Page 52 of All We Carry Home

Phantom huffed beside me, sniffing the new scents around him.

“So that when we go to the show arena, he doesn’t get too distracted by anything other than my commands.”

I circled to walk the other direction along the railing. Phantom followed.

“Why is showing the horse such a big deal?” Peter leaned his chin on his arms.

I walked over to Peter on the railing, and Phantom stuck his head over the wall and nudged the boy’s cheek gently with his muzzle.

How could I explain it?

I closed my eyes and could see the arena before me—the dozens of horses all shined up, the riders and handlers dressed to the nines and proudly displaying their animals. I hadn’t understood the allure either until I was there.

Gramps had explained things in his special way. He’d always had the right way with words, with horses.

I wished more than anything that he was here to explain such things to Peter, not me.

For better or worse, I was all Birkstrom had left.

Warren

“It’s more than just showing off your horse,” Eva was saying as I walked with Lucky into the arena. She was speaking to Peter on the railing of the arena, and neither of them noticed our entrance.

I’d picked up Lucky from the local airport, and he was eager to get to work around the ranch. He remembered Eva fondly from her treating his eye after his convoy had been attacked in Kötzting. I filled him in about the work to be done and the situation with the neighbors.

Lucky wore a triangular-shaped leather eye patch over his right eye despite multiple surgeries and attempts to restore his vision. He’d always been the most accident-prone of the Ghost Riders of the 42nd. His nickname evolved long before the stray piece of metal impaled his eye. The fact that he’d missed the sniper’s bullet by mere inches . . . it was just another part of the lore that became Private Shawn “Lucky” Wright.

Now, in the doorway of the arena, we both went still to listen to Eva’s voice. Peter had asked why showing the horse was important. I wanted to know too. I knew about the notoriety and the prestige of the industry. I knew how popular dog showing was among the country club elites, but I sensed it was something deeper for Eva. I saw it in her eyes and in the photos of Bill and her with their winning horses in the barn’s office and the house.

“It’s about the relationship,” she said. “It’s showcasing hours of unseen time bonding and fretting over every little detail about your horse. The feed, the trim of his mane, the care you take in cleaning your halter or saddle. Every bit of work you’ve invested over months and years all bundled into one moment, where a judge looks upon your complete picture and weighs it against the work that every other person has poured into their own horse, attire, and tack.”

Her gaze drifted back into the arena, a dreamy grin creeping up her lips. I prayed that she wouldn’t look my way and catch me staring. I couldn’t take my eyes off her as she continued.

“It’s about the hundreds of times you lose, when your efforts seem to go completely unseen. It’s about the times your horse decides to disobey right in front of the judges after an otherwise perfect ride.” She sighed. “None of that matters when you finally get the ribbon, finally feel like your efforts have shone through. You feel like you’re on top of the world even if you just won the youth division class that had all of four or five participants.”

Peter cocked his head. “So, all you get is a ribbon?”

“Yes, usually.” She chuckled. “Well, it’s a labor of love more than anything else.”

She seemed to come back to earth and looked over in our direction. Lucky saved me with a quick wave and a step forward, drawing her attention.

“Lucky!” she said cheerily.

Peter turned and smiled at me. “Hi, Warren.”

I snapped out of my reverie and followed Lucky to the edge of the arena. He looked over Phantom and spoke with Eva warmly.

Peter hobbled on his crutches, the sight still stinging ever so slightly.

If only I had gotten to him sooner. If only I could have saved him from even getting to this point. If only I’d seen him steal the lighter and cigarettes from Keith and stopped him then.

The world—and my past—was full of haunted “if onlys.”

“I need to put Phantom away,” Eva said with a glance at her wristwatch. “I have an auction to catch.” She looked at me and Lucky. “You guys want to join me? I wanted to bring two trailers.”

“Two trailers?” I said, crossing my arms.

She smiled. “Well, Eddie finished up all those stalls and they’re just too pretty not to fill.”