Date: Thu, 14 Nov 2013 07:12:43 -0500
From: Andrew Todd <atodd867@gmail.com>
Subject: Second Chances Ch. 14

This is the third book in the `Riding Lessons' series. As always, if
romantic entanglements between people of the same sex offend you, you are
in the wrong place.


Riding Lesson III: Second Chances

By

Andrew Todd

Chapter 14


Devon paced nervously up and down the small corridor. The art show was
starting in a few minutes and he was nervous. He was wearing black skinny
jeans, a bright blue t-shirt and high tops that matched the new blue
streaks in his jet-black hair.

"Dev, calm down!" Ace ordered. He was leaning up against a nearby wall
grinning at his nervous friend.

"I can't. What if no one likes it?"

"Are you kidding?" Ace laughed. He had spent most of the day helping Devon
hang his work. Work that covered a ten-foot length of wall. "First of all,
there is no way anyone won't love this stuff. Second, all you care about it
that TJ loves it." Devon had been adamant that TJ not see the entire
project until it was unveiled at the show.

Devon grinned shyly. "Well, that's the most important thing, but I want
everyone to love it."

"They will."

"Are you sure this isn't a mistake?" Devon asked for the hundredth time. "I
mean, after this, everyone will know about me and TJ--he won't be able to
play mole for Kate anymore."

"Dev, we already told you, it's all good. Ever since he moved in with us,
most of the jocks know something is up. Most have been ok with it. I've
wired him a couple of times, but I don't think it was one of the `usual
suspects' that went after Spin."

"So we may never know who it was."

Ace shook his head. "Especially since school is out in a few days."

"Damn. If they'd catch the guy at least Spin would stop blaming himself for
not remembering anything."

"It's only been three weeks; he still could get his memory back, but there
may also be nothing to remember."

"What do you mean?"

"If he was jumped from behind, he may never have seen the guy who attacked
him. Then, unless he heard a voice that he could recognize there would be
nothing to be gained by remembering."

Miss Crenshaw, Devon's art teacher came around the corner. "Are you all set
Devon?" she asked.

Most of the students' projects were displayed in the gym, but given the
size and scope of Devon's they had decided to give it a more prominent
place and to treat it as the centerpiece of the evening.

Devon nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be," he said nervously.

"Ma'am, will you tell him how great this all is," Ace laughed.

"Oh, it's more than great," she said. "It's an amazing piece, Devon. With
the amount of work in this and the passion, you have created a full picture
of TJ. You should be very proud and TJ will be stunned by it."

Devon blushed. "Thanks."

"Ok, we've got a pretty big crowd out there. Let's bring them all to the
corridor and you can discuss the piece and then we'll let everyone in."

Devon nodded. He was too nervous to say anything.

Devon, Ace and Miss Crenshaw walked out into the gymnasium.

She picked up the microphone by the door and spoke. "Everyone, can I have
your attention for a moment." Most of the crowd went silent and gathered
around her. "Thank you. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone for coming
tonight and supporting these special artists. These days, with budget cuts
and lack of funds, the arts are one of the first things to
suffer. Hopefully, an event like this will show people what amazing talent
we are surrounded with and show why we need to support the arts in our
schools."

There was a round of applause.

"Now, there is one more piece which you haven't seen yet," she
continued. "This young man, Devon McDonald," she gestured to Devon, who
stood beside her, "transferred here in January. Before he arrived one of
his friends showed me his work and I was blown away by the maturity and
talent I saw. Where many of my students have a talent and a passion for art
in a particular medium, Devon enjoys working in many--from photography,
charcoals, pencils, and painting. If any of you have been to the Second
Chances Ranch and Rescue and seen their new logos, those were designed by
Devon.

"When he explained his concept for this project, I was concerned that the
scope was something that might be beyond a high school student, but Devon's
determination and drive as well as his talent have shown through and you
are about to see something very special. Before we unveil the piece, I'll
let Devon tell you a bit about it."

She handed the microphone to Devon while the crowd clapped politely.

"Thank you," Devon started nervously. He fixed his eyes on TJ who was at
the front of the crowd with their friends. "On my first day of class, I met
someone who changed my life. At first, like most of the people I meet, I
wanted him to model for me, figuring I'd do a portrait or drawing. But as I
started to work, I decided that I wanted to do something bigger. As we got
to know each other, I realized, like many people he was multifaceted--he
had many interests and sides to him. I wanted to create a complete portrait
of him. We've spent months with him modeling for me and I used many
different mediums to try and create a true picture of him."

