I leaned into him, tears falling down my cheeks. No matter how long I’d been away, I was still his little girl the moment I saw him again.
“It’s okay, baby girl,” he said soothingly as he rubbed my back. “Alrighty, well look, why don’t we go get your stuff from the car and get you unpacked? How long do you think you’ll be staying?” He pulled back and looked at me, concern etched across the features of his aging, wrinkled face. “It’s good to see you. I don’t know why you’re here but I’m sure you’ll tell us in due time.” Papa gave me a small smile. I’d missed seeing those kind, all-knowing eyes. He shook his head when I went to respond. He wasn’t going to make me purge my demons just yet and for that I was grateful.
My parents weren’t ever ones to give me the “I told you so,” look. It didn’t mean I’d be comfortable enough to tell them that they were right about everything.
Papa followed me down to my car. Well, I guess it wasn’t technically mine anymore. Or ever. According to Andrew, everything we owned was his because he’d paid for it. And he made damn sure that I knew every single time I suggested otherwise. As far as I was concerned you had to be alive to own something. And seeing as how I couldn’t see him being alive after what they’d done, he wouldn’t have a choice.
Something changed that afternoon, a shift in the wind. A song on the breeze. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what, the only thing I knew is that it wasn’t exactly a bad thing.
I’d spent the afternoon mucking stalls and working with the newest horse to come in. They’d called him Zeus, which was appropriate. One Greek god of a Fresian horse to rule them all. Darker than the darkest onyx you could imagine.
A black mane that hung in strands of soft, silky tangles. Eyes quiet but pensive. Black feather-like hair lined his feet and the grace with which he moved could bring a person to tears with just one hoofbeat across the Earth. Around the corral he ran, all snort and flair. Power and beauty. Magnificence and grace. Twelve hundred pounds of something that could crush you with one simple blow to the skull.
I loved these animals, something completely wild that had been brought to domestication. They’d become partners as opposed to prey and hunter. America was built on the backs of these brave, incredible creatures. Creatures that went to battle for us at one simple command.
One simple request.
A squeeze.
A kick.
A smooch.
The more time I spent with him, the more I realized that Zeus had a broken soul and was very untrusting of people. I had been told by the rescue a little about what had happened and I couldn’t believe that a human could do that to another living creature.
He may have looked like a god in the flesh, but was simply a mere mortal. He’d been hurt, abused and neglected was my guess, based on the way his nostrils flared and he danced when I made a move too quickly or asked for too much of him. He’d shy away, telling me that he wasn’t ready for whatever it was I’d been asking. I respected that, and respected him, knowing that one day we would create a bond that’s unbreakable, if I could only get through to him.
With half of the day now gone, I’d taken him out to the paddock and turned him loose. Before he learned to trust me, he needed to learn to be a horse again.
Free.
I stood watching him for what seemed like half an hour before I turned to go inside and make myself some lunch.
I pulled sandwich supplies from the fridge—bologna, cheese, pickles, mayo, and mustard atop plain white bread.
Simple.
Delicious.
My phone dinged from the living room and I ran to grab it, hoping it wasn’t someone telling me I was needed out on the ranch.
My ranch.
I’d taken over here a little over four years now, which is also how long it’d been since my father passed. I never expected him to go so soon but cancer is a nasty beast. He’d gone in to see the doctor thinking he’d be walking out with a diagnosis of diabetes. He had all the typical signs, but no one ever tells you that diabetes and pancreatic cancer actually have the same vague symptoms. It was a bitter end to the last seven weeks of his life. Whole body fatigue, nausea, appetite loss, confusion, pain, yellowing of his skin. Some days he didn’t even know me and that was when he’d been lucid enough to actually notice I was in the room. I wouldn’t have bestowed that on my worst enemy.
Reagan—You will never guess who I saw driving through town today.
I am always amazed how quickly gossip spreads in our small little town. Leave it up to my little sister to be the first one with all the details too.
Me—Waiting with bated breath over here…
Reagan—Can you just, I don’t know, pretend to care every once in a while?
Me—Sorry, it’s just been a long mornin’ Rea, who’d you see?
Reagan—She’s back, Beau. Dream girl came cruising right through the middle of town about an hour ago. Everyone’s saying she didn’t even stop just headed right for her parent’s place.
I roll my eyes even though she can’t see it.
Me—That was a long time ago, Rea. She didn’t want me then, she won’t want me now.
Reagan—Well, with that attitude I wouldn’t want you either…
Me—Really? Really winning friends right now. Was there a reason you thought I’d want to know this bit
