Second Chance Ranch

by Leann Harris

  Laughter rumbled through his chest. “I am. Ask Beth and Ethan. I’m always right.”

  She raised her head. “Is that so?”

  A self-satisfied smile curved his mouth. “It is.”

  Wednesday dawned bright and clear. Sophie’s stomach jumped and twisted as if she’d swallowed a mouthful of grasshoppers. She walked to the refrigerator, grabbed the whole milk and poured herself a glass. When she was a kid, her mother would pour her a glass of milk and tell her milk was magic and would fix anything.

  The milk was from the local dairy the next ranch over. The rich taste made Sophie smile. She drank the glass. Her stomach settled. “I hope you’re here today, Mom. If you are, I’ll have to thank you.”

  Sophie sat down at the kitchen table, opened her Bible and spent several minutes reading. She closed her Bible and bowed her head and prayed. “Lord, help us today. Let me walk with Your wisdom, because I know I’ll need it.”

  Sitting back, she opened her eyes. It was time to face the day.

  Zach looked out from the stable entrance to the stands, which were filled with parents—the riders’ parents and his parents. He saw a couple come and talk to Sophie, then an elderly lady. Sophie hugged and kissed the old lady. By the time he got to her side, the group was gone. “Who was that?” he asked.

  “My parents and grandmother.”

  His gaze snapped back to hers. “Your parents?”

  A frown settled between her eyes. “You think I don’t have parents?”

  He realized his mistake too late. “No. I just haven’t met them.”

  Her expression remained firm, then a smile broke across her face. “You know, you look kinda cute when you blush.”

  This conversation was a losing proposition for him. “I need to make sure all the horses are ready.”

  Her laughter followed him into the interior of the stable. As he walked to Prince Charming’s stall, his mind went over the meeting he saw. Sophie politely greeted her parents, but she hugged her grandmother with an openness. That made sense from what she’d told him and what his sister said.

  He quickly saddled Prince Charming and led the horse outside. Sophie stood in front of him directing the other volunteers.

  “Are we ready?” Zach asked.

  She didn’t turn. “I think so. You want to take the riders down the path to the river?”

  “You think the kids will make it that far?”

  Glancing back over her shoulder, she said, “Yes.”

  They would do the graduation in two waves. There weren’t enough horses to let all the kids ride at once. Also the volunteers would come in two waves.

  Zach mounted Prince Charming. Every time he put his foot into the stirrup and hoisted himself into the saddle, he offered a prayer of thanks. He didn’t think he’d ever take for granted being able to ride.

  From his perch on top of Prince Charming, he saw Tyler, his army buddy from Iraq, in the audience. By his side sat a black dog. A mutt. The dog sat quietly, not being disturbed by the crowd. “Tyler’s here.”

  Sophie looked into the audience. “I see him. And he has a dog?”

  “Remember he told us about that dog.”

  “Yeah, I remember. Okay, let’s go.” Sophie walked to the mounting block. Andy scrambled up on Sam.

  It took several minutes for the rest of the riders to mount, their sidewalkers beside each horse.

  Sophie led Sam out into the ring. “I want to thank everyone for coming today. Each of the riders you see here has worked hard and improved their balance and strength. I want to thank the parents here today for working with us.”

  “Hey, Mom,” Andy said, waving to his mother.

  The crowd laughed.

  “We’re going to ride around the ring and then take the path to the pond beyond the last corral. You are welcome to walk down there with us, but if you don’t want to walk down there, you’re welcome to stay here.”

  Zach rode out and Sophie followed, leading Sam. All the other horses fell in line behind them. Zach rode out of the corral and started down the path. Pictures were snapped and parents called out to their children.

  It was better than any championship rodeo buckle he could earn, Zach thought. And suddenly Zach knew God had shown him the new path his life was to take.

  People milled about the tables set up under the trees at the far side of the rings. Several mothers had baked cookies and cupcakes. Ollie had brought a case of soft drinks. Andy’s mom had a bowl of punch for the kids.

