Maybe you never do forget how to ride, as Jubal claimed.
As Ross cooled Cajun down and gave him his carrot, he realized he knew each step without prompting. Apparently, they had been imprinted on him when he was young.
The stable here looked nothing like the old barn his family owned, nor did the rich green grass look like the often-dry, inhospitable ground where he’d grown up.
But now he allowed himself to remember the joy of riding Bandit before everything came to an end.
After feeding Cajun, Ross walked over to the bunkhouse area while Susan stayed inside the stable to help the vets. Lawn chairs and camp chairs were scattered in front of the building.
The inviting scent of grilling meat had lured both program participants and visitors over to the cooking area.
Josh was at the grill with several younger guys. When he saw Ross, he left them and hurried over.
“How’s your stepson?” Ross asked.
“The arm wasn’t broken. Just sprained. In fact, he insisted on coming tonight. Heard you rode today. How did it go?”
“Better than I expected,” Ross said. “Are they feeding an army?” he asked, staring at mounds of meat—burgers, hot dogs and sausages—on a table next to the grill.
“Oh, there will be more people here. Our families. The other program volunteers and some area ranchers who help us out. That reminds me,” he added, “I make some mean steaks. You’ll have to come over this week and try one.”
“I would like that.”
Josh gave him a searching look. “Good. I know you’re holding a meeting tomorrow evening with all the guys so we’ll try for Tuesday.” He paused, then added, “Heard you went for a ride with Susan.”
“And other vets,” Ross said.
“Now that most of the inn guests are gone, she’ll probably spend more time out here.”
Ross looked at his friend with suspicion. “Don’t get any ideas, Josh. I like what you’re doing here, and I like Susan, but I’m not staying beyond two weeks.”
“Not to worry,” Josh replied. “Just want you to have a good time while you’re here.” Then he added, “It would be great if you can come back toward the end of the six-week program and see how we’ve progressed. Maybe even go on the final trip.”
Ross raised an eyebrow. “Remember, I know you,” he said. “You have few scruples when you think something is important to ‘your’ guys. I take it that these are ‘your’ guys now.”
Just then, Danny emerged from the bunkhouse with Hobo limping behind him. The little dog made straight for Ross, hobbling as best he could and making throaty noises. His tail wagged. It was more activity than he’d seen from the dog.
Ross reached down and picked him up. “Hey, there. Doing okay?”
Hobo stuck out a tongue and licked his hand. More little throaty noises.
“Getting fresh now?” Ross said to the dog. He looked back up at Josh. “That’s the first time he’s made those noises.”
“Maybe he feels safe for the first time,” Ross said.
“That’s sad,” Danny said.
“Yeah, it is,” Josh interceded. “He was lucky you saw him,” he added. “By the way, my family should be here soon. They’ll be bringing Amos.”
“I’m still amazed you found Amos,” Ross said.
“It took a while. The army was loath to let him go, but he had PTSD as bad as any soldier. He really mourned David, would barely come out from under the bed for weeks. But now he loves my stepson and Nick’s collection of animal misfits. Amos looks after them as if they were his own, and I guess they are.”
“You look happy.”
“I am. You ought to try marriage sometime.”
“Nope. I like my life just as it is.”
Josh shrugged. “One of these days...but in the meantime, why don’t you check out the bunkhouse, then you can circulate and meet the rest of our veterans. You did get the list of them with what personal and medical information I had?”
“Jubal gave it to me earlier. I suspect I’ll be up all night reading it.”
“We hope to add some physically disabled vets in our next program. These guys have PTSD and other military caused problems.” Josh turned to Danny. “Can you show Ross the bunkhouse? I should stay out here.”
Ross nodded and he and Danny turned toward the bunkhouse, Hobo limping between them. “I was thinking maybe he should stay in the bunkhouse,” Ross said. “Place needs a dog.”
“There’s not always someone here,” Danny said. “And he apparently thinks he’s your dog.”
“Just can’t happen. I travel too much for work.”
Danny looked disappointed but proudly showed him around the bunkhouse. “I helped build it,” he said. “Nearly half the town came over and had an old-fashioned barn raising. Food and all,” he added with enthusiasm that belied his thin form. “I learned a lot about construction.”
Ross was impressed. The bunkhouse was plain but comfortable. There were basically three rooms. Two were sleeping rooms with bunk beds, a large one for men and a smaller one for women. Each had their own bath areas. Located between them was the largest room, a gathering area with a small kitchen, long dining room table and mismatched but comfortable chairs and sofas.
