Wounded Legacy Chapter13

 Chapter 13

Sam didn't feel any better as the day went on. By the time lunchtime came around she was miserable and couldn't shake it off the way she normally would have. Memories of times when they were kids kept creeping into her thoughts. Heading into the house with Jericho, Sam realized her mom's car was gone. Laying on the table was a note from her. She had gone to the store but would be back to get Lily off the bus. Sam thought it was strange as she looked into the oven and found a pizza for lunch, still warm. Something was up and she had a pretty good idea what it was.

"What's eating at you Sam?" Jericho asked between bites. Sam shook her head, "I'm not sure, I just think Mom has something going on, she doesn't want me to know about." Jericho nodded, "Bet it has to do with Jake." Sam nodded, "Jericho, I don't know what to feel about Jake. I think I want him to..." She trailed off, not really knowing how to put into words her feelings. Jericho reached over and took both her hands in his. "Sam, if he can find a way, to be better person, would you want that for him?" Sam looked into his soft eyes, "Yes. I do, but I worry about Lily. She is so afraid of him, with good reason. If he starts to feel like he can come and go around here, Lily wouldn't react very well, just knowing he was around." Jericho nodded, "There has to be a start somewhere. Include Lily instead of trying to keep things from her. She is far older than her years, Sam."

Jericho's words struck a chord with Sam, she did need to explain more to Lily. Always trying to keep her from worrying was getting harder to do, because she was such a smart little cookie. Maybe if she did tell her everything and keep her in the loop, she would handle Jake's presence better. Still thinking about all of it, Sam put on her jacket and headed to the barn. A horn honking behind her, made her turn around to see Ned pulling his truck up to the house. "Hello stranger!" she called out. Ned smiled as he walked towards her, "Yea, yea. I know I haven't been around lately. You shouldn't take such good care of your livestock, or I would be here more often." he said, hugging her. "Of course, I have been a bit busier than normal lately." The twinkle in his eyes told Sam something was up. "Uh huh, and what's keeping you so busy these days? I think you just need to balance your time better." Sam told him as she jumped out of the way of his hand. "Don't you be smart with me girl, you are responsible anyway!" he laughed.

Sam smiled, "I take it your...dating life has improved?" Ned laughed, "Much! Thanks to you for putting in a good word for me. I dropped by today to talk about something else though, Sam. I was over at the ranch Jake is working on the other day. Had a cow that needed some help. Anyway, while I was working on her, a young boy about sixteen or so came out to watch. At first, I thought it was Lily looking at me, just for a second. I got so busy there, I didn't notice when he left and I didn't see him again. But, as I thought about it later, I wondered if that could have been Lily's brother? He works there on the ranch with Jake." Sam had listened intently and now she looked at Ned with worry. "But her brother isn't that old. Besides, would they let a child that age work on the ranch?" Ned shook his head, "He looks to be about sixteen, maybe not. I don't know Sam, it just kept nagging at me, the likeness of the two kids. I could be way off, you know. I just thought you should know of the possibility. Gotta go kid, see you later."

Sam waved as he pulled out of the drive, thinking about what he had said. Jericho walked up to her, "Something wrong, Sam?" She shook her head and told what Ned had told her. "Jericho, I need to know where Jake's ranch is." she said to him. Jericho gave her directions and she took off to find the ranch. Twenty minutes later she pulled up to the barn and saw Jake walking a horse into the corral. He was shocked to see her and sent the horse on it's way quickly. "Sam? Is anything wrong?" he asked, quickly walking to her. "No, I just wanted to tell you that I made the decision to go with you to the therapy session." she said. "Nice place. How many guys work here with you Jake?" she asked a little too pleasantly.
 Jake cranked his head around to the side, "What's up Sam, for real?" he asked.

Sam kicked at the dirt in front of her with the toe of her boot and her hands in her back pockets, trying to come up with an answer. Finally, she looked up at Jake, "I'm wondering about the kid that works here with you." Jake turned around and headed to the barn and Sam followed him, "Did I say something wrong?" "Nope." Jake said opening the barn door. He looked inside and called out, "Hey Tommy, you in here?" A skinny boy came out of a stall and looked at Jake. "Yea, I'm here." he answered. Jake called him outside. As soon as he saw Sam, his eyes opened wide and he threw down the shovel he had been carrying , turning to run. Quicker than he had anticipated, Jake grabbed his arm and stopped him. "Ok Tommy, what's going on here?" Jake asked him firmly. Sam answered for him, "He's Lily's brother." The boy looked at Sam as though she couldn't be trusted and said, "What do you know about Lily?" Jake shook his arm, "Fess up kid, what's been going on?" The boy hung his head and refused to speak. Jake looked to Sam with a questioning look, like what do I do now?

She stepped closer to Tommy, "I'm not here to get you in trouble Tommy. I came to tell you that Lily is just fine." His head shot up, "How do you know?" Sam looked him in the eye, "I adopted her instead of sending to foster care. She worries about you all the time, you know. She says a prayer for you every night." Tommy relaxed with the kindness in Sam's voice. "Tommy I know how old you are, I have a problem understanding how you got a job here." she told him. Jake was beginning to understand too, "You lied about your age, huh Tommy? Well, I can't say I blame you. School was never my choice either. I always just wanted to work." Tommy began to relax, feeling that Jake was on his side. "But you know Tommy, maybe we better talk about this."

Sam was looking at Jake with wide eyes, having never seen this side of Jake or even imagined that he had a side like this. He was patient with the boy, and kind. Jake had never been patient in his whole life. The boy put his hands in his pockets, "I was hungry. I figured if I could a job here, I could at least get a meal in the bunkhouse, and a bed too. I didn't have any other choice, except to keep walking." Jake nodded, "Ok Tommy, you still have a job. But we gotta talk to the boss about this. Just be honest, you know. I think she'll keep you on, and not turn you in to the kid police." Sam smiled at Jake's choice of words for Tommy, but continued to be amazed at his ability to calm this boy, so ready to run again. She smiled and said, "Tommy, Lily would love to see you. Would you come to the ranch for a visit with her? Or, I could bring her here and we could go get a bite to eat, I saw a diner on the way in." Tommy looked as if he were close to tears and nodded to Sam.

"I'll bring him by the ranch tonight after work. Would that be ok with you Sam?" Jake asked. Sam knew he was testing her and she wanted her words to convey the right thing. "How about if you drop him off at the ranch and I bring him back?" she looked at Jake to see his reaction to her plan. "Works for me, how about you Tommy?" Jake said. Tommy nodded with his head still down and Jake told him to go back to work. He turned to Sam, "I'll walk you back to your truck, we need to talk." Sam agreed and they started walking together. It struck her as funny, that she and Jake were in agreement about anything and she giggled. He cut his eyes over to her, "What?"
Sam shook her head, "Nothing, it's just funny how things turn out. I thought he would be far away from here by now. I never thought Lily would see him again." She looked at Jake to get his reaction, but there was no sign of anything on his face. At her truck they stopped and she said to him, "Thanks..for helping out with this. I guess you will talk to the boss, huh?" Jake nodded, "I have to. I wouldn't want her to be in trouble with the law. But I want this kid to catch a break too. He's a good kid, Sam."

Sam left the ranch with thoughts racing through her mind of what she needed to do about Tommy. Not having any ideas or even knowing the options, her thoughts went to Tim, so she drove there first before going home. He wasn't in, but she left him a note on his desk.
Now she would have to tell Lily about Tommy. Sam wondered how she would react, and worried that Lily would want him to come to the ranch and live. Maybe she should have left well enough alone and not gone to find Tommy. She had her hands full learning how to be a mom to Lily and she had no idea what to do about the boy. Just the thought of being responsible for another child, sent shivers of fear down her spine as she drove home.
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 12

Chapter 12

　
Sam got a cup of coffee and looked out the window for any sign of Jake lurking around. Lily came into the room and looked around for Jake. Not seeing him she went to Sam, "Can we eat now?" Sam looked at Robbie, " From the looks of the pot, someone already did." Robbie looked perturbed, "Yes Sam, I fed my son. Sorry." Robbie started dishing up the chili and slamming it onto the counter a little harder than she had meant to. The bowl broke and chili began to run out from beneath it. Lily ran and got paper towels for her. "I'll get it Lily!" Robbie told her sharply.

Lily ran to Sam crying into her arms. "Mom, I think I'll take Lily out for a burger." Sam told her. "Oh Sam, that's ridiculous. We have all this food ready here." Robbie replied indignantly, and then she began to cry. "I'm so sorry. I'm upset with myself, and taking it out on you two." Lily went to her and wrapped her arms around her waist. "Oh, sweetie, Nana's so sorry. I didn't mean to be so fussy." Robbie told her. Sam went into the family room and cut on the news, not up to having this discussion with her mother right now, she would have to think about helping Jake. She heard the door open and Jericho's voice filled the kitchen with laughter. She smiled to herself and opened the paper.

