Ethel watched in fascination as he masterfully stayed on top of the horse as it kicked and bucked, trying with all its might to get him off. At last, the horse was winded and defeated, walking about the corral as obediently as her father’s horses.
“I’ve never seen it done like that before,” Ethel breathed, clearly impressed by how Tom had handled the horse. He winked at her on his way by, then gave the animal’s neck a pat.
“She is a good mare, but she’s strong-willed, like you.” He gave her a smirk, and she shot him a look back, although she couldn’t help but feel flattered at the same time. Ethel found Tom annoying, but there was something about him she couldn’t put her finger on. She was fiercely attracted to him, but she knew that he was also teasing her on purpose.
“I’m starving. Is supper ready?” he asked suddenly, and she felt her heart sink. She had just finished with the morning chores, but the sun was already high in the sky, and she knew it was time to start cooking again. Standing up from the rails of the corral, she smoothed her skirts and forced a smile.
“Not yet, Mr. Buckley, but if you give me a few minutes I will have that on the table before you have that horse unsaddled and back in her stall.” She gave him another look, and turned on her heel, walking back into the house.
He didn’t have time to respond.
“So, which of the horses is going to be mine?” Ethel asked. She had been watching her husband care for his horses nearly every day for three weeks, and she was eager to have one of the animals to call her own. Although he had told her that the horses were his, Ethel was confident if she tried hard enough, he would eventually give in and allow her to have one.
“I don’t know; you aren’t very big, and these are powerful animals. I would hate to give you one and have you get hurt,” Tom said as he continued to make the horseshoe he was working on. She rolled her eyes, but he didn’t notice.
“I am big enough to handle any one of these horses if you would just give me a chance,” she said with a sly grin, and although he glanced up at her, it was clear he was unmoved by her words. She sighed silently to herself, then began walking the length of the barn, looking in each of the stalls.
“I want him!” She said at last, pointing to the big, black horse on the end. Tom laughed heartily and shook his head.
“Jack would toss you off his back in an instant, then I would have a ruined wife and a ruined horse.” He continued to chuckle, but Ethel was unmoved.
“Suppose I could prove to you that I could ride him?” she asked, and he gave her a sidelong look.
“How are you going to do that, when you know that I have asked you to stay off them?” he asked, and although there was a lighthearted look in his eyes, she could sense by his tone that he was not joking. However, she stood her ground and walked over to Tom, putting her hands on his shoulders as he continued to form the shoe.
“Well, perhaps you could give me a chance to show you what I can do?” she said with another smile, but he kissed her forehead, shook his head and looked away.
“I work too hard on these animals to allow someone to just go in and try them out for themselves. These horses are good stock, and I can’t risk having them ruined – especially Jack, who I am going to enter into the race next week. It’s nothing personal, Darling.” He gave her a reassuring smile, then picked up the shoe and walked to the other side of the barn.
Ethel returned the smile, even though she felt hurt on the inside. She had married him so she could live a life with the horses, but he wasn’t allowing her near any of them. She didn’t care what it took, there had to be a way she could prove to him she knew what she was doing.
And she was going to do it. Somehow, she was going to do it.
Chapter 9 – The Accident
Ethel glanced out of the window as she dried the dish in her hand. She had grown used to being expected to do the dishes, but she still wished she could be out in the stables with her husband. She hated to admit it, but she was enjoying the competition she was having with her him, and although she wanted to hate him for not allowing her to have a greater hand with the horses, she did respect his own abilities.
She knew that as the days passed, he was also falling in love with her more and more, and that he respected the way she handled herself around the horses. Still, he was unwilling to allow her to ride Jack, which is what she wanted to do more than anything.
As she placed the last dish in the cupboard, Ethel glanced down at the entry form sitting on the counter. Her husband was so excited to enter Jack in the race, and she had no doubt he was going to win, but there was a pang of jealousy in her chest as she looked over the form, knowing there would be no way for her to enter, even if he did let her ride Jack.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash from the barn, and she started. Grabbing her skirts and lifting them up to her knees, she ran out of the door as quickly as she could, trying to keep her heart from racing as she did so.
“Tom? Tom! Are you alright?” she cried out when she saw her husband sitting against the stall with his hand over his head.
“She kicked me!” he gasped, pointing to the horse that had run from the barn and was now standing in the barnyard. He swooned for a moment, then fell to the ground, causing Ethel to cry out once more.
“Tom!” she shouted, rushing over to him. She could see a nasty bruise forming on the side of her husband’s head, and she felt sick to her stomach. She didn’t know if he had been kicked in the head, or if the horse had kicked him somewhere else, causing him to fall against the stall and strike his head in the process.
“I’m going for help!” she shouted, running from the barn. Ethel hesitated. It would take her too long to run into town, and she knew time was crucial. The longer he was without treatment, the more likely it was that he would have lasting effects from the kick. With tears in her eyes, she looked back over her shoulder, first at her husband, then at Jack.
He was the fastest horse in the stable, and although her husband had been convinced she would be unable to handle him herself, she knew she could do it. She had always been able to ride Starboy, and Jack was like that horse in many ways. Grabbing a bridle from the wall, she threw it over the horse’s head and tightened it down to the right size.
