The Legend of Lollipop

by Lisa Prysock

  “Are you sure? Cheyenne is a bit of a drive from here.” Jed reminded her.

  She eyed the horse trailer. “I’m sure. It will give us somewhere to go on weekends, you and I. We can stay with my brother, McArthur, and spend time with your family, spend time at Blazing Star with these beauties.”

  “WAIT A MINUTE. SO lemme get this straight.” Landon’s eyes were wider than Jed had ever seen them. “You’re just going to give these legendary horses to a girl who might eventually marry someone else? You told me yourself, she only wants to be friends.”

  “Yeah.” Jed shrugged. “I know. That’s still a possibility, but I have my hopes.”

  “It’s not even that I’d want you to give them to me. You could keep them for yourself. They’re born champions. Do you have any idea of how much money you could earn in quarter horse racing with horses like these?”

  “Yeah.” Jed nodded. “I know. It’s not about the money.”

  They were standing on the covered bridge at Landon’s request, where he could talk some sense into Jed away from all of the spectators over by the trailers where the beautiful herd had finally been captured. He’d not even dreamt of capturing the whole herd. He’d only hoped to capture the filly and the mare, or even one of them. He turned away and paced, glimpsing the little white chapel some twenty yards away, the impact of Jed’s generosity fully sinking into the depths of his soul. It was a completely selfless thing to do. He had no guarantees he’d ever see the girl and those horses again.

  Ever since he’d been on this ranch, strange things had been happening. It had been like coming home—home to a time he could remember when he was a child—when he’d believed. It was as if Jesus Himself had reached down from heaven and touched his heart, through these friends, through these experiences. He stood there, looking at the chapel, staring at it, while the world stood still for a moment.

  “You okay?” Jed asked.

  “Yeah, I can’t really put it all into words.” Landon continued staring at the chapel.

  First, he felt this strange peace every day while roaming their trails. Then, he met all of those wranglers. Christians, believers, miracle workers. Their owner turns out to be a preacher, Reverend Logan Haven. The wranglers turn out to be the deacons in the little white church, even Jed.

  Then, he met Trisha, a woman who taught him he could love again, trust again, hope again for a future. And that sister of hers, who amazed him with the story of trusting in God instead of legends. The stubborn one. He had to admit, there was beauty in her dedication and faith which drew him to take a deeper look, a second look at Christianity.

  Another cincher, when he met Trisha’s family. They were so blessed, so happy, leading such a rich life together. They made him laugh and enjoy life again, kinda like being with the 4-H kids when the tent fell on them. All four of Jennifer and Curt’s children around the dinner table with those smiles, and every one of them had carried their own little children’s Bible to church, clutching it to their hearts as they climbed steps bigger than they were up to the doors of God’s house.

  “It’s like God is breathing new life into me, showing me what’s really important, what He did for all of us on that cross, becoming the sacrifice for our sin, so we wouldn’t have to perish. It’s kind of overwhelming when I think about it. And Trisha said it is so much more, because that’s only the beginning of where it starts. I mean, here I’ve believed in a legend, when Jesus is there to give us this more abundant life than a legend could ever begin to bring us. I mean, the horses are pretty cool, clearly talented, but I think because of the disasters that came to my own front door, I was desperate to believe in anything to take it away. In reality, all the millions of dollars in my bank account don’t hold a candle to the wealth of having love, family, friends, and new purpose.” Landon was referring to Jennifer’s family and the rich friendships these people had with each other. He didn’t know if Jed understood what he was saying, but he could see Jed nodding in his peripheral vision, even as he stared at the chapel like a light bulb was going off in his head and heart.

  Trisha’s sister living in the Tetons didn’t have a ton of wealth, but they were wealthier than he was in every other way. He might have his millions, but they had laughter, truth, and love ringing through the house. Not to mention, the way Jennifer and Curtis were studying their Bible together the morning he’d gone over to their house with Jed and Anastasia, before the fishing trip. There went a couple with love for each other. The way they held hands with each other and talked to each other. His wife hadn’t wanted to go to church, let alone sit together reading the Bible, but when he read it, the words leapt off the page at him.