Devon handed the microphone back to Miss Crenshaw.

"Thank you, Devon," she said. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, if you follow
Devon into the corridor here, you can all enjoy this truly amazing piece."

Devon led the crowd through the door and around the corner to the spot
where he and Ace had hung his project. He walked all the way down to the
end of the hallway, while everyone else stopped to take in the whole piece.

On the wall were over fifty pictures of various sizes and mediums. There
were photos, drawings and several paintings. There were photos of TJ in
different sports uniforms, drawings of him studying and relaxing, there was
a painting of him atop Bullet. The centerpiece was a large portrait of TJ
in jeans and a polo shirt; he looked very relaxed and casual.

There was a hush as the assembled people took in the pictures.

TJ was in the front of the pack and he walked over and hugged Devon
hard. "It's amazing," he whispered in Devon's ear. He pulled back and
looked down at Devon, his eyes glistened with tears. "You couldn't have
picked a better way to tell me you love me."

A few seconds later, Devon was surrounded by his `family'. Everyone praised
the project and his talents.

Ace grinned at him. "See, I told you not to worry."

Family members stepped aside so others could congratulate Devon.

Kate walked up to Devon with another woman. She hugged Devon. "It's
wonderful, Dev." She gestured to the woman with her. "Devon, this is Sandra
Holley--she's the Features editor for the city newspaper and she wants to
interview you. She has a photographer here to take some pictures of you and
the exhibit."

"Really?" Devon asked.

Sandra nodded. "I was here to do a `puff piece' on the school art show, but
this project of yours is fantastic. It's just the sort of thing that can
really promote the arts in our schools. I'm struck not just by the sheer
size and scope of it, but how you managed to match up the different aspects
of the subject's personality and hobbies with the correct medium."

"Thank you," Devon said quietly.

"I do have one question, though."

"Sure."

"The centerpiece portrait...most artists would have done a formal portrait,
something in a suit or a tuxedo, why did you choose a more casual pose?"

"Well, my original thought was to do the traditional formal sitting." He
gestured to a smaller painting of TJ in a tuxedo. "But the more I thought
about it, the more I wanted the centerpiece to truly reflect him and his
personality. He cleans up nice and looks great in the formal wear, but this
is who he really is. A casual teenager, a fun guy, relaxed and happy."

Sandra grinned. "And that is why you will go far in the art world. You made
what some would feel is a daring decision, but it was definitely the right
one."

The evening continued with Devon receiving what seemed like a never-ending
stream of praise. By the time he left for the night, he was floating.

***

School ended for the year.

Dusty graduated, but opted not to participate in the formal graduation at
the high school. CJ and Danny hosted a party for him at the compound and
the following Monday he and his mother went to the courthouse to have his
emancipation granted.

Since he was no longer living at home and his grandmother was visiting less
frequently, Lu, his mother, decided to put her house up for sale and move
into a small townhouse closer to her job.

Zak had given up his room in the house to Diego as when he stayed over he
spent the night at Dusty's loft. This meant was Diego was on the second
floor with the other boys.

A few days after school let out, Dusty and Zak were lying in bed.

"Hey, I got a call from Gran today," Dusty said.

"How is she?"

"She sounded a little down. Her doctor won't let her fly right now, cuz her
blood pressure is too high and he's afraid of something happening to her."

"That sucks. I know how much she likes coming out to visit you," Zak
said. "Hey, why don't you and I take some time this summer and fly out to
see her?"

"You'd do that?"

"Sure. I love your grandmother and it would be fun to see that part of the
country. Could you take the time off?"

"I'm sure CJ would let me," Dusty answered. "Especially during the summer,
cuz we'll have plenty of help. If we wait till August that will give me a
few months to make sure everyone is up on how we're doing things. Ace can
be in charge for a week."

"Great. Why don't you call her in the morning and let her know we're coming
out. We'll figure out the days and I'll have my mom book the tickets."

"Thanks, babe," Dusty said as he slid over and hugged Zak.

***

"I'm riding tomorrow," Spin announced to Mattie as they lay in Mattie's
bed.

"Spin, you know the doctor hasn't signed off on that."

"I don't care, it's been almost a month and I can't take it anymore," Spin
whined. "I'll ride Marty; he'll be more gentle than Rev and I know he won't
spook. I'll even keep it to no more than a walk, but I have to."

