"So as to be fair in their decision, Coyote suggested that they play a hand game to decide on change or no change. Everyone agreed. Bear, Turtle, Hummingbird, and others who wanted light and warmth formed a group. Coyote, Racc.o.o.n, Opossum, and others who didn't want change made up the opposing group."

Hannah exhaled on a sigh, then went completely still in Kent's strong arms as she fell into a contented sleep.

Lauren smiled, feeling as happy and satisfied as her daughter. She didn't think Hannah would have the nightmare again, not now that she had Cowboy Daddy to comfort her. Lauren looked up at Kent's face and nodded to keep him telling the story because his voice obviously soothed Hannah and would lull her into a deeper sleep.

"Tricky Coyote started the game," Kent continued. "Bear, Turtle, Hummingbird, and their group lost right away. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't win. Bear was suspicious of Coyote, so she went outside and made strong medicine. When she returned, Coyote's medicine was broken and his group couldn't win."

When Kent paused in his story, Lauren leaned forward, wanting to hear more even if Hannah was fast asleep.

"Finally, Bear stood up, thrust aside the tepee flap, and gestured outside. Watch,' Bear said, Dawn comes to bring us daylight and warmth.' Coyote wanted one more game, but Hummingbird insisted their group had won."

Hannah shifted in her sleep, peacefully burying her head in the crook of Kent's arm.

He looked down at the little girl in his arms. "Bear pointed at her big snout and said, Watch my mouth at the break of day. You will see a yellow streak that represents dawn.' Hummingbird chimed in, Look in my mouth, too. I will show you six tongues to represent warm weather for half the year and cold for the other half.' As dawn broke, all the animals looked in Bear's mouth and saw a yellow streak. Hummingbird shouted in triumph and the animals counted six tongues.

"And on this new beginning," Kent said, "Bear, Turtle, and their group happily followed Hummingbird out into the light of day. Coyote, Racc.o.o.n, Opossum, and their group huddled in the tepee, too frightened by change to go outside." Kent paused, smiling at Lauren. "And that is how day and night, winter and summer came into the Comanche world."

Lauren returned his smile. "And that is also how change can be so very good for us all." She stood up and held out her hand. "Come on, Cowboy Daddy. Let's put our daughter to bed."

Chapter 36.

Lauren arrived at Cougar Ranch the next day in the early afternoon. Hannah sat in her booster seat proudly wearing her new cowgirl outfit. They'd shopped in Old Town and fortunately found everything that suited Hannah's new image. Lauren had even bought a pair of boots with red hearts on blue leather for herself. If there ever was a time for wearing hearts, now was certainly the time.

She drove past Kent's farmhouse with its pretty pink door down to the barn and parked to one side of Billye Jo's truck and empty horse trailer. An empty trailer had to mean that Hannah's pony and Lauren's hippotherapy horse were inside the barn. She felt her heart speed up at the realization that she was really on her way to establishing an equine-a.s.sisted therapy center right here and right now. She had many people in the county to thank for helping her get this far, and she'd never forget their generosity and support.

She felt her spirits lift even higher at the thought of seeing Kent again. So much had happened so fast between them that she felt giddy with happiness. What had given her the biggest surprise since returning to Wildcat Bluff was the almost instant connection between Hannah and Kent. Of course, she was thrilled about it, but she was still a little in awe that her daughter had selected her own daddy and he'd chosen her for his daughter as well. Sometimes life was just about perfect.

She'd called Kent earlier about the hippotherapy equipment she'd ordered and had sent to his house. He'd explained that it had arrived and he'd spent the morning getting stuff set up at the barn and arena. She could hardly wait to go forward with her plans now that so much was in place.

If she could just persuade her aunt to try therapeutic riding, all would be well. Surely Hedy couldn't hold out against the lure of seeing her great-niece ride her first pony. With that in mind, Lauren picked up her cell from the center console, decided against a call that might give Hedy a chance to beg off, and sent a text.

"Cougar Ranch. Hannah here. Pony here. Where are you?"

She hoped her message would intrigue her aunt enough to hurry over to Kent's barn.

Lauren tucked her phone into her front pocket and stepped outside, noticing that the chill of the morning had given way to a glorious afternoon with clear, blue skies and a warm breeze from the south. She shucked off her jean jacket and tossed it on the backseat, leaving her wearing a green, long-sleeve T-shirt and blue jeans.

She picked up a bag of apples from the seat, walked around the front of her SUV, and opened the pa.s.senger door. Hannah gave a big grin, rocking back and forth in her seat as if she was so anxious for her pony that she couldn't sit still another moment. Lauren quickly unclicked the restraints, lifted Hannah out, and set her on the ground.

"Wait till Cowboy Daddy sees me!" Hannah twirled around in a circle to show off her new clothes.

Lauren heard a squeak as a gate opened and glanced over to see Kent walking out of the barn dressed in crisp jeans and snap shirt.

