Mary Jo leaned back, sprawling over Ol' Ned's wide back. Above them a mighty oak tree formed a canopy of bronze leaves.
"Purdy as a brides weddin’ veil," she whispered.
If she was ever going to gain independence, she would have to leave this place. After Jim Bob’s death, Pa was even more protective of his only daughter. Why couldn't he realize that she was old enough to take care of herself now? Maybe she didn't know much about the world beyond these hills, (and to be perfectly honest, nothing she'd seen in school had led her to believe she wanted to either), but even a dumb bird knew it couldn't spend the rest of its life in the nest. All the other high school seniors had jobs or were going to college. Some were even married. What did she have? She was going on twenty-two and still totally dependent on her parents. Here it was, two years after graduation, and she still had no job prospects - not even a breath of hope.
The smell of disturbed earth invaded her senses. Ol' Ned snorted, stepping to the side so fast she almost lost her seat. She straightened on his bare back and glanced around. Someone must have driven through here recently, and yet no one had passed her on the road. That meant they had been back in the hills behind the house. Who and why? She glanced around nervously. She and Ma had been canning, so her ride had been delayed. It was getting late, and this was no place to be caught alone.
She started to rein Ol' Ned around and that was when she saw the tracks. Furrows, actually - and they led to the side of the road. She stiffened as she realized the tracks went beyond the road - not the tracks of an ATV, but those of a vehicle sliding out of control. She nudged Ned to the side of the road and craned her neck to see down into the deepening shadows of the hollow. The dust was still settling around something down there. Her stomach felt queasy. How many more people would die on this spot before people learned to slow down?
She dismounted, the worn heels of her western boots sinking into the churned earth. When she saw the deer tracks, she felt immediate empathy for the driver. Evidently someone had tried to avoid hitting the deer.
She tethered Ol' Ned to a tree. "You stay here, boy. I think I saw a fender down yonder. I'd best go down there and take a look-see."