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“That’s good news,” Chuck replied. They were in a small kitchen area in the cabin. There was no plumbing or built-in cooking equipment, but he had a gas camping stove and a canteen of water, as well as a cool box full of breakfast items. “Now it’s time to eat, then we’re going riding.”
“There was a look of sudden concern on Millie’s face. “Riding? I thought we weren’t going to the stables today.”
“We aren’t.”
*
Millie couldn’t believe her eyes. “This is amazing!” she said. “Is there no end to the surprises?”
“Not if I can help it,” Chuck said.
When he’d first told her that he had one more thing to show her, she hadn’t known what to expect. Behind the Quiet Cabin was a small area of cleared land, surrounded by a simple fence. It looked a little like a small corral. And in the corral were horses.
Toy, stick horses.
The kind where a toy horse’s head was stuck on a pole that you put between your legs and pretended to ride around on it. There was a stick horse for each of the horses back in the stable. A golden one for Sunrise, a black and white one for Bella, and, of course, a chestnut horse for Ranger. She also caught sight of a jet-black stick horse, that had to be Thunder.
“Far as I see it,” Chuck said, as he gestured to the collection of toy horses, “you don’t have a physical problem riding. I’m sure you could probably get up on any of these horses and guide it through a basic dressage routine if you wanted to.”
“But…”
“But you’re scared of them. Of course you are. No shame in that.”
Chuck casually reached out to Ranger’s toy and stroked him. Millie smiled, knowing that he was trying to make her feel safe.
Millie reached out and stroked Ranger’s toy. Just like the real Ranger, his toy was soft and responsive to her touch.
“It’s not exactly a fear of riding, though, is it?”
She shook her head.
“I figure you’re scared of feeling… happy.”
Millie’s heart was racing. How could he have worked this out so quickly?
“Maybe.”
“You feel like you don’t deserve to ride again because you don’t deserve to be happy. Am I right?”
Millie screwed up her mouth. It felt both thrilling and terrifying to be laid bare like this. “You’re right, Daddy.”
“So, here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna tell you something. Here it is.” He scratched his hair under his Stetson for a moment. “Millie Reynolds. You deserve to be happy. Riding horses is fun. They enjoy it. You enjoy it. You have the right to do it.”
Even hearing the words felt as though it was dispelling something in her, some barrier she hadn’t even known had been there.
“That’s right, isn’t it?”
Millie gulped. “Yes, Daddy.”
“Say it for me.”
“I deserve to be happy.”
“And if you want to ride again, that’s totally up to you, right?”
“It is.”
“Then let’s take a ride together.”
