The Soldier's Homecoming

He sounded chagrined and Travis laughed. Josh had been all warrior and all business. To think of him turning from tiger to pussycat was intriguing. Maybe Covenant Falls was unique. The man looked years younger.

“You’re staying then.”

“Yeah. I’m even part owner of an inn. It’s part of what Jubal and I are thinking about.”

“Jubal? Not Jubal Pierce?”

“You know him?”

“I know of him. There’s not many Jubals in the world. He had one hell of a reputation in the Special Forces community until he disappeared several years ago. It was big news when he returned from the dead. How did he end up here?”

“I mentioned on the phone it was complicated. When Eve and I got married, I moved in with her and her son. I wanted Dave’s cabin to be used by a veteran. An army chopper pilot named Clint was recommended by a military psychologist I knew. He was followed by Lieutenant Andrea Stuart, an army surgical nurse, and then Jubal, who was invited by Clint. They went way back. We’re all in on this project, but Jubal is the driving force.”

Travis looked out at the mountains to their right as they drove south. “Looks like great horse country.”

“The land around Covenant Falls is even better,” Josh replied. “It hugs the mountains and is off the beaten path. There’s some really fine ranches in the area. At least five want to be included in our project. But we don’t know where to start. We’ve been researching different Horses for Heroes programs, including several that include multiple ranches. Now we need a battle plan and you were damn good at that.”

“How did this all get started?” Travis asked.

“Riding helped Jubal immensely after he returned. He’d lost his team in Africa and was aimless until a rancher invited him to ride one of his horses. He says it changed his life, gave him a purpose. I think it’s important to him to help other veterans now. He knows how difficult it is to come back. All of us do. We decided to participate, but none of us knew how to start, what we would need, what kind of program works best for veterans. And us.”

“And you think I do?” Travis said with a raised eyebrow.

“I know you’re damned good at planning and implementing plans. All we know is that contact with horses seems to be very therapeutic. We know there’s different types of programs but they don’t come close to meeting the demand.

“Right now,” Josh continued, “he’s thinking of a long-term project, teaching vets the care of horses along with horsemanship. There’s jobs available in the field. But he’s open to other ideas. What we would like you to do is visit ongoing programs, learn about their pros and cons, staffing needs, requirements for a nonprofit and VA Administration grants.”

“Is that all?” Travis asked incredulously.

It was startling to see the smile spread across Josh’s face. “Probably not,” he said. “But it’s the beginning.”

“Can you find a job for the young soldier I told you about?”

“I’m sure we can. Jubal is working with another rancher on the program, and they both need help with horses. You think your soldier will be interested? If not, I’m sure we can find someone in town.”

“I’ll talk to him. He’s a city boy but I think he’ll grab anything. He’s really a good kid and smart. And scared.”

“He’ll have a lot of support here. The town loves its veterans.”

Travis nodded.

“I’ll take you to the cabin first,” Josh said. “I know you must be tired from the early flight. If you’re up to it, we’ll have supper later at Jubal’s ranch. Some other folks will be there.”

“I’ll be up for it,” Travis said. He’d been growing more and more interested as Josh spoke.

They arrived in Covenant Falls late in the afternoon after stopping for lunch along the way. There were no traffic lights, only a few stop signs. Josh pointed out the City Hall, medical clinic, veterinarian’s office, bank and real estate office. With a glance at the back seat, Travis noticed Amos was regarding the world outside with intense interest. It was good to see the dog thriving. Maybe now that he was in the United States again, he would adopt a dog.

He was struck with a sudden loneliness. He certainly didn’t begrudge Josh’s obvious happiness, but his own future didn’t look promising. Dinah’s expression when she first saw him haunted him.

“Major...?” Josh’s voice was a welcome intrusion on dark thoughts.

“Travis,” Travis corrected again.

“That’s going to be difficult to get used to,” Josh said as they followed a road that bordered a very blue lake. He turned into the last driveway on the street and stopped in front of a cabin with a wide screened porch.

They walked up to the door, and Josh opened it. “The key is in the kitchen.”

“You don’t keep it locked?”

“Crime is rare here, especially since Chris, one of the vets, became police chief.”

Travis looked around. A large stone fireplace filled one end of the room. A wall of windows filled another side. Through them, he could see that the backyard was large and backed onto a forest. A large rock barbecue pit was surrounded by three lounge chairs. The cabin was much more than he’d expected.

“I’m going to let you settle in and get some rest,” his host said. “I’ll pick you up at six. Come hungry.”

After Josh left, Travis explored the cabin. If he accepted the offer, it would be a great place to stay. The cabin was immensely comfortable, and the lake outside was a gem. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and took it out to the screened porch and its comfortable chairs.

Covenant Falls looked like a nice town, but he had grown up near an even smaller one and was familiar with its pitfalls. Everyone knew everyone’s business, and Travis preferred the anonymity of a large town.

But this project of Josh Manning’s was intriguing. Travis was fully aware of the problems vets often had when returning home. Many, if not most, soldiers joined to learn a skill, earn an education or make it a lifetime career. Deployments were long and frequent, and your buddies became your lifeline, as well as your family. Leaving due to injury was devastating.

He knew that first-hand. He would listen tonight, but he already knew he wanted to be involved.

He needed a mission, and this sounded like a good one.

* * *

JENNY’S SISTER LOST no time in finding a three bedroom condo she loved. The owner was being transferred overseas, needed a quick sale and was more than happy to add his furniture to the sale.

Jenny moved in with her two weeks later after her father returned to the family home and railed against both sisters, Lenore for ending her marriage and Jenny for taking Lenore’s side.

In the next few weeks, Jenny found an unexpected friend in her sister and a special kinship with Charlie, who was, as Lenore said, very much like herself. They spent a lot of time together as Lenore studied for the Colorado real estate exam.

They shared books and discussed the news on television, and Jenny recounted stories of overseas adventures minus the bad ones.

But as much as she enjoyed the new relationships, her restlessness returned. She wanted to roam again. Visit new places, meet new people. Charlie seemed to understand, and together they combed newspapers, magazines and the internet to find that special “something.”

It was Charlie who found it in one of Lenore’s Colorado travel magazines that her mother was collecting for future clients.

“Look,” Charlie said excitedly. “Here’s a story about an inn in a town named Covenant Falls. I’ve never heard of it, but it’s in Colorado. It mentions a horse therapy program.”

The article featured an inn with the catchy name of the Camel Trail Inn. One line in the short article really struck her. “Innkeeper Susan Hall said many of the town’s outdoor activities are operated by veterans, and plans are underway to develop an equine therapy program for veterans.”

The latter paragraph struck her like lightning. It was exactly what she’d been searching for.

She smiled. A little-known town named Covenant Falls. An inn named the Camel Trail Inn, veterans offering outdoor activities and possibly an equine therapy program.

It was the story she was looking for.