In this AU, the boys are in modern day Texas. Sarah and Adam are still alive. We hope that we've set down a good foundation for others to build on.
We began this AU to explore the relationship between Chris and his family, in an effort to see Chris Larabee as the loving father and husband we believe the series was trying to portray him as. And to see how the boys would interact with Sarah and Adam. We welcome other writers who can share that vision and invite you to build on what we've started. We hope you can respect the premise of the AU.
The boys don't belong to us, dangnabit! Thanks to Mirisch, Trilogy, MGM, TNN, CBS, Hallmark Channel for bringing them to us. And many thanks to those seven wonderful actors for giving them life.
"Nettie, hello. We haven't seen you in ages," Chris Larabee remarked as he greeted the older woman with a kiss on the cheek.
"Been busy," Nettie replied, slipping her keys into the pocket of her jeans. "Lucas left for college last week and I haven't had the chance to find a replacement yet."
"You should have called, Nettie," Chris admonished her. "I would have gladly come over and given you a hand."
"So would I, Miss Nettie," added Vin Tanner, who was standing on the opposite side of the fence.
"I know that," the woman said with a smile. "But you've got your own work here. I don't want to be a bother."
"That's nonsense, Nettie," Chris replied. "Next time, you call."
Nettie patted his arm with her calloused, leathery hand.
"I'll find someone, Chris, don't you worry."
Chris nodded, then changed the subject.
"So, Lucas is off to college. Wow. That's quite a turn around. Vin, you should have seen that boy when Nettie first got a hold of him. A regular public-enemy-number-one in training."
"Now, Chris. Be fair. He had only been arrested twice."
"Yeah, that's true. But he'd been caught half a dozen times and released with no charges," Larabee reminded her.
"He's a good boy," she insisted.
"He is now, after the Nettie-treatment!" He chuckled when she playfully slapped him.
"I've known boys like that," Vin said. "Hell, without Josiah's help, I might have turned out that way myself."
"Who's Josiah, son?" Nettie asked. She'd come to be extremely fond of Vin Tanner since he'd entered the lives of the Larabee family and her interest in his past was genuine. And Vin knew that. He smiled at her.
"Josiah Sanchez. After my ma died, I spent a lot of time in foster care. Josiah was a counselor at one of the many schools I went to. Always changed schools when I changed families. Josiah helped me get through some nasty stuff with one of my foster fathers. He's helped a lot of boys. Hell, he still does."
"He still working at the school?"
"Naw. He opened up a small outreach program with some money he inherited from a relative, started working with kids full-time. Usually works with older boys, since they seem to get forgotten more often than not. He can only help five or six at any one time, but he says that way he can devote more time to each kid."
"Hmmm. Maybe I should talk to your friend, see if any of his kids are looking for work."
"Heck, Nettie. Josiah might be looking for work himself soon. He's about to lose the lease on the building he's been using, something about a new mall going up. He's been trying to find a new building, but rents are too high. He may have to close down."
Nettie got a thoughtful look on her face. Then she grinned at Tanner.
"Son, can you ask your friend to call me? I may have a business proposition for him."
Vin and Chris exchanged a look. It was Chris who voiced the question.
"Nettie, just what are you up to?"
The older lady continued to smile.
"Just an idea, Chris. Don't you fret. I'll need to speak to Mr. Sanchez to see if it will work or not."
Knowing the woman like he did, Chris got an idea what she had in mind and proceeded to put his foot down on the idea.
"Nettie, are you thinking about bringing those boys to your ranch?" He received no verbal reply, just an innocent lifting of her right eyebrow, which told him he was on the right track. "Nettie, no. Lucas was one thing. He did petty stuff. Shoplifting and vandalism. Plus, you know his family. These boys, there's no telling what they're into."
"He's right, Miss Nettie," Vin added. "The boys that Josiah works with now, some of them are into drugs and weapons."
"Well then, it's a good thing I've got a Texas Ranger and an ex-bounty hunter living so close now, isn't it?" she asked.
"Nettie...!" Chris began.
"Now, Chris, it's still just an idea. Let me talk to Mr. Sanchez first. He might not even like the idea. Now, I've got to go see my girl." Nettie waved off any further protest and walked toward the house to see Sarah.
"That is one stubborn woman," Chris groused. "You better call your friend and warn him. This is not a good idea."
"Hmmm, yeah, maybe."
Chris turned at the hesitation he heard in Tanner's voice.
"You do agree that this is a bad idea, don't you?" Chris asked.
"Maybe."
"Maybe?! Vin, she's an old lady. The thugs that your friend probably deals with..."
"They ain't thugs! They're kids. Mixed up kids. Most of them just need a chance, someone to believe they can amount to something!"
"Whoa, don't go ballistic on me," Chris said, raising his hands in defense. "You said yourself that some of them are into drugs and guns. That's a deadly combination and I won't have Nettie in the middle of all that!"
Vin calmed down. He knew what Chris meant, but he remembered being a teenager and having everyone think he was dirt. Josiah had helped him to realize his potential. He could help others. And maybe Nettie could too.
"Pard, I'm not sure you can stop her." Chris sighed and glanced back toward the house, where Nettie was just greeting Sarah and Adam on the back deck. "Look, Chris, I'll call Josiah and explain the situation. He won't agree if he thinks there would be the slightest threat to Nettie."
Chris took a deep breath and let it out. He reached for the shovel he'd set aside when Nettie drove up. He shoved it into the ground at the base of the fence post and began removing the dirt from the bottom of the post. He worked for several minutes in silence before stopping and leaning on the shovel.
"I want to meet him. And I want to meet every one of those boys if she does this."
Vin nodded. "I'm sure that can be arranged. You seem pretty sure this is gonna happen. Josiah might not go for it. The boys he works with are mostly city boys, he may not feel right bringing them out here."
"I know that old woman. She already has her mind made up. She's a bit like the Godfather. She'll make Josiah an offer he can't refuse."
"She's a good lady."
"She's a stubborn lady," Chris remarked in exasperation, followed by a sigh. "But I gotta admit, she'd probably be good for those boys."
"I reckon she would," Vin replied as he picked up a hammer and began removing the nails that held the cross planks to the rotten post that Chris was digging up.
"...can't let her do this, Chris. She could get hurt!"
"What the hell do you want me to do, Sarah? I told Nettie the same thing. She didn't listen. She has her mind made up! I've talked to her until I'm blue in the face!"
"Well, talk harder!" his wife insisted.
Chris cursed and threw down the dishtowel he'd been using. The pair had been arguing about Nettie for twenty minutes as they cleaned the dinner dishes. And he kept repeating himself. He moved over to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer. Angrily twisting off the lid, he downed half the bottle in one long swallow.
He closed his eyes and placed the cold bottle against his forehead, hoping to numb the headache that had been creeping up on him all night as the discussion about Nettie's plans had been bandied about. Nettie had stayed for dinner and had stated her case, expecting... and getting... protests from everyone at the table, except for Adam.
He and Sarah had both tried to talk her out of the idea. She would hear none of it. She was determined to at least speak with Josiah about the idea and no one could dissuade from the notion.
"Chris, you have to talk to her again. Or better yet, talk to... what was his name? Josiah? Talk to Josiah. Tell him to turn her down, but gently."
Chris frowned, eyes still closed, a litany going through his head. Don't yell. Remember this is the woman you love. The mother of your child. If you yell, you'll only wake up Adam and that will just make her more angry. She doesn't need another reason to be pissed at you. Don't yell. Don't yell.
"Chris, did you hear me?"
He sighed and opened his eyes. Looking over at his wife, he saw the fire in her eyes. She stood in front of the sink. Her red hair was tied back, but tendrils had come loose from the tie and fell softly around her face. She wore a sage green tank top, tucked into her faded blue jeans. He could see the slight swell of her abdomen that was the child growing inside her womb. He began to smile.
"Christopher?" He was brought back to the present when the dishtowel he'd earlier discarded hit his face.
He glared at Sarah, then reached down and picked up the towel that had dropped to the floor. He tossed it onto the counter behind him. Finishing his beer, he walked toward the sink. Nudging his wife to the side, he rinsed the bottle and tossed it into the recycle bin under the sink. Then he turned and fully faced the lady before him.
"Sarah, I promise that I will do everything in my power to make sure that Nettie is safe. But I can't forbid her to do this. In the first place, she's a grown woman. She has the right to do what she pleases. In the second place, she's even more stubborn than you are. We both tried to talk her out of this and she just dug her heels in deeper."
He raised his hand when she seemed about to protest. Briefly he closed his eyes and sighed deeply. When he looked at Sarah again, she was standing before him with her hands on her hips and a defiant look in her eyes. He tried to reassure her again.
"Look, Vin will make sure that his friend understands the situation. If need be, I will talk to Josiah Sanchez myself. But in the end, Nettie will do what Nettie wants to do. We'll help her however we can and keep an eye on things as closely as we can. Vin has offered to spend some time over there when we can spare him. And you know that Nathan will probably check on her frequently as well, once he hears what's going on, if only to make sure that she isn't doing too much.
"Vin assures me that Josiah wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize Nettie's safety. He's going to bring Josiah out to Nettie's this weekend so we can all meet him. And I'll talk to JD in the morning and ask him to do some research on Josiah and his Outreach program, although I'm inclined to take Vin's word about the man's character. That's all I can do. Now, I need to go out and check the horses."
He walked out of the room, knowing he was leaving an angry woman behind him. He spent the next hour making sure the horses were bedded down and all the gates were closed and latched. Moving to the back deck, he settled sideways on the wide railing, pulling both legs up on the railing and leaning back against the upright post.
He lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. Slowly exhaling the smoke, he gazed up at the stars. He heard the sliding glass door open behind him, but didn't turn to look. He didn't want to see Sarah's angry face again.
He felt her reach for the cigarette and remove it from his hand, replacing it with a tumbler. She snuffed out the cigarette in an ashtray on the table behind her. Chris lifted the glass, the smell telling him that she'd filled it with his favorite whiskey. He smiled.
Sarah hated to kiss him after he'd been smoking. It was one of the reasons he'd cut back so drastically on the pack a day he used to smoke. Her offering of the alcohol proved she was ready to make-up. And he was all for that.
He took a sip, savoring the fiery liquid as it burned its way past his tongue. Then he turned to his wife, setting both feet on the wood porch. She stood in front of him, her bottom lip nervously trapped between her teeth. He dipped his finger into the whiskey then rubbed it across her lips.
Sarah's tongue darted out and licked the moisture from the finger before drawing into her mouth. As she sucked it between her lips, he groaned. When she released him, he reached out and pulled her to stand between his legs. Her hands found his thighs.
"I'm sorry," she offered.
"Baby, I hope you realize that I won't let Nettie get hurt."
She nodded and leaned her head against his chest.
"I'm scared for her, Chris."
