Chapter 68 Part 68
Asher
After they’d cleaned the horses’ stalls, fed them, and made sure they had clean water, Asher quickly brushed Comet, and instructed the two hands to finish up with the other horses.
Joel had caught on really quickly, Asher only needing to show him something once. He seemed comfortable with the horses, and spoke to them as he worked.
Oscar was afraid of them, which they could sense. It made them nervous, so Asher moved him to the tack room. He might be better suited to cleaning the equipment, filling the feeding pails, and keeping track of how much they were fed, and when.
Asher gave them 15 minutes to shower and dress. Both boys were waiting in the living room when he descended the stairs, and he grinned. There was hope for them, after all; he could feel it in his bones.
An hour and a half later, Asher parked his truck in the mall’s parking lot. The boys seemed happier than they had just a day ago. He remembered a time when his father had taught him a valuable lesson.
“Always lead by example, Asher. People need love and stability just as much as they need food and water. A lost child is like a wild horse; they’re skittish and temperamental. Give them those few basic things, and they will blossom into the men and women they are meant to become. Not everyone is a lost cause.”
These boys had been lost, forgotten, and stepped on, but now they would heal and grow. Asher would make sure of it.
After they headed to a popular clothing store, Asher looked around. Joel and Oscar looked out of place with their almost threadbare clothes. Asher could feel the anger settling in again.
“Let’s get to it, boys. Start from scratch.”
“This place ain’t cheap, Asher,” Joel said.
“It doesn’t matter. Get everything you need: underwear, socks, new boots, jeans, jackets, and shirts. You’re not walking around and half-freezing every time you walk out of the house.”
They didn’t go as wild as Asher had thought they would. They were frugal in their choices, probably because they’d never really been taken shopping before. Asher followed behind them, checked the sizes, then grabbed more stuff.
“You’ll need different shoes for school. What are the kids wearing these days?”
Joel chuckled. They each picked a pair of sneakers, and Asher shook his head. “What’s wrong with these ones?” Oscar asked.
“Cheap brand. They won’t last long. Pick something else,” Asher said.
Shopping for clothes took almost two hours, but Asher found that he enjoyed it. They had similar tastes, and when it came to clothes and shoes, Joel let Oscar take the lead. It was nice to see how Joel gave Oscar that confidence boost.
They took the shopping bags back to the truck, and Asher chuckled when Oscar climbed inside. “We’re not done, Oscar. Now we need school supplies, and then you get your hair cut. We could stop for some lunch on the way back to the ranch.”
They got new backpacks, pens, and everything else they needed. Oscar told him that he wanted to take art but that they could never afford the supplies. Asher bought it without blinking an eye. It sounded crazy to him that a kid couldn’t do something like art at school just because of supplies.
At the barber, both boys sat and got their hair cut. They almost looked like different boys when they walked out of the shop. It was close to 11 a.m. when they drove away from the mall.
“Thank you, Asher,” Joel said, his voice softer than normal.
“Nobody’s ever bought this much stuff for us,” Oscar added.
Asher’s hand tightened around the steering wheel. They hadn’t really splurged, just bought what they needed. It angered him. “You guys really didn’t spend that much, and I’m happy to do it.”
They stopped for lunch a few miles outside of Two Bear Meadow and sat down in a booth. They ordered burgers and sodas. The boys looked more carefree and relaxed, and Asher let it flow over him.
“When you came to our house, all angry, and brooding, I thought you were going to kick our asses,” Joel said.
“Why would you think I’d kick your asses?” Asher asked him.
“We heard you were arrested for murder. It was kind of scary, seeing you face-to-face. You’re huge, Asher, and kind of intimidating.”
Asher chuckled, as the waitress returned with their food. “I was going to give you a piece of my mind, but I was never going to actually hurt you.”
“You think Bear Claw will ever forgive us?”
Asher took a sip of his soda, and studied Joel. “Yeah, I think he will. I’m pretty sure if you explain how it happened, he’d understand. Bear Claw’s very wise for his age, and maybe it’s because he’s half Indian, but he’s a decent kid with a good heart.”
“I think we’ll both feel better if we can apologize to him,” Joel said.
“Yeah, I’d like to make it up to him,” Oscar said.
“You didn’t actually do anything, Oscar. I was the one who hit him.”
“It doesn’t matter. I was with you, so I’m just as guilty,” Oscar said.
“Admitting you’re wrong is the first step toward redemption. You’ve both done that, and it makes me proud of you,” Asher said.
Both boys smiled before finishing their burgers. Asher paid the bill, and soon they were back on the road. The boys unloaded their purchases from the truck, and went to their room to unpack.
Asher left them at the house, walking over to the main barn, where he pulled Blair aside. “We had a poacher this morning. He hightailed it out of here when I fired a shot into the tree, but we might need to take some precautions.”
“You think he killed a deer?”
“Probably, but he didn’t shoot it unless he had a silencer on his rifle. If he used a knife, then he’s a skilled hunter,” Asher said.
“I’ll talk to Dylan. We can put up some cameras in that area, and see if he comes back.”
“You should, because next time, I’m shooting him in the leg.” Blair laughed, but he knew Asher was serious.