“You arrogant son of a bitch! Back off.” Sarah wiped away the tears and slowly limped to Ace’s front. He lowered his head and looked at her as if to say he was sorry for what happened. Sarah met his eyes as well and stepped close and hugged his neck, letting him know she understood he only wanted to protect her.
It took some serious strength and nerve to slowly walk to his back left leg again. Her hands shook, but she bent to pick up the hoof. Ace stood completely still and allowed Sarah her inspection. Sarah cleaned the hoof and took great pains to inspect it carefully, even though her crouched position hurt like hell. She filed down a rough spot and checked Ace’s shoe to make sure it was secure and properly placed. She slowly lowered Ace’s hoof and stood, taking the weight off her battered leg.
“Jerry, Ace has a small soft spot on the bottom of the hoof. Probably just a stone that had been stuck at one time but is now gone. It’s really nothing.”
“That’s what we thought. Thanks for checking, Sarah.”
“Sure, no problem. Now, let’s get a good look at the cut on his hindquarter.” Sarah inspected the cut and decided, while most of it was superficial and would heal by itself, there was a spot at the end that had gone deep enough to need a few stitches. She walked over to Doc’s bag and took out what she needed. Without a word, she wiped all the equipment down with alcohol swabs, found the medicine she needed to numb the area, and a fresh syringe. The vet stood by glaring with his arms folded across his chest. A stout man with a wide middle, white hair, and ruddy cheeks, he reminded her of one of those garden gnomes. All he needed was a white beard, little green suit, and a pointed hat.
She sang a new song for Ace, slow and soothing, and worked on the cut, cleaning it well to help prevent infection. Then, she numbed the area and expertly closed the wound with four stitches. She swiped some salve over the gash.
Sarah picked up the brush and, still singing, worked the brush over Ace again. By the time she finished, the horse was calm and Sarah was exhausted. Her leg screamed with pain, but she still had to play with the boys and sit through their picnic.
“Okay, Ace, you’re all set. Now, be a good boy and play nice with everyone. Jerry, where do you want him?”
“He’s due to have some exercise outside before we put him back in his stall. He could probably use it after the morning he’s had. I’ll take him out to the exercise ring.”
Jerry stepped forward to take the lead ropes for Ace, but Ace wasn’t about to give up on having Sarah take care of him. He stomped his hooves and moved toward her.
“Okay, big guy. I get it. You’re in the mood to be babied. Jerry, I’ll take him for a short ride.”
“Ride,” he said, aghast, and shook his head. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea. He hasn’t been ridden in a while, let alone saddled.”
“Who said anything about saddling him?” Sarah took off the lead ropes, turned over an empty bucket, stood on top, grabbed Ace’s mane, and hauled herself up onto his back. She gave him a soft kick and walked him out of the barn.
As soon as Ace felt the sunshine on him, he took off like a rocket. The only thing Sarah could do was hold on. The pain in her thigh was punctuated by having to use her legs to hold on to Ace, but she hadn’t felt this free in a long time. Ace was a strong horse and he was using that strength to get some energy out. With the sun and wind on both of them, Sarah simply gave in and enjoyed the ride that Ace was determined to give her.
Chapter Nine
“I’m four and I know all the numbers of the alphabet.” Nick said.
“It’s not numbers, it’s letters,” Jack corrected. “He’s still a baby. He gets mixed up.”
Nick persisted. “I am not a baby. Mama says I’m a big boy now. I go to pre-K.”
Luke had worried about leaving Sarah with Ace, but listening to the boys chatter as they made their way to the horses outside made him smile. So full of energy; it felt good to hold them in his arms with their little hands clinging to his shoulders.
Luke pretended the boys were weighing him down. “You’re both big boys.” He hefted them up a bit higher. “That’s why you get to ride these big horses.”
“I want the brown one,” Nick yelled.
“They’re both brown, dummy,” Jack said to his brother.
“Jack, don’t call Nick names. That’s not nice. Now, which brown one do you want, Nick?” Luke loved how Nick concentrated with his eyes narrowed and his mouth quirked in a crooked frown.
“The one that’s all brown. The other one has a white nose. I don’t want that one.”
“Okay, Stella is yours. Jack, you get Mandy. Both these girls are great riding horses. They’re very gentle. First, we’re going to introduce ourselves to them, and then we’ll go over the rules before we ride. Deal?”
In unison the boys echoed Luke, “Deal.”
Luke set the boys down and walked them up to the waiting horses and one of his ranch hands, Miguel. As if on cue, the horses lowered their heads to the boys, ready for a pat. The boys enthusiastically stroked the horses.
“She tickled my hand. Her nose is soft.” Jack pulled his hand back to his chest. “Nick, she tickled me.”
Nick patted Stella’s soft nose. “Yeah, mine tickles, too. Let’s go for a ride!”
“Okay, boys, here are the rules. You have to wear these helmets, just in case you fall off.” Luke plunked a helmet on each of their heads. “Hold on to the reins.” Luke held them up. “These straps here. Don’t pull. And no yelling at the horses. Loud noises scare them. The last rule is that you have to do exactly what Miguel and I tell you to do. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“Deal.”
“Okay. Buckle your helmets. Let’s go over to the indoor training ring and Miguel and I will teach you how to ride.”
Luke and Miguel settled the boys up in the saddles. Their faces lit up with the kind of joy Luke hadn’t felt in too long to remember. Nerves replaced some of that excitement when the horses jostled them a bit while they walked down to the ring, but half an hour later, and several rounds about the ring, the boys were back to having a ball.
Luke nodded to Miguel and they stepped away as Jack and Nick rode on. “You’re on your own, boys.”
“I’m doing it.” The pride in Jack’s eyes made Luke’s chest tight.
“Me, too,” Nick whispered, not wanting to spook his mount.
Jack laughed with excitement and Luke couldn’t help but smile at the little boy. He was so cute and full of fun.
Luke remembered what it had been like as a kid getting up on a horse for the first time and trying to outride his younger brother. His father and mother taught them just as Luke had taught Jack and Nick. He remembered the pride in his father’s eyes when he watched them ride.
Luke felt a pang in his heart. His brother, Jason, had found love and started a family of his own. Luke loved his niece and sometimes found himself feeling jealous of his little brother.
Yesterday, seeing the boys with their mom, he’d felt that twinge of envy again.
He’d love to see his own boys riding the horses and running around the ranch like he and his brother had done for so many years. Maybe a little girl, her long hair waving in the wind.