Second Chance Ranch

by Leann Harris

  Sophie let herself into the cabin. No welcoming aromas from a cooked dinner filled the air. The hum of the refrigerator cut off, leaving the house silent. Sophie loved being with the horses, but she needed a maid. Or someone to take care of the mundane things like fixing dinner and washing her clothes. In the army, she had three square meals a day and clean clothes.

  She pulled a frozen dinner out of the freezer compartment and popped it into the microwave. What had the women a hundred years ago done after a long day of working on the farm? The phone rang the same instant the microwave dinged. She picked up the wall phone. “Hello.”

  “You’re a miracle worker, Sophie,” Beth gushed.

  “I wish.”

  “You don’t know how hard I had to argue with Zach this morning. I had almost given up when I told him that his heart wanted to be back on a horse. And then I prayed under my breath.” She laughed. “I’m surprised I didn’t have a wreck on the way to the stable. Every time I stopped at a light, I closed my eyes and prayed.”

  “Well, your prayers were answered.”

  “Oh, Sophie, I thought it was all over when Zach tripped. I wanted to die.”

  “I’m glad you were strong, Beth. He had to face the truth that he needs to rebuild his strength.”

  “You’re right. I tell you the first time I saw him without his foot and on crutches, I wanted to break down and cry.”

  “He needs you to treat him as you always have—like a pain-in-the-neck big brother. He’s the same man.”

  Beth remained quiet.

  “He needs that consistency. He needs to know that the essence of the man Zach was is still there, and his family still sees the old Zach.”

  Sophie thought she’d gone too far, but she heard Beth sigh. “You’re right. And he’s coming tomorrow to ride.”

  Sophie heard the tears clogging Beth’s throat.

  “This afternoon when I walked into the tack room and saw him, I didn’t know what to think. I know some demons were defeated in that room today.”

  “Mom and Dad are excited and want to come and help.”

  News in the McClure family traveled fast. She wished it were the same in her family. Her mother hadn’t talked to her grandmother in over fifteen years, and they both lived in the same little town of twenty-four hundred people. “Let’s give him a few times before he has an audience, okay? I don’t know how things are going to go tomorrow, and I think if Zach doesn’t have an audience, it will be easier.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it. I’ll call them.”

  “I do have a bone to pick with you, friend.”

  “Oh?”

  “Why did you tell Zach I had a crush on him in college?” When he’d thrown that out at her, Sophie didn’t know how to answer. Sure she’d been attracted to the handsome cowboy. His loose-hipped walk and cocky grin appealed to anyone with two X chromosomes. And she fell into that category.

  “Hmm, I thought it would ease him into the situation. It certainly gave him something to think about besides his discomfort.”

  It had done that. “I think we have Andy to thank for our success. And your prayers.”

  “Will you let me know how the session goes tomorrow?” Beth asked.

  “You’re not coming with Zach?”

  “No. I’ll let Ethan do it instead of me. He’ll be more help than I could be.”

  “Okay. I’ll give you a call.”

  After hanging up, Sophie took her dinner out of the microwave. Settling at the kitchen table, she pulled her Bible toward her and opened it up to the book of Psalms. The twenty-third Psalm was her favorite. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

  In high school, her best friend’s family were shepherds. She’d had some wonderful insight as to how the author of the Psalm felt. Her friend explained how they were responsible to move the sheep from one pasture to the next where there was abundant grass. The sheep didn’t move until the shepherd led them to another place.

  “Okay, Lord, You’ve led me here. Help tomorrow to meet Zach’s needs.”

  At seven the next morning Sophie walked out to the stable, heading for the office.

  “Want some coffee?” she called out to Ollie who was inspecting all the horses’ tack.

  “Sure. Bring it black, none of that fancy stuff,” Ollie answered.

  “Fancy stuff?”

  “Cream and sugar.”

  “And do you eat your steak still mooing?” she retorted.

  “Is there any other way?”

