Page 101 of Return to Telegraph Creek

“You sure you want to do this, Oscar?”I asked, my voice low.“We won’t be able to come back for her or that girl’s heart’ll break twice as much than it would if we take Onyx now.”

“I know.”

“Oscar,” Maggie said, “it’s mighty kind of you to gift Lizzie that horse, but I’m sure we can get another one somehow.Miss June promised that she’d handle it.”

“Yes, but horses can be finicky, and at least this way, I’d know the children had a good, kind horse to ride.And I’d know that Onyx was loved and cherished, even if ’tweren’t by me.”

His voice broke, and I reached out, tucking him against my chest.I wanted to tell him he was the kindest, most generous person I’d ever met, but I couldn’t speak because I was so overcome, and there were so many people around.So I simply held him tight and kissed him on the cheek.

“You’re gonna have to ride behind me on Dixie, then.”

Oscar pulled away and brushed at his face, grinning, though his lips trembled.

“Now, you know, that ain’t never been a hardship, Jimmy,” he said.“That way I can keep an eye on you, make sure you don’t fall and injure yourself again.And if I get tired of it, maybe we can load some of the smaller packages onto Dixie, and I can ride Poke.”

“We ain’t got no saddle for Poke.And we gotta leave Onyx’s fancy saddle for Lizzie and the others.”

His eyes flew wide.“Hey!Remember how Mr.Morris said he’d got Onyx for his granddaughter, and that was why the saddle was so fancy?”

“Yeah, I remember.”

“Well, maybe this horse and this saddle were meant for Lizzie all along.”

I smiled at his sweet, excited face.“Maybe.”

Cal came up to Oscar and, without saying a word, she wrapped him in her arms and held him for a long time.She whispered something in his ear, and Oscar nodded.

Finally, she pulled away and took Peter’s hand…and Samuel’s.“Well, let’s all go and tell Lizzie the good news.”

Teddy gave a loud bark when he saw us and romped o’er to dance about, his tail wagging.Lizzie held on to Onyx e’en harder and hid her face in the mare’s mane.

“Lizzie,” Maggie said, as she stepped forward, putting a hand on Oscar’s shoulder to stay him.“Get off that horse.Oscar and Jimmy need to leave now.”

We were all a bit impressed when, instead of clutching tighter, Lizzie forced herself away from the grazing horse with an incredible amount of will for a seven-year-old.

“Yes’m,” she said in a tight voice.“I already said goodbye.”

“Lizzie, Oscar has something to tell you,” Maggie said, gesturing for him to approach.

Lizzie gazed at Oscar, her face a paroxysm of stifled grief, as Oscar came forward and knelt in front of her.

“Now, Lizzie,” Oscar said, in his kindest voice, “if I’m gonna leave you this horse, you gotta promise me to take real good care of her.”

She blinked and nodded, though I reckoned she didn’t e’en understand what Oscar was saying.Sure enough, she gave him and Maggie and Cal a confused look.

“Wh—at?”

Oscar smiled at the child, and I could hardly believe what this man was about to do.I could hardly believe that he was my husband and loved me with the same heart that must be breaking right about now.

“I want you to have this horse, Lizzie.I want you to have Onyx as your own.”

Lizzie still seemed in shock, for she only nodded, her mouth open and her eyes wide in her dear, tearstained face.

“But you gotta share her with Peter and with Sam.She’s for all of you, really, and she’s for Maggie, too, so she can help out on the farm.So you gotta share her, all right?”

Lizzie was nodding now, as fresh tears coursed down her cheeks.Then she smiled so wide I thought her face might split apart.

“I’ll look after her, Oscar, I promise!And I’ll share her—a’course, I will.”