cold dawn with nothing to cover his feet and instantly regretted her actions.

  She went downstairs with a few thick woolen blankets in hand. To her regret, the boot was frozen solid when she pulled it from the freezer. There was no way it would thaw in the cold night. She’d just have to tell him before he discovered it on his own. She hurried through the brisk air to the stables. When she reached the top of the steps, Brent was curled into a ball, shivering. She set the boot down and covered him with one of the blankets, tucking it high under his chin. His body instantly stilled and he relaxed peacefully.

  She smiled as she looked down at him, studying the handsome features that were warming toward her more and more each day. Hoping he wouldn’t be too angry to find her there in the morning with his frozen boot in hand, she settled on the floor and leaned against the wall, wrapping herself thickly in the blankets. Within moments, she was fast asleep.

  All Brent could remember was praying for daylight to come and warm his bones, but as his body began to wake, he felt nothing but soft warmth surrounding him. He opened his eyes and noticed the blanket that was not his clutched around his body. Confused, he looked around and saw Mackenna slumped against the wall, her head leaning into the corner, sleeping. Her blanket was identical to his. She must have come in the night to cover him up. He smiled gratefully and made his way to his feet.

  Her hair was tied into a knot in the back, revealing a slim and smooth neck. Her lips parted slightly as she breathed in and out. She was so at ease, and so small, and had an innocence about her that made Brent feel protective. He reached down and gently shook her shoulder until her head bobbed awake. She looked up at him with bright, glassy eyes.

  “Thanks for bringing me the blanket,” he said. “You’re a sweet girl.”

  Mackenna shook her head lazily as his words registered. “No, I’m not,” she croaked. “I froze your boot.”

  His brow wrinkled in confusion. “You froze my boot?”

  She nodded and then lifted the solid mass up to him and he took it, confirming what she’d said. He looked down at her.

  “Seems counterproductive, doesn’t it?” he asked. “Covering me with a blanket then freezing my footwear?”

  “It actually went the other way around,” she said. “I froze your boot, then covered you with a blanket. I’m sorry. It was supposed to be a prank, but when I realized how bad it was, it was already frozen.”

  He looked once again at his ruined, frozen boot and then laughed softly before taking a seat beside her.

  “Apology accepted. Sorry for ruining your boot, too.”

  “Mine’s not ruined,” she said. “It just smells.”

  They chuckled tiredly.

  “No more pranks?” he asked.

  “No more pranks,” she agreed.

  “Friends?” he held out a hand for her to shake and she
took it happily.

  “Friends.”

  Chapter 7

  “I’m paralyzed!” the woman screamed over and over again, even as her arms flailed around and she twisted back and forth on the ground. Mackenna leapt from Sass and went to her knees beside her.

  “Katie!”

  “I’m paralyzed!” she screamed again. “I can’t move!”

  Mackenna tried to gain her attention but the woman couldn’t hear over her own wails. Finally, Mackenna shouted her name again and grabbed the woman’s arms.

  “You’re not paralyzed! You’re moving your arms and legs!”

  Katie’s eyes widened and she finally stopped moving. Suddenly, she covered her face with her forearm and wept. She lay flat on her back exactly where she had fallen. Her ankle was cocked at such an unnatural angle that Mackenna knew that it was broken. She swore under her breath and tried to comfort the woman with a hand on her shoulder.

  She looked around at their surroundings. They were three hours away from the ranch and surrounded by thick woods. The sun was directly overhead, dimpling the ground with circles of light that broke through the canopy. Kelly, Brent and Ty had stopped the ride and gathered the other fifteen riders farther up the trail when Mackenna had called out that they had a rider down.

  This would be a challenge. For almost four weeks, they’d led their patrons without incident and a broken ankle was more incident than she wanted to handle. Ty was better with injuries. This was beyond her skills. She looked down the trail toward the crowd of horses and called out for Ty. He rode through and dismounted beside her. He opened his mouth to ask how bad it was, only to see for himself.

  “Ah, man,” he said. “It’s definitely broken. What happened?”

  Katie’s cries increased at Ty’s declaration.

  “You’re going to be fine,” Mackenna told Katie calmly. “We’ll get you back to the ranch and get your ankle looked at. Just give us a minute to plan.”

  She stood and walked a few paces away to speak privately with Ty.

  “She jumped off her horse,” Mackenna said lowly.

  “What?! Why did she do that?”

  “I don’t know. She was fine during that last run through the meadow, but once we got into the trees, she just jumped! I couldn’t believe it. She’s lucky I was the one behind her and that everyone else was up ahead. She could have been trampled.”

  Ty’s brow wrinkled and he chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought. “We’ve got to set that ankle and brace it before we head back. I don’t want to risk it getting knocked around during the three hours it’s going to take to get back.”

  Mackenna grimaced. “That’s gonna hurt like hell.”

  Ty nodded. “I’ll go get some decent wood to brace it. You go and help her try and suck up her courage.”

  “Oh, thanks,” Mackenna said, not looking forward to the task. She returned to Katie and kneeled beside her again. “We’re going to have to set and bind your ankle.” The woman lifted her forearm and turned wet, wide eyes on Mackenna, who continued to explain. “We’re at least three hours away from the ranch right now. If we don’t set your ankle it could be damaged further and irreparably. Ty is really good at doctoring. He’ll make it as quick and painless as possible. You’ll have to ride back.”

  At this, Katie propped herself up on her elbows. “I’m not riding that animal anywhere,” she said in fear. “He doesn’t listen.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He wouldn’t stop! I was pulling the reins as hard as I could and he kept going faster and faster and once we got into the forest he wouldn’t stop. I just knew he was going to run me right into a tree!”

