She felt the sting of splinters hitting her cheek, but it would take more than that to stop her.
Luna yanked the door open and smacked the screen door so hard it banged against the side of the house. Down the steps she flew, across the yard and into the barn.
“You bitch!” He tumbled down the steps and landed in a heap on the grass. He put the butt of his rifle on the ground and used it to help himself stand, then he started after her.
Luna rolled the main door shut and flipped the latch into place to secure it. She hurried over to the wide door at the back of the barn, pushed it open to run out, and stopped when she heard Patience whinny.
No way would she leave the girls there with that madman.
She ran over to Patience’s stall and swung the door open, then did the same with Sassy’s.
“Open this fucking door!” Udall yelled. The latch rattled, and he pounded on the door.
Sassy turned to the sound, her nostrils flaring.
Patience moved in front of Luna, as if protecting her.
There was aboom. Dirt kicked up near Patience’s hoof where the bullet dug into the floor, and daylight streamed through a hole in the wood next to the latch. It sounded like he was slamming the butt of his rifle against the wood to make the hole bigger.
The horses became restless, shifting their feet around, bumping Luna as they swung their big butts away from the noise.
She looked around, grabbed the bucket of carrots, dumped them out, and set it upside down next to Sassy.
Patience immediately lowered her head and started munching her way through the smorgasbord of carrots.
Wood cracked and splintered, then the big door creaked and shuddered as Udall rolled it open.
Patience lifted her head with a half-eaten carrot sticking out of her mouth.
Luna ran over to the shelf and grabbed the large can of bear spray. She flipped the top open, extended her arm as far as possible, and pointed it directly at his face.
Udall started to lift the rifle. She scrunched her eyes, turned her face away, and pressed the button. A powerful blast of orange liquid coated his face and the entire front part of his body.
He screamed, dropped the rifle, and his hands flew to his face as he fell to his knees.
Not unlike the way Luna had when she thought this man had killed Boone.
Wasting no time, she grabbed a shovel, swung it, and slammed it against his bad leg.
He howled in pain and fell to the ground.
She stepped onto the stool, gripped a handful of Sassy’s mane the way she’d seen Boone do it before, and hopped up to swing her leg over the tall horse. Luna plopped down onto her broad back and shifted her weight. She’d never ridden Sassy before and realized just how much bigger she was than Patience.
“You”—cough cough—“bitch!” Udall pushed up from the ground and reached down to feel around for his rifle. His hand brushed against the barrel, and he grabbed it.
Snot and drool dripped from his nose and mouth. Eyes nearly swollen shut, he stumbled around and bumped into the front of one of the stalls, where his fingertips brushed over the canvas feed bag hanging there. Desperate to see, he used it to wipe across his face. All he managed to do was mix pieces of grain in with the sticky pepper spray clinging to his skin.
Luna kept a gentle grip on Sassy, tapped her heels to the horse’s side, and steered her through the open back door, careful to ensure Patience was right behind them.
The second they were clear, she shouted, “CHA!” and gave her a slightly sturdier heel to the side.
The big, powerful thoroughbred took off like a shot and headed toward the open gate to the large pasture.
Luna guided her toward the path, and Patience easily made her way up alongside them. Their tails flew out behind them and their heads bobbed up and down in rhythm with the thundering of their hooves over the ground, kicking up clumps of dirt and grass as they headed up to the ridge.
Luna glanced over her shoulder and saw Udall staggering through the back door of the barn. He dragged his leg as he made his way into the pasture and lifted his rifle to his shoulder.
“CHA! CHA!” She leaned down close to Sassy’s neck and thumped her heels against her sides.
