Pony Express Hero

by Rhonda Gibson

  Daisy looked back over her shoulder. The panicky look on her face said it all. He bit back a chuckle. He quickly glanced around to see if Lilly saw what he did but Lilly had already left the barn.

  “Daisy?”

  Her eyes met his. She answered in a broken whisper. “Yes, Mr. Jacob?”

  “Daisy. Why do you suppose the mama cat is upset?” Jacob watched her shrug her small shoulders.

  “I don’t know.” She turned around again to leave.

  The mama cat came from the stall and trotted to Daisy. She rubbed her body around Daisy’s legs and made frantic yowling noises.

  Daisy looked down on the tabby. “Go away.” She hissed at the mama cat.

  Jacob leaned against a stall door. “You better put the kitten back. She’ll follow you all the way to the house if you don’t.” He crossed his arms over his chest and tried to steady his features into a stern look, even though inside he laughed at the little girl’s quandary.

  With a sad sigh, Daisy ducked her head as she walked back to the stall. He heard scuffling noises and then she returned.

  She made to dash from the barn but his firm voice stopped her. “Do you want the mama cat to hide her babies from you?”

  Daisy shook her head. “No.”

  He pushed away from the stall and walked to where she stood. Jacob kneeled down in front of her. “Then you better leave them with their mama from now on.”

  Her bottom lip began to tremble. “I just wanted to play with it some more.”

  “I know, but you knew you weren’t supposed to take it from its mama, right?” He hated seeing her lip quiver but knew he had to be strong.

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Daisy. Lilly and I want to be able to trust you but if you are going to be sneaky and try to disobey us we won’t be able to.” He looked into her brown eyes that reminded him so much of his mother’s eyes.

  “I won’t be sneaky no more.” She reached out and touched his shoulder. “Are you going to tell Lilly on me?”

  “No, you are going to tell her what you tried to do.” He knew it would be hard for the little girl to do so, but she had to learn.

  Daisy’s eyes filled with tears and she whispered, “I don’t want to.”

  Jacob patted the hand on his shoulder. “I know, but if the mama cat decides to hide her babies from us, Lilly will want to know why. It will be better if you tell her now, so that she won’t be disappointed later.”

  Her little chin thrust out. “Mama might not move them.”

  “No, but you still tried to take one knowing it was wrong. It’s better to confess what we’ve done as soon as possible. Otherwise it will eat at you and you’ll feel very bad.”

  Daisy’s eyes grew wide. “It will?”

  He stood up just as Lilly returned to the barn. “Yep, so get it over with and you’ll feel better.”

  “All right, Mr. Jacob.” Daisy lowered her head and walked to Lilly. She took her sister’s hand.

  Lilly looked at him with a confused expression. Jacob smiled at her. He didn’t want to tell on the little girl so didn’t answer the puzzled look. Her gaze moved down to Daisy.

  * * *

  Lilly watched a tear streak down Daisy’s cheek. “What’s going on in here?” She looked to Jacob again.

  “Daisy has something to tell you, don’t you, Daisy?” Jacob answered. When the little girl nodded, he went to the tack room to leave them alone.

  Lilly kneeled in front of her little sister. “What do you need to tell me?”

  Daisy wiped at the tears that seemed to flow like a river down her cheeks. “I wanted to take my kitty to my room but Mr. Jacob saw me and made me take it back to its mama.”

  Jacob returned from the tack room carrying a Pony Express saddle and bridle. He stepped around the two of them and proceeded to a stall that housed one of the Express horses. If he was interested in their conversation, he didn’t let it show while he worked.

  “You took it from its mother? How?” Lilly asked. She studied Daisy’s face, trying to ignore Jacob’s shoulder muscles as he hoisted the saddle onto the horse’s back.

  Daisy wailed. “I stuffed it under my shirt.”

  “What?” Lilly couldn’t believe her ears. “You put a baby kitten under your shirt?”

  “Uh-huh!” Daisy’s tears continued to flow.

  Lilly stood and took her hand. “Thank you, Jacob, for catching her. I’m not sure what has gotten into her but I’ll make sure she doesn’t do that again.” At Jacob’s nod, she headed out of the barn.

