Jordan laughed. “I’ve looked at dresses all morning and haven’t seen anything I like. I don’t think I’m going to have to worry about him seeing it ahead of time. Feather and I are going shopping again tomorrow so we’ll probably find something then. I’m almost tempted to get married in jeans.”
Wolf pushed the last of the salad into his mouth and nodded. “I’m all for that,” he said when he could manage to speak.
At that moment, Jordan spotted the tall slender form of Brother Tommy walking steadfastly toward them, his ever present smile lighting his face. Andrea smiled as he pulled out the chair and settled into the chair beside her as he greeted the young couple across the table.
Automatically they both bowed their heads for a brief prayer, before looking up again.
“Well, it’s almost the big day!” he said, his southern drawl drawing the words out. “Are y’all ready for it?”
Wolf grinned. “Beyond ready. I’m wishin’ you could do it right now!”
They all laughed. “That’d disappoint a lot of people,” Tommy said softly.
Jordan nodded. “He reminded me of that just a day or so ago. I think we’ll both be glad when it’s over with and we can just begin to live our new lives.”
She looked at Wolf, then back at the older couple. “I hate to leave good company, but there are a couple of stores in here that I haven’t looked in, so I guess I’d better get started. We’ll need to be home in time to feed up this evening.”
Wolf stood up and pulled out her chair. “Y’all enjoy your lunch, now, and we’ll see you Sunday mornin’.”
It didn’t take but a few minutes for Jordan to make him admit that to his surprise, his gift had expanded so now he could sense some of her more powerful emotions, like anger and fear.
Jordan wasn’t sure how she felt about it, but knew it was something that she’d just have to accept. It wasn’t something he could change, and she sure wasn’t about to lose him over it.
Jordan didn’t think she was that hard to please, but when she got out of her truck back at home, she still hadn’t found anything she wanted to wear. Feeling restless after the feeding was done, she encouraged Wolf, Feather and Steve to help her move some boxes from the closet of the third bedroom into the storage shed behind the house.
Wolf scratched his head, one hand on his hip as he surveyed the boxes stacked from floor to ceiling in the closet. “What’s in these boxes?” he asked.
Jordan shrugged. “I’m not sure. Its stuff that was packed up after my parents died. I just haven’t had the motivation to go through it. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to.”
“Then why keep it?” he queried her.
Again she shrugged. “I suppose there might be stuff that I’d like to keep in some of them.”
“Then let’s go through them now. What you want, we’ll keep, what you don’t want, we’ll get rid of. There might be thin’s here that others could use,” he suggested.
Jordan cast a speculative look at Feather and Steve. “If y’all don’t want to do this, I understand.”
Feather grinned. “We’ll be glad to help. I’ve always loved going through old stuff.”
“And sneezing her head off,” Steve added, causing Wolf to arch one of his dark brows.
Jordan nodded. “Alright, but when y’all decide you’ve had enough, feel free to leave.”
“Thanks,” Steve offered, pulling a box down and sitting it on the floor.
The contents of the boxes were a constant surprise for Jordan. Items she remembered with laughter and some with solemnity were separated into stacks of keepers or movers. Occasionally she’d squeal with joy and share a story of her youth, triggered by something one of them pulled from a box.
They were nearing the bottom of the stack of boxes when Feather suddenly gasped. “Oh, my gosh! Jordan,” she jumped to her feet and began hopping up and down, a lacy dress bouncing with her movements. The other three looked at her in astonishment, and then Jordan scrambled to her feet and began dancing too. She grasped Feather in a fierce hug, tears beginning to flow over her cheeks.
“I’ve only seen pictures of it! I didn’t think Mom had kept it!” She turned to face Wolf holding a long, off-white dress of gauzy looking lace out for him to see. “It’s my mom’s wedding dress!”
A smile melted across his face. “I don’t think I’m s’posed to see that, before the weddin’.” He smiled, knowing that Jordan had found her dress.
No more shopping or worrying about a wedding dress. She wore the dress her mother was married in on Wednesday evening as she walked down the aisle of the little country church to stand beside Daniel Chetan and become his wife.
