On Friday afternoon, Sunny arrived at Grant’s Retreat early. She’d seen a horse trailer go down the road earlier, which made her wonder, How big was this outing?
Handling a crowd for dinner, she knew about, though she’d never cooked for one. In the Larsons’ household, dinner often involved ten or twelve mouths to feed. Twenty wouldn’t be a stretch.
“Thought we’d serve from this spot.” Grant said. He wore his Western gear, his hat tipped to the back of his head, and Sunny, gazing at him, wanted to melt.
He hadn’t a clue to how effective he appeared, she thought. Like a movie-star cowboy from the old days, strong and in charge. He was concentrating on his big night.
Lord, I’m getting as mushy as a cream pie left to an August sun. Help me, please?
She had to be practical, she scolded herself.
They stood at the back end of the corral where Grant had directed them to. Sunny had never been in this area of the ranch before. The ground here was fairly level next to the horseshoe court. He’d cleared a large circle of weeds, and in the middle set a campfire, surrounded with stones. Two wooden tables stood to one side. They looked new.
“We can drive the truck right up here,” he said pointing to the already parked truck, “and use the truck bed for serving, too. We’re just going to have hot dogs and baked potatoes tonight. Buzz already has those in the oven, but he can bring them out later. And toppings, of course. We’ll see how it goes for the first time.”
“Great. That’ll do for the kids. Do you have plastic tablecloths?”
“Buzz?” Grant turned to his helper.
The man glanced up, then said in his gruff way, “I don’t handle the buyin’ end of things.”
“Okay,” she soothed. “You don’t have time to go into town to buy them. Can we use newspaper?”
“That’ll do,” Grant said, relieved. “I’ll go to the house for some. You see if we need anything else.”
Sunny started looking through the supplies in the boxes in the truck. She pulled out brand-new tin plates, cups and inexpensive flatware. An aged iron pot that she supposed Buzz would use in the future sat on the ground near the truck. Hot dogs and buns, relish, mustard, ketchup and a can of sauerkraut sat next to a thirty-cup coffeepot that looked brand new. A capped tub of cocoa mix was next to it. There were many supplies: butter and cheese for the potatoes, paper napkins, salt and pepper, a five-gallon cask of water, marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate bars. It would take a little time to set it all out.
Grant returned with the newspaper, and Sunny spread it over the picnic tables, taping it down with the tape Grant brought out.
“Gotta go tend to the horses now. Saddle up.” He turned to look at all the fixings for supper. “Guess we have everything.”
He started away, but turned again. “Dell’s coming, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he’s coming along,” Sunny replied.
“Good.”
When Grant left, she quickly set everything out. When it was done, she stepped back to view it. It looked divine, she thought.
She heard the bus before it arrived. Dust puffed up, stirring the gravel road. And the kids were singing.
They got off chattering, and remained noisily excited. Grant suddenly appeared and spoke to their leader, a young man with curly hair and glasses who was their youth minister, a man named Thad. They all lined up around the corral, looking at the horses, pointing eagerly to the showy ones.
“People!” Grant shouted to be heard over the hubbub.
Then all grew quiet while Grant gave his newcomers’ speech.
“Hello. I’m glad you’ve chosen to come to Grant’s Retreat for an outing. We aim to give you a happy ride, and later a wienie roast. Now there’s eighteen of you, aren’t there?”
While Grant was giving directions, Dell and Tracy arrived. Dell parked next to the bus and they got out. Having ridden before, Tracy proudly acted like an old hand. She lounged against the corral post with a casualness that was a bit comical, considering how nervous she’d been before.
“Dell!” called Grant. He glanced their way.
“Yeah?” Dell poked his head over the top rail of the corral.
“Want to give me a hand?”
“Sure, Grant.” He quickly ducked through the corral fence and idled up to Grant, who was adjusting stirrups.
“As each rider mounts, we need to check the stirrup lengths. Think you can you handle that?”
“Yeah, sure.” Dell flashed his eyes at Grant, then at his sister.
Sunny ambled up to the fence where Tracy stood. “How’s it going?”
“Fine.”
Grant seemed not to notice them until he suddenly called her. “Tracy…”
“Uh-huh?” The girl swiftly looked up, her eyes round as a night owl’s. Grant beckoned.