A huge picture on the inside front page showed her brother Jake, shaking hands with a firefighter. Sam sat up straighter and began to read the story. Apparently Jake had gone into a burning house and saved an elderly woman. The story went on for some time and praised Jake's heroism for such an unselfish act. Sam laid the paper down and went into the kitchen, finding Robbie sitting at the table, just staring out the window, as Jericho and Lily put the chili into bowls. "Mom, I read the paper. Is that why you are so upset now?" she asked Robbie. Robbie leaned over and touched her hand, "I'm sorry hon, it just threw me, reading about something good Jake had done and we weren't even aware of it..and he seems so, changed. I guess a mother always wants to know that her children are safe.. and that they have good in them. I don't even know where Jake is living or what it's like on the ranch he is working on." Sam nodded, understanding how her mother felt, "Let's ask Tim what he thinks about this new Jake." Robbie nodded, hoping that Sam could do what Jake had asked of her.

Robbie was bursting with pride over Jake's ability to save some one's life, but even she still questioned the new Jake. He seemed so much calmer, a Jake she had never witnessed before, but she was almost as reticent as Sam, about trusting his motives. Jake had never put anyone before himself, even as a child. Maybe this therapist could explain some of the mistakes they had made with him as a child. Robbie continued to think about all the possibilities, until she couldn't even hear what was going on in the room she was in. Feeling torn between her children was beginning to put more stress on her than she could handle. She moved around the kitchen the same as always, but with a deep concern over whether she could understand the situation clearly enough to help any of them. Robbie glanced around her kitchen, the place she was most comfortable in and realized that she needed to try and understand how Sam felt about this new turn of events. She and Luke had always just counted on Sam, without regard to how she might really be feeling. Jake had always come first with them and she knew that they had been wrong for many years.

"Here Jericho, I'll get the cornbread out." Sam told him. She was still thinking about Jake as she helped to finish get dinner on the table. Glancing over at her mother pouring the tea, she hoped she could find out something to ease her mind about Jake. She would call Tim later, maybe he knew something about where Jake was living, that would ease her mother's mind. Dinner was a happy meal after all, with Lily so proud of her cornbread. She looked over at Robbie, "Nana, you didn't give Jake any cornbread." Robbie and Sam looked over at her in amazement. Sam asked, "Did you want Jake to have some hon?" Lily didn't even look up, "Nope!" Sam smiled, knowing exactly how she felt.

After Sam put Lily to bed, she went into her room and opened the letter that Jake had given her. She laid it back down on the table by her bed and started to leave the room, wanting to be away from the paper by the bed. Curiosity got the best of her though, and she picked it up and began to read the words he had carefully printed. She laughed, thinking of the many arguments her parents had with Jake in school, because he refused to write in cursive. As she read the last words, she was torn between anger and forgiveness for her brother. She wanted to continue the anger towards him, but her heart just wouldn't allow it. Sam sat on the edge of the bed and went over the words again. He had apologised several times, and admitted to all the bad behaviours as a child and adult. He begged for her forgiveness, in a childlike manner that she couldn't ignore, but then she questioned it. Was he trying to win her over with a new tactic? She placed the letter in the drawer of her desk and went downstairs to find her mother sitting in Luke's recliner, reading a letter of her own.

Robbie looked over her glasses at Sam, "Sit down honey. We need to talk." Sam sat on the hassock in front of her mother. "I know how hard this is for you to believe Sam, that Jake has changed. I guess I have just begun to realize how much you and Tim had to endure from Jake growing up. Maybe I'm the one that needs therapy. But, this could be a new beginning for him Sam, don't you think we should at least check it out?" She gave Sam a pleading look. Sam was quietly thinking over the events that had taken place. "Mom, did you notice how Jake's visit affected Lil? She is scared to death of him." Sam told her. "With good reason, and I think a little intuition as well. She doesn't trust him at all Mom, neither do I." Robbie was saddened, thinking that Sam would stop Jake from finding his way to happiness. "But I am thinking about it Mom." Robbie smiled at her and hoped that they could both do the right thing for all of them for a change.

The next day came with a strong wind blowing in from the north. Sam was glad they had gotten all the calves shipped before the really cold came. Jericho was feeding the mares and checking on them, they had several ready to foal soon. Sam got on the tractor and headed into the hay barn to begin taking the large round bails out to the pasture for the cows. Jericho would go to the low grounds and feed there. As she went through the gate, she noticed a car pulling up to the house. She didn't recognize the car and decided to go find out who it was. Sam shut the gate and left the tractor running. She opened the door to find Tim and Selena sitting at the table. "Well, what's this?" she said as she hugged them both.

'Here Sam, your coffee." Robbie said handing her a cup. Tim coughed and looked at Sam, "We just came from the doctor. Selena is going on bed rest, starting today. So, we thought we'd come by and try and con Mom into helping us out." Sam smiled, "I think that's a perfect idea." Robbie wasn't smiling, "What about you all, how will you ever eat?" "I think we can manage just fine. Lily is such a big help, it won't be any trouble. Mom, I know you want to help, we'll be fine. You just take care of these two!" Sam told her as she hugged Tim. "Now wait a minute you guys!" Selena said, laughing. "I only need a little help each day, I don't need a baby sitter." Robbie laughed, "Yes, but you have a two story house, and you won't be able to go up and down the steps. It's better if I'm there with you."

Selena got serious, "As much as I appreciate all of your help, I really don't want to feel like someone is hovering over me. I have my laptop and lots of books. I can manage most of the day all by myself. It would be great if you could come in the afternoon maybe. After Lily gets off the bus, I would love seeing her for a bit."

Robbie bit her lip realizing that Selena didn't want her there all the time, "Alright, what ever you want. Lily would love to come and help. That way, I can fix supper here in the morning and I'll make yours in the afternoon." Everyone laughed and the matter was settled. Selena and Tim left and Sam went back out to work, still thinking about what she should do about Jake's request. Finally, Sam couldn't stand thinking about it anymore and went in to find Robbie. "Mom." she called out. Robbie came in from the laundry room, "Hi honey, you want coffee?" "No Mom, I came in to tell you I'll go see Jake's therapist with you." Sam told her and went back out the door, hoping to feel better about her decision as the day wore on. She wanted to help her mother too, and the only way to do that was to try and help Jake, from a distance hopefully.

　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The restaurant was full and they had to wait outside for their table with a beeper, that would let them know when their table was ready. Lily was so happy, she couldn't stand still, as she jumped from one line on the sidewalk to the other. Sam was her real Mom, on paper, with a judge's signature and nobody could take her away. Tim and Selena smiled at one another, then looked at Sam. Tim said, "Well Sis, you didn't have to change all the diapers for Lily, so maybe you can help us out with them." Sam frowned, not getting what he meant for a moment, "You mean, you two are having a baby?" As it finally sunk in, Robbie looked up into their smiling faces,"Oh, oh. How wonderful! Two grandchildren. I wish Luke could be here." She was happy and sad all at the same time as she hugged them.

Sam felt the same way her mother did, but her happiness outweighed any sadness tonight. Lily was truly her child, legally as well as in her heart. All the visits from Social Services didn't seem nearly as bad now, even though the woman that had made the visits, was not very nice to them. She had tried to find a way to prove that Sam had stolen the child. Of course she couldn't prove any wrong doing at all, far from it, but it was trying for them at the time. Now, they would never have to put up with her frowning face again. Sam laughed at Lily's attempt to crack open a Lobster. She had chosen that, with Tim's prodding, as her celebration meal. A hamburger would have suited her just as well.
The next morning Sam and Jericho started early, taking care of the horses at the barn, Matt showed up earlier than they expected and he was a big help to them, taking some of the work load off of Sam. They loaded the horses in the trailer and two four wheelers on the trucks.

The calves had been taken away from the mother's two weeks earlier and had been separated into a holding pasture far enough away from the mother's, so they didn't try to go to them. Today they would all be loaded onto trucks and taken to market, with the help of the horses and four wheelers. Sam was glad for the chill in the air today, it seemed to give her the energy she needed, with a little extra to keep her on her toes before heading out to the low grounds. They would start bringing the weaned calves in to the waiting trucks first and then go after the more crafty ones, that had jumped out of the way of the waiting trucks at the last second, saving them for last. The money from the calves would give her the extra money to rent a piece of land that adjoined their property.

