Healing Hearts (14 page)

“First, Chad is going to do some trick riding, then the girls are all going to ride, including Madi with Greta’s help, unless you say no.”

“The doctor said it was okay?”

“Yes, Greta checked with him.” She slid a glance toward him. “I would have said something earlier except Greta didn’t talk to Madi’s doctor until this morning. I wouldn’t have even thought about it except yesterday Greta thought Madi was ready.”

“I can’t imagine a better present to give her today.”

“Neither can I. Although she has a ton of gifts from her friends.” Abbey pointed toward the table outside with all the presents stacked on it.

Emma opened the gate to the corral, and the girls filed inside and found seats on some benches that Chad and the hired hands brought into the enclosure.

Abbey moved to the center of the corral and whistled to get the children’s attention. They all quieted down, girls sitting on each side of Madi.

“Every rodeo has a clown, so today we are going to put on our rodeo with our own rules and competition. I want to introduce Red Calhoun. He’s going to show us some tricks. Then you all get your turn to ride.”

Cheers went up when Chad “Red” Calhoun came into the corral riding a black horse. Thick, curly red hair stuck out from under a black cowboy hat. A large red nose rivaling Rudolph the Reindeer’s almost obscured his white face and big red-lipped smile.

“Happy birthday, Madi.” Chad tipped his black cowboy hat. “In my younger days I used to be a rodeo clown. For Madi I dusted off this outfit. All these tricks are not to be tried by you kids. I’ve had many years of training to do them.”

Chad began riding his horse around the perimeter, the gelding going faster and faster. When he did a shoulder stand on the side of the horse, Abbey gasped along with all the girls.

“I never knew he could do this.” Dominic joined the clapping as Chad removed his right foot from the stirrup and stood up on the left one as he kicked his right leg up into the air.

“When he said he’d do tricks, I thought it was going to be the horse pawing the ground, bowing. Things like that. Not this. I’m impressed.” Abbey peered at the huge smiles on all the girls’ faces.

Chad ended the show by riding around the corral standing up on the saddle, holding the reins. He brought his horse to a halt several feet from the girls, jumped from the gelding’s back and took a bow. The kids rushed to him, Madi right in the middle of the group. All of them were asking questions at the same time.

Abbey walked to them, stuck her two fingers into her mouth and blew a loud whistle. The kids stopped talking and turned toward her. “Red Calhoun would love to answer your questions, but raise your hand and let him call on you.”

He started with Madi. “Can I do that one day?”

Dominic’s eyes grew round. “I can answer that. No.”

Madi pouted. “But I’m a good rider.”

“It takes years and years of practice to do what I did. Like I said, this is not something you can do without a lot of lessons and practice.” Chad looked from one girl to the next as they nodded their heads.

“When do we get to ride?” Brandy asked, hopping from one foot to the other.

“Right now,” Chad gestured toward the gate, where a hired hand held Spice’s reins. Behind them were other men leading horses—eleven in all—into the corral.

Madi’s forehead wrinkled.

Dominic made his way to her and leaned down. “You get to ride, too, with Greta’s help.”

His sister's face lit up. “Really?”

“Yes, the doctor said it was okay.”

Madi threw her arms around his neck. “I’ve got the best brother ever. Thank you.”

Dominic looked over his shoulder at Abbey, his eyes soft. “It was all Abbey’s idea.”

Abbey smiled as she joined them, while each of Madi’s guests was given a horse.

Greta approached with Spice. “Are you ready to get on your horse?”

“Yes, yes!”

While Dominic and Greta set Madi on top of Spice, Abbey held the reins, stroking the mare’s nose.

When Madi settled on the horse, she beamed. “I can’t believe I’m on Spice.” Tears ran down her face.

Abbey gave her the reins. “Before long you’ll be walking again, too.”

“Thank you, Abbey.”

Greta strode next to Madi as she rode around the corral. The other girls cheered and encouraged her, then began following Madi and Spice.

“All these months have been worth it to see Madi’s face when she sat on Spice again.” Dominic’s thick voice cracked.

“I know.” Love swelled inside Abbey as she watched.

