The Gift: A Horse, a Boy, and a Miracle of Love

by Lauraine Snelling

  Mac snagged his sheepskin vest off the hook and shrugged it on as he exited through the door. The laughter and barking hit him like a pillow in the face. If only . . . He sucked in a deep breath and clamped a hand against the doorframe to keep himself from reeling backward.

  His son used to play like that. Dani had played like that, too. The memories flipped through his mind like a movie on fast-forward. Or, as in this case, in reverse.

  “Are you all right?” Rebecca stood at the bottom of the three stairs leading up to the porch.

  “Ah, yes.” Mac blinked and swallowed. He shook his head, ever so slightly, to clear it and took another breath. His solar plexus ached like he’d been sucker-punched. “Just swallowed wrong, I guess.” He could feel heat creeping up his neck. He pulled the door shut and forced a smile to his lips.

  “We can come back another time.”

  “No, no, I’ve been looking forward to making up for running off like I did yesterday. In fact . . .” He could now breathe easily again, and the world had tilted back to where it belonged. He motioned to the house. “I was hoping the two of you could stay for dinner. I put a roast in earlier, so it won’t take too long to finish fixing the meal.” You sound like a kid asking for a date and trying to hide your zits.

  “Ah, if you’re sure that would be no bother. I mean, that wasn’t in the ad.”

  Was she teasing him? Mac stopped on the step above her and searched her eyes. A glint? He nodded. “Nope, forgot to include that.”

  Jonah came to stand by his mother, his eyes dark and serious, the laughter gone.

  “Well, Cody’s waiting. I told him you were coming, and he got all excited.”

  Jonah looked at him out of the corner of his eye, his head tipped slightly forward. As if assessing Mac and finding him for real, he grinned and tugged on his mother’s hand.

  Mac tousled the boy’s hair. Ah, if only we could get you to talk. I know you must have all kinds of words you’ve been wanting to say. “Let’s stop by the tack room and get treats for you know who. Today I won’t have any, so you can get his attention real easy.” Mac looked toward the woman. “You want some, too?”

  Rebecca shook her head. “No, let’s keep this all for Jonah.”

  Wise woman. Over the boy’s head, Mac smiled his approval. He lifted the lid on the barrel that held the horse cookies. “Put some in your pockets, too.”

  Jonah gave him a questioning glance but did as told.

  “Can you whistle?” Mac used the three-tone whistle he’d used before to call Cody.

  Jonah shook his head, his lips curving down.

  “Well, perhaps one day. Some things you have to practice.”

  When they reached the fence, Mac whistled, and Cody raised his head. When Mac whistled again, the horse broke into a jog, then a lope.

  “Did you train him to come like that?” Rebecca stood behind her son, hands on his shoulders.

  “No, Dani did. Horses learn real quick if food is involved, and she always had treats for him. She used to raid the carrot rows in the garden on her way to the pasture. Sometimes she walked on out to get him and ride back, no bridle, halter, or anything. He’s been both leg and voice trained. The two were a real joy to watch in the show ring.”

  Cody trotted right up to the fence and hung his head over the rail. His ears pricked toward Mac, but when Jonah palmed a treat, he took it immediately. Jonah flashed his mother a cheek-splitting grin. Cody crunched happily, keeping his gaze on the boy.

  “Go ahead, pet him.”

  Jonah took a step closer and rubbed between Cody’s eyes, then when the horse lowered his head more, up around the ears. Cody nosed Jonah’s pocket with a gentle nudge. The boy shot a glance at the man for approval and, at Mac’s nod, dug another treat out of his pocket.

  “Come on, Old Horse, let’s get you brushed so you can earn your keep and give this boy here a ride.” Mac turned at the sound of a quick breath. “He’ll be fine, Rebecca. You don’t have to worry.”

  The grooming went just like the day before, only this time Mac stood back and let mother and son do all the dirty work, except for picking the hooves.

