Second Chance Ranch

He nodded and went back to working the cloth over the bridle.

There was more she wanted to say to him, she knew, but she didn’t know how to bridge that gap. “Want to help me bring in the horses for the night? Ollie’s off visiting Margaret, the ranch owner who’s in the hospital, and the rest of my help has left.”

His head came up and she read hunger in his eyes. “Yeah, I’ll help.” He hung the bridle on a hook beside the other tack, placed the rag in the bin below and grabbed his cane.

As he walked to the door, Sophie saw flickers of the old Zach she knew. Her nerves danced with excitement and hope.

“Lead the way, Miss Sophie Powell.”

“That’s Lieutenant Powell.”

“I outrank you. I was a captain.”

“A smart officer listens to his subordinates who know more than he does.” The instant the words left her mouth, she wanted to snatch them back.

His mouth curved into a smile. “You’re right. A smart officer listens to his men.”

“And you’re going to listen to me?”

He nodded. “You’re the expert.”

“Smart move.”

“Finally, after months of knocking my head against the wall.” The corner of his mouth tilted up.

She knew about knocking one’s head against the wall. She’d been an expert at that.

The day had cooled and the sweet smell of pine filled the air as they walked in silence to the corral behind the barn. Sophie’s heart soared with hope—the hope Zach wanted to ride.

“How long have you been working here?” Zach asked.

“I mustered out nearly twenty months ago. I started riding here in high school.” She didn’t mention she’d wanted to feel closer to her brother, who died in a riding accident. “In college, I came whenever I was home. I knew Margaret had started working with Down’s children when her first grandbaby was born with Down’s.” She rested her arms on the top rail of the fence. Too bad that daughter had moved to Oregon, leaving her brother and sister here who opposed using the ranch to help children with disabilities. “She and I talked about my dream of seeing if we could help the wounded vets. But just as we were going to present it to the army, she had a stroke.”

Sam trotted to the fence and nudged Sophie’s hand. She laughed and stroked the white blaze on her nose. “Oh, you’re so spoiled.”

The horse turned her head toward Zach, nudging his hand. He obliged Sam and patted her neck. “I felt like a fool out there today, eatin’ dirt.”

Sophie didn’t respond.

“I know Beth’s been after me for a while to start riding again.” He continued to stroke Sam’s neck. “She was right. I miss the horses. I miss the physical activities.” He turned, facing her. “I’m not in good physical condition, which I’ve found out the hard way. But maybe I can be your first test case to show the army what equine therapy can do?”

Not sure she heard correctly, she turned toward him. “Really? You want to be my test case?”

“I do.”

His words floored her.

“I also want to help around the stable, too. Maybe I could be a sidewalker for some of the kids you deal with.”

“I know Andy would love that.”

Zach grinned. “Yeah, you’re right. He’s a persistent little boy.”

Here was the dream she had for the future, of helping vets overcome the physical wounds of war. Zachary McClure, ex–rodeo champ and army veteran, wanted to be her first client.

“You sure this is what you want to do?”

He nodded, a grin creasing his mouth. “I spent the afternoon wrestling with my pride, which took a beating. I also questioned God. He and I talked, and it’s what I want to do.”

“All right. Let’s do this.”

Chapter Two

After they finished putting the horses in their stalls, they walked to the stable’s office.

“When would you like to start?” Sophie asked, collapsing into her chair.

He settled in the chair beside the desk. “Work me around the other therapy sessions.”

“How about tomorrow morning?”

Zach leaned back in his chair and laughed. “You’re not going to let me chicken out, are you?”

Sophie felt the heat in her cheeks as she blushed. “That’s what the army taught me. You get permission, you act.”

“How long were you in theater?”

His question caught her by surprise. “I did a full tour there, plus my tour was extended twice. I was all over Iraq, but mostly around Baghdad and Fallujah.”

He nodded. “Summer’s a killer.”

“You want to start tomorrow?” she pressed, refusing to be diverted.

“Fine. Tomorrow it is. What time?”

She glanced at the schedule. “8:00 a.m. We’ll do it before any other appointments.”

He studied her. “I’ll be here.”

Her tension melted away.

“You need a ride home?” Sophie asked going to the door.