  “Did you see me, Mom?” one of the little girls asked.

  “I was good—”

  “What a good job you did—”

  Voices floated around Sophie. All the snatches of conversation she heard were positive.

  Sophie’s parents stopped before her.

  “This is impressive,” her dad said, looking around at the crowd. “You did this yourself?”

  “No. Margaret and I worked together.”

  “Where is she?” her mother asked.

  “Stop, Cindy,” Sophie’s grandmother scolded. “Don’t you have anything nice to say to your daughter?”

  Her mother’s spine stiffened.

  “Margaret had a stroke,” Sophie quickly supplied, hoping to defuse the tension. “She’s recovering. Weren’t the kids great?”

  “I was amazed,” her grandmother said. “They all looked like they were enjoying themselves.”

  “Miss Sophie,” Andy called out, running to her side. “You see my mom and grandma waving at me? And Zach’s parents? I told them not to worry about Zach’s leg. It worked fine.”

  Sophie ruffled Andy’s hair. He turned and looked up.

  “You know Miss Sophie?”

  Sophie’s father nodded. “I do. She’s my daughter.”

  Pride laced her father’s words. Sophie bit her lips to keep them from quivering.

  “Really?” Andy looked from her father to Sophie.

  “Yes. And this is Sophie’s mother and grandmother.”

  Andy smiled at each woman. “Are you as proud of Miss Sophie as my mom is of me?”

  “Andy, Andy,” his mother called.

  He ducked his head. “I gotta go.” He waved and dashed off.

  Sophie noticed that her parents didn’t answer Andy’s questions, but silence reigned.

  Finally, her mother cleared her throat. “You have a lot of volunteers here.”

  “I do. I’ve been amazed by the number of people who donate their time to help with the kids. If I get the army contract, I know I’ll have plenty of ex-military members who will help. And wasn’t Zach amazing? He’s Beth’s brother.”

  Her father glanced over at Zach, who huddled with his family. “I don’t understand. He rode at the front of the line.”

  “Dad, he was wounded in Iraq and lost the lower half of his right leg.”

  “Oh.”

  “Zach was my test case.”

  “I heard my name being used.” Zach strode up to the group. His family surrounded him.

  Sophie did the introductions. Sophie stepped back and listened in amazement as Zach’s family sung her praises.

  “It is amazing what she’s done with Zach,” Lynda gushed.

  Sophie watched her parents’ reaction to the McClures’ praise and their glowing opinions of the work done at the ranch. Andy’s praise, combined with the McClures’, made her mother squirm. Her grandma caught Sophie’s eye and winked.

  One of the mothers pulled Sophie away from her family. That was the last time she was able to talk to them. Other people demanded her time. The volunteers and families thanked her.

  She watched Zach talk to the veteran they’d met the other night. The dog beside him sat quietly. The dog’s eyes moved over the crowd, but he didn’t leave his master’s side. No leash kept the dog in place. Sophie wanted to join the conversation, but knew Zach and Tyler needed time to talk.

  “Guide Zach’s words, Lord,” she whispered. Although Tyler had all his limbs, he wasn’t whole. There were
wounds in his spirit that needed healing. That’s what she wanted to do, help the healing.

  She might be in this place because of the guilt she’d carried from her youth, but freed from that weight, Sophie discovered this is what she wanted to do. She had a talent and a love for this work.

  Late in the afternoon after all the families had cleared out, and her parents and Zach’s parents had left, Sophie looked out at the empty yard.

  “I think your graduation succeeded beyond your wildest dreams.”

  When Sophie turned, she saw the slight limp in Zach’s gait. “You’re tired.”

  “So are you.”

  “It’s a good tired. Kinda like Moses at the end of that battle with—oh, some guys—the Israelites were still wandering around the desert. They were attacked and as long as Moses had his arms raised the Israelites were winning. When he put his arms down, they were losing. As I recall, he had to have assistance holding up his arms.”

  “I know the feeling. C’mon, I’ll walk you back to the house then head on out.”

