After lunch, Kate and Jim took the children out to the barn and introduced them to the horses. Emily was enthralled and even Lottie seemed to relax and let down her guard somewhat when she was with the horses. The boys rushed from one stall to another, eager to jump aboard as soon as the word was spoken.
Roger and Jim saddled the station’s two most reliable horses and got each of the kids up in turn to test our their riding skills while Jess and Kate mucked out their personal horses’ stables.
Coming down the passageway, leading a horse, Roger glanced over at Jess, busy forking hay and manure and she smiled out at him that peaceful, radiant smile of hers. He turned to Jim. “Best thing I ever did do: shifting here.” He said with his own grin. “She’s so happy. I do believe it’s good for her to be walking around in this muck!”
“Hey, it’s not so bad for yourself!” Jim laughed. It had only been two months since the Smiths had made their move, on trial, to Shalom station but Roger was already displaying the effects of hard outdoorsy work. “So, does this mean you’ll be staying?”
Roger looked over at Jim with a strange look on his face. “I’ve got one more month before I have to decide that, mate. Tell you what though, that little wife of yours has a way of getting her own way.”
“That she does. And honestly hope she gets her way again this time.” Jim replied. “Ok Schane, you climb down and let Lottie have her turn. Come-one Darl.” He gave her a leg up into the saddle and adjusted the child-sized stirrups to suit her. “Now don’t be scared.” He had noticed the white hands gripping the saddle-horn tightly. “I’ve got him here and where can he go? We’re inside and he won’t run anywhere. You just sit back there. That’s right, sit in the saddle like a chair. Ok. Let’s go. You tell me if you feel like you’re going to fall off.”
Kate paused in her work to follow the strolling horse with her gaze up the long passage and back down towards her. A smile spread across her face. As Ned came loping towards her, Lottie’s back straightened and her body relaxed. Her fingers left the safety of the saddle-horn and began to play with the reins. Kate winked at Jim as he strode past her and then followed them down to the mounting place. Jim whisked Lottie down and stood her on the ground in front of him. Then it happened. She looked up at Kate and then Jim and said, with a big smile illuminating her perfect face: “That was fun Uncle Jim!”
Roger looked over at Jim with a strange look on his face. “I’ve got one more month before I have to decide that, mate. Tell you what though, that little wife of yours has a way of getting her own way.”
“That she does. And honestly hope she gets her way again this time.” Jim replied. “Ok Schane, you climb down and let Lottie have her turn. Come-one Darl.” He gave her a leg up into the saddle and adjusted the child-sized stirrups to suit her. “Now don’t be scared.” He had noticed the white hands gripping the saddle-horn tightly. “I’ve got him here and where can he go? We’re inside and he won’t run anywhere. You just sit back there. That’s right, sit in the saddle like a chair. Ok. Let’s go. You tell me if you feel like you’re going to fall off.”
Kate paused in her work to follow the strolling horse with her gaze up the long passage and back down towards her. A smile spread across her face. As Ned came loping towards her, Lottie’s back straightened and her body relaxed. Her fingers left the safety of the saddle-horn and began to play with the reins. Kate winked at Jim as he strode past her and then followed them down to the mounting place. Jim whisked Lottie down and stood her on the ground in front of him. Then it happened. She looked up at Kate and then Jim and said, with a big smile illuminating her perfect face: “That was fun Uncle Jim!”
It all happened so quickly that Kate hardly realized what had happened and Lottie was gone in an instant to join the other kids romping in the hay. Kate looked up at Jim, her eyes full of wonder. Jim glanced back at her with a huge grin spreading over his hansom face. “They did it. This is what we’re all about.” He said, his eyes sparkling.
Kate nodded and hugged him tightly, then turned and hugged Ned with fierce thankfulness. “And thank you God!” She said victoriously.
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