Alaska Beckons

Good Luck!
Chapter 1
“Who are you going to find to ride the second horse?” The crow’s feet around Weston’s brilliant blue eyes deepened in merriment as the second foal struggled to his feet beside his mother and gangly sister. Both foals wobble unsteadily on spindly legs as observers noted the marks of their excellent heritage with raised eyebrows. Thad Tucker had paid his old friend and former boss, John Weston, handsomely to breed Phantom to a fine mare named Bonny Bright. To everyone’s surprise, Bonny Bright birthed twins.
“Someone who loves horses as much as I do, I guess,” Thad replied easy enough. He didn’t miss Weston’s subtle hint about his bachelor status because Weston never missed an opportunity to remind him. Thad didn’t mind his old friend’s teasing because lately he’d been thinking on the subject, too. As he continued to watch the fledgling antics of the two marvelous animals before him, Weston’s question provided further motivation to find a rider for the second horse.
“Good luck, Thad. You’ll need it!” Weston joked benignly and slapped Thad on the back amiably.
“Luck!” He mumbled, “It’s going to take more than luck,” Thad pushed back away from the wood plank wall of the stable to change viewing position. Weston laughed and crossed his arms over his chest like a genie from a magic lamp.
“You seem to be miracle-favored right now, Thad,” he suggested easily, but Thad shook his head in doubt as he turned to stroke Bonny Bright with pride before replying.
“Miracles?” Thad’s voice was suddenly cool and distant. “I’d rather give credit to Phantom and to scientific fact than rely on luck or miracles.” The comment revealed a logical man whose thinking was based upon facts and not some mysterious faith.
Weston exhaled slowly, “Who is God to you, Thad/” he went on, “Why can’t there be miracles for you, too?”
Thad turned from Phantom and regarded Weston with a smile.
”My mother taught me about God,” his smile faded somewhat. “Miracles are for people who believe that God exists.” The topic was supposed to be closed.
Weston smiled. “And you don’t believe He exists?”
Thad laughed when Weston pressed for more parleys on religion. His eyebrows raised in consideration of the answer he would articulate and hoped it would end the chat.
I believe God could exist, but I choose to look for the evidence in visual proof. I don’t see it. So then, there can be no miracles for me because if I can’t see God, He doesn’t exist,” he finished. Weston’s eyes squinted as he purse his lips together.
“Thad, God is spirit and no man can see Him. We know He exists as a result of a purposeful creation and the reading of the Bible which tells us about His Son, Jesus Christ.” Weston saw Thad’s chin set in rigid lines and tried another direction. “You know? Sometimes God works through circumstances in our lives to bring us to faith. One of many favorite verses is Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Thad looked over at Weston in consideration. As a boy, Thad’s mother had repeated this verse to him numerous times. Weston took Thad’s attention as a good sign.
“What would you have God do on your behalf to show Himself real to you, Thad? I’ll pray and we’ll see what God will do.”
Thad blinked in surprise at the audacity of Weston’s simple faith. He checked the sarcasm that threatened an unholy response. Instead he chose another answer.
“A wife!” he purposed and couldn’t stop the faithless chuckle that escaped, “a wife to ride the other horse.” He spoke out loud and wondered if doing so would make his request a self-fulfilled prophecy.
“Done!” Weston did not laugh. His expression was as serious as his faith.
Thad smiled in friendship at the one man whom he held in high regard.
“Done,” he repeated quietly and then forgot all about it in his further attentions to Sunrise and Sunset.
AAA
One sunny Sunday afternoon in mid-May, Thad rode the Arabian horse named Sunset to a green mountain crest. Below the horse and rider a ridge of black spruce and birch trees spread to the farm valley of Palmer, Alaska. At thirty-four years of age and six foot three inches in height, Thad had a strong built frame that evidenced the work hardened experience of a ranch hand. His hair was dark brown with only a slight wave if he let it go too long without being cut. Hazel eyes squinted in the bright sunshine as he surveyed the rugged landscape in efforts to take in every detail of the noble mountain beauty from his perch near the Lazy Mountain trail. A smile appeared on his short bearded face as he watched the antics of white Dall sheep on the side of a steep ledge. Beyond the playful sheep, the distant snow capped Pioneer Peak captured his further attention. His confident profile masked searching eyes that roamed the unspoiled earth for something special and unique in the practice of life. For several minutes he studied the high places of this dominant peak and noted its breadth across the horizon.
When the grazing horse lifted its head and snorted at a small varmint, Thad bent forward to stroke the copper colored Sunset whose hide shimmered in the sunlight. The fine horse was a twin to another horse Thad had named Sunrise. Both were a year old and Thad had recently moved them from the Weston Ranch in Arizona to a newly constructed stable just below his cabin on Lazy Mountain.
The Talkeetna Mountain Range spread across the horizon from east to west when Thad turned Sunset for a view. Rays of sunshine fell across high mountain meadows turning shadowed grasses into distant carpets of green velvet. A reminder of Weston’s promised prayer passed through Thad’s thoughts before he pulled an envelope from his jacket pocket and opened it carefully. A varmint or two skittered in and out of the thick bush nearby making the proud horse snort its displeasure at remaining still. Thad spoke comfort to Sunset and returned his full attention once again to the penned words of the letter that softly whispered, ‘miracle!’