Second Chance Ranch

by Leann Harris

  She stopped and pulled off the saddle blanket, resting it on the half wall of the stall.

  “I want to save as many as I can,” she whispered into Sam’s neck. And maybe, just maybe, she could atone for the one life she couldn’t save.

  Zach sat in the tack room. The humiliation this afternoon hadn’t been any worse than when he fell off his horse at his parents’ ranch in full view of his family and all the ranch hands. It was the first time he’d been on a horse since before the attack. He’d tried to ride away from the stable and his mount spooked and he fell off. Unfortunately, his prosthesis didn’t come out of the stirrup and he’d been dragged around in front of the stable. When his brother, Ethan, caught the horse, he hit the release button, breaking the vacuum holding the prosthesis onto Zach’s leg. His mother had cried, rushing to his side, and his father yelled for his brother to get the horse out of his sight. This afternoon wasn’t that gut-wrenching, but had left a mighty bad taste in his mouth. Literally as well as figuratively.

  The door to the tack room opened and an old man walked in. He nodded.

  Zach acknowledged the greeting with his own nod.

  The old guy went about putting up tack. “I saw you ride at the Frontier Days Rodeo in Ocate. It was a great win.”

  Zach remembered that rodeo held in the little town in northeastern New Mexico. It had been his first all-around championship. He’d been a senior in high school and full of himself. “Thanks.”

  “You’ve got a natural talent, Zach McClure.”

  “Had.”

  The old guy stopped. “I didn’t know talent was in your foot.”

  The unexpected comeback stunned Zach. The old guy had a point. A smile curved Zach’s lips. “I didn’t know it, either.”

  The man walked over to where Zach sat. “When I was young and riding the circuit, I had more drive than sense. I got tossed off a bull. He was a nasty piece of work. Once he throwed me, he came back to stomp on my arm.” He shook his head. “I never saw a clown move so fast as to get that bull’s attention on him.

  “It took me six months to heal. It took another six months for me to get my body back into shape. I kept falling off those mean critters until I built my body back up. I figure with you being in the hospital a while, you got the same problem.” He started toward the door. “You might cut yourself some slack, son.” He continued toward the door.

  “You know my name. What’s yours?” Zach called out.

  “Ollie Morton. I’m foreman here.”

  “Thanks.” Zach closed his eyes and shook his head. Was he feeling so sorry for himself that he couldn’t see the obvious?

  “Did Ollie hit it on the head, Lord?” Zach asked when Ollie had left. As he thought about the foreman’s advice, Zach realized he may not have been thrown by a bull, but he might’ve stumbled onto the truth.

  Sophie walked back from stabling Brownie, the small chestnut mare they used with the younger children.

  Other riders were exiting the arena and the chatter of happy voices surrounded her. There would be no other lessons today and all the horses needed to be unsaddled, watered and fed.

  There were two other hands to help with the horses, but they needed more help. Sophie’s boss, Margaret, couldn’t help anymore since her stroke six weeks ago, and Margaret’s children wanted nothing to do with the facility.

  Sophie worked for twenty minutes, putting the horses in the corral on the east side of the barn. Each of their stalls needed to be mucked out, and fresh water, feed and hay put in each one. The large metal building had two main halls that ran parallel. Stalls were on either side of the hall and an enclosed tack room stood at the far western end of the building closest to one set of large double doors. At the end of each hall was another set of double doors leading to the outside corrals.

  She tried not to think, but went on automatic with the chores. She prayed under her breath, asking the Lord for wisdom and to comfort Zach’s heart.

  “Sophie, I’ve finished. So has Marty,” David Somers called out. “You want me to put the horses back in their stalls?”

  “No, go on. I’ll see to it.”

  He nodded and disappeared.

  Each of the horses had earned an extra treat and praise for their performance today. She wished Ollie was still here, but with her encouragement he’d gone to the hospital to see Margaret.