“Will you come and show the proper way to mount?”
Surprise flickered across Tracy’s face, but she quickly straightened to cover the emotion. Stepping forward eagerly, she showed not one ounce of the fear she’d shown before. Sunny noticed Grant had Coyote ready. Coyote turned her head, as though to welcome Tracy.
Sunny let go of a long breath she hadn’t known she held. Her hand tightened on the top rail.
Nearby, Dell was shortening the stirrups on one of the mounts. He glanced up anxiously at Grant’s directive; his hands slowed as he watched his sister mount in a perfect swing. He ducked his head and gave a slow smile, saying under his breath, “Good job.”
“Now I’m counting on you to help trail these church kids,” he told Tracy in a low tone. “Some of these kids have experience, but not all of them. Dell will bring up the absolute tail. Sunny’s going to stay and help Buzz.”
Tracy took the lead easily, and then came the long line of kids. Twenty of them, one by one, counting Dell and Tracy. Dell trailed them all, watching for anyone who might be having a problem.
Where had Grant gotten the extra horses to mount them all? She recalled the heavy horse trailer she’d seen earlier. He must have rented some of the mounts.
Sunny stood as they trailed out, and she watched them all the way until they disappeared up the woody slope. It struck her as a beautiful sight. The sun was low, giving long shadows, and she suddenly wished she’d brought a camera.
“Buzz, do you have a camera I can borrow?”
“Hmm, reckon you can borrow Grant’s. It takes good shots.”
“That’s what I want,” she told him.
He fetched it, and she was thankful it already had film in it. Then while Buzz built a fire, she opened hot dogs and buns, pickles and relish.
An hour later, the sun was sinking in long slow decline as the riders came up the meadow. Some of the kids were singing, and Sunny could tell by their expressions how much they liked the experience. They would come again.
They came into the corral, Buzz ready to help them dismount, and some wobbled over to the campfire.
“I’m starved,” said one girl, petite and pretty.
“Where’s the rest room?” whispered another into Tracy’s ear. Tracy pointed toward the barn. “Here, I’ll show you.” Tracy led the way into the barn, where a rest room was stationed.
Sunny noticed Dell helping some of the older teen girls to dismount, flirting as he did. Then he proceeded to help Grant unsaddle the horses, while the kids gathered around the campfire.
“This has been a great outing, hasn’t it, gang?” The youth minister spoke and the kids grew quiet. “Let’s ask the Lord’s blessings before we eat.”
The sheep hear their master’s voice… Sunny thought idly. Yet it was true of her as well. She bowed her head.
“Oh, Lord, we’ve enjoyed our ride out here at Grant’s Retreat tonight. We thank You for it, and ask Your blessings on Grant and on his stable. Now we’re provided with a great supper, so we thank You for that, too. We pray in Your name, Amen.”
Sunny busily passed the long forks and sticks Grant had whittled especially for the hot dogs. The kids grabbed them and skewered hot dogs in a flash.
Buzz busily poured potatoes into a long dish and set a bowl of grated cheese and butter beside it.
A couple of the boys laughingly broke into sword-play, brandishing their sticks in mock battle.
“Now, guys, stop that,” she heard herself say. “Those sticks are sharp. Someone might get hurt.”
She was about to caution the boys further when she heard, “Ouch, ouch, ouch!” and a little girl put a finger up to her mouth. Sunny dropped the package of buns she held and hurried around the circle.
“Here, sweetie, let me see it,” she told the young girl, holding out her hand in invitation. The girl extended her small brown hand to view. A nasty cut began to bleed from the girl’s forefinger. Sunny made her voice personal. “Ah, it’s not too bad. What’s your name?”
“Courtney,” came the reply.
“Buzz!” Sunny raised her voice to call the older man. She noticed Tracy take over passing out things as she attended to the small emergency.
“Yeah?” Buzz answered.
“Have you got a first aid kit?”
“Sure do. I’ll get it.”
“Nothing to worry about, hon,” Sunny soothed as Buzz came around the campfire with the kit in hand. “It’s only a small cut. You can have a hot dog after we clean this.”
The youth minister stood nearby, concern on his face, as Sunny dabbed the cut with a swab. “Are you all right, Courtney?”
