The following Saturday Samantha drove Gran out to Derek and Brooklyn’s place. While her grandmother and Brooklyn planned a bridal shower for Sandra Dooley, Thunder Creek’s postmistress—the entire town was in amazement that the woman had finally said yes to a proposal of marriage—Samantha and Alycia were going for a horseback ride.
Glancing over the saddle at her young cousin, Samantha said, “I’ve been in Thunder Creek for a month and a half. Why haven’t I borrowed one of your horses before now?”
“I don’t know. But I’m glad you wanted to come riding today. Mom’s decided she won’t do it anymore until after the baby comes.”
“That’s probably smart of her after what happened to Gran. Nobody plans to take a fall. It just happens.”
“Yeah, and Mom’s not confident in the saddle. She was never around horses until after we moved into the house next door. You know, before it was the inn. I’d never been around horses either, but I always loved ’em.”
The girl talked so fast that Samantha almost couldn’t keep up with what she said.
“I’m gonna start doing o-mok-see this summer. Did you ever compete like that? I’m not very good yet, but I’m getting better. My friend’s got an arena where we can practice. She’s gonna help me train Pegasus. I plan to ride over there a lot once school’s out.”
Swallowing a smile, Samantha gave the cinch a final tug. “I used to compete when I was your age. I prefer trail riding now. It relaxes me.”
“Do you have a horse where you live? Who’s taking care of it?”
“No, I haven’t owned a horse for years. I’ve been too busy working. Plus, I live in the city, so it isn’t convenient.”
Alycia gave her a look that said she was crazy. She thought the girl might be right.
The two of them swung into their respective saddles, and they rode out of the barnyard, following a trail that took them first to the banks of Thunder Creek and then in the direction of the Snake River. The weather was glorious, the sky a sharp blue, the temperature warm but not yet hot. Leaves were thick on the trees that lined both sides of the creek, and moved by a gentle breeze, they seemed to applaud the passing horses.
Alycia wasn’t content to simply enjoy the serenity of the day. Without encouragement, she talked about her other plans for the summer, in addition to training her horse. She had recently acquired a weekly babysitting job and had opened a savings account for her earnings. She was also participating in a summer reading challenge, which excited her; she loved to read. And to top it all off, two weeks of camp up in McCall awaited her in August. “Do you like to camp, Sam?” Finally, she drew a breath.
“Yes.” Samantha smiled, memories of camping with her dad and mom flitting through her head.
“I’d never been camping until I was ten. Can you believe that? I even got lost in the mountains the first time I went. Dad found me the next morning. Of course, when that happened he wasn’t my dad yet.”
Samantha glanced over at Alycia. “You’re a lucky young lady.”
“I know.” The reply, though simple, revealed the depth of the girl’s feelings for the man who had become her father.
Unexpected tears burned the back of Samantha’s eyes, and a lump formed in her throat. What an amazing experience it would be to watch Alycia flower into adulthood. Derek and Brooklyn were blessed to have her for a daughter. Would Samantha ever be that lucky? Would she ever find love and have children of her own?
“You okay, Sam?”
She looked at Alycia, who wore a frown of puzzlement. “Yes. But I’m tired of walking. Let’s give the horses their heads.” The words were scarcely out of Samantha’s mouth before Alycia’s horse burst into a canter. “Hey!” Samantha shouted, then pressed her heels against Blue Boy’s sides and took off after them.
When Nick turned his bike into Derek’s driveway and saw the familiar car, he grinned. He hadn’t known Samantha would be at the farm, but it brightened his day to discover her vehicle there. They’d begun text messaging each other on a semi-regular basis, which made the days when he didn’t see her pass more quickly. He’d seen something amusing in Caldwell and shared it, along with a photo. She’d responded with some goofy emojis. She’d heard something funny from a customer at Sips and Scentimentals and told him about it. He’d replied with a wry comment of his own. Those easy exchanges had brightened his day and increased the hope for the future that had recently blossomed in his heart.
He stopped his bicycle off to one side of her automobile and dismounted, then leaned it against a tree and hung his helmet from one handlebar. Boomer trotted along beside Nick as he headed to the front door. His knock was answered by Brooklyn.
She smiled in greeting. “Hey, Nick.”
“Hey, Brooklyn. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?” He glanced in the direction of the living room, but his view was blocked.
