Harley growled…
“Go back to sleep, Harley,” Buck said, rolling over.
A few seconds later, Harley growled again.
Buck yawned and sat up. He glanced around the loft in barn number one where he’d slept since the sale of his own ranch when Ella had been transferred to the fancy Cheyenne hospital. Trevor, the horse whisperer, was snoring on the bed adjacent to his own. Buck had offered him a real nice room in the main barn house, but Trevor had preferred to be close to the horses. He was making great progress with Flash and it had only been about five days.
Harley growled again. “What is it boy?”
Buck pulled on his jeans, slipped on his red flannel shirt, and reached under his bed for his rifle. Blinking in the dark, he tiptoed down the stairs slowly. He aimed the rifle at the center of the barn at a shadowy, suspicious figure and flipped on the lights.
“Put your hands up or I’ll shoot!” Buck hollered.
The teenaged boy put his hands up as a pocketknife dropped to the barn floor. He yelled, “Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!”
By this time, Trevor stood behind Buck with a pistol aimed at the teen and Harley had moved in close to the center of the barn a few feet away from the intruder, barking his head off and growling.
“Don’t move kid or I swear I’ll shoot ya clean through!” Without taking his eyes off the teen, Buck tossed over his shoulder, “Good morning, Trevor! Easy Harley…”
“Morning, Buck! I see we have ourselves an intruder…” Trevor replied, keeping his Colt 45 aimed on the boy. “I’m a good shot and I’ve got no tolerance for horse thieves.”
“I see you found a way to unlock three stalls,” Buck moved in closer to check the stalls and calmed Harley down with a pat on the head. Jet, Comet, and Wyatt were still in their stalls. The boy’s intentions had failed. “It’s a good thing for you boy that Harley didn’t rip you to pieces and we’ve trained these horses so well they didn’t run off.”
Buck was about to call Logan on his cell when he limped into barn number one looking half awake. “Sheriff’s on the way, men. The alarm went off when those three stalls opened. Everybody okay?”
The teen hung his head in shame.
“Harley here caught the culprit; woke me up with his growling. Everyone appears to be okay. I’d like to check out the other barn, just to be on the safe side,” Buck said, keeping his rifle aimed at the teen.
“Say, aren’t you cattleman Chuck’s son, Jared Evans?” Logan asked.
The teen nodded, wordlessly.
About an hour later, Logan had offered to cut a deal with the kid. He felt sorry for anyone who was the son of temperamental Chuck Evans. Under supervision, Jared would complete one hundred hours of beautification work around the property such as planting fall bulbs; repairing the fence he had axed in the corral within twenty-four hours; paying for the cost of the repairs due to the hangar vandalism; and attendng three Sunday morning services per month for the next ten months. In return, Logan wouldn’t press charges for any of the prior incidents… and the best part, Sheriff Anderson, Logan, Buck, Trevor, and Jared could all go back to sleep.
“C’mon kid, I’ll give you a ride home in the patrol car,” Sheriff said, shaking hands with Logan. “I won’t file a report this time, but I will have a word with Chuck and Frances.”
Logan didn’t want to appear too friendly, but he tried to speak amiably to the teen. “See you in two weeks at our first church service, Jared. We’ll work out the details for your work hours after the service.”
“Thank you, Sir,” Jared replied. “I’m real sorry. I don’t know what I was thinkin’.”
It was only the third or fourth sentence the boy had spoken all night. All Logan could do was hope he would make a difference in the teen’s life.
When the patrol car had pulled away, Logan asked, “Hey Buck, were your guns loaded?”
“Naw,” Buck replied. “I didn’t have time to load my rifle.”
“Me either,” Trevor added with a chuckle. “I didn’t bring any ammo with me.”
For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever would believe on Him would not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
Chapter 16.
John 3:16
Jill climbed the staircase and stopped to look in on Zach. He was sleeping peacefully beneath baseball team banners and a photo of Alex on his night stand next to his glove. She still wondered how she would raise her son without a father half the time. He had looked so happy to be horseback riding with the family on the trails earlier that day.
