Chapter 3

Willows father had always told her that she had a way with horses, but she didnt know she could be in the midst of a herd of wild horses, then be protected from a wolf.
"So then he lept in front of me and just about squished the wolf, which then ran off." Willow stuffed another bite of eggs into her mouth and got up from the table.
"Ok, gotta go now, Mom. Bye!" She swallowed, wiped off her hands and ran out the door.
"That girl has such an imagination." Mrs. Armstrong said to herself as she dried the last dish.
Willow ran to catch the bus waiting at the end of Donovans Drive. She jumped on and the bus sped away.
Willow made her way to sit beside Kendala.
"Last day of school." Kendala sighed a breath of relife.
"And not a moment too soon!" Willow agreed.
The whole bus was murmering with excitement.
Just a half day of school, and they were getting off at their lanes.
"I'll call you, Will, ok?"
"Ok, can't wait til 2:00!" Willow exclaimed and then disappeared out the door.
A pitter patter of rain clouded her thoughts for a while.
What if he comes back? Could I train him? He's a brumby stallion, I don't know...Darn rain! Why again?! Its almost summer!
Willow cleared her throat and kept walking.
Over the hill she heard loud, screaming whinnies, echoing through the vally.
Willow made it to the top and looked down.
She saw two horses-stallions no doubt-kicking and beating each other to a bloody pulp.
There was the Ghost, kicking and rearing, but his wounds were visable, and he was wearing.
The other stallion was jet black, his mane twirled fiercly and he clamped his teeth into Ghosts' neck.
Ghost squealed and twirled and kicked.
But the black stallion prevailed.
Ghost galloped away, with a noticeable limp in his front right leg.
"Oh no!" She gasped aloud. "Brad!" Willow broke into a run, knowing there was nothing she could do for the poor guy-at the moment.
She raced through the door, up the stairs and into her room.
Flipping through a school directory she looked for the M's.
"Cynthia Maller, Karen Mhalen, Brad Miller!" Her fingers searched the line for the number.
Picking up the phone beside her bed she dialed, then slowed to catch her breath.
"Hi Brad, this is Willow, I found your number in the school directory..No, Hi brad, Willow here, hows it going? No...Errr!" Willow had no time to think when Brads deep voice answered and said,
"Hello?"
Willow slammed the phone down.
"Oh how stupid was that!" She took a deep breath and hit redial, trying to collect herself.
"Hello?"
"Hi, this is Willow, hows it going?" She said slowly, making sure to sound older.
"Hi, did you just call?" Brads voice seemed just as deep as it was in person.
"Uhh, no, it wasnt me." She tapped her fingers on the beside table.
There was an awkward silence for a moment.
"So Brad, any new horses lately?"
"One, he's a brumby. Beautiful stallion! But he sure puts up a fuss!"
"Really?! How'd you catch him?" Willow was suddenly intrigued.
"I got him cornered on a fence and slung a rope over his head. I was on horseback of course."
"Do you have to have any claim or anything to be able to pick one of them up?"
"Naw, not really. Why?"
"Oh, no reason, Do you think I could borrow one of your horses sometime, I havent ridden in who knows how long!" Willow chuckled.
"Yeah, you guys had that really big barn fire a couple years back didn't you?"
There was stiff silence for a moment before Willow could choke out, "Yeah.."
"I'm really sorry, you guys lost alot of good horses."
"Yeah I know.." Willow tried to change her tone of voice but it wasnt working so well.
"I'll probably be pretty rusty, havnt ridden for three years but I'll need a quick horse though."
"Whats the rush?"
"I don't know, I just need to ride I guess."
"Well, we just had a big sale the other day, so I don't know about horses, but theres always the motor bikes?" Brad chuckled at the thought of little Willow riding a big bike like that.
"Do you think you could help me then?" Willow said she'd explain if he met her at the drive at 2:00.
"Ok, see you then!" Brad said.
"Ok." Willow smiled.
"Hey,it was nice talking to you, I'll call you soon, maybe we could hang out sometime next week?" Brads tone of voice was assuringly nice.
"Sure!-Err.."Willow cleared her throat and tried to sound not as desperate. "That'd be nice."
