Kade Rogan

Kade Rogan blinked unsure of what he saw then turned his truck back to the left causing the headlights to outline what looked to be an old junked out truck on the other side of the ranch fence. This was no place to be miles from nowhere in the driving rain. He drove straight up to the wooden post fence, jumped out and slipped through the rungs running around to the drivers side door and wrenching it open.

His action startled a young woman who had been huddled into a pile on the front seat sleeping.

“what are you doing out here, you are liable to freeze to death” he shouted to be heard above the pounding of the rain

“this truck broke down” she answered sitting up and blinking her eyes

“do you have a place to stay for the night?” he asked

“I was supposed to be meeting Derek Rogan at the shooting star ranch do you know where that is?”

“you’ve found it, grab your stuff and let's go”

Kaylee Welch didn’t have to be told twice grabbing her backpack and sports bag from the floor she scooted off of the seat and let him take them then slipped through the fence and climbed into the passenger side of his big black dodge. The warm air coming from the vents greeted her immediatley and after thinking she'd be spending all night in her old heap Kaylee was grateful.

He got into the drivers side spun the truck around without a word and drove down a barely visible dirt road. Twenty minutes later she could see a massive log structure with big bay windows running nearly ceiling to floor. He got out taking her stuff from the back and walked in the front door leaving her to slip out of the truck and walk up to the large thick planked porch on her own. When she walked inside the man, whose name she still didn’t know was yelling for Derek and an older woman was shutting the door behind her.

“hi I’m Anna, come I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping tonight”

“who is that man?” Kaylee asked picking up her gear and following the woman. Her prosthetic leg was rubbing a little and she really needed to get it off.

“that’s Kade and don’t worry about him. He barks worse than he bites”

“I’m Kaylee”

“I know” the woman smiled “Derek started to worry when you didn’t show up”

They walked up to a room full of log furniture and large rugs on top of a wooden floor. It came with it's own fireplace and spacious bathroom and it was warm.

“I’ll come and wake you for breakfast in the morning” the woman said before leaving and closing the door behind her.

Kaylee sank down on the bed wanting to cry with relief. She'd done it. She’d gotten away and she had a job, one that she knew how to do very well. She just had to pray that Keith would keep his mouth shut irregardless of what her father threatened him with.

The next morning a knock on the door had her sitting up immediatley and scrambling for the robe that she’d put at the end of the bed.

“Anna?” She asked

“no, it's Derek”

That sent her into a panic scrambling to put the lower half of her left leg on and cover it the best she could with the floor length robe. She couldn’t let him or anyone else know that she was a cripple because it would be the end of things very quickly.

Opening the door she found a slightly younger version of the man that had rescued her last night.

“morning, did you sleep well?” he asked

“very well thanks to Kade, your brother?” she asked

“my older brother”Derek confirmed “and don’t let him bother you he’s been onry ever since our father was shot last year”

“is your father okay?”

“oh he's fine, just can't run the ranch like he used to and that's part of why I hired you. Dad can’t keep up with the bookeeping anymore and both Kade and I are too busy to take care of it”

“that isn’t a problem. I can fix whatever kind of mess it's gotten into”

“great, breakfast is in about ten minutes. See you there”

Kaylee scrambled back to the bed grabbing her clothes and rushing to the shower. She could hear a good number of people talking below when she emerged from her room and headed for the stairs. She would have to get comfortable with walking up and down these stairs and almost wished for a ground floor room but wasn’t about to complain.

“morning, come join us” Derek greeted her from a long plank table where several men including Kade were seated scarfing down their breakfast.

Derek had saved a spot next to him and the end of a long bench and she began to fill her plate with eggs, bacon, sausage and a buiscut. She was nervous knowing everyone wondered about her but kept quiet.

“are you going to introduce us to this young lady” asked an older man sitting at the opposide end of the table.

“sorry” Derek nearly choked on his bacon then hurriedly swallowed “everyone this is Kaylee Werner, she’ll be straightening out the ranch books, keeping accounts straight and will also be doing payroll”

The older man didn’t look as though he was too convinced of her abilities but said nothing leaving Kaylee to wonder if she'd have this job for very long.

After breakfast dispersed and the noisy crowd of men had left Derek showed her to an office at the front of the house just off the great room. The large oak desk was piled with papers, many of them scattered and the ranch books, many of them in old binders lay in an unorganized heap on the shelves surrounding the room. The old computer on the desk looked like it hadn’t been used in months but she would make do. She could do this.

“I can take care of this” She told Derek “you go do what you need to do”

Once she was alone Kaylee fired up the old computer on the desk and began to straighten some of the old papers into organized piles. The ranching software on the computer was outdated by at least five years and wasn’t really doing the shooting star any good. She had some software on her laptop that would be much more efficient and headed upstairs to retrieve it. When she returned she found the older man waiting for her in the office making her a little nervous although he allowed her to slip past him and return to the desk.

“we haven't been properly introduced, I’m Hayde Rogan”

“Kaylee Werner” she replied

“I told Derek to hire an accountant but I honestly wasn’t expecting someone so young” he began “irregardless I’m going to give you a chance, are you really up to getting this place straightened out”

“I did accounting for JD Kingston and he was in a worse bind than this. I can make this work” If he knew the name he didn’t appear impressed although maybe she’d given him a bit of information that she should have kept to herself.

“I’d like to see what you have accomplished by the end of the week” he said walking out.

By noon Kaylee was so engrossed in bringing the ranch accounts up to date that she didn’t even see Anna enter the office with a tray of food.

“how is everything going in here?”

Kaylee looked up from her laptop with a start immediatley noticing the roast beef sandwich, chips and drink. “I’m getting somewhere but I have to undo this mess in a week”

“it will work out, Mr. Rogan isn’t as bad as he seems”

“which one?” Kaylee asked

Anna just smiled and left the office leaving Kaylee to her work.

By the end of the day her eyes were going blurry but she'd managed to get the last several months of finances and herd tracking among other things into the computer. Tomorrow she’d be able to print out a report and a hard copy of everything she'd done.

“would you like to see the ranch after dinner?” Derek stepped into the office surprising her just a little he was dusty, tanned, and his blond ear length hair was messed up from working out on the range all day.

“sure”

“are you up to a horse ride?” he asked

“I haven’t ridden a horse in ages” Kaylee answered, “do you have a truck?”

She hadn’t been on a horse since the age of thirteen and had pushed any memories of it far back into her mind. Those days had been happy.

“Sure do, let's see what Anna has ready”

Dinner was a noisy affair with all the men talking about the ranch, rodeo, bulls and a variety of other topics. She could understand everything that was being said but tuned it out like she'd become used to doing. Kade kept to himself glaring at her now and again but she ignored him and left with Derek after carrying her dishes to the kitchen and stacking them next to the sink with the others.

With an hour of sunlight left she climbed into the passenger side of Derek's black Dodge and let him drive her around the ranch. He talked incensantly about every detail of their horses, the herd, the different types of cattle and more.

“you don’t have to explain everything in detail, I know about cattle”

“did you grow up on a cattle ranch?”

Kaylee nodded her head hoping he wouldn’t ask any more. She wasn’t going to tell him where she came from or even any information that could lead him to that.

“I don’t mean to talk so much, I guess I do that when I am nervous”

“nervous?” she asked surprised “I’m the last type of person you have to be nervous with”

Derek just grinned “you don’t even realize how pretty you are do you?”

Kaylee was taken back by the comment, she hadn't really given it much thought. She'd always put more emphasis on just getting from one day to the next.

“and you don’t have to worry about me saying that either, I already have a girl”

Kaylee relaxed suddenly realizing Derek felt like the type of older brother she never had. She did have two older brothers but they had never been kind.

“just do me a favor and don’t tell Dad or Kade I said that”

“I don’t really talk to either of them anyway”

“would you like to go see the new arena?”

Kaylee smiled “I would”

The next morning Kaylee was up well before breakfast and headed down to the barn. She hadn’t been around horses in several years and smiled as most of them in the stalls raised their heads, some even greeting her. She was immediately drawn to a black with a white blaze between his eyes and approached him slowly waiting to see if he would shy away or let her touch him. He stood his ground looking at her and Kaylee was able to rub the palm of her hand on the bridge of his nose and behind his ears. She was happy but would never ride a horse again.

“what are you doing?” boomed a voice behind her

Startled, Kaylee jumped turning around to see Kade behind her.

“I’m sorry I just wanted to come see the horses”

“I want you to tell my dad you’ve changed your mind about the job”

“why?” Kaylee asked “what did I do?”

“just tell him” Kade repeted turning on his heel and walking out of the barn

Kaylee let him go without any further questions but wasn't about to just do what he told her to. She needed this job and unless he was going to tell her what she did wrong he could forget it.

Anna looked up as Kaylee entered the kitchen with her breakfast plate.

“do you mind if I eat in here with you?”

“not at all, is everything okay?”

“I can only handle so much glaring” Kaylee answered sitting at the small table and digging into her breakfast

“well, us women have to stick together anyway”Anna put in sitting down across from her “we are clearly outnumbered”

Kaylee laughed trying not to choke and finished off her breakfast clearing and rinsing her plate at the sink before putting it in the open dishwasher. She thanked Anna and headed to the office as all the men were getting up from the table.

“what do you have against her?” Anna asked Kade

“don’t worry about it “ Kade replied adding his plate to those on the white tiled countertop

“I’ve been around since you were a four year old falling off a horse Kade, you don’t need to be gruff with me”

“and I could let you go just as easy”

“sure you could and then there would be no one around to make your cinnoman rolls”

Kade cracked a grin. He could never hold his tough exterior very long around Anna she’d stepped in when his own mother had decided she couldn’t handle the rigors of ranch life and just taken off one night leaving two boys and a distraught husband behind.

Kaylee had burried herself in the never ending mess holding her breath until she knew for sure Kade had left the house. She had certainly dealt with worse men than him but they had all known about her disability. She’d come here under the pretense of being a completely whole person and as long as they never found out she'd be okay. It was kind of nice not to be labeled and treated like a cripple.

Three days later Hayde appeared at noon to check on Kaylee’s progress. She’d been able to get the piles of papers and books that had been scattered around the office in order and showed him the program on her laptop. Her clear knowlege of not only the financing but the breeding programs, herd management and pasture management impressed him.

“well young lady I am convinced of your ability to handle this and I’ll make sure that you have a new computer by the end of the week.”

Kaylee was pleasantly surprised and thanked him as he left. She let go of the tears and worry that had threatened her over the last several days. It was the first time someone had been happy with her in more years than she could count. This was what she could do without a handicap and it felt damn good.

Later that day before all the men filled the house to eat dinner Kade slipped into the office shutting the doors behind him. Kaylee stopped her typing and looked up prepared for a fight.

“why didn’t you quit?”

Kaylee was not going to tell him how badly she needed this job or the fact that constantly moving from job to job would only make it easier for her father to find her.

“you want me to just up and quit but you won’t tell me what I did that is so terrible. I don’t understand”

“of course you don’t understand” his voice raised a pitch but she was not about to jump back “what can a ninteen year old yuppie possibly know about managing the book keeping for a ranch as large as the shooting star? Tell me.”

“I've been doing this since I was fourteen......”

“and how tough is it going to have to get before you just up and leave? What if we need you to ride out and help with the herd?”

“then I’ll do it, it isn’t as though I haven’t ever been on a horse”

“and just where do you come from?”

Kaylee refused to say anymore irregardless of how he may decide to taunt or belittle her.

“what's going on in here?” Derek asked opening one of the doors behind Kade “everyone can hear you both”

“I’m not done Kaylee, I’ll find out what brought you here” Kade threatened before walking out the door.

Kaylee saved what she was doing on the laptop and looked up to Derek “don’t worry about it your brother is just doing what he does best, being an ass”

She let Derek walk back out before truly taking the time to worry. There was no shortage of money that Kade could use to hire a private detective and search her out. The one saving grace on her side was that she had come in under the last name werner instead of welch. It hadn’t really been that hard to get her cousin to forge a birth certificate and drivers liscence.

Instead of heading for the dinner table Kaylee decided to visit the horses in the coral and again found that the black seemed to like her. He came straight to Kaylee waiting for her to rub the bridge of his nose, between his ears and even his neck. He nuzzled the side of her face and nickered just a little. This is what she had done when things got to be too much at home. It seemed the horses were the only ones who loved or even understood what she was going through at the time.

Her own horse Weston's Runner had been taken away after the accident that took her leg and her mother's life. Her father had blamed her and had never forgiven her.

“I have news about your truck”

Kaylee had been so lost in though that she hadn’t even herd Derek approach the outside of the coral. “and that's Kade’s horse”

“of course it would be” Kaylee replied “is the truck repairable?”

