by Leigh Bale
“Honey, I don’t know if I can bring you out here every day.” Lyn sounded nervous. Filled with panic.
“Just visit whenever you can,” Cade said.
This news didn’t seem to dampen Kristen’s spirits in the least. “We’ll visit often,” she insisted.
Cade hadn’t thought about the hardship frequent visits might pose on Lyn. She was a busy, single working mother with a lot of responsibilities. Bringing Kristen out to Sunrise Ranch every day wouldn’t be easy. As a medical doctor, he knew the horse would be great therapy for Kristen, but he wasn’t so sure it was the right thing for Lyn.
Or him. He should have known better than to become emotionally attached to his patient and their family, but he really didn’t have a choice. Something about Lyn and her daughter had settled inside a vacant space of his heart, and he found himself caring for them on a highly personal level.
“Lightning is a great name,” Lyn said, her voice a bit tremulous. She was obviously doing her best to remain positive while fighting her deep-seated fears. For the benefit of her daughter. And that made Cade like her even more.
“Lightning is a perfect name. It fits her well,” Cade agreed.
They spent another hour outside, grooming Lightning and letting Kristen enjoy being a carefree kid for what Cade thought must be the first time in a long time.
Finally, they went inside the house for some hot chocolate. Unable to get enough of the animals, Kristen took her cup outside where she sat on the covered porch with Gus and gazed at the corral. Lightning galloped freely around the goat, who chewed a mouthful of hay in serene detachment. Kristen sat chatting to Gus. The dog responded by licking the child’s face, which made Kristen giggle.
“She’s happy today,” Cade observed.
“Yes. I always hoped after we moved to Stokely that she’d make new friends, but I never thought they’d all be animals,” Lyn said.
She stood in his kitchen, gazing out the window at the back of her daughter’s head. Never fully removing her eyes from the child. Always hovering close by, just in case.
Cade turned off the stove and came to join her, taking a sip from his own cup. “This is a good beginning.”
Lyn inhaled deeply before letting it go. “I haven’t heard her laugh this much since...”
She didn’t finish her thought, but she didn’t have to. Cade knew. Since before Kristen’s father died. “As she becomes happy and more confident within herself, she’ll make friends at school more easily.”
Lyn turned and looked at him, a bit of doubt filling her expressive eyes. “Is that your professional opinion, or just a hunch?”
His smile broadened to a teasing grin. Trying not to let her take the situation too seriously. Trying to help her see that life could be joyful as well as sad. “That’s my professional opinion, Lyn. Come on, sit with me in the living room. Kristen’s safe enough with Gus.”
He didn’t touch her as he headed that way, hoping she took his cue. Hoping he didn’t have to coax her away from the view of her daughter.
“I wish you’d warned me before you gave the horse to her. I never would have agreed to that,” Lyn said.
“I’m sorry. It just kind of happened. I figure the horse should belong to you. You’re the one who saved her life.”
“No, we both saved her.”
Okay, he could accept that. Because they’d shared something special, he felt close to this woman. And yet, an invisible barrier kept them miles apart.
“I’m happy to keep Lightning here at my place,” he said. “Let Kristen keep the horse, Lyn. It won’t do her any harm.”
“Keeping the filly here will work, unless I get transferred to another town.”
He hadn’t thought about that. If Lyn moved away, he wouldn’t be able to see her and Kristen anymore. And that left him feeling rotten inside. “Let’s worry about that when the time comes.”
“Okay.” But she didn’t sound convinced. Not one bit.
A cheery fire burned in the rock fireplace, chasing the subtle chill from the space. Lyn glanced about the tidy room, taking in the evidence of his Shoshone heritage. Woven baskets with intricate designs decorated the walls and tabletops. A comfy leather sofa and high-backed chairs circled the console TV set. A pair of white knee-moccasins with blue and white beading across the supple leather rested in one corner. Braided rag rugs made by Kaku, his grandmother, covered the hardwood floors. A striking headdress created by Grandfather, with eagle feathers, ermine and rabbit fur, had been set up on top of a tall armoire. Cade hadn’t changed the place much since his grandparents had lived here. He’d always felt at home with the rustic accommodations, but now wondered if Lyn would find the furnishings garish and old-fashioned.
“You have a lovely home. Everything’s so beautiful and comfortable,” she said.
From the curious warmth in her eyes, he could tell she meant the compliment sincerely.
“Thanks.”
She touched the ornate frame of an old picture resting on the mantel beside a set of Scriptures. A pretty Indian maiden with high cheekbones. Her long, black hair flowed over the shoulders of her white rawhide dress ornamented with feathers and beads. “Is this your mother?”
“Yes. She was a Shoshone princess. It caused quite a scandal when she married my father. He was a white man, and my grandparents didn’t like him. They wanted her to marry another member of the tribe, but she didn’t love him and refused.”
“Well, she’s beautiful. I’m glad she married for love.”
His heart swelled in agreement. “Me, too. She was the most gentle person I ever knew. She loved all God’s creatures, big and small. In fact, she was a lot like Kristen.”
“My Kristen?”
