If Wishes Were Horses
If Wishes Were Horses
Robert Barclay
This one’s for Michael.
You are missed…
Mankind has often enforced a savage dominance over the horse, and for that he should apologize. These magnificent beasts toiled mightily over the centuries to help us tame the wilds, plow and harvest our fields, transport our possessions, even die in our wars; and sometimes under the cruelest of masters. I am proud to say that I never participated in their abject slavery. Even so, I humbly request forgiveness from every horse that has crossed my path, for they are truly God’s noblest creatures.
~ANONYMOUS
Contents
Epigraph
Prologue
THE NEWS ARRIVED suddenly, its only warning the ringing telephone…
One
GABRIELLE POWERS SAT in her usual place at church, listening…
Two
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, the service was finished. After attending the…
Three
ALTHOUGH HE WAS seventy-seven, Ramsey Blaine, or “Ram,” as he…
Four
REVEREND JACOBSON SAT behind his office desk at St. Andrew’s,…
Five
GABBY COULDN’T HELP but hope that Trevor might benefit from…
Six
WHERE YOU HEADED, Mr. Wyatt?” Big John Beauregard asked. “Off…
Seven
LATER THAT AFTERNOON, Wyatt arrived at the edge of a…
Eight
TREVOR WAS IN a particularly sullen mood as Gabby navigated…
Nine
THE SONOGRAM CONFIRMS a colt, Mr. Ram,” Big John announced…
Ten
DISH IT UP, GIRL!” Celia Ward exclaimed. “I didn’t come…
Eleven
ON RISING FROM bed and walking to the balcony, Wyatt…
Twelve
OF ALL THE ROOMS in the big house, Ram’s study…
Thirteen
AFTER LEAVING HIS study, Ram went about a few chores.
Fourteen
GABBY SMILED AT Trevor as they sat together on the…
Fifteen
I’M OUT,” WYATT said. After tossing his cards on the…
Sixteen
TREVOR ANXIOUSLY LOOKED up from his reading. The wall clock…
Seventeen
GET UP, MR. WYATT!” Aunt Lou shouted. “It’s Mr. Ram!…
Eighteen
TREVOR WAS BORED to death. I hate these sessions, he…
Nineteen
WHILE TREVOR TOOK his first barrel-racing lesson, Gabby glanced around…
Twenty
CELIA WARD SIPPED her iced coffee then languorously crossed one…
Twenty-One
THE FOLLOWING DAY was Monday, the start of the sixth…
Twenty-Two
DO YOU THINK we’ll be shoveling manure again today?” Sally…
Twenty-Three
LATER THAT DAY as Wyatt walked from the barn to…
Twenty-Four
TWO DAYS LATER, Reverend Jacobson was once more about to…
Twenty-Five
JESUS, CELIA!” GABBY said. “Every time I think about him,…
Twenty-Six
THE NEXT MORNING broke bright and clear, revealing another lovely…
Twenty-Seven
THAT SAME AFTERNOON, Ram and Wyatt sat on the front…
Twenty-Eight
HOW ARE THEY doing?” Ram asked Wyatt later that afternoon.
Twenty-Nine
TWO DAYS LATER Gabby sat at her homeroom desk, taking…
Thirty
FROM HER PLACE behind the ring wall, Gabby anxiously watched…
Thirty-One
AND THEN THERE was the time that Wyatt shot one…
Thirty-Two
THREE WEEKS LATER, on a Saturday afternoon, Trevor sat alone…
Thirty-Three
MAY I BE of help?” the saleslady asked pleasantly.
Thirty-Four
I’M SO SORRY that all this has to end, Gabby…
Thirty-Five
WHAT THE HELL is so important, James?” Ram asked. “And…
Thirty-Six
AS THE PARTY wound down, Gabby glanced at Trevor. He…
Thirty-Seven
BY THE TIME all the guests had departed, Wyatt was…
Thirty-Eight
SEVEN HOURS LATER, Gabby lay awake in bed. Her sleep…
Thirty-Nine
WYATT SHIFTED GEARS again as he steered the four-wheel-drive Jeep…
Forty
AS IS THEIR WONT, the days became weeks, and the…
Forty-One
ANOTHER TWO WEEKS soon passed, and although life at the…
Forty-Two
THE FOLLOWING DAY was Saturday, and Gabby and Trevor were…
Forty-Three
RAM NODDED WHILE adding up the marks he had made…
Forty-Four
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, Reverend Jacobson again sat waiting before the…
Forty-Five
MANKIND HAS OFTEN enforced a savage dominance over the horse,…
Forty-Six
AS AUNT LOU entered Ram’s office, her joints felt stiffer…
Author’s Notes and Acknowledgments
About the Author
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher
THE NEWS ARRIVED suddenly, its only warning the ringing telephone as it fought to be heard above the happy sounds of Wyatt Blaine’s birthday party. He would later wish that the tragedy had been preceded by some dark omen, designed to alert him of its coming. But no such warning arrived, so there was nothing to cushion the blow. As Wyatt’s brother, Morgan, put down the telephone receiver, his face turned ashen.
There has been a car crash, Morgan said. Wyatt’s wife, Krista, and his son, Danny, were seriously injured. The other driver was drunk, and also badly hurt. In a split second, Wyatt’s world collapsed. As he turned to look at the many friends who had gathered in his living room, their gaiety melted away.
Today Wyatt was thirty-five years young, one of the partiers had happily announced. But as Wyatt stared blankly at his guests, the terrible news wandered through the room like some dark predator no one wished to acknowledge, for fear that it might touch his or her life, too.
Someone discreetly turned off the music; another caring soul took Wyatt by one arm and guided him toward a chair. Then the phone rang again.
Morgan reluctantly left Wyatt’s side to answer it. This time, however, its insistent ring attracted dread rather than curiosity.
Suddenly nothing looked familiar to Wyatt.
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