With a final look of dismay at Tom, she dug her heels into the horse’s side, lurching back as he launched out of the barn. Tom was right; the horse was powerful and he was fast, but Tom also didn’t know that Ethel had ridden a horse like this before, and although the animal’s feet pounded into the ground, she was able to hang on and guide him toward town.
If she had been riding the animal for any other reason, she would have enjoyed the moment of freedom, but Ethel was on a mission – she had to get help, before it was too late.
“I’m afraid you are going to be in that bed for some time, and you can forget about riding for at least a few weeks.” The doctor put his tools back in his bag, and he shook his head at Tom. “You have got to be more careful, Tom, or you are going to end up worse off than you are now.” Tom looked up at him, his head wrapped in white bandages.
“I’ve got to get Jack in that race. He’s going to be too old next year, and he’s my only shot at this,” he said, but the doctor shook his head.
“Unless you can find someone else to ride him, you are going to have to let this go. If you get on that horse, there is no telling what could happen to you. Make sure he stays in bed, you hear?” the doctor said, turning to Ethel. She nodded.
“You’re a lucky man, Tom. If it weren’t for your wife here, you probably wouldn’t have made it.” He gave Tom a nod, then tipped his hat to Ethel, and with that, he was gone. Tom leaned back on the bed and closed his eyes, and Ethel asked if there was anything she could do for him.
“Not unless you know someone who can win that race,” he said, his eyes still closed. She grimly shook her head, placing her hand gently over the bandage. She knew he was frustrated, but she also knew there was no way he could be in that race.
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“You can still go to the race, my love,” she said softly, and he nodded.
“I’m going to, but it’s going to kill me knowing that he could have won – I know he could have. I’ve been working on that horse for years, and he’s got what it takes to be the best. To be the best of the best!” He slapped his hand on the bed in frustration, and Ethel agreed, trying to do what she could to make him feel better.
“You get some rest,” she said softly, then turned to leave.
She walked out into the kitchen, closing the door softly behind her. Looking down at the entry form, Ethel suddenly had an idea – it was a crazy idea, and she knew she was going to have to be careful, but if she was smart, she knew she could pull it off.
Chapter 10 – The Race Against Time
“You go on, I’ll finish up here, and be there directly,” Ethel said, shooing her husband out of the door. He looked at her for a moment, and smiled, although it was weak smile. He was clearly still disappointed, but Ethel wanted to surprise him.
“I’ll be watching for you,” he said with a smile, then walked out of the door. Ethel watched him go, then she ran into his room. Going through his wardrobe, she slipped into a pair of his pants and grabbed his shirt. After folding her hair above her head, she pulled a hat on and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked enough like a boy to pass for one, then she grabbed the entry from and shoved it in her pocket.
After one last look in the mirror, she headed out of the door. She needed to get Jack.
“Go!” The gunshot fired, and Ethel clutched Jack’s mane. She had managed to get past the judges without any problems, and even though the other riders teased her, thinking her to be the youngest rider in the group, she ignored everyone.
Jack flew from the gate, but Ethel knew what she was doing. She intentionally held his mane, holding him back from the lead. She heard the shouting of the crowd, but she kept her eyes on the track in front of her. Knowing where Tom was sitting in the stadium, she looked over as they rounded the first bend.
He was staring at her, his mouth wide open, clearly shocked at what she had done. If Ethel hadn’t had to hang onto his mane so strongly, she would have waved to him. As she rounded the bend, she could see his face change from shock to cheering, then she turned her focus back to the track in front of her.
She continued to hold him back, knowing that if he spent all his energy now, there would be no way for him to catch the lead when she finally let him go. Although she had never raced before, she had studied all the tricks with a passion, and she knew exactly what she was doing.
As they rounded the next bend, she began to give Jack his head. The horse, having been carefully trained by Tom, knew what she was doing, and he responded beautifully. With his feet pounding into the dirt, he began to gain on the leader. Ethel’s heart started to pound, as she realized she was doing the one thing she had always wanted to do in life.
They were entering the next bend, and Ethel’s heart raced even more. Once they were around this bend, they were going to be on the home straight, and she still hadn’t reached the tail of the horse streaming in front of her. Fighting to keep her patience, Ethel rounded the final bend. It was at that moment she allowed Jack to have full freedom, and the horse knew it.
His feet continued to pound on the dirt, and the dull thud filled her ears. The crowd was deafening, but all she could hear was the sound of the horses breathing and the pounding of their hooves on the dirt track. Suddenly, Jack began gaining on the horse in the lead, with each stride, he was closer and closer to the other horse’s muzzle.
For a few moments, the two horses were neck and neck, but Ethel knew Jack had more energy than the other. The other rider was desperately slapping the rump of his horse with the palm of his hand, but Ethel didn’t need to do that with Jack; he was already pulling ahead of the animal, and was quickly taking the lead.
