Right Out of Nowhere

by Laurie Salzler

  “God, you’re beautiful when you’re pissed.”

  “Quit changing the subject. You’re going. Besides, you could use a week off.”

  “A week?” Roni yanked her hat off and glared at Selena. “No way. A couple days, that’s all I’m promising.” Selena smiled and Roni melted. “Damn it. You knew I’d give in.” She looked back at David and Cody, but they’d moved off, evidently to give them a little more privacy.

  “Roni, you may be ready in a couple of days, but think of Sparky. Didn’t it take him a full week to recover from the last attack? His wounds are much more serious this time, and I doubt you’d want Charlie taking care of him while you’re up here.”

  Anger flooded Roni’s chest. “Fuck. I hadn’t thought of that. All right. A week. That’s all I’m going to promise. I’ll ride Chenoa out of here and pony Sparky. I’ll do the same when we come back. He should be fine.”

  Selena rubbed Roni’s arm and briefly linked their fingers. “I’ll miss you. It seems like one of us is always heading off in a different direction.”

  Roni sighed. “I know. I want to kiss you.”

  “That’s probably not a good idea, since we have company and you’re counting on them for a ride.”

  “I’ll call you on the radio tonight to make sure you got back okay. I love you.”

  “I love you too. Oh, and thanks for the wonderful campout.” Selena gave her a flirtatious grin and discreetly ran a finger down her chest.

  “Stop that before I lose control and ravage you on the spot.” She looked over her shoulder. “I guess I better get going so you can get to the cabin before midnight. At least you won’t have to worry about the cat. Although I want you to take the rifle with you in case it had a mate.”

  “Okay. I’ll be careful. I promise. See you in a week then.”

  They walked back to where the horses stood. While she switched the saddle from Sparky to Chenoa, Selena secured as much as she could onto her own horse from the packs Chenoa had carried. “It’s not everything, but it’ll make Sparky’s load lighter. At least the packs don’t sit near his wounds.”

  “Roni,” David said as he walked over to them. “We’ll meet you on the main trail.”

  She watched amused as he pulled Selena into a hug. “Selena, thanks for talking me off the ledge while we searched for Cody.” He stabbed his foot into the small pebbles. “I was starting to get a little frantic.”

  “Don’t mention it, David. You guys take care. Maybe we’ll see you on the trails again sometime.”

  Cody had already mounted his pony. “Bye, Selena. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of Roni.”

  David hoisted himself into the saddle and with a wave they headed downstream to find the trail.

  Roni waited until they were out of sight and took Selena into her arms. “That was very nice of them.” She kissed Selena and instantly felt the hot pull between her legs.

  Selena must have felt it too, as she broke the kiss and put her hand on Roni’s chest. “Don’t be getting me all hot for you and then ride off into the sunset.” She looked downstream. “Do you think David knows?”

  “Oh crap! I’ll bet it was them that pulled into the rec site parking lot when we were there.”

  Selena laughed. “You’re probably right. Oh, it’s going to be an interesting ride for you, my love.” She put her foot in the stirrup and mounted the horse. She reached down and brushed Roni’s cheek with the back of her hand. “We better get moving.” She shrugged out of Puller’s vest and handed it to her. “He’ll want to stay with you now.”

  They rode down to the trail and parted ways. Roni looked over her shoulder a couple times until Selena disappeared into the woods. Her heart tugged as she watched the woman she’d fallen so hard for, ride away.

  Sparky didn’t seem too encumbered by his injuries. In fact, she believed moving helped him. She was somewhat worried about how the trailer ride would affect him. They’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

  Cody kept her entertained with stories of birding and his frequent excursions on Cinnamon. His nonstop chatter gave David only a few opportunities to ask about her family and the ranch. By the time they reached the rec sites, her head was pounding double time.

  Sparky and Chenoa loaded quietly into the trailer behind Cinnamon and David’s horse. The rig was indeed the one that’d pulled in while she and Selena were making out. David programmed the ranch’s address into his GPS, turned the rig around, and they were quickly on their way. Puller lay nestled on her lap.

