He entered the barn quietly, but every horse felt his presence. They felt his need to experience the quiet calmness of their natures. He walked down to his gelding’s stall and opened the door. The red dun stepped out into the aisle of the barn, waiting for Wolf to give him directions. Instead, the man turned an empty bucket up-side down and sat down on it. The gelding stood in front of him, head down, almost against Wolf’s chest. Wolf extended one hand and stroked the horse’s face.
Slowly the images of the nightmare grew dim and finally disappeared completely. Wolf smiled. Animals could do that for him. Fear and worry seemed to melt when he entered the quiet, simple world of animals. They didn’t stress about tomorrow or fret over yesterday. They lived only in the present and even if he didn’t know how to always do that, it was a gift they shared with him when he came to them. He neither knew nor cared how much time passed as he shared the calm peace of the barn. He could hear the horses shifting quietly in their stalls and the warm pungent smell of the barn filled his nostrils. Slowly he felt the tension within his body melting away. He felt relaxed and peaceful, but finally the raised edge of the bottom of the bucket that he was seated on, began to pinch through his snug jeans into his tender flesh. Finally he stood up, running his hands along the gelding’s strong shoulders. “Thanks, Brother. As always, you and your companions have helped me feel better. Thank you so much.”
Glancing at his watch he knew it was almost time for Clay to come down to the barn, so he began morning chores by himself. He had moved each horse out into their day run, given them hay and had cleaned half the stalls before Clay arrived.
After a brief greeting, they finished the chores and returned to the house for the breakfast that Sue had prepared for them. When Feather joined them a few minutes later, he smiled a warm greeting at her. His sister was his best friend and her smile was like sunshine to his soul.
Clay gave him the two phone numbers for Jordan Lanier. “What time do you plan to leave?”
Wolf shrugged his broad shoulders. “I want to make sure the horses get plenty of exercise before we load them.” He looked at Feather. “Could you give them a workout?”
She nodded. “I’ll ride Music and pony the other two. About five miles?”
He nodded. “Yeah. That should do it. We won’t go but about eight hours today. We can work them lightly on the lounge line after we stop for the night. Maybe they won’t get stove up.”
“Are we camping?” Feather loved camping.
Her brother smiled indulgently. “I don’t think we need to put up the tepee. We’ll just sleep in the camper part of the trailer and eat out.”
She frowned. She loved the tepee, but since they were going to be working the horses before and after trailering, she nodded. “At least you’ll be cooking breakfast.” It sounded hopeful.
He shook his head negatively. “Sorry to disappoint ya. We’ll probably eat out then too. After the first day, we’re really goin’ to push to make time. I just think we need to use the first day to let the horses get comfortable about bein’ hauled for such a long stretch.”
“You’re taking your horses too?” Sue asked.
Wolf nodded. “We might as well. I called my captain and asked him to open doors for me in that area. Maybe I’ll have a job when we get there.”
“But you don’t even know if you’ll like it there!” Sue protested.
Wolf shrugged. “I doubt that we will like it there. I don’t think any place could be better than this. But we can’t stay here. We have to go far away, for your sakes as well as ours.”
She started to object again, tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, but Clay pushed back his chair and wrapped his arms around her.
“It’s better this way, Sweetie. We don’t want them to stay here if they might be in danger. We know where they’ll be and we can go visit them. That’ll give me a chance to drop in on Mac Howard. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen him. ”
She swallowed the knot in her throat. “You both know that you’re as close as we’ll ever come to having children. If things don’t work out there, you will always have a home here.”
Feather joined Clay by putting her arms around both of them. Finally Wolf pushed back his chair and wrapped his arms around the three of them in a group hug. “It’s a great comfort to know we have friends like the two of you,” Feather said softly. “You just can’t imagine how much it means to us for you to say that.”
Feather had packed all their clothes the day before while Wolf had the truck serviced, so while she took the horses out for their exercise, he loaded everything, including saddles, saddle pads, bridles, feed, feed buckets, collapsible water buckets, hay nets and hay. He was just putting in the little plastic tote that contained all the grooming tools they used when Feather and the horses came into sight down the dirt road. While she rode on toward the trailer, Wolf filled three hay bags with hay and hung one in each compartment in the three horse slant load goose-neck trailer. He looked the horses over as they approached and was glad to see they were not sweaty or blowing hard. She had warmed them up, then worked them hard in the first part of the ride, but had walked them the last mile so they were ready to step up into the trailer.
She dismounted and began stripping the saddle off her gelding beside the door to the tack compartment that was at the back end of the trailer next to the loading door.
He walked over and lifted the saddle off the horse’s smooth back. “I’ll finish up here. You go on up and tell Sue good-bye. Losin’ you is hard on her.”
She smiled up at him. “Yeah, like it doesn’t bother her that you’re going too.”
“I already said good-bye. It’s not somethin’ that I enjoy doin’, so once is enough.” He easily lifted her saddle onto the high saddle rack and turned to the horse with a halter in his hand. While she walked to the house, he replaced the bridle her horse wore with a halter and then led the three horses to the water trough to drink.