  “I’ll let you do this next time, so watch carefully. See how I lift his hoof and rest it on my knee or between my knees? That way you can use both hands, like farriers do.” Jonah’s eyes lit in question, so Mac continued. “A farrier is a person who shoes horses. When my daughter comes home from school next spring, we’ll put shoes back on Cody so Dani can ride him up in the mountains. Here in the pasture he really doesn’t need them. I trim them up once in a while. See, horses’ hooves keep on growing like your toenails do.” By the time he finished his explanation, the hooves were clean, and he’d gone to the tack room for the saddle.

  “Watch how I put the bridle on and saddle up. Next time will be your turn.” Mac laid the Indian-patterned blanket on Cody’s back and swung the Western saddle into position. By the time he’d tightened the girth and adjusted the length of the stirrups, he’d given them a full rundown on the process.

  “You explain things well.” Rebecca stood at Cody’s head and rubbed his ears while Jonah stroked his neck.

  “Been at it a long time.”

  “You had horses as a boy?”

  “Yep, we had a ranch then, too. My father stills runs it up in Walker Basin. In the mountains north of here.” He answered the question he saw coming before she could ask it.

  Unhooking the halter, he slid it to Cody’s neck. “If you do this, your horse isn’t free to run while you put the bridle on. Just a safety measure and a good habit, though Cody wouldn’t try to get away. Now you hold the bridle like this and slide the bit between his teeth.”

  “What if he . . . ?”

  “Cody won’t bite. He’s too well trained, but when you hold it right, you can’t get bitten anyway. Then you slide his ears through the headstall and buckle the chin strap.” Mac did each of the actions as he talked about them, flipping the reins up around Cody’s neck to cross at his withers. “Now we’ll lead him outside, and I’ll show you how to mount. Oh, wait a minute. I forgot.” He headed for the tack room and returned with a helmet. “Here.” He set it on Jonah’s head. “It’s a bike helmet, but it works.” He watched while Jonah buckled the strap. “Good.”

  Jonah hung back by his mother as they all walked out of the barn to stand in the sunshine.

  Mac looked down at the boy. “Guess I’m going to have to build a mounting block again. Your legs are so short.” He looked around to see a black heavy plastic feed tub just inside the barn door. “Go get that.” He pointed. “The tub will work fine.”

  Jonah handed it to him, and Mac set it upside down and patted the base. “Now you step up on here, and you’ll be able to get your foot in the stirrup. Hope I got them the right length, but we can adjust that.”

  Jonah looked up at his mother, over to Mac, and back at the black tub. He took in a deep breath and let it out, straightened his shoulders, and climbed up on the tub. He patted Cody’s shoulder and stared at the saddle.

  “Okay, now you are going to hang on to these leather strings, called latigos, and put your left foot in the stirrup. I’ll give you a boost up this time. You’ll straighten your left leg and swing your right leg over the saddle. Understand?”

  Jonah’s nod could not be mistaken for excitement by any stretch of the imagination.

  “You want me to hold Cody still?” Rebecca asked.

  “If that would make you feel better. He’s been trained to stand still for mounting.”

  Rebecca moved to the horse’s head and looked for something to hold on to.

  “Take his reins gently under his chin.” Mac glanced over his shoulder. “Don’t worry. He isn’t going to bite.” He watched as she gingerly grasped the reins. Good grief. “Okay, Son, let’s get you mounted up. Grab the latigos
, foot in the stirrup.”

  Jonah did as he was told until he tried to get his foot into the wooden stirrup. When he started to lose his balance, he looked to Mac.

  “Be careful,” his mother said, taking a step forward.

  Mac gave her a look that made her clench her teeth.

  “Okay, let me help you this time.” He helped put the boy’s foot in the stirrup, all the while bracing him with the other arm, then lifted so Jonah found himself in the saddle. The boy’s grin said it was all worth it. “That’a boy, just takes some doing the first time out. I can see for sure I need to get a mounting block built again. Why sometime even your mother might want to ride.”

  Her shudder at his words made him smile inside. But what if she never learned to care about horses and riding? His smile dissolved.

  Six

  “Fat chance,” Rebecca muttered under her breath.

  Cody shifted his front feet, and Jonah clutched the saddle horn with both hands.