  Sophie grinned. She walked into the office and poured two mugs of coffee. Ollie always started a pot of coffee when he arrived at the ranch. She opened the mini-fridge, pulled out her favorite French vanilla creamer and poured it in her mug. When she carried the mugs outside and gave Ollie his coffee, he glanced at the brown coffee in her mug and shook his head.

  “Sissy.”

  She shrugged her shoulder. Looking out over the rings, and hearing the morning sounds, Sophie knew this was where she belonged.

  “You’re going to miss this when you retire, Ollie.” She took a sip of her coffee.

  “Nope. I’m going to sleep in until seven and get up and spend hours reading the newspaper.”

  “Fibber.”

  He simply grinned.

  “Will you help me this morning with the rider who’s coming?”

  “Sure. Who’s comin’?”

  “Zach McClure.”

  “Ah, the guy with the fake foot.”

  She winced. Ollie didn’t pull any punches, but there was not a mean bone in his body. “He was a wonderful rider. Watching him ride…” She could still remember how awed she’d been watching him practice calf roping. “It’s like he was born on a horse.” She heard the wistfulness in her voice.

  Ollie’s mug stopped inches from his mouth.

  Sophie realized her feelings colored her comments. “Zach’s sister was my roommate in college,” she hurried to explain. “I went home with her several times. She was with him yesterday.”

  Ollie took a swallow of his coffee. “I saw him when he was a teenager. He had a talent.”

  “Really?”

  “Best I’d seen up ’til that time.”

  Then Ollie would understand. “He lost his foot when a roadside bomb caught his patrol in Baghdad.” She looked down into her coffee. “I think that talent awoke yesterday. He’s willing to work to get stronger.”

  Ollie nodded. “My son was in the First Gulf War. He needed help when he came home. I’ll do it.”

  Those were the most words that Ollie had spoken since she knew him. And she never knew he had a son. Maybe Zach’s rehab would touch more than Zach himself.

  She heard a car pull into the parking lot. It was seven-thirty.

  “Looks like your client is here,” he murmured, looking down at his watch. “And I think he’s eager.”

  She prayed Ollie was right.

  Chapter Three

  Ethan pulled the key out of the ignition. “You ready to do this?”

  Zach had tossed and turned all night and finally gave up trying to sleep at five this morning. He spent the time praying and reading his Bible. For the first time in a long time he felt like himself. “I am.”

  They got out of the truck and walked toward the office. Some of the horses were in a corral on the other side of the stable.

  “There’s some good-looking horse flesh out there,” Ethan commented.

  From what Zach saw he had to agree with his brother. “I’ll have to ask where they get their stock.”

  They emerged from the tunnel and saw Sophie and Ollie resting up against the hitching rail. The sun kissed Sophie’s skin and her brown hair danced with red tones in the sunlight. The braided tresses nearly came to her waist. She’d been beautiful at eighteen, but now there was a maturity about this woman. That coltish girl had become a stunning woman.

  “Good morning,” Ethan called out, touching the brim of his cowboy hat.

  “Good to see you this morning,” Sophie r
eplied, pushing off the rail. She introduced Ollie.

  “We’ve met,” Zach said, meeting Ollie’s gaze.

  Sophie looked from Zach to Ollie. Apparently the old guy hadn’t told Sophie of their little chat. His opinion of the ranch foreman went up.

  “You ready?”

  “I am. And Ethan’s up for the session.”

  “He couldn’t keep me away,” Ethan added.

  Zach didn’t know whether to be encouraged by his big brother’s eagerness or insulted.

  “Let me go get Prince Charming, and we’ll start.” Sophie put her mug on the apple barrel and turned to Ollie. “You want to go get the tack?”

  Ethan straightened up, then glanced at his brother. He grinned. “Prince Charming?”

  Ollie nodded. “He’s the right size for a man of Zach’s stature—sixteen hands.” He nodded at Sophie. “She calls him Prince Charming.” He shook his head. “What kind of name…” He headed for the tack room.

