Homecomings the hard way


Chapter One

“Mom! Mom!” Noodle yelled as she pelted up the aisle towards the arena. She knew better than to pelt into the actual arena and when she came into view she was walking calmly. She was moving slow and calm but her face was wide-eyed and her mouth a small O.

“What, What?” Kivi called as She jogged Mags over to the arena edge.

“Jack’s old truck is coming up the drive hauling a brand new horse trailer,” She said. Standing tense so that she remained still.

Kivi’s face screwed up in confusion as she slid off the horse and dropped the reins. She patted Mag’s neck, secure in the knowledge the mare would stand there till someone came back. Ground tying was the first thing they taught any horse on the ranch.

She was wondering what the actual fudge was going on when she stepped out the barn to verify that the old beat-up pickup was coming up the drive hauling a brand new bumper pull trailer.
She never expected to see him again. As she watched the truck it all came flooding back.

Michael had taken that truck when Jack had passed and headed west to follow a woman he barely knew. He was a few years her senior, and they’d grown up much like siblings. Both had been only children. He had been the foreman’s son and one of the kids that grew up running around the ranch. She’d had cousins that were around all the time, and her friends from around the area that would alternate weekends at each other’s house, but Michael had lived on the ranch. He was older, handsome, and off-limits, so naturally, Kivi had had a crush on him. A crush she had buried under acres of logic and the rocks of her own past relationships until it was largely unnoticed. Crush or not, Michael had been a friend and confidant through her entire childhood.

He had moved on after high school to a bigger barn out near Cheyenne. Kivi had missed him, but her life was filled with trying to get a scholarship to UC Davis. A child out of wedlock threw her life in chaos but Michael had still been there for her. He’d wanted to smash Ronan’s face in. Kivi just wanted Ronan to leave her alone. Somewhere in the middle, Ronan got away with just sending money and the occasional gift to his child.

He’d had a woman with him when he came back for his dad’s funeral. The woman, Brenda, had been imperious when it came to packing up the life of the man that had been like a beloved uncle to Kivi. Michael, wracked with Grief and guilt, did little to stop her from riding roughshod over Kivi and Noodle. Hell, to be honest, Kivi wasn’t sure he’d even noticed. Then, when Kivi had spoken up, He’d had told her to mind her own business. He’d said that Jack hadn’t been her father only a hand on her family’s ranch. He’d spat the words at her and more besides. They had been bordering on cruel. She remembered turning and walking away from him. She remembered the tears in her eyes.

Michael had left without a goodbye, in the beat-up pickup full of his father’s life with his woman driving his car behind him.

She’d ridden Mags up to her favorite meadow after that fight. She’d gone at sunrise and had been in the barn when he drove away. She had watched until the truck was gone.

She was lost in her own thoughts as she rode up into the bush, the pine trees getting closer before they broke into the flat meadow that held the original Locke log cabin. It was large but only one room. Kivi often came up here overnight. She found solace in the roots that the cabin gave her. This was the place of her people.

Just over the northeast edge, it opened up into a breathtaking view of the ranch and the slow meandering stream. You could see cattle dotting the valley if the season was right, but this time it had been bleak and cold.

She came here when she needed time to be in her own space. She heaved a great sigh and tried to let go of the anger and grief as she sat astride and looked out on the view that was Kivi’s favorite, in the meadow where it all began.

“fudge” she muttered. “Go put Mags up, Noodle.” she said, “I’m sure he’ll still be here when you’re done, and we might be here longer than I care to have her wait.” She turned to look at the girl “It was not good when he left, I know you’re excited to see him but try to give us a little bit of time before you come back out.” She asked it softly, trying to keep the tears in her eyes. The hurt was still raw. The loss of his father was hard, but the loss of her friend had been harder.

“Sure Mom,” she said. Noodle nodded softly, watching her normally stoic mother struggle with the emotion.

Kivi turned back and watched the truck slowly bump up the dirt drive that led to the trailer parking area. As it came close, she noticed with a visceral relief that he was alone. She was standing there, in her raspberry wool coat with the cold morning air billowing from her warm breath. Her long blonde hair was slicked back into a low ponytail and had a faint ring around it that said she’d been wearing a hat recently. Her green eyes were so pale they were startling snapped with anger as she stood there coiled to strike with her hands on her hips as the truck came to a stop. She was ready to be pissed off.

Chapter Two

Michael turned the truck onto Locke Ranch Road. He hadn’t been back since his dad had died. It felt like years, it had been months. He’d left for college, and come back for holidays. He’d worked all over but still always came back. His Dad had worked for Thadeus Locke and stayed when he passed away. This farm had been his dad’s favorite place and now Michael knew, it was his too. He’d left horribly, drowning in grief and in lust with some bimbo who had compounded the issues.

Okay, to be honest, the bimbo had created most of the issues just by being the bitch she turned out to be. What should have been a red flag about Brenda, turned out to be him skulking away without a goodbye. He had taken everything his father owned with him, leaving Kivi nothing. He’d been angry, he’d been grieving and he’d been stupid.

Michael turned off Locke Ranch Rd onto the unmarked drive that led to the trailer parking and the equestrian center. It was another mile up to the house but he knew Kivi wouldn’t be there. She’d be at the barn, where she’d been every morning since she’d been old enough to muck a stall. In his mind, she had always been the gangly girl with braids to her butt who followed him around when she wasn’t on a horse.

