Five weeks passed faster than Sara Beth could prepare for.

 

Sugar had worked hard, only throwing her fits when any of the men tried to saddle her for a ride. When Michael had tried going it bareback, she’d thrown him into the dusty dirt at her feet. 

 

The burn at missing Johnny hadn’t faded, but Sara Beth had learned to ignore it – at least until at night in her bed… in the dark… when the nightmares of being alone in the rain would haunt her. Johnny had saved her then, he’d been around. But not lately. And the reality bit hard into Sara Beth’s motivations.

 

Rosie stored the wheelchair in the back of the truck, shutting the tailgate with a bang. Sliding into the driver’s seat, she offered a slight smile to Sara Beth. “How was it? What’d the doctors say?”

 

Did Sara Beth tell her sister that she couldn’t bring herself to inform the doctors that the tingling in her legs had returned? That it had spread down past her knees into her calves? What would Rosie say when she found out the doctors had inspected Sara Beth for sores and other reflexes and had gotten mixed signals so they ordered an entire round of tests to be done the following week? Would Rosie be angry that Sara Beth planned on skipping every single one of them? If not to ride the next week, then to at least see Johnny?

 

Sara Beth smiled tightly. “Good. Nothing’s changed.” She clicked the seatbelt, averting her gaze to the window while Rosie started the truck.

 

“I’m sorry, Sara Beth. I know you were hoping for something different.” Rosie fell quiet as she settled into the driver’s seat.

 

The drive would go quickly. It always did. Sara Beth watched for signs that Johnny might have been in town – but it wasn’t like he would paint “Johnny was here” on the walls of the buildings. 

 

Small talk about the upcoming wedding occupied Rosie until they pulled into the drive.

 

“Are you excited to try that new saddle Bull sent you?” Rosie exited the truck, determined to irritate Sara Beth while teasing her impatience. Rosie brought the chair around and helped Sara Beth lower herself into it using the handles Michael had mounted on the body of the vehicle.

 

She’d done nothing but ride for hours and hours every day. Practiced twists and corners, small jumps, medium jumps. She’d done every speed on the horse. But she couldn’t make herself do the higher jumps. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

 

She just… couldn’t.

 

But the saddle-chair. Oh, heaven. The situation wasn’t ideal but, thanks to a very inventive man, Sara Beth’s dreams of riding horses could be reality.

 

Every day she rode. Hard.

 

So she’d asked Bull to make some adjustments and the new seat – second of her own, if she was keeping count – had arrived just that morning.

 

“Yeah, I’m hoping the alterations he made aren’t that noticeable. I really did like the pommel where he had it.” Bull had arrived with her new saddle built to her specifications and had trained her. They’d become fast friends.

 

“Are you excited for next week?” Rosie walked alongside Sara Beth toward the barn.

 

Sara Beth wouldn’t even go into the house. She’d start right into a warm-up ride with her horse. “Yes and no. What if…” She trailed off. Voicing her fears wouldn’t help her feel better. She had so many shortcomings. It wouldn’t do to over-stress them to her sister who was already mired with her own concerns.

 

“What if what? You fall? You’ve already fallen, sis. I think the what-if should be flipped. You should be saying, what if I succeed and make old man Mayfair eat horse crap?” She met Sara Beth’s gaze and they laughed.

 

A horn honked behind them followed by the nearing sound of a roaring engine. The women turned. 

 

The MacAllisters – Slate and Robbie – waved as they parked beside the Rourke ranch vehicles. They climbed from the truck, a manila envelope in Robbie’s hands. “Hey, ladies. Have a minute?”

 

“Sure, we were just heading into the barn. Let me grab Michael.” Rosie waved them inside following Sara Beth.

 

At the fridge set up in a room just off the main body of the barn, Sara Beth opened the door. “Can I get you something to drink?” She withdrew a bottled water and waited.

 

“No, thank you. We aren’t staying long.” Robbie held up a hand.

 

Sara Beth closed the door and twisted the lid off. Swigging from the bottle, she inhaled deep. “How is everything at Lonely Lace? Bull was just saying he’d been over there a few times in the last two weeks. Are you guys getting another saddle-seat?” She’d nick-named the therapeutic saddles because saying therapeutic saddles was a tongue twister waiting to trip her up.

 

Slate tucked his hands in his jean pockets. He glanced at Robbie. “That’s actually why we’re here.”

 

The door opened. Michael and Rosie joined them. Michael shook their hands and guided Slate toward the chairs. “Have a seat, guys. What’s going on?”

 

Everyone sat. Sara Beth wheeled up to the edge of the futons set parallel to the wall. The room often acted as a sleepover unit for any of the extra summer ranch hands. 

 

Robbie leaned his elbows on his knees. “We have something… pretty exciting to propose.”

 

“But we don’t want anyone to feel pressured. This is an idea that we couldn’t say no to.” Slate tapped Robbie’s back. “Go ahead.”

 

“Thanks for your permission, bro.” Robbie rolled his eyes, smiling. “As you know, Sara Beth, Bull has been to our place quite a bit over the last few weeks. We’ve hired him to outfit us with more of his therapeutic saddles – but the adjustable styles.” He tilted his head, spreading his hands as he spoke. “What we would like to do is expand on Lonely Rivers and her offerings. While we enjoy the tourism bit and it’s made this county a pretty great piece of change, we’d like to do something purposeful. Something with meaning.”

