Lauren lingered under the hot shower the next morning.
Was she really falling in love? It seemed traitorous and yet she thought Dane would approve. Dane and Reese would have liked each other. Good men, both.
Yet, she had reservations. Could she really confine herself to the ranch? Would she not look up at the sky every day and long to be there? She felt terribly sad for the loss of that baby years ago. What if it had been she who’d lost a child?
She turned off the faucet, wrapped herself in a towel and padded to the window. There were riders in the ring. She looked at her watch and was startled to see it was already past nine. She dressed quickly in a pair of jeans, one of her new shirts and her riding boots.
Lauren went down to the dining room. The room was empty and the buffet was almost gone. There were various packages of cereals, a bowl of fruit, some pastries. She headed for the coffee urn and filled a cup.
Betty appeared at the door. “Can I fry bacon and eggs for you? It would just take a jiffy.”
She started to say “no, don’t bother” but changed her mind. She was starving after last night’s outing. “That would be great, thank you. Has everyone else eaten?”
“You are the last. Reese was the first.” Betty disappeared back into the kitchen as Lauren wondered if word had leaked that she’d been out with Reese last night.
She finished breakfast quickly, thanked Betty and walked outside. Heath was talking to a mustang as Reese stood nearby. The horse, instead of scooting as far away as possible, seemed to be listening. As she approached she discovered the boy was not speaking but singing.
Reese gestured for her to come over.
As she neared, she heard an old Scottish lullaby. Heath’s good, she mouthed to him.
“Very good. I don’t think Nathan knows that. It wasn’t in any of the information I had. I’m going to have to get the two together,” Reese said.
“I wonder if he learned that song from his father. Maybe it was too painful for him to sing any of those songs until now. He’s sharing his hurt with the horse.”
Reese nodded. “You’re right. The horse is responding to him quicker than any of the others and yet, like Jenny, he’s been one of the quietest of the bunch.”
Lauren didn’t speak again until the song ended. She wanted to grab Reese’s hand and share the moment in a more intimate way. Instead, she asked, “Are you going to take them out to see the moon tonight?”
He nodded. “Yep. But I’m keeping it a surprise. We’ll all have dinner at the house, then a bonfire while the ranch hands saddle the kids’ horses.”
“Sounds like fun,” Lauren said. “I’m going to go check on Julie. She’s in the ring now.”
“Mary said she’s doing exceptionally well, particularly since she has that brace on one side.”
“I’m so proud of her and how she’s fitting in.”
He nodded. “I can tell she’s turning into the leader of the pack. The others seem to look up to her. She really looks after Jenny.”
“Anything I can help with, especially with the computer since that’s why I’m here.”
“Nope.”
“Is there really anything wrong with the computer? Or do you just enjoy having something to complain about?”
“Well, I could tell you...”
A new voice broke in. “When he starts that ‘Well, I’ll tell you’ business, take it with a huge grain of salt,” Chet said as he waited for Reese’s attention. “It’s almost always a lie.”
“Where did you come from?” Reese asked with mock anger.
“From doing what you asked me to do.”
“That’s fine. Just fine. Now, isn’t there something else you need to do?”
“I think I’m leaving on that note to check on my daughter,” Lauren said. She walked over to the ring and perched on the railing.
Leo followed her.
Mary Abbot, the instructor, had placed a two-foot jump in the ring. Julie cantered around the ring, then headed toward the jump, leaning forward in her saddle. Snowflake glided over the obstacle.
Lauren’s stomach jumped with it. She decided it was best not to watch. Then she saw Nathan watching intently, as well. She hoped Julie wouldn’t get too attached to him. She was still too young. They were miles apart and not only in interests.
Miles apart. Just like Reese and herself. What was she doing falling for someone who was the opposite of her? She and Dane were alike in so many ways. Their love of flying. Their love for their daughter. Travel. They had taken Julie all over Europe.
She continued to watch until Julie finished and took her horse inside.
Mary came over to Lauren. “She’s a natural.”
“She’s always been very athletic.”
“Have you thought about continuing her riding after she leaves here? Competitively?”
“Don’t they start at an early age?”
“It helps, of course, when they start early, but she has enough natural talent to do well. She also has a competitive spirit.”
“I’ve seen that in her running.”
“I could recommend some good trainers. Depends on where you live.”
“When I find that out, I’ll be in touch.”
“I’ll be around until the end of the program,” Mary said. “Reese knows how to reach me.”
“I heard you did educational videos with Reese.”
“Not together, but for the same company. They’re trying to get him to do more videos. He has everything they’re looking for—authority, experience, knowledge.”
And good looks.
Lauren didn’t like the seed of jealousy that was starting to bubble inside. It was none of her business anyway. Unless she got a job, they couldn’t afford lessons, much less boarding, food and vet bills.
She went inside the stable where Julie was cooling off Snowflake. “She’s the greatest horse, Mom. She just soared over the jump. Mary says I have real potential.”
“I watched you. It was wonderful. I’m so proud of you.”
“You think we can get a horse? Maybe even buy Snowflake?”
“We’ll see,” Lauren said. “Will you have lunch with me?”
“Sure. The other kids are envious. They think you’re great.”
“Great, wow. Why?”
“They like you. The poker started it. Then suggesting cleaning the stalls? A winner.”
“I wouldn’t think that would be a winner. They were cold, muddy and tired at the end.”
