The Long Ride Home Read online

  “Is he still there?” Skye asked. “Where is the prison? And where’s my mother?”

  “Skye, let her finish,” Dad Chambers chided softly.

  Millie sniffled, pulled out another tissue from her pocket and blew her nose. “I’m afraid the story doesn’t get any better.”

  “Tell us everything you know,” Mrs. Chambers pleaded. “Skye has always wanted to know about her parents. I believe God brought you into our lives at this time so she can have some closure.”

  “When Rita testified against my brother, he swore he’d get even with her. After the judge handed down the sentence and they were dragging him out of court, he yelled that when he’d get out of jail, he’d find her and kill her. She was so scared, she took drastic measures so he’d never find her.”

  “Drastic measures?” Mrs. Chambers asked.

  Another barrage of tears flowed freely down the woman’s face. “With the help of the police, Rita changed her whole identity. She divorced Jacy and quit her job. Skye, although it broke her heart, she left you with me. She thought that as a single woman, she could hide out somewhere in another part of the country better than someone with a small child.”

  “If you had me, then how did I get into foster care?” Skye asked.

  “This is so hard.” The Chambers family waited silently as Millie sobbed. “I was a single mother with two kids of my own,” Millie continued. “I just didn’t have the means to keep you. That’s when I placed you in foster care.” Through her tears, she smiled at Skye. “It looks like you’ve got a real good home now, and that makes me so happy.”

  “How did you get down here in the Charleston area?” Mr. Chambers asked.

  “Jacy was the only family I had,” Millie said. “My marriage had just broken up, and when Jacy was sent up, he wrote me out of his life because I helped Rita and then had to give up Skye. So, I decided to move down here and start all over. I thought me and my two kids could make a go of it down here. I had no idea what happened to Skye after the agency came to pick her up all those years ago.”

  “But what about my mother?” Skye asked. “Where is she now? And how can I get in touch with her and my father?”

  Millie took a deep jagged breath and sighed. “I’m—I’m afraid…” She lowered her head onto her arms and sobbed uncontrollably.

  “Are they dead?” Skye’s voice screeched with panic. “They are, aren’t they? I know they are!”

  Millie finally managed to regain her composure. She lifted her head and wiped her face with a steady supply of tissues from Mrs. Chambers. Millie took a deep, jagged breath and made a desperate effort to smile through her next few words. “Skye, I just don’t know—about either of them. Your dad was sentenced to serve his time at the Brentwood State Penitentiary about forty miles south of Pittsburgh. When I tried to visit him, he wouldn’t see me. I wrote him every week for months, but he never responded. Another inmate who knew Jacy had written to me and said that Jacy was very angry at me and Rita, really at the whole world, and he pretty much kept to himself. I wrote to this other inmate several times—his name was Charlie Hamlock. He wrote back for a while, but then he stopped. As far as I know your dad is still at that same pen.”

  “Did you ever hear from Skye’s mother again?” Mr. Chambers asked.

  Chapter three

  Before Rita left town,” Millie said between sniffles, “she destroyed all evidence of her former life. She even went through my house and took all the pictures of her family and trashed them. Thank the dear Lord she didn’t check my wallet. She never told me her new name or contacted me after she left.” Millie pointed to the beat-up photo on the table. “That’s all I have left of her—and of you, Skye. I’ve held that picture close to my heart all these years. I’ve often just sat and stared at that picture and wondered where you were. I can’t tell you how I feel right now. Seeing you after all these years is—is—like a miracle.” Millie’s face lit up, revealing a set of teeth that needed more than one visit to the dentist. It was the first sincere smile Skye had seen on the woman.

  Skye’s glance darted from Millie to Mrs. Chambers. “Mom, how can we find out if my father’s still at that prison? Can’t we call and ask?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Mrs. Chambers said. “The prisons won’t release any information about their inmates to just anybody. They won’t even tell us if he’s been released or not.”

  “Then how can we find out?” Morgan asked.

  “Yeah, how?” Skye added.

  “We’ll go online to a website called ‘Department of Corrections.’ Believe it or not, if he’s in a prison anywhere in the U.S., we’ll be able to find out.”

