Restoration

by Laurie Larsen

  She laughed. “I followed you around everywhere, don’t you remember? I had to have picked something up.”

  Yes, he did remember, and he’d loved every second of it. He and Sadie were an unbreakable pair when she was a kid. Of course, as kids do, she started drifting from him when she got her drivers’ license, forming her own interests, making her own friends. Her dad wasn’t quite as important as he used to be. But that was okay, it was normal. They’d worked to stay close as she moved into adulthood.

  She grabbed her book bag and headed for the door. “Well, have a good day. Oh and ... I bet I know someone who wouldn’t mind a visit today.” The door slammed, and he looked up. He knew exactly who Sadie was referring to: Nora. A warmth went through him as he thought of her, especially since he knew he had Sadie’s approval about forming a relationship with her. Not that he required his daughter's support. But it sure was nice that he had it.

  He got moving then, grabbing a paper printout of his calendar, and thinking about when he could fit in a visit.

  The day passed quickly, as it always did. He delivered a healthy newborn foal, removed a fishing hook from a goat’s hoof, and administered annual shots to a farm-full of cattle. Around three o’clock, his cell phone rang while he was driving to his next appointment in Georgetown. “Shaw, it’s Phil Rosewood.”

  “Hey, Phil. How’s Thunder doing?”

  “I wish I knew. Disappeared again.”

  “What?” Shaw’s mouth hung open as he puzzled over that one. Thunder was a beautiful black gelding who used to belong to Nora’s Aunt Edie. He had been a vital part of Aunt Edie’s Waccamaw Trails, held in the state-of-the-art barn on what was now Nora’s property. Then, it had been a thriving equestrian training and show clinic. When Aunt Edie went into assisted living toward the end of her life, the Rosewoods bought Thunder. But the horse was the sentimental type, and had, on several occasions, jumped the fence and made his way back to Nora’s property. The Rosewoods had added another three feet of height to their fencing to try to deter the escapes. What was shocking today, was how Thunder got over it.? “Phil, have you inspected your fence? Did that rascal jump over it again, or did he destroy a section and break through it?”

  “I don’t know, and I will do that. But I have to tell you, Jan’s tired of this. She feels like Thunder isn’t happy here if he’s constantly trying to leave. She just wants a nice mount to ride when she feels like it.”

  “Sounds like you might want to find a new home for him, then?”

  “Not new home – old home. Didn’t you know the lady that bought Waccamaw Falls?”

  “Yes. Edie Ramsey’s niece, Nora.”

  “Would you give me her phone number? I’d like to talk to her about possibly buying Thunder back.”

  Shaw suppressed a smile. The wheels were turning. God was at work here. “Hey, Phil, I’m seeing Nora real soon. Would you mind if I said something to her first?”

  “Not at all. We’d be willing to quote her a fair price. We just feel like we’ve treaded water with Thunder too long and we want to get a horse who wants to stay with us.”

  “Understood. I’ll talk to Nora and get back to you.” He broke the call, his heart feeling warm. He let his mind run over the words of one of his favorite verses of the Bible, from Psalms 37. It had gotten him through many, many despairing days. Kept his faith on track and him mindful of who he belonged to, who cared about him. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”

  A desire that his heart had been dreaming up lately involved opening a new community service ... a ministry, really. A charitable organization that allowed children to ride: a huge selection of children who could benefit from a personal relationship with gentle horses. Physically disabled children, mentally troubled children, blind children, physically able children who had gotten into trouble with the law. He had done a whole bunch of reading about the benefits that horses provide. He was interested in starting a non-profit to offer equine-assisted therapy. All he needed was a horse ... and a place to ride. And some volunteers.

  Nora had the place. Now a horse was becoming available. A good, reliable horse: a horse with a history. He could recognize a gift from God when he saw one. And, as an added bonus, it would be a project he and Nora could work on together. A way to spend more time together and help others while they were doing it.

