She laughed, and the sound made Kevin smile.
“That’s better. No more tears now, you hear? It sort of rips me apart inside to see you sad.”
She took her gaze off the road for the briefest of moments, and although Kevin couldn’t read the message in her eyes through the dark sunglasses she wore, he did see her smile.
And that was good enough. For now.
❧
Sitting in the bleachers, Lara watched the mini-rodeo with her kids and several parents. The “rodeo” consisted of an opening act with two funny clowns who looked suspiciously like Caroline and Ron Bramble, the owners of the ranch. But the kids didn’t seem to notice, and they laughed at the silly antics.
Next, a mechanical bull was placed in the center of the corral, and several of the older kids who had been practicing for weeks got to show off their skills. Not a one fell off, either. Of course, the bull’s speed had been set so low its riders appeared to be in slow motion. Nevertheless, it was a miracle to watch, given the children’s physical disabilities.
Finally, Kevin “Wink” Wincouser rode into the corral on poor old Abby, an ebony-maned, chestnut brown mare that probably couldn’t even trot anymore, let alone buck off a cowboy. But since Kevin was in no condition for bronc riding, Abby would do just fine. Horse and rider circled the pen once while Kevin waved to the kids. They cheered and clapped. Then, reining in the animal, Kevin stopped and faced his audience. Next, he pulled his crutch from behind the saddle as though it were a shiny, sliver saber and held it up for all to see.
That’s my hero, Lara thought with a smile. Kevin’s words from this morning still played in her heart. She tried not to think of forever but forced herself instead to place the matter in God’s hands.
And leave it there.
Kevin began to explain why he had to walk with a crutch. He talked about his head injury and admitted it was by God’s grace and mercy that he was able to climb back up in the saddle today.
“See, I’m not so different from any of you kids.”
Lara grinned, thinking Kevin had unwittingly just endeared himself to the children around her. It was obvious that he had a dynamic way of speaking to youngsters, and Lara felt proud of him.
“And here’s something else you should know about me. When I was a little boy, I dreamed of becoming a real live cowboy. Some people told me I’d never make it. Some people even laughed at me.”
“That’s mean to laugh at other people,” eight-year-old Jason Emory whispered to Lara with his adorable lisp.
She nodded. Jason knew firsthand how it felt to be mocked. He had severe learning disabilities, and sometimes the kids at his school picked on him.
“But I worked really hard, and each time I fell down,” Kevin said, “I picked myself right back up. I refused to give up. And none of you should give up, either. Now, who wants to learn how to ride a horse?”
Lara laughed as practically every hand around her shot up.
“Well, then, you’d better get down here in a hurry and form a single line by the gate over there. I’m going to give you each a special riding lesson.”
The kids whooped with excitement, and even though many of them had already ridden astride Abby, none had ever received a lesson from a real rodeo cowboy.
Lined up against the split-rail fence, the children wiggled and waited none-too-patiently for their turns. Parents who brought cameras snapped pictures of their son or daughter getting a tip from Kevin.
Then, suddenly, Lara spotted Maria Kallen at the head of the line. Jogging over to reach her, Lara caught the small girl by the hand.
“I don’t think you want a turn, Sweetie.” Lara knew the seven year old was frightened of the animals even though she admired them from afar and often talked about the day when she’d ride a horse.
“Yes, I do. I want to ride.”
Lara caught sight of the determined expression on Maria’s face and decided to let her try. In the past, the towheaded girl came as close as a foot away from a horse before she panicked. Part of the problem, Lara knew, was the child’s poor eyesight.
“Come on, Honey. You’re next.”
Maria’s cheeks turned a pretty pink.
Cowboy charm affects females of all ages, Lara thought with a smirk as the child shyly stepped forward.
But just as Lara predicted, the girl got about two feet away and changed her mind.
“Whoa, now, don’t run away.” Kevin leaned over and halted Maria by taking hold of her arm. Kneeling, using his good leg, he rested his forearm on his right thigh. “You’re not scared, are you?”
Lara watched Maria nod out a silent reply.
“Well, I’ll tell you what. How ‘bout I set you in the saddle first, then I’ll climb up behind you? Nothing bad will happen if I’m hanging onto you.”
To Lara’s astonishment, the girl agreed.
Kevin stood and gently hoisted Maria into the worn, brown leather saddle before mounting the horse. The two then took a leisurely amble around the corral. Kevin even let Maria hold the reins. When they rounded the last bend, Lara took one glance at the expression of sheer delight on the little girl’s face and had to fight back tears of joy. The child was living her very own dream come true.
“I’m riding! I’m riding!” Maria squealed. Her large blue eyes seemed magnified behind the clear, plastic-framed glasses she wore.
“Great job, Maria,” Kevin told her after their ride ended. “You’re a bona fide cowgirl now.” He lifted her off the saddle and placed the child into Lara’s outstretched arms.
“I did it, Miss Lara! I did it!”
“Yes, you did.” She set the child onto the ground.
Maria skipped away. “I did it! I did it!”
“And I didn’t have my video camera,” Lara muttered, feeling disappointed.