"I know, Honey." Chris set down the glass and wrapped his arms around her. "I know. So am I. We'll work it out. If need be, I'll take some time off and help her out myself until things get settled. And Vin and Micah will help if they can, you know that. Who knows, maybe Josiah won't even like the idea.
Sarah sighed.
"No, you're right about one thing..."
"Only one?" he teased. She chuckled.
"You're right that generally Nettie does just as she pleases. She is extremely stubborn."
"That's not always a bad thing," Chris remarked. "Remember her chasing after you to give me a chance. If not for her, you would have run off with that Ivy League quarterback. And then where would you be?"
She smiled smugly.
"In a two-million dollar mansion in the Hamptons," she replied. "He was at Harvard, if you remember. Old money."
Chris raised an eyebrow. "And you gave all that up? For me?"
"I like to live dangerously," she said, her voice lowering to a whisper, her green eyes flashing.
Chris grinned. "I can do dangerous." He lowered his head, his lips meeting to capture hers, to devour her.
After a long moment, she pulled her head away, gasping for breath. She looked up when she heard him chuckling. As her eyes caught his, his smile left and his gaze became intense. She leaned in and kissed him softly.
"Shall we take this inside?" she asked, still slightly breathless. He pulled her closer.
"I thought you wanted dangerous," he said, his husky voice sending shivers through her. He stood up, and keeping his arms around her, moved her backward toward the deep, soft, outdoor sofa. When her knees hit the edge, she fell back, her fall controlled by his strong arm around her back.
"It's cold," she remarked, gasping as his lips met her neck.
"I'll light a fire," he replied, his tongue darting out to lick her ear lobe as he settled his weight on hers.
"You already have," she breathed.
Vin saw the old blue station wagon pulling up the drive of Nettie's ranch. He smiled, recognizing Josiah's old car. It had been new when Vin had first met Josiah. He couldn't believe it still ran. But then Josiah had always loved to tinker and no doubt did a lot of work on the vehicle himself. Most likely, many of 'his boys' also helped.
The vehicle stopped and Josiah climbed out, walking over to meet his old friend.
"Vin, it's good to see you," he said in his booming voice, enthusiastically slapping a large hand down on Tanner's shoulder.
"Josiah, glad you could make it. You ready for the inquisition?"
Josiah smiled. Vin had warned him about the Larabee family's concerns. And he knew Vin also had concerns — not about Josiah, but about the boys he counseled. And Josiah didn't blame him. Some of his charges had violent pasts. But Nettie Wells' idea intrigued him. With the impending eviction from his current building, which was set to be demolished in favor of a shopping mall, Josiah was desperate to find a place for the five boys he was currently working with.
Then Josiah would find a place for himself to live, hopefully nearby, so that he could be close in case any problems came up during the night. He lived in the upper floor of the building they currently used, so he would not only be losing his 'office' space, but his home as well.
"Nettie, Chris and Sarah went into town for some school thing with Adam. That's Chris and Sarah's son. I told Nettie I'd get here a bit early and show you around if they weren't back by the time you got here."
"That would be great. It'll give us a chance to talk. I want to tell you about my boys."
Josiah draped an arm over Vin's shoulder and the two men headed toward the small cabin that was used as a bunkhouse. They walked inside, leaving the door open behind them.
The main room held two long sofas set in an 'L' shape so that you could see the television from either one. There was a large table with a lamp where the sofas met, as well as tables and lamps on the opposites ends of each sofa. A large square coffee table sat in front of them, and there was a tall, wide bookcase that covered the wall across the room from the fireplace, which was in a wall niche above the fireplace.
Off to the left was the kitchen, large for the size of the cabin. It was fully equipped and held a walk-in pantry. There was a double-sided refrigerator and a separate stand-up freezer. Josiah nodded in approval before following Vin down the hallway past the kitchen.
There was a large bedroom, fitted out with six twin size beds, three on each side of the room. Each bed had a nightstand on one side and a tall cabinet. Mismatched lamps were on the nightstands. The beds bore bare mattresses and pillows. Light dust could be seen floating in the sunbeam that shown in through the large window that faced the door. There was another window over the three beds on the rear side of the room, this window overlooking the large field in the rear of the cabin.
Josiah walked into the room. Opening up one of the cabinets, he could see that it had four drawers in the bottom, and a rod across the top, so that there was room for both hanging clothes and folding clothing. Closing the cabinet, he noticed holes in each side of the handles, which would make it easy to secure the doors with a padlock. He nodded in satisfaction.
"Lot of room here, Vin."
"Enough for six hands and the foreman," Tanner replied. "Let me show you the other bedroom."
Josiah followed Vin back down the hall and through the living room to another hall on the opposite side of the small house. This hall led to another bedroom, about the same size as the first one, but with only one large bed. In the corner of the room was a partitioned off area, which held a bookcase, desk and chair. The window over the desk looked out to the corral. On the desktop sat a lamp and telephone. A door to the side of the bed led to a full bathroom. Another window, this one much larger, also took in the view of the corral and the small stable behind it.
After checking out the house, or cabin as Vin called it, the two men looked around the barn and stables. Vin greeted the four horses in the barn with sugar cubes and carrots. Josiah watched his young friend with a smile.
"The animals still love you, Vin," he commented.
"It's just cuz I got food," Tanner said, chuckled as the small black filly nudged his pocket.
"Oh, I think it's more than that. You always did have a way with animals. I remember how it was when you worked that summer at old man Hartings."
Vin smiled. "He was a nice man. Didn't know squat about animals though."
Josiah nodded. "Yeah. I imagine that's why he finally sold off the ranch and moved into the suburbs to be near his daughter and her family."
"I reckon you're right."
Any further conversation was interrupted by the sound of a vehicle traveling up the driveway. Vin led the way outside and to the front of the large farmhouse. As they came around the side of the house a small boy with blond hair came flying around the corner.
"Vin!" he called as he raced toward the two men.
Tanner smiled and braced himself as the boy took a flying leap into his arms.
"Hey, pard! How'd it go?"
"It was so cool! You shoulda come. Who are you?" the boy asked, just noticing that Vin wasn't alone.
"Adam!" The youngster turned to find his mother standing a few feet away. "Is that any way to greet a stranger?"
"Sorry, Ma." He turned back to face the strange man. "Hello. My name is Adam Larabee." He stuck out his hand.
"Well, nice to meet you, Adam. I'm Josiah Sanchez." Josiah took the small hand in his and gave it a gentle shake.
"Do you know Vin?"
"Why, yes I do. I've known him for quite a while. Since he was just a few years older than you are."
'Wow, that's a long time!"
The adults laughed. Vin settled Adam on his hip as Nettie and Chris joined them.
"Hey, y'all. Josiah, let me introduce ya. You already met Adam. This here is Adam's ma, Sarah Larabee. The blond behind her is her husband, Chris."
Josiah nodded a greeting to Sarah and shook hands with Chris. Then he turned to the older lady standing next to Chris as Vin continued.
"And this cantankerous old woman is Nettie Wells," Tanner said with a smile, his grin growing larger as Adam giggled and buried his face behind his hands.
Sarah reached up to take Adam from Vin's arms, slapping Vin on the side of the head as she did, as a reproach for his remark about Nettie. Her smile took any serious rebuke from the discipline, however.
Nettie, ignoring Vin's affectionate description of her disposition, approached Josiah and wrapped her hand around his arm.
"So, Mr. Sanchez, did the young whippersnapper give you the guided tour?"
"He surely did, Ms. Wells. And you can call me Josiah."
"Well, then, Josiah, let's go in the house and have some coffee. We have some talking to do. And call me Nettie." She started to lead him toward the big farmhouse, then stopped and looked back at the others. "Well, come along. Don't be dillydallying about out here. I know you all want to put your two-cents worth in. Might as well get it over with now so we can get down to business." With that, she turned back and led Josiah into her home.
"Vin, I am so sorry," Sarah said. "You're right. She is cantankerous." Sarah followed Nettie, talking animatedly with Adam about the meaning of, as Adam called it, 'can- tank-rus'.
Vin and Chris exchanged a glance.
"Think they'd miss us if we just stayed out here?" Vin asked.
Chris sighed. "Yeah, they probably would. And then 'can-tank-rus' would be the least of our problems."
Vin just nodded as the two men headed for the house.
Two weeks later, Nettie was on her porch as Josiah pulled up in his station wagon. Vin was right behind him in his own Jeep. As the vehicles stopped and engines shut down, she came off the porch, wiping her hands on a towel she'd picked up from the porch railing.
"Morning, boys," she called as she approached the vehicles. Vin and Josiah climbed out their vehicles, followed by five teenage boys, some reluctantly, some nervously and one with a distinct look of distain on his face.
"Nettie, good morning!" Josiah's booming voice called out his greeting. "Come on, boys, meet our landlady."
Four of the boys slowly joined Josiah, the other leaned against the station wagon and crossed his arms over his chest. Nettie watched as Vin moved over and quietly spoke him. The boy glared at the ex-bounty hunter, but soon joined the others, where Josiah was making introductions.
"Nettie Wells, let me introduce my charges." He placed a hand on the shoulder of the first boy. "This is Jacob Bitterman. Jacob is fifteen and hails originally from New York, believe it or not." Jacob was a tall, thin boy, with a light complexion, which made the freckles across his nose stand out. His reddish hair curly around the edges of the baseball cap he wore on his head.
"Hello, Jacob," Nettie said, putting her hand out. "Welcome to my ranch."
Jacob glanced over his shoulder at Josiah before shaking Nettie's hand and mumbling a 'hello'. Nettie noticed he never made eye contact. Well, Josiah had mentioned he was shy. She would have to see what she could do about bringing him out of his shell. He was Josiah's newest charge, if she remembered correctly.
She smiled as Josiah ruffled the long, thick, dark hair on the head of the next boy in line.
"This is Mike Ingram," he said, as the boy twisted away from the attention, swatting Josiah's hand away. This young man was a little shorter than Jacob, but stockier. "Mike is sixteen and has been with me off and on for about four years. Mike has the most experience with horses."
"Lame-o." The comment came for the next boy in line who just smirked at the glare that Mike sent his way.
"Well, Mike, it seems like you will be teaching the others some things then," Nettie replied as she shook hands with a now-smiling Mike.
"Yes, ma'am it appears so."
"Yes ma'am, it appears so," the other boy muttered mockingly, quieting down when Vin cleared his throat and moved to stand next to Nettie.
The boy put a smile on his face and stuck out his hand. "Hello, I'm T," he said, with feigned enthusiasm, which caused Josiah to shake his head. "I won't be here long, just so you know."
"Is that so?" Nettie asked, one eyebrow rising in question. T was on the small side, his dark skin contrasting sharply with his blindingly white teeth. His long, slender fingers gripped Nettie's hand tightly. "So just where do you plan to go, young man?"
