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