She tiptoed down the hall to Savannah’s room and opened the door a crack to look in on her youngest. She lay there with her curls sprawled out on the pillow, two of her dolls tucked in beside her. The doll house on the floor by the window was still her favorite toy, but it was nice to see Savannah spending lots of time outside running through the barnyard and sleeping through the night for a change.
She climbed the staircase up to her attic bedroom and checked on Jackie. The teen had fallen asleep with a book. The sewing machine area near one of the windows was a clean and tidy work space with a new project in progress. Instead of a deep pile falling out of the closet, only a few clothing items dotted the floor. A stack of school books lay neatly to one side of her desk. This was the daughter she remembered… before Alex’s life had been cut short.
Jill continued down the hall past the staircase railing to her own room. She pulled the letter out she’d read with Mama on the front porch and laid it aside in order to slip into her pj’s. Then she sat down on the edge of her double bed and opened the letter. She read it again more slowly this time. Then she set it aside on her night stand, exchanging it for her Bible in the drawer. She’d started reading the Psalms after returning from the trip to The Broken J.
She held the Bible close to her heart and closed her eyes to pray silently. Dear Lord…
No, that wouldn’t work. She hadn’t prayed in eons and wasn’t sure where to start. Instead, she opened her eyes, stood up, and padded to the smaller office attached to her room. She reached for pen and paper from her desk and returned to her bed.
She sat down on the bed with pen and notebook, burrowing into the pillows and tucking her legs to one side. She could hardly remember how to pray, but writing came naturally for her so she decided to write a prayer letter to God. She wrote:
Dear Lord,
Yesterday was a completely wonderful day with Logan and the kids. I want to begin by thanking You for giving me a second chance at love and bringing us home to Wyoming. I see You are healing my children and my broken heart… all of our broken hearts.
Secondly, I’m sorry for being so angry and for not trusting You through all of this. Please forgive me. I know deep down, You know what’s best for me. Please forgive me for my bad attitude and for the years I have abandoned you. Oh, and for all the other things I’ve done wrong, like not going to church and not teaching my children about You and Your ways like I should have.
Thirdly, please come into my heart again and help me live for You, beginning right now. I can’t do this on my own. I accept what You did for me on the cross and I believe You died for me so I can live eternally with You and have forgiveness of my sins according to John 3:16. Please help me trust You and strengthen my fragile faith again. I don’t really understand this grace thing, but I am so thankful for it and I accept it.
I’d really like to have the blessings, the joy, and the peace I used to have in my life before all of this happened to Alex. Help me to let go of any bitterness or sorrow I may still have from losing my husband. Help me to move on into the new things you want to do in my life.
Please help me to find this abundant life Your Word tells me about. Help me to be a better example, a better mother, and a better fellow Christian to others. Also, if Logan is the husband you want for me and the father you want for my three children, please help make that happen. If that’s where You are going with my life, help me to
be the person Gracie and Micah need too. In Jesus’ Name,
Amen,
Love from Jill
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1
Chapter 17.
October Rodeo
Every day during the last week of September, Zach and Micah met at the corral near barn number one to observe the progress the horse whisperer was making with Flash. They would put their feet on the bottom rail of the fence and look over the top of it to see if Trevor could really hear the horse talk and to see if the horse could talk to him. Indeed it seemed Trevor could, but they weren’t sure how or why. All they knew was the man worked miracles with Flash in less than two weeks. One day, they arrived after school and Flash had allowed the horse whisperer to put a colorful teal halter on his head. Two days later, Flash was wearing a bridle, reins, and a halter. Then before too long, Flash was wearing a saddle and of all things, Trevor was riding him. He had been able to break him in so the wranglers could begin working with him.
Logan decided to check on the progress with the boys a few days before opening day, joining them at the corral fence. He had enjoyed the enthusiastic updates from his nephew all week long at dinnertime. Zach was equally amazed.
“Can I ride him, Uncle Logan? Can I ride him?” Micah pleaded, his blue eyes bright with hope, reminding Logan so much of his sister.
