Free Nan Ryan by Love Me Tonight Page B

fence’s top plank, a towhee twittered his happy greeting to the new day. And from a budding peach tree far out in the fruit orchard, a mockingbird was singing.
    Shirtless in the cool gray dawn, Kurt began to whistle softly, adding his own salutation to the coming sunrise. He felt surprisingly rested and fit, although he’d slept no longer than usual. Typically he had lain awake long past midnight, but this time it was from more than his normal restlessness.
    It was amazement.
    His son, the unreachable five-year-old, had for the past few days—since Sunday afternoon and the new swing—begun to talk and even to laugh with Jolly Grubbs. Jolly seemed to possess a special brand of magic that worked wonders on the withdrawn Charlie. Before Sunday, Kurt had never heard his son laugh. Now the wonderful sound echoed in his ears.
    Feeling lighthearted for the first time in ages, Kurt approached the corral looking forward to his daily ride astride the powerful Raider.
    Raider looked forward to it as well.
    The big sorrel began to neigh and whicker even before he caught sight of Kurt. The stallion, restlessly prancing around the confines of the small dirt-bottomed corral, knew that his master would soon be there.
    Raider whinnied loudly and trotted forward to greet him when Kurt appeared in the pale dawn light to throw open the gate.
    “How about it, boy?” Kurt said, stepping inside and stroking the stallion’s sleek neck affectionately. “You ready to run?”
    Raider neighed and blew and shook his great head up and down as if he understood perfectly what his master said. And perhaps he did. Kurt had talked to Raider as an equal from the day the prized stallion was given to him as a newborn colt.
    The excited stallion now nudged at Kurt’s bare chest with his velvet muzzle, ready and anxious to begin their daily romp. He playfully bit Kurt’s bare shoulder. Shoving the stallion’s head away, Kurt stepped around him and headed for the tack room.
    Knowing Raider was following closely on his heels, Kurt said, “Now, you’re not going to believe this, Raider. Charlie has actually been laughing and talking.”
    His big head poking through the open doorway, Raider snorted skeptically.
    “I know. I told you you wouldn’t believe it,” Kurt said.
    He took the bridle down from the peg, slipped the bit in Raider’s mouth, and eased the restraint up the horse’s head, gently pushing Raider’s erect ears outside the leather straps.
    Then, fastening the buckle on the jaw strap, he said into Raider’s pricked ear, “Hey, I didn’t claim he talks and laughs with me. ”
    Raider bared his teeth. Kurt smiled and slapped the stallion’s cheek, backing him out the door. He followed with the worn saddle, threw it on Raider’s back, and tightened the cinch under the stallion’s belly.
    Raider turned his head and gave his master an impatient look. His big sleek body quivered all over and his long tail swished back and forth. The penned stallion was tired of wasting time. He wanted to run.
    Kurt grinned, looped the long leather reins over the horse’s head, put a booted foot into the stirrup, and swung easily up astride the big blooded beast. Raider immediately went into motion, prancing out of the corral, turning to the path that led directly to the large tree-rimmed pasture to the north.
    The long, narrow path bordered the vegetable garden on one side, the fruit orchard on the other. The sound of the mockingbird’s sweet song grew louder as the stallion passed the neat rows of tall fruit-bearing trees flanking the path.
    Holding the reins loosely in one hand, Kurt turned a fleshly shaven cheek to the gentle breeze that blew in off the bay. In a sudden burst of high spirits, he laughed happily into the wind that washed over him like a cool clean stream. He was tempted to burst into song, to sing at the top of his lungs until the whole wide world awakened.
    He didn’t.
    He threw back his head and smiled to himself. Raider picked up