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“He’s Eadie’s, isn’t he?” The wonder in my voice was unmistakeable.
Craig nodded. “He is. You okay?”
I sucked in another breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm my breathing. I was shaking, more than I had been when I’d first seen him. I shook my head, then nodded and settled on a weird combination of both. I had no idea if I was okay. It was as if I’d been lost in a fog and it was finally clearing. But the scenery being revealed was beyond what I could process. It was unreal.
“How?” I paused, clearing my throat so I could get the words out. “How did you find him?” My voice cracked and I blinked before wiping my cheeks from the runaway tears.
“Pure dumb luck.”
“Scottie’s lucky. He’s beautiful.” Jealousy borne of a dream to have my horse back twisted in my gut as I spoke.
“No, Sam.” Craig moved and grasped my shoulder in his big hands. They were warm and solid. Familiar. “He’s yours.”
Craig eyed me as if expecting a reaction, but nothing came. The words entered my brain, but I couldn’t comprehend them. I couldn’t make sense of them. When he squeezed my shoulder, I turned, looking at his hand, before staring at him trying to process the words he’d just spoken. It was as if I was having an out-of-body experience. Like my mind had detached itself from my physical being. “Sam,” he repeated. “You okay? You still with me?” The furrow in his brow deepened and his lips pursed.
I opened my mouth to speak and all that came out was a sob.
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s okay.” He wrapped me in his arms. I went willingly, holding him close with my free hand, my other still on Spook.
I cried then, hot tears spilling on his shirt. I grieved for all the years I’d buried the pain of losing everything. For the loss of my identity as much as my home. For my best friend and his grief. For my horse and my family and how nothing had ever been the same again. I cried tears of hope, of moving on and finding a new home. For finding myself again. And receiving the best gift I could have ever been given—my own horse.
I hiccupped. “I… I can’t believe….”
“He’s yours.” Craig cupped my face in his hands and looked me in the eye. “He’s yours. He’ll never be taken from you. Ever.”
“You promise?”
“I signed the paperwork in your name. Forged your signature and all.” One side of his lips tilted up in a ghost of a smile. “I promise.”
“I love you, man. You did this for me. You do so much.” My arms went around his waist and I pulled him close again.
“It wasn’t only me. Ally and Scottie chipped in too. We wanted this for you. We love you too, Sam.”
I sucked in a shuddery breath and grinned, my eyes welling again. “I have a horse.”
“You do.” Craig laughed, warmth blazing in his eyes. “Wanna ride him?”
I nodded, suddenly eager and finally looked around. Ally stood with Scottie, his arm around her as they watched us. Ma and Nan had retreated to the veranda and Waru, Yindi, and Jono were watching over the bulls, all of them conspicuously looking away. I loved these people for the family they gave me and for their attempt at giving us space. “You guys wanna ride with us?”
“I’d love to,” Ally said, and Scottie nodded with a smile.
Craig clicked his tongue and petted Daisy’s neck, encouraging her to walk with him to the shed where we stored all the gear. She followed without hesitation and soon, so did Spook. Scottie and Ally went a different way to us, heading towards the paddock where their horses were milling about. We heard a whistle and the thud of hooved feet galloping on hard ground. Daisy was calm and collected. She waited patiently as Craig slipped the halter on and adjusted it to fit comfortably before brushing her down, ready to be saddled.
I watched them, brushing Spook the whole time. My horse. Damn, it felt good saying that. I couldn’t believe he was mine. The high from knowing it made my head spin and gave me so many butterflies that I was floating. “Hey, Spook, you gonna be a good boy too?” Craig passed me the halter he’d retrieved, and I slipped it onto my gelding. He tossed his head, his mane tussling in the move. He was a feisty one, and I grinned, loving how I could do this and come back the very next day and the one after that and do it all over again with him. I took my time, letting him get used to me and learning his moves too. Getting to know each other was important, especially because I didn’t know how he’d been broken in. If it was with a rough hand, then I’d have to show him how different it was to have a rider that respected him.
My moves were gentle as I tried to communicate that he could trust me. I spoke calming nonsense to him until he relaxed, praising him every time he was patient and let me strap on another piece of tack.
Craig and Ally were already outside with their horses saddled and ready to go, but I was reluctant to go faster. I didn’t want to rush things with Spook. His comfort was the most important thing to me.
“Here.” Scottie startled me as he tapped me on the shoulder and passed me a quartered apple. I took it gratefully and held a piece out to Spook, adding how well he was doing.
“Thanks.” I nodded to him. Once again, words weren’t enough, but they were all I had. Scottie had done more for me than I ever dreamed, and now he’d given me something so incredible that I got choked up and my eyes welled every time I looked to the beautiful animal I’d been given. I’d shied away from horses for so long that more than one station owner had said if I was scared of horses, I’d never make it as a career stockman. It wasn’t fear holding me back; it was heartbreak. But Craig had known. He’d fixed it. He’d somehow persuaded Scottie to part with his hard-earned cash to make Spook mine. I cleared my throat before my eyes brimmed with tears again and looked to Scottie. “For everything, you know. You’ve given us a home and a job. But getting this guy—” I ran a hand down his long neck and breathed through the wobble in my voice. “—means more than anything. Chipping in to pay for him… I appreciate it. Truly.”
Scottie smiled gently and clapped me on the shoulder fondly. I think he understood exactly what I couldn’t quite put into words. “Ally wouldn’t let the other bastard get him. He was a right dickhead.” He shrugged then, and added, “I just handed over the cheque. But I’m glad you’ve got a mate like Craig. He’s good people. When he saw Spook’s photo in the catalogue, he didn’t hesitate. Shot through like bloody Wile E Coyote to get to his auction.”
“He’s the best mate anyone could ask for.”
“I envy what you blokes have. It’s rare.” I suspected from the haunted look in his eyes that there was a deeper meaning there that I couldn’t decipher, but he turned his focus onto tightening his horse’s saddle before I could ask.
