In the next few weeks, Jenny found an unexpected friend in her sister and a special kinship with Charlie, who was, as Lenore said, very much like herself. They spent a lot of time together as Lenore studied for the Colorado real estate exam.
They shared books and discussed the news on television, and Jenny recounted stories of overseas adventures minus the bad ones.
But as much as she enjoyed the new relationships, her restlessness returned. She wanted to roam again. Visit new places, meet new people. Charlie seemed to understand, and together they combed newspapers, magazines and the internet to find that special “something.”
It was Charlie who found it in one of Lenore’s Colorado travel magazines that her mother was collecting for future clients.
“Look,” Charlie said excitedly. “Here’s a story about an inn in a town named Covenant Falls. I’ve never heard of it, but it’s in Colorado. It mentions a horse therapy program.”
The article featured an inn with the catchy name of the Camel Trail Inn. One line in the short article really struck her. “Innkeeper Susan Hall said many of the town’s outdoor activities are operated by veterans, and plans are underway to develop an equine therapy program for veterans.”
The latter paragraph struck her like lightning. It was exactly what she’d been searching for.
She smiled. A little-known town named Covenant Falls. An inn named the Camel Trail Inn, veterans offering outdoor activities and possibly an equine therapy program.
It was the story she was looking for.
“YOU HAVE TO be kidding!” Travis exclaimed.
“Afraid not,” Josh Manning said over the phone.
Three weeks after Travis’s first trip to Covenant Falls, he’d finally moved into Josh’s cabin.
He hadn’t known at first whether he was the right person for the job. He liked the ideas he’d heard at supper that first night. He liked Jubal Pierce and his business partner, Luke, and their commitment to an equine therapy program. He’d seen enough vets in Walter Reed and rehab to know how debilitating the aftermath of war could be.
But he’d wanted to do some research on his own first. He’d spent three weeks back in Washington on his laptop, getting to know equine therapy programs available for veterans. Some received grants, some fees from the VA and some public support. Still, there was more need than availability.
Jubal, though, was impatient. He wanted to get moving. Riding and a horse named Jacko had helped him survive the rough months after leaving the SEALs. He was determined to do the same for others. He’d read about and talked to providers. He knew the need.
Jubal’s commitment to hire Danny was the deciding factor. The kid had been uncertain, having never lived in a small town nor worked with horses. He wasn’t sure what he could do with one leg, and he didn’t want to let Travis down. Travis felt it was the other way around. He didn’t want to let the kid down.
So Travis was there to work on the details, and Danny had moved out to Jubal’s ranch and was now helping to build a bunkhouse of sorts for single participants in the program. Other vets in town had pledged to help, and Danny would learn about construction, as well as horses.
Danny had been awed by working with a SEAL, and Jubal had been pleased with his work ethic and eagerness to learn. For the time being, he used a spare room at Jubal’s ranch, but would move into the bunkhouse once it was finished. The job offered a small salary, as well as room and board.
Everything seemed fine until Travis received the phone call from Josh.
“I have some news,” Josh said, sounding unhappy.
Travis waited for the other shoe to drop.
“A reporter called my wife, as well as the manager of our inn,” Josh said. “She’d heard about Covenant Falls and the veterans here. She wants to do a story.”
“A reporter?” An image of his ex-fiancé skipped through his mind.
“Yeah. I checked on her, and she’s pretty high-powered. Jennifer Talbot. She works for several news agencies. Did some reporting in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.”
“I know the name,” Travis said. “Concentrated on soldiers and civilians more than tactics. But why the interest in Covenant Falls? It’s peanuts compared to what she’s been doing. We don’t even know if there will be an equine therapy program yet, much less what it might look like. It’s a hell of a long way from being a reality.”
“Eve told her, but she was insistent. Long story short, she wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Dammit,” Travis said. He’d had contact with reporters before. Many went for the headline, not the meat of the story. And too many got the meat wrong.
“My sentiments exactly. It’s much too early. But she made a reservation at the inn. Indefinite stay starting on Thursday.”
“What is she doing back here in the States?”
“She didn’t say. Susan was too busy answering the reporter’s questions. I gather this Jennifer Talbot is interested in doing a story about veterans coming here, and Susan mentioned the equine therapy project and Jubal’s name. Talbot apparently seized on it.” Josh hesitated, then added, “Talbot then called my wife for more details. Eve was cautious. She knows how we feel about our privacy and that Jubal definitely does not want this project to be about him. One reason he moved here was to get away from the publicity about his captivity and escape. He went through hell, and he doesn’t want to live through it again in the newspapers.”
“It might be hard to avoid it now,” Travis said. After a moment of consideration, he added, “Publicity would probably help bring in donations.”
“We don’t want that kind of publicity,” Josh said. “First of all, we don’t even know if we’ll go ahead. Second, if we do go ahead, the wrong kind of publicity could scare vets away. We’ll want word of mouth through the military community. We don’t want it to be about us.”
“Got it,” Travis said.
“Maybe you can talk to her. I think you might be more diplomatic than the rest of us, you being an officer and all,” Josh suggested. “Tell her to come back in a year or two.”
“Not going to be easy. A missing SEAL who suddenly reappears out of the jungle to open a therapy program, not to mention the army nurse, chopper pilot and you,” Travis said. “Even I know it’s a great human interest story.”
“And a spotlight would be on any program we come up with. We’re thinking about applying for grants, not spreading it all over newspapers.”
“What do you suggest?” Travis asked.
“Pick her up at the Pueblo airport,” Josh said. “Susan apparently offered. She would do anything to make the inn a success, and I’m usually all for that since I’m a co-owner. Except this time.”
“I