  Sophie put new hay in Sam’s stall and walked to the tack room to put up the lead ropes she used. Sitting on a bale of hay was Zach. In his hands he held one of the bridles. Those strong hands worked over the leather, cleaning it.

  Sophie stopped and stared at him. “You’re still here?”

  “I am.”

  Now what? Zachary McClure had a way of rattling her that no other man had. She had no trouble dealing with the soldiers in her unit or her patients. None of them had this effect on her of making her stomach flip-flop. She tried to ignore the feeling.

  Zach’s hands stilled. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what happened this afternoon.”

  He hadn’t been the only one. She’d played the scene over and over in her mind, wondering what she could’ve done differently. She knew that Beth had worked weeks to get Zach here, and then to have him trip in the middle of the ring… She wanted to run over to him and help him up, but she knew he wouldn’t appreciate it. He’d been rodeoing since he was in middle school and had been on track for a championship rodeo buckle before he joined the army.

  “This afternoon with Andy has been the best afternoon I’ve had in a long time.” He closed his eyes, and a satisfied smile curved his mouth. “I wanted to get up on Sam myself and ride.” His wistful smile nearly brought her to her knees. “It’s a dream for me.”

  Sophie held her breath. There was hope here.

  He opened his eyes and his gaze met hers. “Beth told me you wanted to start a program for wounded soldiers.”

  “That’s true. One of the guys I treated when I was a medic in Baghdad was a double amputee, losing both his arms. But when I saw him riding at the stables near Walter Reed with such joy on his face, I knew what I wanted to do.” There’d been a certainty in her heart she knew God had given her. “I knew Margaret had started a therapy group here. She and I talked about expanding the program to include vets, also. We wanted to approach the army to see if they would use our program for their wounded vets.”

  He nodded and went back to working the cloth over the bridle.

  There was more she wanted to say to him, she knew, but she didn’t know how to bridge that gap. “Want to help me bring in the horses for the night? Ollie’s off visiting Margaret, the ranch owner who’s in the hospital, and the rest of my help has left.”

  His head came up and she read hunger in his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll help.” He hung the bridle on a hook beside the other tack, placed the rag in the bin below and grabbed his cane.

  As he walked to the door, Sophie saw flickers of the old Zach she knew. Her nerves danced with excitement and hope.

  “Lead the way, Miss Sophie Powell.”

  “That’s Lieutenant Powell.”

  “I outrank you. I was a captain.”

  “A smart officer listens to his subordinates who know more than he does.” The instant the words left her mouth, she wanted to snatch them back.

  His mouth curved into a smile. “You’re right. A smart officer listens to his men.”

  “And you’re going to listen to me?”

  He nodded. “You’re the expert.”

  “Smart move.”

  “Finally, after months of knocking my head against the wall.” The corner of his mouth tilted up.

  She knew about knocking one’s head against the wall. She’d been an expert at that.

  The day had cooled and the sweet smell of pine filled the air as they walked in silence to the corral behind the barn. Sophie’s heart soared with hope—the hope Zach wanted to ride.

  “How long have you been working here?” Zach asked.

  “I mustered out nearly twe
nty months ago. I started riding here in high school.” She didn’t mention she’d wanted to feel closer to her brother, who died in a riding accident. “In college, I came whenever I was home. I knew Margaret had started working with Down’s children when her first grandbaby was born with Down’s.” She rested her arms on the top rail of the fence. Too bad that daughter had moved to Oregon, leaving her brother and sister here who opposed using the ranch to help children with disabilities. “She and I talked about my dream of seeing if we could help the wounded vets. But just as we were going to present it to the army, she had a stroke.”

  Sam trotted to the fence and nudged Sophie’s hand. She laughed and stroked the white blaze on her nose. “Oh, you’re so spoiled.”

  The horse turned her head toward Zach, nudging his hand. He obliged Sam and patted her neck. “I felt like a fool out there today, eatin’ dirt.”