“I’ll just call for a taxi.”

She shook her head. “No. I’ll drive you home.”

He opened his mouth, then closed it, stood and joined her at the door. “So you had a crush on me in college,” he said, his voice full of mirth.

Sophie’s hand froze on the key in the office door. Zach leaned his shoulder against the building, his body filling her vision. He arched his brow as he waited.

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

He lifted one shoulder. “The last thing Beth whispered in my ear before we emerged from the breezeway earlier today was that you had a crush on me while you were in college.”

She was going to kill Beth. “I think maybe your sister tried to appeal to your masculine ego. If you knew that I found you attractive, you might be more willing to—”

“You think I’m handsome?”

He wanted to provoke her. She pulled the key from the door. “I’m going to plead the Fifth.”

His satisfied grin told her that he understood she hadn’t answered the question. He fell into step beside her.

One car stood in the parking lot. Hers. As they approached it, a truck pulled up in front of them.

Zach laughed. “My sister called in the cavalry.”

“She called the army?” Sophie asked, totally confused.

“No. She called my brother, Ethan.”

Ethan was Zach’s older brother. When they were in college, Beth told her about the adventures of her two older brothers. They had tolerated a younger sister until she turned thirteen and started attracting male attention. Much to Beth’s chagrin, her brothers decided to be her guardians and ran off more boys than Beth could count. It wasn’t until she was at the University of New Mexico campus in Albuquerque that she had her first serious boyfriend.

The truck door opened and Ethan got out and came around the front of the truck. “Hey, bro, Beth sent me to pick you up. She said you were kinda prickly.” Ethan grinned, wagging his brows. Sophie choked on a cough.

“So she chickened out, did she?” Zach remarked.

Ethan laughed. “No one said Bethie was stupid. A royal pain, yes, but she knows how to save her own skin.”

A smile spread across Zach’s face and he shook his head. “I assume you agree with her that I needed to get off my backside and start living again.”

Ethan crossed his arms and leaned back against the front fender. “Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

The strong family resemblance between the brothers made one look twice. Ethan and Zach could’ve been twins. Zach was an inch or so shorter than his brother, and his eyes were blue while Ethan’s were gray. But both men were handsome, with dark hair, strong cheeks and full mouths. Ethan grinned easily. Zach didn’t.

Apparently, Beth wasn’t the only McClure sibling who wanted to help Zach. Interesting.

“Well, I’m glad that you feel that way. I’m going to have my first session tomorrow morning at eight.”

Ethan jerked up straight. “Really?”

“That’s right, and I’ll need someone to help in the session, won’t I?” Zach directed the last question at Sophie.

“Huh, yes.” Zach’s question surprised her, but if he wanted his brother to be the sidewalker, she’d welcome the help. “Since both of you are horse people, I think that Ethan should do fine. I’ll have another sidewalker here, but I’d love to have Ethan work with us.”

Without any hesitation, Ethan answered, “I’ll do whatever you need me to do.”

“Then it’s set.”

“I’ll see you all tomorrow.”

It took a few moments for Zach to maneuver himself into the passenger side of the truck. He jerked the door closed, rolled the window down and rested his arm on it. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Sophie.”

“Be prepared to work, Zach.”

“I’ll be ready.”

Alleluia, there was hope. “See you tomorrow.”

She stood watching the truck disappear down the road.

Lord, I see the open door and I’ll walk through it, but could it have been with someone else? Someone else who hadn’t captured my heart and left it in jail.

“Have I been that much of a pain?” Zach asked his brother.

“Well, let me put it this way. I’ve been tempted to punch you. My prayer life has certainly increased, little brother.”

Zach knew his brother was at the end of his rope. He got called “little brother” only when he was in major trouble.

“I’ve been that much of a jerk?”

Ethan glanced at him. “Yeah.”

This afternoon had torn away the apathy Zach had wrapped himself in. When he woke in Walter Reed Army Hospital and looked at what was left of his leg, he wanted to shout and throw things. He’d reached for the bedpan, but the guy in the next bed stopped him.

“Go ahead and throw it. It won’t change anything.”

When Zach looked over at the guy, he was minus both of his legs and his left hand and forearm.