"Anywhere out of this town, this state, maybe even out of the country. And I ain't young. I'm sixteen!"
"He plans to hit it rich some day and rule the world," Mike interjected. "Talk about major lame-o, T-t-t-tyrone."
"You just wait," T said. "Once I make my first million I'll come back and hire you on to lick the dirt off my shoes. And don't call me that, my name is T!"
Josiah, with practiced ease and timing, moved between the two boys, one hand on each boys shoulder, pushing them slightly away from each other. He was used to the oft-repeated argument and moved with ease to keep them apart.
"Boys, you have been here less than five minutes and already your manners have flown right out the window. Now apologize to Nettie and let me finish up here."
After glaring at each other for another few seconds, Mike turned and looked at the old woman. "Sorry, ma'am. Sometimes he just pushes my buttons."
"Sorry," T mumbled.
"That's okay, boys. I don't expect that everything will run smoothly at first. I only ask that you boys respect my property and do the job you'll be getting paid to do."
"We're getting paid?!" asked the next boy in line. Nettie tried not to show her surprise when the boy whipped off his cap to reveal purple, blue and red striped hair, which contrasted strangely with his light brown skin. His hair, though multi-colored, was in dredlocks, tight against his scalp.
"And this would be Marcus," Josiah stated. "Marcus is our youngest member, at thirteen, and he's also the most mercenary of the bunch."
Nettie chuckled "Well, maybe Marcus and T should get together, all that determination should prove successful."
"Nettie! Don't give them any ideas!" Josiah put his hand over chest. "The thought of that is too much for this well-worn heart."
Marcus and T exchanged a glance, then smiled, the potential just occurring to them.
"Oh, dear," Nettie remarked softly. "Well, that cat's out of the bag, so to speak. Might as well just forge ahead. But I can tell I'll be keeping a close eye on you two."
Both boys turned shockingly sweet smiles toward the woman, smiles that sent waves of apprehension down the spines of both men present.
"And who is our reluctant member here," Nettie asked, indicating with a shake of her head the last boy, who stood several feet distant from Marcus, apparently not wanting to be associated with the group. He was tall, with blondish brown hair. He wore a dark blue tshirt and Nettie could see a cross on a silver chain around his neck.
"This is..."
"I can speak for myself, preacher," the boy snarled. "My name is Rafe Mosely. And just so you know, old woman, I don't want to be here. And I won't be staying long." He said this last bit to Josiah and then turned his glare on Vin.
"Show some respect," Vin snarled, stepping toward Rafe. He was stopped by Nettie's hand on his arm.
"Calm down, son. Rafe has the right to speak his mind. He's been through a tough time, as have all these young men. Words can't hurt me. And respect needs to be earned."
Although she was speaking to Vin, she was looking at Rafe. He made eye contact with her for several seconds before her intense stare caused him to turn his eyes away.
According to the records that Nettie had read, Rafe was the oldest of the group, having just turned seventeen. He'd been in foster care for over a year, every since his father, who had been a reverend in a North Texas church, had murdered Rafe's sister. The sister had run away with her boyfriend, whom the good reverend had disapproved of because the boy's family were members of a local Indian tribe.
The last update on the report indicated that his father had just last week been found guilty and sentenced to death row. All of these boys had tragic backgrounds, but Rafe was a hard case. Josiah had mentioned to Nettie that he was hoping that getting Rafe away from the city would help him to settle down. In another year, the state would be forced to release him to his own devices, as he would be eighteen and no longer under their jurisdiction.
Josiah hoped to turn him around and steer him away from the destructiveness he'd fallen into since his sister's death. Nettie vowed to make him her special project.
"Well, now, why don't you boys get your things into the bunkhouse, then come into the house for lunch. We'll be eating in an hour. Vin, come inside and help me." She walked away, expecting... and getting... compliance.
Later that afternoon, the boys, Josiah and Vin were all in the corral while Vin gave them all a lesson checking tack. He was going through all the tools, with some assistance from Mike, who had proved to be well-versed, as Josiah had noted. The demonstration stopped when a vehicle drove up the driveway.
Vin smiled and shook his head as he recognized Chris Larabee's black pickup. Chris and Buck Wilmington exited the truck and stepped onto the porch to meet Nettie, who had also heard them drive up. Vin couldn't hear the conversation, but from the gestures and chagrined look on Buck's face, he could imagine that Nettie was scolding the two men for coming out to "check up" on her.
"Who's that?" Marcus asked.
Vin looked at Josiah, who turned to the boys.
"Just a friend of Nettie's," Josiah said.
"They're Texas Rangers!" Rafe explained, seeing the badges on the men's shirts as they turned and started for the corral with Nettie.
"Rangers!" Marcus exclaimed before he sprinted toward the bunkhouse, Josiah right on his heels.
"Marcus! Marcus, it's okay. They're just here for a visit." Josiah caught up with Marcus on the step. "Marcus, calm down, they aren't here to take you away. I promise." He wrapped his big arms around the boy and pulled him close. Marcus tried to wriggle out of Josiah's strong grip to no avail. "Marcus, I promise, they are not here to take you away. They're just visiting Ms Nettie."
The boy finally calmed down and stopped struggling, but Josiah could feel his chest heaving from the exertion and fear. He leaned down and caught a glimpse of Marcus' face. The boy's eyes were tightly closed and Josiah could see evidence of tears at the corners of each closed eyelid.
"Let's go inside and get you settled down. You're not going anywhere, Marcus, do you hear me. I'm not letting anyone take you from here."
Marcus nodded, then allowed Josiah to steer him inside.
Back at the corral, Nettie hurried to the fence. "Vin, is something wrong with Marcus?"
Vin just shrugged, confused at the boy's actions. The answer came from Jacob.
"He's okay ma'am. It's just that the Texas Rangers are the ones who took him from his folks. He's afraid whenever he sees a cop; thinks they're gonna take him away from Josiah too."
Nettie turned a scalding look toward Chris, who just looked back at her, stubborn meeting stubborn head-on.
"Now do you see why I wanted you to wait until the weekend?"
"Nettie, we were out this way anyway, doing an investigation," Chris explained. "We always stop by when we're close, you know that."
"And you're investigation just happened to be near here today, when you knew that Josiah was bringing the boys out." It was obvious that Nettie didn't believe him, but Chris wasn't backing down.
"That's right. We were close, so we stopped by my place for lunch and decided to swing by here and see how things were going." He was a bit perturbed that Nettie was rehashing this in front of these juveniles, who were paying close attention to the argument.
"I guess I need to mention to that wife of yours that you're buttin' your nose in where it's not wanted? Haven't we already discussed this?"
Chris smiled. "Who do you think sent me over here?" he asked.
Nettie narrowed her eyes and glared, but Chris' grin just got bigger, which caused Buck and Vin to laugh.
Nettie just shook her head. "That girl... she should know by now that I can handle myself. The nerve sending you over here to check up on me! I'm gonna have to have me a talk with her." Nettie, mumbling to herself, stalked back to the house.
"Whooee!" Buck took his hat off and slapped it against his thigh. "I sure wouldn't want to be Sarah right about now. Those phones lines will be burning for sure."
"Are you a real Texas Ranger, Mister?"
Chris looked at the boys who remained with Vin. The question has come from Jacob, the red-head.
"Yes, Buck and I are both Rangers. We're also friends of Ms Wells," he stated, the threat implied, but the glare real. He wanted this little experiment to succeed, for Nettie's sake, but he planned to keep a close watch on things. He figured warning the boys up front that he wouldn't tolerate trouble would keeps problems to a minimum.
"You scared Marcus," T remarked.
Chris looked over toward the bunkhouse. He removed his hat and wiped a hand across his sweaty brow.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry about that. I didn't realize he'd get so upset."
"You should tell him you're sorry," Rafe snarled.
Chris narrowed his eyes, but remained silent. He glanced again at the boys. He'd read all their files, so had Buck. He'd know that Marcus had been forcibly removed from an abusive home. It hadn't even dawned on him that the boy would be afraid of the police. But he guessed he couldn't blame him.
He nodded. "You're right. I should." Without another word, he headed toward the bunkhouse, leaving four stunned boys behind.
Josiah heard the door open and took a step into the living room. Seeing Chris Larabee standing there, he glanced at the closed door to the bathroom.
"Chris?"
"Josiah. How is he?"
"He'll be fine. What can I do for you?"
"I... I came to apologize. I wasn't thinking. I didn't mean to scare the boy."
Josiah smiled. "I know you didn't. But you have to understand the circumstances here."
Chris raised his hand. "I do."
Sanchez nodded. Of course Chris had read the files and knew about Marcus' background. He knew the dry facts in the report. He just didn't know how traumatic it had been for the boy to be ripped from his home and to see his own parents taken away in handcuffs.
"Can I talk to him?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea right now," Josiah said. "I'd love for you to meet him, but maybe the first time shouldn't be while in uniform."
Glancing at the bathroom door, Chris nodded his agreement. "Tell him... tell him I'm sorry. I never meant..."
Josiah smiled. "I'll tell him. I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Maybe you and your family can come by this weekend. I'd really like you all to meet all the boys, just on a more informal basis."
"I'll mention it to Sarah. I think we can do that. Josiah, I want this to work out. It means a lot to Nettie."
"But, you're concerned for her safety. Chris, all I can do is give you my assurance that these boys wouldn't hurt Nettie. And I'll be here with them."
Chris nodded and placed his hat back on his head. He headed back outside and once again joined the other near the corral. Nettie was also back outside.
"Is he okay?" Nettie asked, having been told what had occurred in her absence.
"Yeah. Josiah says he'll be fine. He thought it best if Buck and I leave, maybe come back this weekend, meet everyone off duty."
"That's a wonderful idea. I'll call Sarah and make the arrangements. Now you and this scoundrel get back to work,"
"Now hold on there," Buck whined, "How did I get to be the bad guy here?"
"Buck, you're always the bad guy," Chris stated as he kissed Nettie on the cheek and headed back to his truck.
"See ya Miss Nettie," Buck moved next to the old woman and pecked her on the cheek as well. "Don't worry, things will be fine."
Nettie smiled and patted his arm before he jogged after his partner.
"Well, boys, are y'all ready for some lunch?" she asked. A chorus of 'yeah' and 'yes ma'am' was her answer. "Then go get cleaned up and tell Josiah and Marcus that we'll be eating in the main house today."
The boys ran for the bunkhouse. All except Rafe, who just shook his head in disgust before following the others at a slower pace.
Vin watched them go, then started putting up the tools they'd been using.
"You too, Vin. Come inside and wash up."
"I will, Nettie. Just let me put these away."
Nettie nodded and left him to his work as she headed back inside to put the finishing touches on lunch.
