Free Finding Kate by Julie Pollitt Page B

breath she saw they’d stopped a few yards from the wayward cow. Max nipped at the calf’s heels, veering him away from the riverbank.
    Kate let her horse trot closer to Will and Max. The dog continued barking at the calf until the errant animal turned in the direction of the herd.
    “Good boy Max,” Will hollered.
    Kate’s legs shook and her lower lip trembled. She took a deep breath and tried to keep the tears at bay. She wished she could dismount, but was afraid the horse might leave her behind. Her legs felt weak, and walking back wasn’t a possibility.
    Will led his horse up to hers. “You handled that well.”
    Kate was surprised Will had noticed, being so focused on rescuing the stray. She uncurled her fingers to find nail marks embedded into her palms.
    Will leaned over, grabbed Mabel’s reins, and handed them back to Kate.
    “Thank you,” she said. “This is a lot harder than it looks.” Kate exhaled. She appreciated the fact that he tried to help in whatever way he could, although he remained busy with the herd.
    “We might may a cowgirl out of you, yet,” Will said. He winked and rode off behind the stray calf.
    ***
    The wranglers led the cattle into the summer pasture behind Nancy and her husband’s ranch with no further complications. The cows mooed as they spread out to graze. The field was green and large, a delicious feast for the herd.
    Nancy rode up on her horse and met Kate by the fence. She hopped off and swung the reins around the wooden post. Her face looked like a raccoon with a touch of dirt lining underneath where her sunglasses sat. “How’d it go?”
    Kate slid off her horse. She was so grateful to be on solid ground she wanted to kiss the dirt. “I can barely walk.” She rubbed her backside. “But at least I have a story to write.”
    “You’ll get used to it.” Nancy grabbed the horse’s reins and wrapped them around the post, hitching Mabel next to the other horses.
    Kate looked at Mabel. “Thanks for not throwing me,” she whispered. “But I don’t think I will be getting used to this anytime soon.”
    Trevor strolled up behind her. “Let’s grab something to eat.”
    Kate swiped her grime-covered hands along the front of her jeans. “After I clean up I’d actually like to visit Emma in the hospital.”
    “Can’t you go see her tomorrow?” Trevor’s chin poked out and indicated a struggle between irritation and pouting.
    Now that she thought about it, she was awfully hungry. She nearly gave in, until she spotted Will, standing beside his horse staring at them. Will would undoubtedly join the rest of the wranglers at Nancy’s table.
    “I do want to see her this afternoon,” she told Trevor. “Besides, I need to get my pictures downloaded and my story written for the paper.”
    “Okay.” Trevor shrugged. “Give me a call when you’re done. We can have a late supper together.” Trevor took off his baseball cap and stared at the ground. Did she detect a bit of self-pity on his face? Was he jealous over the time she spent with Will? He had no reason to be. Will barely knew she existed.
    “I’ll call you.” Kate slid her hand into her pocket and retrieved her keys. Noticing that Will had his sights on her, she threw her arms around Trevor and gave him a long, intimate hug.
    ***
    Kate tapped her fingers on the kitchen table as she waited for the wireless to connect to her computer.
    The Chicago Herald ’s home page inched onto the screen. Kate clicked on the fashion column link and rested against the back of the chair waiting for it to load. When it finally did, she soaked up every word. The first fashion show of the summer came and went and Kate missed it. The Internet locked up, and an ad for a stunning pair of heels stopped halfway down the screen. “I need faster service.” She’d never see all the pictures at this rate. There was no choice but to go into town and find a faster connection.
    In the meantime, she could at least transfer her photos.