After that warning from Bill Jensen, the two men became fast friends. Bill’s wife and family had adopted him, and when Zach’s mom came to D.C., she considered Bill another son.

There had been so many times after a therapy session when he’d question God about why this happened. Why him? What had he done? The night he read in the Book of Luke about Jesus’s death on the cross, he realized that there was nothing He did to deserve such an awful death. What was his loss compared to Jesus’s?

Zach had slowly worked through most of his anger. Bill had gone back to his job, teaching in a community college in Wichita Falls, Texas. But what was Zach going to do? Before, he’d planned on following the rodeo circuit, trying to earn a championship belt buckle.

“Today, being with the horses gave me hope. I want to ride again.”

“About time.”

“So you’re ready to come with me each time I ride?” Zach asked.

“I am, and I’ll spring for breakfast.”

“I really must’ve been a pain if you’re willing to pay for breakfast.”

“And then some.”

Sophie walked back to the guest cabin. She moved there after Margaret had her stroke. Margaret’s son, Austin, had asked her to stay on the property while his mother recuperated. He wanted Sophie to take over the day-to-day running of the ranch since none of Margaret’s kids wanted to divide their time between their jobs and their mother’s ranch.

Austin complained about having to continue with the equine-therapy sessions, but several of the parents had bought package sessions for their children, and Austin didn’t want to refund the money. The ranch foreman, Ollie Morton, had planned to retire at the end of the month but he agreed to stay until Margaret could hire a replacement.

Sophie let herself into the cabin. No welcoming aromas from a cooked dinner filled the air. The hum of the refrigerator cut off, leaving the house silent. Sophie loved being with the horses, but she needed a maid. Or someone to take care of the mundane things like fixing dinner and washing her clothes. In the army, she had three square meals a day and clean clothes.

She pulled a frozen dinner out of the freezer compartment and popped it into the microwave. What had the women a hundred years ago done after a long day of working on the farm? The phone rang the same instant the microwave dinged. She picked up the wall phone. “Hello.”

“You’re a miracle worker, Sophie,” Beth gushed.

“I wish.”

“You don’t know how hard I had to argue with Zach this morning. I had almost given up when I told him that his heart wanted to be back on a horse. And then I prayed under my breath.” She laughed. “I’m surprised I didn’t have a wreck on the way to the stable. Every time I stopped at a light, I closed my eyes and prayed.”

“Well, your prayers were answered.”

“Oh, Sophie, I thought it was all over when Zach tripped. I wanted to die.”

“I’m glad you were strong, Beth. He had to face the truth that he needs to rebuild his strength.”

“You’re right. I tell you the first time I saw him without his foot and on crutches, I wanted to break down and cry.”

“He needs you to treat him as you always have—like a pain-in-the-neck big brother. He’s the same man.”

Beth remained quiet.

“He needs that consistency. He needs to know that the essence of the man Zach was is still there, and his family still sees the old Zach.”

Sophie thought she’d gone too far, but she heard Beth sigh. “You’re right. And he’s coming tomorrow to ride.”

Sophie heard the tears clogging Beth’s throat.

“This afternoon when I walked into the tack room and saw him, I didn’t know what to think. I know some demons were defeated in that room today.”

“Mom and Dad are excited and want to come and help.”

News in the McClure family traveled fast. She wished it were the same in her family. Her mother hadn’t talked to her grandmother in over fifteen years, and they both lived in the same little town of twenty-four hundred people. “Let’s give him a few times before he has an audience, okay? I don’t know how things are going to go tomorrow, and I think if Zach doesn’t have an audience, it will be easier.”

“I hadn’t thought about it. I’ll call them.”

“I do have a bone to pick with you, friend.”

“Oh?”

“Why did you tell Zach I had a crush on him in college?” When he’d thrown that out at her, Sophie didn’t know how to answer. Sure she’d been attracted to the handsome cowboy. His loose-hipped walk and cocky grin appealed to anyone with two X chromosomes. And she fell into that category.

“Hmm, I thought it would ease him into the situation. It certainly gave him something to think about besides his discomfort.”

It had done that. “I think we have Andy to thank for our success. And your prayers.”

“Will you let me know how the session goes tomorrow?” Beth asked.

“You’re not coming with Zach?”

