"Fine," she agreed.
"Mind if I go first?" he asked. "This old boy is sweating under the sun. I'll give him a few moments in the creek."
Looking at Adam tall in the saddle, she almost felt a need to take her hat off and fan herself with it. Yes, a break was in order.
She watched as Adam descended the hill. With the loose gravel and untraveled terrain, she'd let him get well down the hill before she started after him. It was safer that way.
She turned to gaze at the land they’d just crossed. Scar-face was coming up behind them, his blond-haired crony nowhere in sight.
The man was at a flat-out gallop and would reach the hill in moments. Breanna could wait until he'd descended to start down, but with Adam so far away, she... yes, she wanted him near, if only for the safety of numbers.
Adam and his stallion were far enough down that it would be safe to start. She'd be more than halfway down by the time Scar-face arrived at the top.
Her gelding was surefooted as they began their descent. The deer track was old and somewhat overgrown in the few places that had enough soil for grass to cling to.
She was peripherally aware of Adam waving to her from the bottom of the hill. He was safe.
But she was only a third of the way down when tiny pieces of gravel began rolling past her, pinging down the hill as they fell.
She spared a quick glance behind to see that Scar-face was coming directly down the hill, not on the deer path. It was dangerous and wouldn't save him that much time.
How had he caught up so quickly? Maybe she'd misjudged his distance.
She brought her focus back to the task. He might be willing to risk his horse, but she wasn't. Buster shied once as more gravel shifted behind them, rolling into their path. Did the man have a death wish? Or was he trying to intimidate her?
The deer track should put her out of his direct path right about... now. She urged Buster for more speed. She wanted to put more distance between them and the man. And she did, Buster understanding her urgency and responding.
Her relief was short lived as Adam gave an indistinct shout from below.
Scar-face drew up on the hill just above her.
Where had he come from? She was sure his direct path down the hill had been well behind her.
She had no time for questions or to reprimand him for riding so close on a dangerous path. Buster fought for footing as the other horse shifted gravel from above.
She was pulling back on the reins to slow and let Scar-face pass when his horse shifted even closer. Was he slipping, losing his footing—?
But the quick glance she got showed malice in his eyes as he reached out for her.
She thought she caught the wink of sunlight on metal. Had he pulled a knife?
She twisted away, trying to get out of his reach, and it put her off-balance.
Scar-face's shove knocked her out of the saddle.
She'd been taught to always roll into the fall, but she'd never fallen on a hill like this. She was afraid she'd roll all the way down.
That fear made her flail and reach out. She landed hard on her wrist and shoulder, losing her breath entirely.
She heard Scar-face's horse gallop off, heard the sound of Buster scrabbling for footing.
She couldn't catch her breath.
Adam shouted her name.
But she couldn't answer him.
Adam had already dismountedas he waited for Breanna at the bottom of that mountainous hill.
