Laura’s lower lip protruded and then began to tremble. Large tears pooled and then poured from her brown eyes like a faucet. “You say no to everything! I couldn’t stay overnight at my friend’s house, then you wouldn’t let me go see mamm, and now I can’t even ride a horse around my own backyard!” She emphasized the last word to make sure he understood she wasn’t asking to ride to Wooster. Then she laid her face down on the table and sobbed, her tears quickly forming a puddle.
Catherine clenched her teeth to keep from intervening between a father and child. She took a knife to the pie, hacking it into six mismatched pieces.
Daniel rolled his eyes and clucked his tongue. “Okay, Laura, stop bawling. I’ll ask Isaiah to saddle up his mare. She’s the smallest horse on the farm.” He pushed away his empty bowl.
“You will?” she asked, lifting her head.
“You will?” Catherine’s tone expressed an equal amount of disbelief. She set the largest slice of pie in front of him.
“Jah, I will if he’s still in the barn cleaning water troughs.”
“I can learn to ride tonight?” Laura stared at him.
“If Isaiah hasn’t gone back to his cabin, and if he feels like teaching you. But only inside the paddock, with Aunt Catherine leading the horse by the reins and Isaiah keeping you in the saddle. I won’t have you falling off and breaking an arm. How would I explain that to your mamm when she comes home?”
Laura flew from her chair and into her father’s lap. With her arms around his neck and her face buried in his shirt, she spoke in a muffled voice. “Danki, daed. Danki so much.” From her gratitude an outsider arriving at the door would think she had been awarded a treasure chest of toys.
Daniel patted her back. “You’re welcome. Now finish your soup and corn bread. I’m sure Aunt Meghan never rode a horse on an empty belly.” He turned to his son, who’d been listening with interest. “Jake, you can ride the porch swing with me after supper. How does that sound?”
The boy nodded his head vigorously.
While Laura devoured her meal, Catherine found her own stomach fluttering with anticipation. I will see Isaiah again. That same visitor might assume Catherine was the one getting to climb into the saddle, because she was as excited as her niece.
With supper dishes done and Laura pacing the porch, Catherine resorted to counting cows in the distance to settle her nerves. They didn’t have to wait long, however. Within the hour Isaiah appeared coming from the barn, leading his mare outfitted with a saddle.
“Hullo, Laura. Hullo, Cat.”
He wore clean dark pants, a navy shirt, and black suspenders, and he had replaced his everyday straw hat with his black felt. Catherine knew he hadn’t just finished barn chores, and considering the pink flush to his cheeks, he’d probably showered with the barn’s cold water.
“Hi, Isaiah,” both females chimed as they ran to join him in the paddock.
“Cor-rah,” he said, patting the mare’s neck. He made a calm, stillwater motion with his hand.
“Cora is a gentle horse,” interpreted Catherine.
“Hi, Cora.” Laura greeted the mare while lightly patting her neck. “Pick me up, Aunt. I want to see her face better.”
When Catherine lifted the child higher, Laura leaned so close that beast and child were eye to eye. She kissed the mare above the nose. The girl possessed no more fear of horses than swimming in a pond filled with feet-nibbling fish.
Isaiah laughed at the affectionate gesture as he pulled Laura from Catherine’s arms. He effortlessly swung her into the saddle, and then he also planted a kiss on Cora’s nose. Laura found this worthy of applause. Isaiah held up one stirrup. “Fut,” he said, and Laura slid her boot into place.
Catherine noticed that a recent hole had been bored through the leather, higher and not in line with the others.
“Fut,” he repeated on the other side. Then he handed Laura a short set of reins, and to Catherine he gave the longer lead rope. “Tie-ette,” he enunciated, tapping the child’s leg.
“You want me to hold tight with my legs?” asked Laura, squeezing rather ineffectively in her long dress.
He nodded and tapped her leg again, harder. Laura practiced gripping with her legs while Isaiah steadied her in the saddle.
Suddenly, Laura shrieked. Isaiah might not have known if the animal hadn’t sidestepped. “Spider!” the child cried, pointing to a harmless daddy longlegs sitting on Cora’s mane.