Jake's debts had taken a large chunk of their funds and Sam had devised a plan to build them back up again. The thought of having to sell any part of the ranch, was heavy on her mind these days. Sam and Tim had talked over the options and come up with a solution. It was long term and wouldn't happen overnight, but it was a solid plan. Sam had rented several hundred acres to build the cattle herd on. The purchase of another herd of cows with calves at their sides, would eventually make more money for the ranch. Sam had hardly ever even taken a paycheck from the ranch, all her needs had been pretty simple. Now though, she needed to think about Lily and all the things she would be needing in the future, so the success of the ranch was up to her and it weighed heavy on her shoulders.
With Luke's death, Sam had to come face to face with the realities of life. She now realized that her mother wasn't getting younger either. Sam was responsible for all of them and she took her responsibility seriously. Tim had been a major help to her, advising her on how to prepare for any contingency. As Lily's only parent, she had to be sure that if something happened to her, there would be someone to take care of Lily. Tim and Selena had assured her they would love to have her with them. The list of things to take care of, became a weight around Sam's neck. One day a week had been dedicated to the office. It was too easy to put it off and fall behind Sam had found, since Luke was no longer there to take care of things. Sam had always used the evenings to catch up on the book work, but now she spent that time with Lily and other things.

Lily loved to be in the kitchen and had encouraged Sam to join she and Robbie with some of the cooking. Sam began to enjoy it almost as much as Lily did. Robbie and Lily had been playing a game, pretending that they had their own cooking show. Trying to work around one another in the old fashioned kitchen had become increasingly hard to manage, so Sam and Jericho built a center island and did away with the table in the middle of the kitchen. They moved the table over in front of the window and put bar stools at the island. Lily was delighted to have so much space to spread out, whenever she was chopping on her very own chopping board.
Robbie had always made soups and chowders when the weather began to turn cold and Lily loved helping her make them now. The were making a huge pot of chili for Sam and Jericho today, the rest they would freeze in meal size containers.

The last truck pulled out of the ranch just before dark and Sam came in and stood in the doorway with her nose pointed upward. "Mmm, I smell chili!" she said smiling. Lily jumped down from her stool and ran to her, "Come on, take a taste of it!" She told her as she grabbed Sam's hand and dragged her over to the pot on the stove. Sam willingly went with her and took a taste. "I think that's the best chili I ever tasted, Lil. You guys are going to have to enter the fair next year with that recipe."

Lily and Robbie winked at one another, "We plan to! But, we have to get the recipe just right for the cheesy corn bread first. We have work to do on that." Lily told her with a stern little face. Sam left them to take a long hot shower. When she got out and walked into her room, Lily was sitting on her bed, hugging a pillow. "Hey Lil, what's up?" she asked casually. "Jake is in the kitchen." Lily told her with fear in her eyes. Sam quickly threw on her clothes on and ran down the steps.

Jake was sitting at the island, with Robbie. He looked up at Sam and smiled, "Hi Sam." Her hand was holding onto the door and she couldn't take the few steps toward them, her mind was racing with all the things that could take place with Jake here. Desperately trying to calm herself, she nodded to him, without smiling. Jake was still looking at her with that..smile. She had never seen this smile before, it was..soft. Robbie looked at Sam and told her, "Come have some coffee with us hon. Jake is just visiting." Sam relaxed a little and went into the room, almost skirting around Jake, not wanting to be near enough that he could touch her. Her brain would not shut up as she searched for something to say to him, without success. Taking a deep breath she sat across from them on a bar stool and took a sip of her coffee, hoping her nerves weren't showing.

Jake sat his cup down and folded his hands, leaning back against the stool, "Sam, I know you are still afraid of me. You sure have a right to be, but you don't need to be anymore. I came here today to ask a favor of you and mom." Sam's lips tightened into a thin line and she looked straight into his eyes. Suddenly she realized his eyes were different, softer somehow too. She relaxed a bit and waited for him to continue. Robbie stood with her head down and Sam couldn't read what she was thinking. "Sam, I've been in therapy since the day that Dad took me to the hospital. I've come a long way, but I need to go a lot further with it. In order to see and confront all of my demons, I need for you and Mom to come to a session with me." Jake told her in a very quiet tone.

Sam was trying to gauge this new tone in Jake's voice and comprehend what he was asking. Robbie cleared her throat, "Sam, he's asking for our help. Do we give it to him?" Sam jerked her head over to her mother, "I'm thinking!" She was immediately sorry to have spoken to her mother that way, "I'm sorry Mom. This is just so..out of the blue. Why do you need us to help you Jake?" He smiled, "You have all put up with me through the mean and hateful times, but.. I don't remember what happens. I need to understand what I have done to you. I'm not proud of any of it, I just want to change Sam. I can feel myself leaning toward becoming a different person, but I need help in finding who that is."

Sam felt a shiver go down her spine as he spoke with such feeling. She had never thought that Jake actually had feelings, just anger. A memory of one Christmas came into her head, of Jake throwing his toys around the room and into the tree. They weren't the ones he had wanted and he began to break everything under the Christmas tree. Her new bike had gotten bent from his tirade and she couldn't even ride it that day. Her hurt and tears were gone unnoticed by her parents, while they tried to calm Jake down. He threw the fit and got all the attention afterwards too, always. Now, here he was asking her for help. "Jake, I think I need more information. I can't put myself in a situation that would..be hurtful." she told him. He nodded, "Well, maybe you and Mom could meet with my therapists without me the first time. Would that help you to be more comfortable?"
Sam tried to digest this without seeming too hard on him. She laughed at herself, still the sister trying to make everything alright, "Yes Jake, I think that might be better. I'm very glad that you are continuing with this. It seems..well, you look good." Jake laughed, "You mean I don't seem so frightening? I know Sam, I don't feel angry anymore. That is because of the meds I'm taking." He looked at her to see how she responded to this information. Sam showed no sign of approval or disapproval, she just sat very still. "Sam, I have a letter for you. I hope you will read it." He got up and told them goodbye, he had to go. He was working on a small ranch not far from them. It gave him enough money to live on and a roof over his head in the bunkhouse.

As the door closed behind him, Lily came into the kitchen and climbed up on Sam's lap. "Is he coming back again?" she asked warily. Sam needed to be very careful how she answered, Lily was so scared of Jake she needed to make her feel safe. Robbie answered for Sam, "He will only be back if we invite him honey. He won't just be coming in the door, the way Jericho does." Lily contemplated this and said, "Good. Will he make me go away?" Sam grabbed her tighter, "Never! You are mine and you and I are staying right here where we belong. Right Mom?" Robbie joined them in their hug, "Lily, you are home, where you belong. We might have to help Jake to continue to..heal. He might come back, but you will always be safe honey. I won't let anyone, especially Jake, hurt you." Sam told her. Lily was not convinced, but she didn't tell them, she kept it to herself....and just smiled.

　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

　
Sam pulled her horse up and looked back, waiting for Lily to catch up. Lily had taken to riding like a fish to water. She didn't mind what the terrain they covered was like, she trusted Munch to take her through it. Munch stopped beside Sam's horse and she and Lily looked out to the mountains beyond, with the beautiful blue sky above them. "This is really pretty." Lily said sitting with her hands on the saddle horn, the reins loosely grasped between them. "What's that big one over there?" she asked. Sam smiled, "That's Lonely Mountain. I don't really know how it got it's name, sounds kind of sad, huh?" Lily nodded, but stayed silent, just admiring the scenery around her.

"Come on, we better get back, Mom will worry." Sam told her turning her horse around. They started back down the path that had brought them to the small summit, the horses carefully choosing their way among the rocks. The ranch was located about a half mile down, in a valley that went for miles. Luke had loved to come up to this little summit and made sure the path was always cleared from fallen trees or rocks, that may have slid down during a hard rain. Sam loved it now more than before, it gave her a sense of being close to him, as she rode.
"I'm hungry!" Lily called out to her. Sam laughed, "And what else is new? Don't worry, we're almost home."

Lily giggled and left Sam to let the horses into the paddock, running to the house, where she knew Robbie would have lunch ready. School had started and they tried to pack in as much as they could on Saturday. Sometimes, Jericho would ride with them and they would check on the cattle before heading home. Lily loved Jericho. He had somehow taken the place of Luke for Lily, as quietly as a cloud passing by. He had started at the ranch the week after Luke died and fit in well with them. He was staying in the tack room until the cabin was finished with the refurbishing. It was almost done and he would soon move into it. Lily didn't like it at all that he wouldn't be as close, she loved to go running out to the tack room to see him after supper and they would watch T.V. together, unless he stayed at the house for awhile and they would all gather in the family room.

Jericho was in his fifties and had no family that he had mentioned, so it worked well having him live on the ranch. He had lost his retirement from the ranch he had worked at before, for twenty eight years and Sam had come up with a way for him to create a fund for a new one. She knew all too well how it felt to lose something you had worked so hard for. She had set Jericho up a plan to save part of his salary, but also an incentive plan as well. At the end of the year, he would receive a portion of the cows to sell and put the proceeds into the plan. This way he didn't have to pay the taxes on that money. He used Luke's truck and the cabin was included, so his needs were few, allowing him to put a large portion of his salary into the fund. All the work on the cabin would be deducted from taxes for Sam, so it was a very workable relationship for them both. He was pleasant to be around and had a quiet way about him. Sam appreciated this trait, it reminded her of her father as they went about their duties together on the ranch.

