nearly every animal in the Amish community.
"I have to go into town and get a prescription for Phoebe," she announced as she opened the gate on the stall. Then she laughed and shook her head. Why was she explaining to a horse?
Pilot shook his great head and backed up.
"I don't have time for this," she told him. "If you give me too much trouble I'll just go get Daisy. Sweet-natured, cooperative Daisy."
He pawed the ground and shook his head again as if to tell her what he thought of that. So she gathered up her courage and walked into the stall and slipped the bridle over his head and fastened it. Don't show him you're afraid, Matthew had said. Then you'll lose control forever.
Well, there was still a cold grip of fear around her heart when she did this but Pilot hadn't ever shown any sign that he'd hurt her. If there had ever been even an inkling that could happen, Matthew wouldn't have the horse on the farm. But she couldn't help feeling a little wary as he walked outside with her and let her hitch him up to the buggy.
"Might be my lunch," she said as he began sniffing at her shoulder purse as she hitched him to the buggy. "Might be something for you."
When he nuzzled her cheek she laughed and relaxed. "You are such a handsome guy. And charming. Have I mentioned charming?"
She finished and stood back to admire her handiwork. Pilot nodded and nudged her with his nose. "Okay, okay, I'll see if I can find an apple for you for being good."
Before she could do what she said, he nosed at her purse and she laughed again.
"I swear, you can sniff out an apple like Annie can sniff out a cookie."
She pulled out the apple and handed it to him. "This is our secret, you hear? If Matthew found out I was spoiling you this way I'd never hear the end of it."
She climbed into the buggy and Pilot tossed his head and began leading them down the drive. Jenny sighed and smiled to herself. Success. She hadn't had to call Matthew as she'd had to do a few times in the beginning. He didn't mind— ever—and even showed up sometimes to hitch up Pilot when he knew she needed to go to town.
But even children knew how to do such a task here and she was determined not to be intimidated by this four-legged beast. An Amish fraa did such things herself and she was determined to be a good Amish fraa.
Driving a buggy was second nature to her now. The first few times she'd driven one after she had an accident had been hard. But like the old saying, you had to get back on the horse—or behind it!—and just do it again. Or walk. And you couldn't walk everywhere you needed to anyway.
But the accident had taught her to be more careful, to look both ways, and then get quickly onto the road. She'd hesitated when she'd approached the road that time, not given firm enough directions to Daisy. And the driver of the car had been going too fast, like so many did, heedless of the danger to buggies.
So as she approached the road, she was firm with Pilot. And former racehorse that he was, he knew not to hesitate and got them onto the road quickly.
Jenny pulled into the drive next door to see if Hannah needed anything from town. To her surprise, Hannah came hurrying out of the house before she could alight from the buggy.
"Rescue me!" she hissed. "I don't care where you're going or how long you're going to be gone. Just let me ride along."
"Do you promise to behave?" Jenny asked, tongue in cheek.
"You do not know what I've gone through for the last few days," Hannah told her. "Let me go get my purse and I'll tell you all about it on the way into town."
Jenny had never seen Hannah quite so rattled. She was the closest thing to a drama queen Jenny had been around since— well, she couldn't remember.
"Thank goodness you came over," Hannah said with a big sigh after Jenny helped her heave herself into the buggy.
"The visit isn't going well?"
Hannah rolled her eyes. "Everything's so tense between Chris and his father. I keep telling Chris that he needs to
"I have to go into town and get a prescription for Phoebe," she announced as she opened the gate on the stall. Then she laughed and shook her head. Why was she explaining to a horse?
Pilot shook his great head and backed up.
"I don't have time for this," she told him. "If you give me too much trouble I'll just go get Daisy. Sweet-natured, cooperative Daisy."
He pawed the ground and shook his head again as if to tell her what he thought of that. So she gathered up her courage and walked into the stall and slipped the bridle over his head and fastened it. Don't show him you're afraid, Matthew had said. Then you'll lose control forever.
Well, there was still a cold grip of fear around her heart when she did this but Pilot hadn't ever shown any sign that he'd hurt her. If there had ever been even an inkling that could happen, Matthew wouldn't have the horse on the farm. But she couldn't help feeling a little wary as he walked outside with her and let her hitch him up to the buggy.
"Might be my lunch," she said as he began sniffing at her shoulder purse as she hitched him to the buggy. "Might be something for you."
When he nuzzled her cheek she laughed and relaxed. "You are such a handsome guy. And charming. Have I mentioned charming?"
She finished and stood back to admire her handiwork. Pilot nodded and nudged her with his nose. "Okay, okay, I'll see if I can find an apple for you for being good."
Before she could do what she said, he nosed at her purse and she laughed again.
"I swear, you can sniff out an apple like Annie can sniff out a cookie."
She pulled out the apple and handed it to him. "This is our secret, you hear? If Matthew found out I was spoiling you this way I'd never hear the end of it."
She climbed into the buggy and Pilot tossed his head and began leading them down the drive. Jenny sighed and smiled to herself. Success. She hadn't had to call Matthew as she'd had to do a few times in the beginning. He didn't mind— ever—and even showed up sometimes to hitch up Pilot when he knew she needed to go to town.
But even children knew how to do such a task here and she was determined not to be intimidated by this four-legged beast. An Amish fraa did such things herself and she was determined to be a good Amish fraa.
Driving a buggy was second nature to her now. The first few times she'd driven one after she had an accident had been hard. But like the old saying, you had to get back on the horse—or behind it!—and just do it again. Or walk. And you couldn't walk everywhere you needed to anyway.
But the accident had taught her to be more careful, to look both ways, and then get quickly onto the road. She'd hesitated when she'd approached the road that time, not given firm enough directions to Daisy. And the driver of the car had been going too fast, like so many did, heedless of the danger to buggies.
So as she approached the road, she was firm with Pilot. And former racehorse that he was, he knew not to hesitate and got them onto the road quickly.
Jenny pulled into the drive next door to see if Hannah needed anything from town. To her surprise, Hannah came hurrying out of the house before she could alight from the buggy.
"Rescue me!" she hissed. "I don't care where you're going or how long you're going to be gone. Just let me ride along."
"Do you promise to behave?" Jenny asked, tongue in cheek.
"You do not know what I've gone through for the last few days," Hannah told her. "Let me go get my purse and I'll tell you all about it on the way into town."
Jenny had never seen Hannah quite so rattled. She was the closest thing to a drama queen Jenny had been around since— well, she couldn't remember.
"Thank goodness you came over," Hannah said with a big sigh after Jenny helped her heave herself into the buggy.
"The visit isn't going well?"
Hannah rolled her eyes. "Everything's so tense between Chris and his father. I keep telling Chris that he needs to
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