That evening, Josiah joined Nettie and Vin on the back porch of the main house, after he'd gotten the boys settled in at the bunkhouse.
"Well, I think it went well today," Nettie remarked.
"Yeah, I think this will be good for the boys."
Nettie turned. "Vin, what do you think? How are the boys doing?"
Tanner frowned. "Michael is good with the horses. The others have a lot to learn. They're gonna need someone who knows what he's doing to teach them everything. I can only teach them so much in a week."
"Yes, I know. I'm working on that. I talked to a man who has some experience. He's in south Texas right now. He wants to come up and see the ranch in person before he decides. He'll be here next week sometime. He said he'll call me when he knows what day for sure. I'm hoping you and Chris could make it that day as well, talk to him, make sure he knows what he's talking about."
"I'll be here for at least another week," Vin promised. "And Chris said he could spare me another day or two every week after that until you find someone. So, I don't really see a problem with that. Just let us know what day."
"I appreciate that, Vin. At the moment it's not so bad. We only have the eight horses, and they're all broke, just need a bit of training."
Josiah glanced at his watch. "I should be getting to sleep. Vin, what time do you want the boys ready in the morning?"
"Breakfast will be at seven," Nettie answered instead. "I always provide breakfast. I want to make sure everyone gets a good meal before they begin work. Once we see how things are going, we can decide on a regular routine. I can do all the meals or just one of two. It'll be your choice once you see how the boys are getting along here."
"Alright. Well, then I guess I'd better go. Seven o'clock comes mighty early. Goodnight, Nettie, Vin."
"Goodnight, Josiah."
"'night," Vin said softly.
"Well, this old woman should be getting to bed too. You can take the room next to Casey's. She'll be in around eleven. I hope that won't bother you."
"No ma'am, I'll be fine."
"Good. It's only tonight. She's taking some classes this summer and her Monday night class is a late one."
"She won't bother me, Nettie. But thanks."
"Good enough. Goodnight, Vin. See you in the morning."
"'Night Nettie."
Vin stayed on the porch for another hour, waiting until Casey arrived home before he headed off to bed. It would be an early morning and there was much that the boys needed to learn.
The quiet of the kitchen was shattered by the loud banging on the back door. Nettie opened the door and the five boys and Josiah entered the room. She greeted each as they entered the room and directed them to head toward the large wood table in the next room.
Five minutes later she joined them, carrying a large bowl of scrambled eggs, followed by Vin carrying a platter of bacon. Behind Vin, Casey had pitchers of milk in each hand. She sat one pitcher at each end of the table before taking the chair next to her aunt. Vin settled in on the other side of Nettie.
"Boys, first off, let me introduce you to my niece. This is Casey. Casey, that's Josiah at the other end of the table." Sanchez nodded his head in greeting. "And around the table, to Josiah's right are T and Marcus. On the left are Michael, Rafe, and the red-head sitting next to you is Jacob."
"Where have you been hiding, gorgeous?" asked T from across the table, which earned him a slap to the back of his head from Josiah. "What!"
"A little respect. Casey lives here with her aunt and all of you," he gazed at the boys, "will respect her."
"Nice to meet you, Casey," Jacob said quietly.
"Hi, Jacob is it?" she asked. He just nodded in reply. "Hello to all of you. I guess we'll get to know each other better, but since I work during the day, we probably won't see much of each other except on the weekends."
"That's too bad, cuz I'd really like to get to know you better," T stated.
Casey raised an eyebrow in surprise and glanced at Nettie, then Vin.
"You idiot, she's too old for you. She's gotta be at least twenty," Marcus stated. "She'll probably get a good laugh about your smooth moves with all her friends at work."
Seeing the smirk on Marcus' face, T stood up, ready to fight.
"Enough!" Nearly everyone was startled by the loud smack of Nettie's hand on the table. Everyone except Casey and Vin, who exchanged amused glances across the table. "I will not tolerate this kind of behavior at my table. Now, we will say our blessing and eat our meal." Getting no argument from anyone, she continued. "T, sit down. Josiah, if you would be so kind as to say Grace."
"I'd be honored, Nettie." Josiah waited for T to sit, then began. "Lord, we thank you for this food before us. And we thank you for the kindness and generosity of the woman who allowed us to join her little family here. We pray that you guide us to use this opportunity to enrich our lives and further our education. Forgive us our ill manners and teach us to be grateful for the help that we receive on this earth. Amen."
A handful of Amens followed his before Nettie looked up. "Well, dig in. Don't let it get cold."
The weekend came quickly. Nettie and Sarah had decided to have a "Welcome" barbeque for the boys and invited several neighbors from nearby ranches, as well as Nathan Jackson and his fiancee, Rain Sweet and Rain's eight-year-old daughter, Jasmine. JD Dunne, who worked in the office with Casey, Chris and Buck, was also invited. Nettie was looking forward to meeting JD, whom Casey had been mentioning a great deal lately.
By noon, everyone was there and the grill was fired up and cooking. The boys were playing a game of football on the back lawn, with Josiah, Nathan, Vin, Buck and JD joining in, while Chris handled the grill.
The loud, boisterous yells brought a smile to Nettie's face. It had been quite awhile since she'd heard those noises here and she missed it. She watched the boys and men play for several minutes, until Sarah walked up next to her.
"How has it been this week, Nettie? Any problems?"
Nettie shook her head. "No, they've all been good. I think it's just all really new to them. Only Michael has any experience with horses. The others all lived in the city most of their lives."
"Which one is Michael?" Sarah asked.
"That one there," Nettie pointed. "Long hair, blue shirt. Running with the football like the hounds of Hades were after him."
"He's fast."
"He's a quick learner too. Vin says he's really good with the horses and he picks things up the first time. And Josiah says he's doing a real good job teaching the others."
"Nettie, I'm glad it's working out, but I still worry about you."
The older woman turned and smiled. "I know you do, dear. But put your mind at ease. I'm may be old, but I'm not senile. I know when these boys are trying to play me. Have you forgotten that I grew up with four brothers?"
"Growing up with four brothers and housing five juvenile delinquents isn't the same, Nettie."
"It's not all that much different either. Josiah is here to keep a firm hand."
Sarah sighed. "It's a hopeless cause, isn't it?"
"What, dear?"
"Trying to get you to change your mind."
Nettie just smiled and handed Sarah a platter of deviled eggs, before turning back to grab a large bowl of potato salad and walking outside. Sarah sighed again and followed.
"...stupid idiot! I told you to go long."
"Shut up! I did go long, you just can't throw straight."
Rafe and T were arguing over a play, while Nathan was looking at T's knee, which had been injured when he'd landed on a rock after stretching for a pass from Rafe.
"Boys, enough, you're not setting a very good example for the others," Josiah commented as he moved behind Nathan, watching the man's dark hands wrap a bandage around the knee. "Doctor Jackson, thank you for taking care of T for me."
"My pleasure. I always make sure I have my bag with me, so it's not a big deal."
Nathan and Josiah had hit it off as soon as they met. They were about the same age and shared a love of books, although Josiah's taste were more philosophical, where Nathan tended to lean more toward scientific and biographical reading. Still, they both loved kids and talked long about the job that Josiah was doing and Nathan's dream to one day have a house full of kids.
He finished bandaging up T, then Josiah sent both boys on their way, still bickering about the pass. Josiah sat down next to Nathan who was gathering up his supplies and putting them back into his bag.
"Nathan, have you ever thought about fostering a child?" he asked.
"Actually, Rain and I have talked about it. But we want to wait until Rain finishes school. She has another year to go."
"What's she studying?"
"Pediatrics and child development. She wants to be a pediatric nurse. Houston has a wonderful Children's Hospital."
"That's wonderful. The world can use all the good nurses it can get."
"Yeah, there's a real shortage all over the country."
"Well, I best go check on my other charges; make sure no one's been maimed or murdered."
Nathan laughed. He admired the big man, taking on the responsibility of five boys with troubled pasts. When Nathan and Rain had become engaged, they decided to delay having children, wanting to get their own chaotic lives in order first, before bringing another life into the world. Then Rain had a miscarriage, and they discovered that complications from that had left Rain unable to bear any more children of her own.
Recently, Rain had brought up the idea of adoption. Nathan wasn't sure he was ready for that, but the thought of fostering a child might work. Nathan had been surprised when Rain had stated she didn't care if the child they got was an infant or not, showing Nathan an article about how many older children went un-adopted because too many couples wanted babies.
Nathan felt, like Rain, that the older children were in as much need of love than the infants. Maybe he'd ask Josiah to come over for dinner, so that he and Rain could talk to him at length about fostering. He vowed to speak to Rain about it later. As he glanced around looking for his wife, he spotted her sitting at the table, talking with Marcus. Nathan shook his head at the different hues of the boy's hair. Only a teenager would find that cool, he thought.
He picked up his bag, tossed the trash into a nearby can and moved to join his wife.
Things went well for the next few days, but Wednesday morning brought shouts and curses to the quiet ranch.
"...keep your hands off my stuff!"
"Fuck you, T! I didn't take your crummy book!"
"It ain't crummy, you stupid redneck! Geez, save me from preacher-boys!"
"Shut up!"
"Your own daddy, the preacher, is a murderer. Stealing ain't nothin' compared to that!"
"I said shut up!"
A crash signaled that the argument turned physical.
"Rafe! T! Front and center!" Josiah's voice boomed through the bunkhouse. The other three boys, who had been standing in the doorway, watching the two yelling boys, scrambled back into the living room and hopped onto the sofas.
Another crash sent Josiah racing for the room, Vin right behind him. The two men pulled the boys apart, each taking their charge to opposite sides of the room. Josiah pushed Rafe onto his bed, while Vin shoved T into a chair, pushing a hand against the boy's chest to keep him from jumping back up.
"What the hell is going on?" Josiah asked.
"He stole my book!" T yelled.
"I didn't steal your damn book!" Rafe railed at him. "I haven't seen the stupid book!"
"What book?" Josiah asked, forcing his own voice to go soft. He couldn't expect the boys to calm down if he didn't.
"The book my mom gave me. It's gone!"
Josiah couldn't see the look on Vin's face, but didn't miss him patted down the pockets of his jacket.
"This book?" Vin asked, pulled a green leather bound book from his pocket.
T grabbed the book and glared at Vin. "You bastard! You took it!" He jumped up and smashed his fist into Vin's face, forcing Tanner to stagger back a step. But as T went to swing again, Vin grabbed his arm and twisted, pulling T toward him and flinging him face down across the nearest bed. Keeping his hold on T's wrist, he pulled it behind the boy's back and held it t here, then leaned over him.
"Cool it! I found your book out by the corral. It looked like it was important and I didn't want it to get wet if it rained, so I put it in my pocket for safekeeping." Vin anger was tangible, but he kept it in check, not wanting to hurt the boy. A man swinging on him like that would already be laid out on the floor. "I forgot I had it. But nobody stole it."