Robbie had been a little reticent about Jericho taking his meals with them, but Sam had convinced her that he needed his meals at the ranch to make it easier on them all and there was certainly no way to cook out in the barn. That way, he and Sam kept to the same schedule. It didn't take Robbie long to realize that he was trustworthy and welcomed him into the house, enjoying listening to him tell stories in the evenings.
As usual, Lily had contributed to her letting down the barriers with Jericho. She would take his hand to go look after the young horses after lunch and he laughed at her antics and made sure she was safe. Dogs and children always knew who to trust.

Sam sat at the table with the last of her coffee, thinking about the days to come. She and Jericho had a lot of work to do and they could use another hand. Jericho had called several men that he had known, but they were all working elsewhere and couldn't lend then a hand. Sam was trying to figure out a way they could get all the calves weaned and the other's sold. Robbie came in and laid Lily's clean clothes on the table to fold. "Anything wrong honey?" she asked. Sam shook her head, "No, not really, just thinking." Jericho came in sat across from Sam, picking up one of Lily's shirts and smelling it. "So that's why she always smells so sweet." he laughed and looked up Robbie.

Robbie frowned, "Jericho, how do you do laundry?" He laughed his soft laugh and said, "I go to the Laundra Rama on Saturday night. Why, did you think I only wore dirty clothes?" He winked at Sam and she laughed. Robbie put her hands on her hips, "You are more than welcome to use the machine here Jericho, anytime you need to. I should have thought of that before, I'm sorry I didn't." He put up his hand, "No thank you. I don't want to be a bother, besides, it won't be long now until I move into the cabin, and Sam made sure to get a washer/dryer to go in there." Robbie headed out the door to Lily's room, "Jericho, just use the one here until then, will you please? We thought you were going out for beer on Saturday nights." She laughed as she went up the stairs, knowing full well, Jericho was not a drinker.

Sam about choked on her coffee with her mother's last remark, then winked at Jericho, "You better do it. You don't want her getting on her high horse and going out there dragging your dirty laundry in." Jericho looked at Sam in horror. "Fine, I'll do my laundry here from now on, I'll make sure the time suits Robbie." Sam laughed at the look on his face, "I'm sorry Jericho, I just couldn't resist getting that look from you." He smiled and then said, "Sam, have you heard anything about Jake lately?" Sam immediately became alert, "No, have you?" Jericho tucked his head down, "Well..Joe Mundy said he saw Jake at the diner the other day. I just thought..never mind." Sam looked at him, "You just thought, that if Jake were around, he would come back here and kick you out, right?" He nodded, "It would seem logical, don't you think?" "No Jericho, I don't. Jake is going to have to find his way somewhere else and he knows that. I hope he is still going to therapy, but he won't be coming back here." She told him in no uncertain terms. From her tone and manner, Jericho believed her.

Suddenly, he slammed his fist on the table, "Sam! I forgot about the perfect person to help us out! I saw him at the hardware store the other day, and heard him ask Joe if he knew of any work around. You might know him, Matt Henderson." Sam shook her head, "No, I don't, but if you think he would be a good fit, see if you talk to him." He took his phone and headed out to the barn, waving goodnight. Sam put her cup in the dishwasher and went up to tuck Lily in. She loved this quiet time at night with her, reading in bed, while Lily got sleepy. All sleepy and snuggly feeling, Sam would tell her stories until her little eyes wouldn't stay open any more and sometimes she would fall asleep beside her.

Early the next morning, Sam noticed a truck that she didn't know, pulled up beside the barn. Watching from the kitchen window, she saw Jericho talking to a guy with a cap on, rather than a cowboy hat, quite a bit taller than Jericho leaning against the truck. They began walking to the house. She went to the door and waited for them, hoping this was the guy that Jericho had spoken of last night. "Good morning Sam. I'd like you to meet Matt Henderson." Jericho said. "Hi there, good to meet you. So, are you going to be able to help us out for awhile?" she asked as she shook his hand. They took a seat on the porch and Sam realized she didn't have a jacket on, the weather was starting to turn chilly early this and year.

"Well, yeah, I can use the work, that's for sure. I can be here tomorrow, if that's ok with you. Today, I promised my mom to help her do a few things. I'd hate to let her down, you know how Mom's are." Matt told them, smiling. Sam looked at Jericho and said, "Sounds good to me. Jericho will tell you the drill and get things started on that end. I need some information from you too, so come in for coffee tomorrow, before we get started." He nodded and headed to his truck, with a wave. Sam and Jericho went into the kitchen for coffee. "Jericho, how much do you know about him?" Sam asked, handing him his cup. "He's ok. No record or anything, if that's what you mean. He used to work for a ranch over in Gaylaville, until his mom got sick. He moved back here to help her out. That's a pretty good guy in my book, and..he's not married." he told her with a laugh. Sam nodded, impressed with the information, but made a note to be sure and get the other ranch's information so she could get a recommendation from them, or whatever else there might be.

Jericho headed out to the barn just as Tim came in the door. "Good morning Sis. Coffee smells good, you mind?" he said as he reached for a cup. "You know better than that. How about some breakfast?" Sam offered, glad to see him anytime. "No thanks, I brought you some paper work." he answered. Sam frowned, "What kind?" Tim laughed, "The kind you have been waiting for." Sam turned to him, "You mean.." He handed her a large envelope. Her hands were shaking as she opened it. Reading the whole thing twice, just to be sure, tears flowed down her cheeks, "It's real. She's mine forever!" Tim nodded and took her hand as Robbie came in the room and saw her tears, "Sam, honey!" Sam handed her the papers, smiling. Robbie looked over at Tim and he nodded. "Oh Sam!" Tim got up and hugged Sam and Robbie, "I think this calls for a celebration. Let's all go out to dinner tonight."

Sam looked at Tim with a frown, "Are you sure there's no family at all out there? I just keep wondering about her brother Tommy, if he's even alive. Lily says a prayer for him every night." Robbie patted her back, "He might come back one day honey, you never know." Sam nodded, "Lily would love that." They made plans to all meet at a restaurant outside of town and Tim left. Leaving Sam to wonder again about Lil's brother Tommy. She wondered if he would be happy for Lil or not.
　
　
　

　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 9

　

　
Sam and Robbie sat in the lounge chairs beside the pool at the Y, closely watching Lily in her swimming class. Lily was loving the class and the friends that she had made. She couldn't wait each day to leave for her class and practically shoved Sam out the door to get there early. Lily loved to get there early and spend time with her new friends before the class got started. She was blossoming right in front of their eyes and Sam was learning new lessons each day as well. Robbie had settled into the role of grandmother with a sense of ease now, accepting Lily as her grandchild completely. She was able to spoil Lily in ways she had never dreamed of spoiling her own children, because she had learned from Sam how to let go and feel free to love her completely. Free, from the confining walls of angry outbursts always closeby.

Robbie had lost her way in dealing with her children early in the game, and had lost out on the love she had to give them as well, it was all pent up inside of her. She had spent all of her time and energy trying to find ways to keep the one child happy, so he wouldn't take out his anger on his siblings or them. A mistake she could see clearly now. She and Luke had spent many hours lately, talking about the battle they had fought for so long, the battle named Jake. Trying so hard to love him through all of his tantrums and bullying, they had let the other two drift away on their own, at an early age. Tim's refusal to come home for a visit during his college years, should have told them years before, they had created a monster and would reap the burdens of that creation, for years to come. But the mistakes had already been made and now they could only work at it, one day at a time. Luke had been forced by Jake, to put his name back on the account through fear of him, not realizing that he would take all the money to pay gambling debts. When Luke had discovered how far Jake had gone, he realized that he couldn't continue along the same path with Jake, no matter how mad he got.

Luke had made the discovery by accident. He had gone to the ATM to get some cash out and was denied access. It was early in the day, so Luke went into the bank to see what was wrong with his card. Once inside, he was appalled to find that Jake had emptied the account, completely. It was overdrawn by a huge amount, which was illegal as well as devastating. Luke and his longtime friend, Ted Royal, the bank manager, replaced the money through Luke's retirement account. It was quite a blow, to have to use the money that Luke had managed to aquire, little by little, over many years, to bail out Jake, yet again.

Luke left the bank that day with a heavy heart, but also with a new attitude, concerning Jake. Sam had been right all along and they had treated her as the child in the wrong, welcoming Jake back to the ranch with a free hand to destroy what they had built. Sam, the child that always tried to get along...and they had treated her so badly, she wanted to leave the ranch to be away from Jake. She was as responsible as Luke for taking the ranch to the level it had reached anyway, not Jake. Luke had to take a long hard look back at himself and the way he had depended on Sam, not Jake, to make the ranch a success. How stupid could one man be, he had asked himself over and over since that day. He had taken her for granted her entire life, and she kept giving and giving, with little given in return. They had expected so much from her, with little thought to how her life should be growing.

