Abigail's New Hope (22 page)

“
Daed
, I want to learn to ride a horse. Is that okay?” asked Laura at the supper table.

If her niece’s question took Catherine by surprise, it downright flabbergasted Daniel. “
What?
” He dropped his spoon into his soup bowl. They had all been enjoying a pleasant supper of chicken noodle soup with corn bread and deviled eggs. Conversation had centered on the weather, the outlook for the corn crop, and how poorly the newest Cleveland Indian pitcher had been doing since midseason. Occasionally, Daniel listened to a ball game on his transistor radio while driving his team of draft horses through the fields. His father-in-law wouldn’t approve if he knew, but other than his fondness for baseball, Daniel was a pious and humble man.

Instead of eating, the
kinner
were sulking and picking at their food. Daniel had still not inquired about a visit to their
mamm
in Wooster. Laura seemed intent on drowning a carrot by pinning it to the bottom of her bowl. “I want to learn to ride a horse like Isaiah,” she repeated.

“You are only six years old,” Daniel pointed out.

“How old do you have to be? How old was Isaiah when he first rode a horse?” The girl finally ate the submerged carrot.

Daniel thought a moment and frowned. Apparently, the answer didn’t suit his argument.

“Probably about that age, but let’s not forget that Isaiah is a boy, not a girl.”

This comment drew a stare from Catherine, but she chewed on the inside of her mouth to avoid trouble.

“Do you mean girls don’t ride horses?” Laura’s forehead furrowed with wrinkles. “I thought that Aunt Meghan rode around barrels in races with other girls.” She drew a figure-eight pattern on the table’s oilcloth cover with her finger and peered up at her other aunt.

“That’s true,” said Catherine. “She did. I believe she even won a race one summer.” She smiled at her niece. “But she used a saddle with bit, bridle, and stirrups, which is not the way Isaiah rides. It’s much harder to stay on the horse when riding bareback, not to mention getting on and off the beast. He probably used a saddle when he first learned.”

This gave the girl something to ponder. In the silence that followed, Daniel cleared his throat. “May I have another ladleful of soup, Catherine? I like how you added lima beans to the other vegetables. And it might be time to slice that apple pie I’ve had my eye on in the windowsill.”

She rose to her feet to get his soup, but Laura wasn’t so easily distracted. “
Daed
, you have a small saddle in the barn. I saw it hanging on the wall. Can I use it to learn to ride?”

He released an exasperated sigh. “I’m sure your Aunt Meghan wasn’t six when she started. You’re too little, Laura. Your legs won’t reach the stirrups even if we shorten them to the highest notch. Maybe in a few years. Why don’t you ask Aunt Catherine to teach you to embroider? That’s a good female pastime.” He began eating his second helping with gusto.

Laura’s lower lip protruded and then began to tremble. Large tears pooled and then poured from her brown eyes like a faucet. “You say no to everything! I couldn’t stay overnight at my friend’s house, then you wouldn’t let me go see
mamm
, and now I can’t even ride a horse around my own
backyard
!” She emphasized the last word to make sure he understood she wasn’t asking to ride to Wooster. Then she laid her face down on the table and sobbed, her tears quickly forming a puddle.

Catherine clenched her teeth to keep from intervening between a father and child. She took a knife to the pie, hacking it into six mismatched pieces.

Daniel rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue. “Okay, Laura, stop bawling. I’ll ask Isaiah to saddle up his mare. She’s the smallest horse on the farm.” He pushed away his empty bowl.

“You will?” she asked, lifting her head.

“You will?” Catherine’s tone expressed an equal amount of disbelief. She set the largest slice of pie in front of him.

“
Jah
, I will if he’s still in the barn cleaning water troughs.”

“I can learn to ride tonight?” Laura stared at him.

“
If
Isaiah hasn’t gone back to his cabin, and
if
he feels like teaching you. But only inside the paddock, with Aunt Catherine leading the horse by the reins and Isaiah keeping you in the saddle. I won’t have you falling off and breaking an arm. How would I explain that to your
mamm
when she comes home?”

Laura flew from her chair and into her father’s lap. With her arms around his neck and her face buried in his shirt, she spoke in a muffled voice. “
Danki, daed. Danki
so much.” From her gratitude an outsider arriving at the door would think she had been awarded a treasure chest of toys.

Daniel patted her back. “You’re welcome. Now finish your soup and corn bread. I’m sure Aunt Meghan never rode a horse on an empty belly.” He turned to his son, who’d been listening with interest. “Jake, you can ride the porch swing with me after supper. How does that sound?”

The boy nodded his head vigorously.

While Laura devoured her meal, Catherine found her own stomach fluttering with anticipation.
I will see Isaiah again
. That same visitor might assume Catherine was the one getting to climb into the saddle, because she was as excited as her niece.

With supper dishes done and Laura pacing the porch, Catherine resorted to counting cows in the distance to settle her nerves. They didn’t have to wait long, however. Within the hour Isaiah appeared coming from the barn, leading his mare outfitted with a saddle.

“Hullo, Laura. Hullo, Cat.”

He wore clean dark pants, a navy shirt, and black suspenders, and he had replaced his everyday straw hat with his black felt. Catherine knew he hadn’t just finished barn chores, and considering the pink flush to his cheeks, he’d probably showered with the barn’s cold water.

“Hi, Isaiah,” both females chimed as they ran to join him in the paddock.

“Cor-rah,” he said, patting the mare’s neck. He made a calm, stillwater motion with his hand.

“Cora is a gentle horse,” interpreted Catherine.

