Wounded Legacy Chapter 20

A cold freezing rain came down during the night, covering everything in a sheet of ice. Jericho brought in extra wood from the porch, to give it time to dry inside. "I've checked on everything, Sam. No need for you to go out so early today, just stay in."
Sam smiled up at him, her coffee almost to her lips. "I should be the one to check on things, Jericho. You work too hard, ya know. Although...this sure is nice, looking at it, instead of being out there sliding around in it. What does the weather call for today?" Robbie came in the room and told them, "More of the same. I hope you don't have any mares trying foal today."

Suddenly the door opened and Matt came in, "Oh my gosh! That wind goes straight through you." Robbie took his coat, "Grab some coffee and warm up, hon. Why are you here today, school is even closed." Matt sat beside Sam, "Thought you might need some help. Everything is closed up tight at home, all done there." Robbie and Jericho exchanged glaces, noticing Matt seemed nervous. Sam stood up, "Matt, what's really up?" He shook his head, "I just knew that you two would try to do too much without my help today. So, I "slid" on over."
Jericho laughed, "How bad are the roads?" Matt grimaced, "Snow is much better than this stuff, I'm hoping we can get a coating of snow over it. It's treacherous now, even to walk on."

Robbie hung up her phone, " That was Jake, he said they are getting a lot of tree branches coming down, over their way. He wanted you to be on the look out for it Sam." She went to the window to look out. "It's still coming down, but not as hard, let's keep an eye on it for a while. Can we use the four wheeler in this stuff, Matt?" " Sam asked them. "Hmm, maybe, maybe not. Which one do you think will work best Jericho, the heavy one?" Matt asked, trying to figure the best way to check fences. "Come on, let's go out and try it now. I don't want to take a chance on one of the horses getting hurt." Jericho told him. Sam went to put her coat on, Jericho told to wait, "We'll put chains on the diesel truck now too. Never know what might happen in this kind of mess. We might need you to come get us Sam." She nodded, thinking he was right to plan for the worst, yet hope for the best.
Sam watched them taking the four wheelers out of the barn, sliding, but able to guide them somewhat. When they got out to the fields, there would be more grip under the ice than on the packed barn lot, or driveway.

Robbie and Lily began a big pot of stew, with biscuits and rolls to go with it. If the power went out, they could heat the stew over the fire. Sam smiled, watching Lily work so hard to cut the vegetables, just the right size. Her tiny fingers holding the knife tightly, slicing through a carrot as though their very lives depended on her. Holding her lips tightly together, with her brows wrinkled in concentration, Lily worked like a little tiger on those veggies. Robbie caught Sam's eye, winking at her, telling her to join them. Sam washed up and pulled a butcher knife from the rack, grabbing the potatoes to peel. "Sam! You can't do that with a big knife, here, use my little one." Lily told her. Sam laughed at her ability to know which utensil to use, taking the knife she offered. They continued making enough food to feed several armies, while the guys were out. Robbie smiled, "I hope Tim didn't have to go out in this mess. He will have to make sure that Selena and the baby are taken care of, 'cause I'm not driving anywhere in this!"

Finally, Jericho came in, but Matt had gone home, while he could still get there. "So far so good. Have you heard the forecast for tonight, Sam?" She nodded, "More of the same, no snow." Jericho sat by the fire to warm up, while Lily made him her own hot chocolate. He smiled, telling her how good it was, when he really wanted coffee. She covered him with a blanket and got her favorite book out to read to him. The next time Sam looked in on them, Lily was in Jericho's lap, both of them sound asleep. The daylight was fast leaving, so Sam went out to the barn, to do a check before it was completely dark. None of the mares seemed to be close to delivery, so she went out back to check on the others. Holding her hood as far over her face as she could, to keep the ice that was still falling from stinging her skin, Sam carefully made her way out the gate. All the horses were underneath the barn shelter, some laying in the straw, others nibbling hay, seeming to be quite comfortable.

Sam headed back to the house, but heard a strange noise, stopping to listen. Turning around to look behind her, she saw the cat creeping toward the corral. No horses were there, but the mothers with foals were close by, under the shelter.
Sam stood perfectly still, allowing the misty conditions to hide her presence. When the cat had moved out of her sight, she moved as fast as she could to the house. Almost crashing through the door, she called for Jericho, while she went in the office to get a rifle. It was loaded and ready by the time Jericho realized what was wrong. "Load another one Sam." he told her, while he threw on a jacket and hat. The two of them headed back out to the barn, hearing a horse screaming, just as they reached it. The sound seemed to penetrate every nerve in Sam's body, as she tried to run in the slippery ice beneath her. Jericho reached the barn first, pulling the door open as far as it would go, with the gun raised, ready to shoot. He lowered the gun, waving Sam to stand behind him.
"Now listen Sam, be ready to shoot when I duck. If I miss him, you have to kill him with one shot. I'll shoot first, if he comes flying at me, but be ready." he told her. Sam nodded, not feeling sure at all. She was shaking and afraid of missing, if she had to shoot. They stood in the door, listening for any sound, to tell them where the cat was hiding. There was no loft in the long part of the barn, so that gave them some protection from the cat jumping on them from above.

Stealthily they crept further in, guns ready, but their nerves not so much. A low growl sounded from the last stall, Jericho looked at Sam to see if she knew what he was going to do. She nodded, leaning against the wall to steady her gun, while sighting in on the door of the stall. Jericho crept slowly to the door and shut it with his boot. The cat let out a frightening scream, realizing that he was locked in, the bars on the top of the stall too close together for him to squeeze through. Even though she knew he couldn't get out, Sam hesitated getting near it. Jericho took aim, firing one shot.

It was sad to have to kill the animal under such conditions, but he would have killed more than one animal had his hunt been successful, or one of them. Jericho told Sam to go on to the house, he would take of the carcass, knowing she didn't mind, but also knowing she really didn't have the heart for it. Sam went in, glad to be in the warmth again, trying to hang up the frozen clothes so they would dry in the laundry room. Robbie came in to help, laying towels on the floor under them. "Sam, there is ice still on everything." she said, trying to shake it off in the sink. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. Jericho will be in soon, he's taking care of the..thing." Sam told her, realizing that Lily was standing in the doorway. "I know what happened Sam. The old mean cat got shot! I'm not sad either, but why did it come here for the horses?" Lily asked. "I don't know hon, I really don't. Usually, the cats stay in their territory, hunting higher up in the mountains. I just don't know." Sam tried to explain. Sam wondered the same thing, making a note to call the sheriff and find out if any other ranchers had trouble with them this season.

"Sam, where is Jericho? He should be in here by now." Robbie called out, while she peered out the window looking for him. Sam went to the window too, looking for a sign of a flashlight or something. "If he doesn't show up soon, I'll go look for him." Sam said, dialing his cell phone. No answer. Sam went to the office one more time, loading her rifle and a pistol. Lily and Robbie were still at the window, straining to see any sign of him. Sam took out her dad's old coat and put it on. She couldn't afford to put gloves on both hands, only one, she stuffed the other one in the big pocket. Sam pulled a dry pair of boots on, heading to the door. "Mom, call Matt." was all she said, closing the door behind her.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 19

Sam spent the day working as usual around the ranch, but she couldn't stop thinking about the days she had spent with her father, how that time had guided her life in so many ways. Luke had shown her how to approach life, how to work hard, without dreading it. Everyday was a new path to follow for Luke, he taught her how to think the same way. Luke had always taken the time to show her a sunset, to stop and admire it, just for the beauty that it held for a little while. They had ridden many miles together, in silence on many days, neither feeling the need to have conversation on these rides. Taking in all the beauty that surrounded them.

