by Ali Spooner
Mary Leah stood up and stretched. Callie, who had been dozing in the shade, rushed up when her master stood to leave and ran to her side. She jumped into the gator, and sat on the seat between Harley and Mary Leah.
†
After lunch, Coal unsaddled Shadow and returned him to the corral so she could begin training another of the young horses. She returned to the house to change back into shorts and a tank top for another round of swimming with the horse. When she returned to the corral Harley had placed a halter and lead on a big, strong filly. “I thought she would do nicely for your next big adventure,” he said as he handed her the lead.
“Thanks,” she said and led the horse from the corral as Gene and Lucas attempted to stretch out sore muscles. “I really feel for you guys,” she said.
“I’m almost tempted to try your method,” Lucas said. “My ass is killing me,” he added with a grin.
“Come down to the lake and watch if you’d like,” she offered.
“That’s not a bad idea,” Stan said. “I’m getting tired of picking y’all up off the ground.”
“I’ll wait if you want to go change into something more appropriate for swimming,” she told them.
“Go ahead, and we will find two easy ones for y’all,” Harley teased.
Gene and Lucas disappeared into the bunkhouse and returned a few minutes later in cut-off shorts, T-shirts, and their dusty boots.
Harley and the crew whistled at the boys as they strode across the yard to the corral. “Have them legs ever seen sunshine before?” one of the men called out.
Lucas looked at Gene. “Just ignore the old farts, they’re just jealous.”
“I really don’t care about showing off my white legs, if it will save the pain in my backside,” Gene said.
“This really is a Kodak moment,” Melissa said as she walked up to the corral.
“Okay, guys, let’s make hay while the sun’s still shining,” Coal said.
Melissa and Mary Leah took the gator, while Stan and the rest of the crew loaded up on the flatbed and drove to the lake.
“When we get to the lake you two need to ditch those boots. Then we will lead the horses into the lake and let them swim until they are good and tired.” Coal looked up at the sound of thundering hooves to see Shadow running toward them.
“I don’t think he was named Shadow for nothing,” Lucas said. “I think you have got a new best friend.”
“It sure looks that way,” she said. “Anyhow, when they are tired from swimming we will bring them closer to shore until they can get their footing, and we will mount up bareback to let them get used to having a rider on their backs.” She looked at Gene and smiled. “Then we will walk them parallel with the shore in shoulder deep water so they can get accustomed to our full weight. If they start to buck turn them toward deeper water and tire them out swimming.”
They had reached the shore of the lake and Coal had kicked her sandals off while Gene and Lucas took off their boots. Gene looked nervous. “Are you okay, Gene?” she asked.
“I’m not the best of swimmers,” he admitted.
“Let the horse do the work, and hold onto his mane down on his withers so he can pull you along, but don’t hesitate to holler for help if you need to,” she added. “Are we ready?”
Both Lucas and Gene nodded their heads. “We have the whole lake, so spread out some. Let’s hit the water.”
The small crowd watched as the three ranch hands led the horses into the lake. Gene was very tense at first. When he relaxed, he allowed his body to get accustomed to the water. They allowed the horses to swim for a half hour, and then she told them to mount.
The sorrel stallion Lucas was training immediately started trying to buck when he mounted, and he turned him back into deeper water just as Coal had instructed. She smiled as she watched them take control of their mounts. An hour later, all three had their mounts walking calmly in the shallow water.
She slipped off the filly and led her out of the lake followed by Lucas and Gene. They tied the horses to a low branch and walked to the group. “Y’all hop on, and we’ll drive back to the house so you can change clothes and we’ll pick up your tack,” Harley said.
“You have a deal,” Coal said as she slipped back into her sandals and they loaded onto the back of the truck. “We have time to rinse off quickly,” she told them as they bounced across the pasture.
“That part went surprisingly well,” Stan said as they watched the truck roll toward the house.
“It’s amazing what Coal had Shadow doing in such a short time,” Mary Leah said.