“We didn’t mind, and all the ranch hands loved it. They couldn’t thank us enough. It was really neat, them thanking us... Anyway,” she added, “you’re a ‘wow.’”
“I’m not quite sure what that is?”
“It’s good,” Julie said. She filled Snowflake’s water bucket and feed box, then offered the horse a carrot. Snowflake chomped it and nuzzled her.
Julie beamed. “See, she really likes me.”
Lauren thought it was more the carrot than Julie, but she let it go.
“Mr. Howard said I picked the best horse. That she had the best gait of them all, and she does. Mary agrees.”
“But don’t tell the others, okay? They’re just as proud of their horses as you are of Snowflake.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” her daughter said indignantly.
“How do you like the others now that more than a week has passed?”
“I really like Jenny. Tony’s growing on me. He was a real jerk in the beginning, but I think he was angry. He really resents his future stepdad. I get that. I would feel the same way.”
Lauren’s heart dropped. “And Heath?”
“He’s kind of quiet but I think it’s because he hurts inside.”
“I think so, too. I think he needs a friend. Someone who knows what he’s going through.”
“I’ll try.”
“You’re growing into a very nice person,” Lauren said. “Your dad’s probably sitting up there somewhere and smiling.”
She put her arm around her daughter’s shoulders and they headed for the house.
Lunch was much like breakfast. Everyone came and went at their convenience. The dining room was half-full when Lauren and Julie arrived. Robin joined them. “You and Jenny both looked great today,” she said. “I can honestly say that you looked better than the bunch I was with when I was a Junior Rancher at this point. That includes me.”
They ate quickly. They all wanted to get back to their horses or to their time with the mustangs. When they weren’t riding, they were cleaning their horses’ stalls, polishing the saddle and cleaning the other equipment, or just talking to their horses.
After Julie left for her session with her mustang, Lauren decided to check “the monster,” which was apparently the only thing that scared Reese Howard.
The office didn’t look used since the last time she was here. She turned the computer on. It had all the safety programs and virus protection tools. She wrote an email to Patti in San Antonio and told her how well Julie was doing and that she was staying at the ranch.
The monster seemed to be working properly. She didn’t think it had anything to do with a new sheriff. It had more to do with its owner’s sense of humor, such as it was. It had become a collective joke.
She smiled as she turned it off.
There was no dessert with supper. After they finished dinner, the group trooped out to the picnic area in the back of the house. Several ranch hands tended a large outdoor firepit for a marshmallow roast.
The fire was already flaming. Both the kids and buddies grabbed thin metal spikes and started roasting the sweets. The night was perfect. Mild temperature. Full moon.
Reese stood when the last marshmallow was consumed. He glanced at his watch. “It’s eight. We’re going for a ride tonight. Get your horses and meet at the riding ring.”
Everyone looked puzzled and gave each other questioning looks.
They all walked to the ring to find their horses already saddled. Lady was saddled as well and Lauren assumed the horse was meant for her. Her daughter, Jenny, Heath and Tony all looked nervous as they mounted. Reese swung up into his saddle and started in the direction he’d led her last night. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky and although the moon wasn’t quite as high as before, it was just as bright.
It gave enough light to easily follow the trail to a clearing under an overhanging cliff, the place Reese had brought her while she waited to see her daughter finish a riding lesson.
As it did before, the moonlight was reflected by the mountains and brightened the valley. A stream of water trickled down the cliff.
When they came to a halt, Reese maneuvered his horse in front of them. “You can dismount,” he said. As the four teens dismounted and looked around curiously, ranch hands emerged from the woods around the clearing. The buddies strode to stand beside their Junior Ranchers. The other hands, along with Sally and Betty, joined the group gathered around them.
Reese dismounted, as well. “I wanted to bring you here because this is where Eagles’ Roost was founded,” he said. “You know the history from the information we sent you, that an eagle led the founder here.
“But,” he continued, “you don’t often see the valley and mountains lit by the moon like this, and I thought it was the perfect place to thank you for what you did the other night and to congratulate you all on what you’ve accomplished in the past week and a half. It has not been ordinary because of the flood but you’re ahead of the other groups in spite of it.”
He paused, then added, “You all have aced the basic horsemanship part of the program and earned our silver horseshoe pin. I was planning to do this last Sunday when your families were here but the rain interrupted that plan. I’m very proud that I can award them now. Wear them proudly because you have earned them.”
He went on, “We have one more honor. And it goes to Jenny, who was judged by voters to have excelled in cleaning stalls Sunday night. Her spirit impressed everyone. Jenny, you can select the menu for all three meals next Saturday. Betty said anything goes except for pizza morning, noon and night. You can do it on your own or take suggestions.”
Jenny beamed as she probably had never beamed before.
“Our ranch hands can’t wait to see your menu,” Reese said with a huge grin.
“We have some entertainment tonight, as well.” He continued, “I heard Heath sing a song today while working with his mustang. He told me it was an old lullaby. I was carried away by it. He agreed to sing it to us tonight, and then Nathan will sing the Colorado State Song, Where the Columbines Grow.”
Both singers received standing ovations for their songs.
“Now it’s time for hot chocolate. Pete and Terry brought some earlier in those thermos bottles in the wagon to the left of you. Don’t go out of sight. You can get lost here quickly and there are coyotes around here.”
Everyone clapped, then stood to congratulate Jenny, Heath, Julie and Tony.
Awakened by the clapping, Leo jumped up and wagged his tail in approval.