She glanced up once more, knowing that Tom was once again in front of her. He was shouting and whooping with the rest of the crowd, and she couldn’t help but smile. She wanted to throw her hat off, but she knew if she did so she would give away her identity.
The judges were going to find out anyway, but she wanted to enjoy the moment for as long as she could. With the finish line directly in front of her, she was a full length ahead of the horse she had passed. Glancing back, she could see that she had not only won the race, but she had won by a long shot.
“Go for it, Jack!” She shouted, letting the horse have full freedom. She held her hands out to the side, feeling as free as a bird as the horse flew across the line.
She had won.
“You did it! My wonderful, crazy bride!” Tom shouted as he pushed through the group, pulling Ethel off the horse.
“You did it, you bred him and trained him!” Ethel said with a laugh.
“A woman? That should disqualify her!” the second-place rider said, turning to the judges, but the judge held up his hand.
“We’re looking this over, and we’ll get back to you with our decision,” the judge said, turning to the other men, and Ethel’s heart sank.
“I can’t be disqualified!” she exclaimed, but Tom put his finger to her lips.
“It doesn’t matter if you win or not, I can’t believe what you did for me, and you proved that he is a winner, whether they count it or not,” Tom said with a smile, and Ethel opened her mouth to protest, but he cut her off with his lips.
Ethel gasped, instinctively wanting to pull away, but she suddenly relaxed, leaning into the kiss, her passion growing. When he finally pulled back, he looked deeply into her eyes.
“I love you, and from now on, you can work with the horses as much as you want,” he said, and a smile spread across her face.
“I love you, too,” she said, and leaned in for another kiss. Suddenly, Ethel didn’t care if she was disqualified from the race or not. She was a winner, and she was happy.
THE END
Laurel’s New Beginning
1.
Priscilla Callahan twirled in her new white gown while her older sister Laurel sighed and shook her head. White, of all colors she could have picked for the picnic, she had demanded a white dress from her father. Of course, Father hadn’t been able to refuse; he never could say “no” to his younger daughter. Sometimes, Laurel resented being the eldest. When their mother had grown ill with consumption, it was Laurel who had nursed her until the doctors had told them there was nothing left to do but let her go.
Laurel watched her sister stare at her own reflection in the mirror. “I do hope you will take care not to ruin it,” she chastened her sister. “Father doesn’t have money to throw away on a new dress every time you decide what you have isn’t good enough to wear again.”
“You’re just jealous because he doesn’t buy you dresses anymore. What’s the point, when no one will want to marry you?” Priscilla’s mouth shut with a snap, but the damage was done.
“You are a cruel, spoiled child, Prissy, and one day you will regret your lack of loyalty.” Laurel shook her head and turned away before Priscilla could see the tears in her eyes. She loved her sister and her father so much it hurt sometimes. But, all she was to her father was a nursemaid for his beloved Priscilla, the daughter who was a daily reminder of his beautiful wife.
“Oh, Laurel, don’t hate me. I was only mean because you made me feel selfish for asking for such a beautiful dress. But, I’m not like you. I must attract a husband to take care of me. You’ll grow old here with Father, where will I go?” Laurel stiffened as Priscilla wrapped her arms around her waist and hugged her from behind. “Please don’t stay angry with me.”
Laurel patted her sister’s hands before prying them away from her. “Get changed and help me with supper, please.” She didn’t bother to tell Priscilla that she was forgiven. She already knew the girl meant the apology even less than she’d meant the hurtful words that had preceded it. Priscilla was a pretty girl with a head full of fairytales and daydreams. She had never really k
nown their mother, and was raised on stories of how her beauty and grace had defied the harsh land on which they lived. In Priscilla’s mind, her only purpose for living was to attract a wealthier man than her father and forget she was raised on a farm by a poor man in tight times.
Laurel climbed down from the loft her father had built for them to share, planning to go outside and bring in wood for the stove. Mr. Callahan was sitting below at the kitchen table, rolling the two cigarettes he allowed himself before dinner, and two more for after. Laurel said nothing as she watched him roll them extra thin. No doubt he’d gone without his meager ration of tobacco to pay for the extravagant dress. With a sigh, Laurel prayed that the girl made it through the picnic without ruining the precious white superfine cotton. At least if she could be convinced to wear it twice, it wouldn’t feel like such a waste.
“Supper will be shortly, Papa. I got stew simmering on the stove, and I’ll make you cornbread to go with it, if you can wait for me to go milk Dotty.”
Her father pursed his lips and watched his elder daughter. He’d never admit it, but Priscilla’s words had stung his pride. Cole Callahan was a man who believed he gave both his daughters the best he could. Now, he was forced to admit his younger daughter had become the kind of girl he’d never wish on any man. Meanwhile, Laurel had put away her heartache and served both him and Priscilla better than her mama would’ve hoped.
“I got the milk, Laurel. I’ll bring in some more wood, too.” He tucked the rolled papers into his breast pocket and headed toward the door.
“Papa, you’ve worked hard all day. Have yourself a seat and I’ll take care of the milking.” Laurel’s voice was cheerful, but her father had seen the hurt and betrayal in her eyes as soon as she’d come down the ladder from the loft.
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