Autumn's Awakening

by Irene Brand

  “It’s broken, but it seems like a clean break. I’ll numb the leg and give him a tranquilizer to keep him quiet. Can you help me put him on the ground by using the rope and hobbles?”

  “Just tell me what you want done.”

  After the injection temporarily dulled the pain in the leg, the colt was easier to handle. Autumn placed a belly band on the animal, put hobbles on its back legs, and threaded a rope from one hobble through the belly band down to the other hobble and gave the rope to Nathan, who was still restraining the animal with the twitch.

  “Remove the twitch now and help me lower him to the ground. It really isn’t difficult if the hobbles are on correctly, and I believe they are.”

  Slowly they eased the colt to the ground and tied his legs in a flexed position. Once they had the animal so he couldn’t harm himself, Autumn knelt on the ground and made a more thorough examination. Her blue eyes were troubled when she looked at Nathan, who stooped near the horse’s head.

  “There’s definitely a fracture. I’m sure the break can be repaired so the horse won’t be lame, but it’s a job I can’t handle. I’ve watched this procedure, but I’m not a surgeon.”

  “There’s an excellent equine orthopedic surgeon in Columbus.”

  Sandy ran around the side of the barn, phone in hand. “I’ve got Ralph on the phone,” she said. “He wants to talk to you, Autumn.”

  She took the phone from Sandy. Ralph’s worried tones sounded in her ear. “What can you tell me?”

  “We’ve tranquilized the animal and he’s restrained so he won’t damage himself, but there’s a fracture of the right foreleg. If we take him to a surgeon immediately, I believe he has a fifty-fifty chance of complete recovery. Nathan is here with me. He says there’s an equine surgeon in Columbus.”

  “Is that what you recommend?”

  “If it was my horse, I’d take him to the surgeon. I don’t have the training nor the experience to handle this situation.”

  “Let me talk to Nathan then?”

  Autumn handed the phone to Nathan and he listened to Ralph’s concerns.

  “I agree with Autumn,” Nathan said. “Except for the break, the colt is okay.”

  He listened again. “Call back in ten minutes. I’ll see if we can contact the surgeon in Columbus. If he’s available, I’ll arrange to take your horse to Columbus, and you can meet us there.”

  To Autumn, he said, “I’ll have to look up the surgeon’s address and number, and I’ll telephone from the house. We should find a padded trailer to take the horse to Columbus. If Sandy telephones your father, he’ll probably loan her his trailer.”

  While Nathan made these arrangements, Autumn sat beside the restless colt, and monitored the heartbeat occasionally. Debbie and Tony stayed with Autumn and patted the horse’s side.

  “Poor horsey,” Debbie said. “He’s hurt bad.”

  “That’s true,” Autumn agreed, “but he’ll probably be all right.”

  “You’ll make him well just like you did Flossie.”

  Autumn laughed slightly. “This is a more difficult break than what Flossie had, but I’m sure the surgeon in Columbus can fix him up in a hurry.”

  Nathan’s expression was encouraging when he returned. He hunkered down beside Autumn. “It’s all taken care of. The surgeon will be waiting for us. Sandy said your father willingly loaned his trailer, and two men from Indian Creek Farm will be here shortly to help us. They’re bringing a hoist so we can move the horse into the trailer. I’ll ride along and keep an eye on him.” To Tony, he said, “Help me move a few of these fence panels so the trailer can drive into the paddock.”

  As Autumn watched Nathan take charge, she compared him to what he’d been when she’d first met him. Then, he was unsure of himself, suffered from low self-esteem, and had no prospects for the future. Now he was strong, assured and capable. The young man she’d admired was even more appealing and desirable now. Nathan’s eyes met hers and held for a few brief moments. As if he could read her thoughts, he started toward her, paused and turned away.

  To hide her confusion, she got some medication and explained its purpose to Nathan in case the horse started thrashing around in the trailer.

  “You’ve done a good job on this, Autumn.”

  “I wish I could have done more.”

