God's Grace

 By Ellie B., age 15

Two prompts: #5 Two Lost Sisters & #3 Two Stallions

Andrea Carter Prescott stood kneading dough while looking out the window, watching her husband, Riley, teach their 3-year-old son Jared how to ride. Jared's laughter brought a smile to Andi’s face. Thank you, Lord, for blessing me with such a wonderful husband and son. 

The kick to Andi’s stomach reminded her that the Lord had not only blessed her with a wonderful husband and son, but with a new baby on the way.  Thank you, Lord, for the healthy baby growing inside of me. 

“Here's the little man himself,” Riley said walking into the house and plopping Jared down in his high chair.

 “Did you like riding the horse, Honey?” Andi asked Jared, kissing him on the cheek.

“Horseyyyyyy!!” Jared yelled, clapping his hands in glee.

“I will take that as a yes then.” Andi laughed.

“And how are you, my Princess?” Riley asked while cupping his hands around Andi’s cheeks and giving her a soft kiss. 

 “I’m tired. I didn't get much sleep with this baby of ours kicking up a storm,” Andi said, patting the big baby bump on her stomach. “The baby’s at it again,” Andi said, taking Riley's hand and putting it on her stomach. 

“That's a miracle straight from God,” Riley said, looking into Andi’s eyes with a warm smile on his face. 

After they sat down and had dinner, Riley pushed his chair back and patted his stomach. “Andi, you can't keep feeding me like this or I will get fatter than ol’ Bessy the milk cow!” Andi started laughing which started Jared’s little giggle. After the laughter died down, Riley announced that he was heading back out to the range.

 “Ok, Honey, be safe,” Andi said, kissing Riley on the cheek. 

 “I always am,” Riley said, with a wink.

                                                           ~~~~~~~

Riley stared at the herd of horses that were grazing so peacefully and sighed with contentment. Thank you, Lord, for giving me the resources to build up this herd of horses to breed and sell, and for all the cattle you have blessed me with.  Riley watched the black stallion's ears perk up, sensing Riley nearby, and then went back to grazing. Riley sighed, he knew he should go fix the fence along the north pasture, but he didn't want to leave this beautiful sight. 

 Meanwhile -.

“Ooooooo, Look how pretty da horseys are!”  4-year-old Rose Snider said, pointing to the herd of grazing horses.

 “Yes, they're very pretty, Rosy,” 8-year-old Grace Snider replied, with a weary sigh. She led 

their beautiful golden Gypsy Cob horse, with Rosy on it, away from the herd of horses. Grace thought back to two years before when her father had given her that horse.

“Is it mine, Daddy? Is it really mine?” 6-year-old Grace asked her father while staring at the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was a huge gypsy cob horse.

 “Yes, it is my dear,” Jacob Snider replied.

“Oh, thank you, Daddy!” Grace yelled, throwing her arms around her father's neck.

 “Now you go brush her and figure out a name for her.” 

“Ok, Daddy.”

 “Jacob, that is a mighty big horse for her,” Ariana Snider said softly to her husband.

“Grace can handle it,” he replied.

“I think I'm going to name him Pep,” Grace said, looking lovingly toward her horse.

Grace could feel the tears running down her cheek. Those were the good times, when they had a family and… Grace didn't let her thoughts go any further.  

"Gracie, why is dat big horsey charging toward us?" Rosy asked. 

 Gracie looked up and saw the stallion charging toward them. Oh no! Pep is a stallion; that horse will think of him as a threat!

  Riley turned around quickly when he heard the commotion and saw the stallion charging towards something.

 What horse is that? Riley thought. Oh no! Riley's mouth dropped open when he saw two little girls— one on the horse and one leading the horse. 

Riley urged Dakota on, galloping as fast as he could. Lord, please help them!

"Get off the horse!" Grace yelled, but it was too late. Pep reared up knocking Rosy on the ground,  clashing hooves with the oncoming stallion. Pep yanked the reins out of Grace's hands as he reared. 

"Rosy!" Grace screamed.

 Riley was almost to the little girls when he saw a lasso sail over the black stallion.

 Grace had never been so scared in all her life. She looked up and saw the clashing hooves above her. Grace opened her mouth and let out the most ear-piercing scream. That's when it all went black.

Rand Johnson pulled back on the lasso as soon as it sailed over the black stallion's head. His cowpony, Dizzy,  immediately started going backward; pulling the black stallion away from the gypsy cob. Rand left the stallion lassoed to Dizzy and jumped down from the saddle and ran over to the little girl who had gotten caught between the two horses. As soon as he got to her, he knelt down. Seeing blood, he pulled back her long black hair to see a gash in the back of her head. Thank you, Lord, that it's not life-threatening.

Riley saw that his ranch hand was taking care of the little girl who got caught between the two horses, so he headed for the little girl who was hiding behind the huge golden horse.

"Hey, there," Riley said in a soft voice, "you think you can come out from behind there so I can see if you're hurt?"

 "Where's Gracie?" the little girl asked in a shy voice.

"Is that your sister over there?" Riley asked, pointing to the little girl Rand was bending over.

 "Yes."

 "Here let me take you to your sister," Riley said, holding out his hand toward her.

Grace woke up to a sharp pain in her head. She tried to sit up but she felt strong hands push her down. She opened her eyes to see a strange man looking at her. She held back a scream. She looked around for Rosy and she saw another man holding out his hand to Rosy. 

“Rosy!” Grace yelled, trying to ignore the sharp pain in her head. She scrambled up, slipping out of the grasp of the man who reached for her. She stumbled over to Rosy trying not to pass out. Once she got to Rosy, she fell beside her and put her arms around her. 

