won’t hurt. But you probably need to eat, don’t you?”
“Yes, thank you. Food sounds wonderful. Can I eat in your truck or should I hurry before we leave?” She was fishing around under the seat for a shoe that had slipped off.
He quietly reached back into the wadded blanket and handed her the shoe. “You can eat in the truck.”
P utting it on, she climbed out and said, “I’ll hurry. Do either of you want anything?
They both shook their heads and Slade said, “No, we’re fine thanks.” One of them began to pump gas while the other washed the windshield, and she stopped to check on Ebony on her way into the station.
Five minutes later she was back with her food and asked, “Could someone unlock the trailer? I’d like to grab a notebook out of my bag to make some plans, if that’s okay.” Rossen reached into the pocket on the back of the driver’s seat and handed her a small spiral bound pad.
“Will this do?”
“Perfect.” She climbed back up into the rear seat of the cab and buckled in. She was just starting to eat a chicken salad as the truck pulled back onto the highway and she looked around. They were on I-5 in central California and had made good time pulling a loaded horse trailer. As she ate she studied the two men in front of her. She was slightly mystified with why she’d felt so comfortable with them so fast. Usually she was slow to trust and always she was careful to the point of standoffish around men she didn’t know.
She’d learned from Judd that some men were to be feared and although she’d learned from her grandfather and Eli and Dante that some men were gentle and could be trusted, it usually took her a long time to feel comfortable around new people. She loved the hands at the farm, but had quickly learned that most men were interested in her either because of her wealth or the way she looked.
It must have been that she had a sense of rightness with them because she knew when she'd prayed about doing this that she'd felt such a sweet inner river of peace. She knew it would work out—she just knew. Somehow she had an innate sense it would all be okay with these two. They inspired confidence and trust. Just like Anna, she knew they were the answer to prayer.
She finished her salad and picked up the notebook and asked, “Can I pick your brains? What do you like to eat?”
For the rest of the afternoon they talked and planned for how to best take advantage of having some help traveling with them and she planned menus.
They told her they tried to end each day where there were stalls available so the horses could rest from the trailer. This didn’t always work, but for the most part it did. They would pull the trailer in and park near the horses for the night. In the past they’d existed largely on fast food and frozen entrees, but were hoping Isabel could find a way to prepare real food in their trailer kitchen between stops.
Isabel hadn’t seen the inside of the living quarters, but from their description she didn’t think this would be difficult. When they stopped, she could cook while they tended to their horses, and when she needed groceries or they needed errands run, they would unhook the truck and give her money. She would try to have lunches ready so they could eat in the truck as they drove, and on days they were actually at a rodeo, they would adjust things as needed.
Once she felt somewhat comfortable with what her responsibilities would be, she leaned back into her seat and watched the scenery until her head began to bob. When it did, she unbuckled her seat belt and stretched out full length on the seat with her head on the
“Yes, thank you. Food sounds wonderful. Can I eat in your truck or should I hurry before we leave?” She was fishing around under the seat for a shoe that had slipped off.
He quietly reached back into the wadded blanket and handed her the shoe. “You can eat in the truck.”
P utting it on, she climbed out and said, “I’ll hurry. Do either of you want anything?
They both shook their heads and Slade said, “No, we’re fine thanks.” One of them began to pump gas while the other washed the windshield, and she stopped to check on Ebony on her way into the station.
Five minutes later she was back with her food and asked, “Could someone unlock the trailer? I’d like to grab a notebook out of my bag to make some plans, if that’s okay.” Rossen reached into the pocket on the back of the driver’s seat and handed her a small spiral bound pad.
“Will this do?”
“Perfect.” She climbed back up into the rear seat of the cab and buckled in. She was just starting to eat a chicken salad as the truck pulled back onto the highway and she looked around. They were on I-5 in central California and had made good time pulling a loaded horse trailer. As she ate she studied the two men in front of her. She was slightly mystified with why she’d felt so comfortable with them so fast. Usually she was slow to trust and always she was careful to the point of standoffish around men she didn’t know.
She’d learned from Judd that some men were to be feared and although she’d learned from her grandfather and Eli and Dante that some men were gentle and could be trusted, it usually took her a long time to feel comfortable around new people. She loved the hands at the farm, but had quickly learned that most men were interested in her either because of her wealth or the way she looked.
It must have been that she had a sense of rightness with them because she knew when she'd prayed about doing this that she'd felt such a sweet inner river of peace. She knew it would work out—she just knew. Somehow she had an innate sense it would all be okay with these two. They inspired confidence and trust. Just like Anna, she knew they were the answer to prayer.
She finished her salad and picked up the notebook and asked, “Can I pick your brains? What do you like to eat?”
For the rest of the afternoon they talked and planned for how to best take advantage of having some help traveling with them and she planned menus.
They told her they tried to end each day where there were stalls available so the horses could rest from the trailer. This didn’t always work, but for the most part it did. They would pull the trailer in and park near the horses for the night. In the past they’d existed largely on fast food and frozen entrees, but were hoping Isabel could find a way to prepare real food in their trailer kitchen between stops.
Isabel hadn’t seen the inside of the living quarters, but from their description she didn’t think this would be difficult. When they stopped, she could cook while they tended to their horses, and when she needed groceries or they needed errands run, they would unhook the truck and give her money. She would try to have lunches ready so they could eat in the truck as they drove, and on days they were actually at a rodeo, they would adjust things as needed.
Once she felt somewhat comfortable with what her responsibilities would be, she leaned back into her seat and watched the scenery until her head began to bob. When it did, she unbuckled her seat belt and stretched out full length on the seat with her head on the
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