Dominic clasped her hand and stepped back by the benches while the children rode around, getting used to their mounts. He swallowed hard. “Thank you. I wouldn’t have thought of any of this. My idea of a birthday party would be getting a cake and singing happy birthday while she blows out the candles.”

“We’ll be having that, too. Later. After the games.”

“You’ve thought of everything.”

“I hope so. I want today to be perfect.”

After all Madi had been through, she deserved a perfect day, Abbey thought. Feeling Dominic’s hand still cradling hers was just about perfect, too.

* * *

“I can’t believe that Brandy and Leah are coming over next weekend. Greta is going to be here, too. We’ll get to ride again.” Madi waved to Brandy as she drove away with her mom after the party. “I felt almost normal today on Spice.”

“Kiddo, you are normal.” Dominic ruffled his sister’s hair.

“You know what I mean. Where’s Abbey? I’m gonna see if she can come over and ride with us.”

“How about me?”

Madi grinned. “You, too.” She cuddled Cottonball against her. “I can’t wait until I can do it by myself.”

“Hold on there. One step at a time. And you are to do only what Greta or the doctor says.”

Madi’s mouth flattened out. “You worry too much.”

Dominic spied Abbey and Emma coming toward them. “That’s my job as your big brother.”

He noticed Abbey talking to Emma. Abbey’s whole face lit with her emotions, from happiness to sadness. Earlier today, he’d hated seeing that grief in her eyes when she talked about her daughter.

After saying goodbye to Emma, Abbey joined them. “Chad and the other guys are taking care of cleanup. If I baked, I would bake them a cake. Instead, I’ll buy them one.”

“You don’t bake?” Dominic couldn’t imagine there was anything she couldn’t do. She’d come in and taken over his life and the ranch. She’d even won over Mrs. Ponder, who was much more civil lately.

“Not as good as a bakery, and I want the best for your ranch hands. They made everyone feel so special.” Abbey’s gaze fell on Madi. “What time is dinner tonight? Will I have time to go home and get this dust off me?”

Madi shifted her look from Abbey to Dominic. “Seven.” Then she yawned. “I think it’s going to be an early night for me. Why don’t you two go to dinner without me? I’ll probably go to sleep by eight.”

“No, if you can’t come, we can go another night,” Abbey said.

Another huge yawn escaped from Madi. “Nope. The reservations were hard to get. Mrs. Ponder knows someone who works there. That’s why we got one for tonight. I don’t want to waste the reservation. Go without me. Really.”

Dominic narrowed his eyes. “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing.” Madi turned her wheelchair around, then over her shoulder she continued, “I’ll be upset if you don’t go tonight. Remember it’s my birthday and I get anything I want. And I want you to have dinner with Abbey.”

Madi left them standing on the driveway watching her disappear inside the house.

Dominic shook his head. “You can’t accuse my sister of being too subtle.”

“Do you think she planned this from the beginning?”

Dominic locked gazes with her. “Yes. And if we don’t go, she won’t let me forget I told her it was her special day and she could decide what we would do.”

“And she has decided. We must go to dinner together.”

“Yep, so you’d better get moving. It’s six. I’ll be by to pick you up at six forty-five.”

Abbey grinned. “You know she thinks we should be dating.”

“She said that to you?”

“No, but I overheard her telling Cottonball yesterday when I was here finalizing the plans with Chad and Mrs. Ponder.”

“No telling what else that dog knows. Too bad Cottonball can’t talk.”

“See you—” she checked her watch “—in forty minutes.”

He should say something to Madi about what she was doing, but he didn’t have the heart. What harm would it be for Abbey and him to go on a date? He certainly owed her for all she’d done for Madi. So technically, this wasn’t really an official date.

Who are you kidding, Winters? You’re crazy about Abbey. What would happen if we did start dating?

* * *

“This has been nice.” Abbey scanned the elegant restaurant with the gold-and-white decor and crystal chandeliers sparkling in the light. “Things have been so hectic, it’s good to stop and relax for a while.”

“Especially with all that will be going on in the next few months with the ranch. Next week we’ll be doing some preliminary work before construction starts,” Dominic said, sipping his coffee.

“I’m exhausted just thinking of what you have to do in the months ahead.”