  A whirlwind of feeling churned in Zach’s stomach. He lifted his hat and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He wanted to ride so much he could taste it. He watched as Sophie pulled a halter out of one of the stalls, grabbed a lead rope and carrot from the pail on a bench in front of the stalls and walked to the corral beside the stable.

  At the gate, she called out. A handsome black horse with a star on his nose and his left hind foot with a “white stocking” trotted up to her. She crooned to the magnificent gelding and offered the carrot.

  The man in Zach reacted to her tender treatment of the horse. He glanced at his brother and saw Ethan smiling at him.

  As Prince Charming ate the carrot, Sophie rubbed his nose. When he finished the carrot, he nudged her hand. “No, I don’t have another one. It’s time to work, big boy.”

  The horse nodded and allowed Sophie to put the halter over his head and attach the lead rope. She opened the gate and led him to where Zach stood.

  Ollie quickly put the saddle blanket and pad on Prince Charming’s back. He handed Ethan one of the stirrups to attach to the pad.

  “No saddle?” Ethan asked.

  She shook her head. “I’ve been in constant contact with the folks running the rehab program outside of D.C. For the first few times, we want to have Zach ride without the saddle. It will exercise his muscles.”

  Doubt colored Zach’s eyes. “I could’ve jumped up on his back in my rodeo days, but now—”

  “That’s why you should try the mounting block. You’re going to be asking your body to do a lot of work today, Zach, which it hasn’t done in a while. You’ve got to focus on the final goal.”

  His pride fought with his common sense. Lord, this is hard to swallow.

  His gaze touched each person’s face. He saw only support, but in Sophie’s eyes, he saw something else. A promise. He reached out and stroked the horse’s nose. “You going to be nice to a rusty cowpoke?”

  Prince Charming nudged his hand. Zach patted the horse’s neck. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

  Taking a deep breath, Zach walked up the steps of the mounting block. Ollie and Ethan took their positions on either side of the horse. Zach handed his cane to Ethan, put his foot into the left-side stirrup, then threw his right leg over the horse’s back. He tried a couple of times to get his prosthesis into the stirrup attached to the saddle blanket. Ollie helped. He pushed back his cowboy hat and a spark of admiration lit his eyes.

  Using the mounting block wasn’t as big a deal as Zach had thought it might be. He looked down into Sophie’s face. She smiled. “You look good.”

  He felt good. The world lay at his feet. “Let’s move.”

  “You want a helmet, Zach?” she asked. “It’s just a precaution.”

  He was willing to go just so far. “I’m okay.”

  She didn’t try to argue but led Prince Charming into the arena. She walked around the perimeter of the ring.

  “Things look much better up here,” Zach commented.

  “Amen, brother,” Ethan quietly said. A hint of moisture gathered in his eyes.

  They walked around the arena for close to thirty minutes. Zach realized the muscles of his stomach and thighs were protesting.

  “How are you feeling?” Sophie asked, looking over her shoulder.

  He didn’t want to admit weakness. “I’m okay.”

  She accepted his word and they worked for another ten minutes before she called a halt to the session. She led the horse toward the mounting block.

  “I won’t need that,” Zach told her.

  “Zach,” Sophie said, touching his leg, “I don’t recommend that.”

  “I can dismount by myself.” Pride cometh before a fall. The verse ran through his head.

  She looked to Ethan for help.

  “Uh, maybe she’s right, Zach.”

  There was no saddle horn for him to grab on to to keep his balance and he felt a cramp in his injured right leg. There were a lot of scars up and down that leg.

  “Okay.” The word tasted bitter in his mouth.

  She walked the horse to the mounting block. Zach pushed up on his left leg and swung his right leg over the horse’s rump. When his prosthesis hit the wood, it folded on him. He tumbled back off the horse. Ethan stepped up and caught him. His left foot remained in the stirrup. Prince Charming didn’t dance or spook. He stood calmly. Ollie sprinted around the horse and disengaged Zach’s foot.

