Paternity Lessons. Maris Soule
with Lanie and had even been offering suggestions on how to handle Lanie now.
Finally, Alicia spoke, her tone clearly cool. “You seem to know quite a bit about this Shaunna woman.”
He shook his head. “Only what I found out when I was looking for someone to work with Lanie’s horse. I didn’t want to move him from one bad situation to another. Shaunna, according to those I spoke with, is the best horse trainer around. Perhaps the best in the country.”
There was another moment of silence, Alicia’s gaze never leaving his face, then she looked down at her hands and began brushing a fingertip over one of her painted nails. “I think it’s commendable,” she said, “how much concern you’re showing for Lanie and this horse of hers, but you do remember that I don’t like horses, don’t you? I hope you’re not thinking of asking me to accompany you out to that stable or anything?”
“I wouldn’t think of it.” He could just imagine her reaction if she saw Shaunna’s house and the barns. Alicia’s condominium was in the best section of town. In fact, her father owned most of the real estate in that area, along with oil wells and other land. Her parents’ home, which he’d visited a couple of times, was absolutely palatial. No, she wouldn’t think much of Shaunna’s stable or house.
Alicia looked back at him and smiled. “I just wanted to be sure we understood each other. Dinner tonight? You could come by my place after work. I have something I’d like to discuss with you. A proposition of sorts.”
The bristling gone, Alicia was once again warm and friendly, but Tyler knew that dinner at her place tonight was out of the question. “I’m afraid I can’t. I need to find out what exactly happened today. In fact—” he stood “—I think I’d better go make sure Shaunna caught up with Lanie.”
Shaunna didn’t catch up with Lanie for more than a city block. Where the child thought she was going, Shaunna didn’t know, but Lanie was walking with determination, her limp barely discernible. As soon as she reached her side, Shaunna matched her steps to the ten-year-old’s. “You showed him, didn’t you?” she said as if they’d been carrying on a casual conversation for some time.
Lanie didn’t slow her steps and didn’t look at her. “Go away.”
“Can’t.”
Lanie did slow, then came to a complete stop. Only when she looked up, could Shaunna see the tears. She wanted to reach out and draw the girl close, but she knew Lanie would only resist. So she stood where she was and looked down at her, waiting for Lanie’s next response.
“I hate you,” she said.
“I don’t hate you.”
“I hate everyone.”
“So I’ve noticed.”
“I want to ride Magic.”
“You can’t. Not yet.”
Shaunna watched Lanie chew on her lower lip, struggling not to cry. “You’re never going to let me ride him,” she said, her voice trembling.
“It’s not up to me whether you ride him or not. It’s up to Magic. We have to give him time to decide that he wants to be ridden. We have to let him know that he can trust us.”
“Magic used to trust me. He was sweet and loving before the accident. It’s you people who’ve ruined him.”
“Don’t include me in that ‘you’ people. I didn’t harm him. You’re the one who hasn’t shown me that you won’t harm him. Look at what happened today. Right there by Magic’s paddock, you got into a fight with Bobby.”
“He said my horse was ugly.”
“So you had to push him into that pile of manure?”
“He pushed me into it, too.”
“And that makes it right?”
Lanie stood, glaring at her, her breathing shallow.
Shaunna met her gaze without wavering. “What happens,” she asked, “if Magic doesn’t do what you want? Do you shove him around? Beat him up?”
Shaunna could tell that the suggestion surprised Lanie. “I wouldn’t hurt Magic,” she said.
“How do I know that?”
“’Cause I love him.”
“Words are cheap.” Shauna remembered how many times her father had said he loved her. Then she’d do something he didn’t like, bring home a math paper she’d done poorly on, and he’d hit her.
“I really mean it,” Lanie insisted.
“If you love him, then you’ll take care of him. You’ll give him time to get used to his new surroundings, time to get used to seeing you around. Every time you go into his stall or paddock, you leave your scent. I want him to associate that scent with good things. A clean paddock. Food. Clean water. I want him to see you around the other horses. And I want you watching him, watching how he acts and reacts. I want to know you’ve got the patience he’s going to need. Otherwise, forget it. I am not going to help that horse just to have you turn around and ruin him.”
“I won’t ruin him,” Lanie said defiantly, the tears gone. “I love him.”
“And now we’ve gone full circle. You say you love him. I haven’t seen it. Come on.” She nodded in the direction her truck was parked. “I’ll take you home. You can think about this. If you’re willing to do as I ask, then show up tomorrow. If not, have your dad find someplace else for Magic.”
Lanie didn’t move. “You’re not being fair.”
“Then what do you think I should do?”
The question seemed to startle the little girl. Lanie stared at Shaunna, then finally answered, “You should let me spend more time talking to Magic.”
“Okay. I will.” Why not? She’d seen that Lanie knew the basics about horses. She didn’t need slave labor, no matter what Lanie thought. And Magic had calmed down enough that he might start responding to Lanie. “Are you ready to go home now?”
Shaunna started heading toward her truck and hoped Lanie would follow. For a moment, she feared she hadn’t succeeded, then she heard Lanie’s footsteps. The girl walked slightly behind her, but she did go with her toward the truck.
“And I think I should bring him carrots,” Lanie said. “He always liked carrots. I used to bring him one every time I went out to see him.”
“Okay.” Shaunna didn’t particularly like feeding horses treats by hand, but if Magic was used to getting them from Lanie, it might help. “Only don’t try feeding him by hand right away. Until we’re sure he remembers it’s you, I don’t want to chance his biting your hand off.”
“He won’t bite my hand off.”
Shaunna stopped and looked at the girl, simply lifting her eyebrows and saying nothing.
“Okay,” Lanie said, unable to return Shaunna’s gaze. “I won’t feed him by hand. Not right away. But someday I will.”
“Someday,” Shaunna agreed, and began walking to her truck again.
Tyler paused at the entrance to the building. Just down the street, he spotted Shaunna and Lanie. Shaunna pulled open the door of a battered blue truck, then glanced back at Lanie. For a moment, the girl stood where she was, then she walked stiff-legged around the front of the truck.
He decided not to call out to them. Shaunna seemed to have the situation under control. She’d said she would take Lanie home. He would call his neighbor and have her keep an eye on Lanie until he got there. By then, maybe he’d have come up with an idea of how to handle this situation.
Shaunna