Heartward Read online

  “You asked about the kinds of enemies I might have or the people who might want to hurt me, and unfortunately I would have to put the chief on that list. I have to be honest, and we all are well aware that the chief is intolerant and has interests that are not in the best interest of the town.” Alan looked at each person in the assembled group. “The rumors have been around for years, and no one has done anything. Not the council or the department.” Not that he could expect much of the fire department itself. Maybe the word needed to be put out that the chief would not be backed by members of the council, and then it was possible that some of the firefighters might come forward.

  “All right. This isn’t getting us anywhere. Did anyone see anyone come back here?” Officer Marks asked.

  Tyler nodded. “Apparently Marcie was being kept busy by a group of supposed customers, and she thought she might have seen someone in the back room, but by the time she got here and found the mess in the storeroom, they were gone.” Tyler sighed.

  “I’d like to talk to her.”

  “I can call her. But I didn’t think there was any use in her coming in to work until there was power and lights. It isn’t like I can open like this.” Alan was getting a little angry.

  “I’m going to look around. Do you have security cameras?” Officer Marks asked.

  Alan shrugged and shook his head. “This is a used furniture store. I don’t exactly have a huge number of expensive pieces, and I never keep cash in here. We live in Scottville. It isn’t like there has been a rash of burglaries or anything. Maybe this was a bunch of kids who thought they were being funny and things got out of hand.” Alan wanted this to be an accident, and he was grasping at straws.

  “I’m going to get to work and see if I can’t get the power back on,” Uncle Tim announced, and opened the power box. He got started, and Officer Marks and Tyler went into the front of the store where light came in the windows out by the street.

  “I’d like to look around and see if I can find anything,” Officer Marks said, and Alan gave him permission to check wherever he wanted.

  Alan wasn’t sure that anyone was going to find out much of anything. He kept quiet and placed a call to his insurance company with the pertinent details so they would be aware. This was turning into a major pain in the ass.

  Tyler approached his office area once Alan finished on the phone. “So help me God, if the chief is behind this, I am going to rip the man’s face off and use it as a Halloween mask. Now that is sure to scare everyone.” His hand shook, he was so angry.

  “We’ll get to the bottom of this one way or another. This sort of thing is too visible, and there are going to be people who know about it.” Tyler smiled. “I’m going to call the high school and make them aware of the incident. If this was students, then they will eventually talk, and the teachers or staff are going to hear about it.” Tyler stepped inside and gave him a hug. “I need to get back to the station before the chief has a fit. The man is watching everything I do, which makes me extra suspicious of him.”

  “Yeah. Keep your ears open. I think it’s what all of us need to do, and I’ll see you in a couple of days when we’re set to go riding.” God, Alan had to have something to look forward to.

  Chapter 7

  TYLER GOT Abey ready with a jacket and sturdy shoes.

  “Where we go?” Abey asked for like the eighteenth time.

  “It’s a surprise. Mr. Alan is going to be there too, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Tyler fastened Abey in his car seat and closed the door. He drove to Alan’s, where he was waiting, and they headed out of town and into the country.

  “I remember how nice it was out here. We used to walk the trails behind the college when we were kids.” Tyler turned to Alan. “There were a few great make-out spots, if I remember. Not that I got to use them myself.” He pulled to a stop at the light, and they shared a quick kiss before Tyler made the left turn. “Didn’t there use to be a market on this corner?” Tyler asked.

  “Yeah. It sold gas and stuff, but there was a spill and it contaminated the building. They tried to clean it up, but it got into the basement, and that left fumes and stuff in the living quarters. In the end there was nothing they could do, and the entire building had to be torn down.” Now it was just an empty lot instead of the vital business that Tyler remembered.

  They continued down the country road, and Tyler slowed as they approached the expansive farmyard. There were plenty of vehicles and tractors parked around, and a slim man with a spring in his step jumped into one and off it went. Abey watched the huge machine go with rapt fascination.

  Tyler parked and got Abey out of the car, holding his hand as a dark-haired man with touches of gray hurried over.

