The Soldier's Homecoming

by Patricia Potter

  “For waffles?”

  “Unfortunately likely,” he said. “I would like to be on the road by eight at the latest.”

  “Anna and I will be ready.”

  “Tell her I said good-night.”

  She stooped down and, in a loud whisper, said to Anna, “Travis says good-night.”

  “I’m sure it means a lot to her,” he replied.

  “Of course it does. She likes you, too.” She straightened and touched his face. “You didn’t shave. I like it. I hope you keep not doing it.”

  “Unfortunately we have appointments for the next few days. But then...”

  “But then what?” she asked.

  The words pointed to a future, but he knew there was none for them beyond a week or two. How much did he want to hurt when she left?

  “Good night,” he said abruptly. He turned and went down the hall. When he glanced back, her door was closed.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  JENNY WOKE TO light streaming through the windows and a tongue licking her hand. Sometime during the night, Anna had left her dog bed and managed to get onto the bed with Jenny. She now stared into Jenny’s eyes with adoration.

  Anna may not have been a trained therapy dog, but her presence had a healing effect. No nightmares last night. Jenny rubbed the dog’s head, and Anna’s soft moan of contentment relaxed Jenny, even as she realized she had a responsibility now.

  The phone rang, and she looked at the clock. It was a little after seven. She rarely slept that late. Her internal clock usually made sure she was up by six.

  Dang it. She knew Travis wanted an early start. They had a long drive ahead to the next ranch.

  “Good morning,” he said when she answered the phone. “Ready?”

  “Not quite, but I can be in fifteen minutes, if you take Anna for a walk while I take a shower.”

  “Done. How did she do last night?”

  “Perfect.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He hung up.

  Jenny jumped out of bed and rushed into the bathroom to run the brush through her hair. She’d managed one swipe before she heard a knock on the door.

  She opened the door. He looked wide-awake and ready to go. He’d shaved and smelled woodsy.

  “I overslept,” she admitted. She knew her eyes were probably encrusted from sleep and her hair a jumbled mess. She grabbed Anna and the leash and thrust them into his arms.

  “I’d rather have you there,” he said with a grin.

  “Sorry about that. I’ll be ready shortly. Really shortly.”

  “I’ll try to find us some coffee. Come on, dog,” he said as he put Anna down on the ground and led an obviously reluctant dog away.

  She took the world’s quickest shower, threw on a pair of jeans and a clean T-shirt, brushed her hair and skipped the lipstick. She gathered up her belongings and was out the door and in the lobby when he returned.

  “Anna?”

  “In the car and ready to go.” He held two cups of coffee and gave one to her, grabbed her carry-on and headed to the door. “I’ve already paid. We can settle up later,” he said, anticipating her protest.

  Jenny nodded as she settled Anna in the new dog carrier that Travis had strapped in the back seat. She wasn’t happy but Jenny knew it was safer for the dog. She was just as anxious now as Travis. The ranch they would visit today incorporated wild mustangs in the program. She sipped the coffee as Travis headed for the highway.

  * * *

  THEY ARRIVED AT the ranch seven hours later and were met by Bill and Louise Stacy. They had been invited to stay the night. Travis had checked ahead about Anna and had been assured that dogs were welcome.

  “Had anything to eat?” Bill asked.

  “We did. Sandwiches on the way.”

  “Good,” the rancher said. He looked at Anna. “So this is the dog. She seems very quiet.”

  “She is. And shy.”

  “Then she can stay with you. Otherwise she could go inside the house.” He changed the subject. “I understand you and a group of vets in Colorado want to start an equine program for vets. We sure can use a bunch more. Breaks our hearts to turn people down.”

  He walked them over to the barn. “I know you’ve read all the details, so I’ll take you over to the corral. Each veteran is assigned a mustang after an indoctrination program. Many of the horses have never seen a human until rounded up, and they’re terrified. It’s up to the vet to gentle his or her horse, and in doing so, magic seems to happen.”