“Yes. She wasn’t afraid to assert her independence. She adored my father in spite of the tribe’s disapproval.”
“Did your parents ever live here at Sunrise Ranch?”
He shook his head, remembering how he’d overheard a few snippets of conversation between his parents when they didn’t know he was listening. “No, they eloped and moved to California where they raised me. But I came here to spend each summer with my grandparents. I don’t remember my parents ever stepping foot in this house after they married. Grandfather wouldn’t allow it.”
“And yet your grandfather accepted you?”
“Yeah, he figured I was innocent of my parents’ deception. Not all the members of the tribe agreed. But Grandfather loved me unconditionally. He taught me so much about life, but he never accepted my father.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Don’t be. My parents were happy and made their own way. And I was content. I never realized I was half Shoshone until I was nine years old, the first summer I came here to meet my grandparents.”
If only his folks were here now, he might not feel so lonely. Returning to Sunrise Ranch had brought him a great deal of comfort, and yet he had no one to confide his heart to anymore. No one to love unconditionally.
“Why aren’t you married?” she asked.
He shrugged. “I’ve dated a lot over the years, but being in the Marine Corps and then medical school consumed most of my time. I never developed a serious relationship. I was ambitious and determined to become a doctor, even if it cut into my personal life. Now that I’ve met my goals, I’d like a family. Unfortunately, my options for romance are rather limited here in Stokely.”
Which pulled his thoughts back to Lyn.
She looked away, his admission causing her face to turn a pretty shade of pink. He’d obviously embarrassed her with his candor. She was way too easy to talk to. But now he’d said the words out loud, he realized he’d never made time for love in his life. And maybe he should think about changing that.
“You must be a religious person.” She nodded at the Scriptures on the
mantel.
“Yes, my folks raised me to love God. But at some point, every person needs to decide what they believe in, regardless of how they were raised. Speaking of which, I haven’t seen you and Kristen at church since you moved to town.”
She took a sip of hot chocolate. “I don’t know if I believe in God anymore. We used to go to church before...before the accident. But I don’t need church to feel spiritual.”
“And what about Kristen?”
She didn’t respond, letting the question hang in the air. He stepped over to the fire, picking up a metal poker to stir the growing flames. The red coals winked at him and he nudged one away from the fire, resting it close to the hearth. Glancing up, he saw that Lyn watched his every move.
“When we make a conscious effort to be near God, it strengthens us,” he said. “We all have the light of Christ born within us, but when we pull away and live our lives without worshipping the Lord, our spirituality can cool and even die.” He pointed at the now-blackened coal he’d pulled away from the fire, which no longer glowed with heat.
She smiled tolerantly. “You trying to convert me, Dr. Baldwin?”
“No, just pointing out the obvious. Faith and worship can help mend broken hearts. It might do you and Kristen a lot of good.”
She set her cup down on a coaster and stood. “Thanks so much for inviting us out today. We needed this so much.”
He sensed something more in her words. “Because Kristen’s been so unhappy?”
“Yes. You see, today is the anniversary of her daddy’s death.”
His heart gave a powerful squeeze. “I imagine today is rather difficult for you, too.”
She nodded. “It is. But this has been a great experience for Kristen. She hasn’t been this happy in a long time. We’d better be going, though.”
He could have kicked himself. He’d been trying to help and hoped he hadn’t pushed her too hard. As she headed for the door, he followed, reminding himself that Lyn’s life wasn’t his business. And yet, they’d both confided in each other. He’d told Lyn things he hadn’t told anyone else. Still, Kristen was his patient, not Lyn.
Not a beautiful forest ranger.
After promising to give Kristen an update on Lightning at their next doctor’s appointment on Tuesday, he hugged her goodbye. Lyn thanked him again, and then they were gone. As Cade watched them pull out of his driveway, he couldn’t help feeling empty inside. He didn’t want them to leave. Not so soon.
Surely an odd notion.
Kristen wore visible defects upon her body, but Cade had no doubt Lyn was just as scarred on the inside. He longed to help them both heal, but had serious doubts. Especially since he had his own problems to sort out, and carried similar battle wounds on his own heart. Only time would tell.
Chapter Seven
Over the next week, Lyn took Kristen out to Sunrise Ranch twice more to visit Lightning. The filly thrived under Cade’s care. And Kristen flourished with Cade’s encouragement at physical therapy. Lyn had never seen her daughter so happy. So amenable and easygoing.
“I have another surprise for you,” Cade said two weeks later when they went to his office for their weekly therapy session.
Curious, Lyn followed as he led Kristen into a spacious room set up with a red floor mat, steps and support bars.
A wide smile of pleasure crinkled his eyes. “I made this gait room especially for Kristen.”
“Thanks, Dr. Baldwin.”
But the girl didn’t look too impressed. Lyn could understand why. Her exercises weren’t easy. When other kids were outside running and taking their legs for granted, Kristen had to exercise just so she could walk by herself. The fact that he’d gone to this trouble impressed Lyn. Cade was a good man, and she couldn’t deny it.
For the next hour he worked with Kristen, even letting Lyn assist with a battery of hip squeezes, extensions, lifts and stretches.