“No. I’ll let Ethan do it instead of me. He’ll be more help than I could be.”

“Okay. I’ll give you a call.”

After hanging up, Sophie took her dinner out of the microwave. Settling at the kitchen table, she pulled her Bible toward her and opened it up to the book of Psalms. The twenty-third Psalm was her favorite. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

In high school, her best friend’s family were shepherds. She’d had some wonderful insight as to how the author of the Psalm felt. Her friend explained how they were responsible to move the sheep from one pasture to the next where there was abundant grass. The sheep didn’t move until the shepherd led them to another place.

“Okay, Lord, You’ve led me here. Help tomorrow to meet Zach’s needs.”

At seven the next morning Sophie walked out to the stable, heading for the office.

“Want some coffee?” she called out to Ollie who was inspecting all the horses’ tack.

“Sure. Bring it black, none of that fancy stuff,” Ollie answered.

“Fancy stuff?”

“Cream and sugar.”

“And do you eat your steak still mooing?” she retorted.

“Is there any other way?”

Sophie grinned. She walked into the office and poured two mugs of coffee. Ollie always started a pot of coffee when he arrived at the ranch. She opened the mini-fridge, pulled out her favorite French vanilla creamer and poured it in her mug. When she carried the mugs outside and gave Ollie his coffee, he glanced at the brown coffee in her mug and shook his head.

“Sissy.”

She shrugged her shoulder. Looking out over the rings, and hearing the morning sounds, Sophie knew this was where she belonged.

“You’re going to miss this when you retire, Ollie.” She took a sip of her coffee.

“Nope. I’m going to sleep in until seven and get up and spend hours reading the newspaper.”

“Fibber.”

He simply grinned.

“Will you help me this morning with the rider who’s coming?”

“Sure. Who’s comin’?”

“Zach McClure.”

“Ah, the guy with the fake foot.”

She winced. Ollie didn’t pull any punches, but there was not a mean bone in his body. “He was a wonderful rider. Watching him ride…” She could still remember how awed she’d been watching him practice calf roping. “It’s like he was born on a horse.” She heard the wistfulness in her voice.

Ollie’s mug stopped inches from his mouth.

Sophie realized her feelings colored her comments. “Zach’s sister was my roommate in college,” she hurried to explain. “I went home with her several times. She was with him yesterday.”

Ollie took a swallow of his coffee. “I saw him when he was a teenager. He had a talent.”

“Really?”

“Best I’d seen up ’til that time.”

Then Ollie would understand. “He lost his foot when a roadside bomb caught his patrol in Baghdad.” She looked down into her coffee. “I think that talent awoke yesterday. He’s willing to work to get stronger.”

Ollie nodded. “My son was in the First Gulf War. He needed help when he came home. I’ll do it.”

Those were the most words that Ollie had spoken since she knew him. And she never knew he had a son. Maybe Zach’s rehab would touch more than Zach himself.

She heard a car pull into the parking lot. It was seven-thirty.

“Looks like your client is here,” he murmured, looking down at his watch. “And I think he’s eager.”

She prayed Ollie was right.

Chapter Three

Ethan pulled the key out of the ignition. “You ready to do this?”

Zach had tossed and turned all night and finally gave up trying to sleep at five this morning. He spent the time praying and reading his Bible. For the first time in a long time he felt like himself. “I am.”

They got out of the truck and walked toward the office. Some of the horses were in a corral on the other side of the stable.

“There’s some good-looking horse flesh out there,” Ethan commented.

From what Zach saw he had to agree with his brother. “I’ll have to ask where they get their stock.”

They emerged from the tunnel and saw Sophie and Ollie resting up against the hitching rail. The sun kissed Sophie’s skin and her brown hair danced with red tones in the sunlight. The braided tresses nearly came to her waist. She’d been beautiful at eighteen, but now there was a maturity about this woman. That coltish girl had become a stunning woman.

“Good morning,” Ethan called out, touching the brim of his cowboy hat.

“Good to see you this morning,” Sophie replied, pushing off the rail. She introduced Ollie.

“We’ve met,” Zach said, meeting Ollie’s gaze.

Sophie looked from Zach to Ollie. Apparently the old guy hadn’t told Sophie of their little chat. His opinion of the ranch foreman went up.