"Ok, bye." The click of the reciever was all she heard after that.
I really, really like him! Willow squealed inwardly.
She dialed Kendala, but no answer.
"This is the Livesay residence, please leave a messege and we'll get back to you."
"Hey ken, its me, I can't make it today, I'll explain later."
Willow clicked the phone down and looked at the clock
"1:15."
Willow opened her closet and pulled out and older western shirt, black hoodie and slipped on some new jeans, exchanged her boots for some that could really get dirty, and hopped down the stairs.
"Is anybody home?" Willow called out. There was no answer.
Mom must be in town. She thought after a deep breath.
"Good." Willow skipped out the door and started across the yard.
She ran into a small shed where they had kept the last of the horse stuff that hadn't been lost in the fire. Willow reached for a rope and left the shed quickly, slamming the sliding metal door behind her.
While walking briskly down the long lane she heard a high whinny.
The big white was rearing in the distance.
"Ghost!" Willow exclaimed.
Just then she saw Brads beat up rusty red pick-up truck round the corner with two blue motor bikes in the back.
"Come on, hurry!" Willow exclaimed.
"Whats the rush?" Brad popped out of the drivers seat and rushed to unload the bikes.
Willow was on first with the rope in hand and kicked the bike to a start. Brad stood back, quite impressed.
"Whoa there cowgirl." Brad flashed a smile and handed her a helmet.
Willow sped away with Brad close on her tail.
Ghost was close in the distance.
They were closing in, Willow swung the rope high above her head and flung it through the air. The loop missed by an inch.
"Darn it!" Willow called, her voice muffled through the stinky helmet that was much too big for her head.
They were buzzing along behind the stallion. Brad sped to one side of Ghost and Willow to the other.
Brad swung a rope and missed as the stallion dodged a little too close to Willow for her comfort.
Willow tossed another loop and this time got it over his head.
She kicked down the gears and dumped the bike as the big white reared and pawed the air. Dodging for his herd he strained the rope.
Willow jerked off the much too big helmet and dropped it, stepping closer to him.
"Its alright. Nothing to be afraid of here boy." Willow spoke softly, holding her hand low infront of her.
Ghost snorted loudly and popped into the air.
 "Willow, what are you doing, you wanna get yourself killed?" Willow could hear the concern in Brads voice, and to be honest, she liked it.
Willow tried to stay focused. Her outstreched hand touched Ghosts' velvety muzzle.
"Good boy..." Willow whispered, even though his head was high in the air, and his eyes rimmed in white.
Brad and Willow pulled into the back yard. Willow let Ghost into a small round pen.
He trot around and around, streching his head over the fence, pressing enough to move it slightly.
"I feel bad for him." Willow and Brad were sitting in the green grass chit-chatting.
"What made you want him, why not a mare or something? Their easier to handle and train."
"I'm not looking for easy." She said simply. "And because he saved my life."
Brad chuckled. "How so?"
"What, you dont believe me?" Willow gave a playful grin, feeling the tightness in her throat give way to comfort.
"Of course I believe you! I just wanna know." Brad threw a light silly punch to her shoulder.
"I was out walking and I saw the herd of horses, and then these wolves came out of no where. God was looking out for me when Ghost ran 'em off."
"Ghost?" Brad lifted his head from picking grass blades apart and laughed.
Willow laid down on the grass and tucked a whisp of black hair behind her ear. "Ghost..."
Brad laid down beside her, his elbow touching hers.
Willow giggled.
"What?" Brad turned his head.
"Nothing." Willow faced him.
They were closer than Willow expected. Willow held her breath. For a second it was like they were the only two in the entire world. Only silence filled the air. Willow stared into Brads beautiful blue eyes, Brad stared into hers.
Suddenly Ghost sqealed.
"I'm gonna go check on him." Willow whispered.
Willow felt Brads eyes on her as she stiffly, but quickly, walked to the edge of the fence.
"Can I borrow your phone real quick?"
Willow bit her lip and sqealed inwardly.
"Can I borrow your phone?" She said finally, impressed at how cool and calm she sounded.
"Sure." He shoved a hand into his wrangler jeans pocket and fished out a flip phone.
She punched in a well remebered number and put the phone up to her head.