“well, it would cost about the same amount of money to buy a good used truck as it would to repair the one you have”

Kaylee was a little dissapointed but had as much expected this. “can you tell the repair man to just junk it then, I don’t really plan on going anywhere that I can’t get a ride from Anna or someone else”

“you’ll get a raise and can use that to make your payments”

“I’ll be fine, really...” she replied using the gate to leave the coral

“Kaylee”

“what?”

“first thing you need to learn about the Rogans is that when they have their mind made up, it's best not to argue with them”

That wasn’t exactly a good omen where Kade was concerned but she simply nodded her head and agreed.

The next morning before breakfast Kaylee got her first look at the small town of Okur Montana. It wasn’t much but she loved the small town feel to it and was surprised when Derek pulled into the parking lot of a small diner.

“you didn't eat last night and I kind of figured you wouldn’t show up at the breakfast table this morning so you are here to order whatever you want off the menu. My treat”

The establishment was already near full with an assortment of cowboys, cattlemen and some in buisiness suits as they made their way to an empty table and sat down. They were soon greeted by a harried waitress who looked like she’d been running ragged for the past hour. They took the menus she offered then made introductions. It seemed everyone here knew Derek in one way or another and there was no shortage of gossip either. Everyone seemed to know what was going on with everyone else.

When they were finished Derek drove over a small dealership run by smiling Eddie Carson. It took a while of looking but she finally settled on a smaller black truck that was only two years and didn’t have a lot of miles put on it yet.

Derek made the arangements and it wasn’t long before they were driving back to the ranch. Kaylee couldn’t help but smile and let loose a couple of happy tears. The truck she’d been driving was an old heap of her fathers that had been in the back of the barn since she'd been a kid. The fact that it had actually run and gotten her this far was a miracle. This truck was hers though and was the first vehicle she’d ever owned.

When they reached the Shooting Star Kaylee was careful to park her truck behind the house and underneath a tree where it wouldn’t be spotted so easily.

“what's with the parking spot?” Derek asked curiously when she stepped up on to the porch at the back of the house.

“I’m not taking any chances that Kade might take a bat to it once he sees it” she answered as the walked the porch to the front part of the house

“he wouldn’t do that”

“I’m not so sure”

It was at that moment that they both heard a truck door close of the house and a beautiful brunette was walking up on to the porch “Mornin handsome” she greeted Derek nonchalantly and it was easy to see that her smile was directed all at him.

“Chelsey Lynn you know it's a bad idea to come up to the house”

“it's okay Derek I came to see Anna, you were just a very irresistable bonus”

Kaylee had slowly slipped into the house just seconds earlier and Derek seemed to snap out of the trance that Chelsey Lynn always put him in.

“Kaylee” he called waiting for her to step back out on to the porch

“yes?” she replied

“I forgot to introduce you to Chelsey Lynn, her family owns a ranch supply company. And Chelsey this is our new bookeeper Kaylee Werner”

Chelsey Lynn smiled although it was clear she was a little worried about wether Kaylee could become competition for the man she was clearly crazy about.

“don’t worry, I’m only nineteen and I am definatley not in the market for any man right now” She reassured the other woman then walked back into the house to get to work on the still massive pile of records.

Derek liked how straight forward Kaylee could be at times but was starting to get the feeling that there was more to her past than the little bit she let on to. He followed Chelsey into the kitchen but after a few minutes of Kades incessant voice over the radio left to help the men who were in the process of clearing out and repairing an old barn then putting up a pen just outside of it.

Later that afternoon Anna stuck her head in the door looking almost apologetic. “Kade needs you to run another wire stretcher out to them, seems the two they had with them broke. I would do it myself but then everyone would be waiting a couple of hours for dinner”

Kaylee stood turning off her laptop and closing the lid. She knew what Kade was up to and she was about to prove him wrong.

“where do they keep them?”

“there is red shed just off to the left of the barn, everything is in there” Anna answered “the problem is that there are only two horses here and you are going to have to catch one and saddle it”

“which one is the more ridable of the two?”

“Sadie, she's the paint” Anna answered worried “are you up to this? Have you ever ridden with your leg before?”

Kaylee looked a little worried “what do you mean?”

“you know what I mean” Anna was concerned

“please don’t tell anyone”

“you’ll have to tell someone sooner or later and I’m thinking later would be worse”

“I really need this job Anna, I have medical expenses that I am behind on and this is the first time I've ever been able to get insurance. I can’t afford to be fired right now”

“you think they would fire you because you are handicapped?”

“anyone would” Kaylee was in tears now “I was so lucky just to get this job and I don’t know if I would be able to get another. Please just don’t say anything”

“it’s in your hands Kaylee, you do what you think is best” Anna reassured her then brought out a radio from the kitchen “call Kade when you head out and he’ll tell you how to get where they are”

“thanks”

Kaylee brought a handful sweet apples out to the pasture with her and was able to slip a halter over the paint's head after a couple of tries. Putting a saddle on the paint proved to be a little more difficult as she kept side stepping but finally it was settled and cinched down. After putting a looping the drawstring canvas bag containg two wire stretchers over the pomel she mounted from the right side swinging her leg over and settling in the saddle.

“Kade this is Kaylee” she called out over the radio waiting to find out which direction she needed to head

“it took a minute for him to respond”

“where are you?” he wanted to know

“in front of the barn waiting to find out where you are”

Kade talked her out to where they were and greeted her taking the canvas bag that she handed him. He checked the saddle over without complaint but if he was impressed didn’t show it. No surprise there Kaylee thought turning her horse and leaving so that Kade couldn’t decide he wanted anything else. She realized after a few minutes however that she couldn’t remember how to get back to the main house. Rather than calling anyone over the radio and taking the risk that Kade might hear everything the gave the mare her head hoping that the horse would just head back to the barn.

Anna looked worried as the men filed in without any sign of Kaylee. She’d assumed that Kaylee had stayed out with the men and didn’t want to make too big a deal of it right yet wait. She waited until Derek could be pulled aside and quietly explained the situation. Without any hesitation at all he ran for the front door and straight for the barn.

“what’s going on?” Kade demanded

“Derek can take care of it”

“Anna” Kade demanded

“you are going to have to learn to curb that temper Kade”

“I can't now tell me what's got my brother in such an all fired hurry”

“Kaylee didn’t come back”

Anna hoped that Derek would have enough time to drive off in one of the four wheelers before Kade could leave the house.

“Kaylee, can you hear me?” Derek shouted over the radio as he turned the atv towards the work area where they had all been earlier. He continued calling over the radio but recieved no response and realized he was going to have to branch out from where they had been. She could be almost anywhere.

Kaylee’s head spun and she had to stand still again until it stopped. The horse had hurt her front leg so riding back was out of the question, she'd just have to lead the horse and stem the bleeding at the side of her head and pray for a miracle. Her white long sleved shirt was ruined as were her jeans from all the dirt and blood but right now she really didn’t care she just wanted to make it somewhere without passing out and hopefully before the sun whent down and the cold made it's way in. If this had happened back home there would be no end to the lecture, the shouting, the point that she was stupid like all cripples being driven home once again by not only her father but her two older brothers. Thank heavens she had escaped. But what kind of situation was this really? Kade would be just as livid. For whatever reason it seemed he was always angry.

An hour later she was too dizzy to walk anymore, she could barely focus let alone concentrate and had resigned herself that the night would be spent out here in the cold. The most she could do was gather some wood and try to build a fire and on top of that stay awake, she couldn’t fall asleep, nor give into the severe dizziness that threatened her from every side. She wished desparatley that the radio hadn’t been lost when the horse had spooked as she fought the spinning in her head and used what little wood there was to try and start a fire using everything from rocks to try and create a spark to friction and heat.

The sound of four wheelers permeated what conciousness she had left before all went black.

Kaylee awoke to the sound of beeping and choked on a tube in her throat immediatley realizing she was in a hospital room. She'd done it for sure now, they were going to fire her. She'd been stupid to try and prove herself anyway.

“Kaylee?” Derek, who had been sitting in the corner of the room sleeping stood and walked over to her. “don’t try and talk, I’ll get the nurse”

Later on after being examined by a doctor, a specialist and having the breathing tube removed Derek brought her a sack of food from a fast food joint in town. She’d have to stay another night under observation. And would more than likely be going back to the ranch tomorrow.

“I’m....sorry” she said to Derek. He’d be sticking around until she was well enough to leave the hospital.

“sorry for what, this isn’t the first time a horse has been spooked and Sadie will be fine, she didn’t break anything”

“I should have said something when I got lost but I just figured all of you were so busy........”

“did you think we’d yell at you or make fun of you?”

“you know Kade would have”

“he yells at everyone, he’s a jerk on his best days”

“did you know he told me to quit but he wouldn’t tell me what I did wrong”

“I’m not surprised” Derek admited “he's done his best to run any women off the ranch, figures they will just up and run away when they don’t like how hard things can get”

“then why did you hire me?”

“you needed a job and I can’t keep any and all women off the ranch just because of Kade's attitude. If you are up to the challenge I need you to prove him wrong”

“I was raised on a ranch, I started riding horses on my own when I was five I can do almost anything you ask of me”

“why did you leave?” Derek asked taking a chance and knowing that she probably wouldn’t answer

Kaylee hesitated then looked over at him “the reason I am so good at accounting is because that's what I was reduced to doing there. Not only for my own families ranch but for other ranches as well and for well under half of what a paid accountant would recieve. I couldn’t do that anymore.”

“I think there's more to it than that but I won’t ask. You still have your job on the shooting star and you can start up again when you feel up to it. You’ve already made quite a bit of progress."

Kaylee cried with relief when Derek walked out but as she'd always done quickly dashed the tears away and tried to focus on something else.

Kelsey returned to the ranch the next day and went straight back to work in the office. There was still a lot of work to be done though immediatley she could see that someone had been in the office while she was gone. Some of the papers had been rearanged and the old ranch books were out of order, much worse than they had been at first. Fearing the worst Kelsey turned on her laptop and pulled up the program she had been using. Everything was gone. All the records she’d spent days inputing, all the numbers, all the cattle tracking. Fine, Kelsey thought angrily. She’d start over because she was not a quitter but first she reached for the handheld radio that had been left on her desk and turned it on waiting for the chatter to clear then pressing the send button on the side.

“Kade this is Kelsey”

After a minute he responded “go Kelsey”

“I didn’t think in your efforts to get rid of me that you would stoop to this level but I am not going to quit”

“what on earth are you talking about?”

“oh you must have forgotten already. The office was ransacked and all the records deleted”

She turned off the radio before he could say anymore. Angry didn’t even begin to cover it although Kelsey wasn’t known for her temper. She was known to perservere.

Three hours later Kelsey had made much faster progress inputting all the handwritten information and because there was so much to do had decided to miss dinner and stay up as long as she could. She’d closed the door to keep distractions out, however after dinner Kade entered closing the door tightly behind him. He waited until she paused the music on her mp3 player took out her earbuds and looked up at him.

“I don’t want you here Kelsey but when it comes to things that make the ranch work including the accounting and record keeping I’m the last person who would sabotage it”

“then I’m sorry for accusing you but I’m still not quitting”

“don’t kill yourself trying to fix this, Anna's got a plate in the kitchen” Kade told her walking out and leaving the door open.

Kaylee stood up heading for the kitchen surprised to find Hade doing the dishes while Anna put the leftover food away.

“glad to see you take a break” Anna said pressing a few buttons on the microwave and heating up a plate while Kaylee sat at the table.

“Kade told me what happened and I’m going to find out who did it. I won’t have anyone messing with things like that” Hade reassured her

Kaylee smiled, probably for the first time that day “I appreciate that”

“don’t ever be afraid to come to me with something like that”

“I guess I’m just used to working with a lot of very mean people” Kelsey told him as Anna retrieved the plate from the microwave and set it in front of her with some silverware.

“well young lady, I am pleased with your work. You don’t have to worry about your job here”

“what did you find out?” Kade had gone down to the back of the bunkhouse to call his cousin Matthew who hired himself out as a private detective.

“not much. I’m not finding any Werner’s out of Wyoming”

“even on any of the ranches there? She knows cattle”

“no, not even on the ranches. I’m starting to guess that she might have come in under a different name, though I can’t come up with any reason for that other than the fact that she might be running from something”

“check missing persons”

“way ahead of you, I’ll let you know what I find out”

“I owe you one”

“you owe me several” Matthew laughed

Kaylee made her way out to the pasture behind the barn around sunset and as she'd hoped the black, named BlackJack trotted over to the fence line when he saw her. She'd brought an apple for him hoping that Kade wasn’t around to see her feed it to him. BlackJack took the treat devouring it seconds and letting the juice dribble down his lips. He let her scratch him between the ears and around the mane area.

“how would you like one of your own?” Derek's voice caused her to jump

And Blackjack to step back a little.

“what? A horse?”

“exactly”

“you don’t just give people horses”

“you said you’ve been riding since you were five, you must have had a horse”

“well, I did.......” but that part of her life was gone

“we have a surplus here. Kade is starting to train cutting horses in his spare time”

“I didn’t know that”

“he's always wanted to but puts the ranch first”

Kaylee wasn’t really surprised to hear that.