  He raised his eyes to the sky and silently thanked his Father and went on to his next appointment.

  LATE IN THE DAY, THE sun was doing its beautiful low dip into the horizon in the west and Nora stepped outside onto her massive front porch with a glass of lemonade to observe and admire it. The sky treated her to a gorgeous light show of gold, purple and white as the sun made its final descent. As darkness began to settle, she took a sip, a smile on her face, a smile that said, she was happy here. She loved her life here.

  So different than her previous life. Up until a few months ago, she'd lived completely differently as a real estate lawyer in a firm in Philadelphia, stayed in a high-rise apartment downtown, took limos to and from work. Her days were long, and her nights were lonely, but because she’d worked so hard to achieve it all, she was hesitant to give it up when Aunt Edie offered her this remarkable gift of an inheritance. This property—part pasture, part beachfront, containing a state of the art horse barn and a worn down Georgian style mansion. What on earth would she do here?

  Despite her misgivings, she took the plunge. Her faith in God was untried at the time she needed him most, and as fate would have it, she grew to depend on him and his guidance while making this decision. Her belief in God was bolstered when she met Shaw, who included God is his daily decisions as if he was a friend, someone to talk to, to confide in. Spending a little time with Shaw helped her to see that she could have that kind of relationship with God too.

  As she leaned against the porch railing, a big red pickup truck pulled in front of her house. She smiled as a long, lean, handsome cowboy jumped out and headed her way.

  “Hey there, pretty lady,” he said in a joking voice. She couldn’t help breaking out in laughter. If someone in Philly had said it, she would’ve scoffed, but for some reason, in this setting, coming from this man, it was acceptable. Attractive, in fact.

  “Hello yourself, cowboy,” she teased. She felt light with him. He’d always taken away her business self and let the non-lawyer part of her come out.

  He covered the distance between them and climbed the stairs. He leaned in close and she wondered for a moment if he was going to kiss her. Maybe he wondered too, but if he did, he thought better of it, and pulled back. Instead, he brushed her cheek with an index finger and let his smile linger. She took advantage of the closeness to take in a whiff of his essence. Hard working man, with an outdoorsy scent and an underlying aroma of the soap he’d used this morning in the shower. She loved his smell. It was so uniquely him.

  She tamped down her disappointment at the lack of a kiss but reminded herself that they were starting over. Their past didn’t count now. It was all behind them, and they’d both agreed to start off right this time. She’d look forward to a kiss when the time was right.

  And maybe, just maybe, this time she’d determine when the time was right and not wait for him to do it.

  She reached up and held his hand when it was close to her face and grinned her happiness at seeing him. “How was your day?” she asked and moved toward the front door of the house. He followed her in.

  “Great. How about yours?”

  She nodded. “Good too.”

  “Have a question for you. Have you noticed any unexpected visitors today?”

  She paused, her eyes wide. “Not another alligator.”

  He chuckled. “No. Another black gelding.”

  “Thunder?”

  He nodded. “He’s missing from Rosewood Ranch again. The Rosewoods have about had it with him.”

  Shaking her head, she sa
id, “No I haven’t, but then again, I haven’t been looking either.”

  “Want to take a ride and look for him together?”

  “Sure.”

  They climbed into his truck and he drove over to the gate that opened to the 4-acre pasture. Nora jumped out and opened it, let the truck drive through, then closed it again. Jumping back in, she settled in and they took off, bumping over the grassy mounds. They drove slowly through the pasture, serpentining the width of the property, keeping a look-out for the horse. Eventually they made their way to the far side of the land, which bordered a salt marsh leading to the Atlantic Ocean. Nora’s expanse of sandy beach was what had sold her ultimately on leaving her city life and moving here. Imagine, a beach lover like her, having her own beach to visit at any time.

  They stopped on the sand and got out, their feet landing in softness. They walked toward the ocean and peered out at the waves. Nora took in a deep breath and let it out. Contentment overcame her, and she reached out and put her hand in his. His head turned, but she didn’t break the moment by looking at him. She felt him smile and relax as they held hands.

