by Andrea Young
Finny wanted him to know she was his friend no matter what. Before she lost the nerve she blurted out, “Joe, just so you know, I’m totally cool with you and Elsa, I swear.” Finny turned and hurried off, proud of herself for doing it even if it was the biggest lie she’d ever told.
Chapter Eighteen
JOE MADE HIS WAY TO THE BACK OF THE BARN, confused about what Finny meant about Elsa. That thought flew from his brain when he saw Sky’s path of destruction. Trying not to limp on an increasingly sore leg, Joe gathered the tools he’d need to fix the damage. Within the hour the broken stair boards were replaced and the feed room door was back on, as well as the feed scooped up and put into bins.
Joe was just about to start the last coat of paint on the repaired steps when he heard Elsa’s voice calling his name. He let out a groan and hoped she wouldn’t look behind the barn. Joe painted as fast as he could. He wanted to get done so he could sneak to his trailer without her seeing him. At least a hurt leg would be a good excuse to avoid another nightmare of a dance lesson.
“There you are!”
“Hey, Elsa.”
“I see you’re covering her tracks. You’re a nice friend all things considered.”
“I’m just fixing what’s broke, and for the record Sky dumped me, which is why he got loose. This wasn’t Finny’s fault.”
“Good luck convincing Jeff. I think her days here are done.”
“Let me know if that’s so, because that’ll be my last day too.”
“Don’t say that.” Elsa sat on the still solid part of the porch and put her hand on Joe’s shoulder. “This job is very important for you. It’s good for your reputation as a horse trainer and as a professional.” Joe didn’t answer as he continued to paint.
“You’re so tense.” Elsa began kneading the tight muscle in his shoulder.
“Elsa, please, I gotta finish painting.”
“Why are you so loyal to her? You know she’s dating Dale. They’re going to the school dance tomorrow night. She’s made her choice. It’s time you realized that and moved on.” Joe stopped what he was doing and stood.
“She is? She’s going to a dance with him tomorrow?”
“Yes, Joe, I’ve been trying to tell you.” Elsa stepped in front of him and laid her hand on his chest, “Let me help you move on.” Running her hand through his hair, Elsa attempted to draw Joe into a kiss. Caught by surprise, he pulled away.
“Elsa, what are you doing?”
“What do you think? Why are you so hung up on her? She loves someone else. She doesn’t want you. You are either incredibly blind or completely stupid. On top of that I’m here for you and you just push me away. Finny’s right, you’re not good enough as a horse trainer or a boyfriend!”
The dress was spectacular. Her makeup was perfect and Finny’s styled hair shimmered in the light. Finny thought to herself she’d never looked this good, this grown up, or felt this miserable. She kept a happy face on for her mom, who was beside herself with joy. Her once socially awkward wallflower of a daughter was coming out of her shell and dating the most handsome, sought-after boy in school. Dale arrived right on time and her mom and Steven took an embarrassing number of pictures. They proceeded to tell Dale repeatedly how thrilled they were that Finny and he were going to the dance. Finny finally had to pry her mother off of Dale’s arm so they could go.
Once in the car, Finny said, “Sorry, Dale, that was mortifying.”
Dale laughed and shook his head. “Your parents are super nice.”
“Glad someone thinks so.” Dale laughed again.
“So, is this your first dance?”
“Yep, first ever.”
“I know you’re going to have fun. And I know I said it already but you look amazing.”
“Thanks, Dale, you’re very sweet.”
The remainder of the drive was quiet. Dale pulled up, parked, then went to open Finny’s door.
“Thank you.” Finny looked up at the fancy decorations surrounding the door. She saw a bunch of her classmates going in and out. It was weird seeing them all dressed up. Finny looked at Dale. He had a somber expression on his handsome face.
“What’s wrong?” Finny asked.
“I’m not sure. You look like you’re about to head into a funeral.”
“Oh, do I? I’m sorry . . . got a lot on my mind.”
“Finny, can we just sit outside for a minute? I want to ask you something.”
