sudden announcement. If only she’d stayed, he could’ve explained things.
He reached the meadow and stopped. “Parthena, where did you go?” He looked right, left, then instinctively went right, down the nearest path. “C’mon, Leopold, let’s cover some ground.” He kicked the horse into a canter and was soon cutting through the woods to the next pasture. The grazing area there was pretty, peaceful. If their roles were reversed and he was upset, it’s where he’d go.
He rode on, hoping that when he caught up he could fill her in without messing up. He wasn’t as eloquent as Arturo nor as decisive and firm as Alfonso. When nervous, he could trip over his tongue and make no sense at all. Savannah told him it might take both of them to explain.
Reaching the pasture, there was no sign of Parthena. And it started to rain – hard. In his haste, he hadn’t grabbed a jacket and the temperature was plummeting. “Parthena!” No answer. He guided his horse into the woods, remembering how that trail had fascinated her. He’d promised to bring her back, but he’d been too busy with Savannah … “Parthenaaaa!”
Wait, what was that? He turned his horse in a circle, then stopped to listen. There was something thrashing in the woods to his left. But how to get to it? He urged Leopold off the trail, the rain coming now in sheets. “Parthena!” He let Leopold pick his way through the brush and trees.
He thought he heard a scream but wasn’t sure because of the heavy rain. “Parthena?”
“Over here!”
He tried to see through trees, his vision blurred by the water dripping from his hair into his eyes. “Parthena? Talk to me – I’ll follow your voice.”
Branches breaking, another yell. Leo pushed on.
When he broke through the low-hanging branches he gasped and Leopold reared. Parthena was waving a long branch, trying desperately to block a mountain lion from Beulah. They were backed against several fallen logs with boulders on either side. “Get away from there!” he screamed.
Thankfully the big cat turned at his approach and, deciding two humans was more than it wanted to contend with, stalked off.
“Whoa,” Leo told his horse as it reared again. “Easy, boy.” He looked at Parthena as he dismounted. “Are you all right?”
She tossed the large branch away and ran to him. “Leo!”
Reins still in his hand, he took her in his arms and held her close. “Parthena, are you all right?” He glanced at Beulah, who wasn’t – she had gashes along her neck. The cat had gotten to her, and Parthena, not realizing the danger she was in – or just not caring – had tried to chase it off. “Are you okay?” he repeated.
She held onto him, trembling.
He cupped her face in his hands and looked into her frightened eyes. “Parthena …”
Her jaw trembled. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, that was the stupidest thing I could have done, but I couldn’t just let Beulah die …”
He held her tighter. “Thank the Lord you’re all right.” He glanced at his horse, who was fidgeting but hadn’t tried to take off. He didn’t relish driving Beulah back to the farm on foot with a hungry mountain lion trailing them. He’d be fighting the beast right now if there wasn’t safety in numbers.
“Thank you,” she said softly.
He glanced around for safety’s sake, then looked into her eyes again. “You shouldn’t be out here by yourself.” He wanted to kiss her so badly it hurt.
“I know. I was … never mind.” She tried to leave his embrace.
He wasn’t having it. “Parthena, I know you’re probably upset …”
She looked away. “No, I … I’m happy for you, really.”
He tucked his finger under her chin and brought her face to his. “Are you?”
She forced a smile. “Of course. It’s why we came in the first place, to see if you and Savannah would suit. I’m …” She swallowed hard. “… happy you found you do.”
He blinked. “What?”
Her jaw trembled for a second. “Are you … betrothed?”
He looked into her eyes, hoping it would solve his confusion. “No.”
She wiped water from her face, nodded and tried to pull away again.
Leo held her fast. “Parthena, Savannah and I want you to know …”
“Please, say no more. I’m cold, I’m wet, we have to get back …”
“Parthena, we are not betrothed!” Mamma mia, she was as bad as his sisters. It was a battle for their husbands just to finish a sentence.
She didn’t seem to hear him. “Let me go. The