Fallen Angel (4 page)

“Go ahead, I’ll keep him distracted.”  She eyed the rooster a moment longer before she relented and went to gather the eggs from the hen house.  She heard James laughing and discovered why when she stepped back out. He looked like a Spanish bull fighter enticing the rooster to charge then carefully sidestepping him and laughing. She laughed at the spectacle.

“Alright, I am done. Let’s get out of here before we really make him mad.” She passed through the gate and James backed out behind her closing the gate just as the rooster began spurring it. “He’s just not very friendly is he?” She laughed.

“Well if you look at it from his point of view you are in his house, bothering his wives stealing his would be children.”

“Well I guess if you put it that way a little animosity is understandable.”  Angelica said seriously and James laughed.

“I have heard Ella threaten to fry him many times. I think she would if he wasn’t the only rooster out here.”
Angelica laughed again as she walked back toward the house.

“Well thank you very much for your assistance, I hope I didn’t keep you from anything too pressing.”

“Nah I was just on my way to get some shut eye.”

“Oh that’s right, you’re on night shift.”

“Yeah.”

“Well I will let you get some sleep then.”  She said, stopping by the bunkhouse. “Thanks again for your help.”

“No problem.” Angelica smiled and continued on towards the house as he went into the bunkhouse. 

Once the bread dough was made and they were waiting for it to rise Angelica slipped back out to the barn. She had been out to see Sophie every day since she had found it so comforting that first time
now she spoke to the horse softly as she brushed her down, she didn’t say anything in particular she just rambled. When she was finished she noticed that her water bucket was empty so she took it to the pump and filled it. She could barely carry it back once it was full, she was surprised. She wasn’t very strong which just led more credibility to Luke’s assessment of her.  She returned to the kitchen feeling slightly deflated. She found Ella slicing apples.

“What are you making?”

“Apple pie, I thought it might be nice to have something different.”

“That sounds good.  May I have one of those apples?”

“Sure.”Ella handed her an apple that hadn’t been sliced yet. 

Once the men had been fed and the dishes had been cleared away Ella announced that she had a good book that was calling her name and retreated to her bedroom.  Once she was out of sight Angelica wrapped her shall tightly around her shoulders and slipped silently out the door.

“Sophie I brought you something.” She called as she entered the barn. As she expected Sophie stepped to the front of the stall and stuck her head out.  “Hello there beautiful girl, how are you feeling tonight?” She produced the apple from her pocket and held it out to her as she approached, she reached out and stroked her nose with her other hand. She looked into the stall beside the horse and felt her heart skip a beat as she saw a pair of bright blue eyes peering out at her.

“Oh,” She gasped.  Sophie continued to eat the apple out of her hand oblivious to her pounding heart.

“What did you bring her?” Luke asked softly. He was standing beside the horse with his hands on his hips and she felt almost as if she had been caught doing something wrong.

“Ahh… an apple.”
  Sophie nuzzled her looking for more and she tore her eyes away from Luke to look at the horse. “That’s all I have.” She smiled rubbing the horse’s nose again.  She saw Luke rub his hand over the horse’s belly.

“What’s the matter?” She frowned.

“Well, I thought she might be colicky but now that I see the way she appreciated the apple I don’t think so.”

“Why did you think she was colicky?”

“Mostly because she isn’t drinking.”  Angelica stepped forward and peered over the stall door at the water bucket. It was down less than a quarter.

“She’s been drinking.” She said quietly. He eyed her and again she got the uncomfortable sensation that she had done something wrong.  “It was empty so I refilled this afternoon.” His eyebrows rose a fraction.

“Alright, she is getting ready to foal then.”

“Really?” Angelica gasped, she opened the door enough to slip in and went to the opposite side of the horse. She ran her hand down the side of Sophie’s belly.  “Are you ready to be a mommy, Sophie?” The horse shook and lifted her
hind leg toward her belly.

Luke walked around the horse and sat down against the wall.

“It’s going to be a while yet.” He said when Angel gave him a perplexed look.

“Do you mind if I stay?”  She asked quietly.

“Be my guest.”  She sat down in the hay a short distance away from him.

“I guess you’
ve done this a few times huh?”

“A few.”
  Angelica wasn’t sure what to do or what to say, she very much wanted to stay and see the foal so she didn’t want to do or say anything that might cause him to make her leave.

“How long do you think it will be?”

“A few hours at least.”

“Do you want to go get some sleep and I’ll wake you when it’s time?” He eyed her frowning slightly, “
Well I am the only one around here who doesn’t have a job to do. I can wait with her.”

“That’s alright I am used to the waiting.” Angelica nodded not sure what else to do.
They sat in silence for several minutes before he finally asked, “How long have you been coming out here to see her?”

“A few days.” She said quietly wondering if he was going to be angry.

“You’ve only been here a few days.”

“Since the second day.” She squared her shoulders and met his eyes
. If he was going to be angry she would meet it head on.

“You ride?”

“No. I mean I think I can ride but I haven’t been riding your horses without your permission if that’s what you’re asking.” She said quickly. He smiled and she was glad she was sitting down because she thought her knees might have buckled from the shock.  “I like the horses, they are about the only thing that feels right.” She said quietly without really meaning to. She saw his pale piercing eyes focus slightly and he looked at her for a long moment before he looked away. He swept his hat off his head dropping it in the hay beside him and running his fingers through his hair.

“That is good.” He said, his voice was soft but she could hear him clearly. “You should ride, maybe it will help you remember.”  She nodded
feeling a little uncomfortable, she always felt uncomfortable about the idea that she couldn’t remember who she was.

