Page 70 of All We Carry Home

Eva handed me the reins. “When was the last time you rode?”

“Evacuating Hostau.” A bolt of dread shot through me as I realized how sore I might be for the next few days. “It was the first and only time I’ve ridden.”

She chuckled. “Autumn is a cream puff.” She scratched the horse’s neck. “She’ll look after you.”

We walked out of the barn, the clomp of the horses’ shod feet against the hard-packed dirt floor echoing around us. There wasn’t another sound aside from the rustle of leaves and the gentle huff of the horses’ breathing. That, and I’m sure my heartbeat was loud enough for the whole county to hear.

Phantom nickered from his pen, a ghostly figure in the dim light but glowing with his brilliant light gray coat. It was good to see him settled, happy, and safe. I’d come around to Eva’s belief that he was destined for more. For the show arena and renown.

At the edge of the paddocks, Eva turned and motioned to the saddle. “Let’s go, Ghost Rider.”

We mounted up, and she led the way. Autumn followed Acorn without any direction from me. From the way Eva’s shoulders relaxed, I felt even further at ease.

Whatever had prompted her to ride today and invite me along, I wasn’t quite sure. But I thanked God for the opportunity.

The valley was flat before us, lined with trees at the edges and sloping up into a tall hill that disappeared into a blanket of foliage. I’d bet that was Beacon’s Bluff, as it pointed directly to the east.

The morning air was crisp and fresh. Rabbits darted from tree to bush in the distance.

After an hour, the ground rose upward and we trekked toward the sky with no end in sight.

Eva checked over her shoulder to see I was still following, and her hesitant, timid smile captured me with a power I didn’t expect. The glow of light on her skin, the dark locks of hair loose down her back—she was stunning.

The rest of the trees, flowers, and splendor passed by me without cutting through that vision. My thoughts drifted to yearning for more moments like this. What would life be like with Eva at my side?

The incline leveled out, and a clearing loomed ahead in the trees. As the trail widened, Eva reined her horse beside mine. I didn’t want this to ever end. Once the sun came up, we’d need to get back to all the demands of the day.

“We can leave the horses here.” She pulled Acorn to a stop, and Autumn stopped automatically. Eva dismounted and tied her horse to a wooden post.

I slowly swung my leg over the back of Autumn, already feeling the ache throughout my lower body. The rest of today helping Eddie redo the cabin roofing might be painful.

Eva tied Autumn’s reins for me and then walked into the clearing. The sky had lightened to a bluish hue, the sunrise mere moments away.

Beyond, another valley slept peacefully in the shadows of the dawn, circled by mountains in large waves of earth and soil frozen forever in mid-crest. The landscape was scattered with small trees and sagebrush below and towering evergreens on the higher elevations. A blanket of flowers wove a tapestry of yellow, pink, and purple. It felt like the quintessential Western setting for any cowboy dime novel.

Ahead, in a gap between the trees, stood a tall, handmade wooden platform. She climbed up the ladder and I followed, surprised by the sturdiness despite the cracked, aged lumber.

“Did Bill build this for you?”

“His father built it for him. We had to replace a few boards over the years, but it’s a Birkstrom family creation.” She winked. “Keeps you from sitting on the ground with the snakes.”

On the top, she sat on the edge and hung her legs over the side. The wind blew her dark waves as if caressing the smooth strands.

I sat next to her at an appropriate distance. “Why now?” I didn’t want to shatter the fragility of the moment, but I needed to know.

Her gaze pored over the horizon, and she pressed her lips together, pensive. “You were right at the lake.” She turned her head to me and touched her chin to her lifted shoulder. “Is it really worth it all if I don’t take these moments?”

Her words spread warmth through me. “So, why’d you invite me?” More treading onto thin ice.

“I wanted you to see what it is you’re helping to protect.”

The sky began to turn pink, orange, red. The light spilled over the tan dirt and green trees and turned into a kaleidoscope of colors. The sun’s rays grew stronger with each passing second, turning the hues from dark to brilliantly bright.

It was breathtaking.

My gaze locked onto Eva, her pale blue eyes watching the sunrise and a hint of pain evident in her creased brow.

I cared about this land and the farm as a sanctuary for Phantom when no other barn would take him. But that wasn’t the only reason, or even the main reason, for bringing in Eddie and the rest.