Spitfire’s Gift

Spitfire’s Gift

Joe Hansen finds himself stuck with a horse he wasn’t looking for.  Little did he know how much Spitfire would change his life.

Excerpt:

    Julia put a hand on his chest to forestall him.  “I can’t, Joe.”  She looked up at him, full of sorrow.  “I’d be no better than he is.”

    “Julia, I lo...”

    She silenced him with a heartbreaking kiss of tender rejection.  “I’m sorry.”  She turned away and was shocked to see her daughter watching them with hollow eyes.  “Charlie...” she breathed.

    Joe was sure his heart stopped beating when he saw confusion, hurt and betrayal warring on Charlie’s features.  Before he or Julia could blink, she ran out the door into the pouring rain, the adults in hot pursuit.

    “CHARLIE!” Julia called into the gale, trying to determine which direction she had gone.

    Spotting her, they both started running.  Joe pulled ahead of Julia and was gaining on Charlie when a lightening bolt split the sky, severing a limb from a tree.  They watched in horror as it landed squarely atop Charlie.  Julia’s shriek was lost in a crash of thunder.

    Joe skidded to a stop and strained to lift it, but it wouldn’t budge.  Peering through the branches, he saw a gash on the forehead of Charlie’s still form.  He tried to pull her out, but she was pinned solid.

    Julia had caught up and was wildly snatching at the wood, heedless of splinters and torn nails.  Joe’s mind raced as he caught her bleeding hands to still them.  “Get the rope off the porch!” he called over the torrent.   When she didn’t appear to understand him, he pointed emphatically.  “ROPE!” he yelled again.  Julia saw where he pointed and ran toward the cabin.

Author’s Note:

On and off, horses have been a big part of my life.  I took lessons as a child, rode when I could as a young adult, spent a week at a working cattle ranch in my thirties, then volunteered for over a decade at a horse rescue.  Horses pop up in a few of my stories, but Spitfire had a starring role in this one.  His personality is a conglomerate of many equine friends of my past.

Also found in Nett’s Shorts:  A Collection of Short Stories.