  “Having the courage to admit you lack expertise in this situation probably saved the horse for a productive future. A more opinionated vet might have fiddled around with the leg, tried to set it on his own, which might have worked, but if it hadn’t, it would have been too late for surgery. You’ve done a great job, in my opinion.”

  Dropping her gaze, she said, “Thanks. Your opinion is important to me.”

  He ignored Debbie and Tony, who looked on with interest, and drew Autumn into his arms. She shivered in his embrace, and he massaged her back.

  “Thanks for coming, Nathan. Considering our last meeting, I shouldn’t have called you, but you were the first person I thought of. I didn’t know what to do.”

  “Remember you’re a Weaver. You can’t fail at anything.”

  His words hurt, for as a child she’d heard them too often from Clara. She tried to pull away from him, but his arms tightened.

  “Let me go. I can’t take any ridicule tonight.”

  “I wasn’t ridiculing you. There are times when I resent the way the Weavers have treated me, but I respect their abilities and self-confidence.”

  She surrendered to the comfort of his embrace a few more seconds, and he ruffled her hair.

  “I see you’ve had a haircut.”

  “Just a little. My hair grows so fast, I have to keep it under control.”

  Her head was still on his shoulder, but she sensed amusement in his voice. “I was only teasing. I’d like you if you cut off all your hair.” His tone changed. “Autumn, try to forget the things I said last night. It’s a sore spot with me that while I grew up in near-poverty conditions, you were living at Indian Creek Farm. I still find it difficult to believe that you want me for your—” he hesitated “—your friend.”

  “The trailer’s coming, Mr. Holland,” Tony shouted, and Nathan released her, but not before he left a soft kiss on her trembling lips.

  It was dark by then, but the security light illuminated the area as the truck backed into the paddock where the horse lay.

  Autumn recognized the driver as Jeff Smith, who had come to work for her father shortly before she left home. Jeff shook hands with her, and since she knew her father would have trained him sufficiently, she asked Jeff to take charge of loading the colt. Autumn and Nathan followed Jeff’s instructions as they hoisted the injured animal into the trailer. Sandy came from the house with two thermoses of coffee and a sack of sandwiches.

  “Here’s something for you to snack on while you travel. Ralph and I are grateful for what you’re doing for us. Nathan, tell Ralph to call me as soon as the surgery is over.”

  Nathan climbed into the trailer, covered the sedated horse with a couple of blankets and sat down.

  “I might take a nap, too,” he said with a grin. He lifted a hand, and his eyes connected with Autumn’s until she closed the trailer’s rear gate. Tony and Debbie ran beside the trailer until it picked up speed and headed toward Columbus.

  Sandy took Autumn’s hand. “Let’s have a prayer for them.” She bowed her head. “Thank you, God, for those who’ve come to our aid tonight. Thanks for sending Autumn to Greensboro and for her knowledge. I’m grateful for good neighbors, too. Keep all of them safe as they travel. Amen.”

  She helped Autumn gather her equipment and carry it to the truck. “Come in for a cup of coffee,” she said.

  “I’ll settle for a cup of hot tea and a sandwich. I was just getting ready to sit down for dinner when your call came. My hands and legs are shaky, and I don’t think it’s safe for me to drive home until I have a little nourishment.”

  “I’ve still got the fixings out from the sandwiches I made for the men. What’ll
you have—balogna, cheese, ham, turkey?”

  “A slice each of balogna and cheese, please. A little mayonnaise.”

  “White or brown bread?”

  “Brown.”

  When they entered the kitchen, Sandy said, “There’s a washroom around the corner.”

  Before she washed, Autumn took off the coveralls, and when she went back in the kitchen, Sandy said, “I see you’re dressed up. I hope my call didn’t interrupt an important engagement.”

  “We were treating Dolly to Chinese food for her birthday, but she’s been around us enough to know that we have to take care of the calls,” Autumn said. She eased slowly into a chair by the kitchen table to rest her wobbly legs. Reaction was setting in now that she had time to dwell on the serious condition of the horse, her appeal to Nathan and his response. His public kiss had climaxed a traumatic evening. That kiss hadn’t come from a man who feared to trust his heart to her. All of these things had happened too fast, and she needed time to sort everything out in her mind.

