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.