  “I wish Colonel Norton could’ve seen this.”

  Zach shrugged. “You know the army. They work on their schedule, but at least they made it here.”

  He slipped his arm around her shoulders. She felt his unsteady gait. As they reached the front walk of the house, a car pulled up. Austin got out. Over the years, Sophie watched Austin go from a tall, thin man to a man with a beer belly and a constant frown.

  “You got the money for the ranch, Sophie?”

  Not so much as a hello, how are you, Mom’s doing better, but rather you got the money? “No. My loan hasn’t come through yet. The army was here on Monday. We should have an answer any day.”

  “You’ve got until Friday or I’ll assume you’re not interested and I’ll accept the other bid on the property.”

  “But—”

  “I’ve honored your agreement with Mother. You’ve been given first opportunity. If you don’t meet the deadline, it’s not my fault.” He got back into his car and drove away.

  “Is that man always that abrasive?”

  Sophie frowned. “I’m not the best judge of character when it comes to Austin. I know he’s never liked this ranch and never felt comfortable here. I’m sure it’s not a hard thing for him to sell this place.”

  They walked into the house.

  “Sit and I’ll get us something to drink.”

  Zach collapsed onto the sofa.

  In the kitchen, Sophie poured them large glasses of iced tea. She needed to call the bank and check the status of the loan. Austin wanted this to be over.

  Carrying the glasses of tea back into the living room, the blinking light on the answering machine caught her eye.

  She handed Zach his tea and walked to the answering machine.

  “Let me check this. It might be news on Margaret.” She pushed the button to listen to the message.

  “Ms. Powell, this is Colonel Norton. At this time we will not set up a program there in Albuquerque. Thank you for your work.” The machine beeped.

  Message number two. “Ms. Powell. This is Mr. Jenkins at First City National. We’ve considered your application for the loan to buy New Hope Ranch. Since you have no collateral, we will be unable to lend you the money at this time. If you have any questions, please call.”

  Sophie’s legs turned to gelatin and she collapsed onto the chair.

  Her eyes met Zach’s. All her dreams and visions for the future evaporated in a moment of time. The glass of tea fell from her nerveless fingers.

  “Oh, my.” She stood and ran into the kitchen to get a towel. She knelt over the wet place on the wooden floor and began to mop up the liquid.

  Zach slipped his hand under her arm and drew her to her feet. Lifting her head, she looked at him.

  “What am I going to do? I need that money. Even if the army doesn’t use the ranch, what happens to the kids? And what happens to the horses?”

  He pulled her against his chest, holding her.

  Her brain shut down. As much as she wanted to find a way, nothing was coming.

  Lord, why is this happening? I thought this was Your will.

  She didn’t cry and that worried Zach. He knew the devastating news set her back on her heels. He wasn’t happy with what happened. There had to be a way around it.

  There might not have been tears, but he felt her despair in the intensity of her hold. Her fingers dug into his back.

  Resting his chin on her head, he said, “It’s been a long day, Sophie. Let’s go get something to eat, and afterward let’s form a plan. There’s been a frontal attack, so we need to counter with attack to the side or rear.”

  He immediately felt her body relax. She lifted her head and looked at him. “Really?”

  “I’ve had plans go south too often while on patrol. You have to think on your feet. Let’s come up with plan B. I mean, look at the success we had today. The kids were excited, their parents, your folks, my folks.”

  A spark of hope entered her eyes. “You’re right. With all the excitement we had this afternoon, I think we have support from the riders and their parents.” She released him and stepped back. “Let me get my purse.”

  He ran his thumb over her cheek. “Don’t give up, Sophie.”

  Nodding, she disappeared into her room.

  Now that he had her in the fighting mode, he needed a plan. He prayed all the way to the steak place for ideas on how to deal with the problem.

  As they ate their dinner, life seemed to seep back into Sophie’s eyes.

  “The day was a rousing success.” Zach cut off a piece of steak and popped it into his mouth. “I don’t think any of those riders would willingly let go of their riding time. And the volunteers wouldn’t quit. Even Ollie—”

  “He’d planned on retiring.”