  Then, for good measure, the Lord let Jed catch the first trout. Call him a little irrational, but that had been another little nudge. Then, that sermon, opening his eyes to the truth of the Messiah. Five-hundred eyewitnesses! Over and over again, he’d read the account in I Corinthians 15:6. That’s a whole lotta people to see a resurrected Jesus after He’d been brutally murdered. How could atheists discount five-hundred witnesses? In modern day law, eyewitness accounts counted for a lot of weight. Then, the peace they’d all walked out of the church with that Sunday before the safari. How did one explain that? It was still deeply serene in the depth of his soul, as if the finger of God had put His touch on his heart and mind. And now, this! The final piece to the puzzle seemed to be Jed giving away the horses to a girl who wanted nothing to do with him except friendship.

  “I guess I’m still stunned about you giving away those horses. I didn’t even expect to bring in the whole herd. You got Logan to help you go after the entire herd for a tractor for someone else’s property—and to give Anastasia her beloved horses. I work in a corporate world where people don’t give away legendary horses. They try to win thousands or millions with them.” Landon figured he probably sounded like he was rambling.

  Jed attempted to explain something he was barely grasping. “I try to wake up every day now as a Christian and realize I’ve been translated to live in the Kingdom world, even though we wait for the Messiah to return. While we’re waiting, we bring His Kingdom with us wherever we go. It means a lot of sacrificing what we want for what He wants.”

  They all kept saying to know Jesus, develop a relationship with Him, spend time with Him, read His Word. Maybe the kind of love Jesus had was inside of Jed, helping him love a girl who kept rejecting him. Maybe Jed cared about her because Jesus was living inside his heart. It was exactly the kind of love he wanted to have in his heart again, the kind he’d once had, before life had become so hard. It was starting to look like it was harder to not believe than to believe. All he knew for sure was he wanted what they all had.

  And now, on top of everything else, Anastasia was offering Blazing Star a chance to train the legendary horses. Logan was offering to sell him three from the herd. Some cousin by the name of Chase was going to buy three of them, and Logan was going to keep two of them. Anastasia would have the other two. So, his trip wouldn’t be wasted. He’d still come home with three more potential champions, on top of being able to train Anastasia’s horses. It was remarkable, all of it, how it was working out. He could see God’s hand all over it.

  He closed his eyes and prayed silently from his heart, right there, standing in the middle of the covered bridge. He prayed the prayer he’d prayed out loud on Sunday with the whole church body, only they’d all been in their pews. Praying it twice seemed to cement it in his heart. Dear Lord Jesus, forgive me for all the things I’ve done wrong, the mistakes I’ve made. I believe again. Come into my heart and live. Teach me to love like you love, like Jed is doing. I’ll do my best to live for you for the rest of my days. Amen.

  Landon turned around and smiled at his friend, a wave of peace washing over him again. He didn’t feel that much different, but he knew he’d done the right thing. Everything was going to fall in place. He couldn’t wait to buy a ring for Trisha.

  “Jed, I’m rededicating my life to the Lord.
I’ve been running for a long time. I’m not even sure how long, but I’ve come home now. You can tell Anastasia I said yes. I’ll train her horses. I’m going to cut her a deal too, since the publicity we’ll receive for training them will bring more customers and prestige our way. And one more thing...” Landon paused.

  “What’s that, my friend?” Jed asked, a smile spreading across his face.

  “You’ve really impacted me by your love for Anastasia, your patience, and your generosity. It’s really made me think about how I need to stick with Jesus and find ways to be selfless.” He paused. “I hope you get your girl in the end. Somehow, I think you will, with God’s favor.”

  “I agree.” Jed nodded. “Say, not to change the subject, but how soon do you think you could have this filly ready to race in a futurity race? I’m sure she’ll ask me and I don’t have an answer to give her. Can you ballpark me?”

  “I don’t know. Every horse is different. Next summer for the time trials would be best.” Landon Callahan drew in a deep breath, thankful for the changes in his life, the biggest being he’d found truth was way better than legend.