  “Heaven knows, I’ve tried to call Jacy and write over all these years, but it was no use.” Millie wiped her nose again. “I never thought of going on the Internet to see where he is now.”

  “I’m a counselor of troubled youth at the Maranatha Treatment Center in central PA,” Mrs. Chambers said. “On numerous occasions I’ve tried to track someone down, either a missing client or someone’s relative.”

  “We have our laptop with us,” Skye piped in. “Let’s look for my dad right now.”

  “Easy, girl,” Mr. Chambers said. “All in good time.”

  “Several of our past foster kids have needed information about someone in prison too,” Mrs. Chambers added. “We’ve been able to help one or two with the Internet.”

  “Hmm,” Millie said, “that’s amazing. It’s too bad we don’t know Rita’s new name. I bet we could find her on the Internet, too.”

  “Probably so,” Mrs. Chambers said.

  “Can’t we check online now? I’ll go get the laptop.” By now, Skye was desperate.

  “Wait a minute, honey.” Mrs. Chambers gently tapped Skye’s hand. “Over the next twenty-four hours we have to arrive at camp, get the horses bedded down, move into our family quarters, and report for orientation. Our heads will be spinning.”

  “But I can’t wait that long. I’ll just die!” Skye chewed her lip and glanced around the table, focusing on Morgan, who sat strangely quiet with no expression on her face. That’s so not like her, Skye thought. She’s usually upbeat about everything.

  “And, Skye, somewhere in between we have to eat again…not to mention sleep,” Mr. Chambers said.

  Millie picked up the photo of Skye as though it were made of glass. “I’m sure you’d like a copy of this, so I’ll get one made ASAP. Now, you mentioned that you’re staying at a camp. How can I keep in touch?”

  “We’ll give you our cell phone number,” Mr. Chambers said. “For the next two weeks, we’ll be working at Rebucks’ Rocking Horse Ranch on the shore side of Charleston. We’ve just come from a week-long horse show in Virginia—”

  “Skye and her horse, Champ, won four blue ribbons!” Morgan interjected. “You should see her ride!”

  That’s the Morgan I know. Skye reasoned, then directed her words at Millie. “Don’t you have any information at all about my mother?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Millie said. “She’s been in hiding a long time.”

  “Would you be able to come visit us sometime in Pennsylvania?” Skye asked.

  “I’d like that very much.” Millie’s watery eyes sparkled with a newfound hope. “My two kids and I would love to be able to say we have family other than just the three of us.”

  “What are my cousins’ names?” Skye asked.

  “Yes,” Mrs. Chambers said, “please tell us all about them—and you yourself.”

  Millie smiled again, this time glowing with obvious pride. She pulled two more photos from her wallet and handed them to Skye. “This is Dennis. He’s nineteen and he just joined the Marines. He’s stationed in Norfolk at the naval base. He’s in supply, you know, making sure the troops have enough ammo, gear, that kind of thing. My daughter’s name is Emma, and she’s seventeen. She’s always on the honor roll, and this summer she’s working two part-time jobs to earn money for college next year. I’ve always wanted my kids to
have things better than me.”

  “It looks like you’ve done a pretty decent job,” Mr. Chambers said.

  “Wow,” Skye said, “Emma is really pretty. I can’t believe I’m actually looking at my real, living, breathing true-to-life cousin.”

  Mrs. Chambers leaned toward Skye and stared at the photo. “And I see she has dark hair and brown eyes like you, Skye. There’s definitely a family resemblance.”

  “Gorgeous, of course,” Skye kidded and handed the photos to Morgan. “What do you think?” she said with a giggle.

  “Well,” Morgan said as she studied the pictures, “Emma and you do kinda look alike. Gorgeous, of course! And Private Dennis Eister is one handsome dude in his dress blues.”

  “Uniforms seem to run in my family,” Millie said. “One of Emma’s jobs is at a fast-food joint. She really looks cute in maroon and gold. The other job she has is in a toy store at a mall. Although there’s no uniform there, she loves that job because she loves kids. She wants to be a teacher.”