He was glad he had remembered yesterday to fill the massive water tank in the trailer with water from the ranch. It wasn’t unusual for horses to drink less when they were offered water that smelled different from what they were accustomed to. This way, he could gradually mix in other water so they wouldn’t notice the difference so much. He’d also packed some loose grain salt that he’d sprinkle liberally into the horse feed as he prepared it at each feeding. The extra salt would make the horses thirsty and assure that they drank plenty of water each day. He certainly didn’t want any colic or dehydration problems while they traveled. It meant extra work for Feather and him, but better safe than sorry. When they had drunk their fill, he loaded them one at a time into their compartment of the trailer.
When she returned a few minutes later with teary eyes, Feather leaned into the truck, slipping a small ice chest into the seat where it would be between them. “Sue sent food so we don’t have to stop to eat for a while,” she explained.
Both Sue and Clay came out for another round of hugs and hand shaking, then Wolf and Feather got into the truck and began their long trip to Florida.
Chapter Twelve
Now that Jordan knew that the filly was on her way home, time seemed to drag by very slowly. She tried to stay busy, but all the young horses she was working had suddenly become geniuses. She rode them each day but they did such honest work she seldom found a reason to correct one or drill on any specific skill. In fact they did so good, she sent two of them home. It made her barn seem almost empty and her chores went a lot faster, but she was glad she would have some extra time to work with her filly when she finally arrived.
She refused to let herself worry about the possibility that Lambert might have discovered where she lived. She did watch Bhrandii closer, trying to determine if he sensed anything unusual, but his only concern was being with her.
Trying to help the time to pass, Jordan cleaned the tack room, her truck, and started on her house. She dusted and polished all the living room furniture until it shined, and th
en she gave the same treatment to her trophies in the trophy case. In the room that had been her parent’s bedroom, she cleaned out and straightened things in the closet, vacuumed under the bed, washed the drapes and re-hung them, cleaned the ceiling fan and polished the dresser and the chest of drawers. She stripped the linins off the bed and washed them, although no one had slept on them, and made the bed up again. While she was washing those sheets, she stripped her own bed and washed those linings as well. When she finished the spare room, her own room received the same treatment.
The kitchen didn’t get a lot of use, but she had time on her hands so she attacked it too. She cleaned all her cabinets, inside and out, mopped and waxed the floor, cleaned out the refrigerator, and polished the counter tops.
Each night, she talked by phone to Feather, who gave her a verbal sketch of how the day had gone.
They had started referring to the filly as Pride, and Feather knew this woman was anxious about how the horse was holding up on the trip.
Jordan knew that she liked this young Indian woman already. She was thoughtful, intelligent and loved horses. Not only did she love horses, she was a horsewoman. That spoke volumes about her to Jordan.
When Feather told her they were planning to push all the way to Montgomery, Alabama the next night, Jordan felt butterflies fluttering in her stomach. That meant they would get into Lake City during the middle of the day, the day after that.
Jordan smiled. She remembered how tired she had always been after driving from Poplar Bluff to Lake City or back. If she stopped for the night, it wasn’t so bad, but if David was with her, they shared the driving and drove straight through. It was still a long trip, even if she slept part of the way.
“I’m practically begging for things to do until y’all get here, so if it’s okay with you, I’ve got a small field we can turn your horses loose in to play for a while. They can relax while y’all go to the motel and relax.” Jordan offered. She wanted to do something nice for these two young people who were bringing Pride to her. “Then when y’all have had a chance to rest, come back out here and I’ll throw some steaks on the grill. We can visit while we watch the horses, and supper cook.”
“We don’t want to be a burden to you,” Feather stated. “But that sounds wonderful.” They agreed what time Feather would call from Montgomery the next night and said goodnight.
As Jordan replaced the phone to its cradle, she wondered if she had totally lost her mind. She had just offered to cook supper for two people she didn’t even know and she didn’t even cook for herself. And what about keeping people at arm’s length? She frowned as she looked down at Bhrandii. She must be getting lonely. “So that means you aren’t doing enough to keep me company. I don’t want to start having friends. It makes life complicated.” Oh well, she decided, the invitations already extended. I just won’t let it go any further than that.
In the sleeping compartment of the trailer at the campground just outside Ft. Smith, Arkansas, Wolf turned sharp eyes on his sister’s face. “Now don’t you go makin’ social arrangements that include me. I’m deliverin’ a horse, and then I’m restin’ before I start lookin’ for a job. Unless the sheriff of one of those counties needs a deputy and Captain Ferguson is able to talk them into givin’ me a chance, I’ve got to find a way to feed and house us. We don’t have much savin’s left to fall back on, and I don’t want to dip into the money you got for sellin’ the ranch.”
Feather stuck her tongue out at him. “I’m sure you will want to eat supper sometime that night. It will be nice to share a meal with someone who knows the area. Besides, I like Jordan. She seems to have a good mind and I imagine she will have questions about Pride.”
He chuckled deeply. “She has a good mind? You sound like you’re talking about a horse.” As he spoke, he stepped through the door to the outside. She knew he was making a final check on the horses and giving her a chance to change into her pajamas which she did. When he came back in a few minutes later, she was sleeping soundly in the big bed in the elevated neck of the trailer. He quietly unrolled his sleeping bag and settled in for the night.