“You’re getting stronger. I can tell you’re doing your exercises at home,” he said.
Kristen nodded. “I do them without Mom even having to remind me.”
Lyn smiled, proud of her daughter. “That’s right. Sometimes I think she exercises too much.”
“I have to, so I can run and play soccer,” Kristen said.
Lyn didn’t respond. In spite of repeatedly telling Kristen no, the girl kept asking her to complete a health questionnaire and sign her soccer application.
And then Cade presented Kristen with her new C-Leg prosthesis. Or rather, two new prosthetics. One for regular walking, and another J-shaped running prosthesis made of flexible carbon fibers for running.
Kristen’s eyes gleamed with excitement as Maya, Cade’s assistant, showed the girl how to clean the silicon liner of the C-Leg before rolling it onto her stump without air bubbles.
“She won’t need that one.” Lyn pointed at the running prosthesis.
Kristen blinked, her lips pinched together. “But I want to use it, Mom.”
“I can’t afford it, honey.” Which was true. A state-of-the-art prosthesis like that might cost thousands of dollars. Health insurance wouldn’t cover it, and neither could Lyn. Since she didn’t believe it was in the best interest of her child to run, fall and possibly get hurt, the expense seemed the easiest out.
“There’s no charge for either prosthesis,” Cade said. “The J-shape is a new model the Craig Stratich Group is testing out. They’re leading specialists in prosthetics and research. This model isn’t even available on the market yet. So you’ll be one of the first people to use it.”
Lyn sucked back a startled gasp. A variety of emotions swamped her all at once. Gratitude for Cade’s generosity, pleasure that Kristen got to be one of the first people to try out the new device, and disappointment that he was making this so easy for them. But she was determined not to sign the soccer form. No way.
Kristen gave a delighted bounce. “Really? That’s so cool.”
“No strings attached?” Lyn couldn’t believe it. There had to be a catch.
“No strings attached,” Cade confirmed. “If you’re willing to be part of the study, it’s free. I’ll just ask Kristen a battery of questions each week when she comes in for her physical therapy about how it’s working out for her. No charge.”
Lyn hesitated. Kristen fingered the shiny curve of the newfangled limb where it sat beside her on the examination table. The girl’s jaw locked hard. Stubborn. Determined. As though she dared her mother to try to take the apparatus away from her. And Lyn couldn’t do that. Not if it meant that much to her daughter.
“Okay, she can try it out for a while, but I don’t know what use a running prosthesis will be to her.” Lyn spoke vaguely, not entirely convinced this was the right thing to do.
“I’m gonna play soccer,” Kristen announced.
“That’d be a great idea. There’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it,” Cade said.
Wait! What was he doing?
“No. Remember we talked about this? No soccer. We discussed violin or piano lessons instead,” Lyn returned.
Kristen’s brow darkened with resentment. “I don’t want to play the piano. And I hate the violin.”
“How can you hate it? You’ve never even tried it.”
“And I’m not going to.”
Lyn didn’t really want to have this discussion in front of Cade. She couldn’t help remembering him telling her about his mother asserting her will and leaving her family in order to marry the man she loved. If she pushed Kristen hard enough, would the girl leave her? Perhaps when she was grown. In the meantime, Lyn had an obligation to be the best parent she could. “We’ll talk about this later on at home.”
With a disgusted huff, Kristen turned away. Cade remained silent, but Lyn could see from his doubtful expression that he wanted to argue th
e point. Thankfully he kept his silence.
* * *
Lyn hadn’t gone out with Cade to view the mustangs since they’d found and brought the baby horse home. She’d been too busy, and she just didn’t have the heart to see the wild horses again so soon. And then Lyn got an unexpected phone call. She didn’t know who to be angrier at: Kristen for disobeying her, or Cade for encouraging the girl to try whatever she liked.
“Lyn, your daughter’s soccer coach is holding for you on line two.” Cindy, Lyn’s office manager, made the announcement to her late one afternoon.
Heading back to her office following a meeting with Bob MacKay, the district manager of the BLM, Lyn froze in stride. “Her soccer coach?”
“Yeah, and he says it’s urgent.”
Confused by the meaning of this, Lyn hurried to her desk and punched the blinking button on her phone console. “This is Lyn Warner.”
“Mrs. Warner, this is Dale Cummings. I’m Kristen’s soccer coach.”
“I don’t understand. She doesn’t play soccer.”
A long pause followed.
“Um, yes, she does. And I’m afraid she’s been injured during a practice game.”
A wave of fear cracked through Lyn. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. A stupor of dread swirled around inside her mind. Kristen wasn’t playing soccer. Lyn had said no. So how could her daughter have a soccer coach? Unless...
“It’s nothing serious,” he went on. “Just a bloody nose, but she’ll be fine. We’re at the clinic now. Do you think you can come over here to pick her up?”
“Of course. I’ll be right there.”
Lyn hung up the phone, her body quaking. On autopilot, she grabbed her purse and dashed down the hall. After a quick word to Cindy as to where she was going, she got into her car and tried to obey the speed limit on her mad dash to Cade’s clinic.
