by Lisa Prysock
While guests and some of the other wranglers milled about the room mingling with other guests, Jack remained at their side making small talk. When it was almost time for the owners of The Sweetwater to light the tree, he leaned down and asked Amy if she’d like to be up high to see better.
She nodded, a look on her face revealing that she wondered what he meant. Instantly, Jack swung her up high onto his shoulder and let her perch there. Thankfully, she was small for her age and didn’t weigh very much. She was grinning from ear to ear when Jill and Logan Haven turned on the lights and everyone clapped.
“Time for pictures,” Nicole said when Amy returned to her side after Jill Haven read the real Christmas story to the children from a portion of the book of Luke.
“I’ll take some photos for you,” Colten offered.
“Thank you, but only if you’ll find someone to take one with all three of us after,” she replied. “I think it would mean a lot to Amy. She’s grown fond of you in a short time.”
“I think so, too.” Jack accepted her phone camera.
“Just press this button right here,” she explained, pulling Amy close to her side.
“Got it,” he nodded, stepping back a little. “Smile pretty ladies.”
After they’d posed for a few photos beside the tree, he asked a fellow wrangler he called Jed to take their photo.
“Sure thing, Colten.” The lanky wrangler went along with the plan good-naturedly, motioning for them to squeeze in together close.
Obeying Jed’s direction, all three of them huddled together next to the tree while he snapped a few more pictures. Jack didn’t place his arm around her or Amy, but he did smile and lean in close, making a funny face for the first few pictures. Amy and Nicole cracked up laughing. Who knew Cowboy Jack had such a fun sense of humor?
“Okay, now a serious one,” Amy insisted. “Everyone smile nice.”
“I thought I was smiling nice!” Jack replied, making them laugh again. “I don’t smile ugly.”
“Pay her no mind, she’s an only child,” Nicole laughed.
Amy put her hands on her hips and corrected her. “Uh, I think you meant I’m an only boss child!”
“Oooo, the boss child speaketh!” Jed laughed so hard he could barely hold the camera for one last photo, and none of them could smile “nice,” as Amy had requested. They were laughing too much. Especially when Jed asked Amy how old she was.
“Eight,” Amy answered demurely as Jed snapped the last picture and handed the phone camera back to Nicole.
“Old enough to be the boss child,” Jack grinned, tugging on one of Amy’s ponytails playfully.
“Don’t mess with the hair, Cowboy Jack, or you’ll have to...” Amy paused to consider a repercussion, both hands still on her hips.
“Uh-oh.” Jed looked at Jack and then back at Amy again. “This sounds serious.”
“Or what?” Jack asked, crossing both arms over his chest and waiting for Amy’s command. He winked at Nicole, flashing her one of those handsome grins, melting her on the inside.
“You’ll have to cook dinner for my mom and me, do the dishes, and treat us to movie night at home, in our cabin, with popcorn, and extra, extra, butter.” Amy crossed her arms and added emphasis on the extra, extra part, causing all of the adults to laugh.
“That sounds like so much fun that I think I’ll have to mess up your hair.” Jack yanked gently on one of her braids twice and grinned at Amy.
“Now you’ve gone and done it!” Amy giggled.
“I think this means you’re in for dinner, dishes, and popcorn, buddy.” Jed elbowed Jack.
“With extra, extra butter!” Jack and Nicole said in unison, bursting into laughter because they both had the same reply.
“You know it!” Amy high-fived Jed and they fell into a fit of giggles. Then Amy looked at Jack with her big blue eyes.
“How can I say no to those eyes?” Jack chuckled. “I’ll have to check my calendar and get back with you and your mom, Amy, but listen, right now, I’m super hungry. You girls wanna join Jed and me for lunch in the dining hall?”
Nicole felt her cheeks turning pink, but it was all in good fun and the wranglers seemed to have enjoyed Amy’s precocious behavior. In fact, they appeared to be thoroughly amused. “All right, I guess we’ll join you if it’s no trouble. I’m sure Amy and I would love being in your company. We were headed that way next, anyhow.”