  Chapter 18

  “A difference of opinion is what makes horse racing and missionaries.”—Will Rogers.

  ONE YEAR LATER, JUNE

  Anastasia clasped Jed’s hand. They were seated in her mom and dad’s living room, gathered around the television, her entire family present. Riley sat on the floor too, squeezed in somewhere amongst her nieces. There wasn’t an empty spot in the room, even with most of her nieces and nephews lying on their tummies, their elbows on the carpet, their faces propped in their hands, eyes glued to the screen.

  “Dad, can you turn it up a little?” McGuire asked. “The interview is about to begin.”

  Her dad pointed the remote at the television and increased the volume. Anastasia felt a little nervous, though. What if she had said the wrong thing? She hoped they would portray her in a positive light.

  “Thanks, Dad.” McGuire tossed a popcorn kernel up in the air and caught it in his mouth, causing some of the children to giggle. Then he hugged Katie tighter and she smiled up at him with a look of adoration. Anastasia glanced over at their two daughters, Jamie and Tracy, both wearing the most adorable matching outfits Katie had designed for them. They had coordinating ribbons in their hair, too. It warmed her heart to see her nieces looking so happy, cared for, and interacting with their other cousins.

  The interviewer appeared on the screen and mentioned he would return after a brief commercial break to share an exciting Wyoming horse story, saying it was the stuff dreams were made of. Then the program switched to the commercial. A few of her nieces and nephews groaned and her brother William, sitting next to his wife, Careen, groaned the loudest. They’d driven over from Casper with their three children, Cara, Shawn, and Brooke.

  “Be patient, kids,” her oldest brother McArthur said, chuckling. He’d driven up from Cheyenne with his wife, Annette, and their children, Joshua, Jacob, James, and Jewel. He looked over at her and leaned forward so she could see him from where she was seated. “We promise to try to be at the race, Anastasia, since it’s in Cheyenne.”

  Melissa, holding her son Timothy, and her husband, Albert, sat on the floor. They’d driven in the day before from Cody. It made Anastasia a little more anxious that Mom had gathered the whole family together for the interview. What if she said the wrong thing or something came across horribly wrong? Dad had said it didn’t matter because she was family and they’d overlook it.

  Jed leaned closer and looked into her eyes. “Nervous?” he whispered.

  She nodded and he squeezed her hand tighter.

  “Don’t be.” He encouraged her with his brown eyes, steadying her nerves and the butterflies taking flight in her stomach.

  The interviewer came on the program and a hush fell over the room as a picture of Lollipop and Bridie Jane appeared on the screen. Then the announcer gave a brief history of the legend and history behind the horses. Next, a photo of Anastasia appeared on the screen, and the living room erupted in cheers.

  “Here we go!” Landon looked over at Anastasia with a wide grin and then pulled Trisha closer. She was wearing a huge engagement ring on her finger. They’d announced their impending nuptials after Valentine’s Day a few months prior when Landon had popped the question. The family had a lot to celebrate. She was happy for her sister. Trish truly deserved to find love and happiness.

  “This is so surreal,” Anastasia whispered, burying her face in Jed’s shoulder. “I don’t know if I can look.”

  Then the interviewer began talking into the camera, introducing who she was, asking her how she came to own the horse, what she named him, how she first met the horse, how she liked managing a bakery and working on a ranch, why she’d chosen Landon to train the horses, and more. The camera would flash to her for each answer, then back to the interviewer for each question. They’d filmed part of it at The Sweetwater and part of it at Blazing Star, showing her riding Lollipop and Bridie Jane. There were a few scenes shot at the bakery, some near the chapel, some near the main house, and the rest were all in Cheyenne with the horses.

  “You did great, Anastasia,” Jennifer announced when the interview flashed to a commercial. Curtis sat on the floor so his wife could have the sofa, and their four kids, Maria, Mallory, Michael, and Matthew were climbing all over him like he was a jungle gym.

