Sanctuary (Murrells Inlet Miracles Book 1)

by Larsen, Laurie

  He filled her bins with food, water and medicines and left the stall.

  “She doing okay?”

  “Yes, I believe she is. Her pregnancy seems to be solid and her temperature is down. The relaxation is doing her well.”

  They walked slowly down the hall of stalls and Nora’s heart was expectant, excited. “Thanks for praying with me.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  They continued to stroll till they reached the end, then they stepped outside. In the darkness of the evening, Nora felt comfortable with her next words. “I’m not much of a pray-er. Not that I don’t want to be, it’s just I haven’t had much practice.”

  “It does take practice, like any other skill, to get good at it.” He walked in the direction of his truck, turned and leaned against it, facing her, his leg bent, foot resting on the running board. “Don’t hesitate to ask me again when you need someone to pray with.”

  Nora nodded. Then, because of the darkness and the protection it offered, she said, “I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you this week, Shaw.”

  She caught the glint of his white smile in the dark, the dip of his head. “Back atcha. I’m glad we’ve gotten to know each other.” He pulled the truck door open, but didn’t climb in. “I hope we have a lot more time together, too.”

  She hoped so, too. Oh, how she hoped so too. As she was pondering that thought, he leaned close to her, whispered, “Good night, Nora,” and maybe, just maybe ran his lips over her cheek before he hoisted up into the truck and drove away.

  Or had she imagined that?

  Life at Waccamaw Trails was different with Patty gone. For one thing, Nora wasn’t eating gourmet meals anymore. For another, she had no one around to talk to. She’d enjoyed re-connecting with Patty. A full week of just the two of them was a luxury they didn’t enjoy often. Normally when she saw Patty, it was when she visited Patty’s family in Illinois, and Brad was always there, along with their daughters, Amelia and Jennifer. As much as she loved visiting Patty’s family, it was a pleasure spending time with her sister alone.

  Now, she talked to the horses. And herself.

  And, she was starting to pray more. Amazing when you had no humans around to talk to, you found yourself talking to God more. She followed Shaw’s lead and asked God for guidance with her decision. Is it possible that God cared whether she accepted this property or not? Did he actually have a preference? She couldn’t imagine he would – he certainly had more important problems on his hands – but if he wanted to listen to a prayer from her regarding whether she should live in Murrells Inlet on a ranch, or in Philadelphia in an apartment, she now had the time to send it.

  On her fourth day without Patty, Nora was rummaging around the barn and opened a door to discover a tack room. Saddles, horse blankets, bridles, halters, ropes. Her eyes widened. She hadn’t been on a horse in decades but the desire was still there. Could she possibly …?

  She studied the selection of saddles, both Western style and English hunt seat. She chose the English saddle because that’s what she used to ride in when she was a child. Hopefully she’d remember how to attach it to a horse’s back, and how to get her older, less limber self into it, too.

  She hoisted one into her arms, selected a pad to fit under the saddle on the horse’s back, along with a bridle, and carried them to the stalls. She peeked in at Maggie as she passed. The mare was standing calmly in the corner, her eyes closed and head down. She said hello, then kept walking to Thunder’s stall. The gelding popped his head up as she approached.

  “Hey buddy. Want to take me for a ride?”

  She walked into his stall, and patted his neck. Her memory was a little distant when it came to gearing up a horse, but she could only hope that it was like riding a bicycle. It would come back to her when she actually did it. Stroking the horse’s head, she unbuckled his halter and slid it off. She brought the bridle into place. He accepted the metal bit into his mouth, and from there it was easy. She buckled the leather apparatus in place.

  She swung the poofy pad onto his back, positioned it, and followed with the saddle, which she buckled tight. Pleased with her progress, she gripped the reins and led him first into the hallway, then sliding the big front barn doors open, out into the sunshine. She turned and looked closely at the horse’s face. “I’m a beginner, Thunder. Take it easy on me?”