For entertainment there was a Ping-Pong table, a bookcase stacked with titles ranging from horse care to Western novels and mysteries, and table games. Workout equipment sat in another corner.
“There’s no phones or television allowed,” Danny said, “although they can contact their families every Saturday and, of course, if there’s an emergency. I think that’s the most difficult part for some, but it’s really important that they interact with each other and their horses without distractions.”
During the few hours before the cookout, Ross met with most of the participants. They varied in age from early twenties to over forty. He hadn’t had a chance yet to read their histories from the book Jubal had given him, but the brief meetings revealed some of the problems: PTSD, night sweats, panic attacks, alcohol abuse, drug abuse, joblessness.
He asked about their exercise routines, if there were any. None had.
Yet.
“What about a run at sunrise?” he suggested to each one and had several takers. “Tell the others, okay? It’s completely voluntary. I’ll be outside here at 6:00 a.m. for whoever wants to go.”
As the evening went on, the number of people outside multiplied. Several of the vets were returning from riding lessons or simply talking to their horses. Others headed for the bunkhouse, probably to clean up before the cookout. He looked at the extended family of Covenant Falls veterans that were doing something about a need far greater than most people understood. It filled him with pride.
It didn’t hurt that the sun was providing a great backdrop as it descended toward the mountains. He smiled as he listened to the voices of invigorated vets talking excitedly about their equine adventures.
Just days ago, some of them probably couldn’t leave their homes.
He’d volunteered with veteran rehab facilities both during and after getting his degree. He was only too aware of the fears, the nightmares, the flashbacks, the loneliness that kept them from living normal lives. Many returned to a community and friends with little understanding of what they’d experienced and were still experiencing. The comradery here was as important as learning equine skills.
A boy of perhaps fifteen walked up to him. His arm was in a sling. “I’m Nick,” he said. “Josh’s son,” he added. “I’m proud to meet you, sir.”
“And I’m happy to meet you,” Ross replied. “I hear you’re an animal guru.” The boy stooped down to greet Hobo.
“He’s a great dog,” Nick said as he hugged the dog.
“Every dog is great to Nick,” interrupted a tall attractive woman. “I’m Eve, Josh’s wife. But no more animals for us,” she added before Nick could make an offer. “Why don’t you get a hamburger?” she said to her son and shooed him off. “It’s really good to meet you,” she said. “Josh was delighted when you agreed to come.”
“Delighted?” Ross asked wryly. “It’s difficult to tell with Josh.”
“No one can,” she replied. “Josh doesn’t show much emotion but he’s been talking about you for the last month. He’s really impressed by what you’ve done, getting a doctorate in physical therapy.
“How did he even know?”
“The Rangers,” she said. “That’s one powerful grapevine. A former member of your unit was in the first session we had here. He’d met you when you helped out at a veteran’s event. He passed the word to us. Hunting you down was not easy.”
Ross shrugged. “Josh may be impressed, but I’m awestruck. A businessman, inn owner and cofounder of this program. Was that all your doing?”
She shook her head. “I’m just along for the ride,” she said.
“I doubt that.”
“I hope I see a lot of you,” Eve said. “Now I’d better go over and make sure my son is getting salad as well as tons of everything that’s bad for him.”
As if on cue, Susan approached with a big grin. She held a plate full of food. He wondered how her figure remained perfect. Probably because she never stopped moving. “You look empty handed,” she observed. “I would have brought you supper, but I don’t know what you like.”
He looked at her plate. “Everything you have,” he said, “but I’ll get it.”
“I’ll guard your chair.”
He looked around. The area was filling up. “How many vets have moved here recently?” he asked. “They seem to be popping up everywhere.”
“Five in the past two and a half years.”
“They’re all married now?”
“Yeah,” she said with that quick smile of hers. “Odd, isn’t it?”
“All to Covenant Falls people?”
“Except for the last couple. They met here about eight months ago. Travis was just getting out of rehab after two years of surgeries when Josh asked him to do a study on Horses for Heroes programs and he traveled to different programs throughout the West. A reporter, Jenny, kind of forced her way into the trip. She’d been injured in Syria while covering a story and was trying to find one here in the States. They fell in love while researching this project.”
He shook his head. “I need a diagram to get everyone straight.”
“They’re all very different,” she said. “The first was Josh. When he married the mayor, he wanted his cabin to go to another vet that needed it, and that turned out to be a battlefield surgical nurse who’d lost her fiancé and the use of her hand in Afghanistan. She married a native of Covenant Falls, a builder who joined with Josh to build the inn. Then the cabin went to a chopper pilot, Clint, who fell in love with Stephanie, a veterinarian.”