Luke worried that he had a much harder job in front of him, convincing Robbie how things stood, than he did with Sam. Robbie had taught herself to give in to Jake so everything would go along, without more trouble. But if you told Jake no, he would make life miserable for all of those around him, to the point they never knew what he would do. Luke had been right, Robbie was hard to convince, but Jake actually took care of that for him, as it turned out. When Luke confronted Jake about the missing money, the same day that Bubba had brought the check to the house, Jake flew into a rage. A rage the likes they had never witnessed before. Robbie was scared to death, as Jake loomed overtop of Luke with his fist ready to take aim at Luke. Jake was so red in the face, Luke was afraid his son would have a stroke, more than he was afraid for himself. As the situation became intolerable for Robbie to watch, she finally realized that Jake was out of control. She stepped in between them, trying to calm Jake down and he shoved her down to the floor, hard. At that point, Luke shot a right to Jake's jaw and knocked him over into the chair. Unable to keep his balance from the surprise of Luke's fist, Jake hit the floor hard, with Luke quickly standing over him, daring him to continue his behavior and ready to protect his wife again, with both fists ready.

Jake looked over at his mother, lying on the floor on the other side of the kitchen and was horrified at what he had done, as though he had just woken up from a bad dream. He had come close many times before, but had never laid a hand on her. He put one hand up, "I'm done Dad. I can't believe I actually.. wanted to hit you. I'm sorry..Mom..." Luke stepped back and told him, more firmly than he ever had, "Sorry won't do it this time Jake. You have to get some help, real help. We can't continue to enable you any longer, you have to find another place to be." Sam had come in just as the words came from her dad's lips. She stood still and held her hands on Lily's shoulder to keep her still. Luke reached over and helped Robbie to her feet. Jake was up on his feet by then and hung his head, holding onto the chair in front of him, "I'm sorry everyone." He looked at Lily, "You belong here more than me Lily. I'm.. sorry I..was so mean." He headed for the door and Sam moved to let him pass.

Luke called out to him, "Jake! Wait, I'll be going with you, wherever you choose, to get help. Today, now." Jake turned to his father, "Dad.." Luke stepped toward him, "I mean it Jake. If you don't find some help today, right now, I will press charges against you for stealing the money, then you will go somewhere, jail." Sam gasped and looked at Robbie. Robbie went to her husband and stood with him, "Your Dad is right Jake, we'll both press charges, together. I may not have stood up to you before, from fear, but I'm not afraid anymore." Jake and Sam both stared at their parents in disbelief. "Today Jake." Robbie said again with more passion than Sam had ever heard from her mother.

"Sit down Jake, Lily go to your room and play honey." Sam was in motion and in get it done mode now. She picked up the phone and called the Sheriffs office to find out where they should take Jake, immediately, explaining how vital it was. She wrote down the information and handed it to Luke. He made the call and they were gone in ten minutes, to the hospital, Luke and Jake alone. Luke had made sure that Jake was admitted and then headed straight for home. It wasn't meant for Luke to return home today, however. After making sure his son was taken care of one last time, Luke suffered a massive heart attack, two miles from home, running his truck off the road down an embankment. He died there in his truck, his hands still clenching the steering wheel, as if trying to stop the inevitable reality, that he faced alone. The truck didn't crash hard, it just stopped, as if at the end of it's travels.

Sam and Robbie had started dinner and Lily was standing in her chair at the sink, peeling potatoes, when the deputy knocked on the door. Robbie wiped her hands on the towel hanging on her shoulder and opened the door. The deputy hung his head down and took off his hat, "Mam, I'm sorry, but I've got some bad news. Sam and Lily stood silent and still, waiting for him to continue, yet not wanting to hear what they feared. Robbie grabbed the door for support as the deputy told her of Luke's death. She fell to the floor as the deputy reached out and held onto her, breaking her fall. Sam flew to her mother's side and held onto to her, there in the middle of the doorway, rocking her back and fourth as Robbie sobbed into her dish towel. Silent tears flowed down Sam's cheeks. Lily still stood in the chair, unable to move, her huge eyes taking it all in.

After what seemed like hours, Sam helped her mother to the chair. "Mom, I'm going to call Tim." Robbie nodded and laid her head down on the table. Sam motioned for Lily to get down from the chair and hugged her tightly. "Honey, Grampy won't be coming home today." Lily looked straight into her eyes, "He died, didn't he? Like my parents." There was no emotion in her voice as she said the dreaded words out loud. Numbness had taken hold of Sam and she wanted to just cry or scream, but she had to help this child understand. "Yes honey, like them. But I'm not going anywhere. You and I are just fine, ok?" Lily nodded and hugged her, then she went to Robbie and crawled onto her lap, "We're here Nana. We're here." She soothed Robbie and rubbed her back, the way they did for her, when she was hurt. Robbie looked up at Sam and smiled, stroking Lily's hair, allowing the words of this small child to soften her pain.

Sam called Tim as she thanked the officer and took down the information they would need to take care of Luke. Sam had never in her whole life lost someone. She went about the motions of doing the things that had to be done without feeling, just a numbness that seemed to cloak her body. She just wanted to be done with those things, so she could find a place to be alone and hide from it, she wanted to undo the last hour and make it go away. Her mind was screaming at her to hurry up!! But her body was still there in the kitchen with the phone in her hand, waiting for the constant ringing to stop. Tim wasn't answering and Sam was suddenly overwhelmed. She couldn't do this, she couldn't take care of her mother and..Tim walked in the door and went to his mother. Sam dropped the phone to the floor, letting it continue ringing and went to them. They huddled in the middle of the kitchen, crying and holding each other for some time. When they finally broke apart, wiping their tears and trying to comprehend the reality that Luke wouldn't be walking in the door the way he did each day, a flood of neighbors came through it. All of them concerned and unbelieving that Luke could be gone. Their intentions were only of kindness and concern, but it was too much for Sam as she nodded and smiled, asking herself the whole time, why did she have to smile, why were her lips forming a smile when all she wanted to do was scream?

One of the neighbors had heard the news on the police scanner and it had spread quickly from there. Luke was a truly loved neighbor and so was Robbie, that's why they all came so quickly, they just cared and felt the need to help. Sam didn't know what to do with all these people and snuck away through the front door, out to the barn. She went to the very last stall and sat on a bale of straw, hoping no one would look for her. The tears and wrenching pain came from her like a flood, leaving her limp and unable to breath. Tim found her there, crumpled over the bale and holding onto it. He held onto her as she cried some more, finally letting all the years of tears that had been held at bay, to fall from her.
"You gonna be ok?" Tim asked tentatively. Sam nodded and told him she was sorry. "Hey, don't be sorry, I feel the same way..maybe not the same. I just got him back in my life and now..." He stopped, choked up and was unable to say anymore. Sam hugged him and they walked back to the house arm in arm, not wanting to go back there yet, but knowing they needed to be there to support Robbie. Lily saw them coming from the window and ran to Sam, jumping into her arms, "What am I going to do if you ever get too big for my arms?" Sam laughed. Lily smiled and reached out for Tim too, including him in her hugs, lifting some of the grief they felt.

The funeral was held two days later at their church. Sam felt as if she were in a movie theatre, watching it unfold around her, not really being in the reality of what was happening around her, but as an onlooker, on this the final day, the last time he would be closeby. They would put her father in the ground today and she would never be able to tell him how much she loved him. She had let all the days go by, without telling him. An emptiness filled her as she made her mind go blank now, right in the middle of this..thing, going on around her. Sam hated it, the funeral. She just wanted to be alone. She could feel her mother sitting beside her and Tim on the other side, but she couldn't really focus, as the room began to blur in front of her. Sam felt her limbs go limp and stared at her hands, trying to bend them to her face to wipe the tears that wouldn't obey her command to stop, but her hands wouldn't move. They were dead too, like her father. Her hands..wouldn't move..

Then she felt the tiny hand on hers, covering up the blurred image of her own hand with the tiny tanned one of her child. Lily had felt Sam's pain and leaned into her, to comfort her. Sam felt the blood rushing back into her body, giving it life again through the love from this child. She took a deep breath and put her arm around Lily, gaining strength from her.
Realizing that her own child had known how to give her strength and love, she put the other arm around her mother, pulling her close.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Chapter Nine

Wounded Legacy Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

　
Sam and Lily arrived back at the ranch after breakfast with Ned and found Luke's truck gone. Sam might be angry with her father, but she didn't want him to have a relapse from doing too much too soon. She headed into the house to find her mother folding Lily's clothes in the laundry room. "Mom, I can take care of her laundry, you don't have to do that." Robbie smiled at her daughter, "Oh, I like doing it honey. That's my job around here. We all have our jobs to do. You, your dad..and Jake." Robbie looked at Sam as if she was challenging her to a quarrel. "Ok, how about Jericho? Does he have a job to do around here?" Sam countered. Robbie continued to fold the clothing, "No, he doesn't. Jake let him go this morning."