Vin took a deep breath, keeping his grip on the boy's arm.
T was taking several deep breaths, halfheartedly trying to pull his arm away. Finally, he slumped down and buried his face in the quilt covering the bed. Vin slowly released his grip and moved back a couple steps, allowing Josiah to move in. Vin gestured to Rafe to leave the room.
"Josiah?"
Sanchez looked up briefly. "I've got it, Vin. Thanks. Could you...?"
"I'll get the boys started on the saddles."
Josiah nodded and watched as Vin left, closing the door behind him. In the now-quiet room, he could hear T softly sobbing. He pulled a chair over and settled into it next to the bed. Reaching down, he laid he hand on T's shoulder and waiting for him to calm down. He knew that T had never really come to turns with the fact that his mom had abandoned him and carried the coveted book with him everywhere. It had been the last gift he'd received from her.
Josiah glanced around the room as he waited for T to compose himself. He saw the boy's jacket slung over a chair. Seeing something strange, he walked over and picked up the jacket, fingering the loose thread he'd spotted.
A minute later, T moved, sitting up and wiping at his face. Josiah handed him a handkerchief and waited while T blew his nose. T picked up his book and clutched it to his chest, then opened it up and leafed through the pages.
"Is it okay?" Josiah asked softly.
T just nodded, than quickly glanced at Josiah, trying to judge his level of anger. He was shocked to see a slight smile on Josiah's face.
"I think I need to speak to Nettie, see if she'd be willing to give us all a sewing lesson," Josiah stated, which confused T even more.
Josiah pushed his hand into the pocket of T's jacket. He pushed it all the way through the pocket, wiggling his fingers as they came out the bottom of the hole in the same pocket.
"This is the pocket you usually keep the book in isn't it?"
He handed over the jacket when T reached for it. He shoved his own hand through the pocket, than looked at Josiah, chagrinned.
"Yeah, it is." He bit his bottom lip and set the jacket down on the bed. "I... ah... I guess I need to apologize, huh?"
"Do you even have to ask?"
T grinned. "I guess not."
"Might as well get it over with."
Josiah got up and walked to the door. T followed, both heading to the corral to begin work.
Later that morning, Vin was showing Rafe and Jacob the proper way to brush down a horse. Jacob was, as usual, enthusiastic about trying anything new. He'd grown to love the horses and would perform the most menial tasks just for the chance to get close to them.
And Rafe, as usual, was reluctant to do anything anyone told him to do. Vin was getting frustrated with the teen. And he was gaining more respect every day for Josiah. The man had the patience of a saint. Vin, normally an even tempered man, was beginning to have visions of stuffing the young man in a pile of horse manure just to shut him up.
He had quickly determined that Rafe was a bigot. Neither Marcus or T, both black, nor Mike, whose mother was Cherokee, escaped Rafe's wrath. Only young Jacob was deemed good enough to spend time with, and even then Rafe constantly cut the boy down. But Jacob seemed to take it in stride or treated Rafe's comments as a joke.
Both Nettie and Josiah had talked to Rafe, but nothing seemed to change. Rafe had even taken exception to the Indian design tattoo that Vin had on his wrist. And if Vin was reading the signs right, that morning's blow-up with T was just a fore-bearer of more trouble to come. Vin vowed to be extra watchful.
He walked toward Jacob, who was standing on a stepstool and brushing a small chestnut mare. He heard the boy talking softly to the mare, who kept shaking her head as if she was agreeing with everything the redhead said. Jacob looked up as Vin walked up and smiled at the wink Tanner sent his way.
"How's it coming, Jake?"
The boy smiled at the nickname. His parents had always insisted that he be called Jacob, but he was pleased when the older man used the diminutive.
"This is so cool, Mr. Vin! I love horses!"
Vin chuckled. "It seems they like you too, Jake. Here, something special for Lady." Vin reached into his pocket, then put something into Jake's outstretched hand. Three sugar cubes. "Now watch." Vin moved toward the horse's head. "You want to put the cube in the middle of your palm, and keep your hand flat."
Vin demonstrated, allowing the horses to nibble at his palm, taking the sugar cubes he held. Tanner ran his other hand up and down the white stripe that ran between Lady's eyes and her nostrils. Lady nudged her head against his chest, asked for more sweets.
"Come here, Jake. Give it a try."
Eagerly, Jake move over in front of Vin. "Open your hand and stretch out your fingers."
Jake did as instructed and watched, transfixed as Lady lowered her head, her lips gracing against his palm. He giggled.
"That tickles." He reached up and ran his hand along the white stripe, like Vin had, smiling when Lady leaned down and nudged shoulder. He leaned his head against hers and continued to pet her.
Neither man nor boy was aware of Josiah, who was watching them from a few feet away. Nettie moved up next to him.
"He's good with horses," Nettie said. "He's got the touch. Vin says they react to Jake like they understand just what he's saying."
"Vin would know," Josiah responded. "He was the same way. It's like he's part of nature. He can read the weather like no one I've ever seen. Once, while I was still the counselor at his school, we had a stray dog show up on the ball field. It was snarling and snapping at everyone. The girls were screaming, the boys yelling and throwing rocks at it. Vin walked around the crowd and moved behind the dog, then he just sat down on the ground."
Josiah smiled as he remembered that day. "It scared the hell out of me when he did that. I thought for sure that dog would turn around and attack him. Well, that dog did turn around and started snarling. He crouched down like he was getting ready to attack. But Vin, he just calmly sat there. Slowly he put his hand out, palm up. I thought at first maybe he had some food and figured he was trying to lure the dog in with it. The dog started toward him, a step at a time. Vin just sat there with his arm out, didn't move a muscle.
"It started to get real quiet. Everyone just watched. The police and Animal Control showed up, but when they saw what was happening, they just watched too. They didn't want to spook the dog and cause him to attack. The dog got closer and closer until he could sniff Vin's hand. Then he started to lick him. Finally, that dog laid down next to Vin and put his head on Vin's leg. You could almost see the dog sigh, like he'd finally found a home."
"And had he?" Nettie asked.
Josiah laughed. "Oh, yeah. He ended up with me. Vin's foster family wouldn't allow him to keep the dog, so he begged me to take it in. He knew if Animal Control took it that they would probably put it down. And he just couldn't bear to see that happen. I couldn't either once Vin had introduced me to him. That old dog was scraggly and half starved, looked like he'd been on the streets for a long time. But he settled right in. Vin would come over every morning and walk him. I had that dog for two years before he finally died. I wasn't sure how Vin would react, but it was like he expected it. And I guess he did. It was just all part of nature's way."
"But you gave that dog a good life at the end and he was warm and well-fed and loved. He died knowing that. There isn't a better way to go," Nettie said.
"Yeah. I'd have to agree with you there."
Just at that moment, as if he could hear them, Vin looked up and smiled. Josiah just shook his head and chuckled. Hell, he wouldn't put it past Vin if the man knew exactly what they'd been talking about.
"Can you tell the boys that lunch is ready?" Nettie asked.
"Sure, I'll round 'em up."
Josiah turned to watch Nettie head back to the house, then moved toward the corrals where all the boys were working, calling out to them to wash up for lunch.
During lunch, Josiah and Nettie had decided that the bunkhouse could use a new coat of paint both inside and out. So after lunch, the boys had sat down with the adults and decided what colors they wanted. Vin, Mike and Jake had been chosen to make a run to the paint store, while Josiah and the others would get the rooms ready to paint. They decided to do the inside rooms first, then wait a few weeks to get started on the outside, when the weather would be more consistently warm.
The boys decided to do the living room first, so were moving all the smaller furniture into Josiah's room. They covered the sofas with tarps and laid more tarps on the floor to protect the wood planks from the paint.
When they heard a vehicle drive up, they assumed it was Vin and the boys returning, until Nettie called Josiah.
Sanchez walked outside and saw Nettie standing there with an older gentleman who appeared to be of Indian descent and a young man, his face was hidden in the shadows of a baseball cap. As Josiah moved toward them, the boys moved onto the porch, curious as to the identity of the new arrivals.
The older man wore jeans and a blue plaid, long sleeve shirt. His graying hair hung nearly to his waist and was pulled back into a braid. His long fingers were as weatherworn as the face under his ragged cowboy hat.
"Josiah, this is Koje. He's the man I was telling you about. Koje, this is Josiah Sanchez. He's the man who's responsible for the boys that will be working with you."
Sanchez reached out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Koje." The old man's grip was strong and Josiah could feel the calluses on his fingers.
"You are a brave man to take on so much responsibility. Or a stupid one."
Josiah was momentarily taken aback at the man's abruptness, but then laughed. "I am probably both of those. But the boys are the brave ones, they have to put up with me."
Koje smiled, then turned to the boy beside him. "My son, Chanu."
At this, Rafe's head popped up. His eyes narrowed as he tried to get a better look at the man in the baseball cap. He cursed and flew off the porch.
"You bastard!" he screamed as he slammed into the young man, taking him to the ground. He began raining punches against the man's chest and landing several good shots before Josiah could pull him away. The other boys watched from the porch, stunned at the outburst.
"Rafe, what are you doing?!"
"Let me go! That's the bastard who took my sister!"
Josiah struggled to hold on to Rafe as Koje and Nettie helped Chanu to stand. Chanu's hat had been knocked off his head and his long black hair was now dusted with dirt and leaves. He rubbed his chest, but proudly displayed no pain. Until you looked at his eyes. His eyes showed a pain so deep as to be untouchable.
Josiah's saw his pain and it almost caused him to relinquish his hold on Rafe. But the boy's continued struggles brought him back to the moment and he moved away from Chanu and Koje, Rafe still in his grip.
"Rafe, settle down!"
"Don't tell me to settle down, Preacher! My sister is dead 'cause of him!"
Josiah moved further away and whispered harshly. "You're sister is dead because of your own father's prejudice! Don't become your father!"
Rafe instantly stilled, so Josiah continued.
"Chanu's only crime was that he loved your sister. I've seen the pain in his eyes. He lost her too. You have that in common."
"I have nothing in common with that half-breed."
"Actually, Chanu is a full-blooded Navajo." Both turned to find Koje standing next to them. "You are Claire's brother? She spoke of you often. She loved you very much."
Rafe didn't speak, so Koje continued.
"A brother's love is unlike any other. She used to talk about how you would bring her flowers from your mother's garden. And how much she missed that after your mother died. She especially liked the roses."
"She liked yellow roses best," Rafe whispered, tears glistening in his eyes.
Josiah released his hold, only to have Rafe dart away. But he didn't run toward Chanu. Instead he headed for the trees.
"Rafe!"
When he would have followed, Josiah was stopped by Koje's hand on his arm. "Give him time. He does not want you to see his tears."
"He's from the city, Koje. He might get lost."