  “That’s good.” Mac patted the boy’s knee. “Looks to me like these stirrups fit pretty well. Stand now, so we can make sure.” At Jonah’s look of panic, Mac shook his head. “Nothing to worry about, just rise up on the balls of your feet in the stirrups. Cody isn’t going anywhere.”

  “He–he’s so high up.” Rebecca tried to smile at her son, but her cheeks and mouth froze with the effort.

  “He’s fine, aren’t you, Jonah? Solid in the saddle. Good, now stand.”

  Jonah did as he was told and, when nothing scary happened, he grinned at his coach and sat back down.

  “Good. You want a bit of air between you and the saddle seat. Now I’m going to lead you around so you can get your balance. Do you ride a bike?”

  Jonah nodded, his smile telling how he loved his bike.

  “He learned to ride that really quickly. Took off the training wheels within weeks.” Rebecca’s smile came more easily this time. She nodded to Jonah, who smiled back at her. He looks more comfortable with this than I am. This horse is just so big. And that gives him so far to fall. Cody nudged her, and she took a step backward. “Easy, Horse.”

  “His name is Cody.” Mac’s voice wore a slightly flat tone that Rebecca picked up on as remonstrance.

  Well, what do you want from me? I never claimed to know anything about horses.

  “Okay, Jonah, are you ready? We’ll go slow.”

  Jonah nodded, and Mac took the reins from Rebecca. “Maybe you’d like to wait over by the car?”

  “I guess.” Feels like you want me out of the way. I can’t help it if I am a worrier. You would be, too, if this was your only son on the back of a huge horse for the first time. She stepped back, and Mac walked forward, slowly as he promised. She looked up at Jonah’s face and almost pulled him off the animal. His eyes were wide open, his teeth clenched, leaving his mouth in a grimace—of what? Fear—no, terror? He clung to the saddle horn like a lifeline about to be jerked out of his grasp. This was not a good idea, not at all.

  “Good, Jonah. You’re doing great.”

  No, he’s not. Can’t you see how frightened he is? She took a step forward, but the look Mac sent her locked her in place. She felt a cold nose in the palm of her hand and looked down to see Bungee sitting at her feet, his strange eyes imploring her attention. He wagged his brush of a tail and whimpered deep in his throat. She patted his head, then turned to watch her son.

  Mac turned Cody in an easy arc and headed back toward the car. He said something to Jonah that Rebecca couldn’t hear, but the smile on her son’s face said far more than words. Once the original trepidation passed, he was loving every minute of his ride. When he let go with one hand to lean forward and pat Cody’s shoulder, his mother took a deep breath and sighed, puffing her lips in the motion.

  “Good, Jonah, good job.”

  Jonah nodded hard enough to make his bangs flop, and his cheeks bracketed a heart-stopping grin.

  “Okay, now, Jonah, I’m going to lead Cody around in a circle and then a figure eight so you can feel how his body moves.” Mac accompanied his words with the appropriate actions.

  Rebecca watched them walk in figure eights and circles, saw her son’s shoulders relax, watched him stand at Mac’s instructions, sit back, and finally take both hands off the horn at the same time. “He’s so brave.” Bungee nosed her hand, drawing her attention back to him. “Go away, Dog. I need to watch my son.”

  Jonah waved to her when they drew closer again. Rebecca waved back, fighting eyes that wanted to water. “Lookin’ good there, Sport.”

  When Mac stopped Cody by the overturned black tub, she wandered over to watch what they were doing.

  “Now, hang on to the saddle horn and swing your right leg back over the cantle.” Mac laid his hand on the rolled leather that formed the back of the seat. “And lower yourself until your right foot touches the tub, then take your left foot out of the stirrup and you are down. I’m right here to help you.”

  “You want me to hold Cody?”

  “If you like, but he is ground-tied. When his reins are on the ground, he stands still.”

  Rebecca glanced from him to the horse and back.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  She took the reins anyway, up under Cody’s chin like Mac had shown her before.

  “Okay, Son, you ready?”

  Jonah nodded and leaned forward, swinging his right leg back and around. His hands gripped the saddle horn until his knuckles turned white. He hung there.