Sam was feeling guilty, because she really didn't want to go through all the hoops it would take, for Lily to race. Lily was so ready to take on new things, the same way that Sam had been, leaving her feeling obligated to be the same kind of parent that her father had been to her. Sam felt as though she had weights on her shoulders today, as she climbed into the tractor. Before she could start it, Jericho came out the barn and waved to her. She went into the barn to find Matt and Jericho with the new bay foal. "Think he's sick Sam, look at the way his head is down, he hasn't moved all day." Sam went over to him and knelt beside him, he turned away, but didn't try to get up. "Better call Ned now." she said. "If he hasn't nursed today, that's a bad sign." She checked the mother, seeing that she still needed nursing.

Ned got there just as they sat down to lunch, "Howdy folks, good I'm just in time." Robbie smiled and reached for a plate, "Now, was that planned Ned?" He laughed, "Well Robbie, I know you almost always have soup for lunch when it gets cold, and I needed some good homemade food. I've been on the road so much this week, I haven't had time to cook." Sam laughed, "Ned! You don't cook, not even eggs. I've seen you live off of sandwiches, remember?"
He tucked his head down, "Sounded good though, didn't it?" Robbie gave him a shove, "You know you are welcome anytime, Ned." Sam leaned over to him, "Your vocabulary seems to have settled right into the area, howdy? City boys don't normally use that term, but I have to admit, I like it on you." Ned didn't even look up, he was enjoying the soup and homemade biscuits. After lunch they went to see the Bay. Ned took some blood and gave him a shot of electrolytes. That would sometimes be all that was needed. "I'll get the results from the blood back as soon as possible, Sam. Keep an eye on him and call me if he gets any worse." Ned told them as he left to go on another call.

Jericho put his arm around Sam's shoulders, "I sure would hate for something to happen to him, just when you are deciding to let Lily have him, to race." Sam pulled away and looked at him, "I never said..ok, maybe I am. She is a natural on a horse..." Jericho smiled and went back to the house, leaving Sam to think a little longer on the racing dilemma. As she headed towards the house, Robbie was waving to her to hurry. "Sam, Selena has gone into labor. I am heading to the hospital now. I'll call you as soon as we know anything." Robbie told her, with a worried look. Sam stood on the porch until her mother was out of sight, thinking about Tim. She hadn't seen him at all lately, or anyone for that matter. She pulled out her phone to call Jake, but thought better of it, her mom would do that. Looking at the clock, she decided to just do some book work until Lily got home from school. Falling behind in that was not on her agenda, so this would give her enough time to catch up.

Two hours later, Lily and Jericho came in the door and Sam put her work away. She needed to spend some time with Lily today, since her mom wasn't home. "Sam! We have to go to the hospital to see the baby!" Lily cried out as soon as she came in. "Whoa there girl! The baby hasn't been born yet, it will be awhile. Besides, Mom will call when there is any news." Sam told her. "Oh darn." Lily pouted. She was ready to go and be a part of everything. "I thought you and I might take a little ride today." Sam told her. Her eyes widened, nodding her head with glee. Jericho joined in with, "Think I might just ride along too." Sam looked at him, a little curiously. "Any particular reason?" He just smiled, "Nope."

As they entered the low grounds through the gate, Sam realized that Jericho had a rifle with him. She hadn't noticed it until his horse turned in her direction. This was unusual, so there must be a reason. Sam nodded toward the gun without saying anything, Jericho shrugged his shoulders, telling her it was just in case. Sam immediately became more aware of their surroundings, on the look out for anything that could cause the horses to spook. "Lily, sometimes the horses will jump out the way of a shadow this time of day, so be ready." she told her calmly. Lily smiled as if Sam was being silly. As they rode side by side, with Jericho in front of them, Sam was nervous. Her horse seemed to be too, but Munch was unaware that there was any reason to be nervous, happy to be with Lily.
Checking the fences and the cows, while they were there, Sam noticed prints in the snow that were still lingering in the pasture. "Jericho?" He nodded to her, that he was aware of the paw prints. Sam looked at them more closely, a big cat was in the area. Sam put her horse closer to Lily, "Sam, move over, you are in our way." Lily said. Sam reached out and took Munch's bridle in her hand, with a tight grip. She could feel something was wrong, watching Jericho take the rifle out of the pouch, at the ready. Keeping a close eye along the woods, that ran down the side of the pasture, they slowly made a turn to go back home. The light was beginning to fade, creating shadows. Jericho held up his hand for them to stop, looking ahead beyond the cattle. Sam followed the direction of his gaze, seeing the cat creeping toward the cows.

Suddenly, two cows felt the presence of an intruder, alerting the others. The ones that were farther away began to come towards the intruder, slowly at first, then they began to run at the cat. The cat turned and began to run directly at Sam. The horses felt the danger and began to prance, wanting to run, Sam holding tight to Munch, "Hold on to the saddle horn Lil." Lily did as she was told, with fear in her eyes. "Sam, what's wrong with Munch?" "Hush!" Sam told her curtly. Munch finally caught sight of the cat, backing into Sam's horse to hide from it. Lily almost slid out of her saddle, as Sam reached over and pulled her over onto her horse and held her with one arm, while trying to keep both horses under control. Lily looked over Sam's shoulder and saw the cat heading straight for them. She held on tighter to Sam, not taking her eyes off the cat.

"Let the horse go Sam!" Jericho shouted to her. "Let him go!" Sam knew that she had to let him go, she was so afraid he would head for the woods, where the cat would have better access to him. She let him go. Munch headed straight for Jericho, dancing behind his horse and getting in the way. Sam's horse was well trained, straining against the desire to run, but obeying every command that Sam's touch gave it. His eyes were wide with his head pulled back, all his senses alerted to the sight of the cat. Sam glanced over at Jericho, aiming the rifle, he had gotten off his horse and was crouched on the ground.
The rifle fired, it's cracking sound sending Jericho's horse in the air, pulling him over to the ground. He quickly rolled over and aimed again, firing three times. Sam's horse was trying to rear while he backed away, but she held him in check, allowing him to back up only a few feet. Munch had taken off toward the barn, with the first shot. Sam saw Jericho stand up and pull his horse to him, then she saw the cat, lying in the snow. The cows, curious creatures that they are, were running toward them, surrounding the cat and sniffing the ground close to it. Sam rode to Jericho, "Nice shooting."
Noticing that Jericho wasn't smiling, she said, "You ok?" He smiled and nodded, "Too close for comfort. I almost lost the shot, I had the reins wrapped around my arm." Sam nodded, "I couldn't see if you did or not, but I thought so when I saw you roll over. Thank you Jericho. You knew he was here, didn't you?" Sam asked him, without judgement. He nodded, "Matt caught sight of him a few days ago. That's why I came with you."

They headed back to the ranch, Lily happily riding with Sam, since Munch had gone straight home. She was standing by the gate when they got back, waiting to be unsaddled and given her oats. Lily could undo the cinch, but she wasn't quite tall enough to heave the saddle down from Munch's back yet. Sam let her hold one side, while they toted it in the barn, making it more difficult for Sam, but making Lily happy to help. Lily ran to the house for hot chocolate, anxious to tell Robbie of their adventure. Sam stood, looking beyond the barn for signs of predators, lurking around. Where there was one cat, there would be two or more. An eerie feeling passed over her, a chill..surrounded her, not from the cold.
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 18

The night wore on slowly, with Sam the only one awake, when she checked the mare every twenty minutes or so. Finally she had to wake Ned, the mare was close and beginning to prance now. Ned calmed her down with his voice and gentle hand, rubbing along her back. "Ok, she has begun. We give her a little while on her own, before we help." he told Sam. Jericho had gotten up and come to the stall while they were in with the mare. Hearing Ned's words, he made fresh coffee and opened a box of donuts. They listened to the mare for signs of distress, settling dow to wait some more. Matt was still asleep, Ned laughed at his ability to sleep through their conversation, sitting in a chair. It was three o'clock in the morning and Sam was starting to feel weary herself. "I think you should take a turn sleeping for awhile Sam." he told her.