  “Are you going to spank me, Lilly?” Daisy looked up at her sister.

  Lilly didn’t want to spank the girl. Her father believed in the saying “spare the rod and spoil the child,” or something like that, but Lilly didn’t feel that sneaking a kitten from the barn was worthy of a spanking. “No, but you are not allowed near those kittens until they are at least four weeks old.” At her words, Daisy howled as if Lilly had spanked her.

  Lilly pulled Daisy up the porch steps and looked to the barn to see if Jacob had heard the little girl and come running. Thankfully he was nowhere to be seen.

  Once they were inside, Lilly sent Daisy to her room. She told her to pick up her toys. She knew that Daisy would play for a long time before actually cleaning her bedroom.

  With a sigh, Lilly went into the kitchen and poured herself a cup of coffee. She took a sip of the mild brew and then began to gather up what she’d need to make bread for the week. Thoughts of the day filled her mind as she worked.

  Jacob had been very attentive to both her and Daisy. He’d done the right thing in stopping Daisy from bringing the kitten to the house. Still, Lilly wished she’d have noticed what her sister was up to. Yes, Daisy was Jacob’s sister, too, but it didn’t feel right him scolding her.

  How much more would he take on as Daisy’s big brother? Was she ready to allow some of the responsibility of Daisy’s upbringing to fall on Jacob’s shoulders? She’d told him he could teach the little girl how to ride a horse on her own. Had she done the right thing?

  Lilly sat down at the table and bowed her head. “Lord, please help me as I go through these events that I know will be life-changing.” Having Jacob in their lives had already brought about some change. How much more would it bring?

  Chapter Nine

  Jacob grinned as Daisy hung on to the saddle horn for dear life. If he didn’t know better he’d have thought she’d never ridden a horse before. “Are you in the saddle good?” he asked, resting a hand on her knee.

  “Uh-huh.” She sounded breathless.

  “Good. Now I’m going to walk around the corral. Just relax.” Jacob slowly walked the horse in a circle. He saw Lilly hanging clothes beside the house and knew she watched their every movement.

  After a few trips around the yard Daisy said, “This is fun.” She smiled brightly at him as she hung onto the saddle horn. Her little knuckles were no longer white but seemed more relaxed.

  “Riding a horse can be fun but you have to remember that the horse has feelings and can be dangerous.” He stopped walking the horse and smiled up at her. “Did I tell you that this horse’s name is Gingersnap?”

  Daisy shook her head. “Like the cookie?”

  “Yep, and Gingersnap likes her neck rubbed.” He reached up and patted the little mare’s neck. He’d chosen Gingersnap because she was older and more patient than the other horses in his care.

  She leaned over the saddle and stroked the mare’s neck. “Like this?”

  Jacob moved to the side of the horse in case Daisy lost her grip. “Yes—see, she likes that.” He pointed at the way her ears were perked up.

  Daisy sat up. “Is Gingersnap a Pony Express horse?” She fingered the horse’s black mane.

  He reached up and helped Daisy down
. “She is. She’s very fast and very smart.”

  The little girl looked up at the horse. Her voice came out small, but was full of awe. “She sure is big.”

  To a little girl Gingersnap probably did seem big. To Jacob she was the smallest of the bunch and the tamest. There was no other horse on the ranch that he’d trust to Daisy, except maybe his, but she was too small to ride the big gelding.

  Jacob handed the reins to Daisy. “Here, lead her around the corral.”

  “By myself?” she squeaked.

  He laughed. “No, I’ll be right beside you.”

  “Oh.” She paused, looking up at the horse. Then took a step forward. Daisy watched over her shoulder to see if the mare would step on her.

  Jacob fell into step beside her. “This isn’t very hard, is it?”

  A grin split her face and her big brown eyes shone with happiness. “No, I like Gingersnap. I wish she was my horse.”

  “Well, maybe someday you will have a horse of your own.” Jacob saw Lilly walking toward them.

  “Look, Lilly, I’m walking Gingersnap,” Daisy called to her.

  Lilly nodded. “I see that.” She leaned against the fence and watched them walk around the corral several times. When they came even with her again, she said, “You are doing a good job, Daisy.”

