By Chance: Day 12

Word Count: 72,074

Summary of Events:

Steele continued supervising the kids and teaching them how to rope before receiving word ahead of the weekend that Dilys would be fit to return the following week — although she welcomed Steele to stay as a helper while he recovered. Over the weekend he bought a more flexible knee brace and tried out walking without his crutches and even otherwise working his right knee a little harder than he had before, which caused him minimal pain, for which he was glad. He even tacked up and rode one of the school horses, which he particularly enjoyed, before Alida discovered him in the saddle and the two discussed whether he'd be cleared to compete in the CFR, and whether he should get an x-ray done…

Excerpt of the Day:

“I’m seeing the physiotherapist again tomorrow,” Steele replied. “So we’ll see what she says.”
“And I guess she’d have the power to order one of those spit-spot,” Alida said.

“My thinking exactly,” Steele replied.

“Well, you know, our Autumn Festival is on Saturday,” Alida said.

“I know,” Steele replied.

“And, considering the interest you’ve generated in the kids about roping and rodeo,” Alida added.

“I don’t think I like where this is going,” Steele said.

“If the medical professionals give the go-ahead,” Alida continued. “Would you be interested in doing a demo run for us?”

“I can agree to that,” Steele replied. “I thought you were going to ask me to man some sort of a roping station or something.”

“No, I know you at least well enough to know you wouldn’t enjoy doing that,” Alida replied. “Although from what I’ve seen and heard from multiple sources in the almost two weeks you’ve been here, the kids have actually learned a lot from you.”

Steele shifted in the saddle, lowering his gaze to the coiled rope, which he fiddled with.

“I know you’ve never really had a lot to do with kids,” Alida said. “But I really do think you’re better with them than you think. That’s actually part of the reason why I asked you to fill in for Dilys in the first place.”

Raising his gaze, Steele looked critically at Alida.

“Please don’t be mad, Steele,” Alida said, looking at him with a tender and rather maternal gaze, even though she was only nine years older than him. “I know you’re going to go back to the feedlot when you get full clearance, and I’m not going to stop you. That probably pays better than this anyways.”

Steele nodded, looking away. He wasn’t really mad, he just felt uneasy, like he always did when people told him that he was actually good at things that made him in some way or another feel awkward, uneasy, or even scared. He didn’t like it when people seemed to be able to figure things out about him that he hadn’t figured out first. It made him scared that they’d figure out the things he was deliberately trying to hide.

“If you’re cleared for the CFR, though, would you be willing to do a demonstration run for everyone?” Alida asked.

“Just one?” Steele asked. “Or would I be doing one every ten, fifteen minutes all afternoon?”

“No, just one,” Alida replied. “We wouldn’t want to wear you out before the rodeo.”

“You’d just have it at a set time and tell everyone that it’s going to happen then so those who are interested can come and watch?” Steele asked.

“Yeah,” Alida replied.

“I could do that,” Steele replied nodding.

Alida nodded. “Now we have to hope you get cleared to do it or it’ll have to wait until our Winter Festival.”

Steele nodded. He wanted to get cleared and get back to normal, and he certainly hoped that he’d not gone and done anything to compromise his chances by riding Farley without prior approval from doctors.