  “How many vets at a time?”

  “We usually have ten to fifteen each month. Some are pretty advanced and can ride out with our ranch cowhands. Others have never been on a horse before they come here.”

  Jenny watched as several vets worked with their horses. One was feeding his horse carrots and whispering to it. Another was saddling a thin pinto. Still another was in a corral riding a chestnut horse around a ring, leaning over and rubbing his hand down the animal’s neck as he did.

  She and Travis spent the rest of the afternoon talking to the vets, and she learned the individual stories that brought them here. Nightmares. Flashbacks. Divorces. Alcohol. Inability to adjust to civilian life. She saw a newfound confidence in those who were finishing their stay and the uncertainty in the ones who were beginning.

  They opened up to her after learning she’d been injured in Syria. She was one of them. As usual, she used her phone to store their stories.

  One, in particular, touched her. He’d come home to learn his girlfriend had married someone else. His father, a police officer, couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t take a job on the police force that the father had arranged for him. The soldier couldn’t explain that he didn’t trust himself with a gun any longer.

  But watching him later with his mustang, rubbing its head against his shoulder, she thought he would be okay. She felt tears welling up in her eyes. She looked away.

  Anna was a hit. She adored being petted and gave everyone a moist kiss. Jenny’s shy little girl was turning into a social butterfly, or maybe she just identified with the vets. She, too, had gone through a rough patch.

  They were joined by Bill’s wife, Louise, at the bunkhouse, where several of the vets had taken over kitchen duty. Louise had provided a huge bowl of potato salad and a platter of hamburgers that were being grilled outside.

  One of the vets picked up a guitar and sang a couple of cowboy songs, while the others kidded each other.

  Jenny leaned back in a chair. The sky was clear, the stars endless, and the moon rode high in the sky. She understood why this was so therapeutic.

  Word had gotten around that she’d been in the Middle East. Before long, they were all gathered around, telling their own stories.

  “We sure appreciate you telling people about Mr. Bill and this program,” one said toward the end of the session. “He saved my life. I was drowning. Didn’t think anyone cared. Now I know different.”

  Bill broke it up then. “I think we’d better let our guests get to bed.” He led them to the house and then turned around. “Do you ride?” he asked them.

  “Yes,” she said. Then she saw Travis’s raised eyebrow.

  “A little,” she amended.

  “Travis?” Bill asked.

  “A little,” he echoed.

  “Want to go out to see the cattle tomorrow with some of the vets? There’s nothing prettier or more peaceful than a herd of cattle grazing at sunrise. I have two well-behaved horses you can ride.”

  “I would love it,” she said. “Can we leave Anna here?”

  “Sure. My wife loves dogs. Is 6:00 a.m. too early? I’ll have you back at ten.”

  * * *

  IT WAS DAWN when a knock on the door woke Jenny. She came to life immediately. A ride at sunrise. She was ready several minutes later and met Travis in the hall.
Coffee, eggs, bacon and rolls were waiting for them downstairs.

  “It’s going to be a great day,” Bill said at the breakfast table. “Johnny, one of my instructors, is bringing the horses.”

  Jenny ate quickly, then followed Bill out the door. She suddenly remembered her shoulder and had a moment of doubt. Could she mount a horse on her own? Jubal had helped her in Covenant Falls.

  It was still dark outside, but the first glimmer of light was visible over the horizon and a parchment looking moon provided enough light to see men saddling horses. A lean man in his fifties was holding three horses.

  “This is Gypsy, ma’am,” he said as he handed her the reins to a small bay mare. “She’s real gentle,” he added. “Want a boost?”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  He easily propelled her into the saddle. Then Travis mounted. His eyes smiled at her, or maybe she imagined it. Bill rode over to them.

  “Both your horses have an easy gait and are steady and well-behaved. Can you trot?”

