Runaways (Orphans 5)

"Sure," he said. "Maybe afterward,I'll take the girls for a short ride on the horses."

"If they like," Anita said.

"Ride a horse? I don't know about that," Crystal muttered.

"Oh come on, Crystal. If I can do it, you can do it," Raven teased.

"Since when can you do it?" Crystal asked.

"I can do it." She looked at Tommy "Can't I?" "Nothing to it," he said.

"Can I go too?" Butterfly asked. Tommy looked at Anita.

"Sure you can," she said. "Tommy will saddle up Princess," she added and started for the house. Butterfly followed quickly.

I saw by the expression on Tommy's face that something significant had been said.

"Which horse is Princess?" I asked, looking toward the corral.

"The pony," he said. "She was our little girl's horse, Annie's horse, and no one has ridden it since . . . since Annie died.

"Before this," he added with a look of wonder, "Anita wouldn't even consider it."

16 Home at Last

We're going to have a picnic," Butterfly announced excitedly when we entered the house.

"It's not exactly a picnic," Anita said from the kitchen doorway. "We'll just have lunch in the back. We have picnic tables there."

"Can we help?" Raven asked.

"Everything we need is here on the counter in the kitchen," Anita explained. "Butterfly will show you."

Proud she was given a leadership role, Butterfly led us to the plates and silverware, the place mats, glasses, fresh lemonade, loaves of homemade bread and condiments. We each took something and Butterfly showed us the table.

The back of the house was a wonderful setting for eating outdoors. From here we could see the mountains and we noticed the very tops had snow on them. The brook ran close by, the water gurgling loud enough for us to hear it wind around the rocks. Anita came out with Tommy right behind her. She was carrying a large clay bowl and set it down on the table. We all sat. Tommy looked very pleased.

"Thanks to you girls, I've got my favorite soup for lunch," he declared.

"I make it often enough, Tommy Edwards," Anita said and began to ladle it out to each of our bowls.

"It smells wonderful. What is it?" Raven asked. "Tortilla soup with chicken, avocado and lime," Anita said. She served herself and sat.

"As good as ever," Tommy said after his first spoonful.

"It's very good," I said. It was.

"I helped make it," Butterfly beamed. "Didn't I, Anita?"

She lifted her eyes to her and smiled.

"Janet cut the tortillas and fried them herself," she said.

"A tortilla is Indian food, isn't it?" Raven asked. "Southwestern, Mexican, we all share in its origins," Tommy said.

"Are you both

full-blood Navajo?" Crystal asked.