Brady couldn’t remember being so angry in his entire life. He knew Josie was just being honest. And speaking from a place that didn’t include having faith. Oh, he was certain she thought she was looking out for his best interests, but he had a hard time realizing how little she really did know of him.
He strode into the barn, hoping to take refuge in his office, even though he wasn’t sure what that would solve. But at least it got him away from Josie.
They were supposed to be in this together, and she’d gone ahead and met with some investor. Showed what kind of faith she had. Which was none, and he knew that. But he’d also hoped that maybe she had learned something from all of this.
Something deep down bothered him even more, and as he figured that out, sadness replaced his anger. If Josie sold the stables, he’d be unlikely to see her again. She’d have no need to visit the community he still called home.
This wasn’t just a job to him. He had other options. And not just as a firefighter. His brother could have gotten him a job on a neighboring ranch. But he wanted to give this experience to his daughter.
He hadn’t wanted to upend her life or even try to figure out what a change like that would be for Maddie.
And speaking of, she was standing at the edge of the arena, looking peeved about something. Though their relationship had significantly improved since Maddie and Josie had made up, Brady still didn’t want to deal with Maddie in a bad mood. If it was about Kayla, Maddie would call or text.
As he passed the conference room, he saw the boxes of invitations sitting on the table. He and Josie were supposed to be working on them together, but he needed to do something productive for the sake of the benefit. Maybe Josie had her doubts, but he was going to give it his all.
He opened the boxes and began laying out the invitations and envelopes. Originally, they weren’t going to be so fancy, but one of the parents owned a print shop, and she’d volunteered to donate nice invitations for their VIP guests, in addition to the flyers that were plastered all over town.
How could Josie think they wouldn’t succeed when they had so much community support?
“You’re not going to get very far without these,” Josie said, standing in the doorway, holding up a set of pens and the mailing list. “I know you’re frustrated with me, but I hope you know that I’m not giving up, either.”
The sweet smile on her face took his breath away. He was supposed to be mad at her, and yet this one simple gesture made the bad feelings brewing inside him completely dissipate.
“I don’t know what to think,” he said. Though he wanted to stay mad at her, he could see that this was her version of a peace offering. Which he’d take, since it was an effort to save the stables.
When she entered the room, she had a hand behind her back. “I also thought we could use some good working snacks.”
Then she tossed a giant package of gummy bears onto the table. “It’s been a while, but this used to be our favorite study snack. I saw you stealing some of Kayla’s the other day, so I’m pretty sure you still like them.”
The simple gesture brought a smile to his face. Not just in the memory of their past, but the fact that she’d taken the time to notice his present.
He smiled and patted the chair next to him. “I guess we’d better get to work then.”
Josie took the seat indicated and immediately opened the bag.
“Hey,” he said. “I thought those were for me.”
Josie grinned. “I said we could use a snack. I got the big bag on purpose.”
He loved that smile on her. More than that, he loved her thoughtfulness in setting this up. But it didn’t fix things between them.
“I’m still upset with you,” he said. “It feels like you’re giving up too soon.”
Josie gestured at the items on the table in front of them. “Does this look like I’m giving up? I’m sitting beside you, working toward the same goal. What you fail to understand is that we need to look at all options, even the ones we don’t like. You say we need to put our faith in God, but you’ve also said that God doesn’t always work in the way we want Him to. If that’s true, then shouldn’t we pursue all avenues, not just the ones we want?”
He hadn’t thought of it that way, and as much as he hated to admit it, Josie was right. He’d been saying he wanted God’s will, but if he was being honest, he had only considered solutions that involved keeping the stables open.
Josie looked at him intently, then said, “I know it seems like, at times, your words to me about prayer and God have been falling on deaf ears. But I have been listening, and I have been seeking Him in prayer. Surely you can see that if I wanted the easy way out, I would have taken it from the very beginning.”
She reached over and squeezed his hand. “I know things between us have changed, and we can’t go back to what we once had. But I’d like to think that we’ve come to a place where we can trust each other again, even if it’s just a little bit.”
His throat tightened, and the sensation of her hand in his brought him to a deeper place of humility than he could remember having ever been in. He’d been so focused on who she used to be, and the changes in her, that he’d failed to recognize the incredible woman she had become.
“I do see that,” he said. “I’m sorry I haven’t given you enough credit. I’ll do better. And I’m also sorry I wasn’t more understanding about your meeting your uncle for the first time. That must have been a terrible shock.”
She nodded and looked down, clearly overcome with emotion. “A shock, but I wouldn’t call it terrible. I now have a connection to my mother, and I intend to pursue it.”