 

"I'll be fine, if I try to sleep now, I might miss something." she laughed, yawning. "Sam, this may not be an easy delivery. Get some rest, I'll be right here." Jericho told her. Finally she agreed, crawling in the tent with little grace, lying down on top of the blankets, so she wouldn't feel too snuggly or sleep too deeply. She wanted to be around when these twins were born. Out side of the tent, Ned began to get his tools ready, with Jericho's help. They placed everything in the stall for easy reach. The mare had laid down now, she had begun to deliver the first of the foals. When she gave a deep shudder, her body showing distress, Ned knew it was time to deliver them himself.

"Jericho, this is bad." Ned had his hand on the first one,"It's big, really big." Together they worked for an hour to deliver the first one, Ned had little hope that the other one would survive, as it waited impatiently, for the first one to take his first breath of air. Sam awoke to the low hum of the men's voices. When she entered the stall, she realized that Ned was having to deliver the foal from the mother. She went to the horse's head and knelt in the straw, stroking the mare's head and talking to her, trying to sooth her from the pain she was enduring. It took all three men to pull the foal. It was alive, but barely, as Ned tired to breath air into it's lungs, helping him gain enough strength to survive in those first moments, outside of the warmth of it's mother. Finally, the foal snorted and Ned stopped helping him, as he wobbled and stood. The mare looked around at her newborn for a moment and then laid her head back down, as the second one began to make it's entrance into the world. The mare had little strength left to help out, but together she and Ned managed to bring the second foal into the chill night air. This one was much smaller than the first, making the delivery quicker and smoother, not nearly as hard on the mother.

Ned pulled both of the foals around to the mother's head, hoping they would give her the encouragement to get up on her feet. She was such a good mother, she immediately struggled to get her head up and her feet underneath her. Her mothering instincts told her to nuzzle and clean the foals, which would revive them from the ordeal of being born. She struggled to get up and finally made it, though she was weak and shaking, she brought the two foals to her and made sure they were properly cleaned to meet the new strangers, standing by them. Ned stayed close by, but made sure he had room to get out of the way if she fell, which was a very real possibility. The others had moved from the stall and stood at the door to admire the two. "Well, a little Roan filly and a massive Bay, like his father." Jericho said. Sam smiled and hugged him, "Oh Jericho, he would make a great racer, look at him." Jericho agreed with her, "Maybe Lily will take to him and turn him into a barrel racer."

As he spoke the words, Lily and Robbie walked up to them, Lily squeezing in between them to see the new foals. "Oh, look! They are so sweet!" she squealed. The mare was unsure what this noise meant, quickly moving around to protect her babies, knocking over the bucket and making more racket to upset her. Ned moved out of the way her, just in time. "Well, I think she is recovering nicely." he laughed as he went out and shut the door. "Lil, maybe we could be a little quieter for a little while. This new mommy had a long night." he told her with a soft voice. She looked up at him and nodded, with her hands squeezed together under her chin. "I just love the red one!" she whispered.
Sam laughed, "Alright Ned, don't go starting something you don't plan to finish!" Meaning, she didn't want him to get Lily started on wanting to race. It was a lot of work and she didn't have the time for it now, that was over for her. Racing was a part of the past that Sam didn't want to begin again. Munch was all the horse Lily needed anyway. Luke had been with Sam the whole way, when she was racing, it just wouldn't be the same without him. "I could help out. I know a little bit about it." Matt piped up. Lily was starting to get interested in what they were talking about and asked Matt about it. "Well, you have to be able to ride really good, and hold on tight, 'cause the horse runs full out, faster than the wind. Think you could hold onto to the saddle when a horse runs that fast?" he asked her, laughing.

Lily was about to tell him she thought she could, when Sam turned her away and told her to get ready for the bus. Lily left with Robbie, while the rest of them cleaned up the barn, before going in for breakfast. Robbie had a huge breakfast ready for them when they came in, brushing the snow off their boots on the porch. "I was surprised at how much snow came down last night, when I looked out earlier." Robbie told them. "I didn't even know it had snowed, until we came out." Sam commented. "Guess we better put out extra hay today and check the forecast for tonight. I hope we don't have another birth today, I need a nap." she laughed. Jericho smiled, "Matt and I are going down to the lower field and check on things, we'll put out another bale or two down there. You get some rest this morning."

Sam came down from a shower to find Jake and Aggie sitting at the table with Robbie. "Well, good morning!" she said to them. Aggie smiled, "We hear you have some new babies this morning. How are they?" Sam got coffee and sat down, "They both look good, it was a hard delivery though." Jake asked her with concern, " Are you going to keep using that sire, Sis? Seems kinda risky to me."
Sam shook her head, "Not after this! He's a great horse, but we don't have the right stock apparently to breed to him. I need to do some research on his progeny though." Jake gave her a quizzical look and she replied, "I'm not sure yet which direction to take the bay. It was suggested that he would make a fine racer."
"Ahh..and you don't want to go down that road, huh?" Jake noted the look on her face. Sam laughed, "Can I really be that selfish?" Aggie looked at them, "Jake, when I raced as a kid, my Dad was right there with me. I can understand how Sam feels. It takes a lot of commitment from a parent to go down that road with a child." Aggie told him. Sam looked at her, "Our Dad was with us too. He had endless patience, day after day." Sam told her quietly. Sitting there at the table, Sam remembered all the days spent practicing, with her father's guidance. He was gentle and kind with his approach and it had paid off for Sam. Whenever she was in the ring, or at the starting gate and felt unsure, all he had to do was smile. Her confidence came from his smile and she rode the race, knowing he would be proud of her, win or lose. She looked up to see Robbie smiling at her, "What?" "You seemed to be off somewhere Sam." Robbie told her.
"I was Mom, I was at a race with Dad." she quietly said.
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 17

Reaching the top had been hard work and Sam's horse was exhausted, her sides heaving with every breath. Sam was breathing almost as hard, as she got off and loosened the saddle. Tying the horse to a low hanging limb, Sam sat down and leaned against the tree. Her legs were shaking so hard from holding on so tight, she couldn't relax, so she started taking deep long breaths. Finally she relaxed and laid back against the tree and looked around her. Leaning over and peering around the tree, she could look down the mountain and see how far they had come. Everything below her was a carpet of green tree tops. She couldn't even make out the trail they had traveled on. She wished that she hadn't been in such a hurry and had brought some water with them, the horse needed a drink badly and so did she. Trying to see through the densely wooded area, Sam tried to find an animal trail that might lead them to water. Unsure of where it would lead, she started to follow a path that she found, leading her horse through the tangle of brush.

The terrain wasn't as steep as the one they had come up and that gave Sam hope that water would be near. The path ended suddenly and Sam didn't know which direction to move in. The brush was so thick, it was too much work to make her way through it, so she turned around and headed back to the trail. Tired and thirsty, Sam had no choice but start back down the mountain. It was much slower going on foot, sliding in some places to keeping the horse from taking off in a run was hard. Sam had to keep the horse in tow or it could fall and get hurt, dragging her with it. She and the horse kept a slow but steady pace down the mountain, finally reaching the bottom where they had begun. Tears began to fall down her cheeks, when she saw Jericho riding toward her. She sat down and waited for him to come to her, with her head in her hands.

Not saying a word, he helped her onto the four wheeler and tied the horse behind it. He headed towards home, going slow enough so the horse could walk. Once at the barn, Jericho took the horse into the barn, to feed and water it. "I'll do that Jericho." Sam told him, feeling it was her responsibility. He handed her the reins and went into the house to tell Robbie they were back. Robbie was waiting at the door with Lily, "Is she alright, Jericho?" He smiled, "She will be. She's not hurt." Robbie sat across the table from him, "Jericho, what was she doing, I thought you would never get back! She's been gone for hours." Sam walked in before he could answer. "I'm ok, Mom. I just needed to go for a ride." Jericho smiled at her with his head tucked to the side, "A thinking ride?" She nodded, "Sorta." Sam didn't know the whole answer yet, and she was too tired to try and explain it now. Lily had not said a word and had gone back to cutting out her sugar cookies, with her little mouth set in thin line.