"Ok, but why don't you ride Ash," Mattie said.

"Why?"

"His walk and canter are much smoother than Marty's, so there is less of a
chance of your ribs getting bothered."

"Are you sure he'll let me?"

Mattie chuckled. "You've ridden him before. Besides, the only time he's
cautious of you is when you are a spaz and right now you're too sore to be
too much of one, so you should be fine."

"Thanks, Matt."

***

Jesse and Dylan were sitting up on Jesse's bed watching a movie. Kaya lay
between the two of them; their hands were on her back, their fingers
intertwined. Kaya's belly was starting to swell from the puppies she was
carrying. The vet had told the boys she would probably deliver within the
next two to three weeks.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Jesse called.

CJ and Danny walked into the room looking like they were heading to a
funeral.

"Hey, guys, what's up?" Dylan asked.

CJ and Danny sat on the bed.

"We need to talk to you guys," Danny said somberly.

"You're scaring me, Danny," Jesse said.

"There's no easy way to say this, Jess. About a month ago, right before the
re-opening, we received some papers. We've held off saying anything about
them, because we wanted to see if there was something we could do without
worrying you unnecessarily." Danny sighed. "Unfortunately, the lawyers have
tried everything and they can't get this changed."

"Lawyers?" Jesse asked. "What the hell is going on?"

"Jesse, your father has filed for custody of you."

"Ralph?! He hates me, why would he want me?"

"No, not your step-father, your biological father."

"That's crazy; I don't even know my biological father. He didn't want
anything to do with me or my mother."

"Well, now he does," Danny said. "And you do know him."

"How?"

"You met him a few months ago. Trevor Van Edsel."

Jesse's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious. There's no way he's my father;
my mother never even mentioned knowing him and I used to talk about him all
the time when I was riding in Wellington."

"Well, according to the papers he filed, he says that he had a long
relationship with your mother and that at her request he relinquished his
parental rights," CJ explained. "He's saying that as soon as he learned of
her death he started looking for you and now that he's found you he wants
custody."

"Why didn't he say anything when we met?"

"Right now, it's just his word. Our lawyers found the papers your mother
had him sign relinquishing his rights, but she never listed him on the
birth certificate, so legally there is nothing to prove he is your father."

"Then, he can't have me."

"Jesse, we have to go to Florida next week," Danny said. "You have to have
a DNA test so that we know if he is your father. If he is, then we'll have
to try to work something out or we'll end up in court."

"I'm not leaving!!" Jesse shouted. "I'm not leaving Dylan or you guys or my
brothers or Val or Kaya. This is my home!!"

Dylan grabbed Jesse and held him tight.

Jesse began to sob. "Why? I'm finally happy, why does he want to ruin
everything?"

Danny moved so he was on the other side of Jesse and hugged him. "Jesse,
we're not giving up. We lost this round, we have to go and have the DNA
test run. But we're going to fight for you. You belong here; this is your
family and we want you to be with us."

Jesse shook and sobbed while Dylan and Danny held him.

After a few minutes, Jesse became still and quiet while the tears still
flowed.

"When do we have to go?" he asked.

"We fly down on Monday morning," Danny answered.

"I'm going, too," Dylan said.

"Dylan..." Danny started.

Dylan shook his head violently. "No. I'll talk to my parents and I'll buy a
ticket if I have to, but I'm not letting Jesse go through this without me."

Danny grinned. "If you'd let me finish, I already spoke to your parents and
bought you a ticket. I didn't think there was any way we could leave you
behind."

Jesse smiled and hugged Danny tight. "That's why you're my dad," he said.

***

Diego and Brandon cantered through the woods on Domingo and Chance.

"Very good, Brandon," Diego called.

"Faster?" Brandon yelled back.

"Wait until we clear the woods," Diego replied. "There is an open field
just ahead; there should be plenty of room to let them go."

Brandon saw the edge of the woods and knew where they opened up. He nudged
Chance to go a little faster. The Appaloosa stayed at a canter, but slowly
increased his speed. As soon as they emerged from the woods, Brandon gave
Chance his head and the two flew across the field.

Diego grinned and nudged Domingo; the Andalusian poured on the speed and
easily caught up to Brandon and Chance.