After swallowing the lump in his throat, he continued, “If you don’t mind, I’d like to pray for us.”
Josie smiled, and for the first time, instead of seeing her lack of faith, he saw instead a renewed depth and genuine desire to do what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight. Clearly there were still things he could learn about faith from her.
As he prayed, for the first time, he gave over his insistence on saving the stables, and prayed that whatever happened to the stables be used to glorify the Lord. He’d seen the stables as his only way, but that just showed he was relying on himself, not the Lord.
It was the most freeing prayer he’d offered in he didn’t know how long. When he was done, Josie had tears in her eyes.
“That was beautiful,” she said. “Would it be okay if I hugged you?”
He nodded as he held his arms out to her, and she fell into them like it was the most natural place for her to be. Like she’d never left.
When she pulled away, he immediately missed her warmth. He still didn’t know what was going to happen with their relationship, but he lacked the previous anxiety he’d had over it. Suddenly he didn’t need to have the answers. He didn’t need to go back to where they’d once been. But he sure hoped that they could find something new.
He’d be lying if he said he didn’t want to see where it could go romantically, but he would also accept if it didn’t go in that direction.
Josie handed him one of the pages from the stack of papers she brought in. “Okay, we need to get to work. You start with this list.”
Then she reached into the bag of gummy bears and tossed one at him. “And now you have sustenance.”
Her smile made him want to take her back into his arms. But she was right. They had work to do. Now that he had given over this task to God, he felt less pressure, and more lighthearted.
He’d gotten two of the invitations filled out and addressed when Kayla walked in.
“Oh, please tell me you’re not letting Dad do that,” she said.
Brady looked down at his handiwork. “What? It needs to get done.”
Kayla gestured at the invitations he’d painstakingly addressed. “Your handwriting is terrible.”
Patting the empty seat on the other side of her, Josie said, “If you think you can do better, join us. As your father said, it has to get done.”
The look on Kayla’s face was priceless. She could criticize all she wanted, but then she had to be willing to do the work.
“We have gummy bears,” Josie said.
Kayla grinned and reached for the bag. “Wow, you got the big one. Mom and Dad never get the big one.”
Josie grabbed the bag. “Gummy bears are only for worker bears.”
“Fine,” Kayla said, plopping down into the seat. “Give me a list and some invitations. Dad says we all have to do our part, so I’ll do it. Plus, I can practice my calligraphy.”
Josie tossed a handful of gummy bears at Kayla, then set the bag back down in the middle of the table. The look of affection that passed between them warmed his heart. This was what Brady had always wanted for him and his daughter. For him to be able to bring a woman into his life that he could care for, but who also cared for Kayla.
Was the key to having his prayers answered as simple as relinquishing his will to allowing God’s to prevail? Not that it was about coming up with a formula, because he knew better than to think that way. But it was interesting how such clarity of vision came with a simple relinquishing of his will over to God.
They got to work addressing the envelopes, and at times, it was hard to stay focused on the task at hand, because he would look over at Josie and see her connection with his daughter, and it just felt so right. Like this was how things were meant to be.
“There you are,” Maddie said, entering the conference room. “We need to get home so you can help me get the supplies ready for the Sunday school lesson I’m teaching tomorrow.”
Kayla looked up from the invitation she was working on. “Can Dad bring me home later? I’m having a lot of fun working on the invitations. I’m using what I learned from that calligraphy set you got me for Christmas.”
Maddie looked slightly put out by Kayla’s answer. Though things were improving in their relationship, it was clear that didn’t mean she liked having her plans for Kayla thwarted. Even though they were sharing a precious moment, Brady recognized that the joy in this was also about letting Maddie have similar time with Kayla. This, too, was another thing that felt right to give to the Lord. The gratitude for the blessing he had in this moment, but also the ability to let it go because he had confidence that there would be more.
“Your mom needs you,” Brady said. “You’ve been a big help here, so don’t let your mom down.”
Kayla glanced longingly at the bag of gummy bears. “Can I take some for the road?”
Josie’s laugh warmed his heart. “As long as it’s okay with your mom,” she said. “I don’t want to ruin her plans for your supper.”
Kayla looked at her mom with the puppy-dog eyes Brady had always struggled to resist.
“Please, Mom? Josie even got the big bag, so they won’t miss any. You never get the big bag.”
A dark look crossed Maddie’s face. They might have found a way to get along, but that didn’t mean Maddie wasn’t still extremely overprotective of her relationship with her daughter. That was something they were going to have to figure out.
Josie seemed to sense that, and she said, “I only got the big bag so that we had plenty to share in the work session. I didn’t know how many would be coming to help us, but if I’d intended to get you gummy bears, it would have been a much smaller bag.”