"Who's that over there?" he called, grinning at Hannah.

"It's me, Cowboy Daddy!" She twirled faster. "I bet you can't tell it's Hannah!"

He chuckled as he walked over to her and stood with his hands on his hips as he surveyed her. "Land's sake, can this cowgirl be our Hannah?"

"Yes!" She threw out her arms, still twirling, and toppled toward him, windmilling her arms to keep from falling over.

He grabbed her, lifted her into the air, spun her around, and set her safely on the ground. "Well, so it is. You look pretty as a picture."

"Thank you." Hannah put her hands on her hips, mimicking his earlier stance, and stood as tall as possible. "I brought Spot apples for a treat. Mommy said best not start him on sugar, but I don't know-"

"Good choice."

Lauren hung back and watched in delight as her once reticent daughter bloomed like a flower in sunshine. Hannah looked adorable, too, in a pink cowgirl hat, blue pearl-snap shirt with a rose pattern, pink belt with a rhinestone buckle, blue jeans, and pink cowgirl boots. For a finishing touch, Hannah had insisted on adding her pink tutu to create the perfect look.

Lauren had taken photos, sent them to her parents, and received excited responses. If they hadn't been planning on coming to Wildcat Bluff, she figured now they couldn't resist the temptation. To encourage Hedy, she'd copied her with photos, too. Now she just needed to wait and see if the plan for her aunt came together as perfectly as Hannah's outfit.

When Kent glanced over, she held up the bag of apples so he'd know she was carrying them to the barn.

"Mornin'." He gave a big grin, revealing dimples, with a gleam in his hazel eyes.

"Hey there." She returned his smile, knowing she had a certain gleam in her own eyes, too. "Looks like you and Billye Jo are already way down the line in getting everything set up."

"We couldn't resist, so it's not our fault if we're getting too far ahead of you."

"No problem. I'm excited, too."

"Good." He glanced beyond her shoulder as if searching for something. "Hedy coming?"

"I hope so. I texted her that we are all here waiting for her."

"Best you can do. She'll come around, if I don't miss my guess."

"I hope so."

"Mommy! Cowboy Daddy!" Hannah jumped up and down. "Pony. Pony. Pony."

"Let's go." Kent snagged her small hand and headed for the barn.

Lauren followed, swinging the bag of apples as she watched her two loved ones go through the barn gate together. She could still hardly believe how quickly and wonderfully her life had changed since she'd returned to her roots. Now she'd simply enjoy going forward as she contributed to the community in her own small way.

Inside the shady barn, Billye Jo waved from where she stood holding the lead on Spot's halter. Lauren stopped beside Kent, and he put an arm around her waist, tugging her close. She caught the scent of sage and sweetgra.s.s, so he must have smudged the barn with the dried herbs she'd left him with per Morning Glory's instructions.

Together, they watched Hannah race down the center aisle and throw her short arms around Spot's neck.

"Hey there, cowgirl," Billye Jo said with a teasing lilt to her voice. "Are you ready to ride this wild, cantankerous brute of a horse?"

Hannah quickly stepped back and put her hands on her hips. "Spot is the very best pony in the whole, wide world." She leaned over and gave Spot a loud kiss on her long nose. "And Spot gets an apple to prove it."

Billye Jo chuckled as she glanced at Lauren. "Looks to me like you've got the makings of a fine cowgirl here."

"Don't you know it," Kent agreed, taking the bag of apples from Lauren's hand. He set the sack in a bin on the wall, selected an apple, and carried it to Hannah. "When you give this apple to Spot, hold out your hand and let the apple lie flat on your palm." He demonstrated with the apple on his own palm as he held out his hand to her.

"Thanks!" She grabbed the apple with a big grin. "You're the very best Cowboy Daddy in the whole, wide world." She whirled around and held the apple out to Spot.

Spot gave an excited whinny and plucked the apple from Hannah's hand in one big bite. Spot promptly set to chewing with a contented look on her face.

"Spot likes apples!" Hannah clapped her hands together in delight.

"That's a particularly sweet one since you held it," Kent said.

Billye Jo laughed out loud as she glanced from Kent to Lauren. "No doubt about it, she's got Kent Duval wrapped around her little finger."

Kent joined her laughter. "Yeah. Just like her mom."

Lauren chuckled, too, as she leaned into Kent's warmth and strength, inhaling the familiar, pleasant aroma of hay and oats and horses. If she hadn't already been convinced that she'd come home, now she knew it for an out-and-out fact.

"Hannah's gonna make a real fine cowgirl," Billye Jo said.

"I'm so happy for her," Lauren agreed as she focused on Billye Jo. "As much as I like seeing Spot, I hope there's another horse here today that I'll get to meet."

Billye Jo grinned, glancing toward the back gate. "Chancy Boy is out in the arena just waiting for the opportunity to strut his stuff."