“Come on” Derek led her down a small dirt and rock trail that came out in front of the arena. “he keeps the horses he’s working with down in this pasture. The sun was setting on the far side of the ranch but she could still see about seven horses out in the pasture. Inside the arena two horses stood inside a pen while Kade rode one inside the arena itself.

“he's just started working with this one but she seems to be picking up right away”

Kelsey Donovan

“theyr’e ah... really hard pair to hold on to.......”

The video image of a blond smiling woman perhaps in her forties dressed in chaps, boots, heavy winter coat, and a cream colored stetson would not let go and seeing it once, twice, or three times simply was not enough. The video had been shot in what looked to be a cattle pen while rain came down in droves and cowboys on horses navigated through the mud.

“Maybe from your end Jhonny” an unseen male voice answered after which the video cut out.

The small video was like a link into an unknown world for Kelsey Donovan, far from the suburbs of Minnesota where she had lived her entire life.

“how are you doing?....” Kelsey’s aunt Margaret had been helping to clean out the large old house after her parents untimely death just two weeks before. She saw the frozen video on the television screen and looked concerned.

“who is this woman?” Kelsey asked bluntly

Margaret, clearly concerned sat in one of the large overstuffed chairs across from her niece.

“her name is Jhonny Donovan and she is your biological mother”

“what??” Kelsey choked out almost unable to comprehend what she had just heard “then who raised me? Whose house is this?” She was almost in tears now but Margaret had never been one for mincing words

David and your father Hade are brothers.

“how did I end up here, where are my real parents?”

Margaret looked almost hesitant before speaking “Jhonny died in an accident two years ago. Your father and five brothers live out on the Stone Creek ranch up in Montana”

“how many of our family know all this?” Kelsey demanded almost sick

“not many” Margaret answered “your parents moved soon after Hade and Jhonny gave you up and didn’t keep in touch. Everyone assumed they had finally been able to adopt and didn’t question it”

“why did they give me up?”

“they were both young, still high school age. Hade was preparing to take over the ranch because no one but our younger brother Tobin had any intentions of staying and our father was fighting a loosing battle to cancer. Jhonny was right there helping him”

“you told her??”

Both women looked up to see Eric, The oldest of the Donovan clan step into the living room.

“she had the right to know”

Eric just shook his head “so what? Kelsey just heads up to the ranch and says here I am? That can’t happen”

“Why?” Kelsey asked

“first off you are the spitting image of Jhonny blond hair and all, second it killed Hade giving you up. He forgot about you to keep from going insane”

“did anyone in this entire scenario think about me???”

“would it have been fair to keep a baby when there was absolutely no time to devote to it?” Eric shot out and they both knew that was his answer “do not ever go out to the ranch, I promise you will not find what you are looking for”

Kelsey went back to work stuffing items in boxes without speaking a word.

“you did hear me?” Eric asked

“loud and clear” Kelsey answered wishing she could just burn the house down and everything with it. She sat down in a heap once he left and just let out the tears that had spilled freely for the last two weeks.

“I’m sorry Kelsey but you had the right to know”

“don’t ever be sorry, I don’t think anyone else would have said anything”

“what are you going to do?”

“let them try and keep me away”

“Eric is right, don’t expect Hade to send out a welcoming comittee. More than likely he’ll tell you to get off the ranch”

“I don’t care”

Margaret just smiled knowing she would have done the same thing.

They worked for the rest of the day in a lighter mood chatting and laughing and by the end of the week things were organized. Family members had claimed what they wanted, Margaret was taking care of things that would be sold, and everything else had been donated to the local thrift store. Kelsey would not be returning to college but heading west to Montana which frightened her more than anything. She had only made her plans aware to Margaret but suspected that her uncle Eric might have already called her father and warned him.

After a day's trip and an overnight stay in a Helena motel Kelsey made the half hour drive up to the ranch finding the big wooden arch marking the Stone Creek ranch. She drove down the snow covered dirt road looking for a big log home on the left hand side pulling up in front of the house and stepping out of the truck just as a young sandy blond haired man dressed to the hilt for cold weather right down to his worn leather boots stepped out on to the porch. He noticed her immediately taking a very good look at her.

“I’m looking for Tobin Donovan, do you know where I can find him?”

The young man didn’t answer, simply muttered an explative and ran back into the house.

“Dad” Jake Donovan shouted coming to a near skidding stop at the large wooden table where his brothers were just getting up from breakfast. His father had gone back upstairs but the house was designed so that the area above the dining and living room were open to the roof. All the upstairs doors could be seen from where he was.

“what?” Hade asked coming out of his room and shutting the door

“there's a woman outside that looks just like mom and she's asking for Tobin”

That bit of news sparked Hade into action causing him to take the stairs two at a time and run for the front door.

“let me talk to her” Hade instructed everyone

“who is she?” Jake asked

“I’ll tell you later” he answered back opening the front door and slamming it.

Kelsey jerked a little as the front door to the house slammed and a large man of about five foot nine stood on the porch. His hair light brown in color and slightly wavy came down to just past his ears. His stature however was imposing and it was impossible not to know that he was very angry.

“you were told not to come here.” he said stepping off the porch and meeting her face to face.

“do you really hate me that much?” Kelsey asked refusing to back down, she was angry and hurt herself. He wouldn’t be scaring her so easily.

“I don’t hate you, but you are not welcome here”

“what have I done that is so terrible?”

“just get the hell out of here” He shouted “you were not told to come in the first place”

“because of this big secret everyone decided to keep I never knew my mother. I never knew you, I never knew this place or that I even have brothers. Forget about your damn guilt for once you bastard” Kaylie shouted back walking to the drivers side of her car and slamming the door. When she started it and headed in the opposite direction of the gate he shouted after her.

“where the hell do you think you are going?”

She stopped the car and looked back “to find Tobin, I should have just done that instead of coming here”

“No, you are not”

“Watch me” she shot back spinning out her tires before heading off

Hade, even angrier now ran back into the house meeing several pair of curious eyes who had apparently been watching and listening to the whole exchange on the porch.

“get to work, those cattle aren’t going to wait for us” he shouted continuing on to the mud porch at the back end of the kitchen and yanking his jacket off it's peg. He started up his big black dodge without even waiting for it to warm up and sped off to find Kelsey.

It wasn’t long before she spotted a big truck in her rear view mirror and knew that it wouldn’t take long for her father to catch up but she wasn’t stopping unless.... he went four wheeling alongside her and blocked the road in front of her, which he did.

There was no going around him.

“turn around and go back” he shouted climbing out of the truck's cab

“go to hell” she answered back rolling down her window

“Fine” Hade muttered climbing back into the truck to get some rope. It was then they could both hear the diesel of another truck approaching from behind Kelsey's car.

“get in Kelsey” Tobin shouted from the open passenger window of his white dodge “hurry”

Kelsey exited her car grabbing only her purse and sprinted for the truck

“what are you doing?” Hade shouted running after her

“she's your daughter like it or not Hade. I’m going to teach her to ride a horse first off and then I’ll take her out to see some cattle” Tobin answered driving away.

“the hell you will.........” Hade shouted along with a good amount of expletives that were lost in the wind.

Tobin had never done anything like this. As the youngest of the Donovan brothers they had always gotten along fine with Tobin taking care of the guests that came to the ranch and Hade taking care of the cattle.

“I’m assuming you are Tobin” Kelsey said after a few minutes of bumping and jarring over back ranch roads

“I am” he answered “I wish I could have found you first. You have always been a very touchy subject with Hade, he doesn’t talk about you and no one here knows who you are.”

“except for the fact that I look like my mother”

Tobin expelled a breath “everyone here loved Johnny, she was a lot of fun to be around, so yes you are going to get a lot of different reactions from people”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have come”

“you have as much right to be here as your five brothers and everyone else and apparently Hade doesn’t shake you at all”

“has he always been like this?”

“not before you went away and it only got worse when your mother passed on” Tobin answered pointing up to an enormos lodge constructed mostly of logs and sporting large first and second story windows at the front end. We live in a house off to the side of the lodge and host guests year round. There are fifteen rooms in the lodge and outer cabins for people to stay in”

Kelsey was amazed “what do they do while they are here?”

“anything from going out to take care of the cattle to riding horses to simply relaxing. It's their choice”

Tobin pulled in behind the lodge shutting off the truck and climbing out. She followed him into a back door that went directly into an office.

“didn’t get to see you this morning” A beautiful brunette with her hair in a ponytail said from the desk where she was sitting. Tobin leaned down to give her a small kiss and turned back to Kelsey.

“Chelsea this is our niece Kelsey”

Chelsea smiled immediatley standing and giving Kelsey a big hug “I’m so glad you came, I don’t care what Hade says you are welcome here”

Kelsey liked the woman immediatley and felt a bit of relief for the first time since she’d set foot on the ranch.

“I’ll give you a quick tour of the lodge and then we are going to head out for the barn.”

“sounds good to me” Kelsey was agreeable to anything at this point

Hade’s truck pulling up short outside and skidding to a stop changed things though.

“I’ll be giving the tour” Chelsea put in “looks like Hade and Tobin are going to have to talk”

Kelsey was just glad she wouldn’t be a part of it and followed behind Chelsea to leave the office out into the reception area when Hade burst in the back door. She flipped him off just before exiting which had Tobin holding him back.

“Can you blame her you big mule?” Tobin said giving him a good shove

“you know exactly how I feel about this Tobin”

“so you and Johnny made a mistake twenty three years ago. That's over. As far as I am concerned she has just as much right to be here as any of your five boys.”

Hade shook his head “no it isn’t over, she’s very much alive and she looks exactly like Johnny. I can’t look at her every day without going crazy”

“then don’t look at her she’ll be here”

“I want her off the ranch”

“damn your pigheaded guilt Hade, go and shove it where the sun don’t shine”

Hade calmed down and took a deep breath “there are things you don’t know Tobin, things I’ve never told anyone”

“well whatever it was it didn’t destroy Johnny”

“thank the lord for that”

“Hade I’m not backing down on this, she’ll be fine here”

“Fine little brother, you’ve just drawn a line”

“you drew it and I don’t give a damn” Tobin shot back

“go to hell” Hade shot back leaving the office and slamming the door

Tobin found Chelsea and Kelsey at one of the old wodden tables eating breakfast and sat down with them.

“How did everything go?” Chelsea asked

“as expected. It's a good thing I’m just as strong as he is Kelsey, it's probably not a good thing to try his temper”

“Sorry, I couldn’t help it. But I won’t do it again” Kelsey said in between bites while Chelsea just laughed

“you too dear” he said causing her to laugh harder “soon as you are done we are going to go saddle a couple of horses”

“I don’t have any boots”

“you can get a pair from the gift shop for now but as soon as you get the hang of riding I’ll probably have you working with Travis riding tail on the rides that we do for the guests”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do”

Tobin and Chelsea both chuckled “tell me that after an entire day in the saddle”

After finding a nice pair of boots that fit Kelsey followed her uncle out to a pasture behind the barn where he handed her a halter and pointed to a dark brown mare standing among four other horses.

“her name is Sadie you need to put this on and lead her back”

Kelsey wasn’t sure if he was serious but one look told her he meant every word. “I’ll give you a tip, don’t run at her and put the halter on from the nose back”

The horses ran to the other end fence line as Kelsey closed the gate but she knew he was testing her and wanted to do well. He never said it would be easy.

Fortunatley the fenced in area was relatively small meaning she didn’t have to walk far everytime the horses shifted.

“don’t let her move, single her out and get your arms up” Tobin shouted as the horses began to move again. “now walk up to her slowly”

The horse nickered letting Kelsey know that she didn’t like this at all, she'd rather be with the others munching on grass.

“now, you need to touch her gently starting at the muzzle and talk to her then gently slip the halter up” Tobin continued

The mare shot her head up but Kelsey was patient and waited until she calmed then tried again this time succeding and buckling it in place. She led the mare into the barn through the gate that Tobin opened.

“you’ll get used to that and you’ll be doing it almost every day” Tobin explained “tie her and we’ll get the saddles”

They rode out after Tobin's thorough instruction on how to saddle a horse and headed up a trail up to the left of the barn. The sun was shining now highlighting the mixture of mud and snow on the ground from several other horses walking on the trail before them and it was cold but this was the way of life on a ranch. After a half hour Kelsey could see a line of horses ahead of them along with one of the ranch hands ahead of them.

“That's Travis Harper, he leads all the trail rides out here”

“how many does he do?”

“Sometimes two a day, but that's rare. It just depends on how many want to ride”

Kelsey was already becoming sore but was not about to complain. She’d get used to this and some how become better at riding a horse too. She was terrible with the reins and often confused the horse without trying to.