Before long, they were seated with the wranglers in the dining hall near the front of the main barn-shaped house where they feasted on cheeseburgers with all the toppings, French fries, and cups of assorted fruit.
“Your turn to pray, Colten,” Jed nodded at Jack.
Jack closed his eyes, bowed his head, and everyone did the same. “Dear Heavenly Father, thank You so much for the opportunity to meet Nicole and Amy. Thank You for the wonderful food spread here before us. We bless it in Your name. Please watch over all of the guests and workers gathered here at the ranch and lead us closer to You. In the precious name of Jesus, we ask these things, Amen.”
“Are you girls going to ride the trails later today?” Jack asked after they’d had a chance to taste a few bites of the food.
“As a matter of fact, Amy and I were hoping to do just that after we tend to a few other things,” Nicole admitted before taking another bite of the enormous, juicy burger dripping with cheese and all the fixings.
“That’s great! Come on up to the barn when you’re ready and we’ll get you girls some nice horses and saddled up.” Jed took another bite of his cheeseburger.
“Have you ever been horseback riding before, Amy?” Jack reached for the mustard and added more to his cheeseburger.
“Well, only one time for about ten minutes at one of my birthday parties.” Amy dipped a French fry in some of the tangy sauce on her plate.
“We had pony rides for all of the kids,” Nicole explained, reaching for another napkin. She didn’t allow herself to eat cheeseburgers and fries too often, but these really hit the spot.
“Ah, I see.” Jack nodded. “You may want to freshen up your skills by riding a horse in the fenced pasture first. I could help you with some tips.”
“That’d be great.” Nicole smiled. She was in trouble. The man prayed, he was super good looking, genuinely caring, liked horses, and he paid attention to her daughter.
“Have you been riding before, Nicole?” Jed asked.
Reaching for the mustard, she replied, “I grew up on a small Wisconsin farm. My siblings and I each had our own horse. I’m comfortable with riding most horses, but it’s been a few years.”
She glanced at a text flashing silently across the screen of her phone from Drew. He was replying to her text she’d sent him the night before, letting him know they’d arrived safely. She’d have to reply later on. She stared at the text, but didn’t pick up the phone, and couldn’t absorb the words. She had one thought running through her mind. In the five years she’d been with Drew, not once had he ever prayed before a meal for them. Right now, she had to eat lunch, figure out why she was having so much fun, why she felt so happy, and why her heart seemed like one big jumble. Picking up her cheeseburger, she took another bite, wondering about Jack Colten and why she found herself curious about him.
Chapter 6
“During the holidays, everyone needs a break from studying for exams and Christmas shopping. I wanted to put together a diverse tour that rocks in many musical directions but always points to Christ.”
—Toby Mac
Nicole rummaged through her suitcase and the few items she’d managed to hang in the closet in her loft bedroom. Then she looked through the drawers at the items she’d placed in the dresser. She shook her head in frustration. “Amy, we’ve got to purchase some cowboy boots and riding clothes. I was so focused on winter clothing, I forgot all about the fact this is a ranch. We need some flannel shirts and cowboy boots to go with our jeans.”
“I saw some kids going up to the barn wearing winter boot
s yesterday. Why can’t we just wear what we’ve got?” Amy crossed her arms and tapped one of her little feet on the wood floor of the loft bedroom, clearly frustrated.
“You did? Were they little kids?” She kept looking at her pretty pink snow boots, wondering if they’d be too big to fit in the stirrups. They might pass.
“No, they were teenagers, Mom.” Amy sighed. “We’ll be fine.”
“All right, we’ll try it, but as soon as possible, we’re going to the mall to get some proper riding clothes. You know, western stuff,” Nicole warned.
“We can go shopping any ol’ time, but riding horses is way funner.”
“Way more fun,” Nicole corrected. “Go get bundled up and I’ll make a few calls and some coffee before we go.”
“Thanks, Mom!” Amy smiled and raced downstairs to get dressed.