The three horses slept on a picket line stretched from the back of the trailer to a nearby tree. Wolf had given them enough room to turn around and to lie down, but knew they would have been better off in a field. Traveling meant they all made sacrifices, and that included the horses. He left the screened window open, knowing that any unusual sounds would bring him wide awake. He closed his eyes and was asleep. Taking turns driving and sleeping, he and Feather had put in twelve hours today and tomorrow would be another long day.
In her bed, Feather slept soundly. They were now a long way from the people who wanted Wolf dead. Each day of travel gave her greater peace of mind. Her nightmares had not come with them and her sleep was untroubled.
Chapter Thirteen
Frankie loaded the last of their luggage in the back of the car, then waited impatiently while Ruby gave final instructions to the real estate dealer who already had several clients with appointments to see the house. Frankie smiled.
It should sell pretty quickly. He knew the neighborhood was a nice neighborhood and not too far from downtown. However, there was enough land with the house that new owners could add a pool, a tennis court or both. It had beautiful older trees that sheltered it from the street and Ruby’s father had made sure it was well maintained as long as he lived. After his death, Ruby had hired a contractor and renovated the kitchen and the den. It was now, much more modern inside than it looked from the outside.
He would make sure Ruby kept close contact with the realtor. If it sold real fast, they could find a place to receive a fax so she could sign the papers and get the deal finalized. A packing company could come in and pack up everything that was personal and put it in storage.
He would allow Ruby to live that long.
She arrived at the car, stopping next to him, then turned and looked back at the house. She reached for Frankie’s hand and he let her hold it. Her eyes filled with tears. “You know, I’ve lived my whole life in that house, and now other people will make it their home. I hope they will love it as much as I have. I know we’ll be happy in New York, but leaving here still makes me sad.”
He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her. “You won’t be sad when you’re looking down into the Grand Canyon.” He assured her as he patted her shoulder tenderly. Then he ushered her into the seat on the passenger side and practically skipped around to the driver’s door. His steps were leading him to Jordan!
They traveled several hours that day and the next. Frankie stopped before they actually reached the Grand Canyon, wanting to begin the day with only a short drive, then have the whole day to enjoy the sights.
Before they retired for the night the realtor called Ruby’s cell phone telling them the papers were being drawn up. The second family that looked at the house had fallen in love with it and couldn’t wait to move in. The sooner they could sign the papers and get them back the sooner the deal would be made.
Ruby became emotional and handed the phone to Frankie. He told Ms. Hamilton that they would sign the papers and fax them back as soon as they got them. With that in the works, they decided to spend the next three days at the hotel right on the rim of the canyon. Ruby was an emotional wreck. One minute she was so excited and the next, she would think about selling the house and just bottom out. Frankie had to force himself to be the patient, loving husband that she needed and in spite of his own anxiety he managed to comfort and support her. He signed them up for a helicopter tour, they visited all the museums and hiked along the rim for hours at a time. The exercise seemed to help Ruby and when the fax arrived, they both signed the papers and faxed them back, Frankie took a deep breath. Now all they were waiting for was conformation that the money was in the bank.
They had prime rib to celebrate the sale and Frankie assured her that he had a realtor in New York looking for the perfect apartment for them. It would be high, overlooking a park
on one side and the city on the other. He led her in long discussions about decorating and furnishing it. It helped keep her mind off the house she had just sold and he’d had about all he could stand of her sniveling about the house.
Finally all the paperwork was done and the money safely in his account. They checked out of the hotel and quickly left it behind. Frankie drove to Flagstaff where he picked up Interstate 40 and headed east. He had planned to kill Ruby somewhere outside Amarillo, Texas, but east New Mexico was pretty desolate. They spent the night at a small hotel in a small town and left the next morning.
At Tucumcari he left the Interstate and took a smaller state road north east, into the desert. He convinced Ruby that they needed to see some of the desert while they were there. They drove around most of the day, then after stopping for gas, he told her he was taking her to the only place where she could see wild horses still running free. He wanted her tired. They had left the roads behind and were driving in the desert. Finally he stopped the car. They hadn’t seen a car or a house for hours and Frankie figured it was as good a place as he’d find.
“We need to walk up to the top of that rise. The guy told me there is a waterhole on the other side where the wild horses come to drink late in the day.” Dutifully, Ruby followed him out of the car.
“I don’t know how you knew which rise he could have been talking about. This land all looks the same to me,” she said as she closed the car door behind her.
“I’ll get us a bottle of water out of the back,” he offered while she let her legs stretch, “because that rise is at least a half mile away.” He didn’t reply to her correct observation. They were surrounded by gentle areas of rising land.
While he got the water, he also slipped the 38 pistol he had purchased for this occasion into his pocket. Together they walked to the top of the rise.
Ruby looked around, searching for the water hole. “I don’t see….” She heard the metallic clicking of metal against metal as he cocked the pistol and she started to turn.
Another Chance Page 7