"He is already lost, my friend. We will find him and bring him home if he can not find his own way."
Koje turned and walked back toward his son. Josiah wasn't sure if his last remarks were meant literally or figuratively. When he looked back toward the trees, Josiah couldn't see Rafe. Sighing, he returned to the porch. If Rafe didn't return soon, Josiah would go look for him. Maybe Vin could help.
Koje and Chanu spent the afternoon looking around the small ranch, checking out the horses and speaking to Nettie about what she wanted the future of the ranch to be. The boys followed them around until Vin and the others returned. As they were unloading the paint and other supplies, Rafe joined them. He didn't say a word and no asked him any questions.
About an hour into the painting, Josiah spotted Rafe looking out the front window. Glancing outside, he saw Chanu and Koje walking toward the main house with Nettie. He placed a hand on Rafe's shoulder, startling the boy.
"Rafe, I'm sorry about this."
"It's because of him that Claire is dead," Rafe stated.
"No, it's not. And I think you know that down deep. But, they may be working here. So if it's going to be too hard for you, I can try to find you another placement, if that's what you want."
"I don't think I can see him every day and not want to tear his heart out."
"Alright. I'll call Social Services in the morning. But, just so you know, no matter where you go, you are going to have to deal with these feelings eventually. I know that you loved Claire. And you still love your father, despite what he did. And you can't reconcile loving a man and hating him at the same time. You're trying to reflect that anger that you have for your father to others, to Chanu. When his only crime was loving your sister."
Rafe shrugged Josiah's hand off his shoulder. "Don't talk about her. His love turned Claire against her family. If he really loved her, he never would have taken her from us."
"Come with me," Josiah said, turning to leave the room, fully expecting Rafe to follow. He walked toward the corrals, away from the others so that he and Rafe could talk privately. When Rafe joined him, he continued walking. After several long seconds, Rafe ran to catch up to him.
They walked in silence for about twenty minutes before Josiah steered him to a large, flat rock. They sat down and Josiah began to speak.
"My father was a missionary. My family traveled the world. I was eleven when my mother died. My sister, Hannah, was eight. After Mom died, my father became controlling. He expected both of us to follow in his footsteps. Now, when I was a boy, my father was my hero. We would go to far off places and meet people that I never knew existed. People who still lived as their ancestors had hundreds of years ago. People untouched by the modern world. I loved it! But Hannah hated it. She hated the primitive way the people lived, even as she loved the people themselves."
Rafe pulled his legs up and wrapped his arms around them, thinking how much different Claire had been from Hannah. Claire loved meeting people and immersing herself in their culture. She loved working on the Indian reservations, especially when she could work with the children.
"Now, Hannah was always a stubborn girl. And she and my father clashed on many occasions. I tried to protect her from him, but often I just wasn't there when she needed me. When I turned sixteen, my father and I had a major disagreement and I went to live with my Uncle. Unfortunately, my father took that as a betrayal of his ways and took his anger out on my sister, becoming even more strict with her. By this time, they had returned to the United States and were settled in Dallas. My sister began spending a lot of time in the more dangerous parts of the city."
"You mean the slums."
"That's what some call them. She was rebelling and doing everything my father ordered her not to do. One weekend, I went to visit, hoping to patch things up with my father. When I learned what had been happening, I tried to talk to Hannah, but she wouldn't listen. She accused me of abandoning her. And, in a way, she was right. You see, I had promised to return for her and I never did. I didn't learn until much later that she had started experimenting with drugs. One night I received a call from the police. They had found my number in my sister's wallet. She had overdosed on heroin. When I got to the hospital she was in a coma."
"She die?"
"No. But sometimes I wish she had."
"Why?" Rafe couldn't understand that. He would give anything to have his sister alive.
"Because she breathes, but she doesn't really live. She's in a nursing home. She has almost no connection to the outside world at all. She has days when she remembers me... and days when she doesn't. Some days when she remembers, she thinks we are still children, and asks when mother is coming to visit. But she never, ever, asks about my father." After a long pause, Josiah concluded, "And my father never asks about her."
"Do you visit her a lot?" Rafe asked.
"About once a month. I can't bring myself to go more often. It hurts to see her like that and not feel partly responsible for putting her there. It's my penance for being selfish. God's way of reminding me that there are things more important then myself."
Silence settled on the pair, both retreating into their separate worlds. After several long minutes, Josiah stood and began walking back toward the ranch. Rafe watched him walk away, suddenly seeing more than just a man who ordered him about. This man knew some of what Rafe was going through. Rafe, too, harbored feelings of guilt. He often wished he'd listened to his sister more or intervened between Claire and their father. He knew his father had a temper; he'd turned it against Rafe often enough.
He reached up and fingered the scar about his left eye, remembering vividly the night his father had slammed him against the mirror in the bathroom, angry because Rafe had come home late from a friend's house. The mirror had shattered, a small piece slicing the skin over his eye. His father had told him that the scar would be a permanent reminder of his disobedience and had forced Rafe to kneel in prayer for five solid hours, hitting his back with a thin reed whenever he faltered and tried to sit back into a pew in the church.
Rafe remembered looking up at the crucifix, seeing Jesus nailed to the cross and thinking he knew just how the man felt, being put in that position by His father. And then he laughed, glad his father hadn't been able to read his blasphemous thoughts, comparing himself to the man on the cross. His father would have crucified him for even thinking such a thing.
Sighing, Rafe stood and followed Josiah's path back to the ranch. He had a lot to think about.
Koje and Nettie agreed on a month-long trial period, to see if things would work out for both. At the end of the month, either could decide that it wasn't working out and Koje and his son would move on. Josiah was also consulted due to the animosity between Rafe and Chanu. They all agreed that the time the two young men spent working together might prove beneficial to both.
And then again, it might not.
Either way, it looked to be an interesting thirty days.
A couple of days later, Nettie walked out to the corral carrying a large basket filled with apples, bananas and other fruit. She smiled as she watched Chanu and Mike working with one of the horses. The other boys were gathered around Koje, listening to him and watching as he showed them how to properly clean a horse's hoof. Nettie hadn't been aware when she hired Koje that the old Indian was a farrier, but it would save her some money not having to hire someone specially just to take care of her horse's feet. She spoken to Vin the night before to get his input on Koje and Chanu, and was pleased when he told her that he was impressed with both.
The only problem with the two men staying on came in the form of Rafe Mosely. The young man was still out-of-sorts and angry, at least judging by the glare he was sending Chanu's way. Rafe stood back a bit from the group watching Koje, and didn't appear to be paying much attention to what the older man was saying. At least, until Koje spoke directly to him.
Nettie wasn't close enough to hear what was said, but the look on Rafe's face told of his lack of interest in whatever Koje was saying. And the look on Koje's face showed a lowering patience threshold. Nettie watched as Koje lowered to leg of the horse he'd been working on. He handed the tools to Jake and apparently told the rest of the boys to join Nettie as she got closer to the corral.
Koje then walked up to Rafe, and wiping his hands on a cloth he'd taken from his back pocket, proceeded to softly lectured the young man, who just became angrier. Nettie handed the basket to T, and walked over to see if she could help calm Rafe down. As she got close, Rafe pushed Koje, who stumbled into Nettie, knocking her to the ground.
"Nettie!" She glanced over to see Vin rushing toward her, Josiah right behind him. They ducked under the corral fencing and ran to her side. Beside them, Chanu was kneel next to his grandfather.
"Nettie, are you okay?!" Tanner asked.
"I'm fine, Vin, just lost my footing," she replied, hoping he hadn't see the altercation. But she knew he had when he turned and snarled at Rafe. "Boy, you better hope that Nettie is okay or you and me are gonna tangle."
"Vin, it was an accident," Nettie insisted, laying her hand on Vin's arm. "Just help me up."
"Nettie, I think..."
"Just help me up, son. I may be old, but I'm far from feeble."
Vin and Josiah gently lifted Nettie to her feet, Vin insisting that he escort her back to her house. Josiah helped Chanu get his father back on his feet, taking the older man's weight as his grandson released him to turn on Rafe.
"No one assaults my grandfather and lives!" he snarled, lunging for the preacher's son.
"Chanu, stop!" His father's voice stopped him cold, quiet but forceful, the voice he'd listened to his entire life.
The days passed and the tension grew as Chanu and Rafe picked at each other. Nasty comments led to pushing and shoving, until finally it all came to a head.
He staggered back against the barn wall. Rafe ran toward him against and reached out his hands to grab the front of Chanu's shirt. Rafe pulled him to his feet and threw him against the stall, startling the horse inside and causing it to whinny.
Chanu slipped to one knee, his other leg coming up as he rammed a foot into Rafe's stomach and shoved him back. Rafe got quickly back to his feet and lunged at Chanu, landing on top of the Indian boy and slamming him to the floor. Several of the other boys were standing in the doorway of the barn, some cheering on the fight, others trying to get them to stop.
Suddenly, the boys moved away from the door, leaving room for Josiah and Koje to enter the barn. The men immediately ran toward Rafe and Chanu, pulling them apart. When Rafe again lunged toward Chanu, Josiah wrapped both arms around the boy and lifted him off his feet, carrying him to the other end of the barn. Both boys were bleeding from cuts on their face and both were still very angry.
The boys continued to scream at each other as Koje pulled his son out the door. Rafe struggled against the hold Josiah had on him for several minutes, cussing and jerking his arms, trying to pull himself free. Finally he sagged, exhausted, against Josiah's chest. The big man sat down on a hay bale, pulling Rafe down with him. He glanced over at the boys still lingering near the door and jerked his head. They got the message and moved off.
He released his hold on Rafe, ready to grab him again if he tried to leave. But the boy just leaned back against the wall.
"Hold that against the cut over your eye. We'll run you over to the clinic in a bit. It's deep. You'll probably needed stitches."
Rafe complied without comment.
"You feel like talking?" Josiah asked.
"Nothin' to talk about."
"I beg to differ. You know how I feel about fighting."
"He started it."
"What did he do?"
"He was asking questions about Claire."
"And this is a bad thing?"
"He ain't got no right..."
"Bullshit!"
Rafe looked up at the older man, then quickly looked away, guilt clearly showing on his face.
"I don't want to talk about her... with him."
"You and Chanu are the only ones who really knew Claire. In my opinion, Chanu is the perfect person to talk to about her."
"Who says I want your opinion, Preacher!" Rafe yelled, throwing the bandana at Josiah. It hit his chest and dropped to the floor. Josiah reached down and picked it up. He sighed.
"Son, your anger is going to bury you. I know you loved your sister, so did Chanu. And Claire loved you both. You know that. I think you've known that all along. In fact, I think that's part of the problem. Your sister had found someone else to talk with about her problems. In a word, you were jealous."
"Jealous! Of that breed?! I don't think so." He jumped up and walked a few feet away, picking at the wood on a stall nearby.
