AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I do sometimes fear Ashlyn dying. I have spoken to Tracey about that quite a lot. There is no answer for that. Death will come for us all sooner or later and I need to make my peace with that. Losing Sophia to death was so tightly tangled up with losing her to her betrayal and it has been hard to move past that.
The one thing I don’t doubt is Ashlyn’s commitment to me and to the horses and our home.
We fostered two children. Amy and Christy, sisters aged 12 and 14 who had been through a lot of trauma in their short lives. We will offer long term sanctuary to them. It hasn’t been easy, we all have our own personal darkness, but we love them so dearly.
It feels good being able to give to them and though we can’t make everything ok for them, we see progress in them every day in long summer days on the ranch with the horses. Oh, how they love the horses.
We got a dog too. A big rangy Belgian Malinois called Max- a retired bomb detection dog who made his way to the ranch from one of my army contacts. He finished his service early due to injury, but he has gone through his rehab on the ranch and he will live out the rest of his days in peace with us here.
Bill, with his deep love for horses and unwavering belief in us, became an invaluable ally. He worked tirelessly to help us sort out the financial mess that had threatened to bury the ranch. He found creative solutions, negotiated with the bank, and slowly but surely, we began to see the light at the end of the tunnel. The ranch, our sanctuary, was safe.
Melody, too, found her own path to happiness. It was at one of the events, a modest local horse show where we were showing off Phantom’s progress, that she met him. A quiet man with kind eyes who seemed afraid of his own shadow, but whom, to everyone’s surprise, effortlessly slipped into life on the ranch as though he had always been meant to be there. Their relationship blossomed in the same way Melody had on the ranch—slowly, naturally, without any pressure to be anything other than what it was. And as they grew closer, it became clear that the two of them had found something special, something rare and precious.
The four of us—Stephanie, Ashlyn, Melody, and her quiet man—poured our time, heart, and soul into the ranch. It became more than just a place to live; it became a refuge, a place of healing and
growth. More and more horses came to us, each one with a story and a past that had left its own marks. We took them in, cared for them, trained them, and watched as they transformed, their spirits slowly mending under the love and attention we gave them.
And it wasn’t just horses who found solace on the ranch. People began to come too—some to train, others to learn, and many just to volunteer. They came from all walks of life- a lot of ex army- each with their own burdens, their own demons to face. We made some of the houses on the ranch into boarding houses and we welcomed people in. We built our own community out here under the vast texan skies. The ranch became an escape for them, a place where they could find solace from whatever life had thrown at them.
Time rolled by and the ranch flourished. What had once been a small, struggling farm became a thriving community. We built new stables, expanded the pastures, and even added another guest house for those who needed a place to stay. The land, once wild and untamed, became a symbol of resilience and hope.
Phantom, the horse who had brought us all together, became a legend in his own right. He never raced in Kentucky, but he didn’t need to. His strength, his spirit, and the bond he shared with Ashlyn became the stuff of local lore. People came from miles around just to see him, to watch him run, and to witness the connection between horse and rider that had defied all the odds.
Ashlyn competed him in races, but then also we retrained him for the rodeo- for Barrel Racing which he was very good at. She also trained him the English way and moved onto Dressage and Eventing with him. Phantom was that kind of horse- the talent to do anything.
As for us, the years softened the edges of our pasts. The pain, the mistakes, and the regrets—they didn’t disappear, but they no longer defined us. We learned to forgive, to let go, and to embrace the love that had grown between us. It wasn’t always easy—nothing worth having ever is—but we learned to navigate the rough patches. To hold on to each other when the storms threatened to pull us apart.
Our wedding day was my fondest memory. We stood together on the ranch, with Amy, Christy and Max at our sides, ready to declare our love in front of the people who mattered most to us. We called it a service of love and union, a celebration not just of our commitment to each other, but of everything we had overcome to be there. The sun bathed the ranch in a warm, golden light, the fields were a vibrant green, and the air was filled with the scent of wildflowers and fresh hay. It was perfect, in every way that mattered.
