Missing Scene from The Last Ride

I’ve been cleaning out Andi’s blog (pages and posts) and goodness! There are “lost” pages that I don’t think anyone has ever scene. They are buried amidst the 600+ posts and pages scattered everywhere, and they have no “category” so it’s hard to find them. For example, this is on a page and it should have been a post. It’s now in the “Peek Behind the Curtain” category.

Did you know that the original scene where Taffy and Andi tumble down into the steep ravine was completely changed? I switched POVs (points of view) from Andi to Chad in order to let readers feel the agony the brothers went through with having to put Taffy down. My editor suggested I do not let readers know that Taffy is gone until Andi finds out. Reluctantly, I agreed and changed the scene (which I thought was so heartwrenching). But my publisher (editor) was right. After publication, it did read better the way she suggested (I guess that’s what editors at publishing houses get paid to do. Make a good story shine even more.)

But you decide. Which way do you like better (even though it’s totally too late to change anything, LOL).

My original scene from The Last Ride:

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Andi’s good hand closed around a fistful of creamy mane. She looked up at her brother. “She’s going to be all right, isn’t she, Chad? Promise me she’ll be all right.”

Chad said nothing. He met Justin’s gaze, and his expression puzzled Andi. Perhaps the medicine was playing tricks on her eyes, but her brother appeared pale and uncertain. She frowned. Chad was never uncertain about anything—even when he was wrong.  

What was the matter with him? “Promise me you won’t—you won’t—have to—shoot her.” Her eyelids drooped. She felt sleepy, but struggled to stay awake and in control. “Promise me, Chad.”

Chad looked down at Taffy once more. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

“He won’t shoot her, Andi,” came Mitch’s sudden loud promise from behind. He lowered himself next to his sister and detached her small hand from her horse’s mane. He covered her hand with his two large ones and patted it gently. “I’ll see to it that Chad doesn’t shoot Taffy. You have my word on that.”    

He bent over and brushed the hair from her dirt-encrusted face. Then he planted a kiss on her cheek. “Go to sleep, sis. When you wake up, you’ll be home.”

(Switch to Chad’s POV)

“Just what in blazes did you mean by that?” Chad’s voice shook with anger. He glanced down to make sure Andi was asleep. Then he turned his wrath on his younger brother. “How dare you promise Taffy won’t be shot. Look at her, Mitch.” He waved an impatient hand toward the palomino. “Two broken legs, any number of deep cuts, filth, infection. This horse, if she doesn’t bleed to death, will die in agony. You know it. Justin knows it. I know it.” He looked at Melinda. “Even Melinda knows it. Don’t you, sis?”

Melinda nodded. Tears ran freely down her cheeks.

“I didn’t promise she wouldn’t be shot,” Mitch replied quietly. “I only promised that you wouldn’t shoot her.” His expression turned pleading. “You can’t, Chad. You and Andi raised Taffy. She’s as much your horse as she is Andi’s. It’ll tear you apart to shoot her. Andi’s going to have a rough enough time recovering from this without knowing you shot the horse you gave her.” He shook his head. “Nope. I have to be the one to put her down. I’ll get my rifle.” 

Chad reached out to stop him, but a firm grip tightened on his arm. “Mitch is right,” Justin said.           

Chad’s face twisted, and he stared down at Taffy. “No. It’s my job.” He swiped away sudden tears.  

“Not this time. Let Mitch do it.” Justin slapped his brother on the back. “Come on. The doctor said we’ve got to make the litter. We’d best get to it.”

While the two older brothers were constructing the litter, a loud shot rang out from below. 

Chad cringed at the sound, but kept on tying the pieces together. 

Justin shook his head. “I’m sorry, little brother.”

“What’s done is done,” Chad replied gruffly, adjusting the poles of the litter. “Let it go. Let’s get this thing down there and get home before it gets dark.”

The published scene from the official copy of The Last Ride.

Andi reached out her good hand and closed it around a fistful of Taffy’s
creamy mane. She could wait for the particulars, but she had to know one
thing. “She’ll pull through, won’t she, Chad?”

Chad rose from Taffy’s side and exchanged a troubled look with Justin.
“Andi, I . . .” He faltered.

Andi blinked. The medicine was already playing tricks on her eyes, for
her brother looked pale and unsure of himself. She frowned. Chad was
never uncertain about anything—not even when he was wrong. What
was the matter with him?

Tendrils of dread wrapped themselves around Andi’s throat until she
could barely breathe. Surely Taffy wasn’t so badly injured that . . . that
. . . . No! Taffy was a strong, spirited mare. She was breathing, and where
there was life there was hope. You and I are in this together, Taffy.

“Promise me you won’t . . . you won’t . . .” Her eyelids fluttered. The
pain lessened, and Andi relaxed. She felt sleepy. Blessed, blessed sleep.
But she couldn’t sleep. She had to tell Chad something. Needed to finish
her sentence—before it was too late and she slipped away. What was
it? She struggled to stay awake.

A faint nicker brought Andi’s thoughts back into focus. She remembered.
She forced her eyes open. “Promise me, Chad. Promise me you
won’t shoot her.”

Chad looked down at Taffy. He looked at Andi. He opened his mouth
but no words came out.

Andi felt herself floating away on a cloud of sleep. No! Stay awake! Why
didn’t Chad answer?

“Chad won’t shoot her, Andi.”

Mitch’s loud promise blared from behind Chad. He stepped around
Taffy’s prone body and squatted next to Andi. He gently loosened her
fingers from Taffy’s mane and held them between his hands. “Chad gave
you Taffy. How could you think he would ever shoot her?” He winked.
“I’ll see to it that Chad doesn’t shoot her.”

He bent over and brushed a loose strand of hair from her face. Then
he kissed her forehead. “Go to sleep. When you wake up, you’ll be
home.”

Calm replaced anxiety. Andi gave in to the soothing effects of the laudanum. Around her, a heated argument broke out, but the words buzzed in her ears. She couldn’t grasp what Chad was yelling about, only that he was hollering at Mitch.

Then silence.