  Thunder rumbled some air through his lips and shook his head a little. She’d take that as an affirmative.

  She moved to Thunder’s left side and put her foot into the stirrup. She bobbed a little, up and down, trying to get a bit of momentum. On three, she flung herself up, ready to swing her right leg over his back.

  But she didn’t make it. Not enough oomph in the push. She’d made it halfway up his back, but not nearly enough to get her leg over. Not without hanging from his side, anyway. This wasn’t nearly as hard when she was a kid.

  Try it again. “One, two, three, … up!” The spoken words must’ve helped because she made it all the way up this time, swung her right leg over and settled herself into the saddle. In fact, she overshot the seat and went a little off balance before she righted herself.

  Thunder turned his neck and looked at her. Now that he knew she was a rookie, she hoped he’d take that to heart. “Ready, buddy. Any time you are.”

  The horse started walking, heading through the big pasture toward the beach. Nora took the first few minutes to get used to riding on a moving horse again, getting into the rhythm, moving her torso along with the horse’s gait. When she felt comfortable at the walk, she used her heels to urge Thunder into a trot. He changed his gait and she had to adjust to a bumpier ride. A memory in the back of her mind reminded her of “posting,” a way of pushing from the knees, up and down in the saddle, to avoid the roughness of the horse’s trot. Within a few strides, she had the posting down. The muscles in her thighs burned after a little while – she was going to feel that tonight – but it was the best way to tolerate the trot without being bounced all over the place.

  They reached the beach, stopped and gazed at the beauty of the waves and the sand. The sun rested high over the horizon and although she was sweating and warm, she was grateful for the bright sunshine.

  She put pressure on a rein to direct Thunder to turn and walk on the sand. He understood and strolled leisurely on the wet beach, occasionally letting the surf splash against his hooves. She turned in the saddle to look behind her at his hoof prints. She settled back into the saddle and an unexpected wave of happiness flowed through her. Look at her life. She was riding a beautiful horse along the edge of the ocean, and guess what: she could own this beach! It was hers for the grabbing. She could do this every single day if she wanted. She could leave behind the stress and pace and endless work days as a lawyer, and design a meaningful way to spend her days here.

  She could hire some renovators and have that mansion upgraded and freshened up. Then, she could move out of the apartment and into a big, beautiful house. It could really be the start of something magical.

  As she rode along, her body moving to the rhythm of Thunder’s gait, the smell of leather and horse filling her nostrils, and the warmth of the sun beating down on her, she said a silent prayer of thanks. The thought that Aunt Edie had loved her so much to have offered her this lifestyle, warmed her heart to overflowing. She didn’t deserve this unexpected generosity and yet, here it was. What potential happiness she could find here? If she rejected this opportunity, would she constantly second-guess her decision?

  The next second, Thunder screeched to an abrupt halt, a terrified scream emitted from his mouth, and he reared up onto his hind legs, his front legs pawing in the air. Nora slid out of the saddle, off his back and landed on her stomach on the soft sand.

  “What on earth …?” she murmured, and turned her head, in time to see Thunder gallop away in the opposite direction. She stared after him for a moment, then shook her head. “Guess I’ll be walking back, thanks very much.”

  She�
�d need to do a limb check to make sure she had no injuries. She put her hands under her, aiming to push herself up. Then she saw it.

  An alligator faced her, his tail making a slow back-and-forth swipe. He couldn’t have been more than ten feet away from her and he eyed her hungrily.

  Nora’s mind raced through a slideshow of simultaneous thoughts – that’s why Thunder had thrown her off – that alligator could attack her, kill her, or leave her for dead – what a way to go – gotta get out of here fast.

  She scrambled to her feet, keeping wide-eyed contact with the beast. He opened his jaws and came down with a loud << snap! >> She didn’t need to see any more. She turned with the intention of running faster than she’d ever run in her life. Unfortunately, athletics were never her strong suit and about four steps in, she tripped over a root growing out of the sand. The few seconds delay was just what the alligator needed to attack. He covered the short distance easily, and with another snap of his snout, he lacerated her calf. He released her and seemed to be planning his next move.

