Rain Shadow (16 page)

Without a word she shimmied the deck chair closer and wrapped her arms around her father, leaning into his neck. “I’ve always loved you, Dad,” she whispered.

A great sob caught in his throat, releasing the pain of the day—and so many before—as he squeezed her tight. “We are broken people, Taylor, broken people.”

They hugged each other for a long time, enjoying the peculiar companionship of brokenness. Through the French doors the scent of cooking pork and corn tortillas warming in olive oil mixed with the clean pungent smell of onion and garlic. It snuck over the deck and hovered over the space of sorrow, inviting fellowship and the making of memories. Life birthed a second chance while God welcomed a little saint home with a plate of macaroni and cheese. 

She thought of Anthony and the sweetness of
Salvadore’sfamily memories—happ
y
an
d
sad—as she gazed up at the awesome majesty of the dark universe overhead.

“Anthony said I was pretty for a girl, you remember that? When we first met?” She giggled at the memory and swiped her leaking nose.

Her father chuckled. “Yo
u
ar
e
pretty for a girl.” He nudged her shoulder with his, teasing, then stood. “Shall we eat?”

~  ~~

On the way to the airport Taylor told her father about Melissa, Liz, and Rain. She thanked him for the summer horseback riding camps that made horse ownership doable, if not easy. She invited him to visit.

“You just have to meet my horse, Dad, she is amazing.”

Her father looked thoughtful, “That’s something you got from me—did you know that?”

“Love of horses?”

“Yep,” her father nodded his head, “purely my genes.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I grew up with a pony. Rode him all through the woods growing up. His name was Trigger.”

“That’s original.”

Her father laughed, “Isn’t it? I think my happiest days were in a saddle. It may sound weird, but I always felt understood by my pony. I miss that feeling. Never followed after it, but I see you’ve picked up the genetic thread.”

He sounded proud, relieved to discover Taylor had never been solel
y
Her
s
.

“I know exactly what you mean, Dad. It’s not weird. You simply must meet Rain—you’ll come visit?”

“I will.”

And she felt deep inside that the days of shallow good intentions had come to an end for both of them.



Chapter 20

T

aylor could not say exactly what woke her. Only that she was drawn from sleep as if hearing a voice from far off, or the repetitive strains of familiar music. She drifted to the window, as she always did on sleepless nights, and looked for the pale shape of the horse.

Late at night Rain could always be found lounging in the corner of the field nearest Taylor’s bedroom, her leg cocked and head hung in a horse’s fitful sleep. Taylor knew the choice of location was probably because the ground there was especially spongy, or the views more encompassing or simply some odd animal instinct. Whatever it was,
knowing the mare chose a spot close by brought overwhelming comfort.
Taylor couldn’t shake the feeling that Rain sensed the battle that took place when the sun went down and the nightmares haunted her.

“Did you know horses only sleep a couple hours a day?” Liz had shared once.

“Sounds like me.”

“They really only doze and it adds up to like three hours of actual sleep next to our need for eight.”

Ever after Taylor thought of Rain as her pale sleepless guardian, an angel of the night.

Feeling dreamy and disoriented, Taylor’s heart skipped a beat as she gazed into the deserted pasture. A full moon illuminated a crispy December landscape, the stiff grass glittering as if crusted with tiny diamonds. Rain was nowhere in sight. Suddenly awake, Taylor shivered and pulled on a pair of jeans and wool socks. She shrugged into a jacket and hurried out the door.

Outside silence covered the hibernating earth like a heavy cloak. Taylor’s ears tingled with an increased sense of hearing. She thought she could hear the rustle of a bear turning over in its den somewhere in the surrounding hills, sense the curled up shape and tiny breaths of a mouse cocooned at the base of a tree. Her boots became cymbals crashing in an orchestra of woodland whispers as they crunched over diamond-studded vegetation.

Entering the lean-to, Taylor sighed in relief. Rain stood huddled in a corner. Instead of nickering, the mare bobbed her head twice and bit at her flank, her ebony eye troubled.

“What’s wrong, Sweetie?”

At moments like this, Taylor became painfully aware of her lack of experience. She walked around the horse looking for obvious injury. Nothing appeared to be wrong, but she noted Rain had not finished
her dinner. Left over hay littered the earth around the mare’s feet. Taylor
retrieved some grain and offered it to Rain. The mare ignored the treat and shifted her position.

