She opened the back door, shielding her eyes from the early morning sun with one hand while still clutching her coffee with the other. She walked down past the clothesline to the old wrought iron back gate hanging on a slanting wooden post and pushed it open into the next paddock. A flock of chickens scurried around the inside edge of the pen sending up little waves of dust, already into the routine of being fed as soon as they saw her.
She placed her mug on the only solid fence post beside the shed that the chook run was attached to, and opened the door. Ryder stepped back as the mixture of assorted chickens rushed her in their pursuit of freedom. Squawking and fluttering their wings, they raced outside and started pecking at the long green grass, searching for fresh bugs and seeds. When she first laid eyes on the house, the chickens had been wandering all over the farm, inside the house yard destroying what was left of the neglected flower beds, and perching on the veranda at night, their droppings caked onto the old timber boards.
Ryder had scraped the muck off with a shovel and then used a stiff broom and the garden hose to clean things up, but the house still looked unloved and in need of paint. It had been easy to train the chickens with a bucket of feed at night and soon she had them locked up and contained away from the house. Apart from the rooster who somehow managed to get out onto the roof of the coop every morning for his wake up call. That she could live with.
A soft whinny greeted her as she turned toward the barn. An old horse had been left behind to fend for itself. When Ryder moved in the mares hooves were long and cracked, and her ribs showed through her matted coat. It had almost broken Ryder’s heart. Burrs filled her tail and mane and it’d been kinder to chop them off rather than spend days trying to comb it all out. The palomino mare had stood patiently while Ryder had called a farrier to trim up her cracked hooves and after a couple of days she’d started to walk easier, the pain in her feet disappearing with the simple fix. Eb had fed her carrots while her mother worked and talked to the horse as if they already had a secret bond. Fact is, they probably did. Eb had a way with animals, same as Ryder had as a child. That love never waned as she turned into an adult and she was as proud as could be now her daughter was turning out the same way.
“Hey sweetheart, nice to see you too.” She rubbed the soft nose, resting her head against the horse as they said their ritual good morning. Ryder had been determined to look after the horse even though the real estate manager had suggested she send it to the knacker’s yard and get something in better health if she wanted to continue with her riding.
Determined to heal the old horse as well as her own heart, Ryder took the first step by giving her a name. Crystal needed love and she needed redemption and a new purpose after wandering aimlessly for the last couple of years since Gabe died.
Crystal stayed at the farm and each passing day she looked healthier and happier. Her ribs disappeared under a fine layer of flesh, taking away the starved look, and she walked further in the paddock during the day now her feet no longer made movement painful. Ryder filled up Crystal’s hay net and opened the door so she could go out in the paddock. She surveyed the farm before heading back to the house for her own breakfast and to rouse her little girl out of bed.
The cat, skinny now since giving birth just after they arrived, sat on top of the hale bales. Ryder made noises hoping to encourage her down but the cat stayed where she was, watching with her green eyes. Eb could try her sweet talking again tonight to see if she could tame her a little more. But Ryder needed to get Eb ready for day care before her own work day started.
Chapter 2
Her new home was only a few kilometres from town and it gave her little time to think about the day ahead and what to expect. She kept her gaze on the road as she drove past the farms and into the old historic town she had no early childhood recollection of. To her, everything was new and interesting but held no memories at all. Yesterday had been tense meeting the locals and hoping she fitted in. They seemed intrigued by her accent and a few had commented on the fact they remembered her as a small child, but some had just looked and kept their thoughts to themselves.
She dropped Eb off at day care and watched her run outside to play with her new friends.
“She’s settling in really well, Ryder. Such a lovely wee thing she is too.” Amy took the backpack from Ryder and slipped it over her arm as they stood and watched the little girl.
“I really appreciate you taking her, Amy. I know rostered days can be a pain but hopefully once I prove myself I can get a better routine