"Hi Lil, sorry if I worried all of you. I didn't mean to be gone so long." Sam told her, leaning down to see her face. Lily jerked her head around to Sam, "I was worried! You shouldn't leave me like that." Sam saw the worry and fear in her face and picked her up. "I didn't leave you Lil, I just needed to ride. That's all." Sam told her softly. Lily looked into her eyes and began to understand what Sam meant by, ride. She nodded to her and hugged her. Sam put her down and got a cup of coffee. When she turned around, they were all staring at her, "What? I'm fine! Thank you Jericho, I'm truly grateful you were there for me." she told him quietly. He nodded in a way that told her she needn't explain further, he understood, as though he may have been in her shoes, at some time in his own life. Jericho seemed to be able to read Sam better than her family.

After a shower and lunch, Sam began to feel like her old self again. She found Jericho in the barn, putting a mare in a stall. "What's up?" she asked. Jericho closed the stall door, "She seems a little skittish, think she might be getting ready to foal tonight. Just want to keep an eye on her. Maybe I should lock you in there with her." He grinned and glanced at Sam. "I'm sorry Jericho, I just needed to think..or something. I shouldn't have taken off that way though. I've never been up Lonely Mountain before..I don't even know why I went today." she told him. Jericho put his arm around her shoulder, "You are wondering where you are headed. I think maybe, you need someone in your life now Sam. It's certainly time. You try to be made of solid stone..but you're really all soft..like a woman."
Sam laughed, "I am a woman! Don't I seem like one?" He just shook his head, "You need to answer that one, not me." He left the barn and got in his truck, heading to town, leaving Sam to wonder just what she had been feeling.

Everything she put her hand to for the rest of the day seemed to frustrate her, so she gave up and went in the house. Nobody in the kitchen gave her a strange feeling, as she reached for the coffee. She could hear Lily and Robbie in the family room and went in to see what they were up to. Robbie had Lily in her lap showing her the family album, and telling her about each picture. Sam smiled and wished she had a picture of them, the way they were now. Reaching for her phone, she realized it wasn't in her pocket. She went and checked her jacket, it wasn't there either. Still standing with her hand on her jacket,  her head bent down, she tried to think where she might have left it. Suddenly it dawned on her, it probably fell out of her pocket while she half crawled down the mountain. Darn! She would have make a trip to the mall to get another one. Sam hated the mall and avoided it, if it were at all possible.

Robbie came into the kitchen and asked her if something was wrong, the way she was standing with her hand on her jacket. "Lost my phone." Sam told her. The door opened and she almost got squished into the coats hanging behind it, as Matt came in. "Oh, sorry Sam. I just wanted to tell you, they are calling for a little snow tomorrow, so I put out extra hay today, just in case." "Thanks Matt. Well, if it might snow, I guess I ought to go get a phone tonight." she said, almost to herself. "I'm heading to the mall. You can ride with me if you want." Matt said. Sam was shocked by his offer, "I..ah..ok. What time are you leaving?" He looked at her and said, "Now." Sam got flustered by his answer and just stared at him. "Ok, can you watch Lil, Mom?" "Sure hon, what about dinner?" Robbie asked innocently.

Matt answered, "We'll pick up a pizza and bring it back here, you've fed me enough, it's my turn to do something. We shouldn't be long." Sam shrugged her shoulders and they left, leaving Robbie to wonder how that happened. True to his word, they were back before Lily had time to finish her drawing she had made for Sam. It was a picture of Sam, falling off a horse. Jericho laughed when he saw it. Lily must be just a little put out, that Sam had gone with Matt and not taken her with them, he thought. But when she saw the pizza's and bread sticks, she softened up and ran to get plates for the pizza. "I love pizza!" she said to Matt. "I thought you might like this tonight, Lily." he said to her. It wasn't long until Lily was back to her old self, with sauce on her fingers. Sam looked around the table and admired the way Matt brought Lily out of her tiff.

"Matt, do you have brothers and sisters?" Sam asked. He shook his head no, although a slight shadow seemed to cross over him, Sam noticed. Matt was in a hurry to leave after supper, it seemed to Sam. She couldn't help herself and asked, "Got a late date, Matt?" He turned to her as he put on his coat, "Nope, got some horses to check on at home. Goodnight." After he was gone, Sam couldn't help but wonder what made her say such a thing to him. Before she had time to think about it too much, Jericho came to the door and told her another mare was ready to deliver. She got all her gear and headed to the barn.

Jericho had her in the stall and she seemed nervous, but not in distress. "Do you think she is going to have a problem, Jericho?" she asked him. He rubbed his hand down the mare's roan colored coat, "Twins." Sam felt the mare the same way that he had, "Yea, I think you're right. But she seems pretty calm, considering." Sam said. Jericho nodded, "Better call Ned. She won't be able to have both of them. You told me who the sire was for these foals, and his babies are always large. Two of them will be too much for her." Sam had forgotten who the sire, was and agreed with Jericho, calling Ned. No answer, but she left a message. Jericho had left the stall and was out in the passageway, making a lot of noise. When Sam poked her head out to see what he was doing, she realized that he was putting up a tent. Sam laughed and went out to help him. "What is this for?" she asked.

Jericho looked at her, "A heater and a cot! We are going to take turns sleeping tonight and this will feel good later. Remember the snow they are calling for? Gonna get a lot colder."He said with a grimace. Sam could see now that he was worried, as they worked together to set up the tent. She went in to get some blankets and pillows. Stacking them on the cots, she heard voices and went out to see. Ned and Matt were walking toward her. Surprised, she said, "Where did you two come from?" Ned smiled, "I got your message and just headed on over, I was at Matt's. He has two mares getting close, but they won't deliver tonight. So, he offered to ride over with me, you know Sam.. to help?" She smacked Ned lightly on the arm, "Thanks, both of you. Jericho says it will be twins, I think so too."

Ned went into the stall to checked the mare. He looked over his shoulder at Jericho, "Yep, twins." He didn't look his usual happy self either, and that concerned Sam. "Why the look?" she asked him. Ned smiled, "Gonna be a long night." Sam nodded, "I'll get the extra coffee pot and hook it up out here." She went into the house and Robbie helped her get everything together. She knew what they would need, from years of helping Luke the same way. "Lily went to bed early, she wants to come out to the barn before school, in the morning." Robbie told her.

Jericho had started a kerosene heater and pulled out the lawn chairs when she got back out to the barn. Matt had pulled over a trunk to set up the coffee on. He reached out to help unload her arms, almost dropping the bag of cups. Sam laughed, "Now that would have been a disaster, Mom tried to send styrofoam cups, but I insisted on real ones. She would have spanked me, if I had broken them all." Matt laughed too and helped her get the coffee started. Ned stood up, "I'm gonna stretch out for awhile, ok with you Sam?" She nodded and sat in the chair he had left. "Well, I guess all of us shouldn't lose sleep, why don't you go rack up in the tack room Jericho. I'll wake you when it's my turn." she told him. He nodded and took off as Matt sat in the chair beside Sam, "If I doze off, just hit me." Sam looked over at him and he pulled his cap down over his eyes. "Now wait a minute!" she said as she knocked the cap off his head. "Oops! I didn't mean to do that, sorry." she laughed.