They sat on the bench outside the gym door. Their fellow classmates said hello as they came and went. Dale cleared his throat before he began. “I’ve dated some and had a serious girlfriend once for a summer . . . and, well, what I’m trying to say is . . .” Dale huffed out a breath. “Elsa said you had a mad crush on me and really wanted to go out. I always thought you were cute, but had no idea you liked me. So, figuring you were shy, I made the first move. The thing is, I kinda don’t get that you-have-a-mad-crush-on-me vibe from you.”
“Oh God, Dale. I’m so sorry. You’re a great guy, but Elsa’s a big trouble-making liar.” Finny slumped back on the bench, feeling ill. “I’m so sorry. You’re really awesome, it’s just . . . I . . .”
“Like someone else.” Dale finished. Finny looked at him, bit her lip, and nodded. Dale let out a sigh and leaned back on the bench. “Well that makes me feel better. I thought I was losing my mojo,” Dale said with a smile.
Finny put her hand over her mouth and laughed.
“That’d never happen, Dale.”
“So I’m guessing it’s Joe, the guy I met at the ranch.” Finny nodded. “And, since Elsa played me like a puppet, I’m guessing she likes this Joe too.” Finny nodded again.
“Wow, he must have super mojo.”
Finny laughed even harder.
“So does Joe know how you feel?”
Finny shrugged her shoulders. “I think he might have fallen for Elsa.”
“So you don’t know?”
“Not really.”
“Well, it’s up to you. If you would like to dance I’m yours for the evening, but if Elsa has worked Joe, like she worked me, I think you better go talk to him.”
Chapter Nineteen
IT WAS THE RUN, THE ALL-OUT, GO-FOR-BROKE, don’t-stop-till-you’re-almost-dead run. Joe was sure of it. He kicked Sky on. The horse flew across the ground, bathed in the eerie blue hue of the rising moon. Joe knew Sky had spent almost twelve years in horse isolation, half starved with no care. He was a horse filled with anger and confusion with a lifetime of frustration to get out of his system.
Finny sitting with Dale on the bench outside the dance tortured Joe’s thoughts. All along, Elsa had been right.
Out of desperation, Joe had taken the ranch truck and driven to the high school. He had to see for himself, had to know for sure. He didn’t have a license yet, but didn’t care. He’d been driving since he was thirteen.
She was there, shining like a goddess in her beautiful dress, with Dale by her side. It was more than Joe’s heart could take.
After a few miles, Sky no longer needing Joe’s urging. The horse thundered over the ground out of pure need, his spirit soaring. Joe knew he had to make Sky better; he had to keep his promise. If he did, then maybe there was a chance she could love him.
At the base of the mountain Joe felt the change, in Sky’s stride or his mind, he wasn’t sure, but the horse switched on. Sky ran like he was bred to. It took all Joe had to stay on. Miles were disappearing in minutes but Sky wasn’t tiring. If anything, this new adventure was pounding adrenaline through his veins, feeding the will to go on. The higher they went, the harder the trails were to negotiate, but Sky had a sense all his own. Joe wasn’t sure the horse would listen if he tried to guide him. The underbrush was thick, but what Sky couldn’t run through he jumped over, almost frantic as if his life depended on getting to the top of the mountain.
Joe didn’t know how long they’d been running, but he felt that a lifetime of misery lay behind in the dust and hoofprints they left. In
his mind, Joe needed the run as badly as Sky, but his body was human and was wearing out. He had to slow the horse down and prayed Sky would listen. With all his strength Joe pulled on the reins. He leaned back using his body’s weight, but it was useless. Sky bore down hard on the bit, yanking Joe to his neck, then burst forward. Joe hung on, hoping for enough stamina to ride it out. He buried his face in Sky’s mane to avoid the overhanging branches that constantly whipped him as they sped by. Sweat and foam poured from Sky’s body, making the reins almost too slippery to hold. Joe laced his fingers through Sky’s thick mane for a better grip. Exhaustion was taking over. If he didn’t stop soon, he’d fall, and at the speed they were going he didn’t know if he’d survive it.
