wasn’t really anything to worry about, but after growing up under the glow of the city streetlights at night, she hadn’t ever imagined how dark the world around her would be without them.
Delia had informed her the first night she stayed that the awful howling and yipping sounds outside her window were just coyotes. She said they wouldn’t hurt them unless they were sick or hungry, but Kathryn wasn’t sure she believed her. Likely, it was just something her father had told the child to keep her from being scared of them.
Kathryn sat for a moment after the others lifted their buckets to carry back up the embankment, looking at her reflection in the water trickling past her.
In the clear depths, she could see dirt smudged around her eye, and many strands of hair poking out through the kerchief Mrs. Hammond had insisted she wear to keep it all pulled back while they worked. She didn’t recognize the woman staring back at her, and she realized that within just a short week, she’d already changed from the girl she’d been growing up. She was proud of how she’d handled this first chance to be independent, even if she did look a little dusty and work-worn.
Dipping her fingers in the water, she leaned slightly forward to get a better look at the dirt on her face and reached up to wipe at it. The ripples in the creek made it hard to see, but if she just got down a little bit closer…
“You’re going to fall in.”
The words spoken loudly behind her startled her, and her foot slipped on the rock she’d been crouching on. Before she had a chance to even blink, she was lying face down in the cold water. She quickly jumped up, screaming as she reached up to push the wet hair that had escaped and flopped down into her face as she struggled to see.
Her eyes locked on Colt’s shocked face staring back at her from the bank, just as her feet slipped out from under her again on the wet uneven creek bed beneath her. This time, she was sure her legs went straight in the air before her backside landed on a hard, cold rock, sending shooting pain through her entire body.
She barely noticed the splash of the water as it covered her completely. Gasping for air, she sat up and struggled to get back onto her feet, but no matter how hard she tried, her slippery shoes wouldn’t grip on anything underneath her. The weight of her dress and underclothes weighed her down, making her attempts even more difficult.
Just when she was about to plunk herself down in the middle of the creek in defeat, she glanced up and saw Colt stepping into the water with his arms outstretched to grab her. She wasn’t completely sure, but by the smirk on his face, it seemed he was fighting to hold back his laughter. She was immediately reminded of just a few days ago when she’d clumsily fallen out of the wagon and needed his assistance too.
This was not the impression of an independent and confident woman she’d been hoping to send to the people of this community. But at least she could be thankful it seemed to only happen in front of him.
“Stop flailing and take my hand!”
“I’m not flailing!”
Even as she said it, she knew she was, but she was suddenly feeling extremely embarrassed and angry. Never in her life had she been clumsy, and now it seemed like she couldn’t do anything without making a scene.
Finally, he grabbed her roughly by the arm and dragged her to standing, then pulled her onto the bank where the children and their grandmother were watching in horror as she’d carried on as though she was surely going to drown.
In less than a foot of water.
“You need to be more careful, Miss Reeves.” Poor little Delia ran over and threw her arms around her soaking wet skirt.
Kathryn glared at Mr. Hammond. “Well, if people didn’t sneak up behind others when they were leaning over open water, things like that wouldn’t happen.”
He raised an eyebrow and was definitely struggling not to laugh. “I really didn’t sneak up behind anyone. I assumed you’d seen me coming, or at the very least, heard me speaking to the children when I arrived.”
She’d been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t even heard him. She let go of Delia and smiled reassuringly at the child as she stepped back and