LITMIR.BIZ

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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.

      She walked the horse to the mounting block. Zach pushed up on his left leg and swung his right leg over the horse’s rump. When his prosthesis hit the wood, it folded on him. He tumbled back off the horse. Ethan stepped up and caught him. His left foot remained in the stirrup. Prince Charming didn’t dance or spook. He stood calmly. Ollie sprinted around the horse and disengaged Zach’s foot.

      Ethan pulled Zach backward so his feet could touch the ground. His right leg didn’t hold. Ethan’s arms clamped around Zach’s chest, holding him upright. Zach’s hat fell to the ground.

      Zach struggled to make his right leg work. Quietly, Sophie handed him his cane. He grabbed the lifeline and used the cane for balance. After struggling for a moment, he found his balance. Ethan picked up Zach’s hat.

      “We probably worked too long,” Sophie said.

      Zach wanted to rail that Andy had more endurance than he did. He nodded. “Ethan, you want to drive me home?”

      Sophie dropped the horse’s leads. “Zach—”

      He shook his head and started to walk away.

      Prince Charming turned his head and caught Zach’s attention. The horse bobbed his head.

      “He’s expecting a carrot,” Ollie offered. He nodded toward a pail on the bench. Zach took two steps and looked inside. Carrots. He pulled one out and turned toward the horse. Prince Charming readily accepted the treat.

      Sophie stood on the other side of Prince Charming, gently rubbing his neck, her eyes dark with worry. He didn’t—couldn’t—acknowledge her.

      With a final pat on Prince Charming’s shoulder, Zach turned and walked toward the parking lot.

      What made him think that he could be the man he used to be?

      Sophie buried her face in Prince Charming’s neck, taking comfort from the strength and smell of the horse.

      “Give him a few minutes.”

      Her head jerked up and she found Ethan standing beside her. “We never scheduled another lesson,” she said.

      “I’ll talk to him.” Sadness and concern creased Ethan’s face. “Seeing him on a horse was great. I’ll have him call you to set up another appointment.”

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