  Sandy sat opposite Autumn and sipped on a cup of coffee. The kitchen was clean, but it was cluttered with toys, video games, farming magazines and an assortment of dishes and pans on the cabinets. Comparing it to the tidy Weaver house of her youth, Autumn decided that the Simpsons had a home rather than a house. She liked it. For a moment, she allowed herself to envision the house at Woodbeck Farm, wondering if she’d ever have an opportunity to make a home for Nathan and herself there.

  Normally a chatterer, Sandy was even more talkative tonight because of her worry over the Thoroughbred. Lost in her own musings, Autumn had missed much of what she said, but she did owe it to Sandy to forget her own problems for a while.

  “This sandwich is good, Sandy. Just what I needed for the strength to get back to town.”

  “I hate to be nosy, Autumn, but you and Nathan seem to be more friendly than when you first returned to Greensboro. What happened to you in the past?”

  Autumn’s hand shook, and she laid down the rest of her sandwich. She couldn’t meet Sandy’s eyes.

  “Forgive me,” Sandy said. “Eat your sandwich and forget I said that.”

  Autumn picked up the sandwich and nibbled on it. The contents didn’t taste nearly as good as they had before.

  “I knew Nathan for about six months before I left Greensboro eight years ago. He worked for my father, and I made a fool of myself over him,” Autumn said bluntly, not sparing herself. “My father found out we’d been seeing each other and he fired Nathan. When Nathan left town, I ran away, too, for my mother was trying to promote a romance between me and Dr. Lowe to counteract my interest in Nathan. If Doc Wheeler had told me Nathan was back in this neighborhood, I wouldn’t have come to be his helper this summer.”

  Sandy’s eyes had widened, and she’d listened to Autumn, mouth agape.

  “I’m surprised you hadn’t heard. I thought everyone in the county knew the whole story.”

  “We didn’t buy this farm until a year ago, and although we’ve met Mr. Weaver often, I’ve never felt free to call at Indian Creek Farm because of your mother’s health. I’ve never met Mrs. Weaver or your sister. It was obvious when you came into our Sunday school class, that there was something between you and Nathan. I’d never seen him so flustered.”

  “It was a mistake for me to come back. My father won’t speak to me, and Mother is unforgiving. I’d leave now, but I feel obligated to stay and fulfill my commitment to Ray. I’m sure he thought he’d help out the situation by asking me to come back, but if anything, it’s worse. I’d learned to live alone, and when I leave in a few weeks, it’s going to be difficult to part with everything I love a second time.”

  “Nathan still seems to be interested in you. Why leave?”

  “That’s a decision I’ll have to make when Ray returns,” Autumn replied as she pushed back from the table. “Thanks for the food, but I must get back to town. I’m sure Trina is wondering what happened.”

  Sandy walked to the truck with her and put her arm around Autumn’s shoulder for a quick squeeze.

  “Don’t think your return to Greensboro has been a complete disaster. If it hadn’t been for you, we might have had to put our horse down. God brought you home for a reason, and I pray you’ll find the peace and happiness you deserve.”

  It was nearing midnight when Autumn pulled into the garage on the Wheeler property. A light burned in the kitchen, and when she stepped up on the back porch, Trina spoke from the swing.

  “How did it go?”

  Autumn sat beside her and as they swung slowly, she said, “It’s been a strange situation.” She related the dramatic events of the evening.

  “And you think the animal can be saved?”

  “There’s a good chance, he will be. You remember some of the successful surgeries we watched when we were in training. The Simpson horse is in better shape than most of those, so I’m hopeful. Nathan says the surgeon is capable.”

  “Do you think what happened tonight will have an effect on the relationship between you and Nathan?”

  Autumn sighed. “I’m foolish enough to think so. He was so self-assured as he helped me, not at all like the bewildered youth I used to know. And he was tender with me, almost as if he really cared for me. I’ve relived every minute of what he said and did tonight, and I do think there’s some hope.”