“how long has the Stone Creek ranch been here?” one of the guests asked

“Cooper Donovan first settled this land in 1892 and it's been added on to bit by bit ever since.”

“so it’s the same name as the present owners” another person asked

“yes maam” Travis answered “The Donovans have a history of having mostly male children”

The group of ten riders was slightly amused by that fact and it was then that Travis noticed both of them nodding slightly. Something about him was immediatley attractive to Kelsey but she didn’t know what exactly. He wore a black cowboy hat warm ranch coat, jeans, and worn boots like everyone else but looked like he was very serious.

They continued on for the rest of the ride and waited for the guests to take care of their horses before riding into the barn themselves. Kelsey didn’t have to be told how to remove the saddle, it was just the reverse of what she’d done to put it on and then carried her saddle to the large tack room and put it back where she'd gotten it from.

“Hey Kelsey meet me up at the lodge when you are finished here I have something to take care of” Tobin shouted into the tack room

“okay” Kelsey answered suddenly a little nervous. She wasn’t so crazy about being left in the barn alone with Travis but went back out to take the saddle pad off the horses back along with the halter and bridle.

“you made a big mistake coming here, Hade’s been through enough already”

“you think I haven’t heard that one aready?” Kelsey shot back heading for the tack room again “the problem is he’s too pigheaded to consider my feelings. Looks like you are too”

She went inside the room to put everything away and nearly colided with him coming out

“I’m not pigheaded, I just happen to agree with him”

“I don’t care, I’m not going anywhere” she said brushing past him until he grabbed her arm. Insinctively Kelsey stomped the heel of her boot on his toes and slapped his cheek causing him to holler and let go. She ran to the front of the barn.

“you won’t be treated any different than anyone else here, if you can’t keep up then you will be left behind. I have no time for greenies”

“do your worst pig” Kelsey had the final say before leaving the barn and stopping for a minute to try and control her anger.

“who are you?” a young blond man sat atop a black and white paint several feet from her between the barn and lodge. Kelsey been so involved with what happened that she didn’t even notice him.

“I can’t tell you that” she’d love to more than anything but wasn’t stupid enough to start a war “you will have to ask your dad”

“then why do you look like my mother?”

“I think you already know the answer to that Jake” She was surprised she'd remembered what little Margaret had let on of her brothers “but you know your father and you know why I can’t say any more than that”

Jake knew she was right but this was going to drive him nuts.

A little later before dinner Tobin drove Kelsey out to retrieve her car and she was provided a room in his enormous log home in a wing set aside for those who worked on this end of the ranch. The only problem was that Travis resided right down the hall. She’d just have to avoid him as much possible.

She was up early the next morning even before she heard Travis and a couple others closing their doors and heading up to the lodge for breakfast. Even for early March it was still biting cold outside causing Kelsey to wonder how everyone dealt with being outside all winter.

She ate at a long table in the large dining room listening to the lighthearted conversation around her which centered on the calving season this year and how much longer it might go on. Already they had lost a few calves and they had to use chains with a number of births.

“Kelsey” Tobin spoke up out of the blue as a young man and woman sat at the end of the table “my son Tate and daughter Kaydee, they work cattle over with Hade and the boys”

Tate and Kadee nodded clearly noticing Kelsey’s resemblance to her mother but didn’t question any further.

After breakfast Tobin provided Kelsey with a bib and good winter coat. They headed to the barn but today he didn’t give a word of instruction. She had to catch and saddle Sadie on her own.

“there are times Travis will be taking people out who want to spend a day working cattle” Tobin informed her as they mounted “that's where we are headed”

“how many cattle?”

“probably around a thousand head and that’s not including all the calves that are coming”

“how much of this kind of work did my mom do?”

“well put it this way, when she wasn't tied to the house by babies or housework she was right out in the thick of things. It wasn’t uncommon to see her with one of the boys when they were only a year and a half to two years riding in front of her. The rest of them were on their own horse when they were about three.”

“do you think she would have been mad about my coming back if she were still around?”

Tobin shook his head looking directly at her “no, not at all. In fact she’d be crying happy tears”

They heard hoofbeats racing up behind them and turned to see a young man of about thirteen riding up behind them then slowing to ride beside them.

“morning” he greeted getting a clear look at Kelsey

“thought you were supposed to be out with Wade checking cows”

“I took a short detour. Jake couldn’t stop talking about how much she looks like mom”

“Kelsey this is Jack, the youngest of the Donovans”

“how do you do?” Jack aknowleged her very politely by tipping his hat

“very well, thank you” Kelsey replied impressed by his manners

“you should come ride with us”

“I’m not really sure what we are doing right now”

“tell you what Jack you ride ahead and we’ll meet up with you”

“okay” Jack smiled and nudged his horse into a run

“I don’t see a lot of young men like that”

“Johnny was big on manners, you’ll see that a lot in your brothers”

“where are we headed exactly?”

“I think we’ll be safe riding out with Jack and Wade, Hade is in the middle of fixing a broken snowmobile judging by all the cursing”

“so how do you keep track of everyone here?”

Tobin took a small black radio out of a zippered side pocket on his coat and showed it to her “everyone uses these, even Travis.

Kelsey nodded understanding and followed her uncle over a snowy muddy trail that led to an old but expansive barn.

Travis Colton

Chapter 1 Travis comes home

Travis Colton drove through the main street of Whitehorn Montana noticing how very little had changed in the seven years he'd been away. Sydney's clapboard whitewashed cafe stood at the end of a row of buildings near the end of town and Dan's hardware on the other side of the street had added on, they were now selling tractors and ranch equipment along with the bigger trucks.

He'd left home a cocky eighteen year old and hadn't allowed himself to think much of this place or the ranch throughout his wild rodeo career. Now he had to admit that he missed everything which was probably why he was going back to his family's sprawling 1500 acre cattle ranch, Colton's Run, to hide.

Twenty miles out of town Travis drove down a dirt road to the back gate of the ranch which was often used when letting the cattle out to BLM land just across the road. Now it was locked and the only thing he had with him was a shotgun. The padlock holding the chain fell in pieces but the blast had left his ears ringing and had probably caught the attention of anyone with in a 500 foot radius which meant that he'd better get the gate closed and drive out to the shack of a home that had been left to him by his father. It was the only thing he had now.

Trayce Colton looked up as Cody Winyan, one of the ranch hands, drove up on the road behind them in one of the old ranch trucks. He'd obviously been speeding gauging by the amount of dust behind him and he'd almost forgot to throw the truck in park before hopping out and running out into the pasture.

"What the hell is going on?" Trayce asked concerned

"Travis broke the lock at the back gate and drove down to the old yellow house"

"Your'e sure it's Travis?"

"man he watches enough rodeo on the weekends, he'd know" Bill Warren, the ranch's foreman, chuckled

"Damn" Trayce muttered dismounting his horse "take my place I'm going to see what he's up to"

Cody watched as Trayce ran for the truck, climbed in and sped down the road to turn it around.

"one of them is going to have a black eye this evening, I'll almost guarantee it" Bill said shaking his head

"do they hate each other?" Cody asked climbing up on Trayce's horse

"let's just say they have a seven year history"

"Travis hasn't been riding for the last three weeks, I wondered where he went"

"let's finish up here" Bill said turning his horse and joining the other men

The small, four bedroom house hadn't been used in too many years and it showed. The linoleum floors were cracked and breaking, an inordinate amount of dust and debris littered the entire house and wallpaper was peeling everywhere. Nothing was usable in here, the kitchen and bathroom would have to be gutted and walls would have to be torn down to inspect the wiring and pluming, but it was all doable. He had money put away from his years in the rodeo and some sound investments that were still enlarging his bank account.

The sound of an old truck from somewhere didn't surprise him any but he waited until it stopped in front of the house, was shut off and the sound of a door opening and slamming shut pierced the relative quiet out here.

"Travis, where the hell are you?"

"redundant question don't you think?" Travis replied stepping on to what was left of the small concrete porch at the front of the house and taking a good look at his older brother. Ranch work had been rough on him, that much was clear, but he couldn't change anything now.

"not a word in seven years and you just show up?"

"things change"

"rodeo finally chew you up and spit you out?"

"like I said, things change" Travis stepped down heading for his truck "I need to hit the hardware store before it gets too much later"

"come with me"

"look, go back to what you were doing. I'll be fine and no one will even know I am here"

"too late for that" Knowing Cody and Bill, over half the ranch would be appraised of the situation "come inside for just a moment"

Travis was none too happy as his brother walked past him and into the house not stopping until he'd reached the kitchen and completely pulled out one of the old fifties style metal cabinet drawers just to the side of the sink. He placed it on the counter with a bang and waited for Travis to join him.

Inside the drawer lay a copy of their father's will

"if you hadn't been so dang stubborn you would have found this. Dad left half the ranch to you"

Travis picked up a set of papers folded in fourths and held together by a rawhide string and shook them out. The writing mirrored what Trayce had just said and actually surprised him a little.

“pretty generous of him considering” Travis put the papers back in the drawer and strode out the front door

“considering what Travis?” Trayce demanded following him out “you may have chosen not to get along with him but he was still a fair man”

“from where you stand I’m sure you can say that, but there are things you don’t know”

“enlighten me”

Travis just shook his head and climbed inside the truck “too little too late. I have work to do”

Trayce watched his brother take off wanting to leave a good dent in the shiny trucks tailgate for all the good it might do.

Why had Travis even bothered to show up when clearly the grudge he'd hung onto all these years was still in full force?

Later Travis returned with a truck bed full of tools and other supplies he'd need to start demo on the house. A note was nailed to the front door letting him know that dinner was at 7 sharp if he was interested. He wasn't. There were still several hours of daylight and he intended to make the most of them starting with the kitchen and those terrible white cabinets. He took the bonds that Trayce had shown him out of the drawer and placed them in the cab of the truck then headed back inside.

Hours into the renovation he could hear a diesel truck coming up the road but ignored it. He'd missed dinner and someone had probably thought it their Christian duty to make sure that he was fed.

"you don't waste any time do you?"

Travis recognized Bill's voice right away. The older man had been on this ranch since he was a kid and did a hell of a job as foreman.

"gotta have a place to live" Travis answered still tearing down all the old plaster and laths

"you are staying then?"

“who is asking?”

“myself and over half the men” Bill admitted “some of them watch rodeo religiously and when you showed up here after being mysteriously absent for three weeks it brought up a lot of questions”

Travis stopped his work momentarily and looked over at his old friend “I’m staying right here but I want to be left alone”

"alright" Bill raised his hands in a surrendering gesture and walked closer into the kitchen “Shay has been waiting for you though and she's been pretty impatient about it"

"Shay?" Travis paused and turned around "he kept Shay?"

"Trayce won't admit it, but I think he knew you were eventually going to come back"

"well that makes one of us" Travis used the back of a gloved hand to wipe the sweat from his brow but succeeded in leaving a white trail of plaster dust in it's place.

"Jesse really is one hell of a cook, you should join us for meals sometime"

“no, I’ll be fine”

"she makes your mom's meatballs" Bill added walking through the front room and out the front door.

Chapter 2 Travis Meets Jesse

Travis drove out to the large, well equiped barn early the next morning to get a good look at Shay. She had come to him green broke and timid but he had insisted on riding her and found that he liked the thrill of trying to stay on the back of a bucking animal much bigger than himself. That was what started the whole rodeo craze and he'd moved on to bulls not long after discovering that he liked them better. Travis had only walked into the barn a short distance when a familiar woman at the end of a row of stalls caught his eye.

"why are you following me?" he shouted "what you did wasn't bad enough?"

Instead of the sultry brush off he'd expected the woman actually had the gall to appear confused.

"stop the games Julia. What are you doing here?"

She seemed to understand then "I'm Jesse, Julia is my twin."

"do you think I'm stupid?" Travis shouted he wasn't convinced one bit and wasn’t falling for her tricks any more.

"What's going on in here?" Trayce asked running in from the back

"why don't you tell him Julia?" Travis answered, holding back from actually strangling the woman

"I already told you once, my name is Jesse and my last name is Hayes. I'm sure Julia didn't even have the gall to claim her last name but I will tell you one thing. I've worked my rear off for your brother and this whole ranch and I will not have some yahoo who falls off a bull and waves his hat to the crowd come in here and call me a liar"

She wanted to throw something at him badly but stormed off instead and Trayce began laughing in earnest pausing only long enough to inform Travis that she'd been on the ranch for close to a year.

If he had to look at that woman every day there was no way in hell he'd be showing up for any meal.

"oh shut up" Travis stalked to the back end of the barn in search of his white mare.

"she's out in the pasture" Trayce shouted

Jesse slammed the front door of the main house heading straight for the kitchen. She was so angry right now that throwing an iron skillet would have felt wonderful. Instead she let loose the few tears that would not be stopped then quickly dashed them away. Coffee needed to be made and then breakfast. As she'd expected Trayce came barreling in the front door moments later appearing in the double wide entrance that separated the kitchen from the living room of the large main house.