“She definitely has a way with the horses,” Stan said.
“With the guys too, I think they are already appreciating the fact they aren’t hitting the hard ground every few minutes,” Melissa said.
“Heck, I think even us old farts could help out with training like this,” Stan said.
Melissa chuckled and he looked at her with a raised brow. “You don’t think we could handle it?”
“I’m not sure we could handle seeing a bunch of old farts in shorts,” Melissa teased.
“You’re probably right. Mine are just as white and covered with more hair than Gene’s or Lucas’s,” he said.
“That is a visual I can do without.” Mary Leah chuckled.
When the ranch hands returned with tack and fresh clothes, they saddled the three horses, and Coal took them through the steps she had taken with Shadow. Gene hit the ground once when his horse crow hopped and he wasn’t expecting the move. He climbed right up, and minutes later had his mount cantering in a figure eight behind Coal and Lucas.
After another hour of maneuvers, she led them back to the crowd at the tree. “That is so much less painful,” Lucas said.
“Yes, it is, for both rider and horse.” Shadow trotted up to her and nudged her knee.
“I think someone wants to be ridden,” Stan said.
“I’m thinking you’re right,” Coal said. “Have you two had enough for today?”
“I think we all can call it a day,” Stan said. “Good work, everyone.”
“Would you like to go for a ride?” Coal asked Mary Leah.
“I can saddle my mare for you at the barn,” Harley offered.
“Yes, I would like that,” Mary Leah said with a smile.
Coal dismounted and took the tack off the filly and placed it on Shadow. She put a halter and lead line back on the filly. “I’ll meet you at the barn,” she told Mary Leah.
Harley drove ahead of the gator, then he and the boys quickly got Mary Leah situated on the mare and ready for her ride, while Coal took the filly back to the corral.
“Thanks for helping us out today,” Lucas said. “That ground was killing me.”
“My pleasure,” Coal said as she handed him the lead to the filly. “We’ll go at it again in the morning.”
“Sounds great,” he said as she turned Shadow toward the barn in search of Mary Leah.
The late afternoon sun made everything glow about them as Coal and Mary Leah rode through the pastures. “Have you seen the bluffs yet?” Mary Leah asked.
“No, I haven’t. We’ve been busy bringing in the hay, and now training the yearlings so I really haven’t taken time to explore.”
“You have a treat awaiting you then. I think it is the prettiest view on the property.”
“Show me,” Coal said.
Chapter Seven
Coal questioned Mary Leah as they rode and learned that originally her family was from Oklahoma and moved to Texas when both she and Melissa were in high school. After she finished school, she went to Austin to pharmacy school then moved to Dallas to begin her career. That was where she met Judy and their relationship began.
“We had been through so much with the trauma of surgery and the cancer treatments,” Mary Leah said. “I thought after that we could survive anything, but Judy taught me differently. I quickly learned that she was repulsed by my body, and she stepped out of our relationship to
meet her needs.”
“I am very sorry to hear she treated you like that.”
“Thanks, that is very sweet of you, but her behavior opened my eyes to her shallowness, and made me begin to question my future.” She looked over at Coal as they rode. “I came here for some solace and to help me decide where I’m going.”
“Judy must be a fool to let you go like that.”
Mary Leah chuckled. “I never realized appearance was so important to her. She was embarrassed for me to be seen without my prosthetics, said I was less of a woman without breasts.”
Infuriated by the comment, she pulled Shadow to a stop. When Mary Leah realized she was no longer beside her she pulled the mare to a halt and turned to Coal. “What’s wrong?”
“I hope you don’t believe that crap. Having breasts does not make a woman whole or perfect, it’s what is in her heart.”
Mary Leah smiled. “I don’t believe it for a second, but I was devastated when Judy used it as a veiled excuse to end our relationship.”
“Like I said, she must be a fool,” Coal said as she brought Shadow up beside the mare.
