Part 1 (2/2)
She dumped the china doll alongside her cashmere lap blanket on the gra.s.s and struggled to her feet. Luke caught her arm to steady her.
”How do you get up?” Standing right beside the beast was more intimidating than just imagining. But she wanted to sit in that saddle badly-so badly she shoved aside the sudden qualm and paid close attention to his reply.
”I put one foot in the stirrup here, and throw the other leg over his back. Can you do that?”
”I don't think so.” That was the leg that didn't allow her mobility.
”Maybe if I lift you so you can get your good leg in the stirrup, then I can help you get the other one over.”
”Okay.”
He picked her up much as Burdell and her father often did, then directed her foot to the stirrup. ”Grab the horn and pull.”
She got her foot secured, held on tightly, and he raised her body, indelicately pus.h.i.+ng her bottom upward until she had her weight in the stirrup. Determined, Annie held on with all her inexpert strength.
Holding her weight above him was obviously a strain, but he seemed as stubborn as she, and after several awkward grunts and shoves, Annie found herself in the saddle. Her voluminous skirts and eyelet petticoats had bunched and rumpled, but he even helped her adjust them to cover most of her pantaloons and limbs modestly.
”Anything hurt?” he asked, panting as he squinted up, the sun casting blue highlights through his now rumpled black hair.
”Nope.” Oh, but the ground was so very far away and the view of the countryside from up here was positively elating! ”I'm doing it!” she squealed. ”I'm on the horse!”
”Move your foot now, so I can get on behind you.”
Surprised, she obeyed, and he swung up easily to sit behind her. ”Scared?” he asked.
”Oh, no! This is better than I ever imagined!”
”This is nothin',” he said, reaching rawboned arms around her to pick up the reins. ”The best is coming.” With a flexing movement of his legs and feet that she felt through her clothing, he urged the horse forward.
Startled, but delighted, Annie's heart raced. ”Make him go faster!”
He kicked the animal into motion, and Annie gripped the saddle horn. After the first few jolting minutes, she adjusted her weight to the gait of the horse. Her home stood on a spa.r.s.ely populated tree-lined street near the corner of town, and Luke headed Wrangler away, toward the open fields of gra.s.s and rabbit brush to the south.
The wind caressed Annie's cheeks and whipped through her hair, loosening the once faultless sausage curls and streaming the locks over her shoulders. The sky rushed forward to meet them, blue in all directions, breathtaking as far as her eyes could see. A liberating sense of freedom and exhilaration tuned her every sense and thought and feeling into this moment.
She'd never felt so light, so delicate and free from the chains that bound her to the earth; the restrictions of her body that tethered her to that chair were forgotten. Annie laughed and cried a shout of pure jubilation. Daringly, she released her hold on the leather and spread her arms wide open.
It was the best day of her life.
Riding was better than her most fanciful dreams-better than ice cream, better than birthdays and Christmas. The horse carried them along a creek lined with nodding daisies as far as the eye could see.
Eventually, Luke turned the horse's head, guiding him back the way they'd come, then slowed him to a walk as they got closer.
Annie's head was full to bursting with the pleasure of her first taste of freedom. ”This was the best birthday present anyone could ever give me,” she said over her shoulder. ”Thank you, Luke Carpenter.”
”Happy Birthday, Annie.”
”How long are you staying with your uncle?” she asked, hopefully.
”I'm not sure. I might be coming to work for him.”
The feel of the wind numbing her cheeks and this smile of joy would always be on her face, she was sure. Excitement filled her to bursting.
Wrangler carried them down the dirt lane to her house, and as they neared, Annie caught site of the crowd, which had re-formed and now milled near the front gate. Her mother stood, lace handkerchief balled in a fist and pressed to her breast. At her side Annie's father wore a thunderous expression.
Panic exploded inside Annie. Dread washed over her, erasing her joy and lightheartedness like water thrown on a slate. Burdell broke through the crowd and pointed at Luke as they approached.
”Oh, Annie! Oh, my G.o.d, Annie!” her mother cried, and Annie's father steadied his wife for a moment, then pa.s.sed her into a neighbor's hands and rushed forward.
”What is the meaning of this?” he demanded. ”Annie, are you all right?”
”I'm fine, Papa,” she said, sounding more breathless than she liked, terrified at the anger on his face. ”Luke took me for a ride.”
Her father reached up and plucked her from her seat on the horse. ”My daughter has a delicate condition,” he said to Luke. ”Come down here, young man, and explain yourself. What have you done to her?”
Luke had barely lowered himself to the ground when Burdell lunged forward and shoved his fist into Luke's face with a sickening crack.
”No!” Annie screamed, and struggled in her father's arms. ”Papa, don't let Burdy hurt him! Luke gave me a ride on his horse!”
Several of Burdell's friends formed a circle around the now scuffling pair, blocking Annie's view, but the awful sounds were enough to make her stomach twist.
”Stop! Stop them, Papa!” She grabbed her father's arm. ”He's my friend! He didn't know I couldn't go riding! It's my fault! Only my fault!”
Luke's uncle lunged into the scuffle, and a break appeared in the cl.u.s.ter of boys. Mr. Chapman pulled Luke away and held the boy's back against his chest, pinning him with both arms.
Luke's midnight black hair fell in his eyes, and a bright-red trickle ran from the corner of his mouth. His flannel s.h.i.+rt was torn and spotted with blood. He glared at Burdell, now held firmly by one of their older cousins and sporting a swelling right eye.
”I'm sorry about this, Eldon,” Mr. Chapman said to her father, then, ”Mrs. Sweet.w.a.ter,” glancing her way. ”I'm sure my nephew didn't mean any harm.”
”You keep that boy away from here.” Her father pointed indignantly. ”If she's been harmed in any way, I'm holding you responsible.”
Annie wanted to turn everything back to before this had happened. She wanted to say something that would convince them that Luke had only been treating her like a friend, but the sobs that racked her body prevented her from speech. How could things have changed from the wonder and perfection of only moments ago into this nightmare?
”I'm sending for the doctor,” her father said, cradling her protectively in his arms.
Her mother dabbed at her cheeks with her handkerchief and fluttered over Annie helplessly. ”He should look at her limb and listen to her heart.”
”I'm f-fine,” Annie said on a sob. ”Have the doctor look at h-him.” She pointed to Luke, being led away by his uncle. The boy gave her a rea.s.suring little nod and his battered mouth turned up at one corner with regret, but something more. Respect.
He was the only person who'd ever treated her as if she were as good as he was, and he was being punished for it. Tears welled and blurred her vision.
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