asked.
“Too many times to count.” Jake began wrapping the colt’s leg.
“Then why do you keep doing it?”
“Because I know that what I’m doing is a good thing.” Jake looked over at the boy. “We all have this inner voice that tells us when we’re doing right or wrong. It’s called our conscience. Ever hear of it?”
Cory nodded. “My mom talked about it.”
“What did she say?”
“That sometimes, when we’re doing something wrong, we start to feel bad about ourselves. That’s our conscience telling us we need to change, even if it means we’ll be in big trouble when we tell the truth about what we did.”
“Your mom was right. But there’s one more thing. Even though we may get in trouble for telling on ourselves, that bad feeling will go away, because we’ll know in our hearts that we did the right thing. So if you’re tempted to keep secrets that might cause harm, find somebody you can trust and ask for their help. You’ll be glad you did.”
Jake could see the way Cory was absorbing his words. He offered his hand. “Thanks for all your help, son. Do you have a horse trailer in the equipment barn?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I’d like to borrow it to haul Shadow to my ranch.”
Seeing the alarm that darted into the boy’s eyes he spoke quickly, to soothe his fears. “I know you want to be with him, but it would be a whole lot easier for me to check on him if I had him close by. The fact that the wound didn’t respond to the first injection tells me that it’s in the bloodstream and needs some serious attention. By having Shadow at my ranch, I can spend more time with him, and see that he gets better. Think of it this way. My ranch is like a hospital for sick animals. Do you understand?”
Cory hung his head. “I guess so.”
“Okay. Let’s get Shadow comfortable, and go find that trailer.”
A short time later, Jake drove Cory in his truck to the equipment barn and located the horse trailer. After hitching it to his truck, Jake opened the passenger door for Cory. “Let’s find your sister and let her know what I’m planning to do.”
As they drove to the back door of the house, Jake glanced at the boy beside him. “I know you haven’t had breakfast yet, since we woke you.”
Cory nodded.
“Want to ride along to my place? I’m sure Phoebe and Ela would have something cooking. They always do.”
“Who are Phoebe and Ela?”
“Our housekeeper and cook. They make the best pecan pancakes and warm maple syrup in all of Wyoming.”
He could see the boy hesitating.
“You’d be helping me, too, by getting Shadow settled into his new stall. I’m sure he’d feel better having you around.”
Cory gave a quick nod of his head. “Okay. I’d like that, too.”
“I’ll just tell your sister.” Jake turned off the ignition and stepped from the truck.
He was smiling as he sprinted up the steps.
It was clear that the boy had secrets. And the best way to uncover them, one by one, was by using his secret weapons—Phoebe and Ela, and their Conway-tested food. What kid could resist such a winning combination?
He had an idea that Cory’s sister might be in need of that very same magic. So far, her homecoming had been a nightmare.
Chapter Three
Hearing voices at the rear of the house, Jake ambled through rooms filled with dusty old photographs. Rooms with dark paneled walls and heavy draperies that kept out the sunlight. Rooms that smelled musty and old and lifeless.
He stepped into what must have been Porter Stanford’s office. The walls were lined with shelves and cabinets. A heavy oak desk was littered with books and ledgers and papers. They spilled out of drawers and half-opened cabinet doors. There were more papers on the floor, and a trail of them led from the desk to a set of floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which were still locked, their heavy draperies half-closed against the light.
Meg was stone-faced, while the chief looked grim.
Jake paused by the door.
“Too many times to count.” Jake began wrapping the colt’s leg.
“Then why do you keep doing it?”
“Because I know that what I’m doing is a good thing.” Jake looked over at the boy. “We all have this inner voice that tells us when we’re doing right or wrong. It’s called our conscience. Ever hear of it?”
Cory nodded. “My mom talked about it.”
“What did she say?”
“That sometimes, when we’re doing something wrong, we start to feel bad about ourselves. That’s our conscience telling us we need to change, even if it means we’ll be in big trouble when we tell the truth about what we did.”
“Your mom was right. But there’s one more thing. Even though we may get in trouble for telling on ourselves, that bad feeling will go away, because we’ll know in our hearts that we did the right thing. So if you’re tempted to keep secrets that might cause harm, find somebody you can trust and ask for their help. You’ll be glad you did.”
Jake could see the way Cory was absorbing his words. He offered his hand. “Thanks for all your help, son. Do you have a horse trailer in the equipment barn?”
“Yeah. Why?”
“I’d like to borrow it to haul Shadow to my ranch.”
Seeing the alarm that darted into the boy’s eyes he spoke quickly, to soothe his fears. “I know you want to be with him, but it would be a whole lot easier for me to check on him if I had him close by. The fact that the wound didn’t respond to the first injection tells me that it’s in the bloodstream and needs some serious attention. By having Shadow at my ranch, I can spend more time with him, and see that he gets better. Think of it this way. My ranch is like a hospital for sick animals. Do you understand?”
Cory hung his head. “I guess so.”
“Okay. Let’s get Shadow comfortable, and go find that trailer.”
A short time later, Jake drove Cory in his truck to the equipment barn and located the horse trailer. After hitching it to his truck, Jake opened the passenger door for Cory. “Let’s find your sister and let her know what I’m planning to do.”
As they drove to the back door of the house, Jake glanced at the boy beside him. “I know you haven’t had breakfast yet, since we woke you.”
Cory nodded.
“Want to ride along to my place? I’m sure Phoebe and Ela would have something cooking. They always do.”
“Who are Phoebe and Ela?”
“Our housekeeper and cook. They make the best pecan pancakes and warm maple syrup in all of Wyoming.”
He could see the boy hesitating.
“You’d be helping me, too, by getting Shadow settled into his new stall. I’m sure he’d feel better having you around.”
Cory gave a quick nod of his head. “Okay. I’d like that, too.”
“I’ll just tell your sister.” Jake turned off the ignition and stepped from the truck.
He was smiling as he sprinted up the steps.
It was clear that the boy had secrets. And the best way to uncover them, one by one, was by using his secret weapons—Phoebe and Ela, and their Conway-tested food. What kid could resist such a winning combination?
He had an idea that Cory’s sister might be in need of that very same magic. So far, her homecoming had been a nightmare.
Chapter Three
Hearing voices at the rear of the house, Jake ambled through rooms filled with dusty old photographs. Rooms with dark paneled walls and heavy draperies that kept out the sunlight. Rooms that smelled musty and old and lifeless.
He stepped into what must have been Porter Stanford’s office. The walls were lined with shelves and cabinets. A heavy oak desk was littered with books and ledgers and papers. They spilled out of drawers and half-opened cabinet doors. There were more papers on the floor, and a trail of them led from the desk to a set of floor-to-ceiling glass doors, which were still locked, their heavy draperies half-closed against the light.
Meg was stone-faced, while the chief looked grim.
Jake paused by the door.
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