"if you have any problems with Travis at all just let me know" He had treated her like a younger sister from the time she'd been hired on as a cook here. Always watching out for her but not going any further and for that she was grateful.

"next time he'll be lucky not to be crowned with whatever I have handy" she replied bringing on that wonderful grin that Trayce let loose only in her presence.

"I'll be back for breakfast"

Travis tensed just a little, knowing that he shouldn't. It was becoming clear that Shay hadn't been ridden in a long time and was just as stubborn as ever refusing to do anything but stand still and eat. When he finally gave in and was about to dismount she decided to walk and let him guide her towards the barn.

"you always were stubborn" Travis told her stroking the lower part of her mane. She had always liked that and favored it to apples or any other kind of affection.

He made quick work of putting up the saddle and brushing her down then checking her hooves. A habit his father had enforced when he was still very young.

"So the rumors are true"

Travis jumped holding firmly on to Shay's hoof and turning just enough to see who the voice belonged to.

"His Horses are Many your'e damn lucky I didn't get chin full of hoof. Make some noise next time"

Kade His Horses are Many commonly referred to as Many Horses just grinned and folded his arms. The sheriff's badge pinned to his chest gleamed all too obviously and the gun belt at his hips looked out of place.

"yeah the rumors are true Sheriff" Travis answered letting Shay's hoof down and patting her on the rear so that she'd run out the back of the barn into the pasture. "when did that happen anyway?"

"got this job about three years ago when Brett Muller retired. Casey Wright asked me to run and I won by a landslide"

Kade was in his early forties and still single much to the dismay of many of the ladies in town and even some passing through. He'd been allowed to keep his raven black hair long and wore it in a neat braid down his back.

"you didn't just come down here to see if I was actually back?" Travis guessed

"Holt Tomlinson is my cousin, he told me everything"

"I was cleared Kade. That’s all I’ll say. It's better forgotten and left to die"

“just fyi I know about Julia and Jesse but that one stays with me. I just wanted to get everything from you firsthand" he said walking out of the barn and climbing back into his eight year old white Crown Victoria. Kade had grown up in Whitehorn amidst a lot of hard knocks and bullying but had risen through it all. He was a good man and Travis respected him.

Jesse could hear the sounds of an electric saw and hammer long before she found the small yellow house that belonged to Travis. She rode in slowly, watching as he came out the front door with an armful of debris and threw it into the large trailer attached to a shiny new black extended cab truck with a long bed in the back. Once he was back inside she rode in closer dismounting and pulling a medium sized canvas bag from the pommel of the saddle placing it just inside the front door where he wouldn't miss it. Jesse ran back to the horse mounting quickly and turning around to head off.

"HEY!" the inevitable shout came from behind her. She stopped and turned the horse just enough to see what he wanted.

"What is this?" he asked holding up the bag

"it's lunch" She replied showing that she could be just as obstinate as him "you may hate me but in all good conscience I can't go on letting you starve yourself"

"I don't hate you" he informed her

"could have fooled me" she turned around and rode away.

Travis sat on the porch watching her ride away and dug out the contents of the bag. The large roast beef sandwich would have been enough but she'd packed, chips, carrots and even a drink. He wasn’t used to women being this forgiving. Perhaps Jesse was a whole different ball game.

Travis decided to stop by Sydney's cafe for dinner after another trip to the hardware store for another round of supplies. The Cafe itself hadn't changed at all since he'd last set foot inside it but perhaps that was part of the Charm. Sydney wright took more pride in the service that she gave to her patrons than the look of the old cafe and if the heavenly smells coming from the kitchen were any indication the food was still as good as ever.

"I was wondering if you were ever going to show up" Sydney herself came out from behind the counter. "news is flying all over town that you are back"

"I'm fixing my folks old house"

"I hope that means that you plan to stick around"

"it does"

"tell you what then, I'm celebrating. You just sit down, tell me what you want and it's all on me"

"you don't have do that"

"let an old woman rejoice in the fact that her younger boy is home"

Travis, and gave in. It was hard to say no to Sydney, especially since she'd stepped in and taken care of Trayce and himself after their mother left with their baby sister in tow.

There were things like that he'd pushed aside along with the cancer that took his father's life when he was only eighteen. He didn't know where their mother was and truthfully didn't care but had always wondered about their younger sister Haylie.

"you planning on competing in the rodeo?" Sydney asked placing napkin rolled utensils and a cup of water on his table

"what rodeo?"

"Trayce didn't tell you about the rodeo he's got going on out at that new arena on the ranch?" Sydney was a little surprised "I'm going to let him have an earful next time I see him"

Travis wasn't surprised that his brother hadn't mentioned the rodeo but truthfully wasn't too concerned about it. "that's okay Sydney"

"well you would compete wouldn't you?"

Travis just shook his head “no"

Early morning rays of sun streamed through the high side windows of the arena illuminating every speck of dust inside and some stirred up by Travis walking over the dirt floor. Metal bleachers on either side were being installed along with chutes and pens at the far end. This was by no means as big as the arena's he competed in but it was quite extravagant nonetheless.

The echo of an outer door opening and closing reverberated throughout the arena and Trayce was soon adding his bootprints to the dirt where his brother had been walking.

“nice setup here" Travis commeted

"I don’t imagine it's anything like you are used to"

“doesn’t matter really" Travis said “the competitions what's important”

"you ever going to let on what made you quit?”

“for the record, I did not quit” Travis wanted to make that point clear “and no it's over and done with”

"how about joining me then, we need all the men we can get"

Travis just shook his head and headed for the front exit "I have a house to get done"

He mounted Shay just outside and rode through the morning melee of cowboys both old and young between the house and barn on his way to the back road. Most nodded in greeting, some said it was good to have him back on the ranch but none asked if he was going back to the rodeo.

He didn't get very far down the road before a young man was riding after him so he turned and waited.

"Jesse said to make sure you got this"

"thanks" he said taking the canvas bag and holding it up. "you need to quit being so stubborn and just eat" was written on the front in very neat letters in permanent marker black.

Inside was a sandwich made of english muffin, egg, bacon and cheese along with a small container of orange juice and some muffins. This woman's cooking was going to be the death of him someday Travis thought grinning and rode on.

He should probably have hired a contractor to do this, Travis thought as he took a bite of the muffin looking the bare kitchen over. Most men with the kind of money he had would have had five men in here with hammers nails and saws making short work of a messy process. He needed the solitude though and truthfully did not want to be working with Trayce day in and day out.

An hour into tearing up the old boards of the kitchen floor it became clear that the house had some foundation problems which would have to be addressed before he went much further. First he wanted to tear into the bathroom and couldn’t wait to get rid of the old chipped cast iron tub

“anyone home?” The shout came from outside the front door

Sudden inspection found Cody in the living room unclipping a second radio from the belt around his waist and placing it on the sill of the front room window then putting on his work gloves

“everything okay?” Travis asked

“everything's fine” Cody answered “Trayce sent me down here to help you out”

“he didn’t have to do that”

“I used to be in construction, this isn’t anything new to me”

“well alright then, you got here just in time to demolish the bathroom. I need the sledge hammer out of my truck”

Jesse counted each set of items as they were placed into the back of the ranch's old white dodge making sure that every last hot dog and corn chip were accounted for. Delbert's was the local grocery store and doing big orders like this had never been a problem for them. People were always having family reunions, large get togethers, or rodeos.

“got everything you need?” Thomas Delbert asked putting the last box in and slamming the tailgate shut.

“as always” Jesse grinned “Thanks Thomas”

“hold on a moment” he said walking into the back of the store and coming out with a sealed box

“there are enough ribs in here for everyone and a few extra” He put the box on the passenger seat

“you didn’t have to do that”

“The Colton’s run is one of the places that keeps us going, it's the least we can do”

“Thanks”

“do you know if Travis is going to enter the rodeo?” Thomas asked the question that had probably been on everyone's minds

“I haven't talked to him that much, I couldn’t really say”

“a lot of guys want to compete against him, in fact Kade is managing a betting pool on wether he will or won’t”

“seriously?” Jesse asked surprised

“he is, you should let Travis in on it”

“I suppose I could throw a note in his lunch” she smiled and hopped into the driver's seat of the truck

After putting away all the food in two of the three large commercial chest freezers in the basement Jesse made quick work of filling several canvas bags with quick lunch supplies and driving out to where the men were working. Several hungry cowboys stopped what they were doing long enough to scramble for the bag with their name on it and wolf down a quick lunch. Afterwards they would hook the bags on the pommels of their saddles by the string used to close them and bring them back. Anyone who did not return their bag simply did not get lunch the next day. It was a system that Jesse had instigated herself and it worked quite well. She hadn’t put Travis's name on a bag yet but was sorely tempted.

She’d been told that Cody was up here helping out and could see that two men had been very busy by the amount of debris in the trailer and the dust flying out through the front door.

“Hey!” she shouted “anyone hungry”

Seconds later two dust covered men in facemasks and safety glasses appeared in the doorway.

She handed them the bags then pulled down the trucks tailgate to pause a minute and eat her own lunch. When they had finished and handed her bags she let Cody get in the house before whispering Travis's name and motioning him back before he could follow.

“I’m just passing this on but Kade has a betting pool on weather you will enter the rodeo or not. Everyone in town seems to have an opinion on it” She'd added that last part but he didn’t have to know

“What?? Where did you hear this?” He demanded

“Thomas Delbert and you know he gets about as much information as Sydney does”

“I’m going to put a stop to this right now” Travis said heading for the house

“you know, maybe entering it wouldn’t be such a bad idea” Jesse suggested shutting the tailgate on the truck

Travis just shook his head “No, I’m done with it”

Chapter 3 rodeo among other things

Kade Many Horses looked in his rearview mirror doing a double take. A black silverado truck had closed in behind him and the driver was flashing the lights to get his attention. He pulled over and got out of his truck walking back as Travis stepped out of the Silverado.

“you know I’m supposed to be the one pulling you over, not the other way around”

7“I heard about the betting pool, I want it stopped” Travis demanded

“I’d have an even bigger mess on my hands if I did that”

“how?”

“Whitehorn has never had it’s own official rodeo and this is a big deal to people here, lot of them are excited for it. I have to start fielding questions on if I know anything about your intent to compete so I started a betting pool. It’s the safest way to handle things and it has no bearing at all on what you decide to do.”

“I’m not entering” Travis wanted to make that clear

“what you do is up to you, I’d love to see you give some of these young cocky ones a run for their money though” Kade grinned

Travis just shook his head and headed back to the silverado “fine, keep the betting pool but if I get too many more people asking me about the rodeo I might end up doing something we both regret.”

“got a county Jail cell open” Kade Grinned walking back to his durango

Travis knew he didn’t mean it but was perturbed just the same. He’d come back here to get away from a big mess and had just wanted to lay low and keep to himself. Part of him had known that tactic wouldn’t work and the other part had just been hopeful.

Jesse heard the front door of the house open and close but didn’t bother to see who had come in. She had two dishwashers to fill and a kitchen to clean before she could enjoy her nightly respite on the back deck watching the sun go down.

“don’t suppose you’d have anything left out?”

She looked back from the sink to find Travis standing in the doorway. His white tshirt needed a good cleaning along with his jeans and boots.

“I keep a strict rule about dinnertime but since you won’t eat otherwise I’ll make you a deal”

Travis knew that if he really wanted to he could go in and raid the refrigerator irregardless of her deals or rules but since she had sent him food over the past two days he could give in.

“what deal?”

“you go upstairs and take a shower, steal some of your brother’s clean clothes and bring me what you are wearing right now”

“I can take care of my own laundry”

“tommorow you are going to smell like a bear and no one will come within ten feet of you”

Without another word Travis headed upstairs muttering about stubborn women and discovered that Trayce had taken over their parents old room. He dug out a pair of old jeans and a worn tshirt and headed into the master bath.

Ten minutes later he was walking through the kitchen to add his clothes to the pile in the laundry room. Jesse had set a steaming plate of brisket, mashed potatoes, beans and homemade rolls on one end of the large kitchen island where five bar stools lined up in a row. He pulled out one and sat down watching her finish off the last of the dishes. He handn’t eaten a brisket this good in a while but wasn’t about to complement her on it just yet. There was more he wanted to know about her.

“why are you and Julia so different?” he asked bringing his plate to the sink and rinsing it off.

The look on her face told Travis that he’d apparently hit a sore subject but he still wanted an answer.

“there are things that are just better left alone” she answered taking the plate from him and putting it in the diswasher along with the fork he’d used.

“why are you working for my brother then?”

“because I don’t mind working for a living” she shot back then left for a small room on the other side of the kitchen where their previous house keeper Marielle had lived while she worked here.

He wasn’t done, he was getting his answers.