"Hi, I my name is Willow Armstrong, I'd like to speak with Dr.Hiens please."
Willow ordered a sedative so she could tend to Ghosts' bloody wounds.
"They'll be there by tomorrow morning." The nurse had promised.
                 
                                                                        ***

Willow was scrubbing the last of the dishes in the sink. Her head was practically spinning inside out.
The sun washed an orange tint over Ghosts muscles. He hadn't quite relaxed completely, but atleast he wasn't flipping out.
"I cannot believe you did that Willow." Mrs.Armstrong was finishing clearing the table as she spoke.
"I can't either." Willow was smiling softly, thinking some about Brad, but mostly about Ghost.
"I'm going to start training tomorrow. Brads coming over to help me."
"Ahh! This Brad Miller fellow, you like him?" Kristine Armstrong chuckled, but Willow could sense the tention in her voice.
"Ah, he's alright." Willow tried to act casual but she could feel her moms eyes piercing her.
Willow climbed into bed clicking out the light. She had glow in the dark stars on her ceiling that seemed to stare back at her.
"1,2,3,4..." Willow started counting all of them and thinking of a favorite thing every star. The only two things that came to mind where Ghost and Brad.
Willow finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming about galloping Ghost across an open feild, Brad beside her on Sparks, his dappled white and black quarter horse mare.
Suddenly the alarm was going off.  6:00AM.
Willow groaned and hit the snooze button.
She peeled herself off the bed and blinked the sleep out of her eyes. It was bright in her room. Her once white walls now looked like they had been kissed by the sun, and then bright pinks and yellows and such spilled over the top.
Willow streched and yawned as she got dressed.
She glared in the mirror at herself as she brushed her dark locks.
Willow picked up the telephone and called the feed and tack store.
"Hi, this is Willow Armstrong, I'd like to reserve-"
"Willow?!" A familar voice called out.
"Who is this?"
"Why speak of the angel! I was just thinking about you!"
"Denny?" Willow laughed. Denny Broacham was her horse trainer before. Denny and Willows dad had been good friends, before the accident.
"Sure is! You still riding?"
Willow was silent for a moment.
"Not since..." She trailed off.
"Ahh. Thats alright."
"But I will be soon! I have a brumby stallion now, his name is Ghost. Me and my friend Brad are training him." Her voice was filled with more energy, but the melencholy smile on her face would have given her feelings away.
"Oh, Brad Miller?"
"Yes sir. He ok?"
"Why he's the next greatest thing! I taught him everything he knows, and he sure loves 'em furry thins'."
Willow laughed, picturing Denny's grin on his face, his Napoleon complex showing-because he had a limp after a bulldogging accident when he was younger.
 "Well can you reserve four small bales of hay and a couple sacks of feed. I'll be in today to pick them up."
"Ok, see you then!"
"Bye Denny." Willow replaced the reciever and checked "feed" off her list of things to do.
"Gentle Ghost" was below that. Willow couldn't wait to check that one off.
At the round pen Ghost was settled. He snorted softly when Willow approached and leaned against the fence.
The two honks of a horn startled Willow back into reality.
Brad approached in his rig and Willow leaned through the open window.
"You think you could give me a ride down to the drive, I gotta get the mail."
Willow leaned through the window of the truck and picked out a couple envolopes and a small box.
"The sedatives." Willow said mildly.
They drove back to the house and Willow popped out of her door before Brad could get it.
It would be tricky, trying to get the shot into him, but Willow knew she had to do it, even if it would betray what little trust she had built with him.
She climbed the fence, and Ghost was immediatly aware of her presence.
He backed away, only a little, until Willow was close enough to touch his nose.
Instead, all in one motion she jammed the needle into his neck and squirted it.
He lept away and started trotting, but almost immediatly his eyelids began to get heavy and his knees started to lock.
All at once he collapsed to the sandy roundpen ground with a soundly thud.
Willow reached his side and as Brad handed her the first aid kit she'd prepared the night before.
She put special ointment on his wounds, addressed the right front leg as a little sore and then retreated to the fence panel to await his awakening.
The two of them sat in comfortable silence until Ghosts' shoulder twitched. Then his back leg kicked softly at a fly.