  “Tyler Banik?” he said with a smile. “I’m Eli Henninger.” They shook hands, and he turned to Alan with a curious smile. “I know you from….” He was clearly trying to remember.

  “I have the secondhand furniture store in town,” Alan supplied with a smile, and Eli nodded.

  “Yes. I’ve been in a few times. It’s very nice.” Tyler liked that his expression was genuine and held no animosity, even if the words sounded a little off… somehow. “A couple years ago one of the guys needed to get on his feet, and you were so helpful. I doubt you remember, but I do.” Eli seemed so open as he shook Alan’s hand.

  “I’m glad we could be helpful,” Alan said happily, and some of the lines around his eyes smoothed out as though Tyler could see tension slipping away from him. Alan had been so uptight and worried over the last few days, and it concerned him. Alan’s uncle Tim had gotten the electricity restored fairly quickly, and Alan was back in business, but it seemed that Alan was only expecting the next attack, whatever it was, around each corner. He was jumpy and nervous, and that bothered Tyler.

  Eli was gorgeous, with huge dark eyes and the face of an angel. He seemed to radiate warmth and understanding as though he were put on this earth to help others. There was something about him that made Tyler smile. He tried to put his finger on what it was and failed. He just couldn’t quite grasp it.

  Eli slowly crouched down. “And what’s your name?” he asked Abey, who stuffed his thumb in his mouth and took a step back, half behind Tyler’s legs. Eli didn’t move, but lifted his gaze and smiled. “I’m Eli.”

  Tyler wondered if this was such a good idea. He had worried that this might scare Abey, and if it did, he expected the screams of terror at any second. Tyler put his hand gently on Abey’s head to try to reassure him. He wanted to see what happened.

  “I’m Eli, and this is my farm. We have lots of animal friends here.” Eli’s voice was soft. “There are horse friends and cow friends. We even have some goat friends and dog and kitty friends. But I don’t have any chicken friends. Not anymore. The last ones we had bit me.” Eli scrunched up his face. “So I guess they weren’t friends, were they?”

  Tyler waited to see how Abey would react. He stood still, but he was very clearly listening.

  “Would you like to meet some horse friends? If you do, all you have to do is tell me your name and then we can be friends too.” Eli stayed still and waited patiently.

  “Abey,” he said softly, half around his thumb.

  “That’s a great name. Have you ever met a horse before?” Eli asked, and Abey shook his head. “Do you want to meet one with your papa? I have a really gentle horse that you’re just going to love. Do you want to meet him?” Eli kept his voice gentle, but he didn’t talk down to him the way a lot of people did.

  Abey nodded, and Tyler took his hand. “Then why don’t we follow Mr. Eli so he can show us the horse?” Tyler asked softly, and Abey nodded once more.

  Eli stood back up and motioned toward the barn.

  “Papa, big.” Abey pointed to the barn, but he didn’t seem quite as scared or very tentative.

  “Yes. The barn is big, but I’ll be right here with you.” Tyler wanted to reassure him, but Abey honestly didn’t seem to need it. He was enthralled, looking
at everything, holding Tyler’s hand but following Eli as though his pockets were filled with candy.

  Tyler shared a glance with Alan, because this was almost too good to be true. Tyler had been expecting tears or fear, but what he got was wide-eyed awe and a sense of happiness from his son. It was completely unexpected and thrilled Tyler down to the core. He sometimes had no clue as to how Abey was going to react to new things. Like at the game center. There had been things he’d loved, but one game with a boat he had simply stared at, and Tyler had ushered him away before the screaming could start.

  “These are all our horses. They live here in the barn,” Eli explained to Abey. “We’re going to the far end where I’ll let you say hello to Peaches. He’s a special horse, and he’s going to be your friend. Would you like that?” To Tyler’s ears, the way Eli spoke seemed a little like Mr. Rogers from when he was a kid, but it must have been exactly what Abey needed to hear, because he seemed to take in everything Eli said.

  “Yes,” Abey answered directly. “He my friend?” They stopped outside a penned area where three horses were tethered. One of the horses was away from the others with plenty of room around him.

