A Rancher for their Mom

Beth leaned close and whispered to April. She drew back, her eyes wide.

“You be sure to call the church secretary and tell her what you’re bringing for Sunday’s lunch on the ground.” Beth opened the driver’s door and slipped in.

“I’ll do that.” April stepped toward Al. “How are you doing?”

“He’s milking this for all it’s worth,” Beth answered before Al opened his mouth, “that’s how he’s doing.” She started the truck. “C’mon, old man. You need your nap.”

April closed the passenger door for Al. “I wish that accident never happened. You be sure and let me know when you get the bill. I want to pay for it.”

Al rested his hand on April’s. “I know you will, but God sees needs and sends miracles.”

Frowning, April stepped back and watched the truck drive away.

She turned to Joel. “Let’s finish with the horses, then I think we all need a change of clothes.”

“Mr. Joel doesn’t have any dry clothes,” Wes pointed out.

“Not to worry. Once y’all are dried, the wind should’ve taken care of me. ’Sides, I won’t melt.”

The boys gave him a puzzled look. “Why would you melt?” Todd asked.

“Your mom can explain it later.”

After drying the horses, Joel walked them to the corral, while April took the children inside.

Leaning against the fence, Joel thought of the water fight. It did his soul good to laugh and play. He hadn’t been that foolish since he was a teen. But he knew it helped April and her children more than it did him or the horses. The expression on her face when she got smacked with the stream of water had been priceless. It had taken her several moments to understand he was playing, as if she couldn’t recall how to do it. But once she keyed in to the play, she’d embraced the fun. Too bad the older couple had showed up and robbed the situation of all its pleasure.

He felt a nuzzle by his right ear. He glanced over his shoulder, reached up and rubbed Sammie’s neck. “You looking for a treat? Not happy with just a bath but want a reward, too?”

The horse nodded.

“Well, I can’t go inside and drip all over April’s kitchen floor.”

The screen door slamming brought his attention to the house. Todd stood outside, his face grim.

“Your horse wants a carrot. Would you like to get him one?”

Todd nodded and disappeared into the kitchen only to reemerge moments later with a carrot. Walking to the fence, he handed Joel the treat.

“Don’t you want to give it to Sammie yourself?”

“No.” He walked to the side of the barn and sat on the ground, his back against the wooden siding. It looked as if the weight of the world sat on those small shoulders, which tugged at Joel’s heart. What had happened that changed Todd’s attitude from laughing and playful to down and troubled?

Joel searched his mind. The only thing he could think of was the Moores driving up. The boys had mentioned that their mother’s help had been hurt, but was there something else there?

Casually, Joel walked to where Todd sat. The boy didn’t look up or acknowledge him in any way. Settling by Todd, Joel leaned back against the barn, his knees raised. He rested his forearm on his knees, knowing he couldn’t push this youngster any more than he could’ve rushed Sadie and Helo a couple days ago.

In the corral before them, Joel watched the two horses. “I think Buckwheat and Sammie enjoyed their bath. I know the rest of us did. Didn’t you?”

Todd found the dirt by his small boot extremely interesting. “Yeah.”

So much for a light conversation. Apparently, Todd wasn’t going to make this easy. He needed to rope this problem from a different direction. “Is this your favorite place to think?”

Todd shrugged.

“When I was growing up, I had a place in our barn, in the hayloft. It was a good thinking place. I sometimes went there when I did something I knew would get me in trouble.

“One time, my mom had made a birthday cake for my grandmother. Chocolate with Gran’s special icing.” He paused and made an appreciative sound. “I tried to sneak a big finger full of icing off the cake, but instead I pushed the cake off the counter. It made such a terrible sound when it hit the floor and the plate shattered into a million pieces, with cake and icing exploding all over the kitchen.” It had been a spectacular mess.

Todd looked at him.

“I can’t tell you how scared I was. I ran out into the barn and hid. Of course, my sister ratted me out.”

“But you didn’t hurt your grandmother.” Todd’s voice quivered with emotion.

Joel’s heart ached. “True, but we had no cake that birthday.”

Todd hugged his knees and rested his head against his thighs.

“What happened, Todd?”

Tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks. “After you picked up Sadie and Helo, Mr. Moore came to work. He got the pitchfork down, but Mom called him up to the house. I wanted to help, so I got the fork and tried to put straw in Sammie’s stall. Wes walked into the barn and saw me. He said he’d tell on me for messing with the pitchfork. I got scared and put it against the stall wall and left the barn.” He shrugged. “I guess it fell down and that’s how Mr. Moore stepped on it. It was my fault.”

It was, but this little boy didn’t need that rebuke. “Do you see why you were told not to mess with the pitchfork?”

He nodded and with the back of his sleeve wiped the tears from his face.

“I understand that you never would’ve wanted Mr. Moore to get hurt.”

“I didn’t want that” came the wobbly reply.

“I didn’t mean to ruin my grandma’s cake, either. We have to fess up when we do wrong. Gran and Ma forgave me, but my sister wasn’t as nice and reminded me of it often.”

Todd glanced up at him. “Girls are like that.”

“True.” Joel heard a movement and glanced over his shoulder. April stood at the corner of the barn. Todd didn’t notice.

“I think you need to tell your mom what happened. You’ll feel better.”

Todd stared at his hands. “Really? We can’t just keep it a secret between us?”

“I think it’s best if you tell your mom.”

Taking a deep breath, Todd thought a moment. “’Kay.” He stood and waited for Joel to stand. “Let’s go.”

Todd marched to the house, much like a condemned man to the gallows.

Admiration filled Joel’s heart for this little cowboy.