His eyes waved open and shut, until he finally lifted his head, pulled his front feet out from underneath himself and struggle to his feet.
It was funny, Willow thought, That a horse of his grown size was so easy to sieze. And it was akward how the full grown horse, stallion no less, was wobbly on his feet, like a newborn colt of great size.
The sedative would wear off in a few hours, and Ghost was in little to no pain, so She wasn't worried about him a bit. She smiled sweetly and went into the house.
Willow introduced Mrs.Armstrong to Brad. They had looked at Brads training website, gotten tips and just plain laughed.
They ate some lunch, later on , of ham and cheese, with potato chips and soda.
Willow led the way out to Ghosts' pen.
He was alert and "with-it" so to speak and Willow was happy for that.
She didn't even notice when Brad had left and soon after returned, sporting a loung whip, rope and halter.
"Hey, whats all this?" Brad handed it all to her.
"Your lounge whip, halter and a rope. Its time to do join up."
Join up was kind of like lounging. It was done inside a round pen and the horse had no ropes or leads attached to him. The handler would drive him in both directions to show who was boss. When the handler turned around, back facing the horse, the horse should approach and let himself be touched.
This wasn't easy, Willow knew that. She had done it before, with domesticated horses no less, not a brumby stallion.
 "C'mon!" Willow called to Ghost and threw a loop of the rope towards his hindquarters, driving him forward.
She kept him at a good trot for a few circles, then changed his direction by stepping infront of his shoulder. He pivoted on his front end and bounced into the other direction, his hooves thudding the ground.
They worked and worked.
Willow, hot and sweaty, was waiting for a signal, until she practically had a heartattack when he lowered his head and started making chewing motions with his lips.
Willow let out a sigh of relief and turned away and waited, holding her breath. Ghost stuck to the fence.
Willow groaned and threw herself over the fence.
"Why cant it be like the movies? Where they go in and jump on his back and gallop him around?" Willow said breathlessly.
Brad and Willow both started laughing.
"I know right?"
Willow slouched against the fence.
"Ah, things'll look up soon, it'll just take some time." Brad slumped an arm around her shoulder and squeezed.
Willow screamed inwardly.
"I can only hope." She smiled softly at him.
"Are you going into town today?" Willow asked, Brads arm slipped off.
"Yeah, I gotta go buy some feed."
"Perfect, could I hitch a ride? I gotta pick up some feed for this ole guy."
"Sure, lets go." Brad opened the truck door and Willow slid in. He jumped in the other side.

The truck ride was bouncy and noisy, yet silent.
"So..." Was the only thing Willow could croak out into the silence.
"So?" Willow couldnt think of anything else to fill the silence with, so most of the ride was filled with country music.
Willow started singing along to one of her favorite songs.
 "Cowgirls dont cry, ride baby ride.." Before she knew it Brad was staring, grinning at her.
Willows could feel her cheeks burning. She tried to laugh it off.
"I'm sorry, lets stop by the doctors, and get you a hearing aid after that preformance."
Brad laughed. "No, keep going, you sing really good." Willow didn't know if he was just saying that, but he sounded sincere.
For the rest of the way they both sang the songs, this time Willow sang quieter.
He sings well too. He's handsome, sweet, loves horses, can sing, what more do I need?! Willow smiled as this shot through her head.
The red pickup truck chugged to a stop infront of Dennys Tack and Feed.
Willow started to open her door.
"Wait wait wait!" Brad split out of the truck and yanked her door open.
"Oh why thank you!" Willow was flattered.
He opened the store door too.
"Well hello Willow and Brad!" It was Denny. The stalky, dark haired man in his late thirtys appeared from below the desk.
The three chit-chatted for a while and then Willow said she'd be right back and went to the back of the store.
There was a beautiful western saddle. It was dark oil leather with a light seat, tooled leather and some chrome.
Willow rubbed her fingers against it, it was soft too.
Brad came up beside her and admired it.
"Wow, thats beautiful." Brad looked at the price tag. They both whistled.
"Thats alot of money I dont have. I need a saddle though..."
"You don't have one?"
"No, it was lost in the barn fire." Willow kept looking at the saddle. It was perfect for her.
