three months, claiming a generous donation to the shelter provided for some extra hay. When Taylor had tried to thank her, Liz brushed it off.
“Mare deserves to have care this time around. You just be sure you don’t let her down.”
“I won’t.”
As Taylor moved hay she thought about the responsibility she was taking on. She hadn’t screwed up the courage yet to tell her parents. Not only was she living on a shoe string, she was an emotional mess that didn’t know a thing about horse care. Anxiety ate away at the euphoria of actually owning Rain. After stacking the bales of hay she approached Liz who was busy checking the trailer for the ride home.
“Liz?” She stuffed her hands into the jacket pockets.
“What’s up?”
“I’m a little worried about caring for Rain … and I don’t know much about riding or working with horses … I … ”
“That’s why I’m coming back in a few days,” Liz interrupted. She thrust a page of notebook paper at Taylor. Feeding instructions for Rain were outlined in her neat block handwriting. “Just follow the directions for now; I’ll show you horse handling basics soon. And I’ll bring you an old saddle I scrounged off a friend.”
“I appreciate you doing all this … you don’t really even know me.”
Liz cocked her head, a mysterious look on her face. “I know things about people. Anyway, I want to do a good turn for that mare. A wrong needs to be righted. You’ll be home on Wednesday evening, maybe four o’clock?”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure I’m here.”
“Good. You’ll get your first lessons on becoming a horsewoman. I think it’ll suit you.”
At that Liz pulled herself into the truck. Before rolling up the window she handed Taylor a manila envelope. “From the vet who saved her life. You can see the x-rays and be amazed she’s alive and grazing in your back pasture.”
Taylor took the envelope and absentmindedly waved to Liz as she pulled out of the driveway. Opening the brad fastener she withdrew a couple sheets of paper and x-rays of Rain’s injury. Even with no medical knowledge it was easy to identify the damage to the horse’s skull within the smoky outlines of the x-ray. A brief description was included : Permanent damage to left occipital bone includes loss of eye; nerve damage; severe blood loss and dehydration.
Under the x-rays and medical documentation of the injury Taylor found a photograph. It was a close-up of a man’s hand, the fingers upturned and cradling a bullet that rested in the center of his palm. Such a small piece of destruction, Taylor thought. Considered on its own, with no knowledge of what it was intended to do, a bullet didn’t appear capable of inflicting catastrophic damage. She focused on the masculine lines of the veterinarian’s hand and wondered about the man behind it. His hands looked capable, strong, and kind. Saving hands.
~ ~~
Taylor pulled into the parking lot behind Holy Grounds five minutes before her shift began at ten. Melissa opened the stand at six and worked nearly all the early mornings. She needed afternoons free for the business classes she took at the community college. Taylor would fly solo after the morning rush and Melissa would leave at one. She’d close at three and make it home just in time to meet Liz and have her first basic horsemanship lesson. It was all she could think about.
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
Melissa set two twenty-ounce coffees in the window and made change for the customer waiting outside.
“Forgot?” Oh, God—the coffee beans! Do we have enough for today?”
“Not of the good stuff. I won’t use those discount beans the owner brought in. They’re crap. My customers will know the difference.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Melissa had her hands on her hips, fingering the ragged belt loops of ripped camouflage jeans. Silver rings glinted on every finger. “I’m doing okay for the moment so rush your ass to the Co-op and get the
“Mare deserves to have care this time around. You just be sure you don’t let her down.”
“I won’t.”
As Taylor moved hay she thought about the responsibility she was taking on. She hadn’t screwed up the courage yet to tell her parents. Not only was she living on a shoe string, she was an emotional mess that didn’t know a thing about horse care. Anxiety ate away at the euphoria of actually owning Rain. After stacking the bales of hay she approached Liz who was busy checking the trailer for the ride home.
“Liz?” She stuffed her hands into the jacket pockets.
“What’s up?”
“I’m a little worried about caring for Rain … and I don’t know much about riding or working with horses … I … ”
“That’s why I’m coming back in a few days,” Liz interrupted. She thrust a page of notebook paper at Taylor. Feeding instructions for Rain were outlined in her neat block handwriting. “Just follow the directions for now; I’ll show you horse handling basics soon. And I’ll bring you an old saddle I scrounged off a friend.”
“I appreciate you doing all this … you don’t really even know me.”
Liz cocked her head, a mysterious look on her face. “I know things about people. Anyway, I want to do a good turn for that mare. A wrong needs to be righted. You’ll be home on Wednesday evening, maybe four o’clock?”
“Yeah, I’ll make sure I’m here.”
“Good. You’ll get your first lessons on becoming a horsewoman. I think it’ll suit you.”
At that Liz pulled herself into the truck. Before rolling up the window she handed Taylor a manila envelope. “From the vet who saved her life. You can see the x-rays and be amazed she’s alive and grazing in your back pasture.”
Taylor took the envelope and absentmindedly waved to Liz as she pulled out of the driveway. Opening the brad fastener she withdrew a couple sheets of paper and x-rays of Rain’s injury. Even with no medical knowledge it was easy to identify the damage to the horse’s skull within the smoky outlines of the x-ray. A brief description was included : Permanent damage to left occipital bone includes loss of eye; nerve damage; severe blood loss and dehydration.
Under the x-rays and medical documentation of the injury Taylor found a photograph. It was a close-up of a man’s hand, the fingers upturned and cradling a bullet that rested in the center of his palm. Such a small piece of destruction, Taylor thought. Considered on its own, with no knowledge of what it was intended to do, a bullet didn’t appear capable of inflicting catastrophic damage. She focused on the masculine lines of the veterinarian’s hand and wondered about the man behind it. His hands looked capable, strong, and kind. Saving hands.
~ ~~
Taylor pulled into the parking lot behind Holy Grounds five minutes before her shift began at ten. Melissa opened the stand at six and worked nearly all the early mornings. She needed afternoons free for the business classes she took at the community college. Taylor would fly solo after the morning rush and Melissa would leave at one. She’d close at three and make it home just in time to meet Liz and have her first basic horsemanship lesson. It was all she could think about.
“You forgot, didn’t you?”
Melissa set two twenty-ounce coffees in the window and made change for the customer waiting outside.
“Forgot?” Oh, God—the coffee beans! Do we have enough for today?”
“Not of the good stuff. I won’t use those discount beans the owner brought in. They’re crap. My customers will know the difference.”
“Really?”
“Really.”
Melissa had her hands on her hips, fingering the ragged belt loops of ripped camouflage jeans. Silver rings glinted on every finger. “I’m doing okay for the moment so rush your ass to the Co-op and get the
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