“She’s welcome here any time. We’ll do fine.”
Emily turned her attention to her daughter, and with a deep frown said in a low voice just to Carli, “Now, if we can just get her out of the car.”
“Will you come and meet Sally?” Carli looked at Lexi with pleading eyes.
Lexi ducked her head, pretending to ignore them both and then the door swung open. Her long, jet black hair sported bright pink highlights on the ends, spikes on top, and this time her nails were painted bright purple. Wearing almost the identical black outfit she had on at the coffee shop, she placed both hands on either side of Sally’s face and drew the animal’s nose into her belly. She closed her eyes and froze.
“You know your way around a horse, I see.” Carli couldn’t help but smile.
“Yes, we had several horses, but then my hours got cut at work and I just couldn’t afford the feed any longer. They went to a local rescue and were adopted out.” Emily answered before her daughter could reply. “If you’re good here, I’ll be back in about an hour.”
While Lexi was distracted, Emily hurried around her car, jumped in, and was gone. Carli watched Lexi carefully for signs of a meltdown like she had witnessed over the muffin incident. So far, so good. Her mother did not say goodbye, and never really spoke directly to her daughter. Instead, she stepped on the gas and peeled out like there was a monster on her tail. Carli pushed away sadness and curiosity about the family’s dynamics and turned her attention instead to the girl dressed in black.
“C’mon. Let’s start with brushing her and then we’ll get her saddled.”
Lexi barely gave a nod. A motion of her head so slight Carli would have missed it if she hadn’t been watching closely. They all walked into the corral and Carli handed the girl a brush.
Lexi did a good job, giving the right amount of pressure to get the dirt out of Sally's coat but at the same time she had a gentle touch.
“What was your horse’s name?” Carli asked. Silence from her new friend. Carli only heard the twitter of a few birds high in the elm tree and one of the horses stomped a foot.
Buck passed through stopping to greet their visitor. “Mornin’, girls.”
“Hey Buck, this is my new friend Lexi.”
The girl gave the ranch foreman a shy, half-smile for a split second before focusing back on the horse.
Buck rattled around in the tack room for a few minutes. “I’m headed to check the North Pasture fence line and scatter some mineral around, Miss Carli.”
“Thanks, Buck.” Carli turned her attention back to Lexi.
“The grass is greening up. I’m hoping for some rain soon. You girls have a nice ride.” Buck tipped his hat brim before leaving.
It was most likely pouring sheets of rain in Georgia this time of year, but here the air was dusty and dry. She glanced at Lexi. Carli never was any good at small talk, and obviously Lexi wasn’t interested in it either. Carli felt helpless, yet a million things waiting to be said ran through her mind. Lexi reminded her so much of her younger self. Angry at the world, frustration. The feeling of despondency, lack of control, like things will never change, never get any better. Futility. Carli understood the storm inside this girl, churning away until there’s nothing left but defiance and rage...and loneliness.
Giving up on any efforts to have a conversation, Carli left Lexi brushing Sally while she saddled Beau. Then she helped Lexi saddle up, and they were off. “Let’s go along the creek. It’s a pretty ride, plus good exercise for the horses. Lots of logs to walk around or over.”
Carli bit her lip as Lexi slipped her combat boots into the stirrups. Surprisingly, they fit. They started out in the round pen where the horses plodded along at a relaxed walk. Carli noticed Lexi patting the neck of her horse, which warmed her heart. She even wondered what it would be like to have a daughter, kind of an unlikely thought for her. Still young, not to mention her messed up family history.
“Itchy.” Lexi’s voice broke the silence.
“What?” Carli barely understood her, she spoke so softly. “Is something wrong?”
“My horse’s name was Itchy.”
“Hands down, the best horse name ever.” Carli smiled and glanced at Lexi.
“She liked to be scratched.” They both giggled.
A peace settled over them as they urged their horses through a gate out of the round pen and down a slope to a narrow stream of water. Lexi nudged Sally and passed Carli on a wide spot beneath the cottonwood trees, crossing the dry creek bed and up the other side.
Carli followed. That was the start of a conversation, but she was afraid to ask anything more. Lexi might clam up again. They rode in silence, circling the fishpond and returning to headquarters. Lexi didn’t utter another word and neither did Carli. The young girl seemed to enjoy the freedom, the breeze on her face, not having to smile at anyone or answer, the warm, rhythmic feel of the horse. Twigs snapped and horse hooves plodding along the ground echoed around them. The camaraderie of riding with someone. They made quite a pair—one angry teen just starting out and an uncertain young woman trying to figure out the direction of her life.
When they returned to headquarters, Lexi’s mother and brother were standing at the gate watching them ride up the hill into the pens.
“I see both of you are smiling. Did y’all have fun?” Emily called out.
“Yes, we did,” said Carli. “I’ll have her back to you in a minute after we unsaddle.”
Without a word Lexi managed to pull Sally's saddle off, put everything back in its place in the tack room, then stopped to watch both horses rolling in the dirt before she headed to the SUV. Carli followed and before the girl got into the car, she touched her