  Sophie didn’t respond.

  “I know Beth’s been after me for a while to start riding again.” He continued to stroke Sam’s neck. “She was right. I miss the horses. I miss the physical activities.” He turned, facing her. “I’m not in good physical condition, which I’ve found out the hard way. But maybe I can be your first test case to show the army what equine therapy can do?”

  Not sure she heard correctly, she turned toward him. “Really? You want to be my test case?”

  “I do.”

  His words floored her.

  “I also want to help around the stable, too. Maybe I could be a sidewalker for some of the kids you deal with.”

  “I know Andy would love that.”

  Zach grinned. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s a persistent little boy.”

  Here was the dream she had for the future, of helping vets overcome the physical wounds of war. Zachary McClure, ex–rodeo champ and army veteran, wanted to be her first client.

  “You sure this is what you want to do?”

  He nodded, a grin creasing his mouth. “I spent the afternoon wrestling with my pride, which took a beating. I also questioned God. He and I talked, and it’s what I want to do.”

  “All right. Let’s do this.”

  Chapter Two

  After they finished putting the horses in their stalls, they walked to the stable’s office.

  “When would you like to start?” Sophie asked, collapsing into her chair.

  He settled in the chair beside the desk. “Work me around the other therapy sessions.”

  “How about tomorrow morning?”

  Zach leaned back in his chair and laughed. “You’re not going to let me chicken out, are you?”

  Sophie felt the heat in her cheeks as she blushed. “That’s what the army taught me. You get permission, you act.”

  “How long were you in theater?”

  His question caught her by surprise. “I did a full tour there, plus my tour was extended twice. I was all over Iraq, but mostly around Baghdad and Fallujah.”

  He nodded. “Summer’s a killer.”

  “You want to start tomorrow?” she pressed, refusing to be diverted.

  “Fine. Tomorrow it is. What time?”

  She glanced at the schedule. “8:00 a.m. We’ll do it before any other appointments.”

  He studied her. “I’ll be here.”

  Her tension melted away.

  “You need a ride home?” Sophie asked going to the door.

  “I’ll just call for a taxi.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’ll drive you home.”

  He opened his mouth, then closed it, stood and joined her at the door. “So you had a crush on me in college,” he said, his voice full of mirth.

  Sophie’s hand froze on the key in the office door. Zach leaned his shoulder against the building, his body filling her vision. He arched his brow as he waited.

  “Wh-what are you talking about?”

  He lifted one shoulder. “The last thing Beth whispered in my ear before we emerged from the breezeway earlier today was that you had a crush on me while you were in college.”

  She was going to kill Beth. “I think maybe your sister tried to appeal to your masculine ego. If you knew that I found you attractive, you might be more willing to—”

  “You think I’m handsome?”

  He wanted to provoke her. She pulled the key from the door. “I’m going to plead the Fifth.”

  His satisfied grin told her that he understood she hadn’t answered the question. He fell into step beside her.

  One car stood in the parking lot. Hers. As they approached it, a truck pulled up in front of them.

  Zach laughed. “My sister called in the cavalry.”

  “She called the army?” Sophie asked, totally confused.

  “No. She called my brother, Ethan.”

  Ethan was Zach’s older brother. When they were in college, Beth told her about the adventures of her two older brothers. They had tolerated a younger sister until she turned thirteen and started attracting male attention. Much to Beth’s chagrin, her brothers decided to be her guardians and ran off more boys than Beth could count. It wasn’t until she was at the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque that she had her first serious boyfriend.

  The truck door opened and Ethan got out and came around the front of the truck. “Hey, bro, Beth sent me to pick you up. She said you were kinda prickly.” Ethan grinned, wagging his brows. Sophie choked on a cough.

  “So she chickened out, did she?” Zach remarked.

  Ethan laughed. “No one said Bethie was stupid. A royal pain, yes, but she knows how to save her own skin.”

