Big Sky Homecoming

Duke had stared after the man. Young buck? Is that how Ebner saw him? Duke shouldn’t be surprised. Ebner had never been all that friendly to him.

Forget Ebner. Sooner or later he’d learn to respect Duke.

His thoughts flitted ahead to this visit with Rose.

Perhaps if he’d been paying more attention he would have been prepared when a rabbit jumped out in front of King. The horse snorted, reared and got the bit. Knowing he was in control, King bucked.

Duke hung on through the first three bucks but he was off balance, unprepared for King’s behavior, and went flying, his arms windmilling. The ground rushed toward him and clouted him on the forehead. He closed his eyes and gasped for breath. Darkness pushed at the edges of his brain but he fought it off and sat up. The world tilted and spun. Something dripped into his eyes and he rubbed it away.

His hand came away bloody.

The black pushed closer.

“Billy.” He looked around for the man... Where was he? He lifted his head and squinted to focus his vision.

Billy galloped away, leaving Duke alone.

The blackness overwhelmed him.

Chapter Three (#ulink_db060cb8-240d-5bc3-a037-2f6345b8ee8c)

“Rose! Rose!”

She turned at the sound of her name. Her heart leaped to her throat as Billy raced toward her on horseback, bouncing as though he’d come unseated any moment.

As Billy reached her side, she grabbed the horse and steadied it. Her heart beat a frantic tattoo against her breastbone at the sight of his tearstained face. “Billy, are you hurt?”

“No. No.” He blubbered out the words.

“What’s wrong?”

Billy’s mouth worked and a few garbled words came out, but nothing she could make sense of.

The muscles in her neck started to spasm. She glanced around, searched the horizon for any sign of danger. It took only a few seconds to assure herself there were no cows racing toward them, no cowboys watching from the crest of the hill. At least with the skiff of snow the risk of fire had been dealt with. She shuddered. Fire was her biggest fear.

She helped Billy to the ground and patted his back, trying to calm him. One of the half-grown cats rubbed around her ankles, giving her an idea. She scooped it up and put it in Billy’s arms. The cat purred and pressed its face to his chest.

As she hoped, the animal calmed Billy and he sucked in a deep breath.

“Billy, what’s wrong?”

A shudder shook the man from head to toe. “Duke.” He choked and couldn’t continue.

“What’s he doing?” Did he have some kind of mischief planned and Billy meant to warn them?

“Hurt,” Billy said, his mouth working as he tried to explain. “Duke hurt.” He patted his head.

“He hurt his head?”

He nodded. “Fell.”

She stroked the cat, pulling Billy’s attention back to the animal.

Billy shuddered again but petting the cat helped him relax. “Duke fell off his horse. Hit his head.” A sob caught in the man’s throat. “Blood. Lots and lots of blood.”

Rose quickly analyzed the information. If Billy had come to the Bells, did that mean Duke was near? She again scanned the horizon, this time looking for either a wandering animal, though King had likely headed for the barn, or an unusual lump on the ground. She saw neither.

“Billy, where is Duke now?”

He turned and pointed.

“Do you remember where?”

He nodded, then his face wrinkled. “Maybe.”

“Wait here while I saddle Hope.” Never before had she clung to her horse’s name but now she did.

Ma stepped from the house wearing a warm jacket. “Is something the matter?”

Rose quickly explained. “Billy’s upset. Can you stay with him?” She introduced the pair and Ma spoke softly and soothingly to Billy.

He wouldn’t go anywhere as long as Ma was there to watch him.

She returned in a few minutes with her horse saddled.

“Everything okay?” she asked.

Her ma nodded. “Billy was telling me how much he likes cats. I asked if he’d like to own this one even if he has to leave it here.”

“I’ll call her Patches ’cause she’s all patchy with different colors.” He rubbed his cheek against her fur.

Patches purred and licked his face.

Grub sat nearby watching.

Billy put the cat down and patted the dog. “I like you, too.”

Relieved that Billy had calmed down, Rose led both horses to his side. “Why don’t you show me where Duke is?”

“Wait a moment.” Ma hurried back to the house and returned shortly with a small sack. “I’ve put in some bandaging and other things you might need.”

“Thanks, Ma.”

Rose indicated Billy should mount up and then swung into her own saddle.

Ma tsked and shook her head but didn’t say anything. She and Pa had long ago given up trying to make her ride sidesaddle.

For a few hundred yards Rose easily followed Billy’s back trail before it disappeared in a mess of cow tracks and trampled snow.