AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I like all of that, too. Can you get the nondairy butter and a few strawberries out of the fridge?”
“Sure.” Josiah fetched the two items as requested. Washed the berries and put them on a plate. When the toast popped, he put a light smear of butter on each piece. He finished just as Michael began to plate the eggs. Elmer fussed sometimes about the healthier alternatives they fixed for him—like whole wheat bread versus the plain white sandwich bread he’d grown up eating—but he maintained a healthy appetite at each meal.
Josiah poured a glass of juice and followed Michael into the living room. Elmer thanked them both for his breakfast and started eating while watching a black-and-white Western. Michael pulled Josiah down beside him on the couch and sipped at his second mug of coffee. The familiarity of it relaxed Josiah into leaning his shoulder against Michael’s.
During a commercial break, Elmer asked, “What are you boys up to today?”
“Not really sure,” Michael replied.
“Last night Wayne mentioned you wanting to ride their horses for fun, maybe teach Josiah how to ride, too. Be a good day for it. Sunny, not too cold.”
Josiah opened his mouth to reply but nothing came out. That day at the Founder’s Day Picnic when Hugo asked if he knew how to ride seemed like a lifetime ago, and somehow also yesterday. So much had happened since then, and he had to admit he did want to learn. He wanted to experience something that was part of Michael’s everyday life. Elmer’s too, although to a lesser degree now.
“What do you think?” Michael asked.
“I’d love to learn how to ride,” Josiah replied. “I’ve been around horses a few times but never actually on one. Do you think you’ll be a good teacher?”
“Well, I’ll never have a pupil win any ribbons in dressage or competition, but I can teach you how to stay in the saddle and guide the horse where you want them to go. Both very useful skills, even for in-home nurses.”
“Excellent,” Elmer said, as excited by the idea as someone who’d be doing the riding himself. “I’ll give Wayne a call in a little while and tell him you both are coming over to ride. I’m sure he’ll have some good horses ready for you.”
“Sounds like a plan?” Josiah looked at Michael.
Michael grinned right back. “Sounds like a great plan. I’ll even pack us a small picnic lunch we can eat in the middle of nowhere.”
“You promise you’ll lead us both home?”
“Promise.”
And that’s what happened about three hours later. Michael prepared them a lunch he wouldn’t let Josiah peek at while he put it into a backpack with ice packs. Josiah fidgeted in his seat while Michael drove them over to Woods Ranch, a less familiar location for Josiah. They had acres of land that stretched far beyond the horizon line. Josiah couldn’t imagine being responsible for so much property at once, but the Woods family had been there for several generations.
So much history was etched into every rock, every scrub tree, and every dry gulch. The history of a family with deep roots in one place—something Josiah had no experience with, and it left his mood a touch down when they arrived at the main house. He didn’t have family members only a few miles away who came over regularly for Sunday supper. He didn’t know what it was like to walk across a porch that multiple generations had walked across before.
Wayne met them at the entrance to the barn and shook their hands. “Brand and Alan are out with the herd,” he said, “but I made sure we had a good riding mare for young Josiah there. I think Shirley Temple is a good horse for him.”
A horse named Shirley Temple? “Don’t tell me she’s got a curled mane,” Josiah deadpanned.
Wayne chuckled. “Nah, just got a sweet disposition. Don’t take this wrong, but she’s the horse we let the grandkids ride when they’re in the mood. She’s real good with the youngest ones.”
“No offense taken. I am very definitely a novice here, so I welcome the help. The last thing I need is another concussion from falling off a horse.”
Michael scowled, probably not liking the reminder of that night in the barn. Josiah didn’t like remembering it either, but it had happened. They couldn’t pretend it hadn’t.
“I wouldn’t worry about that,” Wayne said. “Miss Shirley Temple isn’t one to buck or bolt. You two enjoy yourselves. Just stick to the east pasture, so you don’t stumble over the herd.”
“Not a problem,” Michael replied. “Thank you so much.”
“You’re quite welcome, young man.”
Wayne ambled off. Josiah followed Michael into the massive barn. His nose itched from the combined odors of horse, hay, manure, and a dozen other things. Josiah had never been inside the barn before, and he took in the rows of horse stalls, most still with an occupant, that made up the first half of the barn. There was a tack room full of saddles, bridles, blankets, and other gear Josiah couldn’t name.
Beyond that was a larger, open space. “It’s for when the cows are close to giving birth,” Michael said. “We bring them in, make sure they’re monitored, and we have hands and a vet on call for the new calves. None due anytime soon, though, which is why it’s empty.”
“That makes sense. Didn’t Woods Ranch feature a heifer giving birth at the county fair this year?”
“They did. Brand told me about that. It’s another of those circle of life things I want more kids to experience firsthand, not just in books or online. Maybe one day, huh?”
“Hey.” Josiah wrapped his hand around Michael’s. “I believe you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Whether it’s turning your dad’s land into a farm animal petting zoo, or inventing the next blockbuster social media site, you will make it happen. And I will be rooting for you to succeed.”
