by Rikki Dyson
“So nice to meet you, Mr. Strayhorn,” Jessie said.
Please call me Miles,” he said as he shook hands with Jessica and Doctor Sam Scott. Doctor Sam said, “Welcome to the double SS, Miles.” About that same time, Nicky reached out for Miles to take him. “I see my grandchildren remember you.”
Graciously, Miles said, “Yes, we became friends on the flight over. I’m pleased they remember me.” He then squatted down to the children again and said, “Very nice to see you again. What a wonderful place you have here to play.”
They had lunch on the verandah and drank iced tea, watched the children play and discussed horses, cattle, Texas, medicine and the picturesque little town of Rawhide. Jessica invited Miles to supper, but he declined as Captain Neumann had called and informed him the jet would be ready to fly by six p.m.
Before he left, Stacey took him on a tour of the ranch from the orchard where they ate juicy purple plums, to the greenhouse and then walked out to the stables. Nicky had gone down for his nap but Jessie and Jackie trailed right behind their mommy and Miser Miles with plum juice running down their chins.
Jessica watched, as Miles took out his handkerchief and wiped the juice from the girl’s chins as they stood by the corral and talked. She wondered what this man was to Stacey and why was he here.
At the corral, Miles said, “I believe this country air agrees with you Stacey. You seem more light-hearted somehow. George was a little concerned. He felt you might be homesick.”
“Yes, he was right, Miles and it is good to be home. Tell him I’m fine now, and thank you for making it happen so conveniently. I can’t explain what I felt, but there’s a part of me that needed to be here to rejuvenate myself. I love England and Scotland but there’s something here... I don’t know if it’s the wind, the smell or just the fact that this is home, but I feel a freedom here. Oh, I don’t know... I guess I’m just a country girl at heart.”
Miles smiled at Stacey and said, “I’ve always liked that about you.”
The twins were climbing on the corral fence, Jackie got caught between the fence rails and called her mommy for help. Miles was closer to her so he helped her out of her predicament. “Stacey, how in the world do you manage with three of them?”
Miles was still smiling as he came to the house to thank Stacey’s parents and say goodbye. Stacey walked him to his car, shook hands and then watched him drive away.
That night, Jessie and Sam discussed Miles Strayhorn and his obvious infatuation with their daughter. They both agreed that Stacey thought of him only as a friend and was possibly oblivious to his charms. She had not acted like a woman interested in a man. She hadn’t changed her clothes, brushed her hair or applied fresh lipstick. More importantly, they wondered what Shane thought about all this.
Stacey had been at the ranch for almost a week when her mom asked, “Why haven’t you gone riding, sweetheart? You know Mr. Chen and I can see after the children.”
Stacey had been standing looking out the back windows when her mom said this. Jessie had noticed the wistfulness in her daughter’s eyes. Stacey turned back, smiled at her mom and said, “Yes, Mom, I think I will if you don’t mind watching the kids. I won’t be long.”
“Take your time sweetheart, I’ll give them ice cream when they wake up from their nap.”
Stacey saddled Blue boy and rode through the horse pasture toward the river. She remembered the little creek that ran through the paddock where Tony, Rich and she used to play. She, thought, what a good place to bring the kids and have a picnic.
Blue boy kept throwing his head back wanting to run. Stacey gave him his head and away they went. The exhilaration was invigorating with the wind blowing against her face and through her hair. They crossed through a shallow part of the river and rode to the lake. It was there that her, thoughts, and longing for Eric all came tumbling back. Her memories and deep loss seared her to the core. She bent over the horse’s neck as deep sobs racked her body. After a while, Stacey slid off the horse and walked to the lakeshore. There she sat at the edge of the water and reminisced her friendship with Eric. Blue boy walked to her side and ever so often nudged her shoulder. “Do you miss him too, Blue boy? It’s so unfair, but we do have a part of him and Jennifer to hold on to and love. I’ll bring him out so you can meet him, but it’s a secret.”
Stacey reached down, cupped her hands full of water, and washed her tear stained face. She petted the horse’s neck, grabbed a hand full of mane, swung herself into the saddle, and slowly rode back to the ranch and to her children.
