There was no logical reason to untack the horse. Then again, there was no logical reason for Onyx’s bizarre behavior, either. There was no reason why they’d wandered aimlessly across the grasslands for half the day, only to end up in an abandoned corral in the middle of nowhere. And there was certainly no reason why he was standing here right now, having a staring contest with his horse.
Or was there?
Chapter 30
After spending most of the day curled up on the couch, Rebecca decided that she needed some fresh air. She made sure that Walter and Lucy were set for the afternoon before she pulled on her boots and headed down to the barn. She was just removing Star’s bridle from its hook when Tommy peeked his head into the tack room.
“Hey there.”
“Hey,” she echoed. “How’d it go with Liz last night?”
“Nothing to report yet. But I finally figured out how I’m going to ask her.”
“Oh, yeah? Tell me.”
“It’s gonna be a surprise.”
“Well, I figured that much.”
“No, I mean…it’s gonna be a surprise for everybody.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re really not going to tell me?”
“Nope.”
She groaned and gave him a playful shove. “Why do you torture me like this?”
Tommy chuckled. “You know you love it.”
“Yeah. I suppose I do.”
He stepped into the tack room as she lifted Star’s saddle from its stand. “Do you need a hand?”
“Nah, I’ve got it.”
“You’re sure?”
She frowned at him in confusion. “I’ve been tacking my horse every day for four years. Why would I suddenly need a hand?”
He gave her a pointed look. “Should you be doing any heavy lifting right now?”
Rebecca stifled a laugh when she realized the reason for his concern. After her other crowning moments that week, she’d all but forgotten about last night’s debacle.
“I’m fine, Tommy. It was a false alarm.”
“Ah.” Bashfully he dropped his gaze to the ground. “Well, alright, then.”
She stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “But thanks for looking out for me.”
Rebecca rode Star for the better part of the afternoon, drilling her around the barrels in the corral before enjoying a long, leisurely stroll through the aspens. Tommy and Jake were just starting evening feed when she returned to the barn. Despite their insistence that they didn’t need her help, she helped them anyway before she marched back up to the farmhouse.
“I’m home,” she called as she entered the foyer.
No response. She stepped out of her boots and was walking towards the living room when Lucy emerged from Walter’s bedroom. “Oh, there you are,” the nurse said. “I was wondering where everyone was.”
Rebecca frowned. “Alec’s not here?”
“No, I haven’t seen him. Should I wake Walter up soon?”
“Yeah, go ahead. Do you want to eat with us tonight? I’m just going to make some spaghetti.”
Lucy gave a tired smile. “That sounds wonderful.”
By the time Rebecca came downstairs from her shower, Alec still wasn’t home. She tried his cell phone, but he didn’t answer. She boiled the pasta and was in the middle of dicing up a salad when Lucy wheeled Walter into the kitchen. The three of them shared a quiet dinner, but Rebecca only picked at the food on her plate. She glanced out the window repeatedly, watching the sun sink lower in the sky, before she finally set down her fork.
“I’m going to run out and try to find him. He should be back by now.”
She strode down the hill and through both barns, only to find them empty. She headed to the lodge next, entering through the kitchen door. Ryan glanced up from the grill and greeted her with a friendly smile.
“Hey, Bec. How’s the hand?”
“It’s getting better. Has Alec come through here at all?”
Ryan shook his head. “Haven’t seen him all day.”
An uneasy knot began to form in her stomach. She started to head for the lounge and stopped dead in her tracks when she realized that she hadn’t seen Shania all day, either. An icy chill traveled down her spine as she spun on her heel and headed for the staff dining hall.
To her relief, Shania was sitting at one of the long tables, sharing dinner with Holly and Ben.
Think, Rebecca.
He wasn’t in the barn or the lodge or with any of their staff. At a total loss, Rebecca exited the lodge and strode across the parking lot towards Tommy’s cabin. She stepped onto the porch and knocked on the door, only to be startled when Liz opened it.