“Dress warm!” she called after her, pausing with her hands on her hips to marvel at her daughter. She shook her head and smiled. Amy was a handful. She couldn’t imagine having more children, but she knew lots of moms managed somehow.
She sat down on the wooden bench at the foot of the bed with her cell. She stared at the phone for a few minutes, trying to think of how to reply to Drew’s text. She ran a satirical dialogue through her mind. Having a blast in Wyoming without you, and by the way, there’s a seriously handsome cowboy here who pays attention to Amy. I really don’t think we should get married, Drew Fairchild. I’d only spend your billions in five minutes at the mall. She shook her head again, knowing she couldn’t send anything remotely resembling her current thoughts. Instead, she decided to be nice to buy time to sort through her feelings. Last night, she’d had the urge in the middle of the night to ask Drew to join them in Wyoming, but the truth was, it had been fleeting. She needed this break from him and from acting. She’d earned it. Amy deserved it. She decided on a simple text:
Hey Drew. We’re doing well. It’s going good so far. We’re heading out on some trails for horseback riding. Amy really needs this time with me and I need this time with her. The cell phone reception is a little sporadic in this area. I’ll call you in a few days when we’re settled in more and let you know how it’s going.
Then she dialed her mom’s number. She was thankful to get her mother’s voicemail. She left her a quick message, silenced her cell completely, and then tossed the phone onto the middle of the bed while she finished dressing. She pulled on a pale pink sweater with her jeans and then stepped into her designer pink boots with the dangling miniature pompoms and pink fringe. What was the noise outside her cabin? Was that rap music she heard? It was really good rap music, too.
“C’mon Mom, hurry! I wanna hear this music!” Amy hollered from the front door as Nicole came downstairs.
“I do, too. It sounds nice. Do you know where it’s coming from exactly?” Nicole grabbed her cross-body purse with her keys and sunglasses. Joining her daughter at the door, they stepped out onto the front porch.
“I see them! Look, those are the teens I was telling you about, the ones I saw going to the barns yesterday in their winter boots.” Amy pointed toward the picnic pavilion and arena area.
Nicole squinted her eyes. She could make out a group of musicians on a wooden platform in the center of the picnic pavilion area. They were doing some hip-hop style dancing and singing rap music using outdoor microphones, speakers, and other equipment. “Hmm, let’s head that way for a moment.”
As they neared the bandstand where the band was apparently practicing for a performance, Nicole slid her sunglasses on, hoping they wouldn’t be recognized. The group was good, and on top of that, there was something different about them.
The more she listened to the lyrics, the more she realized this was a Christian rap music group. They were impressive, too. They were a multi-cultural group with white, Hispanic, and African American members. None of that mattered to her though. Nicole didn’t have a racist bone in her body. What she noticed was they had an amazingly distinctive message, style, and talent. She’d never heard of a Christian rap band before, but these college-age kids were more than good. They were truly talented. They were working hard on a synced hip-hop dance routine as they sang and played their keyboards and other instruments. It was fun to watch them and when she looked down, Amy was copying all of their dance moves and having the time of her life.
“Hey, little girl!” One of the band members who appeared to be the leader jumped off the platform in a huge leap and danced his way over toward Amy. They heard one of the other band members call out “Way to go, Casey” as he landed the leap in a cool dance move. When he was standing in front of them, he gave Amy a high five. “You’re pretty good! You catch on fast to everything we’re doing.”
“Thanks, Casey!” Amy grinned and looked up at Nicole.
“You can hang out with us sometime,” he added, still dancing while the other band members continued to perform up on the platform.
“You’re not so bad yourself.” Nicole smiled. She glanced at the banner on the stage. “Your band is named Redemption Revolution?”
“Yep, and thanks.” Then he stopped dancing and stared hard at Nicole. “Say, I know you. Aren’t you...aren’t you Nicole Maribella Beaumont?”
Nicole took off her sunglasses and nodded. “Yes, that’s me. Pleased to meet you. I’m Amy’s mom.”