Matt picked up his cap and said, "Fine, I'll stay awake with you. What time is it?" Sam looked at her watch, "Ten." "Aww, long night ahead." Matt moaned as he slid down in the chair and propped his feet on the trunk. "You're gonna have to tell me stories, Sam, to keep me awake." She smiled, "Why don't you tell me one, like about when you were growing up on the ranch." "Nooo, too sad to tell. Don't want to go there." he answered. Sam was silenced by his words, wondering if she really had hit a nerve. Matt glanced over at her, as she frowned down at her hands. "Ok, I lost my little brother when I was twelve and it makes me sad to talk about it. He had leukemia and it wasn't pretty, to watch him shrink into a little skeleton. I was all grown up after that. Both our childhood's died the day he did."

He pulled his cap back down and a thin line replaced the lips that Sam could barely see now. She was so shocked by his admission, she didn't know whether to respond or apologise for asking. She stayed silent and reached for the coffee pot..
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 16

 Chapter 16

Sam was amazed and it showed on her face as she shook hands with Aggie Baldwin, meeting her for the first time. The woman was a few years older than Jake, Sam already knew that, but she was strikingly beautiful, which truly surprised her. Jake had told her that she had an Indian heritage, and it showed with the dark, almost black hair that fell around her shoulders and the huge black eyes that looked into Sam's now, with such open honesty. She wore a leather jacket, fitted to her slender figure like a glove and jeans with suede boots, that looked as worn as Sam's. Her boots, with their much worn appearance, allowed Sam to feel a little less intimidated by this tall gorgeous woman. Sam always felt like her clothes were too tight and didn't suit her at all, as she sat beside Aggie, wishing she could have worn something else tonight, pulling her jacket closer around her.

Robbie was openly shocked by Aggie's looks. She was the kind of woman that made every head in the restaurant turn, when she walked in, like today. They had agreed to meet for dinner, Jake wanted them to meet Aggie in a neutral setting, without a ranch as the host for it, theirs or Aggie's. After the initial introductions, the waiter took their drink orders and Sam heard the deep melodic tone in her voice. She could just imagine that Aggie would have a beautiful singing voice too. Sam seemed to be watching a movie, instead of participating in the evening around her. She was glad that Lily had gone with Jericho to the steakhouse for dinner. Jericho had suggested that Lily meet her later and not be there for this first meeting. Sam was really grateful now, because she wanted to hear everything this woman said. Jericho wanted Sam to feel able to talk, without having to watch what she said, when he had made the offer. Sam was very glad now that Jericho was so intuitive about her feelings and caring of Lily's too.

Aggie was telling Robbie the history of their ranch, but Sam barely heard a word. She was watching Jake, as he leaned back in his chair, more comfortable than she had ever seen him. A twinkle in his eye, told Sam that he cared a great deal for this woman. She made herself sit up straight an start to pay attention. "Sam, Jake tells me you used to do quite a bit of Barrel Racing, do you still race?" Aggie asked her. Sam shook her head no, "Used to, is the right word. Too old, I hurt my back during a race and have to be careful how much stress I put on it now." Aggie leaned in closer to her, "Me too! I'm older than you, so we wouldn't have ridden in the same race class, but I bet we were at some of the same ones." Sam realized that Aggie was trying to draw her into the conversation and find a common ground that she would feel more comfortable talking about. That was ok with Sam, she admired Aggie's ability to see how people were feeling and try to ease the situation for them. She didn't happen to own the same conversational quality however, she struggled in situations like this one and wished that she could eat in the kitchen.

Jake laughed, "I remember being so jealous of Sam's riding ability. She could always out ride me, even when she was tiny." Sam looked at him, "I never knew that Jake." He nodded, "Don't worry Sis, I am quite comfortable riding for work and nothing else, these days. I love a truck!" They all laughed, knowing that he did love his truck. Sam had never seen Jake drive a car. "What about Lily, are you going to teach her to race?" Jake asked. Sam hadn't given any thought to that possibility at all, it was a dangerous sport. "No. I don't think she even knows about racing." Sam said quietly. Robbie took note of Sam's quietness, "See what it feels like to think your child might in danger?" she said softly. Sam smiled, "It's a unique feeling, I have to admit. How do you let a kid try new stuff and stay sane, Mom?" Robbie laughed, "You don't have fingernails, I'll tell you that much!"
Aggie laughed with them, but Jake was silent. That worried Sam a little, he should have at least smiled, she thought. Robbie noticed it too and she knew why Jake didn't appreciate her little joke. Jake had not participated in groups as a kid, he was too much to handle for coaches or organizations, always fighting with his team mates. Sam had joined anything she could, excelling at most of them and Robbie had always known that this was a sore spot with Jake. He looked at Sam and said, "I used to be jealous of everything. These days..I just feel content." He reached over and took Aggie's hand. She smiled at him as though they were alone in the room. "I'm glad Jake. You deserve some quiet time." Sam told him from her heart. Jake looked over at her in surprise, understanding exactly what she had meant, but didn't say anything.

As she sat there at the table with this small group of people, her family, Sam realized that she really didn't hold any animosity toward Jake. This shocked her a bit, since she had always been afraid of what he would do next. And.. she actually envied his relationship with Aggie a little, although, she didn't have the time or the inclination to find an adult relationship now. Lily would be all that she needed. The evening ended and they all said goodbye in the parking lot and Sam and Robbie headed home.
"Well, what did you think of her?" Robbie asked. "I thought she was absolutely beautiful." Sam responded. Robbie laughed, "I know. But what about..her and Jake?" Sam glanced over at her, "They seem to be in sync. She responded to his every move, quite gracefully, actually." Robbie thought about the way Sam had put it and said, "Sam, are you wishing you had a special someone?" She laughed, "No Mom, I'm really not. I am very satisfied the way things are. I still have a lot to learn about being a mom, I don't think I could handle any other relationships now."
Robbie was a little saddened by this, but she understood. Poor Sam, she had so much on her shoulders to deal with, now that Luke was gone. Robbie stared out into the darkness, thinking of Luke now, they had been in sync too, for many years, it was hard to think about never having that again.

Sam thought about Aggie and Jake as she went about her chores the next morning, the way they seemed to know each other's thoughts and were in agreement. It somehow put a new light on the subject of relationships for Sam. Jericho drove up to the corral and called her over. "I sent Matt down to the low grounds to check for a break in the fence, seems we had a few cows out last night. Danny called this morning, he got 'em back in, but didn't see where they got out." Sam grimaced at the thought of finding a hole in the fence, it was a lot of territory to cover. "Maybe I better take a horse and go with him." she said. Jericho laughed, "Sam, he is capable of doing the job on his own. You don't trust anything, do you? He has the four wheeler and can find the hole and fix it. I trust him." Sam was offended at first, until she saw that Jericho was holding back his laughter. "I do to trust people!" she said loudly. "I trust you Jericho."

Sam watched him as he walked to the house, thinking how lucky she had been to find him for the ranch. It seemed as if he had been there forever and she counted on him the same way she had counted on her father. Jericho was different though, he made her think about the things she did and the way she did them, and why. Sometimes he knew what she was thinking before she did and that made her feel uncomfortable. Her phone rang, bringing her back to the present, it was Matt and he needed help. He had found the place in the fence and it was a long break, the cows were finding it too, so he needed someone to hold the cows back while he repaired the fence. Sam got on the other four wheeler and took off down the lane that would lead her to where Matt was waiting.
When she got there he was slowly riding back and fourth keeping the cows away from the broken fence. It seemed to be a game to them, darting back and fourth, to try and find a way around Matt. Cow were the most curious creatures ever born. They loved to seek out new grass, not because they were hungry though. Simply because it was new ground to discover. Matt waved, laughing at the game he was playing. Sam noticed that he wasn't the least bit out of sorts with the situation, and that seemed strange to her. Jake would have...she stopped that thought, because it no longer applied to him. Taking her bike close to his, they moved the cows far enough away so they wouldn't be so interested in the other side of the fence, their neighbors land, until they could get it fixed. Sam worked beside Matt and they made quicker work of the repair together, than had he been alone.