Sam hadn't figured on Jake taking over so soon, she shouldn't have left so early this morning. "Where is he?" Her mother looked stunned by Sam's tone, "Where is who?" Sam took a deep breath, "Jake."Robbie picked up the clothes and headed for the door, "I have no idea, I take care of the house, I don't know what anybody does elsewhere on this place. I just take care.. of..the house." Robbie had started to cry and dropped all the freshly done clothes. She bent down to pick them up and Sam took her by the hands, "Do you see what happens now, when Jake is allowed to rule the roost, Mom? None of us are safe from his wrath." She led Robbie into the kitchen, where Lily stood staring at the door. Sam looked at the door and saw that Jake was standing there with the door wide open. He had heard the whole conversation.

"Sam, I'm not the one upsetting Mom, you are!" he yelled at her. Sam stood up tall, " Yeah, I'm the one at fault here Jake, you are innocent, totally innocent. And..horse's fly!!" Jake took a step toward her and Sam stood her ground, she wouldn't give him the satisfaction anymore, and turn tail and run from him. Lily came and stood beside Sam, looking from one to the other. "Don't you hurt my Mommy!!" she cried at Jake. Jake turned red in the face and screamed at her, "She ain't your nothing kid, and you don't belong here at all." Sam didn't move a muscle, "We won't be here long Jake, you've taken care of that, haven't you?"

Jake snorted, "Somebody had to get things back in place, you sure aren't capable of doing anything right."

Robbie had stood and witnessed Jake's wrath against Sam, and was shocked to her very soul. "Jake, I had no idea...Sam, I'm so sorry honey." Jake turned and stormed out the house, spraying gravel behind him as his truck headed out the drive. Sam watched him go and became aware of another truck coming in. She hoped it was her dad. He had no business out in the truck so soon. It soon  became apparent that it wasn't her dad, as the truck pulled up in front of the house. Bubba got out and waved to her. Sam smiled and called him to the house, "Come on in."

After Sam had poured him a cup of coffee and sat in the chair opposite him, he looked down at his cup, "Sam, I'm awful sorry to have to do this, ya'll have already had your share of troubles, lately." Sam looked confused, "What do you mean, do what?" "Well, your check for those cows bounced. I held it for awhile and had the bank check to see if the money had come in afterwards. But I can't wait any longer, I need my money." Sam was astonished and couldn't speak. A million different things were flying around in Sam's head, but none of them made sense. "Bubba, I don't know what to say. I keep the books, that money should have been there, plus a lot more." Bubba shook his head, "Yeah, I know honey. I been hearing about all the money Jake's been..losing again. Guess he thought nobody'd know if he was over my way, doing his business. But it spreads like wildfire, when somebody is down on his luck in small towns like ours."

Sam took what he said and ran it around her head, with no good answer. "Mom!" she called her mother to the kitchen. Before Robbie could greet Bubba Sam started, "Mom, the money for the cows is gone. The check bounced!" Robbie put her hand over her mouth. "What did you give Jake access to?" Sam demanded. Robbie looked at her, afraid to answer, but finally said in a whisper, "Everything Sam. He wanted to take over the books, he said you didn't know how to do it, that it was your fault the money was messed up."

This was the final straw for Sam. She sat down and put her head in her hands trying to breath.

The back door opened and Luke came in, "Bubba, good to see you, I was headed over to your place later today, here's your check. I sure am sorry for the mix up. I would never have let this happen if I had been well. I seem to have lost my mind, along with that heart thing." Bubba took the check, "Is it good Luke? You can tell me, if I need to hold it for a while, we've been friends a long time." Luke smiled, "It's good. It's a new account." Sam's head flew up with this information. Her dad just held up his hand, for her to just wait, for him to explain himself to her later.

Suddenly, Sam knew that she couldn't just run away from her heritage, she had put her whole life into this ranch too, she couldn't allow Jake to run the whole thing into the ground. While her dad and Bubba talked about the cattle business over coffee, she made up her mind to stay on the ranch and work hard to keep it in the family. Somehow, her thinking had changed from anger to empathy for her father, while she sat across from him, listening to his voice and seeing his unsteady smile. Sam smiled to herself, thinking how she could now understand her father's wrenching decisions about his child, Jake. In the few months that she had become Lily's mom, her whole being had changed to think of Lily first. Her needs were more important than Sam's, and she could see now, that her father was being unfairly pulled between his children. She would have to work on her thinking some more later, at least she now knew the direction her life needed to go. She would stay and fight, but in a different way than before, she would be with her parents, instead of against them.

Bubba left and Sam waved goodbye as she got up to find Lily. She found her coloring in her room. Sam sat beside her on the bed and picked up a crayon, coloring in a section that Lily pointed to. It felt so good to just be with Lily, coloring a picture for no reason at all, just fun. While she colored, Sam realized that she needed to manage her time better, taking time to just be with Lily. Sam put her crayon down and looked at Lily, "Lil, do you know how to swim?" Lily laughed, "No!" Sam laughed too and patted her on the back, "Well, we are going to change that! Come on, we need to go shopping." Sam got off the bed and laughed at the look on Lily's face. "Come on girl, change your shirt!" Lily jumped off the bed and pulled open a drawer to get a clean shirt. She looked at Sam for approval. "Cool, that looks cute on you." Sam told her happily.

Robbie was sitting at the table with Luke, her head down and her hands folded together. She looked up when Lily ran into the room and said, "We're going shopping!" Sam looked at her mother, "Come with us Mom, we need bathing suits!" Robbie frowned and turned to Sam, "Bathing suits? Why?" Sam laughed, "Because this little girl doesn't know how to swim and we are going to fix that!"
Robbie, still frowning said, "I don't.. understand..." Sam leaned over and hugged her mother, "Just come with us Mom. We need some girl time, together." Robbie started to smile, slowly coming to understand what her daughter meant. Luke was silent as he watched this take place.

Sam went to her father and hugged him, "We're having lunch out today, so you are on your own." Luke was so thrilled to receive her hug, he couldn't say anything at all. "Dad, when we get home, we'll have a long talk and get all this worked out. Don't worry, it will be ok." Sam told him before she turned to go out the door with a very excited little girl, ready to get out the door now. Luke felt the weight of all that had taken place, suddenly feel lighter as he watched them leaving. He knew then more than ever, that he should have never counted Sam out, she would come through for them after all. Luke sat at the table all alone and cried. He had done so many things wrong for so long, he couldn't hold it in any longer. Finally, spent and tired, he went in and took a much needed nap in his recliner.

Robbie was unsure of how to act when she got into the truck with Sam, she almost felt trapped and wanted to jump out and run back to the house, her safe place. She stole a look over at Sam and Sam laughed. "You don't have to worry Mom, I'm ok and I'm not moving anywhere. Lily and I are right where we belong for now. Ok?"

Robbie sighed with relief and kept quiet, she had no idea what to say to Sam. They had been wrong to choose one child over the other again, and Jake had railroaded them into to doing what he needed, yet again. She was still sad and couldn't get over how wrong they had been, even though Sam appeared to be just fine. Better than fine, she noticed..strong and happy.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Lane James Reverie: Wounded Legacy Chapter Seven

Lane James Reverie: Wounded Legacy Chapter Seven: "Chapter Seven 　 　 Sam saddled a horse for Lily. The weeks had flown by since she first came to them and they had all fallen in love with h..."

Wounded Legacy Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

　

　
Sam saddled a horse for Lily. The weeks had flown by since she first came to them and they had all fallen in love with her. She was still afraid sometimes, but she loved them too now, her real fear was of having to leave them. Each day that passed Lily's place in the family was more firmly established. She and Robbie had created a relationship in the kitchen, she loved to cook and had quite a bit of experience at it, they had discovered. Tim had taken care of the legal aspects. Her parents had truly died months before she and her brother had found their way to the farm. No family had been willing to take them in, even though her mother's brother had been contacted. It seemed he wasn't financially able to care for her.
The adoption process had been started and the search for her brother had begun as well.

So far, there hadn't been a sign of him anywhere. Sam and Tim had set up everything for her to start school in a few weeks. Sam had developed a sense of motherhood and took her job seriously. She had even bought some books, to study up on early childhood development, she wanted to do everything right. They had taken Lily for a checkup and she had been interviewed by a psychologist, finding everything better than expected with her experiences in the last year. They told Sam she would probably always carry some fear with her, not sure of her place in the world, after suffering those months on the run with her brother. Sam was determined that Lily would be confident and sure of her place in their family.

Lily had brought them all so much joy, they almost put thoughts of Jake behind them for awhile. Sam had hired Jericho shortly after Luke came home from the hospital. Luke and Jericho became good friends quickly and he loved Lily. Sam was in like with him too. He was as good with the horses as she was and that meant a lot to them all. It took the burden off of Sam, so she could spend time with Lily, teaching her to ride and how to take care of her horse, that Sam had bought her. Lily loved her horse Munch, almost as much as she loved her pink boots, more actually. Sam had built her a very solid step to use, to get on her horse and to brush her.

