Champion At Heart (Sequel of Breaking Ice)

Chapter Twenty-Five

"The ride was so much fun. Can we do it again sometime?" Abilene asked as she stroked the horse's forelock, looking at its big brown eyes staring back at her. Sophia took the saddle off him and set it on a saddle stand, picking up a couple of brushes.

"It sure was. Maybe on the weekend. We can convince Marshall and Brooklyn to join us. It could be an adventure."

"Yes! It could be. I don't know if we will stay much longer, so I wanted to take another ride before we go. Maybe on my own horse?"

"We'll see about that, Sugar Pop."

As they both brushed Tabasco's mane, giggling and chatting about the ride, the sound of a pickup truck pulling up got their attention. Thinking it was Marshall and Brooklyn coming back, Abilene rushed outside excitedly, only to stop on her tracks when she saw it was not his red truck, but a black one with a horse trailer.

"Who is that?" she asked Sophia, who smiled widely at the sight of the young cowboy getting out.

"That's Jonah Lowell. A classmate," she replied as she headed towards him with her hands inside her pocket and pulling her bottom lip with her teeth. "Hi, Jonah! What brings you around here?"

"Afternoon, Sophia," he waved before both of them stood awkwardly in front of each other, looking at each other's eyes. There was a minute of silence until Abilene spoke.

"Hello! I'm Abilene. Sophia's niece." She extended her hand to shake his, and with a chuckle, he complied.

"Hi, Miss Abilene. My name is Jonah, a good friend of Sophia here." As they both looked back at her, they noticed her cheeks had tainted pink, the young woman pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, hoping they didn't see her hands trembling.

"Well, I hope I didn't come at a bad time. I brought a horse for Marshall to look at. The family that had him lost their ranch and didn't want to give it to just anyone, so I offered to find it a good home. Mom and Dad were busy, so the job fell on me to bring it," he rambled while they all walked to the back of the trailer, to which Abilene giggled, knowing the reason for it was her aunt. She was only five years old, but she knew about grown-up love.

She always thought whenever grownups loved each other, there was always happiness, and that made her smile.

Jonah Lowell was the mayor's nephew, and his father, Gary Lowell, had been one of the best rodeo stars in the state; a good friend of Marshall at it.

"Thank you. I'm sure Marshall will be happy to see him."

"It's her, and she's pregnant."

"Wow!" Abilene shouted. "Maybe another little horse for me!"

"Calm down, little one. We don't know if Marshall will keep her or if your mom will agree to stay," Sophia laughed, the beautiful sound echoing in Jonah's ears, making him turn a shade of pink as he opened the trailer door, revealing the stunning black mare; her silky long mane and a white spot on her forelock was giving them photo-worthy vibes.

To both girls, she was amazing.

"Oh, he won't be able to say no to her. She's gorgeous," Abilene exclaimed, her eyes glimmering.

Jonah grabbed the bridle and pulled her out of the trailer. When he said she was pregnant, Sophia didn't expect her to be at the final stages. Her belly was big.

"Is she about to give birth?" Sophia asked, curiously.

"Oh, no. She is having twins. That's why her belly is bigger at this time. She's halfway there, though," Jonah replied, patting her neck. "Where should I put her?"

Sophia led him to an empty pen, opened the gates and let him lead the mare inside, watching him take the bridle off. He was not the most muscular boy in town, nor the most popular despite his father's fame, but he was handsome, humble and kind. His brown eyes were like two almonds, and his dirty blonde hair under his hat were still a feature to be admired.

"Well, she's all set in there," he said as he walked out of the pen, closing the gate behind him, leaning against the fence to watch the soon-to-be-momma as he pushed his glasses up on his nose. They made him look like the smartest boy in class, or a nerd as most kids called it, but to her, he was still perfect.

"She's truly a gem," Sophia mentioned, when she felt a warmth hand on hers at the top of the fence, sending tingles inside her body.

"Like someone I know," he smiled, pulling his hand away at the sound of Marshall's truck driving down the gravel driveway, stopping right in front of the house. Abilene took off running as soon as she saw him step out, opening Brooklyn's door to help her down. She stood in front of the truck, frowning with curiosity.

"Why are you holding Mama's hand?" she asked, leaning her head to the side, narrowing her eyes. They both noticed their linked hands and chuckled, pulling away. To say they both felt hot with embarrassment was an understatement. "No, don't do that! I am sorry. It looks cute! If you hold hands, there's a chance that Mama and I will stay."

The couple looked at each other, feeling the heat travel from one of them to the other as they linked their hands again, making Abilene giggle and twirl around happily.

Sophia and Jonah approached them and it didn't go unnoticed by his sister that there was something else going on. Marshall tried to ignore the look she gave him and greeted the young man.

"Hello, Jonah. Good to see you," he shook his hand.

"Good to see you, too, Mr. Redd. I was hoping you weren't too busy to check on a pregnant mare I dropped off."

"You dropped her off? Why?"

"She comes from the Garrett ranch." He explained everything that he had said to Sophia as Marshall made his way to check on her. With one look at her, he was sure she was a great addition to his ranch.

Walking into the pen, he approached her cautiously, reaching for her and running his hand over her back and legs.

"Strong and agile, by the looks of it. Healthy and good bone structure," he mentioned, setting his hand on her belly, studying it. "Wow, two foals?" he smiled.

"How can you tell?" Brooklyn asked, standing next to him. She was also already smitten with the mare.

"I can feel them," he replied, touching different spots on her belly. "There's one head here," he kept searching. "There's another one. Pa taught me a lot about horses after my father died, and there's always a few tricks to being a rancher."

"Impressive," she mentioned. "She's stunning. Are you keeping her?"

"Well, that was my intention," Jonah said from behind her. "I was wondering if she can stay here. There's nowhere else she can be well taken care of, and I am sure my father and the Garrett couple will agree with my decision."

Marshall stood straight and nodded. "I guess instead of one, Abilene might have three foals. I'll clean a stall after we eat and then settle her there."

With shouts of joy, they all headed inside the house to have their missed lunch, when Jonah grabbed Sophia by the arm and turned her around to face him.

"What's wrong?" she asked, concerned as she saw him rub the back of his neck with his free hand.

"Did you tell your brother about us?"