When they had finished and were back at the house for lunch, Matt told Sam he had some ideas about the fencing. Jericho was interested in his thoughts and they spent the entire time, talking about how to change the fencing down there. Sam had gotten her back up, because they didn't include her in the conversation.
Not that she had to be included in everything, they just made it seem like a "man thing", which always got her feminist side stirred up. Sam worked just as hard as they did and she wanted to be included in plans or ideas. She got up and stomped down to the barn, saddling her horse in her anger. Sam always rode when she needed to work out a problem.
For some unknown reason, Sam ended up riding up to Lonely Mountain. The trail was hard going, it hadn't been traveled in some time. Sam was determined to reach the top, she had never been all the way there before. Almost getting brushed off her horse from a limb didn't even stop her, she seemed to be on a mission and pushed her horse up the steep incline, giving no thought to coming back down....
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 15

 Chapter 15

Jericho had to be taken to the doctor later in the morning and Robbie offered to take him. Sam had some work to do and all the feeding without his help, so she got started as soon as it was light. One of the tractors wouldn't start and Sam had to take the four wheeler out to the other barn and drive that one back, making her morning last forever. When she finally parked the tractor and headed into the house for coffee, her mother and Jericho had come home.
"So, how did it go, you gonna live?" she said as she patted Jericho on the back. "Oh yea, the doctor said I had a real professional cleaning done on the cut." he laughed. Robbie glared at him, "The doctor said you need to rest it for at least 24 hours. That means, propped up in the recliner, and since I told him I would make sure you did exactly what you were supposed to, I'll see to it that you do!" Jericho groaned in protest, "It's just a little cut Robbie. Sam needs my help." "Oh no! I need you well, more than I need you today. The tractor won't start again, but I've finished all the feeding, I went down and got the other one. I guess I need to call Logan and see if he can come out and take a look at it. We can't make it through the winter without a reliable tractor." she told him emphatically. "I can get it started tomorrow Sam, it just takes a little patience." Jericho told her.

Sam put her hands on her hips, "Logan will get a call." Jericho huffed and sniffed for a few minutes and then fell asleep in the recliner. Robbie smiled, "Sam, he's as hard headed as you." Sam agreed and headed back out to check on the new mother and foal, finding Ned already out in the barn with them. "Hey there, thought you would be sleeping in today." Sam called out to him. "Yea, right. I had just laid down when I got another call after I left here. I'm starting to feel it too. Had another foal to pull over at your neighbors." he replied. "Look, why don't you go in the house and rest for awhile. You can crawl into my bed, it hasn't been slept in either." Sam laughed. Ned glanced over at her, "That's right, make fun of me. See if I come running out in the middle of the night again for you." Sam laughed and patted him on the back. "Jericho is in the recliner, sound asleep." Ned laughed, "That figures, while we're out here working. Come on, let's go make some noise."
They headed into the house for coffee, but Ned didn't wake Jericho, he knew that he was tired too. "Robbie, you make the best coffee in the world. I needed this. You got a sandwich laying around anywhere? After I leave here, I have to go check on a cow." Ned told her. Robbie made him a sandwich and he took it with him, to eat on the way to his next stop.
"You know Sam, Ned sure is a nice man." Robbie said, as she wiped the table. Sam looked over at her mother, "Yea, he sure is. A pretty good doc too." She waited for her mother to continue, but Robbie took the hint and stayed quiet. Sam got up and told her mom she was going to take a nap and went up to her room to rest for a little while.

Waking up just as the bus pulled away, Sam couldn't quite focus on what time it was. The sound of the bus made her conscious of something, but she couldn't arouse herself enough to...Lily! The bus was dropping Lily off after school! Sam started to throw her legs out from under the blanket, but they got tangled in it and she fell onto the floor. Fully awake after that, she managed to stand up and head down the stairs, just as Lily walked through the door. "Hi Sam, what's wrong with your hair?" she asked. Sam laughed and started to run her hands through the blond curls that never liked to stay in one place anyway. "How was your day, hon?" Sam asked, while she got out the milk and poured a glass for each of them. "Ahh, it was ok. I have homework!" she answered with disgust. Sam laughed, "Well, what's wrong with that? I thought you liked homework."

Lily looked at her for a long moment, "I don't like math. It's boring, I like reading best." Sam looked at her, "I used to feel the same way, so I understand how you feel today." Lily waited for her to continue and try to change her mind about math, but Sam opened the paper and didn't continue. Lily just stared at her, but Sam wouldn't bite. She wanted Lily to ask the question about why she doesn't hate math anymore, so that it would seem to be her idea. Lily decided to drop the subject however, leaving Sam with nowhere to go. Sam laughed at her backfired method, of teaching Lily to explore things she didn't really like, she would have to work harder at this mom thing.

"Did Nana go to Selena's without me?" Lily asked. Sam looked out the window and saw that Robbie's car was gone, "I don't know honey..where is Jericho.." Lily heard the car coming in before Sam and ran to the door, "It's Nana, here they come." Jericho came in first, followed by Robbie with grocery bags. "We decided to go pick up a few things while you were resting Sam. It took longer than I thought it would, so I'm glad you were up for Lily." Sam couldn't quite get herself awake and decided to go check on the mare and foal, hoping the cold air would give her some energy.
Jericho came out of the barn just as Sam got to the door. "The mare is doing fine Sam, I just checked on both of them. Think I'll let her out in the paddock tomorrow, she needs some exercise." Jericho told her. "How's your leg feeling?" she asked. Before he could answer, they noticed a car pulling in at the house. Jericho told Sam to go see who it was, he needed to drive out to the low grounds and check the cows before nightfall. Sam walked in the kitchen to find a strange woman seated at the table with her mother. "Hi honey, this is Nancy Delong, Jake's therapist." Robbie told her. Sam shook her hand and nodded, not saying a word. "I came by hoping to see you both. I''ve been working with Jake for some time now..and I really need your help to continue working with him."

Sam took this information in and felt as though the woman was blaming them somehow for Jake's problems, immediately getting her back up. She went over and got a cup of coffee and leaned against the counter, not joining them at the table. Robbie's lips tightened, realizing that Sam wasn't ready for this woman to come in and tell them what to do. "Sam, she just meant that, well..that Jake is ready for our input." Sam nodded, still not speaking and taking an aloof attitude. The woman took offense at Sam's attitude, "Well, I can see why Jake has problems." She stood up to leave and looked over at Sam, as if her words had dared Sam to comply with her wishes. Sam didn't move a muscle, she sent daggers to the woman through her piercing blue eyes.

"Well, this was a waste of my time!" the therapist shouted. "Now wait, please Miss Delong. Let me talk to Sam." Robbie quickly said to her, trying to keep her from leaving. The woman stopped and held her head up high with an arch in her neck, as if trying to intimidate Sam. A tearful Robbie had never seen Sam so tight lipped and unmovable. "Sam! Can you please be nice?" Robbie said to her.

"Please Sam?" she said again. Sam sat her cup on the sink and went over to the table and sat down. "Miss Delong, if you think I can be intimidated by anything you have to say, you are sadly mistaken. Now, I told Mom I would be willing to come and talk with you. What I don't understand is, why are you so impatient? You do realize that your visit and bad attitude have affected my thinking on the subject, don't you?" Sam told her in no uncertain terms. Robbie bent her head down and folded her hands, "Sam, please."
"What's you hurry Miss Delong?" Sam continued. The woman appeared on the verge of tears, "Well, this is a waste of time. Jake has more problems than I thought, he has you for a sister!" She burst into full fledged tears and ran out the door. Robbie was trying to get her wits about her and looked at Sam, "Now look what you've done!" As soon as the words came out of her mouth, she knew that she had said those words to Sam before, many times. Sam just looked at her, with no emotion. Robbie sat down and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry Sam. I just realized how many times I've said those words to you, with Jake always at the base of them. Sam, what just happened here?"

