ORIGINALLY WRITTEN CAROL DUERKSEN & MAYNARD KNEPP
?Well, did you have fun? How was Preacher?? Sue Ann greeted Jonas and
Becca from her position at the kitchen counter when they returned
to
Jacob and Fannie?s house around noon. Sue Ann was mashing potatoes
by
hand while E.J. crawled around on the floor at her feet. He tilted
his
head up at his father and big sister and drooled a grin.
?I rode Preacher!? Becca exclaimed. ?Where?s Lydianne? I?ve gotta
tell
her!? She scampered into the living room. ?Lydianne! Guess what I
did!?
?She rode Preacher?? Sue Ann questioned Jonas, who?d bent down to
pick
up E.J.
?Yep, she did,? he said, noncommittaly. ?They?ve been working with
him. Got him broke. He looks good. And what did my little man do
while
I was gone?? he asked, holding E.J. up in the air. E.J. giggled
and
Jonas put him on his shoulders for a piggy-back ride. ?You want to
go
for a ride too? Let?s go find your sisters!?
The topic of Preacher came up again over lunch when Fred asked
Jonas
how he was doing. Jonas tried to appease his father?s curiosity
without spilling his conversation with Merv to everyone gathered
at
the table. It was more than they needed to know at this point.
Later that evening when Jonas and Sue Ann were getting ready for
bed
by lamp light, Sue Ann broached the issue.
?What happened this morning, Jonas??
?What do you mean??
?I mean you haven?t wanted to say much about your time with
Preacher.
What?s going on??
Relieved to be able to talk about it in private, Jonas told Sue
Ann
about Preacher. How not just Merv but a trainer and jockey at the
stable had been working with him. How they wanted to put Preacher
on
the track next spring.
?I don?t know what to do,? he concluded. ?I need to let Merv know
before we go back,? Jonas crawled into bed beside Sue Ann and
turned
down the lamp on the bedside table.
?What happens if you let him race?? Sue Ann?s voice came softly
from
close to Jonas?s ear.
?He could get it in his blood and never settle down when we bring
him
home. Then we have no use for him.?
?Can we even own him if we let Preacher race? The church won?t
allow
it!?
?You?re probably right,? Jonas conceded.
?What happens if you bring him home now?? Sue Ann wondered.
?He?s still not broke to drive. We?d have to get somebody to do
that.
Then, hopefully we could start using him. Man, he?d look good
pulling
a buggy!? Jonas smiled in the dark.
?How did he act when Becca was riding him? She wasn?t riding him
by
herself, was she??
?No, no, Merv was leading him. And Preacher was real calm.?
?But he?s a thoroughbred. I?m a little bit worried about that with
the
kids around here. If you bring him home, Becca will want to ride
him.?
?I know. She really loves that horse.?
Sue Ann sighed deeply beside Jonas. ?Honey, maybe it?d just be
better
to sell him.?
Jonas frowned in the darkness. No. He did not want to sell
Preacher.
?I know,? Sue Ann murmured sleepily. ?You don?t want to.
Good-night,
Honey.?
?Good-night,? Jonas kissed Sue Ann?s dark hair. Then he lay a
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