“Liz says not eating is serious business. What’s up?” As Taylor talked she watched in horror as the mare’s knees buckled and she dropped to the ground. Rain rolled to her side, first one way, then the next, the way she might do after Taylor removed the saddle. It was not a natural thing to do late at night, on rock hard ground, when she would normally be snoozing.

“Okay, okay … think, think.” Taylor fought panic as she watched the mare rise to her feet, only to drop again and roll. What was it Liz had said about veterinary care
?
If anything happens, call Dr. Wilson. He would want to treat Rain in case of emergency. His number’s in the packet.

Heart pounding, Taylor sprinted to the house. She glanced at the clock inside: 10:30. The vet hospital wouldn’t be open. What then? She fumbled through her real estate paperwork and finally found the packet Liz had given her detailing Rain’s injury and recovery. At the bottom of one sheet she saw what she was looking for: South Valley Large Animal Clinic. A phone number followed and Taylor punched it into her cell.

“Dr. Kelso and Wilson’s answering service,” a dry, tired female voice picked up on the fifth ring.

“Hi. My horse is sick or something. I need Dr. Wilson to come look at her.”

“Dr. Kelso is on call tonight. I’ll have him give you a ring right away.”

“No. I need Dr. Wilson.”

“Miss
,
Dr. Kels
o
is on call. He will speak to you shortly and you can tell him what the problem is.”

“Please, just call Dr. Wilson. He saved this horse. He knows her and will want to be the one to see her.” Taylor felt breathless, gulping for air like a fish out of water.

“I seriously doubt that.”

There was silence for a moment then Taylor heard a sigh on the other end of the phone. “What is the name of this animal?”

“Her name is Rain,” Taylor hesitated, “but tell him Bellissima is sick.”

“
Ooookay.” The woman hung up without saying goodbye.

Taylor had paced three circles around the living room when her cell phone trilled. When she picked up a deep voice answered.

“Dr. Wilson here.”

“I’m so sorry to call late, Dr. Wilson. You may not remember me … Taylor. I met you at the trail ride in October … ”

“I remember.”

“Something’s wrong with Rain. I woke up and went outside and she wasn’t sleeping where she usually does … ” Taylor hesitated.

“Horses normally move around. They don’t sleep the way we do.”

“I know, Liz told me.” Taylor’s thoughts felt as scattered as seeds blown by the wind. “Do you know Liz?”

Of course he knows Liz.

“I know Liz. Taylor, if you don’t mind, it’s nearly 11 o’clock. Is something else the matter with Rain?”

“She looks uncomfortable. And she isn’t eating the rest of her hay. She rolled three times when I went out to see her just now.”

“Rolled?” The veterinarian’s voice sharpened. “Anything else?”

“She was biting at her flanks and refused the handful of grain I tried to feed her.”

“I’ll be right out. Where do you live?”

When the truck pulled in the driveway its headlights illuminated twin shapes in the paddock. As instructed, Taylor had haltered the horse and Rain walked in circles at the end of a lead rope.

It took only a minute for Dr. Wilson to confirm his phone diagnosis.

“What’s colic?”

“Basically a bad stomachache.” The vet pulled out a tube of paste and inserted it into Rain’s mouth, depressing the plunger. “I’m giving her something to relax her intestines, if it’s a simple colic.”

Taylor’s heart beat faster. “What if it isn’t a simple colic?”

“If it’s a twisted gut colic she’ll need surgery.” Dr. Wilson was matter of fact. He did not make eye contact with Taylor but focused on
Rain, running his hand up and down the length of her spine and stroking
her neck.  

“Can horses die from colic?”

“Yes.”

“Oh God, really?” Taylor began pacing the length of the lean-to. She
stuffed shaking hands into her jacket pockets and felt for a cigarette.

The veterinarian turned his attention from the horse. “Don’t worry, yet. This could be a simple, mild stomachache. If it is, the medicine will relax Rain’s gut muscles and she’ll begin eating again. That’s how we’ll know. In the meantime, why don’t you show me her hay? I’d like to see if I can determine why she’s uncomfortable.”