Lily stood in the doorway to the family room and stared at Robbie, unsure if she should comfort Sam or not. "Mom, we can't let this..come between us anymore. Call Jake and let's find out what the heck he expects of us." Sam told her. "Tell him to come over as soon as he can." Robbie closed her eyes, wishing she didn't have to do this. Jake would be upset with them and that could mean he would get angry. "No Sam, I don't think that's what needs to happen right now. I am going to her office tomorrow and find out what's going on." Robbie told her. Sam thought about it for a moment and nodded, letting Robbie know that she agreed with her after all. Robbie laid her hands over Sam's, "I'm so sorry honey. I heard myself, for the first time. I realize though, you have heard those words many times." Sam smiled at her and looked over at Lily, "It's all good honey, come on over."

The next day as Robbie left Miss Delong's office, she felt better than she had in years, about Jake. As she got in the car, she began to laugh. It wasn't really funny, but that poor homely woman had fallen in love with Jake, and Robbie couldn't help herself. Jake had been a lot of things and had many a woman in his life, but this poor girl had fallen hard, with no hope of Jake returning her feelings. Robbie stopped by Selena's before she headed home and told her about her findings. Selena laughed with Robbie, "I guess she was hoping to get you and Sam on her side, to help her hook him." Selena said. Robbie nodded, "That's pretty much the way I took what she had to say, poor thing. Jake might think highly of her talents as a therapist, but that's all." On her way home, Robbie decided that she didn't need to convey everything to Sam, just the high points.

Pulling into the ranch, Robbie saw Jake's truck, parked in front of the barn and began to worry. It was an odd time of day for him to be away from his own ranch. Robbie headed into the house and made coffee, thinking about the things the therapist had told her about Jake's condition and how she wished that Luke was here to help her understand all of this. Jake had actually undergone testing through another doctor to find the cause of his lifelong problems. She told Robbie that the meds had proven to be a miracle for Jake. Robbie was brought out of her thoughts by Jake coming in the door.

"Hi mom. Where is Sam? I didn't see her anywhere around." Jake said, in a friendly manner. Robbie found herself again amazed at his demeanor, "I don't know, I just got home." Jake looked around the kitchen for grocery bags, since that was about the only place Robbie ever went. Not seeing any he asked her where she had gone. Robbie wasn't sure how to answer him, she didn't want to make a situation that would cause him to not continue with therapy. "I had a little trip to make, you know I help Selena out most days." she said innocently. Jake nodded, not thinking any more about it. "Mom, I had a talk with Aggie about Tommy. She's pretty understanding about the situation and wants to keep him on the ranch, but she also wants to protect herself. So, she is talking to her lawyer today to find out how she can proceed, safely." Robbie noticed that Jake's voice sounded almost affectionate, "That's good. I would hate to see him sent away somewhere."
Sam and Jericho walked in the door, "Hi Jake, anything wrong?" Sam asked. He shook his head no and nodded to Jericho, "No, I just wanted you to know that Aggie is talking to her lawyer about Tommy. She wants him to stay on the ranch, if possible. I just thought you and Lily would want to know that we are trying."

Sam smiled, "We?" She looked at him with a grin. Jake grinned back at her and turned red, "Yea, we. Aggie and I are...trying to see where we are headed." He looked at Sam for her reaction, as if it were important to him. "Good." she said. Jake was disappointed, he wanted her to ask what he meant, so he could tell her that he planned to marry Aggie. Robbie saw the disappointment and asked, "So you.. care for this woman, Jake?" He looked up to Sam waiting for his response, "I do, more than I thought I ever would. We are talking about...getting married." Sam's mouth fell open, "What? You, married?" She laughed then and said, "I think that's just what you need Jake, a reason."
Robbie didn't get what she meant, but Jake did, "You need to be looking in that direction too Sis, what about Ned?" Sam grinned, "Ned is quite taken I hear and..I couldn't be happier for him. We have always been friends, that's all. Besides I already have all the "reason" I need, Lily."
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　
　

Wounded Legacy Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Lily got off the bus and came running down the lane and into the house. Sam was sitting at the table waiting for her, "Hi honey, how was school today?" Lily dropped her book bag and hugged Sam, "Perfect!" Sam laughed, "Well now, I don't think I ever had a perfect day at school. Tell me about it." Lily went to the fridge and got a juice, sticking the straw in it and taking a drink before telling Sam, " Lisa invited me to a pajama party on Friday night. It's her birthday and we are having hamburgers and french fries and..." she stopped to catch her breath. "And lots of fun things."
Sam laughed at her excitement, "That does sound like fun. Do you have her phone number, so I can call her mom?" Lily nodded and reached into her pocket for the crumpled up paper, that had been a cute invitation. Sam read it and tried to figure out if she knew the people.

Robbie had gone to Selena's house early today. They had baby furniture being delivered and needed her to let them in and show them where to put it. Sam got Lily a snack and then said, "Lil, I have some news for you." Lily looked up at with her bright eyes full of joy, "What? Is it another party?" "No, it's not another party. I found your brother Tommy." Sam told her, quietly waiting for her reaction. Lily's eyes got big and she flew into Sam's waiting arms. Pulling back from Sam, she asked, "Can I see him?" Sam smiled and told her the plan. Lily was so excited she didn't know what to do first. "I wish Nana was here, we could make some cookies for him, as a present." Lily said clasping her hands together. Sam laughed, "Well, if you'll help me, I'll help you to make cookies. I haven't made cookies since before I left for college."
Lily didn't bat an eye, as she proceeded to get all the ingredients together and lay them out on the island. She was so excited she dropped both of the cookie sheets and they made such a clatter she giggled and did it again. "Ok, that'll do with the noise, kiddo." Sam laughed. Lily laughed and clanged them together one more time, just for fun.
They were just taking the cookies out of the oven when Jake walked in the door, with Tommy behind him. He looked to Sam to be sure it was alright to come in. "Come on in. Lily has made cookies for you." Sam told them as she realized she hadn't told Lily that Jake would be bringing Tommy to the ranch. Lily was frozen in her chair at the sink, not looking at Tommy, but at Jake. Her little hands began to shake and Sam went and picked her up. "Lil, you can take Tommy up and show him your room." She didn't need any more encouragement as she took Tommy's hand and skirted around Jake, not wanting to get too near. Tommy noticed this and furrowed his brow, wondering why she didn't like Jake.

"You're early." Sam told Jake. "Sorry, I thought this would be a good time for them. I can leave Sam." he said. "No, you don't have to leave yet. I guess this will be a good time for me to get the information I need from you. The therapists number? A deal's a deal." She told him. Jake reached in his pocket and got her card out, handing it to Sam. She took it and looked at it, "Coffee?" Jake nodded and went to the pot, helping himself. "Sam, I'm really sorry I scared Lily so bad. Do you think I could try again with her?" Sam sat down across from him at the table, "Well, it will take some time Jake. You can't force the issue with her. She's pretty bright, when it's time for the next step, she will let you know. Bringing Tommy back to her is the right direction, a really good first step." Jake took a deep breath and put his head in his hands, "I'm thirty three Sam, and I've wasted most of those years. I just want to change so many things. I was going to wait and let Doc tell you and Mom this part, but maybe you need to know now."

Sam found that she wanted to hear what he had to say. His voice was so different than she had ever heard it, as if he were in pain. "Ok." Jake cleared his throat, "I have a brain disorder. If it had been diagnosed when I was a kid, things around here would have been different. Taking this medicine has changed my whole way of thinking and feeling. Doc figured it out real quick and sent me to the right folks for a diagnosis. My brain kinda goes on overload, real quick. That's why I was always angry. I know it doesn't change any of the bad things I did, but somehow, it helps me to deal with it now. Knowing, I'm not just the bad seed."