“Guess we’ll have to bring it next time.”
We? Lara raised an inquiring brow. “Does that mean you’re coming back to the ranch with me in the near future?”
“Oh, I dunno.” Kevin leaned forward in the saddle. “I could probably be persuaded.”
Smiling, Lara glimpsed the mischievous spark in his blue eyes and decided she might like to take him up on the challenge.
“Hey! Is it my turn now?” A child’s voice interrupted.
Lara blinked, and Kevin straightened in the saddle. Dismounting, he was careful to pull his left foot out of the stirrup before he landed.
“Guess you and I will have to finish this discussion later.” A note of promise rang in his tone.
“Guess so.” Lara couldn’t wait. But for now her kids took priority. She glanced at Billy Stievers, the next child in line, and waved him over.
Eighteen
After the riding lessons and picnic, Lara helped Caroline Bramble and several other volunteers pick up garbage. Tying one of the trash bags, Lara happened to glance at the gray and white barn off in the distance and spotted Kevin, leaning against the doorframe and talking with Ron. They appeared to be deep in conversation, and Lara wondered what they were talking about.
Ron is probably “persuading” Kevin to volunteer here at the ranch. Lara grinned at the thought. Ron Bramble was a lot more influential than she, although she might have enjoyed giving it a try in Kevin’s case.
Once the yard was free of litter, Lara followed Caroline into their large house. The outside of the dwelling matched the barn, and inside, the home looked cozy. The yellow and white kitchen was large, and a vase of daisies sat in the center of the round, wooden table. Crocheted afghan blankets covered the backs of the sofa and love seat in the “parlor.” Walls everywhere were decorated with snapshots and drawings, given to Ron and Caroline by children who had benefited from the ranch’s ministry over the last twenty-four years. In all, it was a very special place.
Lara
accepted the can of cola Caroline offered her. Popping its flip-top, she took a long drink. She hadn’t stopped all day, and suddenly, she realized how exhausted she felt. Minutes later, Kevin and Ron entered the house, and Lara sensed Kevin was equally as tired.
“I s’pose we should be on our way,” Lara said, with a glance in Kev’s direction.
He nodded, obviously ready to go.
They bid farewell to the Brambles, then made their way to Lara’s car. Once seated and buckled in, they sighed in unison and leaned against the backs of the front seats.
“This is more excitement than I’m used to.”
Lara looked over at Kevin and smiled. “I’m sure you’re right. I just hope you didn’t overdo it today.” She bit her lower lip, realizing her blunder. “Sorry, Kevin, I didn’t mean to sound motherly.”
“That’s okay.” He gave her a wink. “I think I’m getting used to it.”
She expelled a breath of indignation before laughing and rapping Kevin in the arm for the quip.
On the drive home, they chatted about the day’s events. Lara commended Kevin on a job well done.
“You know, Lara, it’s an odd thing, but when I got on that horse today, I just knew I’d never rodeo again.”
“What?” She took her eyes off the road long enough to send Kevin a stunned look. “I can’t believe I just heard those words come out of your mouth.”
“Well, you did. Part of me feels like I just learned my best friend died, while another part of me is relieved. I mean, I’m retiring a two-time world champion bareback rider. It’s not like I’m going out a loser.”
“Certainly not a loser.”
As she further digested his news, Lara didn’t know what more to say. Like Kevin, she had mixed emotions. On one hand, she felt elated that he had decided not to rodeo. It meant he wouldn’t get reinjured, and maybe there was really hope for a budding romance between them. But she also knew it was a hard decision for Kevin to make.
“You were great with the kids today,” she murmured. It had nothing to do with the present topic, but she couldn’t seem to tell him that enough.
“Thanks. Ron thought so too. He offered me a job.”
“You’re kidding?”
“Nope. And it’s actually not a bad paying position, either. But the salary is probably only half what I’d earn in this year competing.”
“What would you be doing at the ranch?”
“Probably anything and everything I’m physically able to do. We didn’t get into a lot of specifics. I told Ron I’d give the matter some thought—and, of course, I need to ask God what He thinks.”
Lara smiled to herself. Two months ago, praying about a situation wouldn’t have occurred to Kevin. He’d come a long way, spiritually and physically.
Their conversation lagged, and Lara felt tempted to ask Kevin what he thought about them. Was he interested in pursuing a relationship? However, Lara sensed now wasn’t a good time to talk romance. Kevin looked tired, and his thoughts were obviously stayed on one of the biggest decisions he ever faced.
She exhaled and, once again, set the matter in her Savior’s hands.
❧
As the month progressed, plans for Tim and Amanda’s wedding took precedence. October fourth, their special day, was creeping ever nearer. Lara had a final fitting for her bridesmaid’s dress, and being the groom’s sister, she helped coordinate Amanda’s bridal shower. To make life all the busier, one of the three social workers quit at the hospital, and Lara and her coworker were forced to divide the job between them until another person could be hired and trained. There didn’t seem to be much time for budding romances, especially since Ron had moved Kevin into the apartment above the barn on The Regeneration Ranch. One evening, Lara came downstairs to say hello, and her father gave her the “good news.”