“Did you breed her?” She asked hoping to change the subject. He smiled again and this time she wasn’t quite so shocked at the sight, it was actually kind of nice. It put her at ease she didn’t feel so much like he might throw her out at any moment.

“No, this was her idea not mine.”

“Is that Bay down there the sire?”  She hooked her thumb behind her indicating the horse in the end stall.

“Blaze? No, the sire was a buckskin that belongs to my brother.”

“A buckskin huh
,” She looked up at Sophie, “I wonder what the foal will look like.”

“I dunno, should find out soon.”

“Is he as sweet tempered as she is?” Luke looked at Sophie as if considering the question.

“I don’t think I have ever seen another horse with her temperament.  He has good temperament though, should be a good foal.”
Angelica smiled to herself still gazing at the horse, she was excited to be a part of this whole experience. She looked at Luke, he looked so at ease sitting in the hay leaning against the stall wall.

“How many acres do you have here?”

“About twenty five hundred.”

“Wow that’s a lot.”

“Not really, eventually I’ll have at least twice that.”

“And cattle?”

“Cattle and horses, eventually sheep.”

“Sounds like you have it all planned out.”  She was only looking at him now and he smiled into her eyes, her chest seemed to constrict slightly.

“I have had it planned out since I was ten, but having a plan is easy, executing the plan is a little more difficult.”

“You’ve done pretty well so far, you seem very driven.”

“I don’t know about being driven, I just know what I want.”

“Knowing what you want and doing whatever it takes to get it. That sounds pretty driven to me.”

“I suppose so.”

“I would be happy if I just knew who I was, let alone what I want out of life.

“Well you have a name. That is better than nothing.”  Angelica pulled out the locket and looked at it, just as she had done a thousand times before and sighed. “What’s the matter?” he asked watching her stare at the necklace.

“Oh nothing is wrong. I just don’t feel like an Angel. Ella seems to think that the person inside could be my mother, I think maybe she is Angel.”  Her voice was quiet, he could see she had thought about it quite a bit.

“Well you have an opportunity most people don’t get, you could pick your own name, what would you like it to be?” She shrugged and released the locket letting it drop back to her chest.  “How about Mildred?” She could see he was teasing her and she laughed. “Millie?” She laughed again and shook her head. He smiled at her and she felt herself warm, she hoped she wasn’t blushing.  He was quiet for a moment and when he spoke again his tone was serious.  “Not knowing who you are or where you come from is hard, but as I said now you have an opportunity most people never have. You can choose who you want to be. Most people are brought up to be like their parents or at least how their parents want them to be and with a few exceptions most people live their whole lives being exactly what they were taught to be. You don’t remember what you were taught to be, you have the opportunity to be what you choose to be, guilt free.”  Angelica could only stare at him. She had never heard him say that many words at one time. Not only that but what he said made her really think, she wasn’t really even sure she knew who she wanted to be.

“That is very profound.” She said softly.

“Yeah a cowboy philosopher.” He smirked and she smiled.

“Is that what you would choose to be a philosopher?”

“No, I am living the life I would choose.”

“Then you are very fortunate.”

“I am.” Angelica’s eyes had fused with his crystal blue ones and she couldn’t make herself look away. He didn’t look away either. There was several feet of space between them but it suddenly felt very close. Sophie snorted and laid down and it claimed both their attention.  Luke sprang to his feet to check on her as a gush of fluid emanated from the horse. Angelica stood too but she stayed back not wanting to get into the way.  She watched him has he gently felt the horses stomach.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Not yet, shouldn’t be long now though.”

Angelica knelt by Sophie’s head and began stroking her neck. Neither of them said much now both of them trying to soothe the agitated horse.

“I see a hoof,” Luke said at last.”

“You’re about to be a mommy.” Angelica said softly
to the horse. Angelica watched wide eyed for several minutes as what appeared to be a large white misshapen bubble emerged from the horse.

“There is the head, that’
s good.” She saw him cut through the membrane and pull it away from the foal’s head, then she could actually see the head, before that she didn’t know how he could even see that it was a head, it just looked like a white blob to her.  She continued to stroke the horse’s head and neck but suddenly the horse started snorting and moving as if it were trying to get up. 

“Whoa, easy Sophie.”  Luke said putting his hand on her flank, but it didn’t help
. She continued to stand, her eyes were wide and Angelica thought she looked spooked.  “Get back there and catch that foal if it drops!” He barked at her as he jumped around her and took a hold of Sophie’s halter.  Angelica scrambled to do as she was told, the horse continued to prance and whinny despite Luke holding her and trying to sooth her. Angelica could see that the foal was about halfway out.  Sophie was trying to rear and Luke was struggling with her trying to keep her from it. Angelica kept her hands on the foal just in case. Her heart was pounding, she didn’t know what she should be doing, or how she could help so she just did what he told her to. She could see the foal gradually being pushed out, despite the horse’s agitation so she tried to prepare herself. Finally the foal was more out than in and gravity helped. The foal fell into her arms, it was heavier than she expected but she held tight to it and sank down into the straw holding it on her lap. She looked into the tiny horse’s eyes and was startled to find that they were blue. They were pale and reminded her of Luke’s. Instinctively she grabbed a handful of straw and began rubbing it over the foal in an effort to both clean it off and warm it.

A loud screech from the horse made her jump and she looked up only to see t
hat she had begun gushing blood.  The blood was running down the horses legs and beginning to pool on the floor. She wasn’t as agitated now she seemed to be weakening.