How had she let herself bet everything on him? She didn’t know him. Not really. Never mind that something about him coiled her insides into knots, drawing her to his steady presence with a pull she couldn’t define. Betting her entire life on a feeling had been reckless. Stupid.
The morning air hung heavy with moisture and the smells she’d loved her entire life. Fresh grass, dew-laden air, horses. The reins grew slick in her hand and she had to squeeze her eyes shut a moment.
Amos’s promises were a rusty bucket. Not holding anything for long. Yet somehow he’d weighted everything in his favor, and the scales tipped all the way to his side. Arrow could save the farm, she felt that deep in her marrow. She really could bet her future on him.
Silas, on the other hand . . . Nora huffed. What had she been thinking?
The dull ache residing in her chest intensified, bringing barbs that cut into her heart. She’d been thinking he cared for her. Perhaps loved her, as she did him.
Nora thrust her foot back into the stirrup and swung her leg over the saddle.
Maybe Mother had been right all along. Emotions were fickle things. A woman couldn’t base a future on them.
Nora let Arrow have his head. The big horse tensed beneath her. Was her affection for Silas nothing more than a firefly’s flickering light? Beautifully pulsing one day, yet gone the next?
If she chose to marry Mr. Dale, would they be able to grow something more powerful out of the union? Her heart stubbornly disagreed, but what did she know?
She’d finally found the courage to make her choice. Fine lot of good it had done her. The decision had somehow still landed her in the same predicament she’d been in months ago.
Lose Emberwild. Marry a man she didn’t know. Leave everything behind.
Perhaps not everything. “At least I still have you.” The whispered words fell on ears that flicked back toward her for only an instant.
Arrow tossed his head, waves of energy waiting to be released.
This was why she’d always preferred horses. They were simple. Easy to understand. Care for them, respect them, and they offered you the same in return.
She leaned forward in the saddle and drew a deep breath. “Ready?”
An idea half formed in the shadowed recesses of her mind.
What if she took Arrow and ran?
She tightened her knees and squeezed.
Arrow lurched forward, his power erupting beneath her. Wind rushed over her. Nora threw her head back and let the wind have its way.
They could make the race circuit together. Travel the country. Arrow would win.
It would be a chance. An opportunity to make her own decisions and her own mistakes.
Arrow galloped across the field. Nora loosed the reins and let him fly, surrendering them both to the desperate need for freedom.
Hurt cloaked her heart. She embraced it. Used the pain to fuel her courage. She squeezed her eyes tight and let Arrow take her wherever the wind blew them.
Leave Emberwild.
Her eyes flew open and she lowered herself in the saddle. “Run, Arrow. Run as fast as you can.”
Charged by her words, the horse gained speed until the world around them became nothing but a blur.
Arrow would run.
Could she?
Stephenia H. McGee, THE SECRETS OF EMBERWILD, Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group © 2022 , Used by permission.
http://www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
THE SECRETS OF EMBERWILD by Stephenia H. McGee
A gifted trainer in a time women are not allowed to race, Nora Fenton prefers horses to men. They’re easier to handle, they’re more reliable, and they never tell her what to do. After her father’s passing, Nora is determined to save her struggling horse farm, starting with entering her prize colt into the harness races at the 1905 Mississippi Fair. If she wins, she may have a chance at independence. But when a stranger arrives and starts asking disconcerting questions, she suspects he may have other motives than unseating her in the training job that is rightfully hers.
Silas Cavallero will do whatever it takes to solve the mystery of his father’s death–even if it means training an unwieldy colt for Nora, who wants nothing more than to see him gone. But when mysterious accidents threaten their safety and circumstances shrouded in secrets begin unlocking clues to his past, Silas will have to decide if the truth is worth risking ruining everything for the feisty woman he’s come to admire.
Romance Suspense | Suspense Historical [Revell, On Sale: October 4, 2022, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780800740238 / ]
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About Stephenia H. McGee
Stephenia H. McGee is a multi-published author of stories of faith, hope, and healing set in the Deep South. She lives in Mississippi, where she is a mom of two rambunctious boys, writer, dreamer, and husband spoiler. Her novel The Cedar Key was a 2021 Faith, Hope, and Love Readers’ Choice award winner. A member of the ACFW (American Christian Fiction Writers) and the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution), she loves all things books and history. Stephenia also loves connecting with readers and can often be found having fun with her Faithful Readers Team on Facebook.
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