Diego watched the pure joy that radiated from Brandon. Though the younger
boy had only been riding a few weeks, he was a natural. Diego knew it had
been smart to start him on Domingo. Domingo challenged Brandon as Diego had
known he would. But Brandon met every challenge and now was putting his
new-found knowledge to great use with Chance.

Diego had already spoken to Dusty about Chance and Brandon. It was a
foregone conclusion that the Appaloosa would be Brandon's before the summer
was over.

They decided they would not say anything to Brandon until they had cleared
everything with his parents.

Brandon beamed as he and Chance kept pace with Diego and Domingo. The
exhilaration he felt as they galloped through the field was unlike anything
he had ever experienced. As much as he loved the thrill of riding Domingo,
he was Diego's horse and he always knew it. He and Chance were starting to
bond and he was determined that he would convince his father to let him
adopt the gelding.

"Let's head back," Diego called to Brandon. "I'll take care of Domingo at
the barn and you can take Chance back to the rescue."

Brandon nodded as they slowed the horses to a trot and headed back.

When they reached the compound they found Mattie and Spin coming out of the
barn leading Ash.

"Hey, guys," Mattie greeted them. "Have a good ride?"

Brandon smiled bright and nodded. "The best."

"Are you going to work Ash?" Diego asked.

"No, Spin's going a bit stir-crazy and he's desperate to ride and I thought
he'd be better off on Ash since his gaits are so smooth."

"Who are you going to ride?"

"I wasn't going to," Mattie replied.

Diego slipped down from Domingo and offered the reins to Mattie. "Here, one
of you take Domingo and then the other can ride Ash. That way you can take
a short trail ride."

Mattie took the reins. "Are you sure? You guys just came back."

Diego nodded. "Oh, he still has a great deal of energy. I would not imagine
that Spin will want to ride too long anyways."

Spin nodded. "I don't know how long I'll make it, but I need to at least
get some saddle time in."

"Go ahead," Diego said. "He will be fine for either of you."

"Thanks, Diego," Mattie said as he led Domingo away followed by Spin and
Ash.

Brandon looked down on Diego. "So, now we can do some more work in the
arena."

Diego grinned at Brandon. "You, my friend, are going to be walking funny if
you keep riding this much."

Brandon laughed. "It's worth it. I thought learning to ride would be fun,
but this is more than I ever imagined."

"I am glad," Diego said. "You have been an excellent pupil and it is clear
that Chance has taken to you as well. If you get along as well with the
other horses, you will be a great help at the rescue."

Brandon beamed at the compliments.

"Come, my friend, let us go back to the rescue. You can do a little more
work in the arena."

"Are you gonna walk?"

"As I have lent my horse to Mattie, I believe so."

Brandon nodded behind him and removed his left foot from the stirrup. "Come
on."

Diego stepped up and placed his left foot in the stirrup and pulled himself
up behind Brandon and the two took off towards the rescue.

When they got to the arena, Jesse and Dylan were there working with Dancer
and Luka was at the fence watching.

Diego slipped off of Chance and walked over to Luka. "Hola, Luka, Como
estas esta maņana?"

Luka turned and smiled. "Bien, Diego. Estoy viendo Jesse y Dylan."

"Your Spanish is very good." Diego grinned. "How is Dancer doing?"

"Dancer's doing great, but something seems to be bothering Dylan and
Jesse."

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's like they're going through the motions," Luka explained. "I
love watching the two of them, especially Jesse, because he is so natural
and intuitive, but this morning, it's like he's a robot. I guess he's just
having a bad day."

"Probably," Diego replied.

"How's Chance doing, Brandon?"

"Awesome." Brandon beamed. "You should see him move. We were galloping all
over the trails."

Luka smiled at Brandon's enthusiasm. "Great. Nice to see that the first two
residents of the rescue are doing so well."

Diego opened the arena gate and Brandon rode Chance through. He watched his
pupil and talked to Luka.

"So are you going to help at the rescue, Luka?"

"I'm not sure yet," Luka answered. "I'm so busy getting Winston ready for
the summer shows and training. I'd hate to volunteer and then always be
unavailable. I know Steph is going to. I think she is going to work with
Ace, since Devon and TJ are working together. I may tell Dusty that I can
help out in a pinch or I might see if Zak and Spin need help when they
start working with the `keepers'."

Diego laughed at the phrase. "Do you think Dancer will be a `keeper'?"

Luka nodded. "Oh, yes. I think that Jesse and Dylan will want him. If I
didn't have Winston, I'd take him. He's awesome. He definitely has dressage
and hunter/jumper training. Jesse's great to work with him, but I could see
Danny with him as well."

