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Heath and Ruby started down the hill. He led the way, wanting to be sure he was there to catch her if she tripped. The sun had nearly dipped beneath the horizon, the temperature was dropping, and he was filled with a mix of emotions—worry over Lucky, appreciation for Ruby and regret that this had happened in the first place. “I hate that you’re spending part of your birthday doing this.”
“Well, the first part of my day was spent tearing out drywall.”
“Another house project?”
“Yeah. I’m expanding my closet.”
Heath remembered what she’d told him when they were dancing at the Texas Cattleman’s Club, about what had sent her on her home improvement journey—working through her grief. “I hope that doesn’t mean you were having a hard day because it’s your birthday. Milestones can hit hard when you’ve lost someone.”
“Actually, today was a good day. Right now, it’s just about finishing up the house. Having that sense of accomplishment.”
Heath really hoped that was the case. Off in the distance, he heard the distinct sound of a horse’s whinny. “That’s her. That’s Lucky.” He picked up the pace. “Come on. She’s probably down by the water.”
“I’m right behind you,” Ruby said.
Eventually, the slope eased up and flattened out, and they were able to run. He knew exactly where they were going and led Ruby into the trees, where it was far colder than out in the wide-open spaces. Even these bare trees had sheltered the area from the warmth of the sun. “Lucky! Lucky!” he shouted, dodging rocks and trees.
“There she is!” Ruby, who was running alongside him now, pointed off to the left.
Heath stopped dead in his tracks, realizing that Lucky wasn’t at the water. She was in the spot where Heath had scattered some of Ashley’s ashes. What could have possibly drawn Lucky to that particular place? A well of emotion rose up inside of him and he had to close his eyes to keep it at bay. He wasn’t about to break down in front of Ruby.
“Are you okay?” she asked, breathless.
“I’m fine.” He opened his eyes and shook his head in disbelief.
“Heath. Get real. You’re obviously not okay. I can see it on your face.”
How did she see right through him? “It’s just that Lucky is in the exact spot where I left some of Ashley’s ashes.” He started walking toward Lucky. Ruby was right at his side.
“This must be a special place.”
“Ashley showed Nolan and me this hiding spot. After our dad passed away. When the three of us needed to get away and just goof off. The watering hole isn’t very deep, so we’d swim in there sometimes. Bring food or sneak some beer and talk. About the future.” Just saying that word out loud—future—made him realize exactly how much he’d clung to the idea of better days ahead when he was younger. It was the only thing that kept him going. All of that hope went away when his mom and Ashley had their accident. And now Ruby had given him a reminder of how powerful even a drop of optimism could be. He still had hope that the Grandin and Lattimore families would own up to their mistakes so they could all move on.
Lucky whinnied again, making it even easier to see her as the warm breath rose from her nose in the frigid air. She rubbed her head up against a tree fitfully.
“How amazing is it that she came here?” Ruby asked as they closed in on the beautiful animal, sable brown with tufts of white along her nose and on her belly and tail. Ruby didn’t hesitate to go right up to Lucky, although she was gentle and careful with her approach. Lucky warmed to her immediately, nudging at her arm as Ruby caressed her head and shushed her when she whinnied again.
“After all this time. I don’t understand,” Heath said, struggling to wrap his head around the idea that, on some level, Lucky knew that some of Ashley’s ashes were here.
“Animals are amazing. They know things. They understand when we’re in pain. They love just like we do.” Ruby looked into Lucky’s eyes, and they seemed to share a special moment. It was the exact sort of connection Ashley had had with horses. They trusted her, and she adored them.
It was Heath’s turn to give Lucky a rub behind her ears. “Today was not really the day to remind me about Ashley, Lucky. I’m supposed to take Ruby out for her birthday. Now we’re going to have to rush to get to dinner.” He turned to Ruby. “I can ride her back to the stable if you want to take the truck. And I’ll meet you there?”
“You can ride bareback?”
“That’s how I learned. And she’ll do fine with her halter on. We’re not going to be running at top speed.”
“You need some serious core strength to stay up on a horse like that. Although, I’ve seen your abs, so I suppose it makes sense.” Ruby laughed. “You amaze me.”
You amaze me.Heath had pretty well ruined her birthday plans and Ruby was being nothing less than a very good sport about it. “I can hoist myself up there if I get on that rock.” Ahead was a sizable boulder, probably three or four feet high. It would be just enough of a boost. He led Lucky over with her bridle, and sure enough, it gave him just the right angle to swing his leg over and mount the horse. “The keys are in the truck. Will you be okay?” he asked, looking down at Ruby.
“Yes. I’m going to drive slow, though, so I can keep an eye on you two.”
“Probably a good idea.”
Heath did his best to urge Lucky along, but she was showing her age and it was slow going. It took nearly twice as long to get back to the stable as it had with the truck. Every step of that ride gave Heath another minute to think about where he was in life and the women who had been so important to him. First Ashley and his mom, but now Ruby. In very short order, she had become an integral part of the puzzle that was his existence. She understood him on a level that very few people did, and she appreciated the losses he had endured. He hoped that when and if his push against the Grandin and Lattimore families came to light, she would know he had only done it out of love. During their lunch at the Royal Diner, she’d urged him to do what he needed to do to put it all to rest. Well, that was exactly what he’d set in motion.
Heath got Lucky settled back in her stall in the stable, which was toasty warm and comfortable. Surely the horse realized now that this was a far better place to be than out on the ranch, with no refuge from the cold. “Thank you for coming out,” he said to Ruby, looking at his watch. “We have about a half hour until our reservation. We can hurry up and try to get ready, or I can call the restaurant and ask them to move our time. What do you think?”