“Oh,” Rebecca said aloud. “Hi, Liz. I didn’t know you were here.”
Over the top of Liz’s shoulder, she saw a barefoot Tommy rise from the couch. “Hey, Bec. What’s up?”
Rebecca suddenly felt very awkward. “I’m sorry, you guys. I didn’t mean to intrude. I was just wondering if you knew where Alec was.”
“He’s not back yet?” Tommy asked as he stepped up behind Liz.
She shook her head. “And he’s not answering his phone, either.”
He frowned. “I saw him take Onyx out, but that was early this morning.”
Rebecca’s stomach sank even lower. “That means he’s been gone almost twelve hours.”
Even Liz looked concerned at this point. “That’s an awfully long time.”
“Yeah, it is.” Tommy turned for his bedroom. “Gimme one second, Bec, and I’ll help you track him down.”
Rebecca folded her arms across her chest and leaned against the porch railing, staring fearfully at the setting sun. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed his number again, with the same result as before.
A minute later, Tommy emerged from the cabin with his keys in one hand and his shotgun in the other. “We’ll be right back,” he assured Liz before he turned to Rebecca. “Let’s go.”
They were just climbing into his truck when Rebecca spotted movement near the pine grove. “Wait,” she said, squinting at the shape as it took form. “There he is.”
Onyx blended right into the darkness, but she could discern the outline of Alec’s hat as they moved through the trees. Rebecca broke into a jog towards them, with Tommy half a stride behind her. Alec saw them coming and pulled his horse to a halt.
“Hey,” she called as they approached. “We were starting to get worried.”
Alec didn’t respond. He swung his leg over Onyx’s rump, only to stagger for a moment before he fell to the ground.
“Alec!” Rebecca cried, dropping to her knees beside him. “Are you alright?”
His face was deathly white when she pulled his hat off his head. He stared up at her with unblinking eyes, and his breaths came in sharp, rapid gasps. Tommy looked equally alarmed as he knelt beside them and touched Alec’s shoulder.
“Are you hurt?”
Alec shook his head.
“Did you see the bear?” Rebecca asked.
He shook his head again as he pushed himself to his elbows and drew in a long, shuddering breath. “I have to talk to my father.”
*
Alec had no recollection of his journey back to the ranch. He didn’t even recall saddling his horse or getting on his back again. One minute he was standing in an abandoned round pen in the middle of the wilderness; the next minute he was lying in his backyard, gazing up at the bewildered faces of his wife and his best friend.
Everything that had happened in the interim was an indecipherable blur.
He must have lost time again, because the next thing he knew, he was stumbling through the foyer of the farmhouse. Rebecca stared up at him in concern but said nothing as she helped him back into his father’s bedroom.
“Pop?” he managed to say.
His eyes fluttered open. “Son?” he said as Alec took a seat beside him. “What happened to you?”
It took Alec a moment to respond. “I hooked in.”
&nb
sp; Walter stared straight back at him. “With Shadow?”
“No. With Onyx.”
“I didn’t know you’d been doing any work with Onyx.”
“I haven’t.” He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to collect his thoughts. “But that’s not even the wildest part. It happened when I was on him.”
His father’s eyebrows shot up. “You were on him?”
He nodded emphatically.
Behind him, Rebecca cleared her throat. “I’m sorry. Could one of you explain to me what’s going on?”
Walter’s eyes drifted to her. “What’s going on, my dear, is that my son just accomplished something I was never able to.”
Alec’s head began to spin. He’d known it all day, but to hear his father confirm it made it that much more real.
“It happened just like you described it,” he said, his voice barely a whisper. “One minute I was there, riding along through an empty field. The next minute I was somewhere else. I don’t even know where.”
His father smiled in understanding. “I know where you were, son. I’ve been there many, many times.”
“I wasn’t even thinking about it, though. I wasn’t thinking about anything. All I was trying to do was clear my mind.”
