Page 5 of Touch the Sky

“Jacinthe!”Mamansays, her eyes wide as she looks me up and down a few times. “Qu’est ce qui se passe?”

I’m not sure how to answer her question of what’s happened. I’m not totally sure what’s happened myself. All I know is that I need to catch that damn donkey if it’s the last thing I ever do.

I puff myself up like a predator and stalk towards him. Again, it’s the complete opposite of how you’re supposed to handle an escaped animal, but nothing you’resupposedto do has ever worked on Joaquin.

“Assez,” I bark. “We’re done. Pack it in, bro. I’m not joking.”

He feints to the right, but I’m smart enough to go left, and I end up close enough to catch his halter again.

He lets out a furious bray, and then the asshole literally rears, rising up above me and pawing the air with his front legs like the freaking Black Stallion.

I’m thrown backwards so hard I’m forced to let go to keep my shoulder from dislocating. I land hard on my tailbone, pain ricocheting up my spine.

I grit my teeth to keep from screaming.

Mamanand Tess both gasp. There’s a flurry of movement, but the pain is bad enough to have my eyes watering. By the time I blink the moisture away,Mamanhas tied Nana up to a hitching post and rushed over to me while Tess tries creeping up on Joaquin.

I try to tell her I’m fine, but pain snatches my breath away when I go to push up to my feet.

“Ma fille!”Mamantuts. “Don’t move.”

I ignore her and take a deep breath before trying again. This time, I manage to stand. The sharp pain is settling into an ache now. I rub my tailbone and groan again. It’s probably just going to be a nasty bruise.

It can’t be anything worse.

“It’s fine,” I say in French. “I just landed hard. It’s just bruised.”

Mamanglares like she’d rather be piling me onto a stretcher, but she doesn’t argue. Not yet, at least. Instead, she plucks a bit of shavings out of my hair and wrinkles her nose.

“What happened?” She circles around me to do a full inspection and gags when she gets a look at my back. “Why are you covered in…caca?”

I was really hoping that somehow wasn’t what’s seeping through my shirt.

“Ask him.” I swing my arm out towards Joaquin and then do a double-take.

I’d rub my eyes if my hands weren’t covered in shit. There’s no way I’m seeing this right.

Tess is clutching Joaquin’s halter and stroking the side of his face, and he’s not eventryingto bite her.

She coos at him, soft enough that I can’t hear whatever witchcraft she must be chanting, before she notices we’re watching.

“You okay?” she asks, looking at me. “That looked painful.”

I stop rubbing my back.

“I’m fine,” I say. My skin feels hot under my shirt collar. “It’s no big deal.”

Tess nods and then chuckles. “He seems like quite the little troublemaker.”

She gives his halter a tug as she starts walking over to us. I open my mouth to try and warn her about his tendency for sneak attacks, but he just drops his head low in surrender and plods along at her side. Tess makes it all the way to where we’re standing without incident.

“Here,” she says, nodding her head at Joaquin.

I reach out on instinct and clutch the other side of his halter.

He doesn’t even blink.

I know I should say thank you, but my throat has gone dry. Tess grins anyway and drops her hand to her side before stuffing her fists in her pockets.