"Yes, jealous. She had found happiness and it wasn't with you. You feel guilty because you could not help her achieve that happiness. More importantly, you feel guilty because you turned your back on her when she needed you the most. Instead of being happy for her and opening up your heart to the man who made her happy, you sided with your father, and allowed his hatred off anything Indian to sweep you up and carry you along."
"You're wrong, Preacher."
"Am I? Tell me something, Rafe. When Claire was living at home with you and your father, how often did she smile? Laugh?"
"We had our share of fun," Rafe insisted, although he wouldn't look Josiah in he eyes.
"Was your father ever there during those times?"
After only a moment's hesitation, Rafe replied. "No. No, he wasn't."
"Did you have to hide those times from him?"
Again, a momentary pause. "Yes." Rafe replied softly.
"And after Claire met Chanu?"
"She hardly ever spent time at home anymore. She was always with him."
"Why do you think that was?" When Rafe didn't respond, Josiah continued. "What kind of questions was Chanu asking?"
"He... he wanted to know why I never came to his grandfather's house. He said he knew that Claire had invited me, several times."
"And had she?"
Rafe nodded. "But I couldn't. Father would have..."
"Would have?"
"He would have killed me. He hated that Claire was seeing Chanu. She... she told me that she wanted to marry him. I warned her... I told her that Father would never allow it."
"I've spoken a great deal with Koje since they've been here. Did you know that Claire was pregnant?"
Rafe snapped his head around. "No!"
"Yes. The night she died, she planned to tell your father. The police think it might be the reason he killed her, although your father would never admit that. He did not want his daughter to father an Indian child. Even the thought of her laying with Chanu was enough for him to hurt her."
Rafe shook his head. Josiah wasn't sure if he was trying to deny his sister's pregnancy or his father's prejudice.
"Claire told me... she said that she and Chanu were going to marry. She said they wanted to get married as soon as they could. Do you think that's why?"
"Probably. But who knows. I never met Claire, so I can't comment on her motives. But it would make sense, wouldn't it."
Rafe shrugged. "I guess."
"Rafe... I spoke with Children's Services this morning. They have another family they can put you with for the rest of your time. I asked them to give us a couple of days to decide for sure, but we need to let them know by Friday. If you really think you can't live here, I'll let them know. But, you know that soon you'll be released from the county's care and you will have to deal with things like this all your life. Nettie has told me that you are welcome to stay on here even after Children's Service releases you. But to do that, you may have to work with Chanu on a daily basis, as they may stay here as well."
"Josiah, once the county releases me... how... how am I supposed to live?"
"We'll find you a job, if you don't want to stay here. I have some people I've been talking to. I guess it all depends on what you want to do. Rafe, be honest with me. Do you like it here?"
The boy moved back over to the hay bale and sat down. "Yeah, I do. I like the horses and being away from the city. Did you know we lived on a farm when Mom was still alive. Her dad had a farm, he grew corn and such. We lived there for awhile. But when she died, my father, he went a little weird, decided he had to bring God to people. Said it was his calling, that he promised Mom."
Josiah could see the fear in Rafe's eyes.
"A lot of the legal stuff with your father is still being worked out. He owns the house you lived in and that will need to be sold. You have a lawyer working on your behalf to try to get your father to sign it over to you now, so that it can be sold and the money put in trust for you."
Josiah settled down next to Rafe. "You will need to settle some things here, too. Do you think you'd be willing to sit down with me, Chanu and Koje and talk things over? If you can learn to work with Chanu, you have a job here. It doesn't pay well, but you wouldn't have to worry about rent or much of your food. Nettie would supply that and you could continue to live in the bunkhouse. You could also help me out with the boys." "But, you will need to get a handle on your anger. Do you think you can do that?"
Rafe slumped against the wall. "I don't know. I don't know. Josiah, how am I supposed to fix something that feels like it's taken over my life? How can I ever be happy again when I don't have a family anymore?"
"I know it's tough, Rafe. I do. And I know the strict upbringing you had. Remember my father was a religious man too. It seemed sometimes like he never practiced what he preached. He would talk about tolerance and love, yet hated most of my friends for some reason, and never showed me anything except the back of his hand."
"Your father beat you?"
"Yes, he did. For the longest time, I blamed myself. He convinced me that I was the problem, that my disobedience was the reason I was beaten. It wasn't until I got away from him that I learned better."
Rafe fingered the scar over his eye. "I got this when my father slammed me into the mirror. Told me it would remind me of my sins."
"You and I have a lot in common, son."
"Yeah, I guess we do."
"And as far as family goes, well, not all family is blood. Look at Vin. His father died before he was born, his mother died when he five. He had no other family."
"Ranger Larabee isn't his family? Or Miss Nettie?" Rafe asked, surprised.
"Not by blood. But they are family by choice. He chose to make them his family. Or maybe those chose him, I'm not sure." Josiah smiled. "Either way, they are family. Ranger Larabee's son calls Vin "uncle" and Chris treats him like a brother. Anyone can be family if you want them to be."
When Rafe didn't respond, Josiah patted him on the shoulder, then left the barn, allowing the young man some time alone to think about things. He hoped Rafe decided to stay. Except for the obvious anger and tension with Chanu, Rafe seemed to be settling down some. He just needed to think of a way to get Rafe and Chanu to sit and talk without fists flying.
Since the fight today had started after Chanu mentioned Claire, it seemed that he, at least, was willing to do his share. So they just needed to get Rafe to go along. Josiah vowed to speak with Koje and see if he had any ideas on how to get the two young men to, if not become friends, at least be able to work side by side without fighting.
Monday morning dawned bright and sunny. Josiah and Marcus were headed into town for a court date to finalize the ending of Marcus' probabation on an earlier shoplifting arrest. Nettie would be going along, not only for moral support, but also because the Judge wanted to talk to her since the boy was now living on her ranch. Josiah anticipated they'd be gone most of the day, so Koje and Vin would be handling the work.
Koje had decided that he would take Michael, T and Rafe with him in the stable, to straighten up and clean all the stalls and the tack room. In the meantime, Chanu sat outside the barn, cleaning and repairing bridles and reins.
The young Indian smiled as he watched Vin and Jake in the corral. Tanner was getting ready to take one of Chris' horses back to his ranch, and rather than hook up the trailer, he'd decided to ride over, giving both his own horse and Larabee's a bit of excercise along the way. Jake had been invited to join him as a reward for doing so well with the horses. As always, the young boy was just excited to be on a horse, even if Vin would be leading that horse.
Chanu watched as Vin gave Jake a lift up onto the small bay, then reaching for both sets of reins, led the pair of horses out of the corral. Vin shut the gate behind him, then mounted his black horse, moving slowly over to where Chanu sat next to the barn.
"We should be back in about two hours. If it'll be longer, I'll call. And I got my cell with me if you need to contact me. Koje has the number."
"We will be fine." He smiled as he saw Jake lean forward to pet the horse beneath him. "I see young Jake is helping you."
Vin turned and grinned at the boy. "Yeah. I thought he might like a ride where he's not having to sit behind someone. He's been real good with the horses this week. He's got a way with them."
"Yes, he speaks to them and they listen."
Jake beamed at the dual compliments from the two men. Vin had quickly become his hero and Chanu always treated him like a grown up, not like a child.
"Ready, Jake?" Vin asked.
"Yep! Let's ride!"
Chanu and Tanner chuckled. "I think he's been watching too many westerns on TV," Vin remarked.
Chanu nodded and waved as they rode away, Jake giving a final "giddyup" as they left.
"...don't tell me how to work!" Rafe yelled
"Then do it right and I won't have to," Chanu replied in a quiet, if angry, voice.
"The hell with you! Go back to your teepee!"
"Boys, that's enough!" Koje said as he moved between his son and the angry young man. Michael and T stood against the stall, watching the exchange.
"Tell him to shut up!" Rafe growled. "I don't take orders from him!"
Koje raised a hand to still the expected response from his son. "What is this argument about?" he asked.
"I simply tried to show him the correct way to ..."
"You mean your way. That don't mean it's the right way," Rafe said with a smirk.
"My father has tried to teach you and the others the best way to muck the stalls..."
"I don't need lessons on shoveling shit!"
"Quiet!" Koje ordered.
Michael and T backed further away, not wanting the get more involved then they already were. They had been assigned to the mucking job and were following Chanu's instructions until Rafe came in and started giving them new instructions. They'd stopped to watch the argument, sure it would soon turn into a fight.
Koje shook his head. His abundant patience was beginnng to wear down. Even his own son was trying that patience to a breaking point.
"Chanu, could you please take Michael and T out to the yard and begin gathering up the tools and putting them away. Rafe and I will finish up in here."
"I don't need your help, old man!" Rafe snarled.
"Do not talk to my father that way!" Chanu growled, moving closer to the other boy.
"Or what?!"
Chanu shook his head. "Now I understand why Claire wanted to leave your house."
"I told you not to talk about her!" Rafe screamed as he lunged toward Chanu. Both boys tumbled to the ground, fists flying. Koje moved toward them, intending to pull them apart. However, he didn't anticipate them rolling his way, wrestling for the superior position. He tried to sidestep, but Rafe's leg flew out, catching Koje on the knee.
The older man fell backward, his heading slamming down against the wood bench attached to the wall of the barn. The fight continued for several moments, until Michael's frantic voice forced it's way through the angry fog in the combatants brains.
Chanu looked at Michael who was running past them, then behind him, to see his father lying motionless on the floor.
"Father!" he cried, pushing the other boy off and scrambling over to Koje's side. It took a moment for Rafe to understand what had happened. When he did he muttered a curse under his breath and stood up.
Chanu reached for Koje, intending to lift him up. He froze as a voice yelled, "No! Don't move him!" Rafe rushed over and lay a hand on Chanu's shoulder. "Don't move him, you might make it worse."
Chanu slapped Rafe's hand away. "And why should I listen to you? It is your fault that this happened!"
Rafe slumped. "I know. I'm sorry. But you shouldn't move him. It looks like he hit his head, which means he also could have injured his neck. If you move him, you could make any injury worse." Chanu nodded and sat next to his grandfather, lightly laying his hand on Koje's arm.
Rafe turned to Michael. "Go call 9-1-1! T, run into the house and get some clean towels!" Both boys sprinted off, racing to do as ordered. Less than a minute later, Michael returned, yelling frantically into the phone.
"I don't know! It's Nettie's ranch, I don't know the address!" He raced over to Rafe and handed him the phone. "She won't listen!" he cried.
"Hello... No... I don't know the exact address but I think we're at the end of Palamino Road, where it meets up with Ranch Drive. It's a ranch belonging to Nettie Wells. ...Yes, he fell back and hit his head... no, we haven't moved him... yes... yes... no, he's the only adult... I'm seventeen... yes, ma'am... no, ma'm... yes, I can do that... hold on..."
