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Second
Wind
by Myla Jackson
A nicker sounding suspiciously
like laughter erupted from Ranger's full equine lips.
"Can't get no respect.
Even from my damned horse." He glared at Ranger.
"I'm a desperate man. If praying will help, by
God, I'll do it. Despite your snickering."
He dropped his chin and searched
his memory for the fancy words he remembered from when
he'd attended church as a child. Hell, the last time
he was in a church was when he went with his mamma at
least twenty-five years ago.
Twenty-five years and none
of the words came to him. Nope. Nothing.
Ranger nudged him with his
soft muzzle.
"Okay, okay. I'm gettin'
to it." Seth cleared his throat. "Dear Lord-"
Lightning flashed, the glow penetrating Seth's eyelids.
"I know it's been a while-" Thunder rumbled.
"Okay, it's been a long time. Nothin' gets by you,
does it?"
Another rumble shook the earth
beneath Seth's knee.
Ranger pawed the earth.
"If you could see it
in your heart to send me a woman, I'd be much obliged."
His words ended in a rush. "There, I prayed."
Seth straightened and plunked his hat on his head.
A brilliant flash of lightning ripped through the clouds,
skimming across the ground.
Seth jumped back as if the
bolt aimed at him.
Ranger pushed Seth with his nose.
"Oh yeah, I forgot."
Seth dropped back down to one knee, tipped his hat and
said, "Amen."
When he rose, he glanced toward
the east, half hoping...For what? A woman to come riding
across the prairie and straight into his arms?
Seth snorted. "That'll
happen about as soon as it starts raining women from
the sky." Thunder added to his harsh laughter.
Ranger reared and backed away.
"What's wrong with you?
Never known you to be afraid of a little ol' storm."
Fat drops of rain splashed
against his face. "Come on, let's go back to the
barn. The good Lord ain't gonna deliver her here in
the middle of nowhere."
As Seth swung up into the
saddle, another clap of thunder shook the air. "A
man could be struck by lightning out here without a
tree within miles." A flash struck so close the
light blinded him.
Just as he settled into his
saddle, something struck him from behind, knocking him
clean off his horse. He landed on his chest, the force
of the fall knocking the air from his lungs. With his
face full of buffalo grass and dust, he couldn't breathe.
What the hell?
As soon as he could suck in
enough breath to refill his lungs, Seth rolled to his
side, drawing the six-shooter from his holster.
What he saw was unlike anything
he'd ever seen in his entire life.
A balloon as big as his barn
blew over his head dragging what looked like a giant
basket along the ground. The basket hit a knoll and
tipped over. A door sprang open, spilling some of its
contents into the tall prairie grass before moving along,
pushed by the strengthening storm.
Seth's gaze followed its path
until it disappeared over a hill.
Ranger trotted after the monster
balloon.
"Whoa, boy. Where do
you think you're goin'?"
When the horse reached the
small knoll where the basket had tipped, he stopped
and nickered.
"Find something?"
Rubbing the lump on the back of his head, Seth tromped
through the tall grass. As he closed the distance between
himself and the horse, a moan rose from the ground.
For a moment, Seth thought the wind made the noise.
Then another followed the first. Nope. That wasn't wind.
Seth loped to the spot and
looked down. He blinked his eyes and looked again.
"No, I'm not believin'
this. That ain't what it looks like. No siree. That
bump on my head musta been worse than I thought."
He pressed the rising lump, pain shooting down the base
of his neck. "Yup, definitely seeing things."
Seth grabbed for Ranger's reins.
The horse jerked free and
nodded toward the aberration on the ground.
"Don't tell me you're
seein' things too." Seth glanced around for his
hat before he realized he'd stuck it back on his head.
"It can't be real." His gaze returned to the
inert form. "But it sure looks like a woman."
His imagination had conjured
a woman. She lay on her side with her back to him, naked
as the day she was born, but fully growed, judging by
her length and the full swell of her hips and thighs.
A full mane of golden tresses flowed down over her shoulders
to tangle in the buffalo grass.
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