  “Not to worry. I’m here for you.” Mac clamped his hands around Jonah’s waist. “Now, together. Lower yourself.”

  Rebecca watched, amazed at the patience of the man, not rushing Jonah, not going ahead of him, but letting him do the things in his time and learning all the while. How often do I rush him, do something for him because he doesn’t do it immediately?

  Jonah found the bucket with the toe of his shoe and looked up at his hands strangling the saddle horn. Slowly he let go with one and transferred it to the latigo dangling from a silver conch just to the back of the saddle seat. He slid his other hand over the pommel and caught that latigo, now able to set his right foot flat. With a whoosh of a sigh, he pulled his other foot from the stirrup and stood on both feet.

  “Very good. That was very, very good.” Mac laid a hand on the boy’s shoulder and squeezed.

  Jonah beamed at his mother and gave a slight shrug as if to say no big deal. He turned to Mac.

  “You want to mount and dismount again? That would be a good thing for you to do.”

  Jonah nodded, turned, and grabbed the latigos. By the time he’d gone through the process four times and was standing back on the ground, Mac flipped the tub over and handed it to him. “You take that back where it belongs, and we’ll put Cody in the pasture. You’ve done very well for a first-timer.”

  Mac looped the reins over his arm, and Cody followed beside him as if the two were out for an afternoon walk. “You coming?” he called over his shoulder when Rebecca walked toward the corral gate.

  “You sure you want me along?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Rebecca felt the heat flame up her neck. What a thing to say. Where had her manners gone?

  “Of course.” The chuckle followed the words over his shoulder.

  “Come on, Bungee, no sense both of us feeling left out.” But at the barn door, she hung back as Mac instructed Jonah how to remove the saddle and put the tack away. He handed the reins to Jonah, and the two walked to the back door that Mac slid open for them.

  “Okay, now unbuckle the chin strap and pull the headstall over his ears. He’ll drop the bit.” Jonah did as told, his eyes wide as Cody opened his mouth to let the bit fall and then snuffled Jonah’s hair before snorting. He nosed Jonah’s jacket pocket and, after a quick check with Mac to see if it was all right, Jonah dug out a treat a
nd palmed it for the horse. When Cody nosed for another, Jonah shook his head and raised both his hands, palms up. Cody sniffed them both, waited for Jonah to finish rubbing his face, and then walked off to stop a few paces out. He looked back around his shoulder as if he might have changed his mind, then shook all over and ambled off to the pasture.

  Rebecca stared after the retreating horse, running the entire scene through her mind again. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought that horse was talking with her son, in spite of neither of them being able to say a word. Were all horses this smart and intuitive, or was Cody something really special? Did she dare ask Mac? No, he would be prejudiced. After all, Cody was his horse, or rather his daughter’s.

  “Come on, let’s go eat.” Mac waved Jonah ahead of him, slid the door closed, and strode up to where she waited. “You hungry? I sure am.”

  “Yes, thank you. And thanks for your time here with Jonah. What a gift you are giving us.”

  “My pleasure.” Mac put a hand under her elbow to turn her in the direction of the house and laid the other hand on Jonah’s shoulder, familiar as if he’d been doing both motions forever.

  Her elbow sent off sparks.

  Mac slid open the glass door and motioned her ahead of him. “Make yourselves comfortable while I check on the dinner. Bathroom is down the hall, first door on your left.”

  “Is there anything I can help you with?” Rebecca glanced around the room, taking in the leather recliner, leather sofa, with an Indian rug of red and black designs on a cream background thrown across its back. A cowhide on the floor looked as if someone had divided the two red/burgundy sides with a strip of white that had also covered the belly and lower legs. Mounted longhorns, three feet between the tips, protected the fieldstone fireplace. Definitely a man’s room—a man who loved all things Western, including two framed, silvered boards, one on either side of the fireplace, with foot-long segments of old rusted barbed wire staggered down the length. Full bookshelves covered the remaining expanse of wall, drawing her attention as she followed Jonah down the hall to the bathroom. Such a comfortable house. It reached out and wrapped its arms around them as if they’d been coming to visit for years.