“No way José! Flash and you both still need a lot of training before that can happen,” Logan replied sternly. He explained Flash wouldn’t be a riding horse for a while. He would remain a roping horse for an unspecified time period with an evaluation down the road. At least thanks to Trevor, Flash could finally be trained for some useful purpose. The experienced wranglers could ride him, but it was a safe practice to assume the stubborn horse would need a little more time before becoming a reliable horse for riding the trails.
“Trevor, you’re a genius! The boys are enamored with your work, as we all are,” Logan said as he wrote him out a check on Trevor’s last day. Logan slid his business card across the office desk. “You have a true talent. Anytime you want to stay at The Sweetwater, give me a call and we’ll be more than happy to work something out. It’ll be on the house.”
The first guests began arriving on opening day, Monday, October second. Jill decided to forgo her usual day off and be at the check-in counter for the big day. Besides, it was the week everyone on The Sweetwater had been working toward for so long and she didn’t want to miss the excitement.
When the first guests landed on the air strip that morning at ten-thirty, the entire ranch staff was on hand cheering as a retired Airforce pilot and his wife from Virginia stepped out of the Cessna. Logan and Jill awarded them with a bottle of non-alcoholic sparkling champagne, and invited them to have a free photo taken with Logan at a ribbon cutting ceremony. Then they personally escorted them across the covered bridge in a van to check-in before helping them get settled into their quarters in cabin number four. Logan planned to frame the photo for his office and the pilot offered to add his signature.
Twenty minutes later, a van from the Riverton Regional Airport arrived with ten women holding a scrapbooking retreat at The Sweetwater. The guests unloaded all sorts of luggage filled with scrapbooking arts and crafts supplies. In fact, Jill had prepared five folding tables for their use at the spacious library on the first floor in the main barn house. The lively group had reserved cabins seven and eight of the three-bedroom, two-bath cabins. Within about an hour, those women were unpacked and at barn number one to saddle up and ride the trails.
Next, a shiny, red Jaguar pulled up to the main house and a well-known television actress wearing sunglasses tumbled out from behind the wheel. Her husband climbed out of the passenger seat, struggling with their luggage until McGuire arrived to help them unload.
The week progressed smoothly as guests enjoyed the privacy and activities The Sweetwater had to offer. On Friday, the rodeo staff and equipment began arriving to set up a day early. Saturday finally rolled around for the Grand Opening Rodeo Celebration—and with it an excitement in the air as locals from Lander poured into The Sweetwater River Ranch Resort. The bleachers were in place and the arena set up, ready to go for a fun-filled afternoon. The chuck wagon and other food vendors were in place and the ranch grounds were abuzz with people everywhere. The grounds had quickly filled up with extra staff, rodeo coaches and RV’s, horse trailers, tents, and parking attendants. All staff except wranglers wearing all kinds of cowboy gear, who were exempt from the dress code, wore purple plaid shirts and red lanyards with their jeans, boots, and cowboy hats, including Jill and Logan. Face painting, cotton candy, and balloons were available for all children.
Jill brought a change of clothing for the concert happening later in the evening and deposited the garments in her office. Then she greeted Grandma Joan and Papa James who had arrived early in a group with Grandma Betty, Aunt Meredith, Jackie, Zach, and Savannah. Jill led them to seating at the arena to watch the rodeo with Sadie, Jack, Gracie, and Micah in special seats Logan had reserved for both families. Logan finally joined them and found his way to a seat beside Jill when he was sure everything was in place for a successful day. The barrel races kicked off the fun. There would be roping, clowns, steer wrestling, and bronc riders. The crowd cheered like crazy for the various events as the afternoon wore on.
“What’s bulldogging?” Zach asked when they announcer said a bulldogger would be up next.
“That’s the same as steer wrestling. A rider comes out on a horse and chases a steer. He drops from the horse down to the steer. Then he grabs the horns and wrestles the steer to the ground,” Papa James explained.
“No way!” Zach said with a wide grin on his face, elbowing Micah as a bulldogger rode into the arena.
