Chapter Seventeen
Mackenzie
Chance's ranch was gorgeous, it really was. The land was green and lush and spread across rolling hills with clusters of trees dotting the landscape and a creek that sparkled in the sun winding a lazy passage across the ranch.
“It's home. Everything you see before you and beyond,” he said, smiling proudly as we drove through the front gates.
A number of cattle were grazing contently in one of the pastures, watched over by a ranch hand mounted on a horse. He looked up as we rolled by and waved. Chance rolled down his window and hollered a greeting at the young man.
“He's a good kid, that one,” he remarked to me. “Only twenty-one, but he's got the work ethic of someone twice his age. All my boys here are like family; I'd trust 'em all with my life.”
“It's great to have such a close relationship with the people you work with,” I said. “In today's world, that's kind of a rarity.”
“Well, this ranch, this is a throwback to yesteryear. Sure, I like my technology and such, but ‘round here we do things the old way. Always have, always will.”
“Good. There ain't enough traditional values in the way people act and live these days. I'm glad to see that someone, at least, is sticking to the way our parents did things.”
“I’m doing my best! I mean, certain change is good, don't get me wrong – society wouldn't make progress without it, and some of the movers and shakers who got things to change, well, it was sorely needed. But good old-fashioned family values, integrity, and hard work, those things...they don't need changing.”
“Agreed,” I replied with a smile.
It seemed that Chance was a thinker, and perhaps more open-minded than people gave him credit for, despite his very traditional man's man, cowboy persona. I liked that about him...very much.
We rounded a bend in the dirt road, going around a cluster of trees, and then I was treated to the sight of Chance's beautiful farm house. It simply oozed traditional charm.
“Wow!” I exclaimed. “That is a stunning house.”
“Damn straight,” he said. “That was built in the time of the Civil War. A few years before it broke out, actually.”
“So it really is a piece of history,” I remarked.
“Yes, it is, and it's been the only home I've ever known. These walls are full of memories, not just my own, but memories that go back many generations. There's a lot of happiness in those walls – pain and sorrow too, but more happiness and triumph than bad, I believe.”
We pulled up outside the house, and Chance killed the motor. He hurried out of the truck, dashing around to the passenger side to open the door for me and help me out.
“You really are a gentleman, aren't you?” I said.
“Like I said, while some change is good for society, there are also some things that I don't think should change. I was raised to be a gentleman, and so a gentleman I shall be. And you bet that I'm raising my lil' Cassie to be a decent Southern lady as well.”
“That's good,” I said. “She really is lucky to have a father like you.”
“Come on in,” he said. “Let's go inside and have some coffee and a snack. You like fresh cornbread? I baked some earlier.”
I laughed. “You?! You're into baking? That's something I really didn't expect to hear, Chance.”
He chuckled, and I almost thought I saw the hint of a blush reddening his cheeks.
“Well, after Joanna passed, I had to learn to make a few things. I have a housekeeper who usually makes food for Cassie and me, but she's not here all the time, so when she isn't, I do know how to rustle up a few easy meals. And cornbread was always a favorite of mine since I was a boy, so, of course, it was one of the first things I learned how to make.”
“Well, I ain't about to say no to cornbread and coffee,” I said.
“Come right this way then,” he said, leading me inside the house.
I was impressed with how orderly it was, and how well decorated the interior was. There was an equal mix of traditional, old world charm and modern minimalism.
“Sit down here,” he said, leading me into a large living room with a stone fireplace, a huge TV with a surround sound system, a large coffee table and some big, comfy sofas.
I settled myself down on the plush leather sofa, and Chance went to the kitchen. He returned after a short while, and set the food and coffee down on the coffee table in front of us, and then sat down next to me, draping an arm over my shoulder. I leaned in and snuggled into him, and we both smiled contentedly.
“How do you like this sofa?” he asked.
“It's very comfortable,” I replied.
“And the leather? Give it a good feel.”
I ran my hand along the surface of it. “It's very high-quality, from what I can tell.”
“This is leather from my own herd,” he said. “The quality of our beef and leather is pretty damn legendary in these here parts.”
“Oh wow. Well, yeah. I have to say, it feels fantastic.”
I glanced up at the huge TV that was mounted on the wall. Above it, also mounted on the wall, was an old sword.
“Interesting contrast in décor,” I remarked with a grin. “The old and the new, literally on top of each other.”
“The TV is mostly for watching football,” he replied. “Go Titans!”
I laughed.
“And also for Cassie to watch her movies. As you can imagine, she's crazy about Disney's Frozen.”
“Like all little girls,” I said. “Heck, even I love Frozen! So, what about the sword? I'm guessing it has some sort of significance too?”
“You bet it does. That sword belonged to my great-great-grandfather. He’s the man who built this house, and then when the Civil War broke out, he was one of the first to sign up to fight from this area. He ended up being a captain in the Confederate Army. I've got a bunch of his war medals tucked safely away.”
“You really are a full-blooded Southerner, aren’t ya?”
“Sure am, and wouldn't change it for the world.”
I picked up a piece of cornbread and gave it a bite. “Wow. You did a pretty fine job with this cornbread,” I remarked.
“I ain't the best chef in the world, but I sure ain't the worst neither,” Chance said with a grin.
I smiled and took a sip of my coffee to wash it down. Just as I sat my mug back on the table in front of us, Cassie came wandering in. Her eyes lit up when she saw me.
“Mackenzie!” she said, running over to me to give me a big hug. “You came to play!”
“I sure did, honey,” I replied.
“Do you wanna see my dollies?” she asked immediately.