  She found she could still participate in conversation as long as she kept her eyes closed. Sleep, however, would be impossible as Cody chattered incessantly. She didn’t hold it against him though. As a matter of fact, in the hours since she’d met him, she’d grown quite fond of the boy. And that surprised her. She wasn’t used to being around kids. They were rare on the ranch, so usually the only contact she had with them was when she had to rescue one. Sort of like today, she pondered. She pulled her hat down over her eyes, relaxed, and dozed.

  “. . . Joyce and Aunt Kathy would like Roni and Selena, don’t you think, Dad?”

  Half-asleep, she only caught the tail end of his question. She kept her eyes closed and forced herself not to stir or turn her head in curiosity.

  “I think they probably would. Maybe someday we can introduce them,” David said.

  “Do you think Roni and Selena live together like Aunt Joyce and Aunt Kathy?”

  She opened her eyes in surprise but didn’t dare move a muscle. She stole a sideways glance at David who, unbeknownst to Cody, winked at her. He nodded and smiled before returning his eyes to the road. She closed her eyes again and relaxed.

  “Roni told me she trains horses. Maybe when I’m big she’ll train one for me.” Cody bounced in his seat. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smiling.

  “If that red horse is any indication, I wouldn’t mind that a bit.”

  “I know. Sparky is awesome. You should’ve seen him fighting that cat.”

  She heard the truck’s blinker click on and felt the rig turn. The sound of gravel under the tires switched to a low hum. It’d be exactly an hour and fifteen minutes until they arrived at her dad’s ranch.

  “I thought you were hiding in the log. Isn’t that what Roni told you to do?”

  “Yeah, but when I heard Sparky scream I had to look. He kept rearing up and striking it even after it was dead. Then he went and stood by Roni.”

  “That shows he has real respect for her. You only get one horse like that in a lifetime. Roni’s pretty lucky.”

  She heard Cody sigh. “Cinnamon bucked me off. I guess she don’t respect me.”

  “Doesn’t respect you. Well, maybe that’s something you can work on with Roni. Of course you’ll have to ask her. We don’t live too far from her ranch.”

  “How far?”

  “It looks like only fifty miles or so. You’ll have to talk to her about that when we get there. Better let her sleep though. She’s been through a lot rescuing your little butt, mister.”

  Cody giggled and rested his head against her shoulder. She let a smile grow on her lips and then fell asleep.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  RONI WOKE WITH a start when the bedroom door slammed open against the wall. She groaned, rolled over, and held a pillow tightly over her head. The mattress sank and bounced as somebody plopped down heavily next to her. It could only be Beth. She waited a few minutes and heard nothing. She finally gave in to the silence and rolled onto her back but kept the pillow over her eyes. A bass drum banged a two-beat rhythm inside her head. She finally peeked out. It was Beth.

  “Did you really have to make such a racket?”

  “I wanted to make sure you were still alive. Dad just told me you came home and have a mild concussion. Didn’t they teach you anything? You’re not supposed to go to sleep when you’re concussed.”

  “Doc said I could sleep. He wasn’t that worried about me.”

  “Well, I am! An
d why didn’t you call me last night when you got home?”

  Roni draped an arm on top of the pillow and over her eyes. “It was late.”

  “Sorry, that won’t cut it. You forget I’m up at all hours of the night with a baby stuck to my boob.”

  Roni giggled at the vision that popped into her head. She barely refrained from uttering a sarcastic retort that immediately came to mind. “Speaking of, where is my niece?”

  “I left her with Mom. I didn’t want her to meet you for the first time if you were dead.”

  “See? And here you thought you wouldn’t be a good mother.”

  “Hmm, that remains to be seen. It all depends on whether I get thrown into prison for killing Jeff.”

  “I tried to warn you before you got married.”

  “I know, I know. At least you don’t faint at the mere sight of blood.”

  She yanked the pillow off her face and squinted against the light. “He fainted?”

  “Yup, dropped dead in the middle of my last push. I should have married you instead.”

  Her breath caught in her throat. “You don’t mean that.” Have I misread Beth all these years? “You love Jeff,” she said, not sure if she was trying to reassure Beth or herself.

  “Yes, most days I do. I think he’ll make a really good father once the baby grows out of all the icky stuff.”

