Chapter 25- Steve [https://cdn.midjourney.com/67e03f5b-a26f-4ff2-a017-09022ba35b4d/0_0.png]
Sitting uncomfortably on top of Steve, a gentle gelding, Kennedy tried to keep as much of her body as possible from touching the horse. His docility could be a trick. Snow had bullied her into the saddle when they were preparing to leave. Backed up by David, who clarified that Kennedy wouldn’t be able to keep up on foot.
It wasn’t fair. A little girl, who was missing her two front teeth, had led Steve into the barn. She’d called Kennedy a coward when she flinched at every move Steve made. Apparently, the animal was the small girl’s horse, and she wasn’t happy about her best friend leaving for a few days. Kennedy would have been happier on the four-wheeler. Riding a horse for two days, even one named Steve, seemed a bad idea from every direction she looked at it. They had been offered no mechanical option.
*
The steady rocking, as they headed down the path, eventually made her relax and she let her body move with the motion of her horse’s steps. Steve and she had formed a truce. She didn’t touch the reins or his neck, and he kept following the other horses. At ease with big animals, Terry and David rode ahead of her on the trail, scanning the surrounding landscape, quiet except for the steps of their animals. Every time she tried to express her displeasure, they shushed her. David insisted that quiet was important until they got a few hours away from the middle camp.
The monotony of the trail reminded her of Mega Mart. A tree. Oh, look, another tree. Surprise! More trees. The repetition was identical. David had joined them, so he could bring the horses back after they reached Terry’s cabin. Surely, the Vet felt pain with every jarring step, but he didn’t say a word. Ignoring the obvious marks on his face, his only outward sign of discomfort was the way he held his arm tight against his side. If she’d taken a beating like he did, she would have stayed in bed for weeks. That’s where Terry should be, instead of helping her get home.
Kennedy didn’t want to see his mom’s face when she saw his black eye and bruised, swollen cheek. Forget about when he explained how the mountain people had kept the four-wheeler and his gun. Hopefully, he wouldn’t mention that she’d been the one to eat the dried fish. Kennedy’s butt hurt where she rocked against the saddle.
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Before they left, Whist had invited Terry to come back with David after Kennedy was dealt with. As if she was a piece of trash they were throwing away on a bus. That was fine. Kennedy had seen enough of the mountain and planned to go home. The way Whist had reminded Terry that he was now whole and could come back permanently, caused her to bristle. That woman was wasting no time. Did she want Terry for her daughter or herself?
The horse trail allowed them to cut off half a day of travel time. The animals could maneuver a narrow trail in a way the four-wheeler could not. At times, the path sloped down so much that she gripped the pummel until her fingers turned white, leaning back to find her balance. By the time the men decided to stop, her ass and thighs felt bruised and raw.
*
Steve munched grass at the edge of the big rocks they were resting on. He’d seemed almost as relieved as she was when she dismounted. From the supplies they had been given for the trip home, Terry made them all sandwiches. They were pretty good, but she was so tired that lifting her hands to her face took effort.
Three big bites were missing from the sandwich she held limply in her lap. Terry was on his second, maybe his third. David had slid into the woods. To piss or check the perimeter, she didn’t know. Despite his obvious appetite, Terry’s face was pale. They should stop for the night. Kennedy tossed a bit of bread at him to get his attention. “You said that a healer would fix me. This is not fixed. All they did was break you, and tell me that if I let anyone know about their drug enterprise, they’d kill me.” Terry glanced over at her. She added, “Kill you too.”
He was quiet, more quiet than normal, which was saying something. She couldn’t blame him, because she had been unable to shut up or stop talking since she got off the horse. The quiet had only intensified her need to fill the space with sound. “We need to stop for the day.”
Laying back on the warm rock, he lifted an arm to cover his eyes. “Two,” he said.
“Two more hours?” She gritted her teeth. “It’s going to take both of you to get me back on top of Steve. My ass is one gigantic ache, and my thighs. Don’t you hurt?”
He nodded. Wincing, she lifted her sandwich and took another bite. Just as she was about to complain about how long David had been gone, he came walking back toward them through the trees. David removed his cap, pushed his hair back, and said, “There is a little creek to the east. I’m going to take the horses to it before we continue.” When Kennedy bared her teeth, he ignored her empty threat. “While I take care of the animals, why don’t you try to heal him? Terry sat up and shook his head no.
David frowned at him. “Stop it. I know why you didn’t want her to heal you at the middle camp.”