them.
Though Holly screamed with fear for Linc, she didnt blame him for wanting to save the
horse from its own folly. Even in the grip of panic, the Arabian was magnificent. Its body
rippled with muscular beauty. It moved with a cats quickness and grace.
Linc, too, was magnificent to watch, so extraordinary in his skill and strength that Holly
forgot to be afraid for him. He was part of the horse, shifting his weight from instant to
instant, braced in the stirrups, using his powerful shoulders to drag up the horses head
whenever the animal stumbled.
Holly began to believe that horse and rider would survive the wild plunge down the boulder
field.
Then the world turned inside out and an ocean poured out of the sky.
Instantly she was up and running toward the ridge. She knew that no skill, no strength,
nothing but a miracle could prevent the Arabian from going down in the greasy mud that
would be created during the first instants of the cloudburst.
The inevitable fall came during a burst of lightning. The horse twisted and turned wildly,
trying to keep its feet where nothing could walk, much less run.
At the last possible instant Linc kicked free of the somersaulting animal. He fell like
the trained horseman he was, head tucked in, body relaxed, ready to roll and absorb the
worst of the impact.
Linc did everything possible, but there was nothing he could do about the boulders in his
path.
Holly ran through the rain, crying soundlessly. The ground turned to grease beneath her
feet, sending her staggering and sliding. A river of rain poured over her, choking her.
She found the horse first. It was lying on its side, trembling all over, drenched with
rain and lather. As Holly ran toward the horse, it groaned and heaved itself to its feet.
The animal took a few tentative
steps, then stood docilely, not even flinching when lightning sizzled across the ridge.
For the moment, the Arabian was too stunned by its fall to be afraid of anything.
Holly clawed up the last few feet of the slope to the boulder that had so brutally stopped
Lincs fall. Lightning forked across the sky, revealing Linc. He lay on his back,
motionless. She skidded to her knees beside him, shaking with fear. Linc!
Her voice was hoarse, no match for the thunder boiling through the night. She crouched
over him, sheltering his face from the downpour.
Bursts of lightning outlined him harshly. A cut beneath his hair was bleeding. The blood
looked black in the white light. His shirt was shredded down his right side, but beneath
the ribbons of cloth his chest rose and fell in even rhythms.
Alive.
For a moment Holly was too dizzy with relief to do anything but put her hand on Lincs
chest and savor the strong beat of his heart. Then she shook herself and looked around.
Linc was alive but far from safe. If he was injured, she wasnt strong enough to carry him
to the tent. Yet she had to get him out of the chilling rain.
Lightning came again, followed slowly by thunder. The center of the storm was moving away.
Rain still fell hard and steady, but it no longer qualified as a cloudburst. The first,
most violent minutes of the storm were over.
Gently, very carefully, Holly ran her hands over Lincs arms and legs, searching for
obvious injuries.
She felt nothing but the resilience of his muscles beneath his soaked clothes. She moved
her fingertips lightly over his chest, searching for any swelling that might tell of
cracked or broken ribs.
Linc groaned, startling her.
Holly snatched back her hand before she realized that her light touch wasnt what had
caused him to groan. It was the pain he felt as his body returned to awareness.
While Linc struggled out of unconsciousness, his head moved slowly from side to side.
Holly let out a sigh. The motions eased a fear she had been afraid even to acknowledge.
Thank God,Holly thought fervently.His neck isnt broken . Suddenly Linc
Though Holly screamed with fear for Linc, she didnt blame him for wanting to save the
horse from its own folly. Even in the grip of panic, the Arabian was magnificent. Its body
rippled with muscular beauty. It moved with a cats quickness and grace.
Linc, too, was magnificent to watch, so extraordinary in his skill and strength that Holly
forgot to be afraid for him. He was part of the horse, shifting his weight from instant to
instant, braced in the stirrups, using his powerful shoulders to drag up the horses head
whenever the animal stumbled.
Holly began to believe that horse and rider would survive the wild plunge down the boulder
field.
Then the world turned inside out and an ocean poured out of the sky.
Instantly she was up and running toward the ridge. She knew that no skill, no strength,
nothing but a miracle could prevent the Arabian from going down in the greasy mud that
would be created during the first instants of the cloudburst.
The inevitable fall came during a burst of lightning. The horse twisted and turned wildly,
trying to keep its feet where nothing could walk, much less run.
At the last possible instant Linc kicked free of the somersaulting animal. He fell like
the trained horseman he was, head tucked in, body relaxed, ready to roll and absorb the
worst of the impact.
Linc did everything possible, but there was nothing he could do about the boulders in his
path.
Holly ran through the rain, crying soundlessly. The ground turned to grease beneath her
feet, sending her staggering and sliding. A river of rain poured over her, choking her.
She found the horse first. It was lying on its side, trembling all over, drenched with
rain and lather. As Holly ran toward the horse, it groaned and heaved itself to its feet.
The animal took a few tentative
steps, then stood docilely, not even flinching when lightning sizzled across the ridge.
For the moment, the Arabian was too stunned by its fall to be afraid of anything.
Holly clawed up the last few feet of the slope to the boulder that had so brutally stopped
Lincs fall. Lightning forked across the sky, revealing Linc. He lay on his back,
motionless. She skidded to her knees beside him, shaking with fear. Linc!
Her voice was hoarse, no match for the thunder boiling through the night. She crouched
over him, sheltering his face from the downpour.
Bursts of lightning outlined him harshly. A cut beneath his hair was bleeding. The blood
looked black in the white light. His shirt was shredded down his right side, but beneath
the ribbons of cloth his chest rose and fell in even rhythms.
Alive.
For a moment Holly was too dizzy with relief to do anything but put her hand on Lincs
chest and savor the strong beat of his heart. Then she shook herself and looked around.
Linc was alive but far from safe. If he was injured, she wasnt strong enough to carry him
to the tent. Yet she had to get him out of the chilling rain.
Lightning came again, followed slowly by thunder. The center of the storm was moving away.
Rain still fell hard and steady, but it no longer qualified as a cloudburst. The first,
most violent minutes of the storm were over.
Gently, very carefully, Holly ran her hands over Lincs arms and legs, searching for
obvious injuries.
She felt nothing but the resilience of his muscles beneath his soaked clothes. She moved
her fingertips lightly over his chest, searching for any swelling that might tell of
cracked or broken ribs.
Linc groaned, startling her.
Holly snatched back her hand before she realized that her light touch wasnt what had
caused him to groan. It was the pain he felt as his body returned to awareness.
While Linc struggled out of unconsciousness, his head moved slowly from side to side.
Holly let out a sigh. The motions eased a fear she had been afraid even to acknowledge.
Thank God,Holly thought fervently.His neck isnt broken . Suddenly Linc