“Not really. Come on in.” She glanced down. “You can come in, too, Boomer.”
A few steps inside allowed Nick full view of the living room. Ruth Johnson was on the sofa, her broken ankle propped on a footstool topped with a pillow. But Samantha wasn’t with her. “Hi, Mrs. Johnson. Are you able to drive now?”
“Heavens, no.”
“I saw Sam’s car out in the driveway.”
“Oh, she brought me. But she’s off horseback riding with Alycia. They’ve been gone a few hours now.”
“Did you want to see Sam?” Brooklyn asked.
“Uh . . . no. No, I was out for a bike ride and thought I’d stop in to see Derek. Is he around?”
“Yes. He’s mending fence. I’ll point you in his direction.”
Brooklyn led him through the kitchen and out the door. Once on the porch, she indicated where he could find Derek. Nick and Boomer set off in that direction.
Beyond trees, shrubs, fencing, and a length of pasture, Derek came into view. He stopped work when he saw Nick’s approach. “Didn’t expect to see you today.”
“Yeah. The weather’s great for a bike ride, and as long as I was out this way, I thought I’d stop by.” He motioned toward the fence. “Need any help?”
“Wouldn’t turn it down if it were offered.”
“Okay. I’m offering. Just tell me what to do.”
Derek grinned, then pointed to a post lying on the ground near a hole. No further instructions were necessary.
The two men worked in companionable silence for twenty minutes or more. But when Nick heard laughter in the distance—a woman’s laugh, as familiar to him as his own—he stopped and looked. He saw two horses with riders coming toward them. Even from a distance, he recognized Samantha’s hair. He raised an arm, hailing the pair. Woman and girl waved back.
“You know,” Derek said, “you’re welcome to ride one of our horses anytime you wish.”
He was more at home on a road bike than a horse, but if Samantha wanted to go with him, he would do it in a heartbeat. “Thanks. Maybe I’ll do that sometime.”
Samantha and Alycia stopped their mounts a short ways off.
“Have a good ride?” Derek asked.
“We did.” Samantha dismounted.
Nick noticed she moved a little stiffly.
As if reading his thoughts, she said, “It’s been too long since I was in a saddle.” She rubbed her backside with one hand.
There was something adorable about her action, and he felt like laughing. He glanced away, swallowing the sound, afraid she might think he was making fun of her.
Alycia hopped down from her horse. No stiffness in sight. “We went all the way to the Young place. Dad, you should see it. It looks so sad with nobody living there.”
“Is there a For Sale sign up yet?”
“I don’t know.” The girl shook her head. “I didn’t look.”
Samantha answered. “Yes, there was a sign. I noticed one out near the road.”
“You did?” Alycia shrugged. “All I looked at was the house.”
Curious, Nick asked, “Has it been empty long?”
“Over a year.” Derek removed his work gloves. “There was a family dispute after Harvey Young, the owner, died. All the kids and grandkids have long since moved away from the area, and his wife passed on about a decade ago. I don’t know all the details, but rumor has it there was more than one attorney involved. If it’s up for sale, I guess something got resolved. Too bad nobody in the family wanted it. The house isn’t big, but it’s in a great location. Got a beautiful view of the creek and isn’t too far from the river. The trail goes right by the property and all the way to the Snake.”
Nick glanced toward the west. “Sounds like it shouldn’t be on the market long.” He felt an unmistakable desire to go look at the place. Odd, since he wasn’t in the market to buy and had no need to move from his rental. And yet . . .
“We’d better put the horses up,” Samantha said, bringing Nick’s attention back to her. “See you later.”
He nodded. “Later.” His gaze followed her and Alycia as they led their horses away.
“How are things going between you two?” Derek asked in a low voice.
“Good, I think, but I’m taking it slow. We’re friends again, and that may have to be enough. I don’t know. I care about her, more than I thought possible. But there are still lots of unknowns.” He touched his temple with an index finger. “More than just this faulty head of mine.” He returned to the post-hole digger.
Derek stepped closer to him. “Nick, do you think Brooklyn and I know what tomorrow will bring? We don’t. No one does. We got married and we’re having a baby and we make plans for our future as a family. But there aren’t any guarantees in this life. That’s where trust comes in. Where faith comes in.” His eyes narrowed. “If you care for Sam, don’t you think she should have something to say about it too?”
It was a question Nick would ponder long after it was posed to him.