True to her word, Stacey took all three of the kids out to the stable to meet Blue boy and the other horses. Harlan was back from his trip to Kentucky. He could hardly believe how much Nicky had grown. He apologized to Stacey for being away when she and the kiddos arrived.
“Don’t give it a second thought, Harlan. The world doesn’t stop turning, just because we’re here.”
Harlan laughed and took Nicky in his arms and said, “Howdy, little fellow, you’re getting to be a mighty big boy.” He squatted down, set Nicky on his knee and said to the girls, “Is this fellow giving you ladies any trouble?”
Jessie and Jackie looked to their mommy and said, “Nicky messy.”
Harlan laughed and said, “That’s his job while he’s little, but you ladies will have to teach him manners. That’s what big sisters are for.” Harlan smiled at Stacey and said, “I have a little something I’d like to show you ladies, if it’s okay with your mommy.”
Harlan handed Nicky back to Stacey, took the girls hands and walked back to one of the stalls. As soon as they saw them, their eyes got big and said simultaneously, “Oh, Mommy, dey got baby horses.”
Harlan laughed and said, “No, ladies, not baby horses, but Shetland ponies. I brought them back from Kentucky just for you two. I hope you don’t mind, Stacey.”
Stacey hugged Harlan and said, “Of course, I don’t mind, but they may be a little young for them now.” Stacey saw the countenance of his face change a little, “We’ll come out every day so the girls can get well acquainted with them. They’ll be riding before you know it. Thank you, Harlan for their wonderful gift. Do they have names yet?”
Harlan beamed at Stacey and said, “Yes, they do, they’re called Maggie and Judy, but we could always change’em.”
“No, we won’t change them, they sound like wonderful names. Thank you so very much for thinking of our girls.”
Harlan reached out, took Nicky from Stacey, and said, “As soon as this little fellow is a mite older we’ll get him a pony too.”
Nicky reached up and took Harlan’s hat off just as Stacey’s dad walked into the barn. They all stood laughing and then Sam saw the ponies, “Well, what do, we have here?”
“Dey us ponies, Dampa,” the twins said together.
Sam knelt down and put his arms around his tiny granddaughters and said, “Yes, I see, and mighty fine ponies they are too.” Sam Scott turned to Harlan and asked, “You didn’t just happen to bring two saddles along with these mighty fine ponies, now did you?”
Harlan handed Nicky to his grandpa and said, “A’ course, I did. When have you ever known me to do things half way? I’ll get’em, but it’s a little soon to put’em on. The Shetlands are a bit skittish, they’ll need a little time to settle down and get acquainted with their new surroundings. Maybe tomorrow our little ladies would like to feed the ponies some carrots.”
Stacey smiled at her dad. They both knew Harlan was a man of few words, he had said more in the past few minutes than he usually said in a day. When Stacey turned to tell the girls to tell Uncle Harlan thank you, they both were with a pony rubbing their mane. Both Harlan and her dad beamed at Stacey. Doctor Sam slapped Harlan on the shoulder and said, “Well, Harlan, once again as my dad has often said, you got horse sense.”
Early the next morning, after breakfast Jessie and Jackie hand in hand with Uncle Harlan went to the stables to feed carrots to Maggie and Judy. Stacey came out to watch and before lon
g, one at a time she sat each of the girls astride their pony. She held on to them as a few steps were taken. Later that morning when they talked on the phone with their daddy the excitement was high. Shane could hardly make out what they were saying. When Stacey explained what the excitement was all about, Shane lost his temper and accused Stacey of being negligent with his daughters. Stacey said, “I love you too.” and hung up as the girls were listening. “Sorry darlings, Daddy had to run, he had an emergency. But we’ll talk to him again tomorrow. How about we go on a picnic now.” The twins were excited to go on a picnic. Stacey asked her mom and Papa Chen to come along. Mr. Chen asked Jessica, “What’s bothering our girl? Has she talked to you about anything?”