 “Go away,” she yelled to the two men who stood in front of them. The men slowly backed away from them. Grace turned to Rosy and asked, “Are you okay?”

Rosy nodded her head. 

“Good, then let me help you get on Pep and then we can go.”

Grace stood up slowly and took Rosy’s hand. She started to lift Rosy when the ground felt like it was falling beneath her and the world started to spin, then it all went black. Again.

 Riley jumped forward and caught the older girl before she hit the ground. “We better get her to Andi. She doesn't look too good.” Riley said.

He looked back and saw Rand coaxing the other little girl out from behind their horse. 

 “What's your name?” he heard Rand ask the little girl.

“I’m… I'm Rosy. And dats my sister Gracie.” Rosy said, pointing to the girl in Riley’s arms.

“Ok, Rosy, why don't you come with us, so we can get your sister some help?”’ Rand held out his hand and helped the little girl out from behind the horse. "And who might this be?” Rand asked, staring at the beautiful horse in front of him.

“This is Pep, my sister's horse,” Rosy said, while hugging Pep.

 Rand walked over to Dizzy, mounted, and then he loosened the lasso that was around the black stallion’s neck. The stallion shook the lasso off, reared, then galloped off to protect his herd. Rand rode over to where Riley was holding Grace, reached down and took her from him.

 “I’ll take her back to Mrs. Prescott.” Rand said, cradling Grace in his arms.

“Ok, I'll be right behind you with Rosy and Pep.” Riley replied.

                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Andi was wiping Jared's face off when she heard the shout of, “Mrs. Prescott!” Andi rushed outside to see Rand dismounting. 

 “What happened?” Andi asked, looking at the little girl in Rand's arms.

 “She got in between two stallions and hurt her head,” Rand said, carrying her into the house. 

 “Put her here,” Andi said, leading the way into her and Riley’s bedroom. 

 Once Rand layed Grace down, he said, “I'm going for the doctor.” 

Andi nodded her head as she took care of Grace.

                                               ~~~~~~~~

Grace turned her head toward Rosy; the stallion was racing towards her.

“Rossssyyyyy!”

 Grace woke up screaming. 

 “It's okay.”

 She looked up to see a strange woman wiping her face with a cold cloth. “Who are you? Where's Rosy?” Grace asked, in a panicked voice.

She tried to get up but the woman pushed her down gently. “I’m Mrs. Prescott. My husband and our ranch hand brought you here. You got tangled in between stallions and got kicked in the head. Your sister is fine. Would you like me to bring her in?” 

“Yes,” Grace said, looking at Mrs. Prescott with distrust in her eyes.

A minute later Rosy ran into the room. “Gracieeee!” Rosy shouted, throwing her arms around Grace. 

 “Be careful there,” a voice said from the doorway.

 “Who are you?” Grace said, pulling Rosy closer. 

“I’m Mr. Prescott. The stallion that tangled with your stallion was mine. This is my ranch and I'd like to know what you, your sister, and that mighty good looking stallion are doing this far away from town.”

 Grace stared at the man and felt like she could trust him. “Our parents Jacob and Ariana Snider died in a horrible train accident 1 year ago.” Grace couldn't keep herself from crying as she continued, “Nobody wanted to take us except a man and his wife who lived miles away from the little town we lived in; about a 4 days' ride from here. The sheriff knew that these people just wanted us to work on the farm, but he didn't have anybody else to take us, so he let the couple take us and Pep.” Grace started sobbing great big sobs. 

 “Did they….hurt you?” Riley asked in a gentle voice . He knew from what Andi had told him that Grace had whip marks on her back. 

Grace nodded her head and looked into Rileys eye, “I took Grace and our only belonging, the horse my father gave me, and left in the night. I will not let Rosy and myself be forced to go back there. Nobody can make us.”

“I would never take you girls back to a home like that. Thank God for letting you girls end up here.”

 “Thank you so much Mr. Prescott……”

                                                         ~~~~~~

“She said her parents' names were Jacob and Ariana Snider.” Riley finished the story that Grace told him. He looked over towards Rand and his wife Mary and saw Rand’s face go white.

 “What's wrong, Rand?” Riley asked, with a worried tone in his voice. 

 “Jacob…. was my brother,” Rand stuttered. “My Father was a stagecoach robber. Jacob went into business with my father, but I wanted nothing to do with it, so I left and changed my last name to Johnson. My father died a few years later and I learned my brother was in jail. After he got out 9 years ago, I heard from an old friend that he married our childhood friend Ariana Coulter. I tried to find him for years, but finally gave up the search when Mary and I moved up here.”

 “My father never said anything about having a brother,” Grace said, quietly from the bedroom doorway. 

Rand stood up and walked over to where Grace was and bent down on his knees. “Grace, I am so sorry about your parents. I've missed your father so much over the years. If I had known my brother had died and left children, I would have gone and gotten you and your sister at once.” 

 Grace started crying and threw her arms around her uncle. 

Thank you, Lord, for bringing my brother's children to me. This is truly a miracle. Please, help me and my wife raise these girls up the way you want us to, Lord. Amen.

                                        ~~~~~~

“Riley, can you believe the miracle we saw today?” Andi asked, from the rocking chair she was silently rocking in. 

“Yes, I can; because God has given me so many miracles in my life that I'll believe any miracle he throws our way.”

 “God is so gracious to have brought those little girls into Rand and Mary's house. I know they will raise them up to love God with all their hearts.”

 “Everything is by God’s Grace…..” 

He has saved us and called us to a holy life-not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time. 

                                                2 Timothy 1:19