She barely felt the gravel of the driveway as she sprinted over it, or the softness of the desert sand that made up the area by the barn, holding pens and round pen. Her mind was solely on the mustang and what could have happened that would have made him crash into the fence like he did. As she neared the corral she was shocked to see the shadowy figure of a man lying in the dirt next to the pen, and the colt running frantically inside. She quickened her pace and finally reaching the corral, found that not only was the colt in a full blown panic, but that he had a rope around his neck and was dragging it behind him as he ran.

With her full attention on the horse, Jessie barely noticed Chad getting to his feet and brushing himself off. “What the hell…?” Were the only words she could come up with as she stared at the scene playing itself out in front of her eyes. Instinctively she sprinted for the gate, but before she could get it unlatched, Chad stumbled his way toward her with open arms.

“Hi Jess,” he slurred, smiling broadly. “I got yer horse caught up fer ya.”

“You idiot!” Jessie yelled. “What have you done? He’s got a rope around his neck!”

“Tha’s okay… it wan’t mush of a rope an’way. He kin keep it long as he needs it.”

Chad reached out for Jessie and tried to give her a kiss, but just as he got within arm’s length she reared back and slapped him hard across the face. The force of the blow knocked Chad off balance and sent him tumbling backwards in the dirt.

Henry, who was still watching from his vantage point in the bunkhouse, turned from the window and walked back toward his bunk. “Ain’t none of my business,” he said to himself.

Jessie went back and fumbled with the gate latch, trying to get it open. “It’s all right,” she said in a voice that was quiet, yet full of emotion. “It’s okay. I’ll get that off…”

She barely had enough time to feel the tight grip of two hands on her shoulders before she was yanked backward away from the gate and thrown to the ground. She hit the back of her head as she landed, which stunned her briefly, but she came to her senses in time to see Chad standing over her and glaring down at her menacingly. “Who do you think you are?” he growled.

Jessie began to scramble backward, but Chad followed, kicking her in the legs as she tried to escape. “I was just tryin’ ta help. An’ this is how ya repay me?”

“Chad, listen to me.” There was firmness in Jessie’s voice as she continued crawling backward, Chad continuously thumping her with the toe of his boot. “Don’t do this.”

“Hey lady, I don’t work fer you anymore. I can do any damn thing I want.”