  After a few moments, she said, “So, we didn’t see Thunder, did we?”

  “No, we sure didn’t. I’ll need to call Phil and let him know he didn’t show up here.”

  “I wonder where he made off to.”

  Shaw nodded. “I want to find out. In fact, I have something I want to talk to you about.”

  She glanced up and he gestured for them to sit on the sand. She joined him and waited expectantly.

  “I feel like Thunder is a key ingredient to a new service I want to provide to the community. I had an idea and I’ve been mulling it over, and now I think the time might be right to start working on it. Here. Let me explain. Have you ever heard of equine-assisted therapy?”

  Nora shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Horses have been shown to be very therapeutic to people who have a variety of special needs. Drug addicts, veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, people with autism and cerebral palsy. Studies show that people working with horses experience decreased blood pressure, lower stress levels and reduced feelings of tension, anxiety and anger.”

  Nora thought about that. “I can see why. There’s something about a horse. A huge, powerful animal, but in most cases, they’re gentle giants who depend on their humans to love them and take care of them.”

  “Exactly. People gain the trust of this large animal, and it helps the human to gain feelings of self-esteem, empowerment, patience and trust. Add to that, a human with physical or emotional struggles to begin with, and this horse helps them overcome some very powerful problems.”

  Nora smiled. “Sounds wonderful. And right up your alley.”

  “There is an organization I’d join to learn how to do this therapy correctly. But since I’m a medical professional, I shouldn’t have any problem getting certified. From there, we’d need the basics to get going: a horse, a place to house it, a place to ride, some volunteers and some clients.”

  “Thunder?”

  “I’d been thinking about this project for a while now, but when the Rosewoods called and told me they were getting frustrated with Thunder always escaping, it started to dawn on me. I could buy Thunder and he could be the start of my equine therapy practice. And if you like the idea of this too ... maybe I could use your barn and front pasture to house the practice.”

  “Thunder was such a huge part of my Aunt Edie’s training facility and she loved that horse so much.”

  “Yes, she did.”

  “It seems fitting that Thunder would come home, settle in and start a whole new purpose in life, helping people with problems get better.”

  He smiled at her.

  “Maybe this is why Thunder keeps leaving his new home. He wants a greater purpose.”

  Shaw laughed. “That’s a bit of a stretch, but you never know. I do think he misses your aunt, and he misses being here.”

  Nora stood. “Well then, we'd better find him.” She reached out and pulled Shaw to his feet.

  “Let’s go over to the Rosewoods, see what we can find out.”

  RYAN MELROSE PULLED into his parents’ driveway and turned off the car. He sat a moment, willing his racing heart to slow. He ungripped the steering wheel and took note of the shaking of his hands. An Admissions folder from the local college sat on his passenger seat. It was late in the game, but they’d accepted him. He’d lost two full classes from UNC, but he was still considered a junior. He could make those up later.

  Now, he just had to break the news to his parents.

  He cleared his throat and ran his hand absentmindedly through his hair. He pushed a breath out through loose lips and grabbed the folder. No time like the present. He entered the house and a whoosh of comforting smells reached out and grabbed him. Chicken and dumplings, white gravy and peas were his mom’s offering tonight and his stomach instantaneously growled. He checked his watch. Twenty minutes till dinner time, etched into his routine since he was old enough to join his parents around the dinner table.

  There was no way he’d be able to eat dinner with this news sitting on his conscience. He would have to break it now.

  Shoulders back, he strode into the kitchen. His mother was sprinkling flour into a pan on the stove. “Hi, Mom,” he said. “Where’s Dad?”

  She shrugged. “Where else would he be?” She gestured toward the TV room where his dad sat in his recliner, feet up, reading a newspaper while listening to the early evening news.

  “Could you come into the TV room with me? I have something to tell you and Dad.”