“Well, maybe that’s what’s been standing in your way all this time. Maybe you’ve never had the clarity you needed to make the connection.” Walter paused. “Tell me everything, Alec. As best you can.”
Alec turned to Rebecca. “Would you mind giving us some time to talk?”
She shook her head. “Not at all.”
He and Walter stayed up late into the night, dissecting every detail that he could recall. He knew that his wife and his friends would be curious, and he knew that he would try to explain it to them. But he also knew that the only person who would truly understand it–the only person who was capable of understanding it–was his father.
Eventually Walter drifted off to sleep, but Alec was reluctant to leave his side. He didn’t know how long he sat there, alternately studying his father’s face and burying his head in his hands. Rebecca was right, he realized.
Knowing that he could communicate with a horse the same way his father could was infinitely more intimidating than trying and failing to do so.
The horizon was glowing with dawn by the time Alec stood and exited his father’s bedroom. He entered the kitchen and turned on the coffeepot before he stepped over to the bay window. In the distant pastures he could see his horses and his cattle grazing in the early morning light.
He loved the stillness of this time of day. He wondered how many times his father had stood here, taking in this same view. He wondered, too, if Walter had ever felt the same trepidation that Alec did right now.
A gentle pair of arms encircled his waist, bringing him back to the present. “Have you been up all night?” Rebecca asked.
He nodded.
“Do you want to tell me what happened out there?”
Alec turned to face her. “I will. Just as soon as I figure out how.”
Chapter 31
The month of June passed in a blink. Consumed by his newfound abilities, Alec spent every waking second working with Onyx. Often he was gone before the sun came up and wouldn’t return home until dusk.
“It’s just something I need to do right now,” was all he would say before he vanished out the door. Rebecca didn’t know where he was spending all of his time–he described it as an isolated area beyond the borders of their property–but she respected the fact that he needed his privacy.
Besides, there was more than enough going on around the ranch to keep her busy in his absence. They were booked solid at sixty guests per week, which amounted to a staggering number of trail rides and riding lessons. She was down in the barn every day of the month, helping Tommy and the rest of their wranglers to educate and entertain the guests. Then, in the evenings, she and Tommy would spend hours in the corral perfecting their roping skills for the upcoming Fourth of July Rodeo.
The weekend of the rodeo was a carbon copy of Memorial Day weekend, save for the heat wave that sent temperatures soaring near ninety degrees. The horses were already damp with sweat as Rebecca and Tommy loaded them into the trailer. Once they arrived at the fairgrounds, they got Star and Joaquin settled in their stalls and made their way to the registration booth.
Tommy looked mildly surprised when Rebecca signed up for barrel racing again. “Giving it another shot?” he asked.
“Why not? I shouldn’t have to worry about running into any more of Alec’s old girlfriends.”
“You sure? He might have twenty more he hasn’t told you about.”
She giggled and playfully swiped his arm. “Just for that, you’re buying me a beer.”
They grabbed two beers and pulled pork sandwiches before they hiked into the bleachers to begin their search. As always, it wasn’t difficult to spot Jeff’s Red Sox cap. He, Allison, and Liz stood from their seats and waved as they approached.
“No Stacey today?” Rebecca asked.
Her sister-in-law shook her head. “We got a sitter. I didn’t want her out in this heat.”
The late afternoon sun beamed down on them as they polished off their beers and waited for the rodeo to begin. The grandstands already seemed filled to capacity, but people were still pouring in through the entrances. Jake, Ben, Holly, and Shania stopped to say a quick hello before they headed up the bleachers in search of open seats.
Alec arrived just in time to claim the last remaining seat beside Jeff. “Looks like you two are going to have quite the audience today,” he said.
“Just more witnesses for our upcoming victory,” Rebecca replied, sending a knowing grin in Tommy’s direction. “Right?”
“Right,” he echoed.
