The Healing

July 6, 2025
The air was still cool, but the sun's rays were coming. The sound of Dude and Anoush's foot falls on the rocky ground filled the morning.

"There's a women's club in Agua Dulce" Anoush said. "I will go to their next meeting. If no one at the meeting knows anyone directly, someone will know someone who knows someone. What you really need is a family. I just think right now people will be afraid to respond to a help wanted ad or a social media post. Everything will need to be done with trust and personal relationships."

The sun's rays burst forth across the landscape.  

"I'm going to ruin these boots" Anoush lamented, "walking on all these rocks. I don't know the terrain as well as Grace and Skye."

"Grace." Dude said her name, then let out a heavy sigh.

"She's a pistol, isn't she?"  Anoush replied.  "Grace is very protective. And in fairness, put yourself in her shoes. You show up out of nowhere. You aren't exactly forthcoming with the details of your mission here. Not even your name. I'm the one who told Grace and Skye your name. This isn't exactly suburbia, where neighbors are everywhere and you might never get to know any of them, or for that matter, care to know them."

Dude nodded. "True. All of it. And to make matters worse, that mission has been entirely unsuccessful. I know my grandma's horses are here. Somewhere. But I haven't caught so much as a glimpse of one."

Grace and Skye were ut for a morning ride on their favorite mounts, La Barilla and Ladyhawk, respectively.  There was colorful movement among the rocks before them.

"It's Dude and Anoush" Skye said softy. "I feel like we're always interrupting their private conversations."

"I'm guessing we are this time for sure" Grace replied.

"Are you ever gonna be nice to him?"

"Gawd. I don't know. It's all kind of surreal. And remember, he came here looking for horses, not looking to save his grandma."

"Well I think Anoush and the boss made short work of that. Either he takes care of his gramma or he'll face the wrath of a whole herd of horse women."

Grace broke a fleeting smile. "All right. I'll do it."

Dude and Anoush crunched their way through the rocky terrain, back toward the ranch. The air was warming quickly now. Dude extended a hand to help Anoush over a particularly rugged section of ground.

Anoush hesitated. She could do it. She was stubborn and self reliant. As much as Grace. Maybe more so than Grace.

Dude was patient. After a moment, Anoush acquiesced.

Grace rode directly up to Dude. Looked him in the eye. Smiled and extended her hand.

"Good morning."

"Good morning" Dude accepted her hand and her greeting. And everything Grace was holding...suspicion, fear, distrust, anger...melted. It was as if a host of tight, invisible fibers dissolved and left her momentarily limp. The intensity of the feeling caught Grace off guard.

Anoush was still struggling to keep her riding boots and her legs inside of them unscathed. Skye moved into action.

"We'll save you" Skye said cheerfully.

Ladyhawk shimmied up next to Anoush's stone mounting block. Skye leaned to the right to keep the bareback pad from slipping. In a moment, Anoush was settle behind Skye.

Dude was simply too big to ride double on La Barilla. He saved Grace the awkwardness.

"You ladies enjoy your ride back. I'm going to enjoy the scenery for a spell."

"Dang girl" Skye said in a soft voice when they had ridden off a little ways.
"You came outta that shell with a bang!"

There weren't really any words Grace could think of to respond. She gave Anoush and Skye a smile, then focused on the way home.

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