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Scout rolled his shoulders and stood back from his handiwork for one last inspection. He had been working twelve hours a day with a dedicated crew and was proud of all the work that had been done to rebuild the central barn area. Expanded areas for visitors, the stalls for the horses, were retrofitted with new feeding areas, and storage so that handlers could access materials easily. Tiny stools on the outside of the stalls rolled out for when they had kids in to be able to get up to see the animals without climbing on the gates. Finally, the new LED lighting was able to be dimmed and had much higher efficiency. There were many extra outlets added as well for equipment use.
The electricians were finishing the last couple of areas this week, and then the project would be completed. As he walked in the direction of his truck to grab another Gatorade, he noticed Matthew out of the corner of his eye by the sheep area. He had another slight girl with him that Scout did not recognize.
Matthew was an immense help to have around and would stop in to help with little tasks during the project Scout was working on. At first, he did not understand Down Syndrome and had thought that individuals were not capable, but Matthew more than contributed here on the ranch. He also had a sunny disposition, which made even the most traumatized patient sit up and react positively to him. Deciding to say hi, Scout walked over toward the duo.
“Hey, Matthew,” he shouted with a huge smile.
The girl with him spun around and started to shake with terrified eyes aimed his direction. She scooted behind Matthew just a bit, and Scout hung his head.
“I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out a hand.
“Scout,” Matthew said, with a face that showed disappointment, “Emily doesn’t like men.”
“Oh,” he said, not sure what to do with that information.
“She had a bad daddy, and he was mean to her,” Matthew said, as he turned to Emily.
“Scout is really nice,” he said to her, and then Scout watched in absolute wonder as Matthew reached out and took Emily’s hand gently and rubbed it down Babe’s back. Babe was Matthew’s pride and joy, and the sheep should have been the mascot for Living River Ranch for as famous as she was. He had heard of service dogs that helped traumatized patients, but a sheep, this was a first.
“I’m sorry,” Emily said, gazing up the length of him with huge eyes.
Scout crouched down slightly on his haunches in front of Emily, but far enough away to not scare her.
“It’s okay. I’m a big guy, and sometimes I forget that can be scary for people I encounter,” he acknowledged. “Are you visiting Living River Ranch?”
“No, I work with Avery at the B&B,” she said with just a faint smile showing in her downturned face. “She’s been really nice, showing me how to do everything, and I love spending time with baby Jayne.”
Scout could not fault that logic at all; he was a fan of both Avery and baby Jayne. Not that he would tell a living soul that, as the woman was immune and a bit allergic to his company.
“Well, welcome. I hope you enjoy working here,” he said, keeping his tone light.
“Matthew has been showing me around, and I love spending time with the animals,” she said, still absently petting Babe.
Scout realized that Emily must be mid-twenties once he saw her face, but the tiny frame was a bit hunched and looked like she needed about a year of good meals before she couldn’t be picked up and thrown about by the wind.
“Scout, can I show Emily Black Beauty?”
“I tell you what, why don’t you come by when I am working tomorrow, and we can show her together,” he replied. Black Beauty was a stallion that Matthew loved to feed carrots too, but Scout was a bit concerned about how Emily would react if the horse startled. Matthew alone might not be a great idea as an escort, and since her stable was near the construction site, no one was allowed near without permission these days.
“Okay,” Matthew said, obviously happy with that answer.
“Well, I have to get some water and get back to work. It was nice meeting you, Emily.”
“Thank you,” she said softly. “I am sorry about when you walked up.”
“Nothing to apologize for, I have a feeling if you continue to hang out with this guy,” he said, with a grin for Matthew, “you will be sneaking up on me and scaring me before too long.”
She did not look convinced but turned all her attention on Babe.
“I see you tomorrow,” Matthew said, as Scout stood to be on his way.
“I’ll be looking forward to it,” Scout said, and turned to walk the opposite direction as the pair.
As he walked away, he found a ridiculous smile crossing his face that had started to appear more frequently since his arrival at the ranch. Everyone was so nice, and there was something about the ranch that just made you feel better, as he glanced over his shoulder at Matthew, ruminating. Matthew was not someone he would have had taken an opportunity in his earlier life to visit with, or even befriend. Now, he couldn’t imagine not having someone like Matthew, Avery, and even Emily in his life. He was part of something bigger now, and that made all the loneliness of his past fade into a memory with only hope and happiness showing on the horizon in front of him. For that, his detour to the Living River was worth all the long hours he put to building up a piece of this grand place for others to enjoy.