They watched both of the new horses and their riders for a while longer.

"Well, I need to go and check on Winston," Luka said. "I want to get some
practice in later today. I have a lesson with Danny tomorrow."

"How is that going?"

"Danny is a task master, but he's great. He really knows his stuff. I think
I've learned more from him in the last month than I learned in a year with
my last trainer," Luka gushed. "Plus, he's been there. He knows what it
takes to train and win at our age. He's not some washed-up has-been or
never-was."

"Zak and Spin say he is very strict."

Luka nodded. "Outside of the arena he is just the sweetest guy, but in the
arena he is a completely different person. He's all business," he
said. "Well, I'll see you later."

"See you later, Luka."

Luka walked off towards the main ranch.

Brandon rode up to Diego.

"Are you ready to stop?" Diego asked.

Brandon nodded. "My legs are really starting to hurt."

Diego grinned. "The pain is good though--it tells you that you are using
your legs correctly. If you were not sore, you would not be using the
muscles that you should be using."

"Well, if being sore is good, then I'm great," Brandon laughed as he slid
off Chance. When his feet hit the ground, his legs buckled and he landed on
his behind. "Oof!! Jelly legs," he laughed.

Diego grinned and hopped the fence to help Brandon up.

"Do you think you can take care of Chance by yourself?" Diego asked.

Brandon nodded. "Sure. I want to give him a bath anyways. I'll take my time
and make sure he feels really good."

"Excellent. I'm sure Dusty, Dylan or Jesse will be around if you need any
help. I'm going to go and see how Mattie and Spin are doing with Domingo."

"Ok, I'll see you later."

Diego walked off towards the main ranch, while Brandon led Chance out of
the arena and over to the wash racks.

Danny met Diego as he was walking towards the main ranch.

"Hey, Diego, are Jesse and Dylan back there?"

Diego nodded. "They are in the arena with Dancer." He paused. "Is there
something bothering them?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"Luka was watching them and he noticed that they seemed to be, umm, I think
the phrase he used was `going through the motions'?"

"Well, there's some stuff going on right now, so they are both a little
distracted. That's why I'm looking for them, I wanted to see how they were
doing," Danny said. "I saw Mattie and Spin a while ago heading out on the
trail. It was nice of you to let them borrow Domingo."

"I wanted them to have some fun; I thought it would be nice if they were
able to go on a ride together."

"It was. I'm sure they'll have a good time."

"I was just on my way to see how they were doing."

"Well, they're probably still on the trail," Danny replied.

"Then, I'll swing by the main barn first. I need to check with Sarge about
background checks on some of the volunteers," Diego said as he continued
on. "I will see you later."

"See ya, Diego," Danny said as he walked towards the rescue.

Danny stopped at the fence and watched Jesse ride Dancer around the
arena. He immediately knew what Diego had been talking about. He had never
seen Jesse ride with such indifference. Jesse normally rode with such
passion and feeling; it was like a knife in Danny's heart to see him like
this.

Danny went through the gate and walked over to where Dylan was watching
Jesse and the thoroughbred.

"Hey, Dyl," Danny said softly. "How's it going?"

"Hey, Danny. Not great. Look at him. I've never seen Jesse ride like
this. If Dancer didn't have the training he has, he'd be really messed up
by now."

"I know. We need to shake him out of this funk."

"I don't know if we can," Dylan said. "He's so scared about having to leave
and live with someone he doesn't even know."

"We're not giving up on him. But, he needs to fight. Just wanting to stay
may not be enough. If it comes to a custody fight, he's going to have to
show the judge he belongs here with us."

"He will," Dylan answered. "But he's in shock right now, Danny. After
everything that happened last summer, he was finally happy and felt
settled. Knowing that this guy wants to take him away pulled the rug out
from under him. He's scared. We were up most of the night."

"Is he talking about it?"

"Some, but mostly we just laid there. He didn't say a whole lot, but he
doesn't have to. I know how important this family is to him--being part of
any family, feeling loved and wanted. Even if this guy is his father, he
abandoned him. I don't know if Jesse ever really dealt with that. It was
always just him and his mother until she got married, so it wasn't like he
ever had a dad. I think all this happening now is bringing up those
feelings."

Danny grinned. "Are you going for your psychology degree?" he teased.