He’d missed her and was glad to see her, right up until Brenda had laid eyes on her. That first night, surrounded by the remains of his father’s life, the selfish twat had lit him up about how Kivi looked at him. How she obviously thought first Jack and now he was less of a person because he wasn’t rich. He’d been filled with grief and had bought it. Even though he’d not been around for years, he believed that somehow, the Kivi he knew had turned into the Caoihme that Brenda painted. He’d believed, he’d stolen away like a thief in the night.

“fudge” he said out loud as he saw the woman come out of the barn. He knew it was her, he’d know her anywhere. A week ago he’d have said it was because they grew up together.

A week ago, Brenda had screamed at him to get the hell out of her house, never mind it had been their apartment with both names on the lease. She’d screamed at him that he’d never loved her. Then, she’d thrown a cup that said “Locke Ranch” on it, at his head. “Go back to your country slut. You’re meant for each other” She’d spit a little as she said it and he realized how ugly she was. Brenda was ugly inside and it was making her ugly on the outside.

He had gotten his bags and started packing. Over the course of the next 4 days, Brenda had gone from the crazy banshee to a sobbing wreck begging forgiveness.
He had had none to give. Her words had started an avalanche.

He’d packed everything in the truck, sold his car, and bought a trailer. He’d lived in rent by the month motel as he gave notice at the equestrian center he worked at. He’d spent a month tracking down a horse. It had taken 3 weeks and every single drop of the money his Dad had left him, but in the trailer was his peace offering.

Kivi was a sucker for a horse, let’s hope this one was important enough to earn him forgiveness.

Michael got out of the truck and Kivi started to cry slow tears that just rolled down her tense face. He was a rangy man with a slight bow to his legs. His shoulder-length black hair was loose this morning and curled slightly at the ends, “That’s new” she said to herself, refusing to admit it looked good on him. He was wearing a fleece-lined plaid and a Carhartt. The boots looked new and the ballcap was a change from a cowboy hat. Her stomach flip-flopped and it lit the fuse to her anger.

“You’ve got some fuckin nerve to show up here after the way you left,” she said cooly “And with a truck full of your shit too. Did that porn star bitch dump your ass?” She stepped back affronted by her own temerity “fudge, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. It was cruel,” she muttered and then spoke louder “No, I’m mad. I can be mad at you over this” She looked up at him and scowled. “You did not even leave me a picture! You just packed up a whole section of my life, and half my childhood and left without a word”

Michael watched the tears stream down her face as she did her damnedest to be mad. He’d forgotten how funny she was to watch when she was mad. There was no mean in her, never had been.

“You’re right. I did and I’ve been sorry every day since.” He spoke when she stopped to draw a breath. “No, I dumped her porn star ass. I’m sorry,” he said, sincerely, and tried to put all the ways and reasons he was sorry in his words. “ Grief made me dumb.”

“Damn straight it made you dumb,” She said and found herself moving closer. “Dumber than usual anyway. What’s in the trailer? “ She asked when she heard a thump and realized there was an animal in it.

“A peace offering,” He said, “I hope.”

Kivi shot him a blande look.

Michael walked back to the trailer and started to open it. His heart was in his chest, slamming against his ribs. He’d put a lot on this gambit, if he’d read the story of his life wrong it was going to be very humiliating.

Kivi moved to help without thinking, they moved in silence as if in a dance. Kivi wanted to be so mad and instead, she was just happy he’d come back. She told herself it was because she needed the help. She ran through all the reasons she was glad he was back except the one she had wrapped in chains and dropped into the pit of her heart long ago.

The gate swung free and Michael hopped up to grab the horse. All Kivi could see was bright red shipping boots and a bright red cooler. The animal even had a helmet, and the halter was padded with red fleece.

“Is that a helmet?” She stepped back as he led the animal off the trailer and cracked a little smile. Whoever this horse was, he was taking no chances. He handed her the lead, which looked like a candy cane.

“Of course, you taught me the importance of helmets” he quipped

“Wait, Candy Cane Ranch?” She asked in surprise, the question was unnecessary as the emblem on the cooler came into view. Candy Cane ranch was out of Texas, Zeus had come from Candy Cane ranch, He’d been a straight trade for the very last foal that Penny, her heart horse, had ever had.
“What did you do?” She demanded. “Michael ?” She found herself shaking as she walked around the horse. He didn’t. he couldn’t have. She looked at the kind eye and the blue nose and then looked back at him

“Take her inside,” Michael said softly. “She’d had a lot of travel”

Kivi’s eyes went wide

“Is this?” She squeaked

“Yes,” He said simply.

The tears just started to pour down her face, she looked at him and tilted her head. How could she be mad, stay mad? If a broken heart needs something to fill it, he’d found something to patch up a couple of different places. Not to mention the patch he himself brought. For just a half a minute Kivi thought she had a chance at getting past all the hurt.

“Forgive me?” He asked as he put his hand on her shoulder. Kivi dropped the lead and threw herself at him. He caught her and they hugged tightly and kept hugging long past proprieties dictates. Kivi forgot about the mare, her candy cane lead dangling in the dirt. Ground tying was the first thing a Locke Ranch horse learned to do, after all.