  She’d tried it during her first lesson. “I think so.”

  They joined a group of riders waiting at a gate leading outside the corrals. She and Travis joined them.

  Gypsy did have a smooth gait. Jenny found herself moving easily with the horse as they rode away from the house. The sky was gold now, and a breeze rippled through her hair.

  They crested a hill and Jenny saw the cattle below as the sky turned into a kaleidoscope of colors.

  She turned to Bill. “It’s gorgeous,” she said.

  “My guys are going to move them to another pasture where there’s more grass.”

  Jenny watched as the riders with them rode ahead and turned the cattle east. “Are they all vets?”

  “Most of them,” he said. They watched as the cowhands darted in and out of the cattle, turning them toward an open gate into another pasture. Jenny was captivated.

  Bill looked at his watch. “I know you have to go, but I wanted you to feel what these guys feel. There’s something liberating about the open skies and a good horse that can chase away demons.”

  “Thank you for bringing us here,” she said. He was right. She saw the camaraderie of the riders, the high spirits and the joy of being alive.

  After grateful goodbyes, they were on the road again. Anna, apparently fearful she was being left again, demanded Jenny’s lap.

  They stayed in a motel that night and made their last stop the next day at a ranch that offered five-day weekend stays.

  It didn’t have the mustangs, mainly because their participants didn’t have the time to develop relationships with horses. It put more emphasis on camaraderie and professional therapy sessions in the evenings.

  Jenny spent some more time with the participants in the program, while Travis concentrated on the business aspects of the programs. Three of the ranches depended on ranch income, donations and grants while the fourth received referrals from the VA, as well as donations. Bill’s ranch raised some revenue by selling the trained mustangs.

  It was noon when they left the last ranch. Travis headed north.

  * * *

  “HAVE YOU BEEN in Arizona before?” Travis asked after an hour on the road. Jenny had been poring over the map.

  “Phoenix,” she replied.

  “Not Sedona? Grand Canyon?”

  She was embarrassed. An American landmark, and she had not seen it. Paris, yes. Istanbul, yes. And most of the capitals in Europe. But America’s most photographed treasure? “No.”

  “We can start back to Covenant Falls. Finish up tomorrow or...” He left the word dangling.

  “Or?” she asked.

  “We can drive to Sedona. We can reach it about midafternoon and stay there tonight. The sunsets and sunrises are spectacular,” he said, adding, “You like small towns. Sedona isn’t that small anymore but it’s still rather quirky, and you seem to like quirky. We can spend the morning there, then drive to the Grand Canyon and stay Sunday night. Drive back to Covenant Falls Monday. It will be a long drive.”

  She tried not to smile while her heart did a happy dance. “Sounds great,” she said. “If you don’t have to be back sooner?”

  “I think Monday will be fine. It seems wrong to be this close to the Grand Canyon and not visit, especially if you’ve never been there.” He turned to her. “How can you never have visited the Grand Canyon with all that curiosity of yours?”

  “That is a very good question,” she said. “I’ve been in the northwest because I worked for a newspaper there, and in most of the big cities. Denver. New York. Dallas. Washington. But all of those were short stops. And then I’ve been mostly out of the country for the last seven years.”

  “No family vacations when you were a kid?”

  “Usually to fancy places in California, associated in some way with my father’s business,” she said. “I stopped going when I went to college.”

  Her voice was suddenly stilted. “And when I graduated, I had that job in the northwest, until I decided to skip the country and write about faraway places. I’m beginning to see the error of my ways.”

  He nodded his understanding. “Why don’t you use that phone of yours to research motel rooms in Sedona? Look for one that says it has a great view, although merely by being in the area, you have one.”

  “Yes, sir,” she said. “You’ve been there then. When?”

  “A long time ago,” he said. “A buddy of mine from Ranger School was from Sedona and I went there with him when we had a few days of leave. He talked me into hiking up to the Devil’s Bridge in Sedona and down into Grand Canyon on steaming August days. We were in good shape then,” he added somewhat philosophically.

