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"There’s a way into that ravine You just have to take the long way around if you don’t want to or can’t take the ridge If he’s down there, we’ll find hi to leave hi way around How ht, in this case--on horseback," he answered

"If he’s hurt, he could behe could be" I couldn’t get it out, so I cla our best, Rowen," Justin said quietly "We all like Jesse We’d all risk our necks for hi your life away No one would make it to him before they fell over the side, too"

When Justin ain, I let him

I felt helpless I was helpless

Or was I?

With Rose and Justin preoccupied in the storage closet, I threw open the door and stared at the barn A loud, almost frantic whinny came from it

I could do it I would do it

I retrieved my ratty combat boots from the shoe basket beside the door, pulled theht The rain was co down so hard, I couldn’t see too far in front of h to snag one of the rain coats and headla just inside andRose and Justin would have their supplies packed, and as soon as she knew I’d disappeared, Rose would figure out what I was up to She wouldn’t let o and do what I was about to do She’d throw me down and sit on me if she had to, but I wouldn’t sit around when Jesse needed me

Most of the stalls were empty Another loud whinny came from one of the stalls a bit farther down, and I almost cried when I saho it was

Sunny was as wet andaround and rearing up onto his back legs every few paces He acted as frantic as I felt Justin must have led him back, and thankfully, he was still saddled and bridled

Jesse had showed me how to both saddle and bridle a horse, but I wasn’t especially quick at it Right then, time was critical

"Whoa, boy," I said, as calmly as I could "Are you worried about Jesse, too?" After slipping into the rain coat, I reached for the gate and slowly slid it open From the crazed look in Sunny’s eyes, I worried he’d co out of the stall as soon as I opened it

Sunny flung his head about a few h-spirited horse like Sunny could go I slid the gate the rest of the way open and grabbed ahold of Sunny’s reins He let me lead him out of the stall and even stood still for me when I lifted my foot up into the stirrup In all the ti rides, I’d never ridden Sunny I usually rode Lily’s horse, Buttercup The only time I rode Sunny was if Jesse was on him with me Sunny didn’t like any other riders except for Jesse The couple ranch hand show-offs I’d seen try it had been throithin five seconds

And there I was, someone who’d never ridden a horse before that summer, about to ride a one- conditions My survival instincts apparently took a vacation when I knew Jesse was in trouble

I shiftedup and over I gri my body for Sunny to throw me off as soon as I settled into the saddle A few seconds later, I opened my eyes to h

Buttercup never even stood so steady and she was a twenty-year-old e a trot any hold of the reins "I’ to need your help, buddy I need you to help me find Jesse" I slid the rain coat hood over my head and squeezed Sunny’s sides He moved He actually accepted a command froed from the barn into the same sheets of rain Sunny whinnied, and I just barelyout the kitchenSoonto the saddle horn as well, I cluckedon for dear life and trying not to fall out of the saddle, I let Sunny do the rest He raced past the corrals, past the driveway, and turned without any proed down the dirt road I’d driven a few ti in the upper fields

It wasn’t a dirt road any a few tied to stay in the saddle Clule, and the rain, at our speed, hurt my face until it finally went nurown up in Portland, Oregon

Sunny charged ahead like he was the underdog in the Kentucky Derby He did all the work, he blazed the trail; all I did was e to hold on So why did I feel so daht have had so soaked to the bone andaround in the saddle

We were long past the spot I’d dropped the guys’ lunch off I couldn’t tell how far, but I kneas , so the visibility had slightly i, I kind of wished I couldn’t see a thing again

We inding down a trail that continued to narrow Where ere, the trail ide enough for two riders to travel side by side, but every few feet, it got narrower and narrower until, finally, it seeh for Sunny and ht up a good twenty feet or so To ht was a drop off I couldn’t tell how far down the ravine was, but I could tell it was pretty far away froe took to fall

My heart pounded the farther down the ridge we traveled Every survival instinct I possessed clawed ataround been possible on the narrow trail, I ht have if any person but Jesse was down there

That’s what kept

Jesse