  “Like oozing nuclear waste and eating her feet and boogers?”

  “Exactly. And projectile vomiting.”

  “You could be looking at a few years, you know.”

  Beth threw her head back and looked at the ceiling. “Oh, God. I’m doomed. Tell me you didn’t eat boogers when you were a kid.”

  “I didn’t, but—”

  “Jeff? Jeff ate them?” Roni snorted and Beth crinkled her nose in obvious disgust. “Ewww. I’m never letting him kiss me with tongue again. Why didn’t you tell me before we got married?”

  “Because you were already sucking face with him. Would it have made a difference?”

  “No. I don’t know. Maybe I should’ve been a lesbian.”

  Roni laughed. “Beth, you don’t just become a lesbian.” Jesus, what’s come over her that she’s talking like this? It had to be hormones, or maybe the baby on her tit thing.

  “I know. I shouldn’t have said that.” Beth patted her leg. “I’m glad you’re okay. I hated worrying about you.”

  “Don’t you worry about Jeff?” She put the pillow behind her head and reached for the water glass and aspirin.

  “Not as much.”

  “Why? Because he’s a guy?” She popped the pills in her mouth and took a long drink.

  “No.” Beth fidgeted, looked down, and folded her hands in her lap. She took a deep breath. “Because you don’t have anybody to love.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. I love you and—”

  Beth smiled warmly. “You know that’s different.”

  The last silver string of misguided affection unraveled from Roni’s heart. For some inexplicable reason she didn’t have the energy to comprehend, she suddenly felt more at ease and freer in spirit than she could ever remember.

  “I know. But I’m forever grateful that you’re still my best friend.” Roni nudged her with a shoulder.

  Tears welled up and spilled onto Beth’s cheeks. “Sometimes I feel like I let you down by marrying Jeff. I know you felt left out at times, but I didn’t know how to fix it or make you feel better. You looked so lost and alone, and it just broke my heart.” Beth sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

  “Beth.”

  “I so badly want you to find someone to love and who’ll treat you right. You deserve that, Roni.” Fresh tears rolled out of her eyes.

  “Beth!” Roni leaned forward and took Beth’s hands in her own. “Stop. You need to get a hold of yourself.” She reached over to the nightstand and pulled a tissue from a box. “Here, wipe those tears.”

  “I’m sorry. I swear I’m never going to have another baby. I can’t stand getting emotional all the damned time. You know I’m not normally like this.” Beth took the tissue, wiped her eyes, and blew her nose.

  “I know. It’ll get better, I’m sure. Or you’ll get used to it like all broodmares do.” She barely avoided the slap and chuckled. “I do need to tell you something though.” She sat up straighter in bed. Thankfully, the aspirin was beginning to take effect. “You remember the SAR Mike convinced Dad and you that we needed and, eventually, sent up?”

  Beth nodded and sniffed. “Yeah, Selena, right?”

  “Right. Well, I’ve gotten to know her pretty well and we’ve become . . . pretty close.” Roni felt the heat of a blush creep up her neck.

  “Do you know how cute you look in red?” Beth’s damp eyes sparkled with amusement.

  “Shut up and let me finish.” She took a deep breath. Telling Selena she’d held a torch for Beth for years was one thing. Telling Beth was a completely different thing. “She gets me, you know? It’s been hard these past few years, with you and Jeff. I mean, for so long we were best friends and—”

  “We’re still best friends,” Beth said. “Aren’t we?”

  “Absolutely. But you’re right. For a long time I felt so much more for you than friendship. I’d always hoped, well, anyway, when you and Jeff got married, I was really happy for you guys. Then I realized I wasn’t part of your life anymore.”

  “Of course you’re part of my life. What a ridiculous thing to say.”

  Roni shook her head and took another drink of water to gather her thoughts. “Just hear me out.” She looked up at the ceiling. “Ah, how can I say this without fucking it up?” She looked at Beth’s concerned face. “It’s just that when the three of us are together, everything is just like it’s always been. Then when you and Jeff head off together, you’re right, I feel, felt, left out. You’re creating your own memories. Hell, you have a baby together.” She snorted. “It’s not your fault,” she said quickly as Beth opened her mouth. “It was me. Totally. I went from woman to woman to satisfy my needs, but I never let anybody into my heart. I didn’t because I let you occupy such a big part of it.”

