Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22539 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 90(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
She’s busy fighting with the hood on her rain jacket, trying to get it over her head. “What?”
“This horse doesn’t look very—“
A bright flash of lighting slices the dark sky and a deep booming crack of thunder quickly follows. I feel it in my chest. It’s deafening.
Thunderbolt snaps. Full horsey meltdown.
I scream as the missile fires. He takes off in a full reckless uncontrolled sprint down the steep incline.
“What the fuck!!!” I scream as I white knuckle the reins while this crazy fuck of a horse rockets forward like his tail is on fire. My ass is bouncing off the wet slippery saddle as stinging rain pummels my face. I can’t see. I can’t breathe. All I can do is hold on and pray that he doesn’t launch me off and send me rolling down this mountain, breaking every bone on the way down.
“Stop!” I beg in a scream. “Please fucking stop!!”
I pull the reins, I squeeze my thighs, I beg, I cry, I try everything but this horse keeps running all out.
Just as we get to the bottom of the incline, another boom of thunder detonates over our heads. Thunderbolt gets a new burst of speed and takes off through the forest.
“Shit!” I scream as I duck out of the way of flying branches. He leaps over a rock and picks up speed, racing through the trees as I hold on for my life.
Tears mix with the rain pouring down my face. I’m going to die.
I’m going to die having never felt the love of a man’s arms around me. I’m going to die a virgin.
The thunder keeps coming and Thunderbolt keeps going.
I guess I now know why he’s named Thunderbolt. He hears thunder, he bolts.
And keeps bolting…
Deep into the wilderness.
I’m panicking as I look around, trying to figure out how I’m going to find my way back.
I have to memorize memorable spots.
Okay, that bush. Remember that bush…
In ten seconds we’re a football field away from the bush and I already forget what it looks like. There’s a gazillion bushes in this forest. A gazillion trees. They all look the same! I’ll never find my way back!
“Stop, Thunderbolt, stop!” I scream as he gets a new burst of energy and takes me deeper into the forest. He keeps jerking to the side and turning abruptly. I don’t know what direction the stables are in. Even if I can get him to stop, I don’t know where the fuck the exit is.
I finally come to a stop, but it’s no help from this asshole horse. He leaps over a fallen log and I get jerked backward with the thrusting momentum. I do a backward summersault off his ass and land in the wet shrubs.
My head is spinning as I sit in the mud, rain pouring down while I watch Thunderbolt’s big butt getting smaller and smaller as he keeps going.
Finally, he disappears and I’m all alone.
All alone in the terrifying wilderness surrounded by hungry bears and vicious wolves.
All alone in the cold rain with only a pair of shorts and a tank top on.
All alone with nothing to eat and a hangover that won’t quit.
It hits me how fucked I am as I look around with a lump lodged in my throat. The trees are so freaking tall that they won’t be able to find me from a plane or helicopter. I don’t know which direction to go in. Should I walk or stay put? I remember coming across an article, Seven Steps To Survive In The Woods Like A Boss, but I never read the damn thing.
I hope one of the steps is to cry and feel sorry for yourself, because if it is, I’m doing great.
A cold shiver creeps up my body as the freezing rain starts to soak in. Goosebumps appear all over my skin. I hold my arms as the uncontrollable shivering starts.
This is bad. This is soooo bad.
What the hell am I supposed to do?
Chapter Three
Noah
I check my reflection in the rearview mirror and then take a deep breath as I turn back to the Greene Mountain Lodge.
She’s in there. She’s somewhere in there.
I can’t stop thinking about her. My mind keeps replaying the same moment over and over again.
I keep seeing her dancing and singing on that dance floor, looking so free, so radiant, so damn tempting. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. Once I saw her, I was stunned, I was in deep. So fucking deep.
I had stopped by the lodge on my way home from work to make sure that none of the drunk wedding guests were heading out onto the trails. Sometimes city folk don’t realize how easy it is to get lost up here at night, especially when the drinks are flowing.
When I popped my head in to have a word with the owner, Owen, I saw her.