Jesse wasn’t normaly one to hide from confrontations but she simply was not in the mood for answering questions, especially those about herself or her family. It had come as no surprise that Julia had done something underhanded involving Travis. She made her living preying on men. And Jesse wanted absolutely nothing to do with her.

“Can I help you miss?” Sydney wright asked in her usual straight forward manner the next afternoon as a cafe full of patrons including Travis looked on. He’d made another of many stops at Dan’s hardware and had come in for Sydney’s half pound hamburger.

“I don’t know” the young woman answered standing there in designer jeans and a fancy short sleved top that clearly had been worn for a few days. Her eyes were tired and her blond hair was pulled back into a finger combed ponytail. “I need to find the Colton’s run”

“that’s close to a half hour down the road, are you looking for a job?” Sydney asked drawing the attention of everyone in the cafe

“no, I’m looking for Trayce or Travis Colton, I need to speak to one of them”

Everyone tried not to look at Travis in that moment letting him decide what he would do.

“Why do you need to speak to them?” Travis asked standing and walking over to study her. He could see that she was a bit nervous.

“I’m sorry maybe this was a bad idea” She said turning to leave

“Sydney she can order whatever she want’s, we’ll talk” Travis said heading for the booth

“I’m really not hungry”

“would you like something to drink on me?” Sydney asked

“uh sure, a coke”

“what’s going on?” Travis asked once she had sat down across from him at the signature red vinyl upholstered booth.

“who are you?” she asked

“that depends on what you tell me”

“I’m Haylie Colton”

Of all the things she could have said, that one hit him with a bit of a blow but she posessed the signature blond hair and blue eyes that they were all known for.

“where did you come from?” he asked as Sydney set a large coke glass down on the table

“I drove from New York and I know mom is going to be sending out her goons trying to find me. That’s why I sold my jag in Jersey and drove here in a truck”

Travis wasn’t surprised one bit to find out that their mother had hightailed it back to her roots. She had never been cut out for living or working on a ranch.

“I suppose you want to see the ranch?”

“are you Travis or Trayce”

“Travis” he answered standing, grabbing his hat, and placing a fifty underneath his plate on the table knowing that it well more than covered his meal but Sydney could use it to keep the place going.

Haylie’s truck turned out to be expensive, shiny and black though if she had been trying to stay low key she should have gone with something less attractive. She followed him back to the ranch driving a little slower and apparently trying to take everything in once they had passed through the tall log archway. He drove down to the garage at the side of the arena and pulled off to the side hopping out and pulling up one of the large white doors.

“for now it would probably be safter to park your truck in here” he told her as she pulled up and rolled down the drivers side window. Once she was inside he pulled her duffel bag and suitcase out of the back while she slung a backpack over one shoulder and took the keys from the ignition.

He’d called a buddy of his in New Jersey on the way out here and asked for any information that he could get on this girl right away and as it turned out there had been some buzz about Victoria Corbin’s daughter’s dissapearance. Most of it was being kept hush and they certainly weren’t going to say that Haylie had run off but he imagined that there were already hired men hunting her down. His buddy would keep feeding him information as he recieved it, including any background on Haylie and information about the hunt for her was progressing.

For now he would have to give her the benefit of the doubt.

She didn’t say much to the ride on the house but certainly enjoyed the view and couldn’t wait to get out of the truck once she spotted the large log main house.

“come on” Travis called taking her things and stepping up on to the large wooden porch. She followed inside marveling at the floor to ceiling living room and the stone fireplace on the far wall.

“I’ll settle you in my old room, come on”

“you don’t live in this house?”

“I have my own place out near the back end of the ranch”

Travis headed back downstairs to let Jesse know that she’d have another guest for dinner but the kitchen was completely empty. Perhaps she’d taken a break, or headed to Whitehorn since it was after lunch.

“Haylie, we need to go find Trayce” Travis shouted up the stairs “I’ll be out in the barn”

“he saddled Shay and another white mare leading them out of the barn as Haylie appeared dressed in a pair of boots comfortable jeans and a tshirt.

“we are riding?” she asked surprised

“we have four wheelers but most everyone here uses a horse. This is a working ranch”

“got it” Haylie said without argument and walked to the left side of the horse putting her opposide foot in the stirrup and swinging into the saddle with surprising ease. “I competed in horse jumping and did horse shows for most of my life” she answered Travis’s questioning look and waited for him to mount his own horse before following him.

“Trayce this is Travis” he called out on a radio he'd picked up from the house.

“everything okay?” Trayce asked after a minute

“everything’s fine, where are you?”

“bull pens”

Travis wondered why they would be there but headed out anyway. He still had work to do and didn’t have time to be saddled with a young city woman.

“alright, see you in a minute”

Everyone seemed to be anticipating Travis’s arrival and it didn’t take him long to catch on once he saw a number of bucking bulls behind a set of three chutes. This was a permanent outdoor riding spot where a big audience wasn’t required but where men could practice riding bulls or broncs. It was where he had learned initially.

“got a woman Travis?” Trayce asked

“take a good long look at her you moron” Travis shot back

The remark was enough to make Trayce jump over the fence and pull his younger brother from the horse but he was also good at restraining himself.

Haylie sat on the horse without a word recognizing the animosity between her older brothers right away and wondering just what Trayce would do. He concentrated his focus on her but clearly didn’t have a clue as to her identity.

“I’m Haylie”

Trayce’s look of shock diminished once Jesse came roaring in on the other end on a horse quickly navigating three barrels and shooting back to where she had come from.

“eighteen point two” Bill shouted out clicking the stopwatch

Not bad but she still had a ways to go

“how long has she been doing this?” Travis asked as Trayce jumped over the metal pole fence and took a good long look at Haylie.

“You should ask her” Trayce replied looking up to their younger sister “I need you to get down” he said quietly taking her head in his big hands and almost immediatley fingering a slight scar over her left eyebrow then searching for a birthmark on the inner part of her upper right arm.

“I gave you that scar when you were only Two” he said then turned to the rest of the men “Haylie is home”

Some of the men cheered while others looked on in in surprise.

“Hey Travis” someone shouted “is there any way we can get you on the back of one of these bulls?”

“not likely” He answered mounting his horse and turning it away

“we have all the gear” someone else shouted

Travis just shook his head and continued riding off. He didn’t need to be tempted any more than he already was.

He'd decided to rearange the floor plan of the house and add an addition figuring that as long as he was already tearing it apart he might as well add a great room, a bathroom, more bedrooms and a state of the art kitchen. He’d called out a company to pour the foundation and was pleased with their work. He'd given in and hired a contractor who would arrive within the next two days with the plans and begin construction.

“how long will you hold off before it starts to kill you?” Jesse confronted him as he stepped out of the house. She'd ridden up here after everyone at the pens moved on to watching some local men ride the bulls.

“you part of this betting pool thing too?” he asked brushing past her to retrieve a crowbar and hammer from his truck

“no, those things are a waste of money and time.” she declared but wasn’t done having her say “she took everything you worked for. Why do you have to keep punishing yourself over it?”

Travis was halfway up the concrete steps into the house and she could see the muscles in his back tense almost immediately. “what do you know?” he shouted

“I can see it everytime someone even mentions the word rodeo.”

“what do you know?” he demanded even louder taking two steps until he was towering over her.

Jesse refused to back down but had to take a couple of deep breaths to remain steady. “I have ways of finding out what Julia is up to, I’ve had to”

“that doesn’t answer my question”

“that's answer enough” she decided and turned to walk to her horse

He grabbed her wrist stopping her “No it isn’t Jesse. What do you want? Are you trying to blackmail me? What?”

The pressure of his large hand on her wrist wasn’t something she had expected and it sent little shivers all the way up her arm.

“I want you to ride again” She answered plainly “Julia has taken enough from people, don’t let her have this too”

He still didn’t trust Jesse but let her go with that. She had more fire and determination than her twin ever would.

“you have to marry for it all to be final don’t you?” he asked as she swung up into the saddle. That stopped her short.

“the longer you leave that estate in limbo, the more of a mess it will be when it's all settled”

She was furious hopping to the ground and grabbing a two by four board from the back of his truck ready to clobber him with it. The look he gave her though was warning enough not to go through with it.

“seems we both came here to hide” he said matter of factly “I can offer you a solution”

“I doubt that” she replied dropping the board and walking back to the horse

“marry me”

“I've had quite enough of men who only see dollar signs when they look at me and if you decide to pursue this any further I have a lawyer who would only be too happy to take my money”

“we can talk laywers Miss Hayes.” he replied evenly “I have two and your sister is damn lucky I didn't use them to drag her through court”

Jesse didn’t even grace that comment with a reply, instead nudged her horse and rode off at a fast trot. She wasn’t about to let him know how rattled she was nor would she give into the tears that threatened to overwhelm her. It would only be a couple of hours before several hungry cowboys were sitting down to eat and she needed to start dinner.

The next morning she found a folded sheath of papers sitting in the middle of the kitchen counter.

“I am no gold digger Miss Hays and my offer still stands. Burn these papers after you look over them and do not show them to anyone else”

-Travis

Had been written on the top in black ink but what she found upon opening them set her back quite a bit. A list of his financials concluded that he had more money than what was contained in her entire estate. But how? Sure, his half ownership of the ranch put him in good financial status but apparently he also had several lucrative investments that had continued steady over the last five years.

Despite all this Jesse still was not about to consider what he had proposed. He was onry, hardheaded, gruff and she would have a hard time controling her own temper around him. She ripped the papers into small bits placing them into a bag and stowing them in a drawer to be burned later on.

The front door slammed shut and Jesse wondered briefly why it wasn’t just left open until the morning rush went through.

“the arena is finished and we are having a small christening ceremony at noon” Trayce announced walking into the kitchen. “I’d like you to be there”

“so soon?”

“the rodeo is next week and we still have a lot to do before then”

“don’t remind me, I’ll be moving all the food over today and testing out the equipment”

“I got Sean Willis to come out for it”

“Sean Willis?? Jesse stopped cracking eggs and looked over at him. Sean Willis was a pro in the same rodeo that Travis had been a part of and getting him to come out here was certainly a big deal “does Cody know?”

“you are the only one that does and it has to be kept secret”

“does this have anything to do with Travis?”

“part of it, but since it's Whitehorn's first big rodeo I figured it might as well start off with a bang”

Jesse couldn’t help but laugh and for once it felt good.

Travis was talking to a contractor and going over plans for the addition when Jesse brought her horse to a stop and hopped to the ground leaving a canvas bag on the side of the porch. She could see that he was busy and talking to him could wait.

“don’t you ever get tired of doing this Miss Hayes?” She hadn’t even reached the horse yet an turned to face him.

“are you saying that you mind Mr Colton?”

“not at all”

“I am afraid that I will have to turn down your offer” She mounted the horse ready to ride off before he could form a reply

“I enjoy challenges, this one isn’t over”

“you start stalking me and I swear you will come face to face with the wrong end of a twelve guage”

She wasn’t expecting him to laugh and turned the horse to ride away before her temper could get the best of her.

“I don’t have to resort to things like that Jesse” he shouted after her

Jesse fought to calm her nerves as she walked back to the house from the barn. She would never let Travis know how much he rattled her or the fact that he hadn’t been the first to speak those words.

Haylie was at the table wolfing down the last of the eggs and bacon before rinsing her plate off at the sink and putting in the dishwasher with all the others.

“Trayce said that I should help you out today, would that be okay with you?” Haylie asked

“Absolutely” Jesse was glad “over half of the men are out on the range and the others are clearing a parking area by the arena. We will have to move all the food over to the arena kitchen and I want to test the equipment. Maybe we could have a quick hamburger when we are done”

“sounds great”

Haylie's enthusiasm was refreshing and although Jesse hadn’t even known her an entire day she could already tell the younger woman was not soft bred.

“This is just amazing” Haylie marveled carrying the first of many boxes from the truck that Jesse had driven into the arena to the kitchen at the front left.

“it's Trayce's pride and joy” Jesse commented “he’s been wanting to build something like this for years”

“seriously?” Haylie asked

“you’d almost think after Travis left him high and dry to run off and become a bigshot rodeo star that he'd hate it but I think it runs in their blood.”

“Travis was in the rodeo?” Haylie asked

“national telivised bull riding, big time” Jesse answered

“I never watched much television in New York, I would have loved to see him ride”

“Cody, our resident expert, says he's good”

They carried the last of the boxes into the kitchen then began loading all the food into commerical size refrigerators and organizing all the food supplies before making a thorough sweep and clean of the kitchen. They managed to sneak in a quick hamburger before everyone began arriving and Jesse had come to realize that she really liked Haylie. Perhaps it was because they were both came from wealthy families who didn’t understand the true importance of families over money and not the other way around.

“you ladies ready for this?” Trayce asked stepping into the kitchen where they were both laughing like kittens drunk on milk.