  “I am so sorry.” Beth took her hand and squeezed.

  “No, no, you don’t have to apologize for anything. I had no idea what was going on in my head. Selena helped me figure it out. I’m the one that should apologize. My temper tantrums and moodiness were reactions to the frustration I felt.”

  “This Selena sounds pretty smart.”

  “She is. She’s one of the most intelligent and capable people I know. She helped me figure out some of Sparky’s issues too.”

  “Dad said something about him killing the mountain lion. That’s pretty brave for a horse, isn’t it?”

  “It sure is. I’ve decided to buy him from Dad. You should’ve seen how stoic Sparky was. He grabbed onto my shirt and stood stock still while the vet stitched him up. I’m so proud of him.” She threw the covers back and swung her feet out. Puller jumped off the bed and stood by the door. Her head pounded some but not enough to keep her bedridden. She got up and rummaged around in her dresser for a clean pair of jeans and a T-shirt.

  “Where do you think you’re going? Aren’t you supposed to take it easy for a few days?” Beth stood up and put her hands on her hips.

  “Don’t worry. I’m not helping to bale the hay. I need to doctor Sparky and get some breakfast.” Roni pulled the shirt over her head, tucked it in, and zipped up her pants. “Then, I want to meet my niece, since I’m not dead.” She pulled her boots on, gave Beth a cocky smirk, and turned toward the door. “Coming?”

  “Of course. Who else is going to babysit you while you’re here? Just promise you’ll take it easy. Otherwise I’m going to have to radio Selena to come down here and whip your ass.” Beth paused. “Unless you like—Never mind. I don’t want to know.”

  Roni stretched her neck and shoulders to loosen up the kinks in her sore muscles. “Cross my heart. And for the record, the handcuffs are more fun.”


  “Oh my God, I’ll never learn. I just walk right into your wiseass sarcasm.”

  “Who said it’s sarcasm?” She ignored Beth’s gaping mouth and opened the front door of her log cabin. Puller trotted out ahead of them in the direction of her parent’s house. He’d whine and scratch at their door until her mom let him in and fed him breakfast. After which he’d curl up on her mom’s lap while she sat in her recliner, drank tea, and worked on her morning crossword.

  Beth followed Roni to the horse barn. Although there were two other structures on the property used to house the ranch horses, Roni favored the tall and spacious monitor-roof barn to keep the animals they had in training. Built in 1910 by her grandfather, the raised section inside the ridge of the rooftop allowed more natural light and ventilation inside the barn. The monitor housed the track for the Jackson hayfork, which left more space available inside the loft.

  Roni briefly glanced at the tongue-and-groove siding as they approached and mentally noted the need for a replacement board along the bottom of the north side. The barn had stalls for eleven horses, but Sparky was the only occupant.

  “You son of a bitch! I’ll teach you, you Goddamned bastard!”

  Roni recognized the owner of the voice. She took off at a dead run and covered the distance to the barn door in a few seconds.

  “Charlie, you touch him and you’ll answer to me,” she yelled as she whipped around the corner. She ignored the resumed pounding in her head.

  “What’s he doing in here anyway? He’s supposed to be in my barn. Your father gave him to me to break.” He stopped short of Sparky’s stall door. He held a long buggy whip in his raised hand. Roni had no doubts what his intentions were.

  “Not anymore. He’s mine. And I swear if you ever go near this horse again, I’ll have you fired.” She strode over to him and grabbed the whip out of his hand.

  He spit a wad of tobacco juice near her foot, pointed at her chest, and said, “You damned women have no place around horses like him.”

  Roni clenched her fists and took a threatening step in his direction. He instinctively backed up and found himself near a stall door. Sparky’s door. Suddenly Sparky reached over the top and grabbed Charlie’s shirt collar in his teeth. He yanked Charlie back and slammed him hard against the wood. The resounding thud echoed loud in the barn. Tossing his head, Sparky pitched Charlie aside like a ragdoll. Charlie landed in a dusty heap. He shook his head and cursed like a mad hornet.