Oh, God.
There was no time to run.No time to think.
A garbling sound and the fluttering of wings, out of place in the ensuing nightmare, caused her to look up.The sight left her momentarily dazed.Her mouth fell slack.A giant chicken fell from the heavens.
It was the last thing Lucy saw in the forest.
What Ian saw, he could neither explain nor imagine in his worst nightmare.He was stunned, only able to watch in disbelief as Dimon stood excitedly over the body of a woman.
The outfit mesmerized him.
Her cap perched sideways atop her head and covered one eye.The bright red pompom stood straight and proud.The wood pigeon lay next to her shoulder.
Ian pulled off his ball cap and dragged his fingers through his hair."Bloody hell," the oath came out slowly.
Dimon licked the woman's muddy face, but she didn't stir.Ian knelt down and checked her vitals, relieved to find nothing alarming.A small knot was forming on the back of her head where she'd fallen and hit a rock.A red mark was on her cheekbone.Loose feathers were in her hair and cap.He was slow coming to it, mainly because it seemed so ludicrous.The wood pigeon had struck her in the face.
What the hell had she been thinking, looking up and just standing there, not moving out of the way?
What the hell had she been doing traipsing through his property?
And what the hell had inspired her to select that outfit?
With a thin grimace, he bent down, and picked her up, wondering if he'd just rescued a lost, colorblind golf enthusiast.
"Sorry, Nick, but looks like we have a passenger."Once she was secured, stomach down, across the pony's back, there was nothing to do but hold onto her, take the lass home, and call the doctor.It couldn't have come at a worse time, and he hoped it wasn't a sign of things to come.
By the time Ian made it into the barn, he was strung so tight his blood pressure was through the roof.
Devin stopped stacking hay bales to watch Ian's approach.Dev rarely said much these days and this time was no exception, though he did lift his brow in surprise.
Jamie, the youngest, stepped from a stall, pitchfork in hand."What the hell happened?"he asked, eyes on the body flung over Nick's back.
"Found her in the woods.Vitals are fine."He was by no means a doctor, but checking vitals and having to be first responders was something they'd all learned in the military."She's just passed out."
"You sure?"Jamie moved closer, lifted the woman's limp wrist and checked her pulse, and then pulled one of her eyelids open to check her pupil, which only made Ian even more annoyed.
"She's fine, Jamie.Got knocked out by the bird, hit her head on a rock."
"You're joking right?"
"Wish to hell I was."
Jamie studied the strange woman, taking in the outfit, and Ian just knew where his brother's mind was headed."What'd you do, Ian, infiltrate a rainbow convention?Is this their leader?"
Ian leveled a glare at his brother.He was cold, irritated, and didn't need or want to be saddled with some stray piece of baggage."Shut up, Jamie."
"No, wait.The Lollipop Guild was in town and—"
Ian elbowed Jamie in the gut.
Dev laughed softly as Jamie doubled over, wheezing."Christ, Ian."After catching his breath, Jamie straightened and gave the woman the once over again."Well, the vomit of colors aside, she's not all bad.Definitely has a nice as—"
Ian slapped a hand over Jamie's mouth as Dev's laugh deepened."Remind me again why I asked you to spend your leave here?"
Jamie grinned over Ian's hand, his voice muffled as he answered."Because you missed me and someone has to be the brains of the operation."
"Yeah right."Ian dropped his hand.