Some of the tension slid off Maddie’s face. Yes, she was jealous. One of the reasons why Brady had found it so hard to date was that he’d never been able to get Maddie to understand that he was never going to allow a woman he brought into his life be a substitute for her as a mother. Despite all their disagreements over the years, the one thing he could not deny was that Maddie was a good mother who loved their daughter very much.
“I suppose a couple won’t hurt,” Maddie said. “Even though I’m sure you have probably eaten more than your fair share.”
Josie laughed. “I would say that’s a toss-up between the two of them. Like father, like daughter, I guess. She might have inherited your skill for trick riding, but she’s definitely got her father’s sweet tooth.”
Laughing along with her, Brady said, “Hey now. I was a good trick rider.”
Maddie laughed, another sign she was finally relaxing, and hopefully feeling more secure about the situation. “Yes, but you spent way more time in the dirt than any of us combined.”
It felt good to hear Josie laughing with her, even if it was at his expense. They were not wrong, but he also wasn’t going to let them get the last word in.
“I learned a lot from falling. That’s the thing about mistakes. It’s not a failure if you’ve learned something from it.”
Funny how what he’d meant as a lighthearted response to their joking was wisdom he’d needed to hear himself. Yes, he’d made a lot of mistakes, but he was still here, learning and growing. And that was the hope for them all. He smiled as he looked at the three women in the room and said a prayer of gratitude for the blessings they had brought into his life.
Kayla grabbed a handful of gummies and tossed a couple into her mouth, then leaned over and gave Josie a hug. “Thanks for sharing your gummy bears and letting me help. This was more fun than I thought it would be.”
Once again, Brady’s heart warmed at the sight of the affection between the person he loved most in the entire world and a woman he was coming to care for very deeply.
Kayla turned and hugged him. “’Bye, Dad. Love you.”
He kissed her on top of the head, contentment filling him.
“Love you, too,” he said.
She popped another gummy bear in her mouth. “Save me some of these. You’ll get a stomachache if you eat them all.”
Brady laughed. “Gummy bears are for workers only.”
Kayla grabbed one of the empty boxes, then tossed some invitations and the list she’d been working from into it. “Fine. I’ll do more tonight when I’m watching my show.”
She looked thoughtful for a moment, then grabbed one of the legal pads sitting on the table that she’d used to practice some of her strokes on. “Is it okay if I take this as well? I like the feel of the paper for practicing better than the calligraphy paper I have at home. It’s a different texture.”
Josie glanced at the pad. “Sure. My father had probably dozens of them lying around. If you like that paper so much, remind me next time you’re here, and I’ll give you some of the ones I don’t think we have any use for.”
He would have never guessed that the offer of some old legal pads would make his daughter so happy. But again, this simple exchange only served to give him more hope that there was a chance things could work out between them all.
“Thank you,” Kayla said, returning to Josie and giving her another hug. “I didn’t think I would like that calligraphy set my mom got me for Christmas so much, but the more I play around with it and the different pens and papers, I’m starting to think it was the best gift ever.”
He glanced at Maddie to see her soft smile, and that feeling of hope increased. Yes, they were figuring this out.
Josie closed the lid of her laptop and rubbed her eyes. She’d liked to have said that they were making incredible progress on the show, which they were, but it seemed like it just wasn’t enough.
But they still had two months before the show, which meant there was still hope. She glanced at the clock. Though they usually didn’t practice on Sundays, the trick riders had asked for the extra practices after church to make sure they had their tricks solid for the show. Kayla had asked her to come watch her trick today, and it felt good to see how the teenager was starting to trust her. Not that Josie and Brady were even close to coming to that point, but sometimes Josie found herself wondering what if. She had too much on her plate, though, to give it any serious consideration. Between her full-time job, trying to save the stables, mending her relationship with her cousins and getting to know her newfound uncle, she was over capacity to deal with these new growing emotions.
She walked past Brady’s office, where Brady looked like he was studying a spreadsheet.
“You’re going to miss Kayla ride,” she said, leaning in the doorway.
Brady grabbed his hat off his desk and set it on his head. “Yeah, I know. I was just hoping to get a little further on figuring out these numbers. The Garcias have been great about showing me the information I need to come up with to create a good working budget for the stables, but your father didn’t keep it in an organized way that anyone else could understand.”
Josie laughed as he stepped out into the corridor with her. “And yet he could find everything so easily. It’s really frustrating trying to figure out his system. I’m so glad the Garcias were willing to donate their time to help you sort through it.”