  Mr. Chambers studied the pictures intently. “We’ll have to try to arrange to meet your family, Millie. We’d like to get to know you all better.”

  “Well, Denny won’t have leave until the end of the summer,” Millie said, “but Emma still lives at home. I know where the Rebuck camp is. Since you’re going to be in the Charleston area for two weeks, I’d love to see Skye, really all of you, again.”

  “And we can meet Emma,” Skye added.

  “I’ll tell you one thing,” Millie said with another broad smile. “I’m going to knock Emma’s socks off with this news. I’ve told her all about Skye since Emma was old enough to understand. She’ll be thrilled to pieces to meet her only cousin.”

  Mr. Chambers handed the two photos back to Millie. “Well, let’s definitely plan on getting together again. Once we’re settled at the camp, we’ll call you.”

  “I’ll be waiting,” Millie said with a chuckle. “I’ll tie my cell phone around my neck.”

  “And Skye,” Mr. Chambers said. “The first chance we get, we’ll check the Internet. We want to find your father as much as you do.”

  Chapter four

  The first chance Skye had to go online was Sunday after camp chapel and lunch when the teen volunteer staff finally had some free time. While Mr. and Mrs. Chambers attended an orientation class, Skye and Morgan went to their cabin, turned on the computer, and started their search.

  As they began, Morgan stared straight at Skye to ask her a question. “Skye, why are you so gung ho to find your parents?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be?” Skye blurted out, almost stunned by Morgan’s question. Light-hearted Morgan seemed deeply troubled—by something. Skye’s thoughts quickly transported her to the first day she had met Morgan at Keystone Stables. Ever since then they had been best friends, as close as sisters. But now Skye felt a strange distance between them, and she needed to find out why. She leaned back in her chair and looked into Morgan’s eyes. “Morgan, what’s the matter with you? I’ve noticed you’ve been acting kinda funny.”

  “I just want to know why you want to find your parents. That’s all,” Morgan said.

  “I’ve always wanted to find them,” Skye said. “You know that. Does it bother you?”

  “Nah, not really. You just seem like you’re in your own little world lately.”

  “Well, I’ll try to come back to earth,” Skye giggled. “I’ll put it in writing, if you want.” Skye giggled as she found the Department of Corrections website and plugged in her father’s name. After several attempts, she came up dry. Skye had run into her first wall, and it was solid stone.

  “Hey,” Morgan suggested, “try Family and Friend Search. Some of the kids in our youth group said that website promises to ‘find anyone across the entire USA.’ I’ve been thinking of plugging my dad’s name in, but I haven’t done it yet.”

  Skye went to the website but also got nowhere. Fourteen men with the name “Jacy Nicholson” were listed, their addresses scattered all over the country, and she had no idea where to begin.

  “Sally, easy on the reins now,” Skye said on Monday morning in the training corral at the Rebucks’ Rocking Horse Ranch. The air was so steamy hot, she could have sworn she heard it hissing around her as she tackled her first assignment instructing a beginning rider.

  Standing in the center, Skye worked Champ on a longeing line. Obediently, he circled the ring in a slow trot, carrying an eight-year-old girl with Down syndrome who was doing her best to listen to Skye’s instructions.

  “Keep your heels close to his belly,” Skye said, “and your toes pointed out. That’s good, Sally, very good.”

  Ordinarily, Skye would be one hundred percent into a job like this one. Working with kids and horses was right up her alley, and she was determined to do the best job she possibly could. But her thoughts drifted constantly to Millie and what the woman had said about Skye’s father and mother. So although Skye did her job, and did it well, she just couldn’t keep her mind from drifting back over the last day-and-a-half’s events.

  So much has happened since Friday at that diner! How am I ever going to find the right Jacy Nicholson? Maybe he’s not even using that name anymore. Maybe he’s in another country. Maybe he’s dead! And where’s my mother? What’s her name now? Skye’s mind darted from Sally to Millie and churned like tumbleweed in a dust storm as she tried to decide what to do next to find her parents. Finally, she forced herself back to her work with Sally and Champ in the riding ring.

