“Thanks,” Rainy nodded. “I’ll check everyone’s schedule and let you know.”
“Just drop in if you can’t get me before then. Have a great day girls. I know you’ll have fun.”
Chapter 4
“Howdy buckaroo,” a teen in a ten-gallon hat greeted Lucas as he and Rainy made their way to the corral. She had spent the morning wandering the grounds with Anne and letting Lucas see as many horses as possible.
“What’s a buckey-roo?” Lucas asked, the gawky teen.
“That’s you. It means a little cowboy around here. Are you ready to ride a pony?”
Lucas nodded enthusiastically but looked back at his mother for assurance. “Can my mom come too?”
“Sure, she can walk alongside you the whole way.”
Rainy smiled, pleased that the young man was so accommodating. Lucas was excited, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous too.
“What’s your name, pardner?” the young man asked. “I’m Jake.”
“My name is Lucas.” The boy followed the teen to a pony that was tied to the corral rail. “What’s the pony’s name?”
“This is Rosie. Do you want to pet her nose?”
Again Lucas nodded, and Rainy felt herself start to relax. As much as she loved Anne, walking the ranch with her constant nattering about handsome cowboys was driving Rainy to distraction. Now she could focus on her boy and enjoy his excitement for everything new while Anne headed back to her room to freshen up.
Rainy smiled as Lucas was lifted onto a speckled pony’s back and shown how to hold onto the saddle horn of the little saddle. His bright grin melted her heart, and she placed her hand behind the saddle to be ready to catch him if he fell.
“I’m a towboy, Mommy!” Lucas grinned his little legs and tiny tennis shoes snug in the stirrups. Her family had been right this was going to be a fabulous vacation where precious memories would be made. Pulling her phone from her pocket, Rainy snapped pictures of her little buckaroo.
***
Nathan headed for the bunkhouse to wash up before taking his break. He had been working in the barn all morning and the mixture of sweat and hay dust was making him itch. It would feel good to have a few minutes of quiet while the other men were out doing various jobs.
As he strode from the barn he could hear the enthusiastic cry of a little boy getting his first pony ride, and his heart twisted in his chest.
Could he have a son or daughter just like that out in the world somewhere? Were they happy, safe, loved?
Nate swallowed hard as all of the fresh emotions he had buried so deep came swarming over him. “God, I’m not strong enough for this. I’m a coward and a cad, but by your grace, I am saved. Help me? Show me what to do?” His whispered prayer was wrenched from his soul as tears prickled behind his eyes. Even if he had the courage to face the sins of the past, he didn’t even know where to begin. If he contacted Rainy’s parents, they would never give him information. They hated him for what he had done, but never as much as he hated himself right now.
The quiet coolness of the bunkhouse washed over Nathan as he stepped into the ancient structure, filling him with peace. Long strides covered the space from the door to his bunk, and he pulled out his comfort, opening the tattered Bible in his hands.
His grandmother had given him this battered old book. It had been his grandfather’s, and it was the loss of that dear old soul that had brought Nathan to his knees. As a teen, rebellious, indulgent, and irresponsible, he had ignored his grandparents' antiquated world view. God, religion, faith; who needed them?
It wasn’t until last year when the finite nature of man struck home on the death of his grandfather that Nate realized his future was not secure. He had nearly finished his education in bioengineering at the University of Wyoming where he had earned a scholarship, but he had never given a thought to his soul.
Slowly the young man stroked the cover of worn leather, his fingers tracing the gold letters of his namesake. Nathan Allen Draper had been named after his grandfather when his own mother had abandoned him at birth disappearing as if she had never existed.
Raised by his grandparents, Nathan had never known his father. It was on his grandfather’s ranch, a small local operation that Nate had learned to work, but he had never given over his soul to a loving and just God.
“Lord, give me wisdom,” Nathan prayed. “Show me your ways. I’m weak and frail. I’ve never known a father’s love. I’ve been displaced, bitter, hurt, and selfish. Help me to overcome my flaws through your grace.” Peace settled around Nathan as he prayed, a quiet that told him he was in the presence of the very creator of the universe.
Closing his eyes, he flipped the bible open, opening his eyes he read the words on the page.
Psalm 68:5 says, “Father of the fatherless and protector of widows, is God in his holy habitation.” He who numbers the hairs on our head will certainly not turn away from the children living as orphans, and this should inspire us to act.
The words raced over him in a wave of joy, hope, and promise. Perhaps he wasn’t ready to face his past yet, but God was faithful and would guide him into a future when he would be ready to confront his failings.
“Thank you God for your promises,” Nate sighed. “Help my unbelief.”
“Nate are you in here?” Red’s voice echoed from outside the bunkhouse door before the old man even opened it.
“I’m here Red.” Nathan felt his lips twitch into a smile as the old man stepped through the door. Red Dixon had become a surrogate grandpa over the past few months. He had taken