  Zach shook his head in amusement. “That old boy will die in the saddle. He won’t quit, but likes telling himself that he’s going to walk away.”

  His words brought a smile to her face. “Okay, you win on that one. They’d have to take him out, toes up.” Hearing her words, she stopped.

  His hand closed over hers. “You didn’t mean anything. I know that and if Ollie would’ve heard, he knows it, too.”

  She nodded.

  An idea took shape in his mind. “I have a friend in D.C. that I could talk with to see if we could get the decision reversed.” Zach told of his friend who worked at the Pentagon. He worked for a brigadier general who used to be in the cavalry unit in San Antonio. “I’d like to find out the reason why we were turned down.” He had other plans, but didn’t want to discuss them with her.

  “So that only leaves the loan,” Sophie said.

  “If we could get someone to back you, someone with land or other collateral, I think the bank would lend you the money. A cosigner. You can use my town house.”

  She shook her head. “No, I don’t—”

  “Zach, oh, Zach, it is you. I told Adam it was you.”

  They looked up and Zach saw his ex–college girlfriend, Donna Nance. Tall and blonde, the beauty looked as if she could be a model. He stood.

  “It’s good to see you again,” she gushed, flashing him a thousand-watt smile. “What are you doing here? The last I heard was that you lost your leg in Iraq. When I talked to some friends, they said you weren’t doing so well. Surely, that can’t be true, looking at you.” Her gaze took him in from head to foot. “I’ll just have to tell those people spreading that nonsense around they’re wrong.”

  Each word that Donna spoke, he felt his heart close up. She made it clear when he’d been commissioned and shipped out the first time that she wasn’t waiting for him. He didn’t argue. “It’s true, Donna. I lost my leg.”

  She glanced at his legs. “Oh.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Sophie’s fingers tightening around her knife handle.

  “Donna, this is Sophie Powell. She runs an equine program that helped me walk again.”

  “How
quaint.”

  Sophie’s eyes narrowed and the knife wavered.

  Ignoring Sophie, Donna turned to him. “You’re riding again? Are you going to go back to rodeo and get that championship buckle that you planned to do after you finished with the army?” Her jab hit its mark.

  Silence reigned.

  “You should see Zach ride,” Sophie said, breaking the tension. “He’s amazing to watch. He also helps others who want to ride, young kids who’ve lost a leg or arm. It’s amazing. We always need volunteers to come and be a sidewalker for the riders. If you’d like, we’d love to have you.”

  Donna stiffened. “That’s wonderful.” She turned back to him, her smile saccharin-sweet. “I have to get back to my date. He’s a real estate broker here in town, but I wanted to say hi. It’s good to see you.” She nodded to Sophie and air-blew a kiss to Zach.

  Easing back into his chair, Zach stared down into this plate.

  “Who was that?”

  Zach’s head came up and he saw Sophie’s puzzled expression. “A friend from college.”

  Sophie raised a brow. “A friend?”

  “A girlfriend. When I was commissioned, Donna made it clear that our relationship was over. She wasn’t the waiting type, or the type to carry on a long-distance romance. She wanted to date and have fun. If I wasn’t there, well, that was too bad.”

  Sophie didn’t reply. “She wasn’t worthy of you, Zach.”

  Her answer touched a raw spot on his soul. He didn’t want her pity. They quickly finished dinner and he drove her home.

  Walking her to the door, he said, “We didn’t figure out how you were going to get the money for the ranch.”

  “Don’t worry about it, Zach. I’ll think of something.”

  “Use my town house as collateral,” he pressed again.

  She shook her head. “I can’t do that. Thank you for the offer.” She squeezed his hand and walked inside her house.

  Her refusal stung and somehow it felt connected to Donna’s appearance. He didn’t remember the drive to his town house but, as he sat on the couch in his living room, Donna’s thoughtless words echoed in his head and heart. Who was he? Had he lost his dreams? What was he to do now?