Free Cassandra Austin by Hero Of The Flint Hills

more a greeting than a hail. “Maybe she doesn’t know she’s lost,” he muttered before riding toward her.
    It seemed odd that she would continue walking evenas he came to her rescue. He expected her to collapse at any moment, but she didn’t stop until he drew up beside her. She squinted against the sun as she smiled up at him. “I’m lost, I’m afraid. Will I be able to see the ranch house from the top of this hill?”
    She pointed, and he turned to see how far he had come from the bluff. “Yes, ma’am,” he said.
    “Thank you.” She started on.
    He watched her for a moment before reining the horse around. “Want a ride?” he asked, as he drew up beside her.
    She eyed the horse a moment as if she were tempted. “No, thank you,” she said instead. “I’m sure you’re busy.”
    Christian laughed, and she cast him a curious smile. “I’m busy looking for you.”
    “Oh dear,” she murmured. She turned a little pale, showing off a touch of sunburn on her nose. “Are there others looking for me as well?”
    “Only Arlen.” He thought of Arlen expecting to find a helpless heap no more than half a mile from the house. Instead she had walked for miles and still wasn’t complaining.
    “I’m terribly sorry,” she said.
    He kicked his left foot out of the stirrup and reached an arm toward her. She hesitated only a moment before climbing up behind him. When she had wrapped her arms around his waist he started toward the bluff.
    She felt very warm pressed against his back. He told himself he was going slowly because she wasn’t an experienced rider. At the bluff he stopped. “Youmight want to brace your hands behind you and lean back as we go down.”
    He felt her peer cautiously around him. “We’re going to ride down that? I think I’ll walk.”
    “I think you’ve walked enough for one day.”
    “I’m afraid to let go,” she whispered.
    “Then don’t let go,” he said gently. “Just be prepared for me to lean back a little. All right?”
    He felt her nod against his back. She really clung to him now. He wished he knew how to make her feel more secure. “We could ride the long way around,” he suggested.
    She shook her head. “No. I’m fine. I don’t want to cause any more trouble than I have already.”
    “You haven’t caused much trouble,” he said, starting the horse slowly down the steep trail. “In fact, you were close to finding your own way back.”
    “I feel foolish for getting lost on my very first day.” Her voice sounded strained as if she would rather hold her breath than talk.
    “Would tomorrow have been better?”
    “I suppose not,” she murmured against his back.
    “That was a joke,” he said gently. He wanted to turn and look at her. He wished he had put her in front of him where he could wrap his arms around her and make her feel safe. He tried to dismiss the image.
    “I know. I’m laughing on the inside.”
    “Yeah,” Christian said, feeling her arms loosen slightly. “I think I hear the vibrations in your voice.”
    She did laugh then, nervously. “What you hear is terror.”
    “Really?” Christian eased the horse around the lasthairpin turn. “I never would have guessed. Course, I do kinda feel like there’s a vise around my rib cage, but I just figured that was sisterly affection. Emily does the same from time to time.”
    Behind him, Lynnette tried to think of a clever retort. The truth was she felt more embarrassed than frightened now. She really had been clinging to this near-stranger as though her life depended on it. Which it did, or at least seemed to.
    She forced her eyes open and found they had nearly reached the bottom of the hill. When they leveled off and Christian sat upright again, she let out a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure but she thought she heard him chuckle. Well, what difference did it make if he thought she was a frightened little ninny? His opinion hardly mattered. Still she loosened her grip around his waist and tried to