Second Chance Ranch

Well, at least he didn’t shut the door in her face. “I wanted to talk about your next lesson.”

He shrugged his shoulders and walked back into the living room.

She followed him, closing the door gently behind her.

“How have you been doing?”

He shrugged again, settling into a leather recliner in front of a sixty-inch plasma TV. A baseball game flickered on the screen.

She walked to the sofa. “I think we pushed your first time too far. We should’ve stopped earlier.”

He didn’t respond.

“Zach, talk to me.”

He turned to her and nailed her with his blazing gaze. “What do you want me to say? Yeah, I didn’t tell you the truth when you asked if I was tired. I’m less of a man now than I was when I blew you off when Beth came home during college.”

It was a reaction, but not the one she hoped for. “What I see is a man who’s trying to come back. What I see is a man who helped a young boy overcome his fear and enjoy his ride on a horse.”

He turned away from her, staring down at the head of his cane.

“Zach, the man I met in college was full of himself and knew his strengths. One of those strengths was a faith in God and a determination to do the right thing.” She pulled a pamphlet out of her purse and put it on the coffee table. “This is from NARHA.”

He gave her a puzzled frown.

“North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. It talks about equine therapy and its benefits. What you expected from your body was unreasonable.”

His head came up and he looked at the pamphlet.

“When I fought for the guys who were wounded on the battlefield, I wanted to save them all. The ones who survived were blessings. You have a duty to those who didn’t make it. You lost a foot, but I don’t think you lost your soul. The Zach McClure I knew is still inside you. You just have a challenge you’ve never faced before.”

She stood. “Andy’s session is tomorrow morning at ten. He’s told all his friends about you, and I’ve had two more mothers of Down’s children call me, wanting to start with equine therapy.” She started for the door. Pausing with her hand on the knob, she turned to him. “I will never leave a fallen comrade.” With those final words she walked out the door.

I will never leave a fallen comrade. The words of the U.S. Military’s Honor Ethos echoed in Zach’s brain. How many times had he gone back to get a fellow wounded soldier. With the guys who were gravely wounded, their survival depended on their individual will to live.

He’d made it. The roadside bomb that wounded him had killed two members of his team. He didn’t remember much after the bomb, except his good buddy calling for him to hold on and telling him that they’d get him help.

They kept him sedated until he woke up in Walter Reed Army Hospital.

He picked up his Bible and turned to Exodus. The story that always amazed him was Joshua’s. This was a man who led Israel after Moses’s death in their fight to conquer the Promised Land.

Zach turned over to the book of Joshua and read the first three chapters, where Joshua faced his first major obstacle—the Jordan River. Not just a normal river but a river ten times its usual size. That crossing was a major miracle.

He faced his own Jordan River.

God gave Joshua a plan, and if Zach didn’t miss his guess, God just gave him a plan. And it started with showing up to help Andy.

Chapter Four

Zach took a deep breath and glanced at his brother, who sat behind the steering wheel of his truck. Zach chaffed at having to be driven, but he didn’t want his truck fitted with hand controls. He wanted to be able to build up the strength in his leg to be able to drive his own truck.

“You sure you don’t want me to stay?” Ethan asked.

Ethan had quickly covered up his surprise this morning when Zach called, asking for a ride.

“I’m sure.”

Ethan studied him. “I’ll stop by after I finish the business at the bank.”

Zach put on his straw hat. It was already warm beyond normal for an early spring morning. “I’m okay, Ethan.” He clamped his hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Thanks.”

Ethan nodded.

Zach opened the truck door and carefully rested his feet on the ground. He used his cane for balance. Hopefully, he could permanently retire it in a few weeks with hard work and exercise.

He walked down the breezeway to the open rings. The first thing Zach saw was Andy. The boy sat on a bench by the helmets. He stared at the ground. Glancing up, he spotted Zach.

“You came,” Andy yelled, launching himself off the bench.

Zach braced himself for Andy’s hug. The boy stopped and looked up at Zach. He reached out and grasped the boy’s hand. Andy snuggled close to Zach’s side.

“I see your sidewalker is here.”

Zach’s head snapped up. Sophie stood before him, her blue eyes glistened with moisture, and he read approval and something else there. But before he could analyze it, Andy raced toward Sam.

“Hi, Sam.” Andy stroked the horse’s shoulder.

Sam turned her head toward the boy.

Pride for Andy’s actions filled Zach. The boy overcame his fear. It was something Zach needed to do.

“Get your helmet, and I’ll take Sam to the mounting ramp,” Sophie instructed.

Andy dashed off.

A smile curved Sophie’s mouth. “I’m glad you’re here. Andy was disappointed when he didn’t see you.”

“What did you tell him?” He waited, curious for the answer.

“I told him that Sam was glad he was here.”

“Is that all?” He moved toward her and lightly ran his hand over Sam’s withers.

She held his gaze. “When he asked about you, I told him that things would be okay. I prayed. I know Andy is happy you’re here and…”

Zach understood the unspoken part of her sentence. She was glad he was here, too.

“I got my helmet,” Andy yelled, waving it above his head.