No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology by Elizabeth Knox (black authors fiction TXT) 📕

crawls in my lap as Thunder just nuzzles my head.

And I know that I’m not the only person that needs this kind of love. Everyone should experience this kind of love. I have brothers and sisters in arms that are worse than me and they need the love of an animal, it’s healing.

“Come on. Let’s go home. I’ll give you an extra helping of oats.”

I don’t need to hold onto his halter, he will follow me.

And now I have two missions.

This is what keeps me grounded, a purpose. And I want my dream to come true, even if it is still at home.

As I walk back to the house, I remember the day Bear met Thunder.

Chapter Ten

Sienna

Nineteen years ago . . .

Bear Franklin is a constant in my life. I can’t shake him. He is super nice and sweet, all the girls love him, and yet he’s still single. I’ve always wondered why because he can have anyone he wants.

He likes to ask me out in front of Hawke, which pisses Hawke off.

He knows I won’t say yes, both of them know that. Bear just likes to piss my boyfriend off.

But ever since his dad and mine started a cattle business together, he’s everywhere.

“Sienna, dinner will be ready in a minute,” Mom calls as I head to the barn.

“Be right back,” I yell back.

I want to see Thunder, my new horse. He’s still too young to ride, but I love him already.

I step inside his stall and he whinnies. I reach out to touch him and hear a noise that startles both of us and my foot gets stepped on.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” Bear says, opening the stall to help me up.

“I’m fine,” I snap and Thunder takes notice.

“Whoa, little fella. I’m not trying to hurt her.” He reaches out to stroke Thunder’s muzzle.

“I just got him,” I state, reaching out to soothe Thunder. He’s so pretty with gentle eyes.

“I heard.” He gives me a weird look.

I don’t know how to process that.

“Congrats, he’s beautiful,” he says absently.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask him, turning to face him, even though looking at him is like looking at Medusa, you freeze but not because he’s ugly, oh no just the opposite.

“Yeah.”

“Why do you do that to Hawke?” I ask him and he raises his brows.

“Asking you out?” he asks and I nod.

“Because he doesn’t deserve you,” he says and stalks off before I can say anything else.

Who cares who I date? I’m the nerd, the quiet wallflower. If it wasn’t for Ava I’d be bullied.

Who cares? Why would Bear care?

Chapter Eleven

Sienna

Present Day . . .

Bear is in the barn when I get back and I turn on him.

“You gave me Thunder, didn’t you?” I ask as he spins around to face me.

He blinks as I stare him down.

“Yes,” he says.

“What?” I didn’t think that would be the answer, I only thought he gave him to me, but wasn’t for sure. Just a hunch.

“I bought Thunder for you,” he reiterates.

“Why?”

“Because you needed him.” He shrugs, like buying a horse for someone is an everyday occurrence.

“I needed him?”

And I stop. Yeah, maybe I did. I needed something. I was fighting with Hawke at the time and he was probably already shacking up with Ava. I don’t know, I’m just assuming. And I was slowly withdrawing from everyone.

Well fuck.

“Why do you care? I’m nothing. I never was. I was a nerd, quiet, fat, and nothing has changed.” I go to storm off when he grabs my arm and wheels me around, kissing me. Bear Franklin is kissing me.

He lets me go as Bug starts barking at him, clawing at his leg, she must think he’s hurting me since he grabbed my arm. Good girl.

“She’s very protective,” he murmurs.

“She is.” I nod because I can’t form words at this moment.

“Dinner,” Mom yells and I’m thankful for the distraction.

“I missed lunch,” I grumble.

“No one cared that you were gone. We get it,” he says with a chuckle.

“You owe your roll.” I roll my eyes.

Bear Franklin kissed me. I’m still trying to process that and work up the nerve to bring up my proposal to my dad. Of all people my dad would understand better than anyone.

My mom made chili tonight and cornbread and my mouth is watering. My mom’s cornbread is the best in the state and that’s not a lie, she wins at the state fair every year. People from all over the States ask for her recipe but she won’t give it up, instead she makes a batch and will send it to those that ask, free of charge. My mom has a big heart.

“I’m starving,” I say as I wash my hands, knowing that if I try to sit at the table before doing it, I will be chastised for it.

“That’s good.” Mom smiles at me.

I sit down in my seat as Mystic rubs against me and I quickly pat her head, I know I’ve been ignoring her and that’s not fair.

“I’ll show you the barn tomorrow,” I tell her and she meows at me.

Talk is light and when there is a lull, I gather all my courage to talk about my mission, the one that will give me piece of mind as well.

I say mission because that’s how I operate. And I’m scared right now. My dad is a scary man and I’ve been to combat.

“Dad?” I ask timidly.

“Yes?” He pats his face with his napkin before giving me his attention.

“I have something I want to talk about,” I start.

“Go on,” he says.

“I want to start a veteran equine therapy program,” I say softly.

No one talks, I can see Dad working it over in his mind. He stares up at the ceiling for a minute, maybe trying to think of a way to turn me down or he’s thinking of his friends from the service.

“I think it’s a great idea,” Bear breaks the silence.

“I agree,” my dad says. “We have some land that we