“Uh-huh. I caught my finger on something. It’s nothing. Miss Sunny is getting me a Band-Aid.”
“That’s good,” Thad mumbled.
The kids ate hot dogs and some roasted potatoes, and then they toasted marshmallows until none were left. A short boy with bright brown eyes started strumming his guitar, and Sunny marveled at how alike church youth groups were everywhere. Many of the kids curled down on the ground, singing or listening, while others milled about looking at things on the ranch. Sunny looked up and realized suddenly that dark had fallen.
The party broke up around nine, and the youth minister herded all the kids onto a bus.
“Bye, Tracy. Bye, Miss Sunny. See you at church,” called Courtney.
“Bye, Tracy. See you at school,” called the girl Tracy had befriended. Tracy smiled and waved; she appeared so pleased to make new friends a person could hang a certainty that it was true.
Sunny thought of Tracy and her situation as she helped Buzz and Tracy pick up the remains of food and trash. With God’s help, maybe this year wouldn’t be so tough after all.
“Any hot dogs left?” asked Grant, coming forward out of the dark. He’d finished unsaddling at last and had turned the horses into the pasture. Dell came trailing behind. “Dell and I could sure eat a couple.”
“Buns left. But hot dogs, uh-uh. Hafta get another package out of the fridge,” Buzz said. He trotted around the corral and headed toward the house.
“We appreciate it.” Grant hunched down by the fire and held out his palms toward it. “We underestimated the amount they’d eat, I guess. How many kids were here? Forgot what a healthy appetite a teenager has.”
Dell squatted beside Grant. “Eighteen, not counting Tracy,” he said with a smile. “Good number. Sure am hungry.”
The men talked in low tones as Sunny and Tracy picked up tin cups and plates and piled them into a washtub.
“Grant, that was a very nice thing to do. The kids will remember what a good time they had.” Sunny talked as she put the lid back on the pickles. Her dream of offering foster kids a similar experience had climbed ten times. Foster kids did better in school and socially if they had the same opportunities as other kids.
“I was glad to do it, really. But I had an ulterior motive for having the party. I wanted to know how to handle things, what the campfire could offer. Think I’ll be able to plan a little better now that I’ve done it.”
Buzz returned with a new package of hot dogs, and the two men skewered a few and put them over the now low coals. Sunny got out buns, and dipped sauerkraut.
“Oh, so it was selfishly done, was it?” she said, tongue in cheek. “Like I believe that!”
“It’s true. I’m just a selfish son of a sweet mother, that’s all.”
“Uh-huh.” Obviously, she didn’t believe him.
Dell gave a chuckle, but didn’t add his opinion.
Grant accepted his bun with a glance of appreciation, his eyes warm, while Tracy made sure Dell had what he wanted. Glancing around the campfire, he nodded. “Yeah, it’ll work,” he planned out loud, his mouth around his hot dog. “Gotta get a chuck wagon, I think. Looks better. More authentic.”
“I’ve seen one down around Springfield,” Dell said. “If they haven’t sold the thing already.”
“That kid with the music,” continued Grant.
“Uh-huh. Nice touch,” agreed Dell.
“I think his name is Nick,” offered Tracy.
All at once, Sunny laughed out of sheer joy.
“What’s so funny?” Grant turned to ask, his brow raised.
“Nothing. Nothing at all.”
But it was enlightenment, true and sweet, after all. Truly, God had answered some of her prayers. Grant was getting along with Tracy and Dell just great.
By Friday, Grant had flyers out. He dropped a few at Sunny’s desk, talking about how Dell had offered to drive down to Springfield with him to see that chuck wagon.
“We’re going on Tuesday afternoon just as soon as he gets off work. I’ve offered him a job—”
“You have?” Sunny wasn’t as surprised as she would’ve been two months earlier.
“I can’t take him on full-time as yet. The winters are too slow.”
“I’m sure Dell will be happy with anything. He seemed to really take to the horses, didn’t he?”
“Yeah, he did. I’m thinking I can use him next year full-time.”
Sunny hid her amusement. Grant had really changed his mind about Dell. Perhaps the kids could live with Grant at the ranch next year?
That brought her down with a jolt. All these plans going strong when she wouldn’t be a part of them.