Dylan shrugged. "Spend enough time on the couch and you're bound to pick
something up."

"Don't I know it," Danny nodded. "We'll just need to keep an eye on him for
the next couple of days. Think you can manage that?"

Dylan smirked and nodded. "It'll be a hardship but I'll try."

Danny laughed and grabbed Dylan around the neck. "Wise ass," he grumbled as
he dragged Dylan across the arena to where Jesse sat on Dancer.

"Hey, Jess. How's he doing?" Danny asked as he released Dylan.

"He's doing good," Jesse said flatly. He hopped down and handed the reins
to Dylan. "Here, Dyl, why don't you give it a go, he'll probably do more
for you."  "Mind if I give him a try?" Danny asked Dylan.

"Go ahead." Dylan smiled handing Danny the reins.

Dylan grabbed Jesse's hand and the two stepped back as Danny hoisted
himself up onto the big thoroughbred.

Danny held Dancer still for a moment. He closed his eyes and plotted out a
dressage test in his mind's eye.

He gave Dancer a subtle signal and the horse began to move. Jesse and Dylan
watched as Danny moved the horse through a series of high-level movements
and actions.

When he had finished, Danny rode back over to Dylan and Jesse. He slid
down. "Whoever decided to name this guy `Dancer' wasn't kidding. He's
probably one of the best dressage horses I've ever ridden.

"Actually, it was Luka," Jesse said.

" If I was planning to compete again, I might just take this guy for
myself."

"What about Onyx?" Dylan asked.

"Jesse's doing great with Onyx," Danny replied smiling at his foster
son. "I don't want to break up that team."

Jesse turned away.

"Dylan would you mind taking him to the wash rack so I can talk to Jesse
for a minute?"

"Sure," Dylan answered as he took the reins from Danny and led Dancer out
of the arena.

Danny walked over to Jesse and wrapped his arms around him.

Jesse began to shake and tears fell from his eyes. "I-I-I c-can't do this,"
he wailed.

Danny hugged him tighter. "Yes, you can, Jess. You went through worse last
summer and you were on your own. Now you're not alone, you have me and CJ
and Dylan and everyone else. You have your family and we are not giving you
up."

"But, what if he is my father?"

"So what if he is?" Danny answered. "If he thinks he's just gonna swoop in
and steal you from us then he's got another think coming. We're gonna fight
for you, Jess, with everything we've got."

"I love you guys so much," Jesse whispered. "But..."

"But, you're scared and all you can think of is losing Dylan."

Jesse looked down and nodded.

Danny slipped his fingers under Jesse's chin and raised his head
up. "Jesse, that's nothing to be ashamed of. You love all of us, but Dylan
is the love of your life. I'm sure he feels exactly the same way. He's
gonna fight for you hardest of all."

***

Mattie and Spin rode down the trail.

Mattie knew that Spin was dying to open the horses up, but he was making
him stay at a walk while they were in the woods.

"Matt..." Spin whined, again.

"Spin, if you fall or get jarred in the wrong way and re-injure yourself,
you could spend the whole summer out of the saddle," Mattie said
sternly. "Do you want that?"

Spin pouted. "Stupid question."

Mattie grinned and rolled his eyes. "You are such a baby," he
laughed. "We'll be clear of the woods in a few minutes and then we can
speed up in the field. You just need to be careful."

Spin nodded and grinned in anticipation. Mattie had him riding Ash, since
he had ridden the stallion before. Mattie was riding Domingo as he hadn't
had a chance to ride Diego's horse. He was impressed with Domingo's
responsiveness. He knew that Diego had spent a great deal of time and
energy training the gelding.

They had no sooner emerged from the woods then Spin cued Ash and the two
took off across the field. Spin whooping and hollering the whole way.

Mattie shook his head and kicked Domingo into a fast canter.

Chasing Spin across the field, Mattie was glad he had insisted that he ride
Ash. The gentle canter of the Andalusian would definitely not place the
strain on his ribs that Revanche would have.

No matter how fast Spin pushed Ash, the horse's canter was still like
sitting in a rocker. It would actually be less of a strain for Spin to ride
Ash's canter than his trot. The trot would definitely do a job on his ribs.

Mattie and Domingo chased Spin and Ash around the field until Spin finally
reined the stallion in.

Spin turned Ash so he was facing Mattie as Mattie and Domingo stopped.

Mattie inhaled deeply, his heart feeling like it would burst from his chest
as he took in the sight before him.