  She used her shoulder to wipe a strand of hair out of her face. Still bothered by it, she pushed it out of her eyes with her hand, leaving a faint line of white powder. “I’m right in the middle of dinner, Ryan. Hold on and you can tell us when we sit down.”

  His confident facade was breaking down, and he knew it. No way would it survive if he had to wait. “No, Mom. This is important. Can you just stop what you’re doing and come talk to me?”

  She met his eyes, really looked at him. He had no idea what she saw there, but she narrowed her eyes, then reached over and turned the burner off. “Well, all right.”

  Ryan went straight to the TV set and turned it off. It took his father about ten seconds before he looked up and noticed them. “What’s this about?” he said in a low voice.

  “I have no idea,” his mom said, her expression leaving no doubt that she was put out. “Ryan evidently has something so important to tell us that it can’t wait till the dinner table.”

  His dad put the recliner upright with a clang and laid his paper down. “Well, then.”

  His mother sat, and Ryan stood in front of the TV. Certain that he now held their undivided attention, he wasn’t sure he actually wanted it. He gripped the bright purple folder tightly in front of him, its brilliance an attempt to conceal its mediocrity. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking. Soul-searching, I guess you could say. And ... I’m making a few changes in my life. In my future. I quit UNC and enrolled in Myrtle Beach College. Classes start next week.”

  The room was so silent, his ears hurt. The rumble of the high-pressure front in the small room was obvious to him, despite the lack of noise. Then, his mother said, “This isn’t funny, Ryan.”

  “It’s not a joke, Mom. I want to be close to Grace. I want to be a part of her life. I want to be her dad. I can’t do that when I’m away at school.”

  His mother’s eyes went wide. His dad said, “You did all this without consulting us?”

  “Yes, because I knew you both would disapprove. This is my decision.”

  “But if you can’t defend your decision to your parents who want the best for you, and you can’t explain why you would willingly destroy your future, then you must know there’s something wrong with your logic.” His mother’s tone was deceptively calm. He knew her
well enough to know there was a hurricane of emotion simmering under the surface.

  “How can being a hands-on father to my daughter destroy my future? How about Grace’s future? How about Carly’s future? I couldn’t continue being so far away, neglecting my responsibility to my family.”

  “We help Grace. We help Carly. You’re away working on your education. We’re all doing our part.”

  Ryan exhaled. “I know Carly appreciates your support, and I do too. But no, it’s not the same. I’m Grace’s father and I need to start acting like it. By the time I was done with school, Grace would be almost six years old. She’d be in elementary school and wouldn’t even know me. I don’t want to be an absentee father. It’s not right.”

  His mother rubbed her hands over her eyes. “What about your scholarships?”

  “I gave them up.”

  “Do you realize how stupid that is?” his father asked, voice raised, just as his mother exploded with, “You had no right to waive your scholarships when they were so hard to come by!”

  His parents looked at each other. Their angry words had all jumbled together and he probably didn’t understand all of them, but he had caught the gist. His father shook his head, shoulders hunched. He spoke quietly, broken. “Do you know how many people would die for the opportunities you’ve had, and now just threw away?”

  Ryan shrugged. “I’ll make it work. Maybe after I go here for a while I’ll qualify for some new scholarships.”

  “Maybe? You didn’t research it before you pulled the trigger?” His father drew a hand down his face, his lower lip trembling. “You just don’t get it. UNC has a reputation. A brand. A degree from UNC means something. Unlike a degree at ... what is it, Hodunk University?”

  “A bachelor’s degree is a bachelor’s degree,” Ryan responded, but even he could tell his voice was shaky. This wasn’t about the quality of the degree as much as it was about doing what was right for Grace.

  In his wildest dreams, he didn’t anticipate this going well, and the longer he left the conversation open for his parents’ feedback, the deeper he’d be dragged into trying to justify his reasoning. “Mom and Dad, I made my decision. I’m an adult and I’m doing what I think is right. I would love to have your support, but I don’t require it.”