 

Sara Beth didn’t know where he was going. She couldn’t stop picking at the tingling skin of her legs under her yoga pants. She prodded her fingernail into the flesh a few inches above her knee and to the side. The tingling increased where she poked.

 

Robbie continued. “What I’m saying is we’d like to offer horse riding and training for paraplegics, quadriplegics, as well as amputees at Lonely Rivers. We will still cater to our dude ranch clientele but expand and market to the other chunk of the population that chooses not to go on outings like ours because of someone in their life with disabilities. The opportunity to help others experience horse riding is more of a calling than a business in this aspect and we feel it’s an important one.”

 

Sara Beth glanced from one to the other. They seemed to be waiting for her to give her approval or something. “That’s awesome, guys. What a great idea.” As much as she was the only handicapped person they probably knew, it didn’t mean they had to follow the popular trend of over-politically-correcting everything and ask her for permission to go forth with their idea.

 

Politely, she nodded again. “No, guys, I’m serious. That’s amazing. I only wish I’d thought of it first.”

 

Robbie and Slate glanced at each other and then to Rosie and Michael before looking back to Sara Beth. Slate picked up where Robbie left off. “I don’t think Robbie was very clear. We would like to expand our services and we’d like to offer you the position as trainer.”

 

Trainer. Her own job. But she wasn’t supposed to be able to be independent. Isn’t that what she’d feared when this had all started? When she’d stolen the horse and fallen? Her independence had been traded for her pride. That’s what she’d accustomed herself to.

 

She wasn’t going to get into the Circuit and its competition. She wasn’t stupid. Mayfair would do his best to make sure she didn’t compete. He was easily spotted as that kind of man.

 

And if the only reason she was doing the pageant was because of some need to be accepted – she’d drop out of it. But the chance that she’d see Johnny, the chance that for a day or two she could pretend that she was doing things that she’d always been fated to do, well that would keep her heading toward Butte next week. No matter what.

 

But… the MacAllisters offering her a position doing something meaningful? How could she turn that down? “I don’t really have the words.” Stunned at their idea, she licked her lips. “Are you sure? I can’t help anyone into their seat. I’m pretty ineffective that way, now.”

 

Robbie shrugged, meeting her gaze without guile or condescension. “You’re not there to help them. You’re there to train them. We’ll have horses specially trained by Michael – according to specifications from Bull – on how to react and respond to the varying cues and demands of the clients.” He glanced at Michael then back to her. “We understand that you’ve been pretty fortunate that Sugar took to that style of riding, but Bull assures us, it’s the first time he’s ever seen that fast of an acclimation. We will need a few weeks for the horses to be readied, which of course, we’d love for you to help with.”

 

Not there to do the tedious work. But to share her excitement over the horses? Help train the horses? And maybe see the happiness on their faces as they realize they aren’t as limited as they’d despaired?

 

Tears pricked her eyes, the possibilities were endless and a knot tightened in her throat. She worked on releasing it but ended up coughing just to speak. “How can I say no to that? Thank you.” She cleared her throat. “I have the rodeo expo next week though. Can we wait until I get back to hash things out and get started?”

 

“Of course. We hear it’s going to be pretty big. You’re going to do great. We’ve seen you on that horse. Amazing Sugar is the one that threw you in the first place.” Slate shook his head. “We’ll come around next week. We’re definitely looking forward to this venture, Sara Beth. Welcome to the Lonely Rivers’ family.”

 

Both men stood and bent down to hug her. Michael walked them out and Sara Beth just sat in her seat, reeling at the turn her life had just taken.

 

Rosie leaned over and lightly slapped Sara Beth’s shoulder. “Oh my word! You have a job! What happens if you get onto the Circuit?”

 

Sara Beth lifted her shoulder to her cheek. “Seriously? I’m not getting on there. And you know it.”

 

“Why not? You’ve been riding great. Everything else is ready. You can do it. Don’t doubt yourself now.” Rosie lifted her eyebrow.

 

“I’m doing great – for someone who can’t make those higher jumps. I pull back before we’re even fifteen feet away. I choke.” She hadn’t spoken the truth out loud – not even to Sugar.

 

She just wanted the fact to go away. As much freedom as the riding gave her – heck, four new legs instead of two broken down ones – she still couldn’t get past her limitations.

 

Limitations were so… limiting.

 

“I know it seems like I’m lassoing the wrong topic, but what about the wedding?” Sara Beth scrunched her nose. Her sister had asked her to be a part of the planning as well as the actual ceremony. In all honesty, she’d been stressing more about that event than even the riding competition.

 

“What about it? You getting a job won’t keep me from getting married. I deserve this. I deserve Michael and all that he has to offer me. And he deserves me.” Rosie’s cheeks pinkened but she didn’t look away. “And I deserve to have my sister in the wedding.”

 

“Oh, Rosie, I’m so glad to hear you say that. You both are amazing together and I can’t wait to roll up the aisle for you – I might even bling out the wheels.” Sara Beth winked. She hated shiny things and loved teasing Rosie who felt the same way.

 

“We could glue flowers everywhere the sparkles aren’t.” Rosie tossed back.

 

They fell into a comfortable silence, both lost in their own thoughts.

 

Rosie broke the quiet after a moment. “Do you think you’ll see him there?”

 

Him didn’t need to be defined. Him… Just the possibility that he’d be there made her pulse speed up and her breathing quicken. She missed him. “I hope so. Because if I don’t, what’s the point?”