Jessica shook her head no, and shushed him as Stacey walked back into the kitchen. “Okay, the kids are in the SUV and so is the picnic basket. Are you two ready to go?”
Back in England, Shane had tried a number of times to call Stacey back, but to no avail. He tried the ranch number but no answer there either.
Shane met Hugh for lunch the next day and asked, “Has Annie talked with Stacey lately?”
“I can tell by your demeanor, you don’t mean idle conversation. What’s the problem now?”
Shane told him about the ponies and his concerns about the girls being too young to participate. Hugh was flabbergasted, over Shane’s reasoning and objections to the girls doing what ranch children do. “Shane, when you met and fell in love with Stacey you knew her lifestyle was different from anything you knew. Stacey loves those children. There is no way she would ever put them in jeopardy. I’ve never known you to lose your temper the way you have done lately. I’m afraid if you keep pushing Stacey, you are going to push her right out of your life. Is that what you want?”
“Good god, no. That’s what started this whole thing. I wanted her to wait about going to Texas until I could go too, so I could help her with the children, but she always has to do things her way.”
“Is that what you want, Shane, a docile little wife that asks your permission for everything?”
“No, as you know I never envisioned a wife in the first place.”
Hugh was looking incredulously at Shane and said, “Was that a Freudian slip?”
“You know bloody well it wasn’t. I love Stacey.” Shane looked at his watch, “I have to go. I’ll call Stacey tonight and make things right. Thanks for listening.”
“Excellent, for what it’s worth, I think Stacey is an exceptional young woman and mother.”
Shane knew Hugh was right. Stacey was young but a wonderful mother. He had enjoyed watching her with the children playing piggy back, horsy and dancing with them in her arms to country, pop and rock music. He often found her down on the floor playing with the children or at the kitchen table coloring with them. Stacey was the one who encouraged him to let the girls stand on his feet as he danced a slow dance with them as well as holding them in his arms and dancing. He had not been around children much but Stacey was a natural.
Shane was home by six-thirty p.m., he called Stacey but no answer. He called the ranch and Jessica answered. “Yes, hello Shane. Yesterday we were on a picnic down by the creek. No, Stacey and the kids are at Gramps and Grandy’s. Yes, call her there. Do you have the number? Yes, we’re all looking forward to your visit. Yes, yes, the kids are fine and having a wonderful time.”
Sam came in on the tail end of the conversation, “What’s going on with Stacey and Shane? Whatever it is I know she’s trying to keep it from the kids. Has she talked to you about it?”
“No, she hasn’t. You know Stacey. She hasn’t talk to Le either. Shane sounds a little up tight. I know something’s going on with those two. I can’t help but wonder if Miles Strayhorn has something to do with it.”
Stacey had left her cell phone in the glove compartment of the jeep; she didn’t want to have a heated confrontation with Shane for the kids to overhear. When she arrived back at the ranch, the kids were fast asleep in their car seats. Her mom and dad met her as she drove in the back driveway.
“The kids are dead tired, they’ve had a blast playing with Brandon and the boys. Jason and Chris let them ride double with them in the front pasture. I don’t think they’ll wake as we put their pajamas on them,” Stacey said.
After the kids were in bed, Stacey took her phone out to check her messages. There were a few from Shane, Annie and Aunt Lora. She also had a text message from Shane apologizing for acting like a jerk. She text messaged him back and told him they would call him tomorrow at seven p.m. his time.
The next morning the kids were up early. After breakfast, the girls rode their tricycles out to the stables to feed the ponies and visit with them. Harlan put saddles on Maggie and Judy and set Jessie and Jackie on them with a security belt hooked around their waist and let them ride around the corral a few times. Stacey loved seeing how much the girls enjoyed riding. She wished Shane could be here to share these times with her. Her dad walked up beside her and said, “Those two little gals are chips off the old block, they’re fearless just like you were.”
Stacey pulled out her cell phone and took movies of the girls riding. After thirty minutes of riding Stacey told them, they could ride around one more time and then they must get off and let the ponies rest. They both said, “No, us wide more.”