Sam and Jericho had moved the brood mares today and it had taken longer than they had expected. Two of them didn't want to play nice and had taken off into the rocky areas, that were difficult to travel through. Finally finding them and herding them back with the others, they took them all to the new pasture, where they would remain until they delivered their foals. It was closer to the barn and they could keep an eye on them daily. Sam was out on the porch after dinner, almost asleep when the sound of tires on the gravel brought her fully awake. The sun had almost set behind the mountain and the daylight had almost gone, making it hard to see who had driven in. Sam got up from her lounger and walked down the step.

At the last step she came face to face with Jake. They both stopped and stared at each other for a moment. "Jake." Sam said flatly. "Hi Sam, how are you?" he replied. Sam was visibly shaken at this comment from Jake, he had never asked anyone how were they were doing as far as she knew. "Uh..fine."
Jake turned to the truck and a dark haired man got out and walked toward them. "Sam, I'd like you to meet Andy. He has been helping me out with my anger issues. I'm in therapy." Jake told her, with a tentative smile. Sam had never seen this smile before either and she was unsure what to say. "Hello Sam, Jake has told me about you, all nice things." he told her in a rather deep voice, that didn't match his looks. Luke came out the door as she shook hands with Andy.
"Hello Andy, good to see you."Luke offered his hand. Sam was floored that her dad knew this man and didn't seem surprised to see Jake either. She stepped back onto the porch and took her seat. The three men were conversing as though they were just old friends. Then they headed off toward the barn, leaving Sam in a state of perplexity. Robbie and Lily came out to join her and saw the look on her face, "What's wrong honey?" Robbie asked. Sam pointed to the guys walking to the barn. "Oh, I guess we should have warned you they would be coming by this evening. I actually invited them to dinner, but Jake said another time." her mother replied as though this were a totally natural occurrence. Robbie sat across from Sam, "Honey, we have been in touch with Jake over the last several weeks. He had a..run in, with the authorities and has made great strides in the court ordered anger management classes."

"Mom, do I exist around here?" Sam asked her mother exasperated. "What ?" her mother exclaimed. "It seems to me, that if I counted at all, or my opinion, you would have at least told me about this, before it was a done deal." Sam said, a little angry. "Well, honey we just thought that you...well..that you wouldn't want anything to do with Jake and you..might discourage him from being back here." Robbie said. "What does, "being here" mean, Mom?" Sam demanded, unlike her at all. "Honey, Jake is ready to come home, that's all." Robbie said. Sam sat very still, thinking about what this would mean for she and Lily. There was no way she would allow Jake's rude and bossy behavior, have an affect on Lily.

"Honey, what's going on in that head of yours?" Robbie asked, seeing that Sam was extremely upset. "Mom, I just realized that I am a fixture around here. I do whatever needs doing, 'cause I'm Sam. I've never minded before, but I do now. Lily and I need to find a place of our own, one that Jake can't control or make us feel less than worthy. I won't let him upset Lily, or me either anymore." Sam said this without anger, but determination, as she got up and headed into the house. Her anger was building and she needed to be alone. Her parents had kept these new little facts away from her, because they knew how she would feel. They simply wanted Jake back, more than they wanted her to feel safe. Safe! She suddenly realized that she had never felt safe around Jake, but had learned how to deal with him. Staying out of his way was the best way, and she always managed to do that before. Now it was different, she had Lily's interest to look out for and she wouldn't let Jake treat her the way he had always treated she and Tim.

Tim! She went out the door and called for Lily to come get in the truck. "Where are we going?" Lily asked, climbing in with her pink muck boots on. "To town, I need to ask Uncle Tim a question. We might stop off at the Dairy Town and get an ice cream cone on the way home." Sam winked at Lily and saw that she was glad to hear about the Dairy Town trip. Ice cream was her favorite food! Sam pulled into Tim's driveway and told Lily to stay in the truck, she wouldn't be long. Tim had seen her pull up and went to the door, opening it before she got there. "No Lily?" he asked looking past Sam. "She's in the truck, I won't be a minute. I just need to ask you a question. Did you know that Jake is coming back to the ranch?"

Tim hung his head, "Yes, they told me today. Sam, we need to talk about this, come in the house." Sam turned around and headed back to the truck. She stopped and spun around to Tim, "Did Dad pay off his debts?" Tim nodded, "But Sam, there's more to it than you think. Please get Lily and come in." Sam turned and got into the truck, angrier than she had thought possible. Lily smiled, "Ice cream now?" Sam's anger dissipated at the sweet sound of Lily's voice. "Yes sweetie, I think I'll have chocolate, how about you?" Lily nodded in agreement. Sam smiled and pretended that nothing was wrong while they had their ice cream and headed home. Home, Sam wasn't anxious to be there tonight, for the first time in her life. Thoughts of what she needed to do were racing through her head. She had to move out of the house and take Lily away. Fear began to creep around her at the thought of leaving the ranch and making a new life, alone without her family.
Sam hadn't given a thought like most girls do, that she should be on her own after college. She had come home and settled in to working on the ranch, beside her brother and father. She had majored in Ag Business and had taken over managing the books. Sam was quite good at anything she put her mind to doing and made a huge difference in the profits on the ranch.

The years had slipped by, one much the same as another for Sam. She loved the ranch and never gave a thought to moving away and finding another career. Now, she would really have to put her talents to the test, if she were to build a life on her own for herself and Lily, she thought while she drove the last mile home.
What talent? She asked herself. I don't have anything to offer anyone..
Pulling into her spot at the ranch, she looked up to see if her parents had gone to bed, but she couldn't tell, the light was off. Lily went flying into the house, unaware that anything was wrong and landed in Lukes' lap at the table. Sam followed her in and put her boots by the door, as she always did. Luke told Lily to go watch television while he had a talk with Sam. Sam groaned and glanced over at her father. "Not tonight Dad, I'm too tired." "Sam, sit down, please." Luke asked her quietly. "Honey, I never meant for you to be hurt by this turn of events with Jake. That was the last thing on our minds." he told her pleadingly. Sam stood up, "Lily and I will be moving, Dad. I don't trust Jake to treat her.. any better than he treated Tim and I. That's just pretty sad, don't you think?"

Luke was hurt by Sam's tone and his own mistake in not warning her of the plan they had made without her. "Sam, I know I made a mistake, not consulting you about this. A big mistake, but please let me try to explain. You know that we love Lily and this old house just wouldn't be the same without her in it." Sam smiled, "I know you care about her Dad, why don't you care about me the same way?" Robbie gasped, standing in the door, "Sam! How can yo think such a thing? You know perfectly well we love you all the same. It's only right that Jake come back home. It's just as much his home as yours." Luke groaned and leaned back in his chair, "Rob, let me talk to her, please."
"Dad, you don't have to talk to me, I understand perfectly, so does Jake. He's never had a consequence in his whole life and continues to run over anybody in his way, with your blessing to boot!" Sam said a little louder than she had intended. Lily came into the kitchen and put her arms around Sam's waist. " Sam?" she questioned, looking up at her. Sam smiled down at her, "It's alright honey, or it will be soon." Lily pulled on Sam's shirt, "I don't want to leave. I love it here!" Sam held onto her, "Come on, let's go to bed." Luke caught her hand as she passed by him, "We're not done, honey."

Sam woke up earlier than usual after a fitful night and woke Lily up, "Come on honey, we have someplace to go." She helped Lily dress and they headed out the door. "Sam, don't you want coffee?" Lily asked. Sam smiled, "We are going out for breakfast today! Won't that be fun?" Lily didn't answer, she knew that Sam was covering up her true feelings, and she was sad. She would rather have breakfast in their kitchen at home. Pretty soon, they were at the cafe' outside of town. Sam looked around and spied Ned, she knew he ate here every morning.

Lily noticed him too and ran to his table, "Hi Ned, can we have breakfast with you?" Ned was so surprised, he choked on his coffee. Looking up at Sam he said, "Look what the cat dragged in." Sam smiled, but didn't take the bait and sat down, without smacking him. "Uh oh, trouble?" Ned asked. Sam nodded, "Just need to see what kind of food you have here everyday."
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 6

　

Sam almost cried as she swept the child into her arms and held onto her. "Don't be afraid, I'll stay with you." She took her up the stairs and put her back in bed. "Lily, I'll be right there in the bathroom, and I won't shut the door, ok?" Lily pulled the covers up close to her face and nodded. Sam went into the bathroom and took a long hot shower. Wrapping her long hair into a towel she went to the door and peeked in at Lily. She was sound asleep, her pouty little mouth open wide and the soft snoring telling Sam she was resting peacefully. Sam slipped on a big tee shirt and slid into bed beside her. For some reason, she reached over and rubbed Lily's little arm, before turning over and falling instantly to sleep.