“Yeah, but seeing Madi today on the horse gives me such hope that everything will be all right with her in time. I can’t always say I felt that way.”

Abbey could remember feeling hopeless right after Lisa died. It overwhelmed her and pushed her down deeper into the dark hole of her thoughts. “I’m glad it’s changing for you and Madi. Time can make a huge difference.”

“It’s not just that. Reconnecting with the Lord has helped and I have you to thank for that. Going to church these past few weeks with you and Madi has refocused me on Him. I needed that. I think it’s also helped Madi. I like the idea she’ll be an assistant with the younger kids at Vacation Bible School in a couple of weeks.”

“It gives her a chance to help, like at the nursing home, rather than someone helping her.”

Dominic took his credit card out and put it with the bill. “I’m not the only one who’s been busy. How are the plans for the foundation coming?”

“Slowly. That isn’t stopping Emma and me from doing what we can without the foundation. Our plans are to start with therapy dogs and move into service dogs, too. We want to have dogs available depending on the person’s need. The most important part of Caring Canines is giving everyone who needs one the opportunity to have a dog, no matter their income. Right now Emma and I are the trainers. Hopefully we’ll be able to expand in the future.”

Dominic said, “I didn’t know you were a trainer, too.”

“Yes. I haven’t done much since Lisa became sick, but I’m getting back into it. Emma has been doing it for years. When she came to work for my dad, I started working with her. We’re both members of the Cimarron City Dog Club. That’s how I became interested in therapy dogs.”

“I’m glad you did. Cottonball and Gabe have been wonderful for Madi.”

Abbey remembered how Madi had been six weeks ago, the day before her final operation. When she thought of the sadness in the child’s expression, she knew she had to do something to help the girl. “So am I. She’s a joy to know. Has she had many nightmares this past week?”

“A few, but not as many as before, and when she does we talk about her mom and dad.”

“Is that hard for you?”

Dominic glanced down at the table for a long moment, his mouth pinched together. “Yes and no. I’ve made my peace with Dad. I haven’t with Susie.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t think I had much distance between us even while I was living in Houston. She was part of my family. I couldn’t walk away and forget when she was always there. I pictured her living at the ranch. It was hard getting that out of my mind.”

“And now?”

Dominic glanced around at the other diners. “I think we should leave,” he said in a flat tone as though they had been talking about the weather rather than his ex-fiancée.

“Sure.” Abbey placed the napkin on the table and scooted her chair back. She was in love with him, but he still wasn’t over Susie. She would not let another man hurt her. She needed to put space between them.

Silence accompanied them all the way to the car and halfway to Abbey’s house.

At a stoplight Dominic peered at her and asked, “Have you made peace with your ex-husband?”

The question hung in the air between them.

Abbey remembered running into Peter with his wife and newborn at the Super Center earlier that morning. The pain at seeing him swamped her all over again—not because they weren’t a couple anymore, but because of the hurt he had caused by his actions, especially concerning Lisa. “I’m working on it,” she finally answered as he pressed on the accelerator when the light turned green.

“I never had a chance to really talk to Susie about why she did what she did. When I found out she was marrying my father, I was so angry. And now I’ll never get a chance to talk to her.”

“Do you really need that to forgive her?”

In the light from the streetlamps, she saw Dominic’s hands tighten so much on the steering wheel that his knuckles whitened. “I don’t know. I...”

“It sounds like we both have issues with our past.”

He pulled into her driveway. “Where does that leave us?”

“Us?”

“Don’t pretend there isn’t something going on between us. We’ve been dancing around each other ever since we met. You’ve become important to me. I—”

She cut his next words off with her fingers pressed over his mouth. “Please don’t. The bottom line is, I need a man who is one hundred percent in love with me. I’m not going to compete with a past love. You know who my ex-husband married?”

He took her hand in his and held it tight. “What’s that got to do with us?”

“He married his high school sweetheart. A few months before we started dating, they’d broken up. Now looking back, I don’t think they were ever over each other, and I won’t go through that again.”

“Susie is dead.”

“That doesn’t make any difference. Why can’t you forgive her?”

“Why can’t you forgive your ex-husband?” Anger sliced through his voice, striking at her.