The Road Home

Part 9

"Couldn't fight back the tears so I fell on my knees, saying God if you're there come and rescue me.  Felt love pouring down from above got washed in the water washed in the blood.  And now I'm changed, now I'm stronger." -Carrie Underwood, Something in the Water

"That's how you know it's true.  When an new love feels old, and an old love feels new." -Chris Young, Old Love Feels New

Girl in picture comes in this chapter

XxXxXxXxXxX time skip 1 month XxXxXxXxXxX (Sorry for time skip this is about 5 months since story started and almost 2 1/2 yrs since accident and parents leaving)XxXxXxXxXxX

 Owen and I are out riding Maya and Nutty to get them some exercise since we have been busy with the other horses and keeping them and the rescues up too.  So we are patrolling the fences on the edge of the property, while Logan manages the barn and keeps an eye on the horses there.  In the last month since I've talked to my dad we've had four of the rescues sold to good homes.  We still have Prince and Pirate and four others but we got some of them into the home they deserve.  I glance over at Owen and see that he's watching in the trees on the other side of the fence.  Unsure as to what he was looking at I turn my attention to the same direction.  I scold myself internally for watching him, like that it was just creepy.  "What are we looking for?" I ask not seeing anything.  I glance back to his face for a second before returning my focus to the trees.  We have both pulled to a stop at this point and the horses are happily munching on grass.  I still haven't seen anything, but if it was there before I looked Owen may have seen something I don't.  

"There was a horse tail.  At least that's what it looked like, but it moved and I don't see it anymore."  I pause thinking.  The orchard has a variety of apples that horses like, so it is possible some one stopped to let their horse snack; but Owen said horse no person.  "There it is again! Look to the left of the dead apple tree, you can see the tail flicking around." Owen says pointing to the tree.  I follow to where he's pointing and see it.  A long black and reddish  tail flipping around.  Owen hops of Maya an walks to the fence leading her behind him.  "Do you see anybody around here?  Or is it alone?"  He questions looking towards me clearly slightly confused.

I slide out of the saddle taking Nutter Butters reigns in my hand and walking over to where Owen is against the fence.  "I don't see anybody around.  Owen, what are ya thinkin'?  You think it's lost or something?"  I look down the fence line a little and see a broken board.  "Lets go see if we can get close.  I start leading my horse behind me as I walk to the broken fence and push away the remaining board, which is also falling down.  I look towards Owen who shrugs.  Neither one of us sure how the boards where broken.  Everything on the property is accounted for and safe, so maybe the horse tried to jump and broke them...?  Once Owen and I are through the gap we slow our pace to approach the horse.  As we get closer it turns it's head towards us.  I can now see it has a buckskin coloring with a small white star on its face.  It turns in our direction and walks towards Owen and stops just short of him reaching forward to sniff at him.  

"Ha! I win it came to me first."He says quietly but triumphantly as to not scare the horse.

"Umm Owen that wasn't a competition, and you have carrots in your pocket dingus.  So of coarse it came to you."  I reply shaking my head.  Owen gets excited sometimes at the littlest things and it is entertaining.  But it's not like I blame the horse if I'd been in the middle of nowhere and somebody comes and finds me and they have food, yeah I'd probably come too.  I gradually take a step forward as Owen rubs the horses nose and bribes it with carrots.  I grab the extra lead from my saddle and slide it over the horses neck.  After a few minute we walk out with our horses and the new find.  Once we get back to our property and our side of the fence we stop.