Page 45 of Pigeon

I shake my head before explaining more about the breed.

“They have wooly hair and do great in colder climates. Once he starts to grow, you’ll want him to be outside where he can just be a happy pig. The breed nearly disappeared years ago, but it’s making a comeback. There aren’t many in the U.S. yet, so if you decided to breed, you’d have buyers. The only reason this one ended up here is because he was the runt. The farm he was raised on went out of business, and the owners simply gave up and moved away. They left their animals behind, so many were brought here. The others in his litter were adopted out quickly. It will be easy to build a shelter for him because they don’t require much. Or you can adjust your barn plans to include a stall and enclosure dedicated to just the pig. He would do well with goats, too, if you’re still planning on getting some.”

Ava’s eyes are bright with excitement about having gained a new pet. I would be too because the Mangalitsa is a great breed.

“I’m not breeding him. Too many unwanted babies in this world as it is. I’ll contact my vet and make arrangements to have him vetted and neutered as soon as Gunner gives up his secret,” Ava says.

“Another reason we’re interrupting your day is that Craig told me about your plans for your ranch. I hope that was okay, but he was so excited, he just spilled the beans,” Pippa explains.

“It’s perfectly fine. Did he talk to you about learning to ride?” I ask.

Every one of the women laugh and nod their heads. Craig’s more excited about it than I realized if he’s told everyone he knows.

“Absolutely okay with me if you’re sure about doing it. I have to warn you, though, that once Craig sets his mind to something, he won’t stop until he’s mastered it,” Pippa warns.

“To be good at riding, that’s the attitude you have to have. Falls happen. Horses are large and can be scary, even when they’re behaving perfectly. They’re not for the weak, that’s for sure. I think Craig will do great at it because of his determination, but also because of his compassion with animals. Horses are incredibly sensitive animals and pick up on people’s emotions. If they sense fear in their rider, they start seeing monsters behind every rock. If their rider is calm, it calms them and so on,” I explain.

“That’s all good information to know, and thank you for explaining. If you’re up for it, I would love to pay for his riding lessons,” Pippa states.

“There’s no charge, Pippa. Craig wants to learn, and I love teaching people with that attitude. Sharing my love of horses and riding isn’t a chore, but something I love to do,” I answer sincerely before I turn to meet Ava’s eyes. “Your kids are always welcome, too.”

“That’s another reason we’re here. Craig said you want to work with kids that have challenges. To work with them with horses and other animals to hopefully instill confidence and a sense of belonging. Can you explain that a little?” Ava asks softly.

“We live in a western state that has ranches sprawled across it. I was a ranch kid, proud of it, still am. Going to school, though, there were different groups that hung together. The city kids, the ranch kids, the rich kids, and so on. Even living in Colorado, I got picked on by some of the kids in the other groups for being a ranch kid. They saw my Wrangler jeans as a sign of being poor instead of being a smart choice in clothing when you work with livestock. The bullies destroyed more of my hats than I can count. They made fun of my shitkickers, as they called them, even though my Roper boots cost hundreds of dollars a pair.

“Kids can be cruel. Parents don’t take the time to correct them or give them a better sense of how someone being different from them doesn’t make that person someone it’s okay to mistreat. Kids with challenges paid the biggest price in school. I hated that words from a bully could make them shrink into themselves and their confidence flee.

“I never fought back when someone made fun of my jeans because I was fine with who I was, but I got into several fights when a kid picked on someone with a challenge. When Nana grew tired of picking me up from the principal’s office, we had a chat. She explained how bullies operate and how I could fight them every day, but they’d never change their ways. She said I needed to ignore them and instead put my energy toward helping the one being picked on. When I explained to her that I thought that was what I was doing, she said she’d never be angry with me for standing up for another but that we needed to find a better way.

“During this time, we had a neighbor whose son was on the autism spectrum. He didn’t speak much but seemed to come alive when riding his horse. Their ranch bumped up to ours in one section, so he’d ride over often. He was a totally different kid away from school and near animals. He was confident, spoke occasionally, and was completely different than when he was around people.

“Nana and I were talking about it one day, and she gave me a magazine that had an article about animals and kids with special needs. Since then, I’ve done a lot of research about it and believe that animals can help a lot more than just humans can, especially by instilling confidence and a sense of belonging in this world. Animals don’t judge a person by what they can’t do, but how a person treats them. Animals don’t mind a missing limb, autism, challenges of any type, unlike so many humans do.”

“Pregnancy tears! Don’t mind me!” Taja shouts while waving a hand in front of her face.

“Pigeon’s luckier than he realizes,” Bailey quietly says while aiming a beaming smile at me.

“We’ll make sure he knows that too,” Trudy responds while swiping a finger under an eye.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have preached all that to you, but—” I start before getting interrupted.

“But you’re passionate about this, and it shows. Nothing wrong with that, Ivy,” Tammy murmurs with a soft smile.

“I think New Horizons has some residents that could use time away from the world. Tucked away on a ranch, letting animals heal their wounds. I love where you’re going with this, Ivy. Tammy and I are willing to help in any way we can,” Pippa offers sincerely.

“Yeah, Ivy, you’re onto something, and being passionate about it is the first step to making it happen. When Craig comes to ride, I’d love to bring the girls and Luke, too. After this baby’s born, I want to plant my ass in a saddle and spend the day doing nothing else. Would you give me that opportunity in exchange for bakery items and damn good coffee?” Ava asks with an impish grin.

“Coffee? I’m an addict, so yes, I’ll make that exchange,” I answer with a laugh.

“Pecans too,” Priscilla places her order and startling me in the process. I was so engrossed in the conversation I forgot she was still on my shoulder.

“You scared me, Prissy!” I admonish while she cackles.

The women all laugh before I watch Bailey’s eyes go wide.

“Is that Priscilla?” she asks.

“I is,” Prissy answers while giving Bailey a side-eyed look.

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