“I guess I should’ve stayed and finished the roof,” he said to Dusty. “I hope the stable isn’t leaking.”
There was no answer. When Jake glanced over at the old man, he saw that Dusty was fast asleep, a little snore escaping his lips as his chest rose and fell.
Jake returned his gaze to the road and the storm-swept mountains. How did a man live as long as Dusty and still keep his faith in people? Had the old cowboy just been lucky, or had he learned to forgive and move on?
Jake’s thoughts returned to Wendy—the wife who’d been his rock while he was overseas. Her smile and her loving voice had given him a refuge from the horrors that he faced every time his unit went out on patrol. And seeing his baby daughter on Skype had been one more reminder of the happy life that waited for him at home.
Had it all been a lie?
How long had Wendy been cheating on him? he wondered. Had she met someone toward the end of her life and fallen in love, or had she been playing around the whole time?
Or was his wife as blameless as he’d long believed her to be?
Jake’s hands tightened on the steering wheel, gripping so hard that his knuckles ached. He’d tried to dismiss the question, telling himself it didn’t matter anymore. But the truth was, it was driving him crazy. One way or another, he needed closure.
And his only chance of getting it lay with the person who’d known Wendy longest—Kira.
* * *
The storm had caught the students leading their horses down the easy trail that snaked along the hills above the ranch. Kira had turned them back at the first distant roll of thunder, but the fast-moving storm had reached them fifteen minutes short of shelter. By the time they’d crossed the graveled yard and reached the barn, they, along with the horses, were soaked and cold.
All to the good. It was time for an important lesson.
In the stable, she turned on the overhead lights and passed out thick, dry towels—two towels each—to the shivering boys and girls. “These aren’t for you,” she said. “They’re for your horse. You take care of your horse before you take care of yourself. That’s a rule you never break—otherwise, you could end up with a very sick horse. Now get those wet saddles and pads off them, and give them a good rubdown with the towel
s. Then make sure they’ve got food and water before you leave.”
Teeth chattering, the students went to work. Nobody complained or argued. Kira was proud of them. They were learning about responsibility and about putting the welfare of others before their own.
Once the horses were dry and comfortable, she excused the students to go and change out of their wet clothes. There would be hot chocolate and donuts waiting for them in the house, and free time to play video games, read or do schoolwork before dinner.
Consuelo had lit a fire in the fireplace. When Kira came inside, Paige was sitting on the hearth with the baby book, the dog stretched out at her feet. “You look like you got rained on, Aunt Kira,” she said.
“We did.” Kira stood next to the fire for a moment, soaking in the warmth. “We all got wet, but we made it back okay and put the horses away. What have you been up to?”
“Drawing pictures and helping Consuelo make enchiladas. But I got tired. Where are Grandpa and Mister Jake?”
“They went to town. They should be back soon, unless they waited for the rain to stop.”
“Good. Grandpa promised he’d read me a story.”
“Great.” Kira knew the little girl was lonely. Next fall she’d be starting school. She was more than ready to be in a classroom, learning with children her own age. A bus would pick her up, down on the main road. She was already talking about it, asking every few days how much longer she had to wait.
Now she turned a page in the baby book. “Why aren’t there any pictures of my daddy in here?” she asked.
“He was in the army when these pictures were taken,” Kira said.
“Why didn’t he come back?”
“He did, when your mother died. He came home for the funeral. Do you remember him?”
Paige shook her head. “No. Maybe—I don’t know. I just remember somebody in a brown soldier suit, with a hat.”
“You don’t remember his face from the funeral?”
Paige shook her head again. “Why doesn’t he come back now? He’s been gone a long time.”
Kira’s throat tightened. “Maybe he can’t. Maybe they need him. Or maybe he’s sick.”