  She mentally weighed those sentences. He didn’t go home after the months of grueling military training. He’d said very little about family. For the same reasons she didn’t talk about hers? A difficult relationship or something more?

  She also wondered what happened to his friend, but she kept the question in check. She didn’t want anything to ruin his mood. Or hers. It was enough he suggested this side trip, and that he did so without prompting from her.

  She did as he suggested. She started searching for motels in Sedona.

  * * *

  TRAVIS DIDN’T KNOW why in the hell he’d suggested Sedona.

  Except he was becoming addicted to her exuberant interest in just about everything. They’d finished their job now and spent a lot of time in the car. Sedona wasn’t far from their route home, and it would be good for both of them to relax the next day.

  He’d already shot down her suggestions to stop at historical places along the way, including a side trip to the ghost town of Lincoln, New Mexico, said to be the hometown of Billy the Kid.

  She’d been a good sport. She’d never complained, was a good companion and very perceptive. Her individual interviews with participants in the different programs were invaluable. They’d talked to her a lot easier than they would have to an army major. One of the things he wanted to do in the next few days was match his interviews with the providers to her observations with the participants.

  And Anna had been the perfect dog. She slept through most of the driving, and at the ranches, she’d broken the ice with some of the vets they’d met. The dog’s shyness seemed to bring out the protector in them.

  If only he didn’t have an ongoing compulsion to grab Anna’s owner, kiss her and carry her off to the proverbial cave, it would have been a perfect partnership.

  He glanced over at her. She was tapping on her cell at an extraordinary rate of speed. “Price range?” she asked.

  “Doesn’t matter. Some splurging might be in order, but be sure they’ll accept Anna.”

  Anna, who was resting on Jenny’s lap, raised her head at that directive, as if she knew what it meant.

  He took his hand off the steering wheel and scratched Anna
’s head. She responded by licking it.

  “Okay,” Jenny said. “Be careful, Major, or I’ll get jealous.” Then she went back to work.

  Fifteen minutes later, she said, “I have a possibility. A family-owned lodge with high approval ratings from guests. It overlooks one of the most scenic vistas of Sedona, or so it says. It’s reasonable. It has vacancies for tonight. Permits dogs and even mentions a dog park.”

  “Sounds good. Go ahead and book two rooms for tonight in Sedona and see what you can find in the Grand Canyon.”

  “Yessir. I’ll use my bank card to safeguard it.”

  She made the reservation and nodded to him. “Thanks for offering it.”

  “You deserve it after all the help you’ve been.”

  “Along with being a pain in the neck,” she said mischievously.

  “Along with that, too,” he admitted.

  “That wasn’t much of a denial about being a pain in the neck.”

  “No,” he said agreeably.

  “My feelings should be hurt.”

  “I don’t think so. I get the distinct impression you like being a pain in the neck.”

  “Maybe,” she suggested, “I can massage it later and make it better.”

  He chuckled. “Something to look forward to.” He changed the subject. “Now that we have lodging in Sedona, try the Grand Canyon.”

  She lowered her head. After ten minutes, she lifted her eyes from the phone. “I found one,” she said. “A lodge near the rim. Dog-friendly. Problem is they only have one room.” She waited for several seconds while he digested that.

  “Two queen-size beds,” she added. “It sounds great. Rustic. I like rustic. Rustic has character.”

  Travis nearly choked. One bedroom. He, who had been doing his best not to do anything that could complicate both their lives, was sorely tempted. He wanted her to see the Grand Canyon, particularly the sunset and sunrise from the rim, and he wasn’t surprised that there were few rooms available on a day’s notice.

  Maybe he could sleep in the car. He looked at her expectant face. He was always charmed by her enthusiasm. She would find something to like in the worst hovel. It was probably why she had survived as long as she had in the world’s trouble spots.