Sam awoke as usual at five am, not ready, but willing to start a new day. Getting up and turning to pull the covers up, she realized that Lily was in the bed beside her. She had forgotten the child while the deep sleep took over her mind and body for a few hours. She slipped into her clothes, without making any noise and went down to the kitchen. As she sipped her coffee, she thought about the day ahead and wondered what she should do with Lily. She couldn't leave her in the house alone all day, she was already too frightened by everything that had happened to her. She heard footsteps coming down the stairs and waited. Lily popped her head around the door, checking to be sure it was safe and looked around the whole room before running to Sam. She flew into Sam's arms and snuggled down on her shoulder. It felt surprisingly good to Sam, to hold onto to this child that needed someone so badly.

"Lily, how would you like to come to work with me today?" she asked the child. Lily perked up and nodded her head, while holding her fist to her mouth. The other hand had a fist full of Sam's shirt and she wouldn't let go. "It's ok, let's make breakfast together." Sam told her, pulling her off enough to look at her. Lily smiled and hopped down off her lap at the prospect of food. Sam opened the fridge and took out bacon and eggs. "How's this look to you, Lily?" she asked. Lily nodded again and took the eggs from Sam. Sam laughed and got down a bowl. Lily pushed the chair up to the sink and opened the egg carton. Sam watched her without saying a word, laying the bacon on a paper plate and putting it in the microwave. Lily cracked four eggs and looked at Sam, "A fork?" Sam handed her a fork and stood beside her, admiring how adept she was at scrambling eggs. She must have done this quite often, Sam thought as she admired the child's ability with the eggs.

As Lily continued beating the eggs, Sam realized she had to find some clothes for the child to wear. It was too early to go to the store and there hadn't been a small child around their house in many years. She went upstairs and got the dirty clothes she had been wearing when Sam found her and took them with her own and threw them in the washing machine. Back in the kitchen, Lily had found the frying pan and had the eggs on the stove, standing in the chair again in front of it.

Lily took the pan off of the heat and sat it to the side, while standing on tip toe to reach the knob and cut the burner off. Sam didn't like this at all, Lily's shirt was almost touching the hot burner on the stove. "Good job!" she said to her. "Now, you sit at the table and I'll get us some juice."
While Lily finished up eating Sam gave her mom a call. "Mom, I know you have your hands full, getting Dad home today, but I need to tell you something." "Honey, the doctor just came in the room and I have to sign the release papers, I'll see you later today." Robbie told her and hung up. Sam stood in the hallway and looked over at Lily, putting their dishes in the dishwasher with expertise. She finished the clothes and put them away, handing Lily her meager shirt and shorts to wear for the day. Then she took Lily and headed out to the barn to take care of a few chores before they left to go into town. Lily stayed right beside her, almost as if she let Sam out of her sight, she would be left alone again. This thought made Sam think of what she needed to do, but she really wasn't ready to take Lily to the authorities..yet. The child had opened up feelings in Sam she didn't know that she possessed. Sam had never had the overwhelming desire to get married and have a family, she had gone through life day to day, without much thought to her future, or what she wanted beyond working on the ranch.

Today, new thoughts were weighing heavy with her, she felt the need to protect this scrawny little girl, so alone in the world.
An hour later they were coming out of the store with several bags full of clothes for Lily. Sam didn't really know what a child needed and based her purchases on how she chose clothes for her own needs, jeans and shorts with lots of underwear and of course jeans to work in. Lily picked out a pair of pink muck boots to wear in the barn and hugged them to her, the way another child might hug a doll. This made Sam think that maybe she should get her some toys. "Hey Lil, what kind of toys do you like to play with?" she asked her. Lily looked up at her with a frown, "I don't know." Sam smiled, "Well, do you like dolls or stuffed animals?" Lily shook her head vigorously, a definite no. For some unknown reason, Sam felt that she wanted Lily to have some kind of toy, but guessed she should wait to see what turned up later. Maybe Lily would give her a clue.

"Come on Lil, let's go to the grocery store, maybe you can help me decide what we need to buy for a celebration dinner tonight." Sam told the child. Lily turned her head in a questioning manner, "Why?" Sam realized that Lily didn't know that anyone besides herself lived in the house, "Well, my parents will be home tonight and I want to make something special. He's been sick, my dad, but will come home today." Lily's frown deepened on her face, but she didn't say a word. Sam knew that she wasn't looking forward to having other people around her. She was still quite worried about her position at the house, would she stay or go. Lily got in the truck and place her new boots on her lap and held onto them.

Pulling into the drive, Sam saw her mother's vehicle at the same time that Lily did. Sam's excitement quickly vanished, as she realized that Lily was in a panic. She had slunk down in the seat, hiding with her face behind her boots. "Lil, it's ok. My mom is going to just love you. She's a very nice person too, she's like me. You don't have to be afraid." Lily wouldn't look at her but said, "Will she make me go away?" Sam didn't have an answer for this question, so she decided to avoid it. "You know, it looks like the dog is in the house, he loves my dad, Lil." Lily thought about this and took Sam's hand to get out of the truck. Sam was in a hurry to see them and pulled Lily along, she was dragging her feet and pulling back, not ready to go in at all.

Robbie opened the door to greet Sam and was totally surprised to find her with a little girl in tow. "Sam? Who's this?" Before Sam could answer, Dog pushed past Robbie and began to lick Lily, making her giggle. "Mom, this is Lily. This is my mom Lil, can you say hello to her?" Sam tried her best to make Lily feel comfortable. Robbie knelt down and held out her hand to Lily, somehow realizing that she was afraid, "Hello Lily, I just love your name. It's almost as pretty as you are." Lily smiled at the words and looked over her pink boots up at Robbie. "Come on here you two, we brought home some goodies for lunch and I have it all ready." Robbie told them. Sam went to her dad at the table and hugged him. Luke reached up and grabbed her hair pulling her down for a good hug, "What have you been up to honey?" spying Lily.

"I can explain, but for now..let's eat." Sam replied as she pulled out a chair and sat Lily in it. "Honey, let's put your boots by the door with mine." Lily wouldn't let go of them and Sam decided they were her doll, so she let her hold onto them. Robbie got another plate and filled it for Lily. Luke just stared at the child, trying to figure out how in the world Sam had come to care for her. Dog had left Luke's side and put his head in Lily's lap as if to tell her it was ok. Lily leaned down and kissed his head. Now Luke was really interested in the story of the child. He looked at Sam and said, "Honey, would you mind letting us in on this?" Sam looked at Lily and chose her words, "Well, Lily found me the other day. She had been traveling with her brother, but he left, so Lily found me, and we have been having a wonderful time together." She smiled down at Lily and the child looked up at her gratefully, with her huge blue eyes shining.

Luke and Robbie looked at each other, realizing that Sam had spoken so affectionately, she must care a great deal about this orphan that had shown up somehow. Sam had never been one of those girls that dreamed of having kids, so they were both completely surprised at Sam's tone and manner with the child.
Luke held out the plate of rolls to Lily and smiled at her, "Try one honey, they are my favorite." Lily politely took a roll and took a bite of it, then placed it on her plate. She was too afraid to eat, even though she wanted to. Sam took her mother's hand in hers, "Mom, you have to see the clothes we bought this morning, for Lil. You can help us with them after lunch." Lily stared at their hands and looked up at Sam, smiling. "Come on honey, you have to eat so we can get some chores done this afternoon." Sam told her. With this information, Lily dug in and finished quickly, not wanting to miss helping Sam., she was always hungry nowadays.

Sam sent Lily upstairs with the rest of the bags and told her to sort everything and take the tags off. While she was gone, Sam explained things to her parents. "Honey, you have to call the Sheriff, she might be a run away." Robbie told her. "I don't think so, I think she told me the truth. I am going to call the Sheriff, I just wanted her to not be so afraid..." a tear slid down her cheek and Robbie hugged her tightly. "Sam, what are you thinking?" Robbie asked. Sam laughed, "I want to keep her." Robbie had thought this was what was going through Sam's mind. "Well, honey, I'm not sure how that would work." she said carefully. "Your dad needs to rest and a child running around would mean an awful lot of extra work."

Sam didn't respond to this at all. She sat down in the chair and looked at her dad. Finally Luke laughed, "I'm not dead Robbie! It might be nice to have another little girl around the house again." Sam reached out to her father, "Then you'll help me?"

"Sure we will honey, right Rob?" he answered. Robbie smiled, "We'll see." Sam was ecstatic, she knew that her mother was on board with those words. She looked up to see Lily peeking around the door and held out her arms to her. Lily came flying into them and held onto her tightly. She had changed into one of her new outfits, jeans and plaid shirt. She looked like a little Sam, blond hair and all. Robbie melted with this scene in front of her. "Guess you better call Tim."