“Is there something in the water here?” Ross asked only a little skeptically. God help me, I’ve had several glasses of it.
Susan continued, “Everyone helped with the program in one way or another. They’d all had varying degrees of PTSD. Everything just started fitting together.”
“And you?”
“I’d moved back to Covenant Fall after being gone for a long time,” she explained. “I was looking for a job when Josh started thinking about building an inn. He and Eve wanted the town to grow, but few people even knew it existed. The last mayor wanted it that way. Eve got herself elected and started a revival.”
“And you?” he asked. “Why did you come back?”
She hesitated, then shrugged. “It was time. My roots are here.”
From the way she said it, he knew there was a story behind the statement.
He also realized from her tone that she didn’t want to continue the subject.
“I am hungry,” he said. “And I should get up before those aches you warned me about set in. Can you watch out for Hobo?”
“Sure. We’re becoming good buddies. And it’s a good idea for you to keep moving.”
“I run a lot. Shouldn’t have a problem.”
“As a physical therapist, you should know you probably used muscles today even you haven’t tested recently.”
“Want to place a small bet?”
“What do you want to wager?”
“A dog?” he said hopefully.
“You’re not getting rid of him that easily.”
Ross sighed. It was worth a try. “I should get food before it’s all gone,” he said before he blurted out something stupid. “Can I get you anything else?” he asked.
“I’m fine,” she said.
He introduced himself to the man standing at the grill—who turned out to be Clint—and helped himself. He was starved and filled his plate with a huge cheeseburger, a brat sandwich, salad, potato salad, baked beans and two brownies.
“That’s what I like to see,” Clint said. “Someone who eats as much as I do. Welcome to Covenant Falls.”
“I hear your wife is the local veterinarian,” Ross said. “I have a dog that needs some medical attention. And a permanent home.”
“She’s just arrived home after a search and rescue that ended badly. She could be here later, but don’t get your hopes up. She’s not taking in any more rescues at the moment but she would be happy to check out your dog.”
“He’s not my dog,” Ross insisted as he noticed Hobo had followed him.
“Looks like he thinks differently,” Clint said. “I mean, dogs usually pick their owner, and it looks like he picked you. I noticed he stays right at your feet.”
Ross narrowed his eyes. “Not you, too.”
Clint grinned. “What is, is,” he said cryptically. “You can yell and protest and fight it all you want, but you won’t win.” With that sage advice, he added, “Enjoy your food” and turned to talk to one of the young vets manning the grill with him.
Ross grabbed a glass of lemonade and returned to his chair with his stacked plate. Hobo crawled over to get as close as possible to him.
Thankfully, Susan didn’t seem to notice as he took a bite of his cheeseburger. Instead, she glanced at his plate with a raised eyebrow. “Hungry, are we?”
“Yes, and we are keeping it to ourselves,” he replied as Hobo looked up at him longingly.
Ross took another big bite, then looked back down at Hobo, who was staring at him intently. He groaned. “I have to get him some proper dog food.”
“That would probably be a good idea,” she said. “That’s why I bought several cans as well as a leash and collar. You owe me twenty-seven dollars plus change.”
“I’ll make a trade. Hobo for that twenty-seven dollars,” he suggested.
“I have a cat that would never tolerate him, remember?” She smiled. “And I’ll tell you something else. I think you want him, too, even if you won’t admit it.”
He raised one eyebrow. “I’m not keeping him despite any conspiracies to the contrary.”
But Susan was right. Maybe part of him did want the dog. Problem was Hobo reminded him of the past—of Patches, his dog and best friend, who disappeared on the same day he lost everything else—and threatened the future he’d worked so hard to build.
He took another bite of his food. It suddenly tasted like sand. He looked downward and saw large brown eyes gazing back with longing. No begging. No whining. Just hope. He sighed and gave Hobo a piece of his sandwich, then sat back and became an onlooker again.
Ross was ready to call it a night when Clint picked up a guitar and started strumming.
The sun was gone now, leaving only a halo over the mountain. In the other direction a nearly full moon was rising. The breeze quickened and rippled through the pines.
He looked at Susan. Her attention was riveted on Clint, a smile on her face as he started singing, but he quickly realized it was the music that drew her. The ex-chopper pilot was good. He sang mostly cowboy songs, concentrating on those that told stories about outlaws or cattle drives.