After a tour of her sparsely filled feed and tack area, Wilson gestured toward the paddock. “Do you have water out there for her?”

“Of course.”

Taylor felt herself relax as they walked to the water trough. An inch-thick layer of ice covered the surface of the metal tub.

The veterinarian frowned, “How long has it been like this?”

Horror mixed with panic as Taylor examined the miniature ice skating rink in front of them. “I don’t know.”

“Well, that is certainly your problem.” The vet put his hands on his hips. “Horses need just as much, if not more, water during cold weather. Hard telling how long Rain’s been without. That’s why she didn’t finish her food and why she’s so uncomfortable now.”

“I didn’t know … I checked the water and filled it a couple days ago. I didn’t think … ”

The guilt that waited to pounce on Taylor every minute of every day took its opportunity. It pummeled her, stealing away the joy of Rain’s companionship. She did not deserve to have the horse. She had hurt her and would certainly fulfill the dream. Tears filled Taylor’s eyes and made trails down her frozen cheeks. She looked away from the vet. “Maybe I’m just not a good home for her. I’ll go break the ice now.”

Dr. Wilson looked from Rain to Taylor and back again. He glanced at his watch. “How about I break the ice and keep an eye on your horse. Seems to me she might be perking up. Would you be willing to make me a cup of coffee in the meantime? It’s a good forty minutes back home.”

Taylor wiped her eyes
.
Coffee, that’s something I can do without screwing up
.
“Sure.”

By the time the coffee was done, Rain had consumed half a bucketful of warm water and a couple mouthfuls of hay.

The vet looked happy. “She’ll be fine, but I’ll drink a cup of coffee
and give her a few more minutes to show otherwise.” He followed Taylor
to the house, stamped his feet on the door mat, and sat on the futon after receiving a steaming mug of coffee.

“Thank you.”

Taylor didn’t know what to say. She sat across the small living room and slid a cigarette out of the pouch, sucking hungrily at the end after lighting the pale cylinder. In the uncomfortable silence Dr. Wilson sipped his coffee and watched her smoke, a thoughtful look in his hazel eyes. She avoided his gaze for what felt like an eternity then blurted out the only thing that came to mind.

“You think smoking is disgusting.”

It was more a statement than a question. Taylor immediately wondered why she cared what a veterinarian thought of her personal habits.

“Disgusting? That isn’t what I was thinking. The way you lit the cigarette reminded me of my mother.” Dr. Wilson took another sip of coffee. “She died of lung cancer a few years ago.”

“Oh.” Taylor took a few more drags then snuffed the cigarette out in an ash tray.

“Don’t stop on account of me. I should go anyway.” He drained his coffee and set the cup down. “
I
a
m
curious what you plan to do with Rain. Are you riding her?”

“Yeah,” Taylor relaxed. “I love it. She’s maybe the best thing that’s happened to me. Ever.”

“She’s a remarkable horse.”

“Why didn’t you keep her after all the work you did to save her life?”

The vet looked thoughtful again. “I’ve seen many gunshot animals at the clinic, Taylor, but none like Rain. It’s a flat miracle she lived. So, it seemed to me she had a special purpose to fulfill. ” His eyes were probing.

Taylor looked away and grasped for another subject. “D
o
yo
u
ride?”

“Oh yes. My passion is Ride and Tie events. But my horse is getting old. I retired him last fall.”

“What’s Ride and Tie?”

“It’s a team event. Two riders and one horse in a relay cross country. One rides ahead while the other runs. The horse gets tied up mid-way and the first runner gets on and rides while the rider runs the next portion of trail.”

“Sounds hard.” Taylor thought of her first ten mile ride with Liz and frowned.

“Nah. It’s fun and exciting. Not to mention great exercise in beautiful country. You should try it. There’s a club in the area and yearly rides in spectacular settings.”

Even under a veterinarian’s union suit and a jacket, Taylor could see Dr. Wilson’s masculine shape. He had an athlete’s body that paired naturally with the challenge of outdoor adventure. She tried to imagine herself jogging through mountainous country, flabby thighs stuffed into a pair of running shorts, alternating between gasping for air like a beached fish and puffing on a cigarette. Not a pretty sight.

“I don’t have a partner. Plus, my horse only has one eye. We’re not exactly obvious athletes.”