"Well, what are you two waiting for?" Roy motioned with his arm. "Let's go."
The ride home was an incredibly different scenario. Sara plastered her body as close to Roy as possible. Roy found it difficult to control the reins with both hands without talking his one arm and placing it around Sara. Even though they were quiet, Abe knew something was very different between Roy and Sara during the return trip. Abe wrapped his arm around Billy holding his brother tightly.
Sara's warmth felt exhilarating and Roy caught a faint whiff of her perfume. How is this possible? I'm twenty years older than Sara and know nothing about being a father to those two boys. Why now, this late in my life? This woman is stirring things inside me that I never knew were possible. As if she knew what he was thinking, Sara squeezed Roy tight and sighed. Roy leaned over and kissed Sara on her forehead. She looked up at Roy with a beaming smile.
Over the next few months, Roy would assign tasks for Abe whenever he showed up. Abe seemed eager to demonstrate to Roy how much he appreciated Roy's kindness toward his mother and Billy. Abe and Roy constructed a large circle pen one week, and immediately Roy started working with Sugar-Girl in the arena. After making a loop around the filly's neck, Roy stood in the middle of the circle holding the other end of the rope. He would crack a small whip and the horse would run in one direction. After a few circles around the pen, Roy would step in front of Sugar-Girl and snap the whip again making the horse run the opposite direction. Abe watched Roy perform this routine for hours.
When Roy was finished, he would walk up to Sugar-Girl and hold her neck. Stroking her body, Roy would speak into the horse's ear and lead her around by hand. Abe was fascinated because Roy seemed to sense what the horse was feeling, almost as if he could communicate with the animal. In the following weeks, Roy would give out whistles and voice commands while snapping the whip, but Abe noticed Roy letting the rope around the horse's neck go slack.
After two months of the same routine, Roy let his end of the tether drop to the ground. Using only whistles and voice commands, Sugar-Girl would run, stop, turn, and run the other direction. A few times Roy would make clicking sounds and Sugar-Girl would run faster. With each click, she would increase until she was at a full gallop. Roy would then say, "Whoa Sugar-Girl." The horse would quickly slow her pace and stop. Roy called to her with a high pitched whistle and she would run over to see what treat Roy had in his hand. Roy kept bits of carrots in his pocket. Sugar-Girl would probe around with her muzzle, nibbling to find the hidden treats.