Chasing dreams
1373 Words
*Wade*
I never considered my desire to raise horses a dream, but I guess it is one. I find a measure of peace when I work with mustangs, probably because I understand what it means to have my spirit broken, to be beaten down, to feel worthless. So I work damn hard not to break the horses' spirits.
Some horses, like the black mustang Chase tried to break, just can't be broken. They're either too proud or too stubborn, much like my older brother. I think my father saw that stubbornness in Chase and realized he couldn't be broken, so he never tried to bend him. He accepted him as he was.
But I was different. I would have gladly given my life if just once my father had looked at me with pride, but I have to admit that I probably never gave him a reason to.
I look around the small boxed canyon. Here, the mustangs can drink from the pond and rest after the chase until I'm ready to take them out. I won't have enough rope to take them all, but I'll take the best. The stallion, his favored mare, and any others I think will be worth my time. The rest I will let run free.
Wiping my brow, I watch the she-wolf who wants to be part of my dream, her fingers skillfully uncoiling a thick rope so I can wrap the strands around the tree limbs I've gathered. I don't dare tell her she's already in my dreams, the ones at night where I hold her in my arms, the ones that will never become reality.
I will never wake up with her in my bed. I won't grow old holding her hand. I will never see her eyes darken with passion. I will never tell her that I love her.
I can only hope that Chase's dreams will go beyond just wanting a son once he meets Briony. That he would cherish her as I want to.
I don't think Chase can avoid falling in love with Briony. Her grit will appeal to him. I have dragged her through three weeks of hell, and she hasn't complained once. She'd make Chase one hell of a Luna.
Bending down, I begin to crisscross the sturdy limbs, one over the other, until they resemble a lengthy checkerboard. When Briony finishes her task, I'll tie the branches tightly together at every point they intersect to form a "T." The canyon's opening is small enough that my makeshift gate will cover it. I'll secure one side of the gate to one side of the opening so that Briony can easily swing it across to block off the canyon once I have herded the horses here.
It's probably insane to try and capture the horses with the few provisions I have and a she-wolf by my side. Blaise was with me before when I captured wild mustangs, staying on the perimeter while I infiltrated the herd. I won't have that luxury this time. I won't leave Briony alone, though she's probably capable, but time is running out. I'll only have her to myself for a little while longer... and then I won't have her at all.
*Briony*
Dawn arrives. I have slept little, filled with excitement at the prospect of watching the horses race into the enclosure.
Wade douses the fire as soon as we finish eating breakfast. I watch him now as he readies the camp for his departure, my anticipation mounting. He places a rope halter he has fashioned on Sorrel, drops to the ground, and removes his boots and socks before pulling his shirt over his head and tossing it on top of his duster.
He turns to face me, and I ball my hands into fists to prevent them from reaching out to touch the hardened contours of his body. "How long do you think you will be gone?"
"Not long. Today, I just need to find them." He walks across the small expanse separating us and takes my hand. "We need to talk."
My breath catches. At this moment, I need a kiss. Dear Goddess, I need a kiss. I fight to keep my gaze locked onto his, my hands from trailing along the scars on his shoulder and chest. I lick my lips.
"I want you to come with me, but I need you to understand what I'm asking. I'm leaving everything here but my revolver, my trousers, and a canteen. I want the mustangs to get used to my smell; the less I have, the less they have to get used to. I will stay with them until they trust me enough to follow me. I will sneak away at night to get food and water. I will bed down where they do. If they take it into their heads to stampede... I will do all I can to protect you, but it might not be enough." He releases my hand and starts pacing. "Hell, this was a stupid idea. I can't leave you and I can't take you with me. I wasn't thinking. If Chase knew what I was thinking, he'd have my hide."
"I want to go." I say.
He stops pacing and stares at me. "This ain't no buggy ride."
I wrap my arms around myself to keep the excitement from carrying me to the clouds. "We're going to ride with the herd? Become part of the herd? This is something I'll share with my grandchildren." I drop to the ground and begin to remove my shoes. He kneels beside me, places my foot in his lap, and works my shoe off.
"If something happens..."
"Nothing is going to happen." I hop up and carefully place my shoes alongside his boots; the action couldn't feel more intimate if I'd done it in a bedroom that only the two of us shared. I whip off his hat.
"Keep the hat on," he orders.
I spin around. He's already mounted Sorrel. "We're not likely to find much shade."
I settle his hat back in place, grateful that he hasn't wanted me to leave it behind. I would have hated for a raccoon to cart it away.
"Climb on that rock," he says.
He eases the horse over and holds out his hand. I slip my hand into his, using his arm for support as I throw a leg over the horse's back and scramble into place. I wrap my arms around Wade's bare chest and press my face against his broad back.
The world seems more beautiful than it was the day before; the leaves are just beginning to turn golden and a briskness in the air promises cooler weather is returning. We ride in silence for several hours, Wade studying the ground and the terrain. I could easily drift off to sleep with him as my pillow. I wonder if Chase's back would be this broad, this smooth, this warm.
Wade tenses beneath my cheek and draws the horse to a halt. "There they are."
Leaning to the side, I peer around him. The mustangs graze in the open.
Wade prods Sorrel forward. I'm certain the pounding of my heart will drive the horses away. We near the herd. The stallion lifts his head, eyes us warily, releases a shrieking neigh, and takes off at a gallop. The mares rapidly catch up and pass him, his silver mane blowing in the wind, his tail lifted in the air.
I want to weep. "They ran away."
Wade rounds his leg over his horse's head and slides to the ground. Reaching up, he places his hands on my waist and brings me to the ground. "Expected them to, the first time. That's why I said I wouldn't be long today."
"Why didn't you chase after them?" I ask.
He shakes his head. "They would have just run harder. This is their range; they'll come back. When they do, we'll be waiting."
"How long before they accept us?" I wonder.
"Hard to say." He admits.
He slips his arm around me, and in a gesture that seems as natural as breathing, I lean against him, waiting for the promise of his dream to return.
- Writer