Neither of them had heard Robbie come in the door. She stood there and gasped as she heard the words come from Jake. Jake turned to see his mom and got up and hugged her. Sam was shaken at this, she had never seen Jake hug anyone.
Through her tears, Robbie asked, "Is it.." she couldn't finish. She thought he was dying. Jake laughed, "No Mom, it's not like that. It's a condition, not a disease."
Robbie sighed with relief, "Oh thank goodness." Sam couldn't believe the sound of Jake's laughter. It wasn't him at all, someone new had taken over his body, someone she didn't know at all. Still wary, Sam decided to test Jake's meds. "Jake, what do you think we should do about Tommy?" she asked. Jake sat back down and took a breath, "Well, I talked to Aggie about him this afternoon. At first she was really upset, you know, thinking she could get in trouble for having him on the ranch, underage and all. But she agreed to wait before she calls the authorities. He's a great worker, kinda quiet."

"Why wait?" Sam asked. Jake looked shocked by her words, "Well..I thought..with Lily, you might want to take him in." Now it was Sam's turn to be shocked, "Me? Jake, I'm still learning everyday how to care for Lily, I can't handle any more than I already have on my plate. But, I want him taken care of properly. I want what's best for him.. for Lily's sake." Sam was close to tears and Robbie took her hand. "Honey, nobody has to make a decision tonight. It's enough for now, that Lily knows he is safe." Jake got up, "If you need me to come get him later, I will." Robbie was unaware of their agreement and said, "No, Jake, you stay for supper too." Sam sent him a look and nodded to him that it would be ok with her. She didn't want her mom upset tonight.
Lily took Tommy out to the barn to show him Munch, Sam thought this might be a good time for her to go out with them and get to know Tommy a bit. "Do you have a special horse at the ranch Tommy?" she asked. He shook his head no. Sam realized that she had come out too soon, he wasn't ready to trust her. "Well, you two come on back in soon, supper will be ready." she told them and left. Back in the kitchen and helping Robbie with supper, Jake told her to be patient with him. Sam couldn't believe what she was hearing from Jake, of all people.

Jericho came in the door and hung his hat on the rack, nodding to everyone. Jake looked uncomfortable and Sam didn't know how to break the ice that had suddenly formed in the room as she helped her mother with the meal. "Chill setting in for tonight, I brought some wood up for the fireplace." Jericho told Robbie. "Thank you Jericho, a fire would feel good tonight." Sam told him. "I'll go start it for you Mom."Jake said, needing to leave the room. Jericho settled himself at the table with his paper, as if it were quite usual to have Jake there at suppertime. Lily and Tommy came in the door, bringing a swish of cold air with them. He cheeks were bright red from the cold and the happiness she felt from finally being reunited with her brother. Jericho grabbed her up in his lap and blew on her cheeks, she laughed with delight as Tommy watched from the doorway. Jake called to him to help with the wood and they went into the family room.

Sam let out a breath, as though she had been holding onto it too long. Jericho smiled and glanced at her. "It's all good Sam." he told her quietly. Sam tried to smile, but she couldn't quite pull it off. Her nerves were getting the best of her, trying to make her way around the kitchen with Jake and Jericho almost in the same room together. She was so afraid that Jake would say something hateful to Jericho, she was shaking. Robbie called them all to the table as she laid the roast on the table. Jake was the first one to sit, right across from Jericho. Lily went around to the side where Jericho was sitting and climbed up beside him. Robbie sat down and motioned to Sam to sit beside Tommy. "Well, this is nice. I just love to cook for family." Robbie said to them all, smiling a smile that invited them all to do the same.

Sam had to laugh, "Ok, let's dig in! Tommy, you're going to love those special creamed potatoes, my Mom makes the best in the world." Jericho nodded, "She sure does." As everyone filled their plates, conversation turned to "please pass and thank you" quickly lifting the heaviness from the room. Tommy actually smiled when he tasted the roast, "Man, this is really good." Jake laughed, "Tommy is used to the ranch cook. He makes the food filling, but it lacks a certain..spice." Tommy laughed and nodded with Jake. Lily was so thrilled to have Tommy back, she forgot about Jake for awhile and enjoyed the talk that began around the table. Sam even relaxed and joined in the conversation occasionally too.

Jake and Tommy left soon after the meal was over, saying they had an early day coming up in the morning. Lily climbed up in Jericho's lap and watched T.V. until bath time. Sam went out to the barn to check on a mare that was soon to foal. She sat on a bale and wept finding herself alone finally, the events of the evening had taken it's toll on her nerves. Drying her tears and telling herself to grow up, she went back in the house and told Jericho the mare was close and they would have to take turns checking on her through the night. "You get some rest tonight Sam, I'll check on her and let you know if I need any help." he told her as he left. He was still staying in the tack room for the time being. The cabin would be ready as soon as the inspector gave his approval, but it would be another week before he could come and look at it. Sam was worried that it would be too cold for him out in the barn and took a small heater out to him.

Jericho smiled, "Thanks Sam, but I'll be fine. I bought an electric blanket the last time I went to town, it was on sale." Sam laughed, "You're something else Jericho. Have I told you how glad I am you are here with us?" she asked him. He just nodded, "I know. I know. Get some rest Sam, we may have to call Ned and get him out of bed tonight, I have a bad feeling about this one." Sam had the same feeling, the mare seemed way to edgy for her liking. She decided to give Ned a call early with a heads up and made the call as soon as she got to the house. Ned assured her he would come out as soon as she needed him.
Two hours later, Sam's phone rang. She knew it would be Jericho and jumped out of bed as she answered. The mare was in trouble sooner than they had expected. She called Ned as she headed out the door. A strong cold wind hit her in the face and she turned away from it as she made her way to the barn. Glad to be inside from the wind, she ran to the stall and found Jericho trying to calm the mare. It took both of them to calm her and she seemed to feel better with Sam's hand on her neck, talking to her. Sam could see that the foal was coming in a breach position and wished that Ned would hurry. The horse knew too, that she was in trouble, her eyes showing the concern of a mother, worried about her foal were wide and darted from side to side with fear. Sam was doing all that she could to try and calm her, when she fell down. One of her hooves hit Jericho in the shin and he fell too. Sam let go of her hold on the horse and helped Jericho up and out of the way of her thrashing legs and hooves. Pulling up his pant leg, the cut was ugly and Sam ran to the tack room for bandages.

Ned came in the barn as she was running back to the stall, "Thank goodness. Jericho got cut on the leg." she told him. Ned took a look at Jericho before the horse. "Sam, take these scissors and cut off the pants." he told her. She cut off the pants, revealing a deep cut in Jericho's leg. Ned took out antiseptic and bandages out of his bag and cleaned the wound, wrapping it neatly with gauze. "Jericho, how long since you've had tetanus shot?" Jericho raised his eyebrows, telling Ned that he never had. "You better get one tomorrow, ok?" Ned told him. "Don't worry, I'll take him to the doctor myself." Sam told them both. Ned then turned to the mare. He first checked to be sure the foal was still alive, it was and he began the procedure to deliver it, with Sam helping. They didn't need any heat in the barn, because by the time they were done, they were sweating and quite warm. The mother and foal were resting nicely, side by side as they left the barn.

"Ned, thank you. I think we would have lost them both without your help tonight." Sam told him as they sat in the kitchen with a much needed cup of coffee. Ned smiled, "That's my job Sam. I'm always glad too, when I can save one of 'em. I hate to see one die, if I can prevent it. I'm just glad not too many of them need my help. I hope Jericho won't have too much trouble with that leg." Sam nodded in agreement, "Well, I guess this night is shot as far as sleep goes. Are you hungry?" she asked him. Ned grinned, "I'm always hungry." Robbie walked into the kitchen as he spoke and said, "Well, I guess we'll have breakfast a little early today. How's the mare?" She started pulling ham and eggs out and Sam grinned, "She'll be fine, so will the little filly." Sam was grateful her mother had decided to fix the food, she didn't think she had the energy.