of
his size. I also know that if you feed him, he listens a lot
better. “Okay, give me a minute.”
“ Yeah, you’ll
come?”
“ Let me get a coat
on.” And some snacks to feed Colonel while
we’re gone.
Once I am dressed properly for the cold, I
head outside. Abel Lee is still sittin’ on top of Colonel. He
smiles when he sees me. I walk up to the horse and pet him before I
do anything else. I talk nicely and tell him to be nice, before
feedin’ him some carrots I stashed in my pockets just for him. “Be
nice, Colonel, Abel Lee’s a newbie.” I give him one last pet before
movin’ away. “Ready?” I ask Abel Lee.
“ Do you need
help?”
For a minute, I wonder if I should act
clueless and defenseless. I quickly decide against it. I don’t want
to mislead him. “No, I think I got it.”
He scoots up in the saddle and offers me his
hand. I put one foot in the stirrup and hoist myself up in one try,
using his hand for support. Colonel moves, but he doesn’t buck.
“Easy, boy,” Abel Lee says as he steadies the stallion. “Ready?” he
asks over his shoulder.
As I’ll ever be. “Yep,” I say instead.
I wrap my arms around Abel Lee and Colonel
walks us down the road. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a
horse and I soon realize that I miss it. The horse behaves himself,
and I’m grateful. Abel Lee and I don’t talk but just enjoy the
silence of the evening.
He stops by the creek and says, “Let’s take a
break.”
I climb off Colonel and feed him some more
carrots while Abel Lee climbs down from the saddle. Abel Lee comes
up and also offers him an apple. “A bribe?” I ask, teasingly.
He chuckles. “As long as it works.” He
strokes him between his eyes and down his long nose. “He does like
his apples.”
“ And carrots,” I add,
pulling out more carrots from my coat pocket.
“ Smart girl,” he says. He
ties Colonel up to a tree and takes me by my hand, leadin’ me to
the stream of runnin’ water. “I used to come here as a boy.” He
leans against a tree and looks around the dark wooded
area.
I sit down at the base of the tree trunk near
his feet. He lowers himself and joins me. “It’s beautiful here.” I
watch as he stretches out his long legs. “I can’t wait till Sawyer
Jackson gets old enough so I can teach him to catch crawdads.”
He looks over at me. “You hunt crawdads?”
“ Favorite pastime
ever.”
“ You fish, too?
I laugh. “You’re looking at the recipient of
the blue ribbon award of the Perry County Catch and Release
Tournament three years in a row.”
Now he laughs. “No.”
“ Yes. I would never lie
about something like that. That’s a big deal in these parts.” I try
to hide the hint of a smile I feel on my lips.
“ Now, Savannah Mae, that is
very impressive.” He looks from one eye to the other, and I quickly
look away.
I pick up a twig and break it in half. “Thank
you. What about you? You hold any significant titles or anything I
should know about?”
He pauses for a moment and looks beyond the
creek. “No, nothing as impressive as yours.” He looks at me and
gives me another faint smile.
There’s an awkward silence. “Mia tells me
you’re just here visitin’. You got plans of leavin’ soon?”
“ I should be leaving
tomorrow. But I’ll be staying through New Year’s.”
I look over at him. “You’ll be goin’ to the
big New Year’s Eve party then.”
“ Excuse me?”
“ The American Legion in
Roseville. They always put on a big party, complete with square
dancin’ and everything. Your Momma and Pops never miss
it.”
He watches me with crinkled eyes. “Square
dancing, huh.”
“ And line dancin’, too.
It’s a big deal, you should go.”
“ Will you be
there?”
“ Not this year.” I remember
it’s my first New Year’s Eve since my divorce. I don’t want to be
out on New Year’s Eve as a single woman. “Sawyer Jackson and I have
a date with each other that night. I’ll be home
his size. I also know that if you feed him, he listens a lot
better. “Okay, give me a minute.”
“ Yeah, you’ll
come?”
“ Let me get a coat
on.” And some snacks to feed Colonel while
we’re gone.
Once I am dressed properly for the cold, I
head outside. Abel Lee is still sittin’ on top of Colonel. He
smiles when he sees me. I walk up to the horse and pet him before I
do anything else. I talk nicely and tell him to be nice, before
feedin’ him some carrots I stashed in my pockets just for him. “Be
nice, Colonel, Abel Lee’s a newbie.” I give him one last pet before
movin’ away. “Ready?” I ask Abel Lee.
“ Do you need
help?”
For a minute, I wonder if I should act
clueless and defenseless. I quickly decide against it. I don’t want
to mislead him. “No, I think I got it.”
He scoots up in the saddle and offers me his
hand. I put one foot in the stirrup and hoist myself up in one try,
using his hand for support. Colonel moves, but he doesn’t buck.
“Easy, boy,” Abel Lee says as he steadies the stallion. “Ready?” he
asks over his shoulder.
As I’ll ever be. “Yep,” I say instead.
I wrap my arms around Abel Lee and Colonel
walks us down the road. It’s been a while since I’ve been on a
horse and I soon realize that I miss it. The horse behaves himself,
and I’m grateful. Abel Lee and I don’t talk but just enjoy the
silence of the evening.
He stops by the creek and says, “Let’s take a
break.”
I climb off Colonel and feed him some more
carrots while Abel Lee climbs down from the saddle. Abel Lee comes
up and also offers him an apple. “A bribe?” I ask, teasingly.
He chuckles. “As long as it works.” He
strokes him between his eyes and down his long nose. “He does like
his apples.”
“ And carrots,” I add,
pulling out more carrots from my coat pocket.
“ Smart girl,” he says. He
ties Colonel up to a tree and takes me by my hand, leadin’ me to
the stream of runnin’ water. “I used to come here as a boy.” He
leans against a tree and looks around the dark wooded
area.
I sit down at the base of the tree trunk near
his feet. He lowers himself and joins me. “It’s beautiful here.” I
watch as he stretches out his long legs. “I can’t wait till Sawyer
Jackson gets old enough so I can teach him to catch crawdads.”
He looks over at me. “You hunt crawdads?”
“ Favorite pastime
ever.”
“ You fish, too?
I laugh. “You’re looking at the recipient of
the blue ribbon award of the Perry County Catch and Release
Tournament three years in a row.”
Now he laughs. “No.”
“ Yes. I would never lie
about something like that. That’s a big deal in these parts.” I try
to hide the hint of a smile I feel on my lips.
“ Now, Savannah Mae, that is
very impressive.” He looks from one eye to the other, and I quickly
look away.
I pick up a twig and break it in half. “Thank
you. What about you? You hold any significant titles or anything I
should know about?”
He pauses for a moment and looks beyond the
creek. “No, nothing as impressive as yours.” He looks at me and
gives me another faint smile.
There’s an awkward silence. “Mia tells me
you’re just here visitin’. You got plans of leavin’ soon?”
“ I should be leaving
tomorrow. But I’ll be staying through New Year’s.”
I look over at him. “You’ll be goin’ to the
big New Year’s Eve party then.”
“ Excuse me?”
“ The American Legion in
Roseville. They always put on a big party, complete with square
dancin’ and everything. Your Momma and Pops never miss
it.”
He watches me with crinkled eyes. “Square
dancing, huh.”
“ And line dancin’, too.
It’s a big deal, you should go.”
“ Will you be
there?”
“ Not this year.” I remember
it’s my first New Year’s Eve since my divorce. I don’t want to be
out on New Year’s Eve as a single woman. “Sawyer Jackson and I have
a date with each other that night. I’ll be home
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