  Ethan pulled Zach backward so his feet could touch the ground. His right leg didn’t hold. Ethan’s arms clamped around Zach’s chest, holding him upright. Zach’s hat fell to the ground.

  Zach struggled to make his right leg work. Quietly, Sophie handed him his cane. He grabbed the lifeline and used the cane for balance. After struggling for a moment, he found his balance. Ethan picked up Zach’s hat.

  “We probably worked too long,” Sophie said.

  Zach wanted to rail that Andy had more endurance than he did. He nodded. “Ethan, you want to drive me home?”

  Sophie dropped the horse’s leads. “Zach—”

  He shook his head and started to walk away.

  Prince Charming turned his head and caught Zach’s attention. The horse bobbed his head.

  “He’s expecting a carrot,” Ollie offered. He nodded toward a pail on the bench. Zach took two steps and looked inside. Carrots. He pulled one out and turned toward the horse. Prince Charming readily accepted the treat.

  Sophie stood on the other side of Prince Charming, gently rubbing his neck, her eyes dark with worry. He didn’t—couldn’t—acknowledge her.

  With a final pat on Prince Charming’s shoulder, Zach turned and walked toward the parking lot.

  What made him think that he could be the man he used to be?

  Sophie buried her face in Prince Charming’s neck, taking comfort from the strength and smell of the horse.

  “Give him a few minutes.”

  Her head jerked up and she found Ethan standing beside her. “We never scheduled another lesson,” she said.

  “I’ll talk to him.” Sadness and concern creased Ethan’s face. “Seeing him on a horse was great. I’ll have him call you to set up another appointment.”

  She nodded and watched as Ethan walked toward the parking lot.

  “Lord, touch his heart,” she whispered.

  “Don’t you worry, Miss Sophie. I saw a spark in that young man’s eyes. Once he wrestles his pride down, you’ll see him again.”

  She glanced over Prince Charming’s neck to Ollie. “I pray you’re right.”

  Over the next week, Sophie held on to Ollie’s words. She heard nothing from Zach. She called Beth, asking about Zach.

  “He’s not taking my calls,” Beth informed her. “If I was in town, I’d drive out to his apartment and face him down again.” Beth did a lot of traveling for her job with a big department store headquartered in Santa Fe. “I told Ethan to talk to him, but I haven’t heard back from him.”

  Sophie couldn’t wait any longer. Andy’s next session was scheduled for
tomorrow. “Give me your brother’s address.”

  Beth gave her the street number of the new and trendy condominium and town house.

  Sophie helped Ollie finish putting out feed for all the horses. She stopped by Prince Charming’s stall. “Hello, handsome.”

  The big horse stuck his head out of the top half of the door. He nudged her hand.

  “You are so spoiled,” she said, rubbing his nose. “I’m going to try to get Zach. You were great with him. Now he needs to understand that he needs you.”

  Prince Charming nodded.

  “You like him? He’s a real cowboy. Well, I like him, too. I’ll see what I can do to bring him back.”

  Driving to Zach’s place, she prayed for wisdom and the right words to touch the stubborn man.

  The new complex of town houses stood on the eastern edge of the city, built at the foot of one of the mountains surrounding the city. She found the number of his town house and parked. She whispered the opening lines of the twenty-third Psalm as she exited her car and walked up to the door and knocked.

  Nothing.

  She knocked again. “Zach, it’s Sophie.”

  After several more seconds, the door opened. He was unshaved, and his closed expression didn’t give her any hope.

  “I was hoping to talk to you.”

  He studied her. “Why?”

  Well, at least he didn’t shut the door in her face. “I wanted to talk about your next lesson.”

  He shrugged his shoulders and walked back into the living room.

  She followed him, closing the door gently behind her.

  “How have you been doing?”

  He shrugged again, settling into a leather recliner in front of a sixty-inch plasma TV. A baseball game flickered on the screen.

  She walked to the sofa. “I think we pushed your first time too far. We should’ve stopped earlier.”

  He didn’t respond.

  “Zach, talk to me.”