“You ready?”

“I am. And Ethan’s up for the session.”

“He couldn’t keep me away,” Ethan added.

Zach didn’t know whether to be encouraged by his big brother’s eagerness or insulted.

“Let me go get Prince Charming, and we’ll start.” Sophie put her mug on the apple barrel and turned to Ollie. “You want to go get the tack?”

Ethan straightened up, then glanced at his brother. He grinned. “Prince Charming?”

Ollie nodded. “He’s the right size for a man of Zach’s stature—sixteen hands.” He nodded at Sophie. “She calls him Prince Charming.” He shook his head. “What kind of name…” He headed for the tack room.

A whirlwind of feeling churned in Zach’s stomach. He lifted his hat and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He wanted to ride so much he could taste it. He watched as Sophie pulled a halter out of one of the stalls, grabbed a lead rope and carrot from the pail on a bench in front of the stalls and walked to the corral beside the stable.

At the gate, she called out. A handsome black horse with a star on his nose and his left hind foot with a “white stocking” trotted up to her. She crooned to the magnificent gelding and offered the carrot.

The man in Zach reacted to her tender treatment of the horse. He glanced at his brother and saw Ethan smiling at him.

As Prince Charming ate the carrot, Sophie rubbed his nose. When he finished the carrot, he nudged her hand. “No, I don’t have another one. It’s time to work, big boy.”

The horse nodded and allowed Sophie to put the halter over his head and attach the lead rope. She opened the gate and led him to where Zach stood.

Ollie quickly put the saddle blanket and pad on Prince Charming’s back. He handed Ethan one of the stirrups to attach to the pad.

“No saddle?” Ethan asked.

She shook her head. “I’ve been in constant contact with the folks running the rehab program outside of D.C. For the first few times, we want to have Zach ride without the saddle. It will exercise his muscles.”

Doubt colored Zach’s eyes. “I could’ve jumped up on his back in my rodeo days, but now—”

“That’s why you should try the mounting block. You’re going to be asking your body to do a lot of work today, Zach, which it hasn’t done in a while. You’ve got to focus on the final goal.”

His pride fought with his common sense. Lord, this is hard to swallow.

His gaze touched each person’s face. He saw only support, but in Sophie’s eyes, he saw something else. A promise. He reached out and stroked the horse’s nose. “You going to be nice to a rusty cowpoke?”

Prince Charming nudged his hand. Zach patted the horse’s neck. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

Taking a deep breath, Zach walked up the steps of the mounting block. Ollie and Ethan took their positions on either side of the horse. Zach handed his cane to Ethan, put his foot into the left-side stirrup, then threw his right leg over the horse’s back. He tried a couple of times to get his prosthesis into the stirrup attached to the saddle blanket. Ollie helped. He pushed back his cowboy hat and a spark of admiration lit his eyes.

Using the mounting block wasn’t as big a deal as Zach had thought it might be. He looked down into Sophie’s face. She smiled. “You look good.”

He felt good. The world lay at his feet. “Let’s move.”

“You want a helmet, Zach?” she asked. “It’s just a precaution.”

He was willing to go just so far. “I’m okay.”

She didn’t try to argue but led Prince Charming into the arena. She walked around the perimeter of the ring.

“Things look much better up here,” Zach commented.

“Amen, brother,” Ethan quietly said. A hint of moisture gathered in his eyes.

They walked around the arena for close to thirty minutes. Zach realized the muscles of his stomach and thighs were protesting.

“How are you feeling?” Sophie asked, looking over her shoulder.

He didn’t want to admit weakness. “I’m okay.”

She accepted his word and they worked for another ten minutes before she called a halt to the session. She led the horse toward the mounting block.

“I won’t need that,” Zach told her.

“Zach,” Sophie said, touching his leg, “I don’t recommend that.”

“I can dismount by myself.” Pride cometh before a fall. The verse ran through his head.

She looked to Ethan for help.

“Uh, maybe she’s right, Zach.”

There was no saddle horn for him to grab on to to keep his balance and he felt a cramp in his injured right leg. There were a lot of scars up and down that leg.

“Okay.” The word tasted bitter in his mouth.