  “I think so, too. Both of you need to forget the past.”

  “You don’t have to convince me. I’ve been waiting a long time for that to happen.”

  They swung back and forth companionably, such close friends that they didn’t need to talk.

  The ringing phone awakened Autumn at six o’clock the next morning. She reached for the phone, hoping it was Sandy reporting on the injured horse, but it could just as well be a farmer with an urgent need.

  “Hello, Autumn, sorry if I awakened you.” Autumn sat up, suddenly alert. It was Nathan, not Sandy, calling.

  “Where are you, Nathan? What do you know?”

  He answered her second question first. “The surgeon thinks the operation was successful, and that the colt will be able to run competitively by the time he’s old enough. He wants to keep him for a couple of days, so Ralph and I came home. We just got here.”

  “Thanks for calling right away. I’ve been restless all night wondering what was happening.”

  “The surgeon was complimentary of how you’d handled the situation, so you deserve a lot of credit, too.”

  “Thanks! I’ll bet you’re tired.”

  “I’m still excited that we could save the animal, but I’m going to bed for a few hours.”

  “Goodbye, Nathan, and thanks again.”

  “Are you coming to work on the cart tonight? The fair is next week.”

  He apparently intended to ignore their heated words during her last visit to his farm.

  “Yes, I’ll come about seven o’clock. If you’re busy with farm work, I’ll work alone.”

  Autumn left her bed. She was excited and more optimistic about the future than she’d been for a long time.

  Chapter Fifteen

  The renovation of the cart progressed steadily, and the night before the opening of the county fair, Autumn went to Woodbeck Farm for last minute touch-ups on the paint. Nathan was standing on a stool, grooming Beauty and trying to braid her mane in the acceptable manner for showing.

  “I can’t get the hang of this,” he complained, as he jerked on the ribbons he was trying to braid into Beauty’s mane. “I must not have done it right, for she’s been fretting. I can’t show her this way.”

  “Is this the first time you’ve braided her mane?” Autumn asked.

  “I’ve practiced it several times. Always before, I managed. I’m nervous tonight, since tomorrow is my first competition. It’s not easy to be competing against the Weavers.”

  Would he ever get over the wound her family had inflicted on his self-esteem?

  “Don’t forget there’ll be one Weaver cheering for you tomorrow!�
��

  He nodded. “And I appreciate it, too.”

  Beauty’s head was secured to a wall in an awkward position, which could be causing the filly’s uneasiness.

  “It takes a long while before animals get used to braiding, and they don’t like it at first. Let me see what I can do. I did the braiding on Daddy’s horses for several years.”

  “Help yourself,” Nathan said, stepping off the stool. “I haven’t practiced enough apparently.”

  “Help me lower her head a bit. She seems uncomfortable.”

  When they had the filly’s head in a more satisfactory position, Autumn stepped up on the braiding stool and brushed out the braid Nathan had tried. She turned Beauty’s mane to the right side, laying the mane roll over the filly’s neck. Using blue and white ribbons, she tied the white ribbon around the rolls not far from the end. Autumn faced in the same way the mare faced. Starting two inches back of the ears, she selected a strand of hair, equal to one strand of the mane roll, separated it from the rest of the mane and held it upright. She crossed the ribbon behind the strand of hair.

  At first, Autumn’s fingers fumbled, for it had been a long time since she’d decorated the Weaver horses, but soon the skill returned. She quickly and artfully continued crossing the ribbon and hair in the same order until she had the mane prepared in the commonly used Aberdeen Plait. She evenly spaced five flowers in the mane, and stepped off the stool to survey her work.

  “I thought I might have forgotten how to do that,” she said.

  Nathan admired her work with glowing eyes. “That’s a masterpiece of work.”

  Autumn’s face beamed with satisfaction as she flexed her fingers. “I’ll have sore hands tomorrow, but it will be worth the pain. Let me braid the tail, too, please.”

  “Go ahead,” Nathan agreed heartily.

  “I’ll braid the Scotch Knot on her tail,” Autumn told Nathan. “That’s faster.”