  “Okay, Sally!” Skye said to her young student. “Pull gently on the reins and make Champ stop. The riding part of your lesson is over for today.” Skye approached Sally still sitting on Champ and looped the longeing line in her hands. Removing the line from Champ’s halter, Skye patted Champ’s sweaty neck. “Good boy, Champ,” she said, and then looked at Sally.

  Sally’s hardhat and long blonde curls framed plump rosy cheeks and brown puppy-dog eyes with curly lashes. “How’d I do, Skye? Did I keep my feet turned right? I wasn’t pulling too hard on his reins, was I? I just love Champy,” she went on, “and I want a horse just like him when I get big. Where can I get one just like him?”

  Skye giggled to herself. “At a loss for words” will certainly never be this cutie’s motto. “Sally, you did just fine for your first lesson. We have all week to talk about how you can get your own horse when you are all grown up. The next thing you need to learn is how to take off the saddle and bridle and how to groom him. Horses love to be brushed. Are you ready to do that?”

  “Oh, yes,” Sally said. “Where do we do that? Can we do that now, Skye?”

  “We sure can,” Skye said. She grabbed Champ’s cheek strap and turned him toward the barn. “Sally, we’ll walk Champ to the door. There I’ll help you dismount, and then we’ll take off his tack and you can groom him.”

  “Oh, this is so cool,” Sally bubbled. “I’ve never even been on a horse before, and now I get to brush one and everything!”

  “I’ll show you how to comb his mane and tail, too. Let’s go.”

  Just as Skye led Champ to a hitching post in front of the barn, she spotted her foster mother coming toward her from the direction of the administration office. Dressed in her tan and red western riding clothes, Mrs. Chambers made a stunning appearance. Even in the shade of her tan Stetson, her blue eyes sparkled.

  “Hi, Mom,” Skye said, “What’s up? I thought our trail ride didn’t start until after lunch.”

  Mrs. Chambers folded her arms on the top rail of the fence. “It doesn’t,” she said. “But I—”

  “Ooh, a trail ride,” Sally blurted out. “Can I go on that, Skye, can I, huh?”

  “I’m afraid not,” Skye said. “That’s for the older kids. But you’ll get to ride here tomorrow morning in the corral again.”

  “Oh, okay,” Sally said. “Can I get down now?”

  “Sure you can,” Skye said and then turned. “One moment, Mom.” Skye held her index finger up toward Mrs. Chambers
and then tied Champ to the post.

  Skye reached up and slid Sally out of the saddle. “Now just wait one second until this nice lady and I talk about something, okay?”

  “Okay,” Sally said.

  “Now stand here in front of Champ and pet him on the nose.” Skye reached into her jeans pocket and pulled out three sugar cubes. “Give him these. And hold one at a time with your hand flat like this. Then he’ll be able to nibble it without biting you.”

  “Okay.” Sally started to follow Skye’s instructions.

  Watching Sally carefully, Skye stepped to the fence where Mrs. Chambers waited. “What’s happening?” Skye asked.

  “Well, I just had a phone call from Millie, and I’m wondering if you’d like to skip the trail ride. Millie and Emma don’t have to work this afternoon, and they want to come here to see you.” Mrs. Chambers pointed her thumb over her shoulder. “The office said they can have one of their hired help cover for you, if you’d like. I’m on my way to the barn to groom the horses and get them ready for the ride.”

  For the first time in Skye’s life since she had met Champ, she had to decide whether she wanted to do something else rather than be with her beloved horse. But, as she had correctly assumed when she met Millie, things in her life would probably change, and the changes had already begun.

  Skye glanced back at Champ and quickly analyzed the situation. In the blink of an eye, she had acquired “family,” not that the Chambers and Morgan weren’t, but Millie and her two kids were “real family,” the one she longed to know. She simply had to find out more.

  “What time can they be here?” Skye said with a racing heart.

  Chapter five

  At one o’clock, Skye sat at a center table in the empty mess hall waiting for Millie and Emma. From behind the serving counter busy voices, rattling glasses, and clanging pots echoed throughout the entire hall. A heavy garlic smell from a lasagna lunch still saturated the spacious room, but Skye was so focused on Millie’s arrival, the commotion and smells seemed miles away.