“I saw you in the movie, Dakota. You were awesome!” He grinned and high-fived Nicole with both hands. “We perform this week every night at the pavilion whenever there’s a BBQ or a chuck wagon dinner, but if the weather is bad we’ll be at the main house.” Turning to Amy, he leaned down and added, “Stop by anytime, Amy.” He patted her on the head and then danced back up onto the stage, leaving one extremely happy child holding her hand.
“Ready to go ride some horses?” Nicole asked, stomping her feet to keep warm. They were both getting chilly standing out in the crisp November air. She was glad they’d worn their new puffy winter vests over their sweaters and had thought to wear scarves and gloves.
“Ready!” Amy grinned, dancing and skipping alongside her all the way to the row of big red barns behind the main house.
The few inches of snow in patches here and there on the ground crunched beneath their feet as they walked, their breath hanging in the crisp air. Since the sun was shining brightly, Nicole didn’t think the snow would last long. The trails were clear enough for riding and there were no signs of ice anywhere. When they rounded the corner into the barn, they stumbled onto a scene that made Nicole pull them both to a stop.
“Ready?” Jed asked Cowboy Jack. A frisky, stomping horse neighed and stood in the center of the barn. The horse neighed and her nostrils flared. She stepped forward a few inches, back a few inches, forward again, neighed and then stomped. The frisky horse swished her tail. Nicole, knowing a little something about horses from her childhood growing up on a farm in Wisconsin, could see she was a mare.
Jed stood with a saddle on the ground at his feet. He grinned and waved his hand in Jack’s direction. “Hit it, bro.”
Jack, a guitar slung over one shoulder, began playing and singing a familiar tune, “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head.”
Amy looked up at her mom, confused. Nicole put a finger to her lips, signaling to her to keep quiet. She kept a hand on her daughter’s shoulder, pulling her back to hover quietly in the shadows near a staircase leading to a loft, not too far from the main entrance of the barn. From there, they could observe the scene without being noticed or disturbing the horse.
Jed pointed at an older man after the second verse. The man lifted a trumpet to his lips and began softly playing the tune with his instrument along with Colten. True to Nicole’s suspicions, the horse began to simmer down. Her tail was still swishing and she still stomped every now and then, but the neighing had stopped. Her ears twitched to the tune, and she looked in Jack’s direction, sometimes glancing at the man playing the trumpet. A dog wearing a red bandana sat patiently beside them, close to the one with the trumpet.
>
The older gentleman and Jack began playing “Stand By Me.” Jack sang all of the lyrics to the songs, his handsome voice producing a fine rendition as they calmed the horse. Amy looked from the scene before them up to her, and then back again, amazed at what they saw happening.
Now the horse’s tail stopped swishing and Jed reached in his pocket and produced an apple slice. Holding his palm up with the apple, he held out his hand beneath her mouth. The beautiful chestnut mare ate it right up and he patted her lovingly along her mane. After a few verses of “Stand By Me,” they started playing “Lean On Me.” Jed pulled a harness off of his left shoulder and slowly slid it onto the skittish beauty.
“Atta girl,” Jed whispered. Slowly, he bent down and picked up the saddle with the saddle blanket beneath, easing them onto the horse. Then he buckled the saddle in place and patted the mare, carefully holding onto the lead.
“That’s a good girl, Butterfly,” Jack said, when the tune ended. The older man hung his trumpet on a hook behind them and shook his head, chuckling softly at the stubborn mare. He looked to Nicole as though he’d seen a lot of horses in his days.
It was the nicest thing they’d ever seen with regard to horses. Those wranglers sure had a way with them. When Jed began leading Butterfly to the corral to try out her new equipment, Nicole took Amy by the hand and they stepped forward with smiles.
Jack greeted them with a wide, handsome grin. “There’s my girls.”
“Hey Cowboy Jack!” Amy ran forward, letting go of her hand. Jack ruffled her hair and winked, allowing her to slip her hand into his.
“I’d like you ladies to meet my boss, Buck Maxheimer. He manages the ranch for the Haven family,” Jack explained as they began shaking hands with the wrangler who’d played the trumpet. “Buck, this is...”