“Hi, Cora.” Laura greeted the mare while lightly patting her neck. “Pick me up, Aunt. I want to see her face better.”

When Catherine lifted the child higher, Laura leaned so close that beast and child were eye to eye. She kissed the mare above the nose. The girl possessed no more fear of horses than swimming in a pond filled with feet-nibbling fish.

Isaiah laughed at the affectionate gesture as he pulled Laura from Catherine’s arms. He effortlessly swung her into the saddle, and then he also planted a kiss on Cora’s nose. Laura found this worthy of applause. Isaiah held up one stirrup. “
Fut
,” he said, and Laura slid her boot into place.

Catherine noticed that a recent hole had been bored through the leather, higher and not in line with the others.

“
Fut
,” he repeated on the other side. Then he handed Laura a short set of reins, and to Catherine he gave the longer lead rope. “
Tie-ette
,” he enunciated, tapping the child’s leg.

“You want me to hold tight with my legs?” asked Laura, squeezing rather ineffectively in her long dress.

He nodded and tapped her leg again, harder. Laura practiced gripping with her legs while Isaiah steadied her in the saddle.

Suddenly, Laura shrieked. Isaiah might not have known if the animal hadn’t sidestepped. “Spider!” the child cried, pointing to a harmless daddy longlegs sitting on Cora’s mane.

Isaiah leaned in to inspect, and then he gently nudged the bug onto the back of his hand. Without releasing his hold on the saddle, he transferred the spider to an overhead tree branch.

Catherine watched, enchanted by his kindness toward God’s lowest of creatures, and also by the patient instruction of someone who had spent little time in school. Once he was satisfied that Laura understood what to do, he made a small clicking sound with his tongue—a sound so soft Catherine could have missed it. But the brown Morgan heard, shook her magnificent black mane, and began to walk. Catherine hurried a little to get out in front of her with the lead rope. Around the fenced paddock they went—man, woman, child, and horse. And all seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Catherine caught Isaiah staring at her more than once when she glanced over her shoulder. When their gazes met, he blushed and focused on the child, adjusting Laura’s position on the saddle or correcting her posture. But Catherine could sense his attention even with her back turned, and she walked taller and smiled more than usual.
Hopefully, I won’t break into a song of joy
, she thought, tamping down her emotions.

“Let’s go faster, Isaiah,” demanded Laura. But because he didn’t hear the child, he kept plodding along at a snail’s pace. Laura gave Cora a small kick with her heels, causing the horse to lurch forward.

Isaiah pulled the short reins with a quick “whoa.” Laura reached over to tap his shoulder and almost fell off the horse. He pushed her back in the saddle with a frown.

“Faster,” she begged and made a quick, staccato movement with her hand.

He shook his finger at her and said, “
Fass-nuff
.”

No problem with his communication today
, thought Catherine.

After twenty minutes of going in circles in the paddock, Isaiah took the lead rope from Catherine and led the mare to the back steps. After wrapping the rope around the rail, he lifted Laura off the horse and set her on the porch.

“
Danki
, Isaiah.” The child offered a quick hug and ran to the door, calling “
Gut nacht
” as the screen door slammed behind her.

“
Danki
, Isaiah. Nice of you,” said Catherine, beaming and pointing at his chest. “Good night.” She started up the steps, but he grabbed her elbow before she got too far.

“No.” He gestured for her to follow as he led the horse toward the barn.

Catherine stood stymied on the bottom step, wondering what he needed her help with at this hour.

“Come,” he demanded, halfway down the path.

What could she do but obey his command? After a hesitant glance over her shoulder, she picked up her skirt and hurried after him, hoping Daniel wasn’t watching from the window.

With his long strides and no child on Cora’s back, Isaiah disappeared behind the barn before Catherine could catch up. She slowed her pace to avoid panting like a dog. By the time she rejoined them, Isaiah was adjusting the length of the saddle’s stirrups. He perused her from head to toe, set the buckle into a notch, and then readjusted the other side. Catherine watched, mesmerized, as Cora stood stock-still without being tied during the saddle adjustment.

“
Dun
,” he said and motioned for her to come closer.

“Me?” she asked, even though no one else was there.

“
Jah
, you, Cat.” He winked when he spoke her name. Patting the saddle with one hand, he offered his other hand to her.

Comprehension of what he wanted finally registered. “Oh, no,” she said, shaking her head vigorously. But she couldn’t stop grinning.

“
Jah
, Cat.” He grabbed her hand and dragged her to Cora’s side.

She didn’t know what to do, having never ridden a horse before. Her sister Meghan might own a small trophy to prove her expertise, but Catherine had always been afraid of large beasts with flies buzzing around their heads.

But no flies buzzed around Cora when she focused one gentle brown eye on Catherine as though to say:
What’s taking you so long? Get on already
.

She couldn’t possibly climb onto the horse—she was wearing a dress! And what if she fell off? How would she explain a broken arm to Abby, not to mention Daniel? But how could she not comply and still preserve a friendship with the man she wished to help? Without another thought, Catherine lifted her skirt, put her shoe into the stirrup, and accepted Isaiah’s hand. From the other side of Cora, he pulled hard while she transferred her weight from the ground into the saddle.

It was not a pretty sight if anyone had been watching. And once seated, no matter how she tugged and pulled at her long dress, quite a bit of her black stockings showed on both legs.

What would
daed
think of me now?

“
Fut
.” Isaiah held the other stirrup in a position she could reach. Once she complied, he ordered, “Legs
tie-ette
,” and slapped her exposed black stocking.