With patience, Stacey said, “If you love your ponies, then you must get off and let them rest.” Jackie looked at her mommy, then back at Jessie and kept riding. Harlan and Grandpa stood back and let Stacey handle her little daughters. When they were taken off the ponies, both of them threw a hissie fit. Stacey recorded that on her cell phone as well.
Harlan took the ponies to the barn to unsaddle them. Stacey told the twins to ride their tricycles back to the house but both of them stood by the corral crying. Stacey picked up the bikes and said, “Fine with me, you two stay there and cry. I’m taking the trikes and put them away and don’t ask to ride them again until you say you’re sorry.”
After reprimanding her daughters, Stacey walked toward the house and left them crying by the corral. Sam, remembering his own daughter when she was this age, disappeared just inside the barn and kept an eye on his granddaughters. Thinking, they were alone they ran after Stacey crying. She ignored them and took the tricycles onto the back porch.
As the girls came upon the porch, Stacey said, “Oh, by the way, when you two finish crying we’ll call Daddy and tell him about the picnic, the creek and the pony ride.”
As they stepped into the kitchen, Stacey had tissues waiting to wipe their eyes and nose. Their Grandma and Papa Chen looked on but didn’t comment. They remembered what a headstrong child she had been and now she had two willful little daughters much the same as she was.
True to her word, Stacey took the kids to the den where her laptop was waiting. After the girls talked with their daddy, Stacey sent him the photos of the children picnicking and playing down by the creek and the girls riding their ponies. In order for Shane not to worry, Stacey eased his mind by telling him about the security belts hooked to the saddles.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart, I know I’ve been acting like a bloody fool about the children. Hugh did remind me about the ponies in the park and how they used security belts to help hold the young riders safely. I miss you and the children. Will you forgive me one more time? I love and miss you more than I can say. The flat is so empty and quite ghastly without my family here.”
Stacey laughed and said, “I love you too, but you better relish the quiet while you can. It’s anything but quiet around here.” She then told him about the hissie fit his little darlings threw when told riding time was over, and how they stood by the corral crying and refused to ride their tricycles back to the house. Shane found this all quite amusing.
After talking with her daddy, Jackie came and crawled into her mommy’s lap and said, “I soy, Mommy. I wove ou.”
Stacey hugged and kissed her little daughter, “I love you too, my precious. Would you like to have a sandwich while I
feed Nicky?”
In the kitchen, both girls were sitting in the red booth. Stacey made them both half a sandwich with a sippy cup of milk and then started feeding Nicky. Stacey’s mom and dad came in to say they were going by the clinic but wouldn’t be gone long. They both kissed their daughter and the grandkids bye. On the way to town Sam asked, “Did you see how Stacey handled the disobedience of our little granddaughters this morning. I’m very proud of the young woman she has become. Has she mentioned what’s going on between her and Shane?”
“No, she hasn’t, and I’m not asking,” Jessie said, “If she wants us to know she’ll tell us. I’m sure they’ll work it out whatever it is.”
Little miss Jessie, wasn’t as good about saying I’m sorry as her sister Jackie was. Later, in the afternoon Stacey took the kids out on the verandah. Nicky was in his swing and Jackie asked to ride her tricycle. Stacey went to the back porch and brought it out for her. “Me too,” Jessie said.
“No, ma’am,” Stacey told her. “I have not heard, ‘I’m sorry’ from you for this morning.”
Jessie stood and looked at her mommy and then looked at her tricycle. Stacey wanted to laugh. She could see the wheels turning inside her daughter’s little head. Stacey, thought, to herself, this is one stubborn little girl. Stacey crossed her arms over her chest and said, “I’m not going to stand here much longer, Jessie, so make up your mind.” As Stacey turned to leave, Jessie started to cry as if her little heart was broken.
“That’s not gonna get it little girl, but it could put you in time out on the naughty step.”
Jessie wiped her tears, on the back of her hand and said, “I soy, Mommy.” Stacey went down on her knees and hugged her little daughter, “Now, that’s Mommy’s good girl. You may get your tricycle now.”
