He rounded a couple more trees, then saw Andrea barely clinging to her horse. She was more off the saddle than on, with her left leg flopping around and both hands holding on. Chase kicked his horse once and the animal moved closer. He had to duck under a low branch, and then he was able to lean low and grab the runaway’s reins.
The horse instantly slowed. Andrea continued to slip. She gave a cry of alarm, but Chase caught her arm before she slipped too far, and he helped her back into the saddle.
“You saved my life,” Andrea said as she pressed a hand to her chest. “I thought I was going to die for sure.”
“Are you all right?”
She shook her head, then drew in a deep breath. “I’m fine. That jump. It was so high and we were flying, then we came down with a thump, and I couldn’t stay in the saddle.”
Chase looked her over, but there didn’t seem to be anything wrong. She was a little shaken but still functioning.
“Your horse doesn’t usually take off like that,” he said. “What happened?”
Andrea smoothed her hair away from her face. “I’m not sure. I was just humming to myself and—” She broke off and stared at him. Her eyes widened. “Oh, my. I was humming and sort of bouncing to the music and I must have accidentally kicked him.”
She leaned forward and touched her mount’s neck. “I’m so sorry. I would never have kicked you on purpose.”
Her horse didn’t respond, but that didn’t seem to bother her. She returned her attention to Chase. “I don’t even know what to say. Really. You were great.”
Just then Zane rode up. “You all right?”
Andrea beamed. “Your brother saved my life. I think I accidentally kicked my horse, and then we were racing through the trees, and he jumped over a stump, and I was hanging from my saddle. I just knew I was going to fall, and then Chase was there.”
Zane didn’t spare him a glance. “So you’re not hurt?”
“Just my pride.” Andrea slowly turned her horse to face back the way they’d come. “No more humming for me.”
Zane took the reins and headed toward the trail. As he passed Chase, he gave him the death-ray look. Chase knew what he was thinking. If Chase hadn’t messed up in the first place, none of this would be happening.
It was just unfair, he grumbled to himself as he headed back to the dust cloud at the rear of the herd. He’d made a mistake, and now he was being punished. But was that enough for Zane? No. Nothing was ever enough.
He broke through the trees and found Maya waiting for him.
“Everyone all right?” she asked.
“Andrea’s fine,” he said. “Not that it matters. This sucks. I can’t make what I did right, and that’s what he can’t forgive me for. Saying I’m sorry doesn’t matter for shit. You know? Like it’s my fault that I can’t change the space-time continuum and rewrite the past. So sue me.”
Maya lowered her sunglasses and looked at him. “Are you about finished with the pity party or should I go get some chips and drinks?”
“I’m just about done. Except that, no matter what, it’s not going to be right. At the end of this cattle drive Zane’s going to be just as mad at me as he is now. Punishing me won’t make him happy.”
“I’m not sure Zane is capable of being happy,” Maya said. “But that’s not the point. Everyone makes mistakes.”
“Not ever-perfect Zane.”
“Even Zane,” she insisted. “The difference is the whole world doesn’t know when he gets things wrong.”
“I wish they did. It would even the score.”
She nodded in sympathy. “I know it feels really unfair right now, Chase, but the truth is this time you—”
He cut her off with a flick of his hand. “I know. This time I went too far, even for me. I deserve to be punished. I am being punished, and when all this is over, do you think for one second, it’s going to be okay with Zane? Do you think he’ll ever let it go?”
“He won’t talk about it.”
“Sure. But it will still be there. We’ll both know it.”
She nodded. “You’re right. Zane doesn’t hold a grudge, but he’s not exactly forgiving, either. I’m sorry, Chase. You have to live with the fact that your brother is a hard-ass. Under normal circumstances I’d consider his tight butt one of his best features, but this time I mean it in a bad way.”
He winced. “Don’t talk about Zane that way. It grosses me out.”
“What? Zane and any woman or Zane and me?”
“Zane and you. You’re my sister.”
She grinned. “Don’t sweat it. Zane and I have never had even a flicker of interest between us.” She tilted her head. “Maybe Zane and a woman isn’t such a bad idea, though.”
“Ha. That would require him to have an actual conversation that wasn’t about business. I’m not sure he can.”
“I suspect that under the right circumstances Zane can be charming.”
Chase stared at her. Maya held up one hand. “Okay. I take it back. I can’t imagine him being anything but himself. Still, he must have needs. Doesn’t he get lonely?”
“Zane doesn’t have weaknesses, remember?”
“Not that he’ll let us see, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Is he seeing anyone?”