LITMIR.BIZ

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bright gleam shone in Mindy’s eyes. “I can!”

      “I didn’t say that, either. I’m still thinking about it.”

      Instantly the child’s expression crumbled and her shoulders sagged.

      “Take care of your horse and let me talk with Tory for a minute. I won’t be long.”

      Mindy led Paint toward the barn, her left foot leaving a drag mark in the dirt. The little girl’s head was lifted. Tory had been working the past month on instilling confidence into the child, something that had suffered after her operation.

      The second Mindy disappeared into the barn, Tory swung around, prepared to defend her reasons for wanting the girl to work with her. Slade cut her off with “Mindy won’t make her next lesson.”

      His words took the steam out of her. Surprised, she grappled for something to say. “Why?” was all she could manage to think of.

      “With Mrs. Watson gone I don’t have the time to bring her out here next Tuesday. As it is, I’m having a hard time getting help to take care of Mindy while my housekeeper’s away. I thought today I had everything arranged, but my arrangements fell through.”

      “I can help,” Tory said without really thinking through the consequences. But she adored the child and didn’t want her to miss her twice-weekly riding lessons.

      “I couldn’t ask you—”

      “You didn’t. I volunteered to help. Mindy wants to spend more time here. I could use her help and watch her at the same time. It’s perfect for everyone.”

      Slade shook his head, deep lines in his forehead. “But—”

      Tory held up her hand to stop his flow of words. “Who are you going to get to sit with Mindy? Someone from a baby-sitting organization? Mindy and I are buddies. I would love to help her out. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it.”

      “I don’t know how long Mrs. Watson is going to be gone. Everything happened so suddenly. She said a week or maybe longer.”

      “One thing I’ve learned taking care of animals is to go with the flow. One day at a time. Don’t worry. The future will take care of itself.” At least that was what she was counting on. Because right now she wasn’t sure how long she could keep Bright Star Stables operational.

      “Not without a lot of help from me.” He took a deep breath and blew it out between pursed lips. “Okay. If you’re sure.”

      “I am.”

      “Then I’ll bring her first thing Monday morning.”

      “What time?”

      Slade peered toward the barn, his eyes narrowing as though he were trying to see into the dark shadows. “I’m afraid seven. I have an eight o’clock meeting I need to attend.”

      “That’s fine by me. I’m usually up by five. I’ll have the stalls clean by that time.” Mindy’s presence reinforced all the reasons she worked long hours to keep Bright Star Stables going.

      “That’s mighty ambitious.”

      “There’s nothing ambitious about it. I’m usually the only one to do it. I depend on volunteers to help. Otherwise, this is a one man—or rather, woman—show.”

      “Thanks. You’re a lifesaver.” Slade stuck his hand out.

      Tory stared at it for a brief moment, then fit her hand within his and quickly shook it before pulling back, taking a step away as she did.

      “Hopefully Mrs. Watson will only be gone for a week.”

      “Don’t worry about how long it will be.”

      The tense set to his shoulders relaxed. “Now that only leaves rearranging her speech and physical therapies next week.”

      “When are they?”

      “Mindy has speech Monday afternoon at four and physical therapy Tuesday and Friday mornings.”

      “I need to come into town Monday. I can take her and you can pick her up there.”

      “I can’t—”

      “Didn’t we just go through this? I know how important her therapies are for her and how hard it can be to rearrange. It’s no big deal.”

      “Tor-ee, I’m fin-ished.”

      Tory swung around to watch as Mindy made her way toward them. Dirt dusted her cheeks with some bits of hay sticking out of her hair. “Are you all right?” she asked while Slade rushed toward Mindy.

      The little girl waved her father away. “I’m o-kay. Just—fell, that’s—all.”

      Slade looped his arm about Mindy’s shoulders. “Are you hurt?”

      Mindy shook her head, dislodging a piece of hay that floated to the ground.

      “We should have brought your walker. This uneven surface—”

      “No! I—I—hate it!”

      “Your dad agreed to you helping me. In fact, you’re going to be my assistant all next week while Mrs. Watson is gone.”

      “I am!” Mindy brushed the rest of the hay from her hair, a huge grin revealing a missing tooth. “Thanks, Dad-dy.”

      “You’re welcome, sweetie.”

      “I get—to—miss—sch-ool?” The child’s eagerness peppered the air with her enthusiasm.

      “No way. I’ll have your homebound teacher come out here for the week.”

      Some of Mindy’s enthusiasm evaporated, a slump to her stance. “I hate—sch-ool—too.”

      “Mindy, we’ve had this discussion. School and your lessons are important.” Slade held his arm out for his daughter to take, then he led her toward his car.

      Tory followed, wishing she had the right to step in. She remembered when she was struggling to learn to read in elementary school. She’d hated school, too, until she had mastered her problem. Mindy had to fight hard to regain everything she’d once taken for granted, such as walking, talking, taking care of herself. It would be normal for her to feel that way about her lessons when she was still trying to recoup what she’d lost after the operation.

      After securing Mindy into the front seat and closing the door, Slade moved toward the back of the car where Tory stood. “We’ve had this argument every week since the homebound teacher started. She remembers what she used to be able to do with ease. Now those things are so hard for her that she often becomes very frustrated.”

      There was a part of Tory that wanted to reach out and touch this man in pain, but there was a part that held her frozen in place. “She’s come a long way in a short time.”

      Dark shadows clouded his blue eyes. “If I could trade places with Mindy, I would in a heartbeat. The worse thing for me is to have to stand by and watch her suffer.”

      His whispered words held anguish in them. Tory lifted her hand toward him, her fingers trembling as they lay on his arm for a brief moment before slipping away. “Prayer has always helped me through the difficult times.”

      “Mindy was innocent. This should never have happened to her in the first place. She was perfectly normal until the car wreck. Why would God do this to her?”

      The pain in his voice robbed Tory of her breath. The heaviness in her chest threatened to squeeze the air completely from her lungs.

      He started to turn away, then swung back toward her. “It’s been a long week. I didn’t mean to burden you with this. I’ll bring Mindy out Monday morning.” He offered her a fleeting smile, said, “Thanks for all your help,” then strode to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel.

      As his car pulled

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