“I'd love to.”
“Take your coffee and go see the dolls,” Chance said grinning. “I'll go get some horses saddled up for us to ride.”
“That sounds good,” I said.
Cassie took my hand and led me out of the living room and up the stairs.
“I'm happy you're here,” she said as we walked. “I like you. You're my friend.”
“You’re so sweet. I like you too, Cassie. I think you and I are gonna be good friends,” I replied.
We sat together, and she showed me her favorite toys, and talked about all sorts of things, changing topics every few sentences, as four-year-olds do. After a while, Chance came knocking at the door.
“Hey, Angel, I'm sorry to break up the party, but Mackenzie and me are gonna ride the horses. But when we come back, she'll play with you some more, all right? Right now, I think it's time for you to get some breakfast; how about that?”
Little Cassie nodded.
“Yeah, I'm a lil' hungry, Daddy.”
“All right, well come on, let's get you settled in the kitchen with Jess while Mackenzie and me are out riding.”
He picked her up and planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and I followed them into the kitchen where Jess, who I was told was the wife of one of the ranch hands, was waiting to take over.
“She really is such a lil' cutie-pie,” I said as we headed outside. “What a sweet child.”
“She sure is,” Chance said. “I'm so proud of her. She loves this place, it’s one reason I have to protect it. This is gonna be hers one day.”
“And I'm sure she'll take as good a’ care of it as you have,” I said.
We followed a footpath that led away from the house about half a mile to the stables. There an older man, dressed in a cowboy hat and boots, weathered jeans, and a faded checkered shirt with a bolo tie was waiting for us, holding the bridles of two horses. He had rough features, but a kindly look about him.
“This is Andy,” Chance said to me. “Andy, this is Mackenzie Shea.”
Andy extended a hand to me and shook my hand firmly.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Shea,” he said. “Chance here has had some mighty fine things to say about you.”
I couldn't help but blush. “Thank you,” I replied. “I hope I'm living up to the hype!”
He laughed warmly. “You certainly are so far, Miss Shea, you certainly are. I got the horses ready,” he said, pointing to a chestnut mare. She looked friendly and relaxed.
“That there is Daisy,” Chance said, pointing at my horse. “She's got a beautiful, gentle nature. You'll be just fine on her. Come, let's get you up in the saddle. You said it's been a while... you do remember how to do this, right?”
He helped me up into the saddle, and while it had indeed been a while, once I was there I felt comfortable and at home. “It has been a while, but I'm pretty sure I remember the basics.”
The horse he was riding was a tall, well-muscled white stallion.
“This here is Magnum,” he said. “My favorite horse, Silver, he's the one who was poisoned, he's still recovering. Magnum here is a fine horse, too, but he can be a bit temperamental sometimes. Can’t ya, ol’ boy,” he said as he patted the large horse kindly.
He mounted his horse and then grinned at me.
“You ready?” he asked.
“Sure am,” I replied.
“We'll take it easy,” he said. “I'll just trot until maybe you feel like you're confident enough to give her a bit of a gallop.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
With that, we began, walking the horses at first as I got used to riding again. After a few minutes my confidence levels had gone up, and I spurred Daisy into a trot. We overtook Chance and Magnum, and I glanced back at him, firing him a cheeky grin.
“You lookin' to race?” he called out after me. “That right there seemed like a challenge!”
“Not yet!” I replied, chuckling. “But I'm getting more and more confident!”
“Come on, let's head down to the creek. We can cross it and ride through the woods on the other side.
He spurred Magnum into a run and flew past me.
“You gonna keep up or what!” he shouted. “Come on!”
We ran the horses along the downward-sloping ground, heading over the smooth green pastures down to the creek, which was dotted with lots of trees along its edge. We reached a section where the trail led down a steep bank to the creek itself, and he stopped.
“All right, this is where we always cross, and it can be a lil' tricky,” he said, “so follow me carefully and take it real slow.”
“All right, you lead the way,” I said.
While I waited at the top of the slope, he took Magnum down the slope, heading down a crooked, rocky path at a medium pace. Then, suddenly, Magnum tripped over something and threw Chance right over his head. The horse fell to the ground, and Chance flew through the air with a shout of surprise. A shout that was cut abruptly short midway through though as he hit his head on a large rock and crashed into a heap on the ground.
“Oh my God!” I shouted. “Chance!”
He wasn’t moving. A trickle of blood slipped down his face from the top of his head.
“Chance, say something!” I screamed. “Say something!”
He said nothing – just lay there, still as the rocks around him.
Panic hit me in chilling waves. I didn't know what to do – if I got off the horse, I didn't know if I could get back on without help. If I tried to ride down the slope, I might get thrown off myself. Even if I dismounted and made it down to him, I didn't think I could get him up. He probably weighed nearly twice what I did. What I did know was that Chance could be seriously hurt, and he needed medical attention right away.
There was only one thing I could do now – get help from someone who could assist him. Now it would be time to see if I still remembered how to gallop a horse, because speed was of the essence here, and I couldn't afford to waste a single moment waiting around any longer.
“Come on, girl, come on,” I whispered to Daisy as I managed to get her to turn around a full one hundred and eighty degrees so that we were pointed back in the direction from which we had come.
“We have to be fast, Daisy. Like the wind, girl,” I whispered to her. “Can you do that for me, girl? Can you?”
She snorted and whinnied beneath me as though she understood. I breathed in deeply, gripped the reins, and then spurred her into a gallop, tucking my body in tight and low as we raced along the trail back up to the stable. Every minute counted.