As soon as the announcer started listing off their sponsors, Tommy and Rebecca headed down to the barn. They watched the first several events from behind the arena before they tacked their horses and headed for the warm-up ring. Star behaved beautifully, moving lightly on her feet and responding instantly to Rebecca’s commands. Joaquin seemed settled, too, as he and Tommy bounded around the perimeter of the ring.
Rebecca had a strong feeling that they were only minutes away from another trophy.
Once again, they were assigned the last slot in the team roping competition. They watched six other pairs ride ahead of them; three came back with no score and the fastest time was only 10.38 seconds.
“We’ve got this,” Tommy said as they trotted towards the holding chutes.
Star pranced beneath her as they entered the chute and Rebecca stared out at the empty arena. The grandstands were audibly buzzing with excitement when the first gate slammed open, releasing the steer into the arena. It got a head-start of several strides before the gates released for Tommy and Rebecca. Instantly their horses leapt into a gallop, charging after the steer in perfect unison.
With practiced ease, Tommy released his lasso and secured it around the steer’s horns. He pulled his horse to the left, and when the rope went taut Rebecca immediately tossed her own lasso. It caught the steer’s heels with textbook precision, and they quickly backed their horses until the steer was immobile. Then the official threw his flag, and the timer on the screen stopped at 8.54 seconds.
“Yes!” Rebecca cried, punching her fist in the air.
“That was perfect!” Tommy shouted as he dismounted.
Rebecca relished the roar of the crowd while she watched him untie the steer. Her face ached from smiling so much as he swung back into the saddle and gave her a little wink. Automatically she turned Star for the exit, but to her surprise, Tommy moved Joaquin further into the arena.
“What are you doing?” she called.
She watched in confusion as Tommy approached the rodeo clown and pulled his horse to a stop. The clown didn’t seem the least bit surprised as he removed the wire from around his ear and placed it in Tommy’s outstretched hand. Tommy nodded in thanks and spun Joaquin around to fac
e their audience, and his voice echoed loud across the rodeo grounds when he held the microphone to his lips.
“If y’all will indulge me for just a second,” he said, pointing with his free hand to the left side of the grandstands. “I’d like to get the camera focused in on the young lady sitting at the end of the third row.”
The crowd fell silent when Liz’s blushing face appeared on the enormous screen beside the announcer’s stand. Joaquin snorted and pranced beneath Tommy, as if somehow sensing that all eyes were on them.
“I want to tell you a little story about a man who thought he had everything,” Tommy began. “You see, I’ve got a great home and a job that I love and the best friends I could ever hope for. It didn’t seem like anything was missing from my life. But a year ago today, when I walked into this arena, I learned just how wrong I was. It’s the day I met you, Liz.”
Liz covered her mouth with her hands. On the screen, Rebecca could see Alec, Jeff, and Allison sitting beside her, grinning as they watched the spectacle unfold. Rebecca sat frozen on her horse, unable to move if she tried.
“I learned that a man can have everything he wants on the outside and still be empty on the inside,” he continued, softly drawling each word. “And I learned that no matter how good your life is, it’s nothing without someone to share it with. So right here, with all these people as witness, I’m going to ask you something I’ve been wanting to ask for a long time now.”
He lowered his hand and flicked the long ends of his reins at Joaquin’s foreleg. A murmur of astonishment rippled through the audience when the horse shifted his weight into his hindquarters, tucking his foreleg beneath him until he was down on one knee. The smile on Tommy’s face was bright when he lifted the microphone again.
“I love you, Elizabeth Parsons. Will you marry me?”
Rebecca nearly fell out of the saddle. She shifted her gaze from Tommy and Joaquin to the screen, where the camera had zoomed in on Liz’s tear-streaked face. A quiet chant of Yes! Yes! Yes! began echoing through the grandstands as Liz craned her head around to stare at the crowd. Then she looked back at Tommy and rose to her feet to give an emphatic nod.
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