"I see..."
Willow looked at the rest of the tack and recalled the tattered teal halter she owned. It used to be her other horses.
A bright neon orange caught her eye.
"Ooh." Willow picked it up and found a matching lead rope. She took them to the front desk where Brad was talking with Denny.
Willow paid for them and then spoke with Denny a bit more. Brad peeled off to go load the feed.
"That Brad, he's keen on you, missy." Denny leaned in and said before departcher.
Willow slipped on her leather gloves and helped load the bales.
"I gotta stop over at the grocery store, so do you have any more errends?"
"Yeah, I'm gonna go over to the vets office and make an appointment for Ghost."
"Alright, I'll stop you by on my way over."
Willow nodded.

Willow opened the door and Brad sped away. Her cowboy boots' clip-clop against the lenolium floor reminded her of the clatter of horses hooves.
The white walls sported horse shoes, pictures of dogs and cats,ribbons and prizes, the vets certificate.
"Hi, my name is Willow Armstrong, I'd like to make an appointment with Dr.Jim." Willow arrived at the front desk.
"Ok, what breed of animal is it?" Donna, the receptionist, asked.
"He's a brumby stallion. Mustang." The look on Donna's face was priceless.
"So he will need sedatives?" She asked. Willow shook her head fiercly, "Never."
"Ok, when will work for him to come?"
"Whens the soonest?" Willow tapped her fingers on the white speckled counter top.
"Today at 4:00." Donna typed into an old computer infront of her.
"Perfect."
Donna typed and printed some forms for Willow to fill out and sign.
Willow thanked her and started towards the grocery store.
"Hey Brad. What time is it?" She met Brad at the check out.
"2:15. You gotta date?" Brad chuckled.
"No silly, I have an appointment with the vet at four, will that work?"
"If we hurry it should, I'm almost finished with the errends."
"Ok, anything I can do?" Willow lifted a paper sack into the cart.
"Start up the truck." Brad finished loading the cart and paid the cashier.
The red truck chugged to a start just as Brad rounded the corner of the store with the groceries.
They loaded them into the back seat of the truck and left the store.
"Whats next?" Willow checked "Vets appt." off her list and looked up at Brad.
"Rodney Jones' place, I gotta pick up some round pen panels for the brumby of mine."
"Fine by me." Willow beamed a bright smile.
It was forty five minutes until they were turning off into Rodney Jones drive way. Most of the ride was filled with conversation about horses, and some about each other.
Brad honked the horn as they pulled into the turn around.
Rodney, an older black man stepped onto the front porch and shielded his eyes with a hand, the other grasping a cane.
"Hi Mr.Jones."
"Well hello boy. You pickin up them fences?"
"Yes sir I am." Brad tipped his hat at the elderly man and the two kids drove behind the big red barn into a feild.
"Whoa, look out there!" Willow called, pointing to the open feild infront of them.
"Thats my stallion!" Brad slammed on the brakes sending the two of them forward almost off their seats.
A magestic black stallion grazed in the distance beside a white mare.
"And thats Sparks!" Willow pointed to the white speckled mare.
"Darn it!" Brad hit the steering wheel with the side of his hand.
"Shes in season." Brad hit his head on the steering wheel.
Willow got out and stood on the fence panels that were leaned against another fence.
Brad got out behind her and just stood there looking.
"Does he have a name?"
"Who, the stallion? Naw." Brad shook his head.
"He looks like a knight."
"Ok, then thats his name, Knight." Brad gave a wanly smile, happy but the grief obviously surfacing.
"So what are you gonna do?" Willow kept looking at them.
"Lemme call the guys, they'll get her back."After making a call to one of the stable hands at his place he flipped the phone shut.
 Brad sighed and then spoke again. "Ok, time to load those things." Willow looked behind her. Suddenly the top of the fence panel started to come back. Willow shreiked and hit the ground. Somewhat unfortunatly landing right on Brad.
They both started laughing.
"Ow. I'm so sorry." Willow said with a laugh.
They didnt move for a second. Willow could feel his breath hitting hers. He had his hands on her elbows.
"Um. Sorry I fell on you." Willow said breathlessly.
She picked herself up and helped load the panels in an awkward silence.