Epilog
Jordan’s heart pounded with excitement as she sat astride the powerful blue/gray mare waiting for their turn to enter the show ring. It was two years ago that she’d found Pride on the internet and now they were waiting to enter the ring at the AQHA World Show. Several months ago, Pride had earned her AQHA Championship in reining to allow her to compete here today.
A strong hand rested on the calf of her leg and she looked down again into the still surprising pale eyes of her husband. “Are you ready for this?” His voice was deep and flowed around her like a warm balm. Bhrandii and Emma sat on the dirt beside him.
She nodded, knowing she’d have to shout for him to hear her over the music streaming into his head through the buds in his ears. They had worked hard to get Pride to this point and Jordan knew that years of work stretched out ahead of them. Her dream, his dream, their dream. Pride was just the beginning.
If they just placed today, she’d be on cloud nine. They wouldn’t have to work so hard to create a market for their horses. She smiled at Wolf and reached down to touch his shoulder. She just needed to touch him, to assure herself that he was really there, that this wasn’t all a dream. Then she sat up and turned her attention back to the ring and the horse working the pattern there. When this class was over, she could tell him. She was so excited she could hardly believe it herself. Just last night, while he took care of Pride at the arena, she had slipped off to a pharmacy and purchased a pregnancy test kit. She’d missed one period completely and was late for the second one. Stopping by the motel, she’d gone into the bathroom and performed the test and it had tested positive. It took the better part of an hour before she could control herself well enough to go back to the show grounds.
The horse in the arena ran a beautiful pattern, but coming out of the final spin, he’d shifted his feet after he should have stopped. That wasn’t good. Now there were just four more horses before her turn. Leaning over to get his attention, she mouthed, “I’m going into the warm up pen.”
He nodded. “I’ll come get you when the horse ahead of you enters the ring.”
Her head bobbed. She had warmed Pride up earlier, but she knew just jogging a bit would help both of them relax. The waiting to go in the arena was the worst part. Once they were there, they both knew their jobs and the nerves would settle. Jordan was so proud of Pride. The mare was one of the most willing horses she’d ever mounted. She knew some of that was due to Wolf’s gift. Even when it was Jordan riding, he had been able to help the mare understand what was necessary and the mare had given her very best efforts to accomplish it.
When they hauled the beautiful grullo mare to her first show, Jordan had been surprised when Wolf pulled out a MP3 player, stuck it in his pocket and placed ear buds in his ears. He had grinned at her and shrugged. “This will interfere with any communication that might take place between me and the four legged ones.”
He knew no one but Jordan would ever know if he did communicate with Pride or any of the other horses, but his sense of honor wouldn’t allow for even the possibility of cheating. She was so proud of him.
There was one more rider in the warm up ring and they exchanged smiles as they passed. Jordan was content with a slow jog around the pen, keeping her eyes on the gate so she didn’t miss Wolf when he came for her.
&n
bsp; “Just do your best, Girl,” she whispered to Pride when she finally spotted him and turned the mare toward the gate. Yes, she admitted to herself, she truly did want to win, but placing would be wonderful. They had already booked Pride’s breeding to a stallion that had sired some of the best reining horses in the country, and when this show was over, they would drop her off at the farm for breeding on their way home to Florida.
It was a good time for them both to carry their babies.
Wolf walked beside them as they approached the gate through which they would enter the arena.
Jordan concentrated on him and leaned over to get his attention. “I love you,” she mouthed to him.
He nodded and smiled at her. “And I you. I can’t wait to get back home.”
“Me too,” she sighed. A loud clapping announced that the other horse was leaving the arena and she sat up and drew in a deep breath.
His hand squeezed her leg. “It’s no big deal, just relax and enjoy it.” He gave Bhrandii a hand signal to stay seated. If allowed, the big dog would follow Jordan into the arena and through the entire reining pattern.
She nodded and pasted a smile on her face as the ring steward opened the gate for her. Jordan turned her horse toward the opening and lifted one hand, one finger pointing up toward Heaven. “In Your name, Thy will be done,” she whispered as Pride walked with relaxed confidence into the arena.
THE END
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Epilog
Another Chance Page 19