  Mackenna frowned and looked toward the woman’s horse. “That’s not like Buddy,” she said. “He’s a very good dude horse. Are you sure?”

  “Damn sure,” Katie said with resolve. “Why do you think I jumped? You think I want to get bashed into a tree trunk?”

  Mackenna’s frown deepened. Ty was standing behind her, listening to the tale. When she looked up at him, he nodded at her to join him away from Katie. She did.

  “Something’s not right,” Mackenna said.

  “Yeah,” Ty agreed. “Buddy would never take off like that. Something had to have scared him.”

  Mackenna’s eyes brightened. “Bear?”

  “Could be,” he said. “I thought I saw one a while back. That’s why I led us away from it.”

  Mackenna’s senses heightened immediately as she slowly scanned the thick wood around them. The last thing they needed was a visit from a grizzly.

  “Well, let’s get this done then and get back,” she said. “She’s not going to ride Buddy, though. She’s adamant.”

  “Maybe we can get one of the other riders to swap with her,” Ty offered.

  “I’ll ride up and check. I’ll also send Brent back. He’ll be better help to you with that ankle than I will. I don’t think I’m strong enough to hold her still.”

  He nodded and she swung herself into Sass’s saddle and rode up to the group. Brent and Kelly sat side-by-side on their mounts at the head. She trotted passed them and flicked her head for them to follow. Once away from the group, she brought them up to speed. Brent turned his palomino and cantered off toward Ty.

  The other riders watched their leaders with interest and a slight unease. Mackenna turned to address them. She told them of Katie’s fall and condition, their need to return to the ranch and she asked for a volunteer to trade horses. She decided to omit the information about a potential bear. The chances of a close encounter were very slim given the size of their group, and she didn’t want to frighten them.

  No one wanted to trade horses. They feared ending up like Katie on the ground with a broken limb. Mackenna was in the middle of trying to convince them of Buddy’s docile nature when Katie’s scream rent the air as Ty reset the bone. Buddy tore through the group at a run, obviously frightened by the sudden wail. He raced passed the group and sped down the trail.

  “Stay here!” Mackenna called before she spurred Sass into a run after Buddy. Brent was soon by her side, thundering down the trail. Buddy heard their approach and quickened his pace. Brent shouted over the pounding hooves.

  “We need to cut him off!”

  He tugged his horse into the woods to the left of the trail. Mackenna gathered his meaning and broke off to the right. Sass wove expertly through the trees, sometimes close enough for Mackenna to feel her chaps breaking off bits of bark. She ducked forward, her head nearly on Sass’s neck as she kicked her into a faster run. She looked to her left to see that she was exactly parallel to Buddy, as was Brent on the opposite side.

  A few more strides and they eased ahead of the runaway horse. There were too many trees blurring by between Brent and Mackenna to communicate, but she knew that they needed to overtake Buddy soon or risk losing him in the clearing that they were about to enter. As soon as she saw a big enough break in the tree line, she jerked her left rein. Sass swiveled in mid-stride and broke through the trees to land on the trail just ahead of Buddy. Brent must have had the same thought as he landed on the trail at exactly the same time.

  With the double barrier blocking the trail Buddy slid to a stop, slamming into Sass’s left side and Mackenna’s left leg. She grunted and leaned into the lurch, her left knee throbbing already. Brent reached down and grabbed Buddy’s reins. Sass pranced in place, denouncing the assault. As soon as she had enough space, she shot out a back hoof and buried it into Buddy’s hind quarters. Mackenna regained control and soothed her horse.

  Only then did she and Brent exchange glances. They were both panting from adrenaline and Mackenna was breaking into a sweat from the pain in her leg. Brent smiled slowly and she forgot her pain in that instant, smiling back.

  “Well, that was fun,” he said.

  “I told you it could be fun,” she returned in between breaths.

  “You all right?” he asked. “That hit was pretty hard.”

  “I’m fine,” s
he lied. “Sass took the brunt of it.”

  “Let’s get this troublemaker back,” he said, tugging Buddy behind him.

  If any of the other riders had been considering trading horses with Katie, Buddy’s mad dash had cured them of it. The longer they waited, the worse Katie’s ankle got and Ty revealed that he didn’t think it was wise for her to be on horseback, dangling her rapidly swelling break for three hours.

  “She needs to keep her foot elevated,” he said to the other wranglers. “It’s already swelling pretty bad. Another three hours will make it that much worse.”

  “Can we make a litter, you think?” Kelly offered.

  “The amount of time it’ll take us to gather what we need to make a litter would have us more than halfway back to the S,” Ty answered.

  “So, what are you proposing?” Mackenna asked.

  Ty looked at Brent, who knew without asking what his friend was thinking, and he nodded in agreement.

  “She’s going to have to stay here,” Ty said. “I’ll get the rest back to the ranch and then come back out with the Thing.”

  The Thing was the nickname of the McCrae’s 1979 John Deere jeep. It was more like a perfectly square lime-green metal box that sat on wheels that could go anywhere in any condition. It was perfect for situations like this.

  “Alone?” Katie nearly wailed from behind them.

  “No, Katie, not alone,” Ty soothed. “Brent and Mackenna will stay here with you.”

  Mackenna started. “Me?”

  “I need one person with me to lead Buddy and see the group back as quickly and safely as possible. I think it best if the other person stays here with Brent. Would you rather go back to the ranch and have Kelly stay?”

  The idea of Kelly out there with Brent sent a flare through Mackenna and she tried not to sound too eager when she spoke.

  “No, I can stay. I just didn’t know that’s what you were planning.”

  Mackenna felt like a horrible, traitorous friend but she could not deny the smugness she felt at the disappointment in Kelly’s face.