  Tyler nodded as Abey looked up at him, and he nodded.

  “Yes. This is Peaches,” Eli supplied. “He loves to work with kids. But you have to be really nice to him. Do you want to say hello?”

  Abey nodded, his eyes huge, as though maybe that was too good to be true.

  “Then maybe your papa can lift you up, and I’ll show you how to say hi.” Eli took a single step back, and Tyler held Abey up. Eli showed Abey where to pet Peaches’s neck, and he did it so gently, then turned to him with a huge “I did it” smile before going back to pet Peaches a little more.

  “Nice horsey,” Abey said softly, over and over.

  “Yes. Peaches is a nice horsey,” Eli said gently. “What we do here is help kids come out of their shells,” Eli explained, still using that very gentle and patient tone that was having an effect on him. Tyler felt some of his own concerns and cares slipping to the back of his mind. “We use riding and animals to help them make a connection with the world. Some have severe physical and learning issues. Others aren’t able to see or hear. We work with all kinds of children and families.” For a second, a wave of sadness washed over Eli’s face, but it didn’t last long. “We do the best we can here, but we aren’t able to reach each and every child.” He released his breath and paused, petting Peaches right along with Abey.

  “I can understand that,” Tyler said, using his free hand to slowly stroke Peaches’s neck. “I worked for the Red Cross in disaster relief, and there were times when I wasn’t able to help the people I wanted to most of all.” He blinked and pushed the memories that were pounding at the edges of their mental containers back into their boxes.

  Eli nodded and asked how much each of them weighed, then smiled. “Would you like to ride Peaches with your papa? He’s a big enough horse. I have him all saddled up, and I think Peaches would love to give you and your papa a ride. Would that be fun?”

  Abey stopped petting Peaches and didn’t seem so sure of that.

  “Do you want to watch me ride a horse so you can see how much fun it is?” Eli asked, and calmly walked over to one of the other horses, untied her, and led her toward the ring area. Tyler followed, with Abey still in his arms and Alan right next to him. Once in the ring, they stood on a small platform that was horse high. Eli led his horse into the ring, mounted smoothly, and walked her over so Abey could get a better look. “It’s really easy.”

  “It hurt?” Abey asked.

  “The horse?” Eli asked, and Abey nodded, his thumb heading back for his mouth. “No. We never hurt any of our horses. They’re our friends and we care for them.” Eli patted his horse’s neck and urged her forward. The horse picked up speed, and soon Eli trotted around the edge of the ring. He looked stunning, with all the poise of a dancer on point. He slowed and pulled to a stop when he approached their side of the ring. “Do you want to try?” Eli asked.

  Abey looked up at Tyler, his eyes so beautiful, and nodded, pulling his thumb from his mouth again. “I ride.”

  “Okay. I’m going to get some people friends, and they are going to help us,” Eli explained. “I understand that both of you are able to ride.”

  Tyler nodded. “I learned in high school, and I rode as part of my work to get to remote areas. I’m very comfortable on a horse.”

  “I rode in high school as well, though I haven’t done much recently. I’m sure I’ll remember how.” Alan seemed excited and he leaned closer, lightly bumping Tyler’s shoulder. “I’m looking forward to this. It’s something I’ve wanted to do again lately.”

  “Okay. Stay here. I won’t be gone but a few minutes.” Eli tied up his horse, left the arena, and returned a minute later with two other people. “This is Mr. Jimmy, and this is Miss Amelia. They are going to help us today.” They left and returned, each leading another horse. Peaches had been saddled with what looked like a sort of child seat. “Usually with younger children, I ride with them, but I think Abey should ride with his papa.” Eli smiled as Jimmy brought over Peaches. Eli had Tyler mount, and then Alan lifted Abey up so Tyler could settle him in the special portion of the saddle. They strapped Abey in so he couldn’t fall, and Tyler wrapped a single arm around him and used the other to guide the reins. Once they were in place, Tyler urged Peaches forward, and Abey clapped his hands as they rocked gently.