At the end of his last song, Jubal made an announcement. “Now that all of you survived your first ride on a horse here,” he said, “we have first grade graduation presents.”
“Bring them out, Danny,” he added.
Beaming, Danny uncovered a wheelbarrow full of new cowboy hats. There was a collective cheer. “These are from the merchants in town,” Jubal said. “Between you and me I think they want you to stay in Covenant Falls and enrich them but, for the moment, enjoy.”
Ross watched the vets rush over to select their hats and try them on. A lot of ribbing was exchanged as they bartered back and forth. He couldn’t help but smile.
A pretty girl of around fifteen approached. “You must be Mr. Taylor,” she said. “I’ve met everyone else. I’ve been helping out at Dr. Morgan’s office today since she’s been out.”
“I’m Ross Taylor, usually the dreaded physical therapist,” he admitted. And you are...?” he asked.
“I’m Lisa’s sister, Kerry. That makes me Jubal’s sister-in-law or something.” She knelt beside Hobo. “Who is this?”
“An orphan looking for a home,” he said, even as he caught Susan’s disapproving frown.
“We already have two,” Kerry said, “and a bunch of horses. What happened to his leg?”
“Someone shot him,” he said. “I found him on the road. I hope to see Stephanie tomorrow.”
“She should be in the office early.” Kerry leaned down and ran her hand over Hobo’s body and received a lick in appreciation. “He looks awfully thin.”
“Yes, he does,” Ross said. “But he’s been eating well lately. Extremely well,” he added as Hobo snatched a part of a sausage that fell from his plate.
Kerry’s eyes cleared. “That’s good. Pleased to meet you, Mr. Taylor.”
She left and continued to circle the crowd.
“She’s a good kid,” Susan said. “So is her brother. He’s almost nineteen now and has turned into a good riding instructor.”
“So Jubal now has a wife and two teenagers.”
“It’s a case of never say never,” Susan said with the grin that was so contagious.
“Explain,” he said.
“The last thing Jubal wanted when he came here was a family.”
“What happened?”
“He claims there’s magic here in the mountains,” Susan said. “So does Josh.”
“In addition to the water?” he asked ironically.
She looked at him curiously. “Water?”
“Never mind. It was just a thought. But Josh? He’s the most down-to-earth, practical guy I’ve ever met,” Ross said. “What kind of magic?”
“I’ll have to show you while you’re here.”
He raised an eyebrow. “When?”
“Maybe tomorrow or the next day. It’ll take a few hours.”
“Do you ever slow down?”
She shrugged. “I think I’m running on adrenaline now.”
He looked at his watch. It was nearly nine and he had no idea when she’d left her house this morning except he knew it was before 7:00 a.m. “I should get back to the inn. I want to read the notes Travis made during his scouting trip.”
“I’ll drive you,” she said. “I think most of the volunteers are leaving now. It’s been a long day for our vets and I imagine they would like some time to unwind.”
He agreed. They’d had a lot thrown at them today. He suspected they needed some time to talk among themselves.
“Should I look after Cajun?” he asked, recalling the rule about taking care of one’s horse.
“No. This was a one ride thing. Danny will feed the horses that weren’t selected by the vets and put them out to the pasture.”
“I’ll tell Jubal we’re leaving,” he said, “and pick up the research material.”
She nodded. “You’ll be one of the few guests at the inn and we’re cutting back on staff. Can you do with less service?”
“Since it’s free, I think I can manage.”
“Not exactly free since you’re working for it,” she reminded him. “I’ll take Hobo and meet you at the Jeep.”
He found Jubal and walked with him to get the book he’d mentioned along with information about each of the vets. “I thought I would take the vets on a sunrise run,” he said. “It will give me an idea of their fitness if they participate and their lack of drive if they don’t.”
“Sounds good,” Jubal responded. “I might join you.”
“Probably better if you don’t. I want them relaxed. If you come, they would want to try to outrun a Navy SEAL. Maybe later.”
Jubal nodded. “I get that.” He changed the subject. “How do you like the inn?”
“In all of the ten minutes I spent in the room, it looks great.”
“Need a ride back?”
“Susan offered to drive me.”
An odd expression flashed across Jubal’s face.
Ross didn’t know him well enough to read it, but it renewed some suspicions he had.
Ross took the material and headed for the parking area. They—the whole contriving group—were wrong if they thought he was joining their ranks. He could smell a setup a mile away. He had his own goals.
He’d planned out the lifestyle he wanted since the day he left the army. A small town in the middle of nowhere sure as hell wasn’t included.