Free The Promise Box by Tricia Goyer Page A

calmness were the two most
     important qualities of a horse trainer.
    Blowing out a long, deep breath, he wrapped an arm around the back of Blue’s neck
     and rubbed him briskly on both sides of the neck. To get ready for the halter, the
     horse needed to understand Gideon could touch all around his neck without startling
     him. Gideon had seen more than one person trying to reach around a horse’s neck only
     to have the horse get spooked, plowing him over. Being calm didn’t mean that the horse
     wouldn’t jump and be scared…but it helped.
    After a few minutes, Blue warmed up to him, and Gideon took the halter and rubbed
     it on the side of Blue’s face, getting him used to the feel. When Blue was comfortable,
     he attempted to wrap the halter around Blue’s neck and buckleit. The jingling of the harness caused Blue’s ears to prick. He jerked. Gideon swooped
     the halter off, grabbing the rope just in case Blue bolted. Sure enough, the horse
     started out on a trot. Gideon held onto the rope, letting Blue know he wasn’t going
     to get away. The horse tugged slightly, and then submitted, running in full circles
     around Gideon. He released a breath and held on, knowing the horse would calm. Thirty
     seconds later Blue paused and glanced over at Gideon again. Gideon reeled in the rope
     as if he were pulling in a large fish. Blue came with no problem.
    Gideon tried to ignore Lydia, but he couldn’t help but glance at her out of the corner
     of his eye. She watched with interest, and Gideon liked having her there. He liked
     that she appreciated his work. Lydia would make a great friend. He had many
Englisch
friends in the area. One more wouldn’t hurt, right?
    Gideon again forced himself to stay calm and focused on the horse. He didn’t make
     a big deal of the fact that the jingle of the harness had spooked Blue a few minutes
     ago. Everyone deserved a second chance.
    This time he placed the noseband on Blue first, then reached to the other side of
     Blue’s head and grasped the crownpiece and buckled it. He looked to Lydia again, expecting
     a wave or thumbs-up. Instead she stood chatting on her cell phone. His heart ached
     as if Blue had bruised it with a wild kick. Who was he fooling? They were too different.
     He was just someone who’d occupy her time until she headed back to her city life.
    The truth hurt.
    That’s why he hadn’t approached Edgar to get more details about that event twenty
     years ago. The truth would hurt. Wasn’t that why Mem and Dat had kept quiet all these
     years?
    Yesterday, after the funeral, he’d gone back to the bachelors’cabin and sat on the front porch, boots kicked up on the porch railing, looking into
     the hills.
    He’d sensed Edgar’s eyes on him during the funeral, but he refused to make eye contact.
     Why did he have to be the stupid kid who had gotten lost in the woods? Who’d disobeyed
     his parents and caused trouble in the whole community? His mother had reminded him
     many times where disobedience had led him. How could he forget?
    Couldn’t he have been remembered for something good? Something noble? Guilt harnessed
     itself to his heart, and he wished he could shake it off.
    “C’mon, Blue.” He led the horse through the pasture away from Lydia. Leading with
     a rope was an important part of the training. It put a connection between him and
     the horse; through it Blue learned trust.
    They walked through the pasture and then toward a hill, passing under the trees. It
     was dimmer there. His mentor’s words trailed through his thoughts:
    “
The horse needs to learn that no matter what you bring into his life, you will not
     purposefully hurt him. In fact, the trust built might even save a horse’s life one
     day
.”
    “You’re trusting me, aren’t you?” Gideon spoke the words to Blue, but he also couldn’t
     help but feel as if God was speaking the same words to his heart.
    “Trust isn’t really trust when you’re allowed to roam free