Joe began to talk to Sky, telling him he had to slow down, had to stop. Demanding anything of this horse didn’t work. He’d have to ask Sky. Joe kept talking, telling him it was okay to stop now. They were easily halfway up the mountain. Joe watched Sky’s ear flick back when he felt it, the slightest hint of Sky easing. Joe told him whoa and hauled back on the reins. It helped; Sky was listening. He broke stride. Another hard pull and Joe cut his speed to half. One more pull and Sky jerked to a sudden stop. Joe collapsed on Sky’s neck before rolling to the ground in a tangle of underbrush. Joe lay there, exhausted, gasping for air, his knee on fire. The big horse hovered over him blowing warm breath in his face. Above Sky, the mass of stars burned bright and it was beautiful.
Dale drove Finny to Silver Spur and wished her luck. Finny told him how much she appreciated everything. She hopped out of his car and ran to Joe’s trailer. This was it, she was going to spill her guts. If he confessed his feelings for Elsa, at least she’d have tried. Dale was right—she wasn’t going to give up without a fight. Finny knocked loudly on Joe’s door—no answer. Frustrated, she checked the windows. No sign of Joe. Finally, she tried the door and found it unlocked. She called his name. Nothing. He wasn’t there.
Her stomach seized when she realized that he must be with Elsa. All the air felt sucked out of her as she wandered across the field to Azure Hills. She needed to at least see Sky. Finny leaned into his stall and called to him. The stall was empty. The contrast of a white folded piece of paper against the dark of Sky’s feeder drew her attention. She hurried into the stall to retrieve it.
Finny,
I think I know why Sky acts out. I’m not sure it will work but I’m going to try. You deserve a great horse. I’ll be back as soon as I can. I’m sorry I let you down. You looked like a princess in your dress tonight. Please give me one more chance.
Joe
Finny grabbed the note to her chest. She read it again. Tears streamed down her cheeks unabated. She ran to the end of the property and looked to the distant mountain. She knew Joe was there; she felt it. He’d go to what he knew. Finny scanned the dark mountain’s face, visible thanks to the brilliant moon. She trusted Joe and his ability completely, but Sky was a wild card that had almost killed him.
Finny felt sick with dread. She should tell someone. What if Joe was up there hurt? No, she reasoned, he can do anything. He’s proven that time and time again. If Joe said he’d be back, he’d be back, no question. Finny knew without a doubt he loved her. This was his way of telling her. Not with a hug or a word but with keeping a promise no matter the cost.
Chapter Twenty
JOE WOKE TO A FACE IN THE SUN AND A BODY FULL of aches and pains. He sat up and stretched the kinks out of almost every muscle he had.
Sky stood a few feet away grazing on the plentiful grass in the clearing. Joe looked him over. He was covered in dried sweat but was still in one piece. Of all the breakneck back-alley races Joe had run, none compared to this one. Sky had power and speed beyond belief.
Pain shot through Joe’s leg when he tried standing, driving him back to the ground. He rubbed his knee and tried again, using his good leg, and got to his feet. Joe’s head swam when he took his first step. After a minute of leaning on a tree he took another step toward the horse and the water pouch he’d attached to the saddle. Normally he wouldn’t have bothered to bring water, but this was California, and water was scarce. His right leg felt like lead as he made his way toward Sky. He rubbed it again. The muscle was beginning to relax, making walking more possible.
“Hey, Sky. Good boy.” Joe gave the horse a pat and took the water pouch. He drank half the bag before offering the rest to Sky. The big horse finished up the water. Joe surveyed the area; he had no idea where he was. He’d never expected Sky to go so far so fast. Joe knew he had been right. Sky needed the run, needed the freedom. Today would be pivotal. Sky had to want to work with people for Finny to have any chance of a riding horse. A horse with this much heart needed a purpose. Joe had ridden enough champion horses to know they made themselves great because they wanted it.
Ten miles was Joe’s guess, to the top of the mountain. Doing the best he could not to hurt his leg, Joe mounted Sky. He urged him to walk forward. Sky pawed the ground once and walked on. He felt like a horse in a starting gate, ready to bolt. Joe tested his leg by standing in the stirrup. It wasn’t too bad. He said a silent prayer and hoped he and his knee would hold up. After a deep breath Joe urged Sky into a canter. He pointed the horse up the trail and let the reins loose. If Sky wanted to all-out run it was up to him. And run Sky did.