There were tears in her eyes when Coal looked into them, and she sensed it was time to end the conversation. Mary Leah turned away, and wiped her face and then said, “We are almost there.”
They topped a small hill and Coal discovered why Mary Leah enjoyed the view. The bluffs looked out across a verdant valley of lush grasses, grazed by a herd of cattle. A river wound its way through the valley. The setting sun cast gold and orange hues across the landscape.
“This is breathtaking.” She dismounted and took hold of the mare’s bridle.
Mary Leah dismounted and Coal released the horses to graze as they walked to a boulder at the edge of the bluffs and took a seat. “I thought you might like the view.”
She smiled at her and their eyes locked. “It’s a perfect spot for that kiss.”
“What are you waiting on then?” Mary Leah asked.
Coal leaned forward, brushing her lips softly across Mary Leah’s. The parting of Mary Leah’s lips invited her tongue inside, and they shared a long, slow, kiss with no interruption. Her fingertips caressed Mary Leah’s face as they kissed, and she could feel the heat building between them.
Mary Leah was slightly breathless when Coal pulled away to break the kiss. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement as she smiled at her. “That was so worth the wait.”
Coal blushed and returned her smile. “Yes, it was and much better here than the cab of my truck,” she teased. She slipped a protective arm around Mary Leah’s shoulder and they watched the sun disappear into the horizon.
As the darkness grew around them, Coal turned to Mary Leah and said, “I reckon we should head back before Melissa sends out a search party.”
Mary Leah laughed. “She knows I’m safe with you, but I do hear that stomach of yours rumbling with hunger.”
Coal took Mary Leah in her arms and kissed her deeply once more before they walked to the horses to return home. The fireflies emerged from the darkness as they walked back through the pastures, and the stars glimmered in the sky. This is a perfect spot, she thought as they rode in silence.
Gene was waiting for them on the front porch of the bunkhouse and walked out to take the mare’s reins as Mary Leah dismounted. “Dinner is almost ready,” he told Coal.
“Great, I’m starving,” she said as she turned to Mary Leah. “Thanks for sharing that with me. I’ll see you later in the house.”
“No,” Gene said. “Melissa and Mary Leah are joining us for dinner,” he said with a grin growing on his face.
“Let’s get these horses taken care of so we can eat then,” she said.
She and Gene removed the tack from the horses as Mary Leah made her way to the bunkhouse. She entered to find Melissa and Harley arguing at the stove. The smell of barbeque ribs wafted across the room as they debated whether to add more sauce or not. As expected, Melissa won the argument and Harley spread more of the deep red sauce across the meaty ribs.
“Dinner smells wonderful. Can I help?” Mary Leah said as she walked into the kitchen.
“You can help me set the table,” Melissa said. “Did you have a good ride?”
“Yes, it was very nice,” she said with a light blush rising to her cheeks.
Melissa spotted the glow on her sister’s face and smiled.
After dinner, Coal excused herself to take a shower. As she was dressing, she heard Melissa and Mary Leah return to the house. She slipped on an old pair of tennis shoes and headed out the back door.
Melissa heard the back door close as she and Mary Leah entered the kitchen. “You want to shower first?” she asked.
“If you don’t mind, I still smell like a horse.”
“No, not at all, take your time,” Melissa answered. She watched Mary Leah head off to her room, and then walked back to the front door and looked out into the darkness. The moon had risen and she could see Coal sitting on the top rail of the corral about to lift her flute to her mouth. Must be her way of thinking through life. She turned back into the house.
†
Coal climbed the fence and took up her perch on the top rail as the horses gathered around her. They had become accustomed to her presence and the music that floated from her flute. Her mind got lost in the music as she replayed the scene at the bluffs over and over. She had enjoyed the kiss, but wondered if she was ready for a relationship? Coal thought about how kissing Mary Leah had felt so right and she knew the answer to her question. But how should she proceed? She pondered this thought as the music floated over the night air.