  Nora screamed, not just at the pain, but at the sight of blood pulsing down her torn leg, and the unbelievable sight of the huge reptile preparing to bite her again. He had her pegged as a victim, as his next meal. Wasn’t going to happen. Adrenaline had her scrambling to her feet and kept her sprinting all the way down the beach, screaming all the way. She turned into the pasture and sprinted halfway across the ten acres of ground before she ran out of steam. She came to a halt, bent forward at the waist, hands on her knees, gulping breath that she couldn’t keep in her lungs. She stayed in that position long enough to calm herself. When her breathing had returned to somewhat normal, she examined her leg and swiped some of the flowing blood away.

  As she straightened, she felt a nudge on her back, strong enough to push her forward a few steps. She gasped and swirled around. “Thunder, you traitor! You threw me right in the path of a deadly alligator and left me to fend for myself. He could’ve had me for dinner!”

  She rubbed her bloody hands on her shorts and pulled in his head. She stroked his forehead up and down. “I know you were scared. I forgive you. I escaped and I’m safe. We’re both safe.”

  He savored her embrace, then pushed her. She laughed. She took hold of his reins and considered riding him so she wouldn’t have to walk on her bum leg. But, coming up empty on ideas how to swing herself into the saddle, she limped slowly back to the barn. Arriving home, she immediately called Shaw.

  “I need your help,” she croaked when he answered. The walk back had taken a toll on her; that, and the sun and sweat and blood loss.

  “Sure thing. What’s up?” he answered cheerfully.

  “Alligator attack,” she managed before a black cloud of unconsciousness overtook her.

  She awoke to the sight of Shaw working on her injured leg. She laid on the couch in the apartment, and he’d stuffed a few pillows underneath her head. He kneeled on the floor beside her, bent over her leg. It appeared he was wrapping her calf with gauze. Careful to remain still, she enjoyed a moment to study him without his knowledge.

  His touch was gentle. Although he was treating her mangled leg, she felt no pain. She listened closely. He murmured to himself, so softly that Nora couldn’t understand his words, but darn if the tone didn’t calm her.

  His face was tanned from working outside, but not destroyed by the sun. She imagined he took enough time to smear on sunscreen every once in a while. She got an up close and personal view of dimples in each cheek, something she’d never noticed before. She had a sudden urge to run her fingers over them. His eyes were a bright blue, surrounded by blonde eyelashes and hair. He reminded her of a Robert Redford in his later prime.

  He turned and spotted her awake, and he exhaled a breath. “You’re back,” he said softly.

  “Yes, I am. How long was I out?”

  He turned his left wrist as if he wore a watch there, but he didn’t. “I’d say about twenty-five minutes.”

  “Oh, my gosh!” She’d never passed out before, let alone lost that much time. “Am I okay?” she asked.

  “Yes, I believe you are.” He pulled a small flashlight out of his pocket and scooted on his knees so he now knelt by her face. He shone the light in her eyes, jerked it away, then back again. “Yes, I’m comfortable to say you’re okay. No sign of concussion and your pupils look good.” He let a finger trail down her cheek, then turned back toward her leg. “Your cut needed stitches.”

  “You stitched it?” she exclaimed, sitting taller.

  “I did. I bathed it and disinfected it and saw that it was deep enough that it wouldn’t heal without stitches.” He slowed and looked into her eyes. “I really had no choice.”

  Something in his tone made her think he was apologizing. “No, of course not. I mean, thank you for using your medical expertise and stitching me up.”

  The corners of his lips went up slightly. “Hopefully scarring will be minimal.” He turned back to the leg. “It took ten stitches, and then I bandaged it. I also gave you a shot of antiobiotic. I don’t anticipate problems with healing, but you never know with animal bites.” He rose to his feet, and dragged a kitchen chair over so he could sit beside her. “Speaking of animal bites. Did you say … alligator?”