After the steer wrestling, an amazing thing happened when the announcer’s voice came across the loud speaker announcing another round of bronc riding coming up next. The whole town of Lander began chanting over and over, “Logan! Logan! We want Logan!”
Sadie, Logan’s mother, shook her head and her eyes grew wide with fear. “No… Logan, don’t do it!”
“Logan, don’t they know about your accident?” Jill asked, wondering why the small town didn’t know their hero wasn’t able to ride anymore. She knew how dangerous it would be for Logan to go against his doctor’s advice.
“A few of them do, but the accident wasn’t publicized much,” he explained. “I kinda forgot most of Lander doesn’t really know about it.” Jill could barely hear him over the chanting of the crowd.
A big name bronc rider rode out into the ring and the chanting died down as the crowd cheered for him. As soon as the bronc rider finished, successfully holding onto the saddle horn for a good ride, the crowd cheered for the hero.
When he exited the arena, the crowd started chanting again, “Logan! Logan! We want Logan!” This time it was louder than before.
Jack Haven looked positively stunned. Sadie buried her face in her hands and began to pray. The family exchanged looks amongst each other, but there was little they could do. Logan looked completely torn. Jill squeezed his hand and prayed.
Another big name bronc rider rode out into the ring, and the crowd cheered the rider on all the way to the end of his ride. It was another amazing ride as the cowboy hung on through all of the bucking, kicking, and jumping.
The third time the crowd began cheering for Logan, he couldn’t take it anymore. He turned to Jill and said, “I’m going out there for one last ride. Tell Mama everything will be all right. I can’t let all of these fans down. I won’t be able to look them in the eye.”
“No… Logan! Don’t do it!” Jill’s eyes pleaded with him as the crowd continued chanting. What if something happened to him? Her mind raced with thoughts of Alex. Then she tried to think of Logan’s points. She thought of how Logan felt and how hard it would be for him to live this memory down. The day just couldn’t end this way with him sitting on the sidelines feeling
defeated. Surely the Lord would take care of Logan and give him one last ride… one last ride to be proud of, to exit his rodeo career with his head held high.
“It will be the last ride I ever have.” Logan stood up and left the bleachers without looking back.
Mama and Aunt Meredith were making the sign of the cross as they prayed.
Jack Haven put his hand over Sadie’s smaller one as they watched their son stride out of the arena. “It’ll be all right, Sadie. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
What seemed like an eternity of tense waiting and uncertainty went by while another bulldogger performed for the crowd before the next round of bronc riders. A couple of clowns performed with a barrel and threw candy into the crowd for the children. Then came some roping, and finally, more chanting for Logan as Jack Haven pointed to the yellow gates.
Jill spotted him, dressed in chaps, a purple silk shirt, and spurs… the whole nine yards. She imagined one of his rodeo friends had provided him with an outfit like the one he used to wear. The crowd went wild, stomping, cheering, and rising to their feet when the announcer called bronc rider Logan Haven up next, clearly announcing the ride would be the final bronc ride of his rodeo career!
When the buzzer went off and three men opened the yellow gates, Logan’s hand shot straight up in the air as his spurs dug in to the horse and he held onto the horn of the saddle with his other hand. The bronc kicked up a good dust cloud on the arena floor as he bucked, trying over and over again to throw Logan off.
The horse bucked and kicked, bucked and kicked, and jumped higher and higher each time in a display of brutal sport, trying to dislodge his rider. Jill prayed, afraid to close her eyes. She had to remind herself to breathe as Logan brilliantly held on, giving Lander the ride of a lifetime. Fans cheered wildly through the ride and even gave him a standing ovation after he dismounted. He waved at the crowd for a moment but didn’t linger. A moment later he ran toward the bleachers where his family stood cheering for him. Jill had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks. Gracie and Jackie were squealing with delight. At the same time, Jack and Sadie hugged, elated for the safety and victorious ride of their son.
Dreams of Sweetwater River (Whispers In Wyoming Book 3) Page 13