CHAPTER 6

The sound of roaring thunders, once echoing at a safe distance, were now making both angel and animal tremble in fear. After a rather pleasant riding, they wandered aimlessly in the woods now, where trees and bushes all seemed equal, forming a maze difficult to decipher. Sighing with some impatience and with an anguished expression on her face, Monica wondered if they were still on the Snyder's property for she and Charmer had been walking for over an hour trying to find their way back.

At first, riding the beautiful stallion had brought her some relief and she felt she could see a better way to deal with Ian and change the way he treated those animals. The wind blowing against her face as she rode and the grandiosity of the lands ahead of her put her heart at ease as they were a reminder that the Father's power was stronger than anything else she would have to face.

Of course there was another way to soothe her troubled spirit: Andrew's arms and his openness to listen to her worries, his wisdom and the ability to speak to her the right words were exactly what she needed now. But it would not be fair to him, as he had an assignment of his own to accomplish. Plus, she feared the consequences of his knowing about Ian's attitude towards the animals in the farm and especially towards her.

"I guess we should make some improvement on our attempts to find our way back home, Charmer! The weather isn't appropriate for a ride in the woods any longer!" She said, softly caressing the horse's neck and looking around her, hoping to see anything familiar nearby.

"These woods can be quite traicioneras... very tricky ones!"

The sudden voice that came from behind her finally brought some relief as she immediately recognised it.

"Rafael..."

The angel was riding Jumping for Joy, another beautiful mare that would soon be prepared to run the next horse ride and consequently would be the cause of a new argument between the new veterinarian and the horses trainer.

Rafael could detect the stress she had been under just by looking at her face as he approached. "And Charmer is probably nervous with the thunderstorm, it makes it difficult for him to find his way back." He added, standing next to her.

"It was wrong of me to come that far... I should have known better..." Monica was clearly embarrassed and regret was written all over her face. The two horses were now walking side by side and took a new direction back home.

"Riding helps clearing up thoughts and doubts." Rafael gently offered, aware of her distress.

"It does... but only when you know where you're going..."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up so much. I bet Charmer here enjoyed the ride!"

A tiny smile appeared in the corner of her lip for a split second and then it was gone as another loud thunder echoed through the lands.

"I guess it's time we sped up the pace a little. Follow me!"

It took them ten minutes to get back at the Snyder's farm, right on time considering that the first raindrops started to fall from the angry skies. But if going back to the farm sounded like the most attractive of the ideas at first, now Monica's heart sank with guilt for the image she saw just ahead of her.

Attentively observed by Brady, Andrew was pacing back and forth and running a nervous hand over his short blond hair. When he heard the horse's footsteps he turned his eyes to the horizon, heaving a sigh of relief at the image of Monica coming back to the farm safe and sound thanks to Rafael.

"I took Joy to a ride not far from here so she prepared for her training and when we were coming back we met some old friends!" the Spanish angel spoke, dismounting his horse and trying to lighten the mood as he noticed his co-worker's distress.

"I was worried..." was all the blond angel could say, before he turned his eyes to Monica, who was getting off Charmer. His gaze was heavy and conveyed some of the anguish he kept in his heart during her absence.

She felt terrible.

"I... I didn't think we could go that far... I didn't realise it until..." another loud thunder suddenly interrupted her tearful words. Brady was quick to come by her feet and greet her with canine enthusiasm, deeply pleased when she ran her hand over his soft fur, even though her face was one of misery.

"The fact is that it takes a while for one to know all these lands." Rafael spoke again, not missing the tension between his two friends.

"I was beginning to consider getting one of the horses and looking around myself..." The blond angel averted his eyes from her and Monica could not help but to step towards him. Standing before him, she searched for his eyes.

"I'm ashamed... Please, forgive me..."

Andrew had been worried sick about her but he could detect the guilt in her heart as she spoke, and truth to be told he was aware of how sorry she was for causing him to worry.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and even though he was looking at her, Monica could see the disappointment written in his eyes.

"I am... I... I didn't mean to go that far, I-"

A loud thunder interrupted her, and although she flinched at it, Andrew kept the cold tone in his voice. "The rain will start at any minute. You should put the horses inside."

"Andrew is right. I'll get Charmer and Joy back there." Rafael was quick to say, picking the animals' harnesses and guiding them back to their home, and he did not miss the tension between his angelic friends.

"Andrew..." Monica tried to speak, but the blond angel lowered his head.

"I... I'll be in the study for the rest of the evening. Please tell the family I won't be there for dinner."

Andrew turned his back on her and walked away before she went on apologising. Truth to be told, he was not angry, but terribly worried and upset about her disappearance. The way those vast lands spread along the horizon and the proximity of the woods were the first details he had noticed about the property and it inevitably made him wonder about her safety. During the long couple of hours he waited for her, the blond angel saw a bitter film crossing his mind, with her being lost and frightened somewhere out there and things only getting worse at the first thunders sound.

Of course he would have taken a horse and gone after her and he was exactly preparing for that when the storm started to announce itself. The image of her and Rafael coming towards him brought immediate relief, but could not send away the thought that something bad was happening to her.

But now he had left a very sad Irish angel behind him. Biting her lower lip and trying to force back the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes at any minute, Monica felt amazingly guilty. The look in her best friend's eyes told her the awful moments he had spent in front of the stables wondering where she was. It was clear to her that Andrew had interrupted his work to go after her and all because of her silly attitude. Had she remained where she was supposed to be and accomplishing her assignment like an angel should do, all that nuisance would have been avoided.

Sighing deeply and feeling the first thick raindrops falling over her, the little angel looked down to the ground, where a pair of equally brown eyes stared back at her with a questioning gaze.

"You were worried too, weren't you?" The dog wagged his tail in joy as she knelt next to him and ran her hand over his head. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble... I hope at least you can forgive me..."

A slight smile appeared in the corner of her mouth as Brady gave her a wet kiss in response to her words.

"Thank you very much... Now come, let's go inside. It will be a pretty angry storm."

Instead of heading to the employees', like Rafael had just done after keeping the horses back in their respective stalls, Monica elected to remain in the stables for a little longer. Her work with Grace was still in progress and considering how nervous thunderstorms made her feel, at least she would be surrounded by all those lovely creatures she was certainly attached with. It would help soothing her heart as right now all she wanted was to hold her dearest friend as tightly as she could and tell him how sorry she was for making him worry so much.