  She huffed out a breath. “Believe it or not, yes.”

  “Where did you encounter an alligator?”

  “On my beach. Or … Aunt Edie’s beach. I was riding Thunder on the sand and he threw me. I looked up and there it was.”

  Shaw frowned, creases marring his tanned forehead. “That horse has got some explaining to do. He’s got better manners than that.”

  “Don’t be too hard on him. He already apologized.”

  “Thank God you’re okay,” he murmured. He pulled back to look at her again, and she knew her face was flushing under his examination.

  “I’m fine. Thanks to you.”

  He inhaled a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah.” He looked like he was going to say something else, then stopped. Maybe his mind was going the same place hers had – what could’ve happened to her if she hadn’t gotten out of there as fast as she did. The alligator could’ve attacked her, bitten into her, dragged her into the water, left her to drown or bleed out. She shivered. He noticed.

  He immediately brought his hand up to her cheek. “We do have alligators in this area, but they’re not nearly as common as they are in Florida. Alligators are not animals to mess around with. I’m going to remove him from your property.”

  Her eyes went wide. “How?”

  “I know a guy. He runs a sanctuary for dangerous reptiles. He’s sort of like the Crocodile Hunter of the Low Country. I’ll make his night when I call him.” He let his hand drop. “In fact I think I’ll call him right now. We’ll evacuate the alligator, take him to my buddy’s place, and you won’t need to worry about him anymore.”

  Amazing. This man was amazing.

  He pulled his cell phone out of his breast pocket, tapped into it and made his call. He gave a quick description of the situation, along with his plans, and he laughed. “I knew you’d be in. I’ll call you with a time when I’m near my calendar. Great, thanks.”

  He raised his eyebrows at her. “He’s in. We’ll take care of that fella as soon as we can. Meanwhile, I want you to stay away from the beach. No exceptions. He won’t come find you at the house, so you’ll be safe here.”

  Nora felt a huge weight off her shoulders, a sensation she realized she wasn’t accustomed to. She was always alone, always responsible for herself. She’d never had anyone, a man, in particular, take it upon himself to care for her. She hadn’t stopped and thought about evacuating the alligator. He’d thought of it immediately. And not for any other reason, than he was worried about her. The alligator could hurt her, and he didn’t want to see that happen.

  It was kind of nice.

  She had no idea how to react. She reached for his hand, squeezed it and said, “Thank you for taking care of that for me.”

 
; He graced her with that beautiful smile and said, “Of course.”

  Under veterinarian’s orders, Nora kept off her stitched leg as much as she could, and when she had to walk, she used a set of crutches that Shaw had brought over. The first evening, she enjoyed relaxing on the couch, watching TV. The second day she enjoyed reading a book about Victorian architecture that she found in the old mansion. But on the third day she woke up, stir-crazy. Shaw visited her several times a day – twice when he stopped by to check on Maggie the Mare, and at least once more to bring her meals. He would sit and they would talk. Get to know each other better.

  They covered all kinds of topics. Her childhood, her memories of being here with Aunt Edie. Her schooling, her crazy drive for success. He understood it, because he seemed to have a parallel drive. Where she had spent her advanced schooling in law school, he’d spent his in veterinary. While she’d been working long hours in Philadelphia, his hours were just as long providing care to his patients in South Carolina.

  They talked about his schooling, and his career. Funny stories about the animals he treated. She felt like asking him if he’d been single his whole life, but it stuck in her mouth. It seemed a little too personal. She wasn’t sure if he’d tell her, for one thing. And for another, she didn’t really want to know about previous relationships. It didn’t really matter.

  This afternoon, he came empty-handed. “Our patient seems to be doing well,” he said after he’d checked Maggie in her stall. “Her temperature has been normal for days and she’s pretty much asymptomatic.”

  “Well,” she laughed, “you’re taking good care of her.”