"Let's go see him," Lauren said.

"Hannah, why don't you ride Spot out to the arena." Kent easily picked her up, set her in the saddle, took the lead rope from Billye Jo, and led Hannah through the back gate.

"I always took him for a family man," Billye Jo said quietly. "He just needed the right gal, didn't he?"

"And the right daughter," Lauren agreed on a sigh of happiness.

"Come on. I want you to see what we've done. Kent already had a mounting ramp, but we adjusted it to better suit challenged riders."

"I'm anxious to get going." Lauren squeezed Billye Jo's strong shoulder. "I want to thank you again for making this possible."

"You're welcome. But don't ever think I'm not getting as much out of this as you are, because it's important to me, too." Billye Jo grinned, nodding toward the arena.

Lauren turned to accompany her when she heard a sound at the other end of the barn. She glanced back and was thrilled to see Hedy in her wheelchair barreling toward them.

"You may not be getting me up on the back of a horse, but I'm sure as shootin' gonna see my great-niece ride her pony."

"Aunt Hedy!" Lauren felt her heart swell with happiness. "I'm so glad you could make it."

"If that pony hadn't lured me here, Hannah's duded-up outfit was sure to do the trick. Right?"

"Yep." Lauren was happy to agree, not caring one bit that her aunt had seen right through her plan.

"Let's get this show on the road." Hedy raced right by them, through the gate, and stopped out by the arena.

Lauren walked outside, feeling the sunshine on her face and hearing sparrows chirping in the trees. She was very thankful for this first big step in returning Hedy to her former sa.s.sy self.

"Aunt Hedy!" Hannah called from the back of Spot. "Look at me. I'm a cowgirl!"

"Yes, you surely are," Hedy said in a choked voice. "And as fine a looking cowgirl as I ever saw."

"While you're here," Billye Jo said, gesturing toward the arena. "Why don't you meet Chancy Boy."

"Oh my, he's a beauty," Hedy said in a voice that held nothing but absolute awe as she moved closer to the arena.

Lauren walked over, stopped beside her aunt, and gazed at the proud palomino with a deep, rich golden coat and full, white mane. Lauren was pleased that Chancy Boy already wore the therapeutic riding fleece bareback pad she'd selected from an online catalog. She preferred this particular riding pad because it had natural lambskin fleece for both horse and rider. The large padded pommel and cantle gave extra support to a rider, too. She particularly liked the fact that the pad could be washed and tumble dried.

Chancy Boy noticed all the attention, trotted across the arena, stopped at the fence, and nickered in greeting.

"Palominos are your favorite, aren't they?" Lauren could hardly believe that piece of good luck, but she was grateful for it.

"Oh, yes," Hedy agreed. "You didn't tell me you'd selected a palomino. If I'd known that-"

"I didn't know till this very moment."

Hedy rolled closer to the fence and held out her hand toward the horse.

Chancy Boy put his head over the fence, sniffed Hedy's hand, and then blew hard against her fingers.

Hedy stroked his long nose with a trembling hand-tentative at first, then with growing strength of purpose.

"We've got a ramp set up by the fence so you can motor up it and get onto Chancy Boy's back while he's still in the arena. Somebody will always be there to help steady you." Kent gestured toward the st.u.r.dy-looking ramp that rose to a flat surface to accommodate a wheelchair. "If that doesn't suit you, I'll be happy to lift you and set you in the saddle, but it'd be just at first till you regain your riding strength."

"I trained Chancy Boy," Billye Jo said. "Hedy, please help us train him to be a better therapy horse. I'm strong enough to do any lifting that needs doing."

When Hedy didn't respond, quiet settled around the arena. Hannah sat quietly on Spot. Lauren held her breath, hoping against hope that this magnificent horse would break through her aunt's self-imposed exile from the world of riding so that she might regain her will to live. But maybe they'd pushed Hedy too far too fast. Now all they could do was wait for her aunt's choice.

Suddenly, as if coming to a decision, Hedy jerked her hand away from Chancy Boy, wheeled around, and rolled back to the group. "You've all made your point. It's a good one. Chancy Boy would make any rider proud." She took a deep breath and bit her lower lip. "Nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Lauren, please come with me and let's talk."

Lauren felt her heart beat fast with apprehensive but renewed hope. She gave Hannah an encouraging smile, knowing Kent and Billye Jo would take care of her while she talked with her aunt.

Hedy led Lauren back into the barn, zipped down to the entry gate, and stopped her motorized wheelchair. She wheeled around and looked Lauren straight in the eyes as she blinked back tears.

Lauren reached out to her aunt, wanting to comfort but not knowing how, then dropped her hand back to her side.

"What I'm about to tell you will be our secret forever," Hedy said in a firm voice as she straightened her shoulders. "Agreed?"

"Yes, Aunt Hedy."