  “I riding a horse friend,” Abey exclaimed, and Tyler breathed a sigh of relief. “I like my horse friend.” Dang, Abey had drunk in every word from Eli.

  Alan rode up next to them, his horse walking alongside. Tyler wished he could lean over and kiss him. He was so happy in this moment, and he wanted to share it more closely with him. But now wasn’t the time to shift his balance on the horse like that. Instead, he held out his hand and Alan took it, clasping his fingers for only a few seconds, but it was enough.

  Eli approached and stopped on the other side of Alan. “What I thought we would do is ride in the ring today. I know it isn’t very exciting, but the environment is controlled and the floor extra padded to minimize impact from falls.”

  “That sounds fine,” Tyler said.

  Eli went ahead. Peaches followed behind, with Alan behind them. They made a slow circle of the ring, but judging by the smile on Abey’s face, they could have been speeding around a race course. He had his hands in the air sometimes, laughing.

  “More, Papa… more.” Abey rocked a little and even sang to himself.

  “Do you like your new horse friend?” Eli asked Abey, who nodded and grinned, turning so he and Papa could share a smile. They slowly walked around the ring, crisscrossing it some of the times. Mostly they were all about having a good time. Tyler eventually found himself watching Alan as he sat tall in the saddle. Peaches seemed to know where to go, Abey seemed to be having the time of his life, and Tyler relaxed and just let himself be for a while.

  “I THINK it’s time to go back and let your new horse friend rest,” Eli said a while later, and Tyler checked his watch, wondering where the time had gone.

  A half hour had passed in the blink of an eye, and Tyler wondered for a second if he’d somehow fallen asleep or what. Of course, he and Abey hadn’t entered some kind of time warp—it just seemed that way. Alan had passed them at some point, and Tyler had lost himself in watching him. The way his butt bounced slightly up and down with each step of his horse was a beauty to behold, intoxicating and hypnotizing. Abey was happy, and Tyler had been content and relaxed enough so that time had gotten away from him a little bit. Still, he blinked as they continued their last circle of the arena, watching Alan with a smile on his lips. That man did it for him, on a horse or in his store, sitting behind his desk with those funny reading glasses on that he didn’t think anyone noticed.

  Jimmy and Amelia helped them down, and soon Tyler stood with a still very excited Abey in his arms.

  “Did you enjoy th
e ride?” Tyler asked, but he didn’t need to. Abey nodded and bounced in his arms. Seeing him this excited about something was a complete thrill. He turned to look at Alan, a grin splitting his face. He hadn’t been this relaxed and simply happy in a very long time.

  “Peaches come home?” Abey asked with even more excitement.

  Tyler smiled. “This is Peaches’s home. He lives here, and he would miss Mr. Eli and all his friends here. But you can come back and see him again.” Tyler stepped closer to where Jimmy was walking Peaches away. They stopped, and Abey reached out to stroke Peaches’s neck, telling him goodbye. “Can you say thank you to Mr. Jimmy?”

  “It’s okay,” Jimmy said softly.

  “Fank you. Bye, Peaches,” Abey said, and waved as Jimmy led Peaches away.

  Alan had dismounted, and Amelia led his horse away. Abey said goodbye to the other horse as well and hugged Tyler, resting his head on his shoulder.

  “Can you thank Mr. Eli for letting you ride Peaches?” Tyler asked Abey, and he struggled to get down.

  Eli was on his way to join them when Abey hurried over to Eli and reached up. Abey let Eli lift him and then hugged Eli. “Fank you.” He hugged Eli again and then turned to Tyler, holding out his arms.

  Tyler took a still-grinning Abey back, more pleased then he could possibly say. Nearly lightheaded with disbelief and happiness, Tyler held Abey, rocking him from side to side. “You did so good today,” he whispered, and took a step closer to Alan. “Thank you for coming with us.” He leaned nearer and gave Alan a quick kiss because no one else was around.

  “I had a great time,” Alan whispered back, and Tyler held Abey in one arm while snaking the other around Alan’s waist, holding him closer. Tyler released a deep breath and just smiled as he stood quietly with Abey and Alan.