Chapter 5 #3
“It’s all right.” He shrugged. “From what I remember, I was better off after she left. I had no other known relatives—my mother was an only child, and her parents died before I was born. I never really knew anything about them other than I was named after my grandfather. After social services stepped in, I was bounced around from one foster home to another, never finding one where I felt I fit in. Finally, when I was fourteen and had just gotten kicked out of another home for fighting, I was placed with Harry and Barbara. It took a little while, but with their guidance and love, I was able to start dealing with all my issues of abandonment and lack of self-worth. They got me and my foster brother, Shane, involved in sports, camping, volunteering to help others… all sorts of stuff, instead of letting us just sit idly wasting away.”
“They sound like a great couple.” She could hear the love and respect he had for them in his voice.
“They were. They’re both gone now, but it’s because of them I didn’t end up on the streets as a drug addict or worse.”
She shuddered, thinking about all the things that did and could’ve happened to him growing up. “How did you find your way to the Brotherhood?”
She couldn’t picture him as a friar. All she’d been able to conjure up in her mind was the portly Friar Tuck character from Robin Hood fame. And Adam was far from “portly.”
“An old friend of Harry’s was a friar and would come for dinner every few Sundays to visit.
Harry and Barbara were also members of his congregation.
Shane and I could volunteer for four hours every Sunday at a soup kitchen or go to church, which was only an hour.
” He chuckled. “You can guess which one we picked. Anyway, in my senior year of high school, I started volunteering with Brother Leo’s youth group.
It was there that I finally felt I’d found my direction in life.
“At first, I thought it was just leading me into social work, psychology, or some field like that, where I could help people, but during my first year of college, I realized it was something more. I talked to Brother Leo about it, and as you said before, the rest is history. Once I was assigned to a church, I continued my involvement with the kids and teens. Harry got Shane and me into boxing, wrestling, and martial arts to show us we could defend ourselves while having the discipline not to start fights in the first place. So, I passed that on to the next generation.”
She was in awe of this man who’d overcome so much and ended up taking a road most men these days would never give a single glance. “Do you miss it?”
Adam tilted his head to the side and wiped his mouth with his napkin. “In the beginning, I did, but I was also too busy trying to survive prison. Then I realized I didn’t have to be in the Brotherhood in order to guide and help others. I can do that anywhere… even from a six-by-eight cell.”
“You’re amazing.”
Oh. My. God. Did I just say that aloud and breathlessly?
From the pink tinge in his cheeks, it was obvious she had. “I mean, I’ve never met anyone like you. So many people would’ve let what happened to them beat them down, but you didn’t.”
He was clearly a little embarrassed by her praise, so she dropped the subject. Picking up the remains of their meal, she stuffed it all back into the saddlebag to be thrown in the garbage later. “Ready to head back? I want to check on the foal and make sure she’s nursing properly.”
He stood and held out his hand, and she took it, letting him help her up.
“Lead on, boss. Just no racing back. I’m going to be sore enough as it is.”
They were almost back to the barn when Sage sensed something was wrong. Something… she inhaled and smelled… smoke? Her gaze searched frantically, and when she found the source, her stomach dropped. “Oh, my God! The barn is on fire!”
Not waiting for Adam, she dug her heels into Topaz’s flanks and took off at a full gallop. Diamond Lil, her filly, and the three pregnant mares were still inside. All the others were in pastures.
Pulling up on the reins, she jumped off the horse before it had come to a complete halt and ran into the barn.
Flames shot along the back wall near the tack room and quickly spread.
The horses panicked in their locked stalls, and she worked fast to unlatch the doors and swing them open.
Smoke thickened around her, stinging her eyes as her lungs struggled for air.
The first two mares bolted from their stalls, heading for the exit.
Turning to the next stall, Sage struggled to find the latch as the smoke limited her sight.
“Sage! Where are you?” She barely heard him over the roar of the fire, the crackling of wood, and the shrieking horses. Half the barn was engulfed, but it wouldn’t take long before the entire thing fell down around her.
“Adam! Help me get the horses! Get Diamond Lil and the baby!” Her fingers found the latch, and she threw the door open, almost getting run over as a pregnant Baby Ruth burst from the stall.
Sage's chest tightened with the lack of oxygen, and she coughed violently as she tried to see through the blinding smoke. “Adam!”
“I’ve got them! Go! Get out!”
Praying he was right behind her, she ran for the door and gulped the fresh air. Sirens sounded in the distance. Someone must have seen the smoke and called 9-1-1.
Spinning around, she jumped out of the way when Diamond Lil emerged from the smoke at full speed, her eyes wide with terror. Seconds later, Adam stumbled out carrying the young foal. They had all made it…
Thank God.