“Uh-huh.” Craig chewed on a piece of hay. “Them horses are gentle as a cloud. Me ’n Johnny ’n Shea bought four from the summer camp that closed last month outside Dallas. All them horses been at the camp for a good five or six years, they told us. Had all their trainin’ ’n such for kids with special needs.”
“What about you all, though?” When Jake had put Stacey in an equine-assisted therapy program, he’d made sure to learn all he could about it. “Have you taken the courses and gotten certified? When I looked up the ranch, I didn’t see anything about it.”
“Not yet. Me ’n Johnny are gonna do it together. We already got our CPR certificates. All the animals here that people might come in contact with were bought with their temperament in mind. They’re all sweet as Aunt Patty’s pecan pie.”
“Jake, see how your little princess is ridin’?” Shea called out as they circled around the paddock. “We’ll make a cowgirl outta her ’fore she leaves.”
Jake could see Stacey’s confidence growing by the set of her shoulders. “You’re doing great, honey.” He waved to her, then struck up a conversation with Craig again. “So Shea said he’s thinking of selling the ranch?”
Craig’s perpetually sunny demeanor vanished. “Yeah, I dunno what it’ll mean for us or the ranch…but it ain’t my business. It’s Shea’s to do with as he wishes. He’s always wanted to shake the dust of this place off his boots and hightail it to New York City.” Jake caught his gaze. “Our loss is gonna be your gain, I figure.”
Feeling defensive, Jake crossed his arms. “I don’t know. We haven’t spoken about the future. We don’t know each other all that well, and I have responsibilities.”
Craig pushed off from the fence. “I’m not hearing nothin’ that says anythin’ different than what I’m thinking. ’Cause you haveta know that man is as crazy about you as he is for your little girl.” He tipped his hat and walked away, leaving Jake more confused than ever.
He was soon joined by Terry, who, in aForget Me NotT-shirt like the one Patty wore, her hair held back in a kerchief, seemed as much a part of the ranch as if she lived here.
“Isn’t it marvelous? I never imagined a place like this existed.” Terry waved to Stacey and Shea. “And look at her. She’s having a wonderful time.”
“Do you really think so?”
“I know so. You forget I’m trained to notice cues from patients, and though I’m not a psychologist, I’ve been with Stacey almost every day since she was close to two years old. She’s become so much calmer. Yes, there’s still a wall there, but I’m beginning to have hope that the chinks will start letting the light through. All the therapy and love and support you’re giving her will work.”
She squeezed his arm, but he barely felt it. “I just want her to be happy. And it’s killing me that I have no idea what happened to make her this way.”
“We’ll figure it out one day. Meanwhile, look at her. I swear I’m seeing her ready to break out in laughter any day now.”
The riding over with, Shea lifted Stacey up and Cody led the pony away, but instead of putting her down, he sat her on his shoulders. Jake’s heart sang at the picture they made—Shea’s smiling face and Stacey holding on to him. Jake whipped out his camera and took a burst of pictures.
“I’ve got some precious cargo right here. How about we go over and say hi to the bunnies. Somethin’ tells me they’re lookin’ for a pretty little princess to hop onto.”
“How about it, honey?”
Stacey nodded, and Jake noted she didn’t reach for him to take her but kept her arms around Shea. Bouncing her gently, Shea led the way to the rabbit hutch, about twenty yards from the back porch of the ranch house. He set Stacey in a patch of grass, and Terry reached over the fence to hand him a bunch of carrots she’d pulled from her shoulder bag.
“Here. Patty had a feeling you’d be heading to the rabbits.”
Shea gave the carrots to Stacey, who held them out and waited. Within minutes, at least seven little rabbits hopped out from the wooden hutch to inspect her. Shea nudged him.
“She’s havin’ the time of her life.”
Jake had to agree. She held out the carrots, and the little rabbits swarmed onto her lap. A giggle burst from her lips, and Terry clutched his arm. “Oh, Jake.” Kiss barked and whined, then dropped to her stomach and lay by the gate.
Shea murmured, “I’ll be damned.” He wrapped his arm around Jake’s shoulder.
Unable to answer, Jake remained transfixed at the sight of Stacey giggling like any other six-year-old would with a bunch of fuzzy bunnies jumping all over her. This was the breakthrough he’d been striving for, and after waiting for so long, all it took was five days at a small dude ranch in the middle of Nowhere, Texas, for his dream to come true. Jake knew he was now irrevocably tied to this land, this place, which had been the catalyst to giving his child back her life.
He’d felt it the first time he visited the ranch, but now believed it even more—Forget Me Not was a magical place where anything could happen.
He had no idea how long he spent watching his daughter, her shining face kissed by sunlight, as the rabbits tumbled over her. Shea remained by his side. Terry sat on one of the benches and took pictures of Stacey.
Quietly, he said to Shea, “I’m sorry if you thought earlier that I didn’t want you near me. I wasn’t sure how Stacey would feel, but I can see how much she likes you. And I also know you must have a million things to do. You don’t have to stay with us.”
“Are you kiddin’ me? Nowhere else I’d rather be. Look at her.” Shea’s fingers brushed his nape.
“I know. I can’t stop.”
Shea’s lips touched the shell of his ear. “I can’t stop watchin’ you neither. I’m just sorry I haven’t been able to be with you at night. But I understand.”