Spin's cheeks were flushed, his green eyes sparkled with mischief, his
flaming red hair was a disheveled mess and his huge smile was almost
splitting his cheeks. This was the boy that Mattie loved more than life
itself in all his glory, the boy that some hateful thug had tried to take
from him.

Spin's smile faltered as he saw tears glistening in Mattie's eyes. He
walked Ash beside Domingo.

"Matt, what's wrong?" he asked as he reached for Mattie's hand.

Mattie turned and his eyes met Spin's. Almost inaudibly, he said, "I almost
lost you."

Spin held Mattie's hand against his chest. "But you didn't," he
whispered. "And in Spain I didn't lose you. We have each other and we
always will," he said solemnly as he leaned in and kissed Mattie gently on
the lips.

The boys rode back to the ranch slowly, hand in hand.

***

Diego walked into office in the main barn.

He had hoped to find Sarge so they could review the background checks on
his new group of volunteers, but the office was empty.

He went to the desk and grabbed a piece of paper planning to leave a note.

"Help!!" he heard someone call. He turned and saw Luka standing in the
doorway.  "Diego!! Thank God!! It's Winston, something's wrong!!"

Luka turned to run back into the barn and Diego followed.

Luka was standing in the doorway to Winston's stall; Diego looked past him
and saw the gelding lying on the floor of the stall. He was breathing
heavily and appeared to be in a great deal of pain.

"How long as he been down?" Diego asked brushing past Luka and approaching
the horse.

"I don't know," Luka answered. "I was here about an hour ago and he seemed
fine. Then I ran to the tack shop to get some feed. I got back a few
minutes ago and I found him like this."

Diego knelt next to Winston. "Shhh, good boy," he murmured as he ran his
hand along the horse's sweat-slicked neck. The horse tried to get to his
feet, but kept failing and lying back down.

Diego laid his head on Winston's stomach. He listened for a moment, then
bolted up and looked at Luka.

"Luka, go back to office and call the Vet--the number is in the rolodex on
the desk," he ordered. Luka didn't move. "Luka!! Go now!!" Diego
yelled. Luka turned and ran down the hallway.

Diego pulled his cell phone from his pocket and hit a number on the speed
dial.

"CJ? You need to come to the main barn, right away. I am here with
Luka. Winston is down, I am almost certain he is collicking. I sent him to
call the vet, but you may want to call him yourself to make sure he
comes. No, I do not think there is time. I think it is too late. I
know. Please get here quickly." He disconnected the call and put the phone
back into his pocket. He knelt back down and continued to stroke the
horse's neck.

Luka came back into the stall. "I called Dr. Grimes, he's on his way," Luka
said. "Do you know what's wrong?" he asked.

Diego looked up at Luka. The look in Luka's eyes told him that Luka knew
what was happening.  Diego stood up and went to Luka. He took Luka by the
shoulders and steered him out of the stall.

"Luka, I am almost certain that Winston is collicking," he said gently. "I
called CJ and he is on his way, but I am not sure there is anything we can
do."

"NO!!" Luka cried. "He can't..." His voice trailed off as he began to
sob. He lurched forward and latched tightly onto Diego.

"Diego?" CJ called as he came around the corner.

Diego looked up to see CJ, Sarge and Ace coming towards him.

CJ and Sarge walked into the stall to check on Winston, while Ace stood
outside with Luka and Diego.

"Luka," Ace said gently. "I called Steph, she's on her way."

Luka was lost in his grief. He sobbed in Diego's arms.

After a few minutes, Dr. Grimes came breezing into the barn and marched
past the three boys.

Diego and Ace quietly steered the distraught Luka down the hallway and away
from the stall.

Eventually, CJ and Sarge came out of the stall. Ace and Diego looked at
them hopefully, and CJ shook his head grimly.

CJ placed his hand on Luka's shoulder.

"Luka," he said gently. "Luka, it's colic."

Luka looked up at CJ his cheeks streaked with tears. "But, he's going to be
alright," he said without much conviction.

CJ pulled Luka to him. "No, Luka. Dr. Grimes is giving him something for
the pain, but he's positive that Winston's intestine has ruptured. He has
no choice, Winston is suffering terribly right now."

Luka nodded to CJ and then turned and ran from the barn.

"I will go after him," Diego said as he hurried after Luka.

CJ pulled out his phone.

"Who are you calling?" Ace asked.