As I stood there, looking at Ashlyn with the ranch as our backdrop, I felt a rush of emotion that nearly took my breath away. We had been through so much together—heartache, challenges, moments of doubt—but in that moment, all of it seemed worth it. Ashlyn was everything I had ever wanted and more, and I knew with absolute certainty that this was where I was meant to be.
We could argue until the sun came up about the best way to break in a horse—our stubbornness clashing like thunder—but all it took was one look from her, and my heart would skip a beat. The butterflies in my stomach had never left. Their wings might have softened with time, but they were always there, fluttering gently whenever she was near. I’d feel them when the sunrise would catch Ashlyn’s face as she dismounted from a ride, her skin glowing in the early morning light and her expression one of peace and contentment. I’d feel them when her laughter filled the room, the sound warm and familiar—especially when she found herself caught up in a rerun of Friends.
And every time her fingers unexpectedly brushed against my bare skin, whether in a gentle caress or a playful touch, the butterflies would take flight, reminding me of the love that had only grown
deeper with time. It was during those small, quiet moments that I realized just how much she meant to me—how much we had built together, and how far we had come.
Our life together wasn’t perfect, but it was ours. We had our disagreements and our struggles, but we always found our way back to each other. The ranch had become a part of us, a reflection of the
love and dedication we had poured into it. As we exchanged our vows, I knew we were ready for whatever the future might hold.
The service of love and union was more than just a wedding; it was a celebration of everything we had fought for and everything we had become. As we stood there, hand in hand, surrounded by the people who had supported us, I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. The path to forever had been rough and winding, but it had led us here, to this moment, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
Ashlyn was my partner, my love, my home. Every time I looked at her—whether in the glow of the sunrise, the warmth of the evening, or the quiet moments we shared—I knew I had found something rare and precious. Something worth fighting for and holding on to, for the rest of my life. And as we walked back down the aisle, surrounded by the cheers and laughter of our friends and family, I knew that no matter the challenges that lay ahead, we would face them together, with love as our guide.
Through it all, we never forgot the lessons we had learned. That love is not always simple. That it takes work, patience, and a willingness to fight for what truly matters. That trust, once broken, can be rebuilt—but only if both people are willing to put in the effort. And that sometimes, the most beautiful things in life come from the most unexpected places.
The ranch stood as a testament to that truth—a place where broken things could be mended, and where lost souls could find their way home. As the sun set each evening, casting its golden light over the fields, we would stand together, knowing that whatever the future held, we would face it together, as a family. The path to forever might be rough and winding, but it was ours, and we wouldn’t have had it any other way.
The evening had settled into a quiet calm, the kind of stillness that only the ranch could offer. The air was warm, with the scent of earth and hay lingering as the last light of the sun dipped below the
horizon. Inside the house, the only sound that could be heard was the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth. It cast a gentle glow across the room. This was one of those rare moments when everything felt perfectly in place and I found myself drawn to Ashlyn, who was sitting on the couch, her legs curled up beneath her, lost in thought. She looked up as I entered the room, her eyes catching the light from the fire. For a moment, I just stood there, taking her in. There was something about the way the flickering light played over her features that made my heart skip a beat—a feeling that had never faded, no matter how much time had passed. I moved toward her, my steps slow and deliberate, as if I were savoring every inch of space between us.
When I reached her, I didn’t say a word. Instead, I gently cupped her face in my hands, my fingers tracing the line of her jaw, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch. She looked up at me with those green eyes, so full of emotion, and I felt a familiar flutter in my chest, the kind that always preceded a kiss. And then, without hesitation, I leaned in and pressed my lips to hers.
The kiss was soft at first, a tentative brush of lips that sent a shiver down my spine. But as the seconds passed, it deepened, and the warmth between us grew. Pulling me closer to her. Her hands found their way to my waist and I felt her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt, holding me to her as if she couldn’t bear to let go. I let out a soft sigh against her lips, my body responding instinctively to the closeness. The heat building between us.
I could feel her breath quicken as I tilted my head, deepening the kiss—our mouths moving in a rhythm that was as old as time itself. My hands slipped from her face to her shoulders, then down her arms. Tracing the contours of her body with a reverence that came from knowing every inch of her intimately. She was warm and soft beneath my touch, her skin like silk as I let my hands explore the familiar territory.
