Second Chance Family. Margaret Daley

      The second they entered the barn at Stone’s Refuge, Jason saw a large mutt near the tool room, eating his food from a metal bowl. The boy raced toward the dog before Whitney could grab him and hold him back. Plopping down on all fours by the animal, Jason stared at it. The mutt fixed his gaze on the child, only a few inches separated their noses.

      Whitney started forward to get Shane’s son before the dog bit him. A hand stopped her. She glanced back at Peter Stone, the man who had founded Stone’s Refuge for children in the foster-care system. He and Noah had bonded while they lived together in a foster home as teens.

      “Wait, see what the dog does. He’s been gentle and good so far with the kids here.”

      “I didn’t see him last week. How long has he been here?”

      “About five days, but you should have seen Jacob’s son hanging off him yesterday. Took it like he’d been doing it all his life.”

      The mutt and Jason assessed each other for a good three minutes before the dog buried his head in his bowl and ate his food. Still down on all fours, the boy just watched and waited. When the mutt finished with his meal, he swung toward Jason and licked his face. The child laughed.

      That sound, loud and robust, wormed its way into Whitney’s heart.

      “Are you going riding with the kids today?”

      Since the spring when Peter had taught her to ride a horse, she’d been going with a group of children from the refuge each Sunday afternoon and whenever she could work some time into her schedule. “I don’t know with Shane’s son here.”

      “I can watch him. Shane goes to my church, and I’ve been around Jason for the past several years. But maybe he’ll want to go riding, too.”

      “Does he know how?”

      “Not that I know of. He’s never been here, and Shane’s hasn’t said anything to me about it.”

      “Then is that a good idea?”

      Peter nodded toward the child. “It’s obvious he loves animals.”

      Jason patted the mutt, rubbing his face against the dog’s.

      “You know how good animals are therapeutically. Why do you think I keep so many? The kids here respond to them, often before they do with an adult at the refuge.”

      “Yeah.” She’d known personally how they were for her. There was a connection between her and certain animals she couldn’t explain. Being with them was calming. When she rode, she didn’t think about her problems. She just enjoyed the experience. And Calico was whom she told all her troubles to.

      “You don’t have to go far from the barn. The other children won’t mind. You’re taking the younger ones today.” Peter started toward a stall. “We have some time before the other kids arrive. Let’s see what Jason does on a horse.”

      A minute later Peter brought a small chestnut horse out into the main part of the barn and put a saddle on it. The movement caught Jason’s attention. Still on all fours, the boy’s eyes followed everything that Peter did.

      Whitney covered the distance between her and Jason. “Would you like to ride with me in the paddock?”

      His large brown gaze fastened onto her. He took her hand and led her toward the horse.

      “I guess that’s a yes,” she said with a laugh.

      Whitney quickly retrieved the gray mare she always rode from a stall and prepped her. She’d fallen in love with Princess Leia the first time she’d come to the barn last December. The mare’s previous owner had abused the horse, but with a lot of love, Whitney had won the animal over. After securing the leather straps around her middle, she dug into her pocket and removed the carrot she’d brought to give to Princess Leia. They were kindred spirits.

      Whitney scratched her behind her ear, something she’d discovered the mare enjoyed. “Are you ready? I’ve missed you this week. I didn’t get to come see you Wednesday evening. I was helping out at a cottage. Hannah was short staffed.”

      When she looked toward Peter to see if Jason had mounted and was ready, she discovered the child’s gaze focused on her, taking in everything she did. She smiled at the boy who still hadn’t gotten into the saddle.

      “Okay, Jason. Let’s get you up on Big Red.” Peter moved to help the child mount.

      Jason scrambled to Whitney’s side and clung to her. “Let me see if I can get him up. He doesn’t know you.” There was a part of her that was amazed she said that as though she really knew Jason well.

      She led the boy back to Big Red and patted the gelding’s side. “Jason, you can pat him, too, just like Calico.”

      Tentatively the boy reached out and brushed his fingertips over the chestnut’s coat. Jason giggled and looked up at Whitney. Her hands about the child’s small waist, she lifted him onto the horse.

      Clutching the saddle horn, Jason squealed with delight, never taking his eyes off Whitney. She swung onto her mare.

      As she rode next to Jason around the paddock, she held the reins to his horse. He wouldn’t let go of the saddle horn, but he beamed with a huge grin and occasionally laughed. As before, the sound was sweet like the mockingbird in a nearby tree. A breeze kicked up, cooling the warmth of the summer sun.

      When she came to a halt by the gate into the paddock, she shifted in the saddle toward Jason. “Do you want to go riding in that field?”

      He glanced toward where she pointed. “Go, horsie.”