The short, informal ceremony was attended by all the employees and families of the Colton's run as well as Whitehorn's mayor Rudy Beltran and a few other close friends, including Sydney and Casey wright. Sydney wouldn’t have missed this for the world and came in close to give Trayce a small kiss on the cheek once it was all over.

“this will be a good thing for everyone” she said smiling and looking out at everyone gathered there “how is Haylie doing?”

“almost can’t tell she's ever been off the ranch, she seems to fit right in” Trayce remarked “I was begining to wonder if we'd ever see her again”

“Victoria was a piece of work right from the begining, I was amazed she held on as long as she did”

Trayce couldn’t have agreed more and he didn’t often think about his mother, he'd closed his heart to her the day she ran off with Haylie.

“I brought refreshments for everyone in the back of my truck”

“you didn’t have to do that....”

She silenced him with one of her looks “I wanted to do it, now are you going to get someone to help me out?”

Trayce didn’t have to be told twice and soon they had two tables and an assortment of light snacks from sandwiches to pigs in a blanket set out.

Travis showed up shortly afterwards and gave Sydney his customary hug then went to greet everyone else.

“Travis” Rudy spoke above the crowd intentionaly so that everyone would hear him “a lot of speculation has been going around about you and this rodeo, do you intend to enter?”

“why do you have some money invested in Kade's betting pool?”

Rudy actually chuckled “as Mayor it would not be ethical for me to participate in such things and I can tell you that I haven’t but there are a lot of people that would like to ride against you”

“let's put the rumor mill to rest right now then” Travis answered “I have no intentions of competing in this rodeo or any other rodeo ever again”

Jesse wanted to scream at him right then and there but she held her tongue. She wasn't about to tell everyone that Julia had told a bold faced lie that had nearly landed him in prison and that it was the reason he wouldn’t allow himself to climb on the back of a bull. She’d seen him ride, had seen the absolute exhileration on his face when he made his eight seconds and knew what that world champion title that he'd won one year meant to him. It just wansn't fair!

Then again, maybe Sean Willis could talk some sense into him.

Chapter 4 The Truth

The next week went by in a flurry of preparations and by Tuesday the anticipation was just about killing everyone. Cody was practicing more and more in the outdoor chutes, some of the men were going through and double checking everything in the arena, and Trayce had been busy marking off parking areas for trucks and trailers and then for all the spectators. Billings channel five news would even be coming out to cover the rodeo and interview some of the riders.

Sydney would be closing down her cafe for the first time in known history for the three day event to come and help out Jesse in the kitchen and Dan’s hardware would be giving away a hand tailored saddle along with blanket, halter, bridle and bit.

“haven’t seen you for a few days” Jesse said jumping down from her horse and marveling at what had been accomplished on Travis’s house since she’d last brought breakfast out here nearly a week ago. The foundation for the addition had already been dug and poured and the framing was in progress.

“been keeping myself busy”

“you’ve keeping yourself away from everyone so that they can’t pester you about the rodeo”

“we aren’t even going to discuss this”

“there’s no point anyway” Jesse said handing him the canvas pouch and walking away “Julia got what she wanted”

Travis was lightening quick reaching out and grabbing her by the upper arm and spinning her around

“quit toying with me”

She pulled away but when that didn’t work she began to push at his chest then to stomp on his hard leather boots. She wasn’t going to beg him but instead resorted to something that shocked them both pulling down his head and kissing him square on the lips. He let go of her arm almost immedately and pulled her closer taking in the spark of a fire that hadn’t been lit in quite a while. Then, coming to his senses pushed her away.

“you aren’t Julia, don’t act like her”

The remark hurt slightly but she brushed it off reaching up to slap him hard on the cheek then run back to the horse.

“get your own meals from now on”

He didn’t need this. Coming back to the ranch had been a means to get away from everything and by damn that’s the way it was going to be. It would be better for him if Jesse stayed away.

Kissing Travis like that had forced Jesse to dig up a part of her that had been buried for years. It had taken a lot of will for her not to panic and then for him to accuse her of being like her sister had hit a sore spot. One he would never know about. By the time Jesse returned to the barn her nerves were under control but the bruises from where Travis had gripped her right arm were starting to show and she didn’t have the time to run up and find a longer sleved shirt. Avoiding Trayce was the only thing she could do for the time being.

By the time Wednesday rolled around everyone was in a tizzy. Later in the day two trailers of horses from the broken heart rodeo company arrived and let the horses out into the corral behind the arena. And one of the rodeo sponsors JW Thurson outfitters were in the process of setting up their promotional gear and two tables out in the lobby. Jesse and Haylie watched the procession of cowboys practicing their roping commenting and laughing amongst themselves from halfway up the bleachers on the left side.

“are you Jesse Hays?” a forty something still hot looking cowboy in jeans, boots and long sleeve button up shirt called out from the bottom of the bleachers.

“yeah” She answered wondering what he wanted

“we need to test the barrels and at the moment you are the only barrel racer in here”

“I’m not that good”

“that’s okay, you don’t have to be we are just testing right now”

Jesse agreed walking down the bleachers and heading in through the roping gates where her horse was saddled and waiting”

“you’ll be fine” Trayce reassured her

“This was your doing wasn’t it?” she asked

“you can deny it all you want but I’ve seen your face when she gets going” Trayce replied and he was right.

She mounted her white mare and moved towards the gate ready to shoot out and it was then that he noticed the bruises on her arm.

“who gave you those bruises Jesse?” he asked but before any more could be said she gave the word and the gate was opened and she was out racing around the correct side of each barrel and beating her own best time. There was nothing like the exileration of that final run in when the horse took off full speed back towards the chutes and she was begining to love this sport.

“you didn’t answer my question” he said once she was behind the chutes and dismounting.

“Trayce you don’t have to go beating up anyone, it’s taken care of”

“was it one of the men?” he persisted

“no, and trust me they’d be blueballed and walking around with a false set of pipes if it was”

He chuckled still not willing to let it go “Travis?”

“alright fine, yes but I took care of it there isn’t any need to go confronting him”

Trayce walked off then and she was getting angrier by the minute following him all the way outside.

“don’t make me take an iron skillet to your head to knock some sense into you Trayce Colton” She shouted “I said I am fine”

“I’ve been told you aren’t competing”

Travis couldn’t climb out from underneath the house where he’d been discussing foundation issues with the contractor fast enough to suit him and he was going to come up swinging until he saw it was Sean Willis.

“what the hell are you doing here?” Travis demanded

“not the welcome I’d expect from an old friend but it will do” Sean replied “I’m riding and I don’t get why you aren’t putting your name in the draw tonight”

“I didn’t come back here to ride”

“you didn’t used to be a quitter”

“I didn’t used to do a lot of things and you can tell Trayce or whoever sent you up here it’s a waste of time”

“I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting your ilustrious brother yet but you sure weren’t kidding when you told me about the Colton’s run”

“Quite something isn’t it?”

“you know there isn’t really any reason you couldn’t run a stock operation out of here” Sean mentioned “have someone do the traveling while you stay behind, raise the bulls, and send your best ones out to make you some money”

“you do the traveling. That leg of yours isn’t getting any better and all it’s going to take is one more good fall, then you are done”

Sean didn’t really want to be reminded of that. At barely 24 he was still young, still had a number of years to go before he was actually considered old in the sport.

“I have to let that fall come first, I can’t quit”

“I guess we are both a little stubborn”

“yeah like you neatly avoiding the subject of your not riding tommorow. We could kick of the rodeo with quite a bang and show them how the pro’s do it.”

“not happening”

“alright fine, you ride tomorrow night and I’ll take a two month hiatus”

“three months”

“you want me to be a poor man?”

“go ahead and tell me you don’t have investments” Travis knew what he was asking would just about kill his friend but it would also give his leg and ribs proper time to heal. “stay here on the ranch”

Sean groaned “this is the only way you will ride?”

“The only way” Travis agreed

“Fine, you have a deal” Sean held out his hand and shook Travis’s like they always did when forming a deal between them. They had become good friends and traveling partners until the very end when a woman named Julia had come along and despite Sean’s warnings that she was trouble, he had never once said I told you so.

“we’ll sneak in later on tonight when there aren’t so many people around”

“you keeping yourself low key until tomorrow?” Travis asked

“yeah, for the time being Bill Warren is the only one who actually knows I am here besides you”

“come and take a look at the house then”

Before they could head inside though a black dodge was barreling down the road kicking up plenty of dust behind it making them both wonder what the hell was going on until Travis realized it was Trayce.

“what happened to Jesse?” Trayce demanded coming to a stop and flying outside the drivers side door

“what do you mean what happened to Jesse?” Travis was walking back towards his older brother

“the bruises on her arm” Trayce was almost shouting by now

“We got into a heated discussion after she wouldn’t back off the subject of my riding tomorrow. I wasn’t trying to hurt her” Travis shouted back “and just for the record she doesn’t let things like that go undone”

“she told me she took care of it, what did she do?”

“nothing more needs to be said”

The sound of a horse racing hell bent for leather down the road caught their attention and Jesse didn’t bring the horse to a stop until she was nearly in the middle of them.

“why are men always so pigheaded and stubborn?” she demanded jumping down from the horse “have any fists flown?” she asked a stunned Sean who was by now assuming she was Julia. When he didn’t answer she continued on.

“I ought to box both your ears”

“you just try it” Travis warned her and instead of the any further yelling she smilled.

“we need to get back to the arena” Trayce said without any further word heading back to his truck.

“what the hell is she doing here?” Sean demanded angrily “was this all some kind of publicity stunt to get out of the rodeo or something?”

“she’s Julia’s twin” Travis explained though his friend didn’t look quite convinced

“once you taste her cooking you’ll know, I doubt Julia could tell you the difference between a pot and a pan”

“I’ll take your word for it” Sean said walking back to the house leaving Jesse free to make a split decision putting her arms up around Travis’s neck and planting another kiss on his firm lips. He actually jerked and stood still as she began to trace small lines around the back of his neck and tousle the short hair at his nape.

He came to his senses very quickly though and pushed her away.

“I am not my sister” she said

“This can’t continue. Especially when you won’t even agree to what I have asked”

“I can’t do that Travis, ever”

“you can’t keep doing this either” he turned and stalked into the house behind Sean.

Much later that night when the arena was quiet save for a few men talking in the distance Sean and Travis headed inside quickly locating the well marked clipboards for each different event hanging on the outside of the kitchen wall. Travis added his name at the bottom of the one for bull riding and quickly exited with Sean on his heels. There was bound to be some excitement and a lot of talk in the morning.

-Driving down to Cody to get my gear-

Travis

The note on Travis’s front door said it all and Kade couldn’t be happier. He’d been at the arena when someone shouted out the news that Travis was indeed riding tonight and the buzz had escalated from there.

He would be providing security for the three day event along with uniformed men from several surrounding towns who certainly didn’t mind being able to witness the first local rodeo around here and rumors had been circulating that there might be a surprise guest.

Seats in the arena began to fill when the doors opened at 5:30 and were at near capacity an hour later. Jesse, Haylie and Sydney had been busy in the kitchen feeding the line of people who probably hadn’t taken the time to eat dinner and were excitedly talking about the rodeo itself.

Men in the back rooms were busy putting on their gear and then heading to the pens where riders for each event were lining up on their horses. Travis and Sean arrived hats down and headed for a corner as the men were finishing up and quickly climbed into their own gear and headed out. They tried again to remain nonchalant as they headed to the front of the line to mount their own horses but the other riders weren’t having it and let up an excited cheer causing some of the spectators in the nearby bleachers to look back and try to figure out what was going on.

“Ladies and Gentlemen welcome to Whitehorn, Montana’s first official rodeo.....” The announcer began standing in the middle of the arena and after stating a few facts about the arena and riders Rachel Lockheart, Cole county’s official rodeo queen sang the national anthem.

The riders filled the arena then in two straight lines breaking off to the right and left when they reached the other side. When the announcer introduced Travis and Sean from the PBR the crowd went wild and Travis wished they hadn’t. All these men here were good riders and deserved recognition as well.

“you two go ahead and watch, I’ll be fine here” Sydney insisted shooing Jesse and Haylie out of the kitchen. Haylie was so excited at getting to watch her brother ride for the first time that she could barely contain herself. Jesse was certainly a little more subdued as they climbed up to the catwalk to watch. She’d seen Travis ride before when Cody had been watching the television in the main house and why anyone would be so hell bent at taking on a bull she still couldn’t understand.

Travis made his eight seconds, barely and he’d he’d nearly gotten caught in the bullrope although it released at the last second. The crowd was still going wild as they headed back for the kitchen to start in on the clean up for the night. Jesse took on the load of dishes and Haylie gathered the garbage to take out.

The next night brought in an even bigger crowd along with news reporters from two different stations who both wanted an interview with Travis and Sean.