  A smile spread across Zach’s face and he shook his head. “I assume you agree with her that I needed to get off my backside and start living again.”

  Ethan crossed his arms and leaned back against the front fender. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

  The strong family resemblance between the brothers made one look twice. Ethan and Zach could’ve been twins. Zach was an inch or so shorter than his brother, and his eyes were blue while Ethan’s were gray. But both men were handsome, with dark hair, strong cheeks and full mouths. Ethan grinned easily. Zach didn’t.

  Apparently, Beth wasn’t the only McClure sibling who wanted to help Zach. Interesting.

  “Well, I’m glad that you feel that way. I’m going to have my first session tomorrow morning at eight.”

  Ethan jerked up straight. “Really?”

  “That’s right, and I’ll need someone to help in the session, won’t I?” Zach directed the last question at Sophie.

  “Huh, yes.” Zach’s question surprised her, but if he wanted his brother to be the sidewalker, she’d welcome the help. “Since both of you are horse people, I think that Ethan should do fine. I’ll have another sidewalker here, but I’d love to have Ethan work with us.”

  Without any hesitation, Ethan answered, “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

  “Then it’s set.”

  “I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

  It took a few moments for Zach to maneuver himself into the passenger side of the truck. He jerked the door closed, rolled the window down and rested his arm on it. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sophie.”

  “Be prepared to work, Zach.”

  “I’ll be ready.”

  Alleluia, there was hope. “See you tomorrow.”

  She stood watching the truck disappear down the road.

  Lord, I see the open door and I’ll walk through it, but could it have been with someone else? Someone else who hadn’t captured my heart and left it in jail.

  “Have I been that much of a pain?” Zach asked his brother.

  “Well, let me put it this way. I’ve been tempted to punch you. My prayer life has certainly increased, little brother.”

  Zach knew his brother was at the end of his rope. He got called “little brother” only when he was in major trouble.

  “I’ve been that much of a jerk?”

  Ethan glanced at him. “Yeah.”

  This afternoon had torn away th
e apathy Zach had wrapped himself in. When he woke in Walter Reed Army Hospital and looked at what was left of his leg, he wanted to shout and throw things. He’d reached for the bedpan, but the guy in the next bed stopped him.

  “Go ahead and throw it. It won’t change anything.”

  When Zach looked over at the guy, he was minus both of his legs and his left hand and forearm.

  After that warning from Bill Jensen, the two men became fast friends. Bill’s wife and family had adopted him, and when Zach’s mom came to D.C., she considered Bill another son.

  There had been so many times after a therapy session when he’d question God about why this happened. Why him? What had he done? The night he read in the Book of Luke about Jesus’s death on the cross, he realized that there was nothing He did to deserve such an awful death. What was his loss compared to Jesus’s?

  Zach had slowly worked through most of his anger. Bill had gone back to his job, teaching in a community college in Wichita Falls, Texas. But what was Zach going to do? Before, he’d planned on following the rodeo circuit, trying to earn a championship belt buckle.

  “Today, being with the horses gave me hope. I want to ride again.”

  “About time.”

  “So you’re ready to come with me each time I ride?” Zach asked.

  “I am, and I’ll spring for breakfast.”

  “I really must’ve been a pain if you’re willing to pay for breakfast.”

  “And then some.”

  Sophie walked back to the guest cabin. She moved there after Margaret had her stroke. Margaret’s son, Austin, had asked her to stay on the property while his mother recuperated. He wanted Sophie to take over the day-to-day running of the ranch since none of Margaret’s kids wanted to divide their time between their jobs and their mother’s ranch.

  Austin complained about having to continue with the equine-therapy sessions, but several of the parents had bought package sessions for their children, and Austin didn’t want to refund the money. The ranch foreman, Ollie Morton, had planned to retire at the end of the month but he agreed to stay until Margaret could hire a replacement.