  The little girl beamed at the praise. “Thanks. Mr. Jacob is teaching me.”

  Jacob laughed. “Mr. Jacob” sounded so strange to him and yet he knew that having Daisy call him “Mister” was Lilly’s way of making sure that the little girl showed proper respect without being too personal with him. He said, “She’s a good learner.”

  Daisy smiled wider. “Thanks.” She pulled her little shoulders back and continued marching in front of Gingersnap.

  When they came even with Lilly again, Jacob stopped Daisy and Gingersnap. “Let’s call it a day, ladies.” He took the reins from Daisy’s hands and then led the horse out of the corral.

  Daisy shut the gate behind them. “I wish I could walk her some more.”

  “You can tomorrow,” Jacob answered. “Now you have to come with me to the barn so I can show you how to take the saddle and reins off.” He stopped beside Lilly. “Would you like to join us?” Jacob hoped she’d tell him what the final decision was on the pasture.

  “I would love to.” Lilly pushed away from the fence and took Daisy’s hand in hers. “Remember, Daisy, to be very careful around the horse.”

  He didn’t know if she took the little girl’s hand to prevent her from running ahead or to restrain her so that she could offer her warning. Jacob continued into the barn and listened to the sisters’ conversation.

  “I will, Lilly. Mr. Jacob said to always be aware of what your horse is doing. He said they are smart animals but they are still animals and to pay attention to them.” Daisy took a deep breath and then continued. “Mr. Jacob said that Gingersnap is a Pony Express horse and is very fast. Did you know that?”

  Jacob put the mare into the stall and turned to see what Lilly thought of him teaching Daisy on a Pony Express horse. She met his gaze.

  “No, I didn’t, but I’m sure he thought it was the best horse to teach you on.” Lilly released Daisy’s hand and allowed her to join Jacob in the stall.

  Aware that Lilly watched their every move, Jacob showed Daisy how to take off the saddle and saddle blanket. Then he taught her how to brush the horse’s ginger-colored coat. Daisy talked nonstop and asked lots of questions. When they were finished he made sure he stood between Daisy and the horse, then turned to where Lilly lounged patiently on the opposite side of the stall door. “Well, what do you think of our lesson?”

  She nodded. “I think Daisy did a good job paying attention and being aware of the horse.”

  He pulled on Daisy’s ponytail. “I do, too.”

  Lilly stepped back and opened the door for them to exit. Daisy skipped past them. She stopped in the center aisle and looked longingly to the back stall.

  Jacob followed. He wondered why she didn’t ask to go see the kittens. His gaze moved to Lilly. She looked at Daisy and shook her head. Then it dawned on him that Lilly must have taken her kitten privileges away as a form of punishment.

  “I spoke with Sam last night and he agrees with you that the Pony Express horses need more room to exercise and graze. So you can move them out there whenever you like.” Lilly extended her hand to Daisy. “Daisy, would you like to go out on a ride with me?”

  Daisy seemed to forget all about the kittens. “Yes!” she squealed.

  Lilly’s sweet laughter filled the barn. “Are you sure you’re not tired of horses?” she teased.

  “Nope, I like them.” Daisy skipped to the stall that held Lilly’s horse.

  Jacob walked into the tack room and pulled Lilly’s saddle from the long bench that rested against the back wall. Her laughter had warmed his heart. He didn’t think he’d ever heard her laugh with so much joy. Jacob hated to admit that he enjoyed the sound of it. He carried the saddle back to the stall.

  Caleb entered the barn and strolled toward him. “I’ll do that, Jacob.” He took the saddle and continued to the horse’s stall.

  Lilly opened the door to the stall but prevented Caleb from entering. “I’ll take that, Caleb. How can I expect Daisy to take care of the horse she’s learning on and not take care of my own mount?” She held out her hands for him to place the saddle into.

  Caleb looked to Jacob. It seemed Lilly had never saddled her horse before. The boy didn’t know what to do.

  Jacob nodded at him. “Let her have it, Caleb.”

  When the boy started to protest, Jacob held his hand up and said, “She’s your boss, give her the saddle.”