  “You’re photogenic,” Mom said. “I loved every minute of it. You’re smiling, laughing, happy, and all of your answers were truthful, kind, and gracious. I’m so proud of you.”

  “Thanks, Mom. Thanks Jennifer, and thank you to all of you for coming to share this with us. Here comes Landon’s part,” Anastasia explained.

  The interviewer reappeared on the screen, walking as he talked to Landon. The living room erupted in more cheers. His part of the interview had been filmed entirely at Blazing Star, and he’d been through more things like this before than she had, so his portion of the program seemed smoother to Anastasia. He shared a little about how they’d broken in and trained the filly, with various views of the ranch sprinkled into the interview. The last segment contained a few questions for the jockey who would ride Lollipop during her first race, Justin Murano.

  Then the interviewer recapped with a headline question they flashed across the screen, a play on words using the horse’s name, “Lolligag or Lollipop,” followed by his reminder to everyone to tune in for the big race on race day in three days. It would be Lollipop’s first race, but she’d done well in the trials. The whole interview was over in fifteen minutes. When a commercial break appeared on the screen, Anastasia’s dad turned the program off and everyone cheered again, wishing them well for race day. All she could do was wait, pray, and show up.

  She wasn’t sure if she’d liked the interviewer’s play on words, but Landon assured everyone it was typical media hype to make the story memorable and interesting.

  RACE DAY, CHEYENNE, the 440 American Quarter Horse Race

  On the big day, Anastasia and Jed made their way to Grand Prairie Downs in his pick-up truck. She’d decided driving to Cheyenne would’ve made her a nervous wreck and was happy he’d offered to drive. She wore a red shimmery dress with black trim, her long legs emphasized by a shorter skirt than she usually liked. She scooted over into the middle of the truck so she could sit close to her handsome wrangler, her red hair spilling around her shoulders.

  “Are you disappointed about Riley not being able to come to the races with us?” he asked.

  She nodded. “Yeah, I am, but Annemarie assured me they’d be watching the big race on television this afternoon when it airs.”

  Jed complimented her about the dress right away. He said it was the perfect dress for a special day. He wore jeans, a white hat, and a white shirt. Weaving through the crowds of people from all over Wyoming and other states as they made their way to the stables, she was glad he was easy to spot in white and didn’t let go of her hand. Though it was a long
walk to the stables from their seats, she wanted to give Lollipop and Justin a few sweet words of encouragement and say a bold prayer together for their victory and safety. She patted Lollipop for a few minutes, scratching her behind the ears, and telling her she could win the race if she really wanted to. Lollipop swished her tail and her ears twitched as she listened.

  Once they wound their way through more crowds of people to the third floor, they looked for the box Landon had reserved for everyone, happy to find it came with a great view of the finish line on the track. Once they greeted family and friends, they were situated on the front row of their box seats. She put her sunglasses on to shield her eyes from the bright sun. Then she proceeded to lean toward Jed, close her eyes while holding his hand, and pray some more. She grasped Jed’s hand more tightly the closer it came to Lollipop’s race.

  Landon and Trisha sat to her left, Jed on her right. Many of Landon’s staff were there, and many from Anastasia’s family, and some of Jed’s family.

  A little further to their right, Bronson and Tory were situated, holding hands, still basking in a newlywed glow. She thought back to the sweet wedding they’d had last September, glad to have been invited as Jed’s guest. They’d had one of those private outdoor ceremonies in her mom’s garden next to the garden house they’d fully renovated. Tory had worn a simple white chiffon gown which flowed to cascade on the lawn. Her bridesmaids wore similar gowns in a pale periwinkle blue, all of them carrying blue hydrangeas. It had been a beautiful ceremony beneath a trellis arch covered in roses and clematis.

  Maybe one day, she and Jed would find that kind of happiness. She could only hope at this point. He’d never even asked her to be his girl, though they spent all of their spare time together. She feared she’d hurt him too much by telling him they could only be friends too many times in the beginning of their relationship. It was a topic he never approached, but in recent months, they’d started saying, I love you, to each other.