Little did he know the information caused his daughter’s heart to crimp in misery. But Lara reminded herself that Kevin hadn’t made her any promises. When two weeks passed and she didn’t see him at church, nor did he call, Lara began to think she had imagined the kiss they’d shared as well as the conversation following it. Perhaps she’d somehow misunderstood when Kevin said he was “developing strong feelings” for her. Of course, he had added that he didn’t know what do to about them. Maybe he decided they weren’t worth pursuing.
“Are you going to our singles’ group meeting tonight?” Polly asked on that first Friday evening of September.
Lara held the phone between her ear and shoulder while she arranged an assortment of vegetables on a relish tray for Amanda’s shower the next day. “No, I’ve got too much to do.”
“I’m not going, either. I just don’t feel like it.”
Deciding to take a break, Lara went to the freezer and lopped out two hearty scoops of chocolate ice cream. Then she took the plastic dish and portable phone outside on the little porch off of the living room. Summer was still in the air, even though Back-To-School sales raged on at all the local discount stores. Lara’s mother had already returned to her part-time teaching position.
“So any news from Kevin?”
“No.” Lara spooned a bite of ice cream into her mouth. “How ’bout you? Heard from Brent?”
“No.”
She swallowed. “What is with these guys? Don’t they know two awesome women when they meet them?”
“I take it you’re referring to us? You and me? The two awesome women?”
Lara laughed. “Who else would I be talking about?”
“Well, I wanted to clarify things. . .”
Again, Lara laughed. She thanked God for a friend like Polly who could always find humor in every situation.
“Amanda looks like a fairy princess in her wedding dress,” Lara said. “Wait until you see her.”
“I’m sure I’ll wish it were me walking down the aisle.”
“I already wish it were me.”
“Hey, I’ve got an idea. What if we go ahead and start planning our own weddings and just trust God to provide the grooms?”
“Yeah, right.” Despite the sarcastic reply, Lara smiled and took another bite of ice cream.
“I’m serious. We trust God for everything else, right? Food, clothing, finances. Why not this area?”
“We are trusting God in this area. But we’re supposed to know our grooms before we marry them. The other way around is like putting the cart before the horse.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s stepping out in faith.”
Lara laughed. Her friend was such a goof.
“When do you want to get married? Winter? Spring? Summer? Fall?”
“I don’t care,” Lara quipped. “ASAP.”
“What’s the rush? It can take years to plan a wedding.”
“I suppose it could. But if Kevin proposed to me tonight, I’d marry him tomorrow.”
“Oh, Lara, really!” Polly lowered her voice and drawled, sounding like a rich, eccentric, great aunt. “The perfect wedding takes time to plan. Don’t you read the bridal magazines?”
❧
Kevin was hard-pressed not to hoot as he and Tim stood directly beneath the porch on which Lara sat. He’d just ambled up the front walk with Tim, and Lara never heard their arrival.
“At least I know she’d say ‘yes’ if I ever asked.” He whispered the remark so Lara wouldn’t hear.
“Don’t do it, Kev,” Tim whispered back. “You haven’t seen my sister with her hair in curlers and green goop smeared all over her face. She looks like she’s from outer space.”
Kevin chuckled under his breath.
“Once a little brother, always a little brother. That’s me.”
“Shhh. . .”
“Sorry,” Tim whispered back.
“This here’s payback time.” Kevin grinned, recalling
how Lara had inadvertently eavesdropped on him. “I think I’ll sneak up there and surprise her.” He glanced at his watch, barely able to make out the Roman numerals in the darkness. “I think we’ve got some time, don’t we?”
“About a half-hour. Clayt’s plane doesn’t get in until eight-fifty-five, and when I called it was running on time.”
“Okay, I’ll see you in thirty minutes.”
“Right.”
Kevin did his best not to make a sound as he entered the Donahues’ lower flat. He made his way back through the empty living room, wondering where Mike was tonight. As he walked into the dining room, he could hear Lara’s mother and grandmother discussing something in the master bedroom, and he got the impression the two ladies were discussing wedding particulars and the dresses they had purchased for Tim’s big day.
Making his way upstairs without the aid of his crutch, Kevin tried not to let the old wooden steps creak beneath his weight. But he needn’t have worried that Lara would hear his approach because as he snuck into the upper flat, she was laughing so hard she wouldn’t have heard a door slam, let alone footfalls in the stairwell.
Even so, Kevin moved noiselessly through the living room until he came to the screened porch door. Because of the lighting in the house, Kevin knew Lara would be able to see him much better than he could her, so he leaned on the doorframe and folded his arms as though he’d been standing there for hours.
“No, Polly, don’t choose that color. I don’t look good in pinks,” Lara paused as if listening to the reply. “Oh, yeah, that’s right. By the time you get married, I’ll be expecting my eighth child.”
Kevin winced. Lara didn’t really want eight kids, did she?
“I’m not a betting woman.” Lara rose from her chair. “Besides, you’re probably right. The way my life is going, you just might get married before me.”
At that instant, Lara glanced at Kevin in the doorway and shrieked.
He laughed.
“Polly, I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
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