It was like stepping into another world when Joe and Sky broke through the cloudbank and crested the mountaintop. Joe was made dizzy by the vastness around him, by the beauty of the brilliant blue sky. He heard an eagle cry, and, to his amazement, it soared beneath him, its giant wingspan keeping it aloft on the warm upswelling current. Joe turned his face to the sun and filled his lungs with the crisp, pure air, letting it energize his body and spirit.
He stared into the distance, not comprehending what his eyes saw. It surely was the edge of the earth. Joe realized that for the first time in his life, he was looking at the ocean. It was a moment most spiritual. Joe understood fully why his Indian ancestors worshiped nature. The proof was all around him. He felt one with the earth and part of the sky. He knew he was halfway to heaven when he closed his eyes and prayed to his parents, prayed to the earth below, the sky above, and to God who was everywhere. His prayer was simple: Help him be strong and show him the way. That’s all he needed.
Finny packed up what tack and supplies she had stored in the Silver Spur tack room. Leaving seemed surreal. She was surprised she didn’t feel as sad as she thought she would. She’d learned a lot in her four years here. Not all about riding. She’d learned about people too, the good and the bad.
Barbara was the one who had broken the news with tears in her eyes. Finny felt sorry the job of kicking her out had been dumped on Barbara. The truth of it was, Finny was relieved. Four years of Elsa torment had gotten old. Now with Joe in the mix, it had become too intense.
Finny put her stuff in the bed of Vel’s truck, then Vel drove her up to Joe’s trailer. She dreaded breaking the news to him. Elsa wanted them both gone, and Elsa got her way.
Finny and Vel moved around Joe’s trailer gathering his things. It was painful remembering how happy he’d been when he moved in, how badly he’d wanted a home. Joe hadn’t lied when she’d asked if he’d run from home, because his home had been long gone by the time he ran.
It only took fifteen minutes and one box to pack all Joe’s belongings. Finny looked at the nice furniture that filled the trailer. Elsa had done all this just to exert control. Did money do that to a person, or would she have found another way had she been poor? It made no sense.
Once everything was packed Finny let out a deep breath and got in the truck. She mentally said good-bye to what had been her second home as Vel pulled away. She’d hoped Jeff would be there to wish her well, but for whatever reason, he wasn’t.
Back at Azure Hills, Vel parked her truck, took the box of Joe’s stuff, and went inside to put it in the spare room. Finny went through the back of the property to the base of the mountain where she’d been waiting ever since she f
ound Joe’s note, only leaving to pick up their things from Silver Spur.
The tears were real when she called her mom, but they were for Joe, not a sick horse Finny convinced her mother she needed to stay overnight with at Azure Hills. She’d also had to tell her mother the dance was fun, rebuffing her mother’s many questions.
The guilt began to take its toll on Finny. The longer she kept Joe and Sky secret the more lies she told.
Chapter Twenty-One
IT WAS A DIFFERENT HORSE UNDERNEATH HIM. JOE felt it in every step Sky took. He felt it in the way the horse breathed, in the calm, steady energy that flowed through him. Sky had let go. The adrenaline surge pushed out the anxiety. The gallons of sweat washed out the anger. Joe was able to direct Sky, now content enough to listen, down the mountain.
The wild out-of-control ride up had left Joe unsure as to where they were, but he knew the horse’s natural instinct would guide them home.
Once in a clearing, Joe looked off to see if he could spot the town at the base of the mountain, but the earth below lay blanketed in mist, so again, it was up to Sky.
Moving through the cloudbanks made everything dreamlike. A little bit of heaven on earth, just like Finny said. And now, thanks to her, Joe could see it. He wished she were there with him. He pictured her eyes wide with wonder, her beautiful face lit up. Joe realized now he lived for those moments.
Sky continued on, diligently picking the route. There was a good horse under him and Joe knew Sky was a horse that would let Finny live her dreams. He was happy; if nothing else at least he had done that for her. Joe wondered what she was thinking. He hoped she wasn’t mad. He had taken her horse without asking. It was impulsive and Joe typically wasn’t impulsive. It had been seeing Dale with Finny that had driven him to the desperate act. He contemplated what to do if Finny was truly in love with Dale. He’d already had so much heartache in his life, he didn’t think he could take a new round of it. He’d have to leave. It was a painful revelation, but he would have no choice.