Harley sat out on the porch of the bunkhouse listening to the music she was playing as he smoked a cigar. The bright red end of the cigar glowed as he took a drag and the brief puff of smoke was the only evidence he was sitting in the darkness of the porch.
Mary Leah finished showering and dressed for bed. She found her sister sipping a cup of coffee. She was disappointed that Coal wasn’t in the kitchen and assumed she had retired for the evening. “I think I’m going to call it a night,” she said.
“Sleep well, and I’ll see you in the morning. Love you,” Melissa said.
“I love you too, sis,” Mary Leah said and turned away.
Melissa watched her go then took her coffee and walked out the front door.
Harley saw Melissa step onto the porch and watched as she walked across the yard to the corral where Coal was sitting.
“Mind if I join you for a few?”
“Not at all, boss, come on up.”
“I enjoy the sound of your music,” Melissa said as she climbed up the fence. “It is very beautiful.”
“Thanks, it has a way of soothing my soul.”
“The animals too apparently,” Melissa said as she looked out at the stock crowding around.
Coal smiled. “I think the sound touches on some primal instinct for them.”
Melissa wanted to talk to her about Mary Leah but was unsure how to start the conversation. Coal sensed her hesitancy and asked, “Is there something we need to talk about?”
She chuckled as she turned to Coal. “I was wondering if you enjoyed your ride this afternoon half as much as Mary Leah.”
“I enjoy being with her if that is what you are asking,” she said, trying to hide a grin.
“That is exactly what I’m asking,” Melissa answered. “I can tell she is getting quite smitten with you.”
Coal hiked an eyebrow in surprise at Melissa’s statement. “I don’t know about being smitten, but there is a building chemistry between us.”
“So it’s mutual?”
“I would say very much so.”
“Good,” Melissa said and remained quiet for several minutes, then said, “I’ll be heading to Amarillo for a couple of days to look over some stock. I asked Mary Leah if she wanted to join me, but she decided to stay here near you.”
“Is that going to be a problem?”
“No, not at all, Coal
, but—” She hesitated.
“But what, Melissa?” she asked.
Melissa looked her directly in the eyes. “Back in Oklahoma we have an expression.”
Coal looked at her curiously and waited.
“Cowgirl up or sell the horse,” Melissa said. “It’s kind of an Okie version of shit or get off the pot. It’s time for you to cowgirl up, Coal, if you are truly interested in Mary Leah. Just keep in mind she doesn’t need another heartache after what Judy put her through.”
She nodded as she let Melissa’s words sink in.
“I will be gone for two nights,” Melissa said as she climbed down from the fence. “Make good use of them,” she said and left Coal sitting on the fence to ponder her words.
Harley stubbed out his cigar as he watched Melissa walk back to the house. He stood and stretched and walked inside to drop into his bunk for the night. Coal lifted the flute back to her lips and began to play.
She couldn’t help but smile at the comments Melissa had shared with her. Yes, it was time, and Melissa’s absence would give them some privacy to get to know each other better. There was a heightened lightness to her music as she played for another half hour before climbing down to head to her bed.
Both Melissa and Mary Leah had opened their windows to listen to the music Coal was playing. Mary Leah felt her face smiling as she heard the back door open and Coal’s soft steps as she crept down the hall to her bedroom. Callie whimpered softly and jumped down from the bed and trotted from the room.
Coal kicked off her shoes and climbed into the bed, the weariness sinking deep into her bones. She heard the clicking of claws on the hardwood floors then felt Callie’s cold nose in the palm of her hand.
“Hey, girl,” Coal said as she leaned over to pet the dog.
Callie licked her hand and then turned to leave the room.
“Thanks for checking in on me,” she said with a chuckle and pulled the covers over her body.
†
The next morning Melissa and Mary Leah were finishing their coffee on the front porch when they saw a sheriff’s department cruiser coming down the drive. “I wonder what this is about,” Melissa said as she turned to look at Mary Leah.