By the last night of the rodeo Travis made one more succesful ride. Sean only made his eight seconds on the second night although the bulls that he and Travis had drawn were among the top bucking bulls there at the arena and were drawn from a different set than everyone else. They were glad as they both wanted the prize money to go to one of the local riders. Haylie would literaly drag Jesse up the catwalk whenever Travis or Sean was riding and she began to watch the way Travis moved when he was on top of a bull. He was right at home moving with and matching the bulls movements then scrambling to get out of the way once he was on the ground. The fact that he was a stubborn cuss probably made him just onry enough to keep up with the beast.

Amazingly at the end of it all the rodeo had brought in more than enough to keep the whitehorn junior rodeo association going among several other funds that would keep whitehorn going for the next couple of years.

“he’s over there” Travis could hear someone say as he exited the gear room and headed out back for his truck. He sped his pace up hoping that nobody was looking for him and hoping to evade them if they were.

“Mr. Colton” someone shouted just as he was getting in his truck

Travis sighed inwardly waiting as a lanky teenage boy approached him

“my name is Brad Peterson president of the Whitehorn high school rodeo club. I’ve been told that you are staying here on the Colton’s run for good”

Travis wanted to roll his eyes and heave a big sigh but wouldn’t for the young man’s sake

“I shouldn’t be so surprised that people are talking” Travis answered

The young man wasn’t one bit nervous but it was clear that he did have a purpose “we wanted to ask if you would be willing to help us out with our training, Trayce has already given us the use of this arena and we could pay you”

“that’s a very generous offer but tonight was my last shot at the rodeo, I’m done with it”

“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way but once rodeo is in your blood your never done with it. I’ve only been doing it a few years so that doesn’t say much but my father and uncles were all bronc riders and my cousin rides bulls. Thanks anyway, I’m going to find Sean Willis”

“he’s only going to be around for about three months at best, if I can get him to stay that long” Travis shouted after him

“Travis wasn’t ready to admit that the kid was right but knew deep down that he was. That was the entire reason that he’d come back to the ranch and he wasn’t giving in”

Around midnight the arena kitchen was finally clean and after a grateful hug from Jesse, Sydney said her goodbyes and climbed into her truck to head back to town.

Jesse locked the kitchen and with Haylie’s help loaded some leftovers into the back of the truck bound for the kitchen at the main house. What she saw when she arrived there caused her heart to stutter and made her decide to pull around back.

“whose limo was that?” Haylie asked wondering “that isn’t just a regular rent limo, those things cost money”

“someone I hoped wouldn’t find me, I should have known better” Jesse replied climbing out of the truck and slamming the door “would you take everything and put it into the freezers”

“no problem” Haylie began taking the bins of food out of the back.

Jesse had to calm down before reaching the front of the house. She was so angry at this point that strangling whoever was in the limo might be the least of what she would do.

“ahh it’s good to see you my dear” Victor Ramon said stepping out of the back of the limo “you are looking quite...well”

Jesse wasn’t one bit phased “what do you want?”

“it would seem that your father left a hidden stipulation in the will that was not uncovered until just two weeks ago. You must be married by June 15th or the entire estate will revert to your uncle Jonas Hays and you will loose every cent you have”

“well if that’s all it won’t be a problem” Jesse answered “it will just move the wedding up a little”

“you are... engaged?” Victor almost stammered “to whom?”

Jesse knew Victor better than he thought. He had already proposed to her twice after her father’s death and had grown more frustrated each time she declined. The man was nearly twenty years her senior and had a penchant for fancy cars and young, blond bimbos. It wasn’t incredibly hard to figure out how a marriage between them would work out.

“nobody you know Victor but I will tell you has more money than I do. I will discuss the rest with my lawyer”

“that’s good because I just happened to bring him along”

Ted Wright stepped out of the other side of the limo with his briefcase and made his way around to her. He had been her father’s lawyer and a very good friend to the entire Hays family for years.

“we need to talk in the house” she explained “Victor, you are not welcome”

“you need to be careful with him Jesse” Ted said once they were in the great room of the house and the door shut firmly behind them “he’s been calling me nearly every day since he found out about the stipulation and I’d be willing to bet he’ll use every trick he has to get to you”

Jesse led him over to the large leather couches where they could sit and any neccesary paperwork could be spread on the oversized old wood coffee table.

“I wasn’t exactly lying when I told him I was engaged” she admitted out loud “Travis Colton asked me to marry him and now it looks like I’ll be accepting”

“I suspected as much” Ted knew her well and his easygoing manner comforted her

“I want the entire estate put in his name” Jesse said

Ted Just smiled pulling out a laptop “the neccesary papers are already in place all I needed was a name” he said typing in Travis’s name

“that’s why we love you Ted” she said relaxing just a little

“is Travis available for a signature?”

Jesse glanced at the big wooden clock above the mantel it was already after one and she’d likely be waking him up. He wasn’t going to be happy.

“what the hell” Travis shouted back at the insistent pounding at the front door. He quickly pulled on his jeans and yanked the front door open

“is the house on fire?” he grumbled

“I’m accepting your proposal” she announced

“now??”

“I don’t have a choice” she finally admitted as an older man walked up behind her

“I am Ted Wright her families lawyer, I will need your signature on a series of documents I can start the process of putting the entire Hays estate soley in your name”

“take that dad” Jesse thought for the first time in a while. Her father Roland Hays had been an expert manipulator which accounted for the addition to his end of the family fortune. He had not however stated in any part of the will that she could not place the estate in her husband’s name only.

“you are sure you want to do this?” Travis asked

“like I said, I don’t have a choice” Jesse looked up at him “there was a previously undisclosed addition to the will that states I have to be married by June 15th”

“give me a minute” Travis headed back into the house shrugging into his dirty rodeo boots and a clean tshirt.

They headed back to the main house and up the front steps.

“this is the man you intend to marry?” Victor demanded stepping out of the limo “he’s just a dirty cowboy, your station demands you marry better”

“for your information Victor, I cook for several hungry, dirty cowboys morning noon and night” Jesse spat back “exactly what station would that be?”

“I refuse to believe that you would share everything your father worked years to build up with him” Victor was now enraged and shouting and it took everything Travis had to just continue walking into the house, he wasn’t about to waste his knuckles and money breaking the man’s nose.

The neccesary documents were printed, signed and notarized using Ted’s stamp and would be put into motion as soon as Ted returned to his office.

Trayce was a little surprised to find Jesses note on the refrigerator next morning stating that she’d had a family emergency and that Jenson the trail cook would be taking care of meals until she got back later on that day.

Jesse could not help but stare at the beautiful ring on her finger containing a slew of five diamonds aranged in an almost swirl pattern. The ring had belonged to Travis’s grandmother and it now meant that she was officially married to him. The pastor at the church where Travis’s family had gone for years was a little recluctant to such a hurried wedding although once they had explained the situation and that divorce would mean Jesse loosing her entire estate he was willing. The pastors wife and Sean Willis had served as witnesses.

Afterwards they all ate at Sydney’s cafe and as expected nothing got past her. It was all they could to to keep her from becoming excited and blurting it out to everyone inside the dining room.

“I just can’t believe this and it’s going to kill me keeping it in, but I’ll do it” Sydney informed them placing a good sized piece of cake in front of each of them. “it’s all on me, my gift to the both of you”

Travis was tempted to leave her a little something under the dishes as usuall but he’d let her have her way just once.

“we need to be getting back, I have ribeyes to season and potatoes to wrap”

“no” Travis said plainly

“what do you mean no?” Jesse shot back

“we aren’t doing this without a proper honeymoon”

Sean took his leave then heading back to his truck

“there isn’t time for a honeymoon”

“everything will be fine, but if we don’t do this right we will regret it later on”

It was clear that Jesse was a little taken back with this, even hesitant “I know what you want and I just can’t do it. I’m sorry for decieving you”

“I’m not an animal Jesse but in time I will prove you wrong”

No more was spoken between them about it as Travis drove her to the airport and they boarded a small jet.

“I didn’t realize you had a jet” Jesse commented after they took off

“It wouldn’t really be cost effective for us to have a jet but this one is for our families use whenever we need it”

“where are we going?”

Travis just smiled “you’ll see”

Jesse marveled at the architecture and layout of the lodge as they walked through the front door and to the reception desk wondering how Travis had managed things on such short notice. Their room was a spacious suite with a sitting area larger than life bathroom with a jacuzzi tup and one very comfortable bed.

“come on” Travis said

“where?”

“how long has it been since you’ve been able to go shopping with an unlimited spending limit”

Jesse didn’t really want to think about that, it had been too long. When it came to her and Julia their father had been only too generous with his money and it wasn’t uncommon for them to spend an afternoon shopping the high end stores. She missed it, sure but she’d learned to put other priorities first including freezing all assets in her father’s estate after he’d passed on.

“that’s what I thought” Travis had read the expression on her face and steered her out the door. They spent a couple hours just shopping and then she was treated to dinner at a steakhouse where the filet mignons were so tender all that was required was a butter knife. By the time they returned to the hotel room Jesse was clearly exhausted. It had been nice to have a one night break from cooking but she truly didn’t mind it.

Though she usually wore a tshirt and pajama pants to bed simply for the comfort factor tonight she wore a sleek black nightgown that she had purchased. It wasn’t overly revealing but was more appropriate for a wedding night.

Jesse was facing the window drifiting off when Travis left the bathroom and came straight to bed. He smelled wonderful straight from the shower and curiously she turned on her back reaching to touch him reaching his bare thigh. It was enough to draw her back to her own side of the bed.

“you aren’t wearing anything” she exclaimed

“I get too hot” he answered as if this whole thing were a normal occurence then reached over looping an arm around her middle drawing her back against his chest causing her to tense all over.

“Jesse, it’s fine. All I want is to sleep with you against me”

It took a while for her to relax especially with certain parts of his body against her buttocks and Jesse wondered if she’d ever be able to let him touch her the way he wanted or even give him her body completely. There were things she hadn’t told anyone, not even Julia. She had protected her sister and it had cost her dearly.

Trayce became a little concerned when Jesse didn’t return by that evening and he’d heard that Travis hadn’t been around all day either and they were not answering their cell phones. Jenson had told him that Jesse had left a message on the house answering machine saying she wouldn’t be back until the next morning.

They left early the next morning arriving back at the ranch before noon and set off to resume their normal duties.

“we are going to have to take my old room until the house is completed” Travis told her once they had entered the main house. She was a little hesitant but then marched upstairs with him behind her and to the room at the far end of the hall. It hadn’t been dusted in a while and clearly needed a little bit of cleaning but it wouldn’t be a problem. A full size log bed with an old style quilt graced the middle of the room and a nightstand with a lamp stood off to the left. The room had it’s own small bathroom and a desk on the wall opposite the bed.

Jesse set her bags on the bed and headed back downstairs to start lunch preparations.

“I have to go check on the house” Travis shouted as he headed out the front door “I’ll be back later tonight”

She watched him go feeling as though a part of her had somehow been lost. This was certainly not how she had envisioned the married part of her life but then most of her life for the last year was nothing like she'd planned. She looked at the ring on her finger turning slightly and watching as the diamonds caught the light. There had been a time in her life when nothing less than an outrageously expensive ring would have done for her but this ring had belonged to Travis’s grandmother and she treasured it. Funny how priorities change so easily.

“your’e back” Haylie exclaimed slamming the back door. Jesse had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn’t even heard the back door open.

“is everything okay?”

“everything's.....Fine” Jesse answered heading for the cupboards and pulling out what she would need to put together a quick but filling lunch for all the men.

Haylie wasn’t so convinced but didn’t press the issue any further, instead pulled out the canvas bags and helped put lunch together.

“I can take all this out if you need me to” Haylie offered

“let's do it together, Trayce needs to know I am back so he can stop worrying”

Haylie just grinned, her older brother had been plenty worried.

Most of the men were pulling rocks out of a small part of pasture and loading them into a trailer while a few others were stringing wire between posts that had already been pounded into the ground.

“Jesse” Trayce called the instant she dismounted her horse and began pulling the canvas sacks from a larger pouch that sat across her horses rear “hey are you okay?” he asked running up to her

“everything is okay, my father just left a little unfinished business with his will and it had to be taken care of”

“you had me worried.....” it was then he noticed the ring on her finger and knew the rest

“did he force you into this?”

“I was the one that went pounding on his door at one in the morning Trayce. I had to be married or I would loose everything”

“you didn’t tell me anything at all. I would have stepped in”

“there are a lot of things you don’t know”

“I am Travis's brother, your employer and I run this ranch. Don’t you think I have a right to know?”

Jesse just wanted to let it all loose right there but she wasn’t about to break down in front of all these men.

“I’ll get Travis up to the house after dinner. We can all talk then”

Trayce was satisfied with that but still clearly not happy about being kept in the dark. After all he'd done for her he'd had a right to be upset.

Jesse returned to the house heading upstairs and and opening the windows on either side of the bed in Travis's old bedrom then proceeding to dust everything, shake out the carpets and send all the bed coverings downstairs for a good wash.