"Luka's father," CJ replied. "Dr. Grimes needs permission and Luka is a
minor so technically Mr. Andros has to give his consent."

"Consent for what?"

Ace and CJ turned to find Stephanie standing behind them.

"Steph, it's bad," Ace said. "Winston collicked and Dr. Grimes is sure that
his intestine has ruptured. He's in a lot of pain and there's nothing they
can do...except."

"Where's Luka?"

"He ran out of the barn after CJ told him. Diego went after him."

Stephanie turned to CJ. "The doctor's sure?" she asked.

CJ nodded. "Honestly, I think Diego and Luka knew before Dr. Grimes got
here. There's no way anyone with any horse experience could see him and not
know or at least suspect."

"What happened?"

"We'll probably never know," CJ said. "Colic is so common in horses and it
can be caused by any number of things."

"I know," Steph sighed. "We all know it's a possibility, but it's always
easier to have something to `blame'."

"I need to call your dad and get his permission for Dr. Grimes to
proceed. Winston is suffering too much."

Stephanie nodded. "Go ahead. I know it will be hard on Luka, but he
wouldn't want Winston to suffer anymore."

CJ walked away to make the call.

***

Diego chased after Luka. Luka was surprisingly fast, but Diego was taller
and in better shape so he caught up to him right at the edge of the woods.

Diego reached out and grabbed Luka's arm. "Luka, stop," Diego called.

Luka tried to pull away but Diego held on and pulled the smaller boy to
him.

Diego hugged Luka tight as he fought to break free.

"Diego, let me go!!"

"No, Luka. I know what this is like and I will not let you go through this
alone."

"You don't know!! How can you he's my..."

"Best friend."

Luka stopped struggling and slumped in Diego's arms. "Yes," he whispered.

Diego held Luka and walked him over to a clump of trees. He gently set him
down and sat beside him.

"I do know what you are going through, Luka. When I was six years old, my
father gave me a horse I named Rafi. He was my playmate, my best friend,
most days he was all I had. When I was twelve, I came out to the barn and
found him as we found Winston today. He too had collicked and there was
nothing the veterinarian could do for him. I was heartbroken as you are now
and I swore I would never have another horse. I didn't think I could go
through the pain again and I felt like I would betray Rafi if I `replaced'
him. About a year after I lost him, we moved to the rancho. I hadn't been
near a horse in that whole time and I was determined that I would not. One
night as I was exploring the grounds, I came across a young gelding who had
managed to get his foot wrapped in some wire that had been left in the
paddock. I spent over an hour freeing him from the wire and tending to the
cuts on his leg. For days, every time I would pass the paddock he would
follow me. Eventually, one of the old ranch hands saw me trying to avoid
the gelding. He laughed telling me that everyone wanted to ride this young
horse, but he avoided everyone, except me, the one person who did not want
anything to do with him.

"A few nights later, I couldn't sleep, the conflict between my heart and my
head was keeping me awake. I got up and went out the paddock and found the
young horse alone. I climbed the fence and went to him. He came right to me
and I couldn't resist. I led him through the gate and threw myself onto his
back. He took off and we rode off into the hills around the rancho. It was
after daybreak when we came back.  We had ridden most of the night and by
the time I brought him back to his paddock, I knew Domingo was mine."

"I can't even think of replacing Winston," Luka said.

"Nor should you at this moment," Diego replied gently. "You need to mourn
and reflect on the time you had with him, but whatever you do don't shut
yourself down, don't deny yourself the chance to be happy. If you let this
stop you from riding or being around horses, then everything you learned
from Winston is for nothing."

Luka laid back against the tree and shut his eyes. A few tears leaked out
from the corners of his eyes.

After a few minutes, he opened his eyes and sat up. His red-rimmed eyes met
Diego's bright green ones. Diego reached out and caressed Luka's cheek and
he used his thumb to wipe a tear from Luka's cheek

The sympathy and compassion radiated off Diego in a way that Luka had never
felt from anyone before.  Before he could stop himself, Diego leaned in and
pressed his lips to Luka's. Luka responded by parting his lips and allowing
Diego's tongue entry. For several seconds, the two boys were carried away
on a wave of bliss, sharing feeling that neither had ever had a chance to
explore.

Without warning, Luka stopped and pulled away. Diego saw the look of panic
in his eyes as the smaller boy jumped up and ran into the woods.

"LUKA!!"