They walked outside toward the main arena. “That’s what gives me the most hope for the stables,” Brady said. “We aren’t where we need to be, but I’m finding that the more I get word out, the more people come from unexpected places willing to help.”
When they got to the arena, Kayla was already warming up. Maddie was sitting by herself in the stands, looking like she was studying some papers.
Josie started toward her, but Maddie held up a folder. “I’m trying to get some work done in between when Kayla rides,” Maddie said.
Even though Maddie was slightly curt, it was nice that Maddie felt comfortable enough to tell her when it wasn’t a good time to sit together.
“No problem,” Josie said. “I peeked in on the costume room last night, and the costumes are looking great. I’ll leave you to your work, but I didn’t want to let an opportunity to tell you how impressed I am pass us by.”
Maddie looked up at her and smiled. “Thank you. The residents at the nursing home have been working really hard. It’s been great to see their enthusiasm. I just hope it’s not all for nothing.”
The tension in her voice was obvious, and it occurred to Josie that a lot of people had their hopes riding on the success of the stables’ fundraiser. Their community was coming together in a powerful way, and even though Josie and Brady had brought themselves to an acceptance of God’s will, regardless of the outcome, not everyone had had that same epiphany. Josie wasn’t sure how she would handle their disappointment if they failed.
Brady joined Josie at the base of the stands, standing close enough she could feel his warmth, and it comforted her. They were becoming a team in a way they had never been before—stronger, better—and though she still had her moments of longing for the past, what they were achieving now seemed more than anything she could have imagined.
“We’re doing everything we can,” Brady said to Maddie. “You’ve been a big part of that, and I hope you know just how much it means to me.”
Instead of accepting his praise, Maddie looked a bit grumpy. “The stables have been a huge part of my life, as well as our daughter’s. Of course I’m going to do everything I can to help.”
She looked like she was going to say something else, then she gestured at the arena. “Kayla is about to go.”
Josie turned and watched as Kayla performed the full stroud, one of the tricks she had been struggling with when Josie first got here, flawlessly.
“Woo!” Brady yelled, his excitement contagious as the stands thundered with applause. He looked at Josie, his eyes shining. “Did you see that?”
Then he turned back to look at Maddie. “Wasn’t that amazing? Our little girl.”
As Kayla rode back to her place in line, and her instructor began talking to her, the grin on her face told Josie that she was also pleased with her performance.
Even Maddie looked happy, and once again, Josie felt hopeful for the future. Though she also reminded herself again that even though there had been small moments of affection and what-ifs, Josie and Brady had not even come close to discussing what things might look like between them as a couple.
Brady gestured at a different spot in the bleachers. “I guess we’d better let Maddie get back to her work, so we can sit over here and watch.”
Brady sat next to her, closer than usual, and his nearness brought butterflies to her stomach. She could get used to this. She would have never imagined herself sitting back here at the stables and feeling such contentment. But as she looked across the grounds, where another group of children were working in another arena, and horses were playing in the paddock in the distance, she felt like, dare she say it, this was where she belonged.
One of the moms approached Josie. “I heard you were looking for volunteers for grounds cleanup. I couldn’t help but notice how some of the landscaping is looking a bit worn. Our family owns a landscaping company, and if you’d be willing to feature us in the program, as well as get some volunteers to help with the labor, I’d be happy to help with a refresh. I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of making some drawings.”
The woman handed her some pages, and they were absolutely perfect. Far better than anything Josie could have come up with on her own.
“You would donate this to us?” she asked.
Brady looked over at the drawings as well. “Grace, this is amazing. I’ve always wanted to do more with the landscaping here, to make it look nicer, but I could only do so much.”
Brady’s energy was contagious, and it sent chills up and down her spine.
“I just want to make sure we put our best foot forward for the fundraiser,” Grace said. “When people come here for the show, I want them to love this place as much as we do. But right now, it’s a little rough around the edges.”
Josie didn’t disagree, and from the thoughtful murmur from Brady, she knew he felt the same way. In moments like these, it felt like they couldn’t possibly fail.
“I accept,” Josie said. “Kayla is about to go again, so is there any way you could stop by the office after this ride so we can go over details and you can let me know what we need to provide?”
“Of course,” Grace said. “Kayla and the rest of the girls are looking wonderful, and I know it’s all because of the time you took to teach them those abdominal exercises a couple weeks ago. I’m so glad that you decided to give the stables another chance. It means a lot to all of us.”
As Grace left, the warmth flooding Josie’s heart filled her with such gratitude that Brady and Abigail had pushed her to do so many hard things and face her past.
When she looked over at Brady, he smiled at her, and once again, she couldn’t help wondering if maybe they had a chance at a future together.