  Reluctantly Caleb did as he was told. Lilly had already placed a saddle blanket over the horse’s back and now made quick work of getting the saddle in place. “Relax, Caleb, it’s not like I haven’t ever saddled my horse before.”

  Jacob noticed that Daisy watched her sister. Was that why Lilly had insisted she saddle her own horse? Probably. He pulled down the bridle and handed it to Caleb.

  “Are you going with us, Mr. Jacob?” Daisy asked.

  He looked to Lilly. She didn’t do anything to encourage him so he shook his head. “Not this time. I need to move the Pony Express horses out to the pasture behind the barn.”

  Disappointment filled her face. “Oh.”

  Lilly led the horse out of the barn. Caleb and Daisy followed. With Caleb’s help, Lilly and Daisy were soon trotting out of the yard and up the hill toward the cemetery.

  Jacob missed them immediately. He’d enjoyed his time with Daisy and the sound of Lilly’s unguarded laughter. For a few brief moments they felt more like family and less like strangers.

  Daisy was family, but Lilly wasn’t and never would be. He told himself to stop thinking of Lilly and her sweet laughter. Focus on your sister and getting to know her better but leave Lilly alone. Jacob prayed that was possible.

  * * *

  Lilly followed the fence line. She listened to Daisy talk about her morning and how wonderful Jacob and Gingersnap were.

  “Can I have my own horse, Lilly?” Daisy asked as her arms tightened around Lilly’s waist and she laid her head against Lilly’s back.

  She ignored Daisy’s question as she noticed that a couple of logs that made up the fence were unnotched. Lilly pulled the horse to a stop and looked around. It looked as if a few head of cows had found their way through the crisscrossed log fence.

  “What’s wrong?” Daisy asked behind her.

  Lilly pointed to the hole in the fence. “See the fence?”

  Daisy leaned to the left and looked around her. “Uh-huh. It looks broke.”

  “It is broke,” Lilly confirmed. “Hang on to the back of the saddle, I’m going to get down and look.”
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  “All right. I’m holding on to the saddle,” Daisy said.

  Lilly swung her leg over the horse’s neck and slid off. She tied the horse’s reins to the fence and then walked to the disjointed logs. Cow tracks marred the ground between the fence’s gaps. It looked as if several head had found their way out. The thought that other cattle might get out prompted Lilly to try to fix the fence. She pulled and pushed on the logs but couldn’t get them to fit correctly.

  “Do you want me to help?” Daisy asked.

  She wiped at her sweaty brow. “No.” Lilly thought perhaps she’d made it worse instead of better. “I think we need to find one of the men to fix it.” She climbed back on the horse, hating to leave the open fence line.

  “Where are the men today?” Daisy asked.

  Lilly looked over her shoulder at her little sister. “I don’t know for sure.”

  “Mr. Cook or Mr. Jacob might know,” Daisy suggested as she rewrapped her arms around Lilly’s waist.

  The pasture that Jacob was moving the horses into was closer than the bunkhouse. Lilly turned the mare in that direction. “You’re probably right. Maybe Jacob is in the pasture by now.”

  She felt Daisy’s head nod against her back. As Daisy pointed out wildlife and wildflowers, Lilly worried about the fence and her lost cattle. The fence needed to be fixed quickly. “Hang on, Daisy, we’re going for a little faster ride.”

  Lilly gently set the mare into a gallop. Daisy laughed and squealed behind her as they raced across the open land. The wind whipped at their hair and for a few moments Lilly allowed herself to feel carefree.

  Jacob came into view. He stood by the gate and was releasing four horses into the pasture. His shoulders looked wide against his tan shirt and his hat was pushed back on his head. It was obvious that he’d heard her coming and had stopped to see why she was galloping toward him. Or had he been expecting her? Did he already know about the fence? And if so, why hadn’t he said something?

  Chapter Ten

  Jacob shaded his eyes. Something was wrong. He felt it deep in his belly. Lilly’s horse covered the ground at a fast clip. He watched her blond hair bounce behind her. Tiny arms surrounded her waist and he released the air in his chest. For a brief moment he thought something had happened to Daisy.