Rafe handed the phone back to Michael. "Don't hang that up, keep the line open," he ordered. Then he reached over and placed a shaking hand against Koje's neck, careful not to press to hard. He turned to Michael. "Tell her he has a pulse and he's breathing okay."
Michael relayed the message, then said "she said make sure he doesn't move and wait for the ambulance. She'll stay on the phone in case he wakes up, she wants to know right away."
Rafe just nodded, as T ran in, a bundle of towels in his arms. "Asked her if we should try to stop the bleeding. If we do, we'll have to move his head a bit." Rafe heard Michael repeat the question as he took several of the towels from T.
"She says no, that the paramedics are just three minutes away. Better to let them handle it when they get here... She wants to know if there are any other injuries."
Rafe shrugged. "I don't know. I don't think so, but I'm not sure." He turned to T. "Can you run down to the end of the road and wait for the ambulance, make sure they find us."
Chanu looked up. "It would be faster if he took a horse."
"I know, but he's not that good a rider. And Vin always says that horses can sense your mood, it might react badly."
Chanu nodded, anxiously glancing back down at his grandfather. "I will go. You will take care of him?"
Rafe stared at Chanu for just a moment and then nodded. "Yes, you can trust me with him. I'll make sure he doesn't get hurt any further."
Chanu nodded and leaned over. "I will be back, Father. Rafe will take care of you while I'm gone." Then he stood up and moved quickly to the door and out toward the corral. He approached the closest horse, which happened to be tethered to the fence. Releasing the reins, he turned the horse around, vaulting onto the horse's back, sans saddle, and galloping down the long driveway.
Back inside the barn, Rafe watched Koje closely, not wanting him to wake up and start moving around. Michael and T stood nearby, T still holding a handful of towels, not sure what to do with them, and Michael still on the phone with the 9-1-1 dispatcher. In the distance they could hear a siren. Except for that, and Michael's periodic answers to the dispatchers questions, it was eerily quiet in barn.
Two minutes later, they heard galloping hoofs and a vehicle pulling up outside. Michael dropped the towels on a nearby bench and ran to the door, waving his arms at the driver, who pulled the medic unit around so that the rear doors were facing the barn and both men climbed out. Grabbing their gear, they hurried into the barn, following Chanu, while Michael took control of the horse and released him into the corral, before running back into the barn too.
Ten minutes later, Koje was being strapped down on a stretcher, his neck in a brace and a bandage wrapped around his head. An IV line snaked from his right hand and his now opened eyes stared at the ceiling, since he was unable to turn his head. Chanu walked beside the stretcher as it was wheeled to the medic unit.
Chanu was just beginning to argue with the paramedics, who told him he could not ride along with them, when Josiah's Suburban sped up the drive. He pulled past the medic unit and stopped. Josiah, Nettie and Marcus jumped out and ran toward the paramedics.
"What happened?" Josiah asked, seeing all but one of his charges there and doing fine. "Jake?" he cried, the boy being the only one he didn't see.
"No, it's Koje," Rafe said. "I'll explain later, can you take Chanu to the hospital? They won't let him ride with Koje."
Josiah began to insist on an explanation, but stopped when Nettie placed her hand on his arm and gestured toward Chanu. He nodded.
"What hospital?" Josiah asked the paramedic crew.
"Highline Medical Center, ten miles east of here, right off he highway."
"We'll meet you there." The paramedics got into their vehicle and sped off down the driveway. Josiah turned back to Rafe. "Where's Jake?" But it was Chanu, not Rafe who answered, while watching the ambulance leave.
"He's with Vin. They took Mr. Larabee's horse back to him."
Josiah took a deep breath and turned to Chanu. "Okay, let's get you to the hospital. Nettie..."
"You just go," the old woman said. "I can handle these young men."
Josiah hesitated for only a moment, then followed Chanu to the Suburban. Nettie and the others watch them leave, then Nettie glanced at Rafe.
"So, what did happen?"
"It's all my fault, Nettie. I got mad, started a fight with Chanu. I guess Koje got too close. We must have bumped him..."
"He tried to break it up," Marcus interjected. "I think your leg hit him and he fell back and hit his head on the bench."
"Oh, God!" Rafe exclaimed. "Josiah's gonna kick me out for sure."
"He wouldn't do that!" T insisted. "The paramedic said Koje was gonna be fine. Josiah will just make you apologize and probably do extra chores, but he wouldn't make you leave. Would he, Nettie?"
All three boys turned to the ranch owner for reassurance. "No, he wouldn't," she said. "Now how about we finish up the work here and then we can get cleaned up and head over to the hospital to check on Koje."
Rafe nodded and sent Nettie a grateful smile. Then he headed into the barn to finish mucking out the stalls.The others followed.
As they finished an hour later, Vin and Jack rode in. After they were updated, the group piled into Vin's jeep, the younger boys on the laps of the older ones for the short trip to the medical facility.
Neither Chanu nor Josiah was in the waiting room when they arrived, so the group settled in to wait. After fifteen minutes, Rafe got antsy and started to pace. Two minutes later, Marcus and T joined him, the trio pacing together back and forth across the room. Jake had crashed and was sleeping against Vin's side.
Nettie was at the nurse's desk talking to a friend who worked there. As she turned to go back to the waiting room, she saw Nathan Jackson. Although Nathan was the County Coroner, he worked part time at the hospital to keep his medical skills up to date. He was looking through a file as he walked down the hallway and nearly ran into Nettie before he saw her.
"Nettie. What are you doing here?" His concern showed in his eyes. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, but one of my hands was injured today and we're trying to get some information on him. I don't suppose you could help me with that."
Nathan shut the file and pulled a pen from his pocket. "What's his name."
"Koje Begay."
"What kind of injuries and when did he come in?" Nathan asked, writing the info on a small notebook he'd pulled from another pocket.
After Nettie gave him all the information she knew, he promised to check and find her in the waiting room. Nettie thanked him before going back to the boys.
Ten minutes later, Nathan returned, Rain behind him. The woman gave Nettie a hug.
"Nathan told me you were here waiting word on my patient," she said.
"Rain, I'm so glad that you are the one treating Koje. So what can you tell us, dear?"
"All good news," she said with a smile. "Koje has a mild concussion, no broken bones. We'll keep him overnight for observation, but barring any complications he should be able to go home tomorrow."
"Thank God," Nettie said with a smile.
"Can we see him?" Rafe asked. Rain turned to face the worried young man.
"His son and Josiah are with him now. As soon as we move him into a regular room I'll let you know and you can visit."
"Thank you, Rain," Nettie said. "We'll wait."
Twenty minutes later, Nettie and Rafe were allowed to enter the room. Rafe hung back while Nettie approached the bed and assured herself that the man would be fine. Chanu sat by his father's side, periodically glaring at Rafe over his shoulder.
Eventually, Koje asked to speak to Rafe alone. At first, Chanu protested, but a stern look from his father had him leaving the room, followed by Nettie and Josiah. A long, tense silence filled the room.
"You have a heavy heart," Koje stated.
Looking everywhere but at the injured man, Rafe didn't reply. He moved over to the large window and peered out between the blinds.
"Would you open those blinds for me, Rafe. I would like to see the sky."
The boy did as requested, but still wouldn't look at Koje.
"If it will help, I know that you are sorry for what happened," Koje told him, hoping to get the conversation started. "It is not easy to deal with such pain, especially when the perceived cause of the pain is there in front of you daily."
"She didn't deserve to die," Rafe said softly, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead on the glass.
"No, she did not. She was a beautiful, thoughtful and loving young woman. And I happily welcomed her into my family. I had hoped that you would join us as well."
"My father..."
"You father loved you both, in his own way. But from what Claire told me, he was never the same after your mother died. She believed that he blamed himself for her death."
Rafe turned around and watched the old man for a full minute. "I think he did too," he admitted. "But he would never talk about my mother after her death. Except to say that it was God's way of punishing us all for our sins."
"I wish I could have met your father. I would have liked to sit and talk with him about our shared loss. I too lost my wife, although not in an accident."
"How... nevermind."
"How did she die? She was murdered."
"What?! By who?"
"I don't know. The police were never able to catch her killer. But they feel that she was killed because she was an Indian in a white neighborhood. Problem was, no one in that white neighborhood would talk."
"How can you want to be around whites, when they did that to your wife?"
Koje smiled. "Because the white race did not kill her, only one person. She could easily have been killed because she was a woman, or because she carried a purse and they wanted her money. There will always be reasons for man to kill, even if we do not accept or understand those reasons."
"Like my father. I... I can't understand how he could kill his own daughter. How could anyone murder their child?"
"I can not answer that, Rafe, because I could never do that myself."
"Josiah... Josiah said that Claire was pregnant."
"Yes, she was. She and Chanu had been to the doctor a few days before she was killed."
"My father... he probably killed her because of that."
"Yes, it is possible that was the reason. I was so looking forward to being a Grandfather."
"I'm sorry."
"You have nothing to be sorry for. You are not to blame for what your father did."
"But, I've been no better, fighting with Chanu and hurting you."
Koje smiled. "Ah, what happened to me was an accident. I should never have tried to get in between you. I should have let you fight until you were both too exhausted to fight anymore. My old bones just can not move as fast as they used to."
When Rafe didn't reply, Koje continued. "You are not your father, Rafe. You have much anger in you. But you can not direct that anger at the person who deserves it, so you direct it at others around you. I don't believe you could purposely hurt someone as your father did. Chanu also has anger that he can not direct at your father. So you take it out on each other. Claire spoke often of trying to get you to live with them after she and Chanu married. She wanted you away from your father. She was afraid he would hurt you."
Rafe turned away. When he spoke again, the tears were obvious, even though Koje couldn't see his face. "And instead he hurt her... I would have been an uncle. When... after my mother died, we talked about having kids of our own, wanting them to grow up together and be close. Now, that's never gonna happen." Rafe dropped into the chair by the window and buried his face in his hands, his sobs audible to Koje across the room.
Before the old man could move from the bed, Josiah poked his head in the door. He saw Rafe still sitting in the chair, hiding his face. Concerned, he moved over next to him. He wrapped his arms around Rafe, fully expected him to pull away. He was surprised when the young man turned into his chest and wrapped his arms around Josiah's waist. The ex-preacher tightened his hold, prepared to stay there for as long as Rafe needed him. He glanced over at Koje, who smiled back at him, then lay his head back and closed his eyes to rest.
The next morning, Josiah and the boys gathered near the corral as Nettie's truck pulled up the long driveway. She pulled the vehicle over by the cabin behind the barn, where Koje and Chanu had been staying. Nettie climbed out from the driver's seat, Chanu sliding out behind her and rushing around to the passenger door.
"Go slow, Father," he ordered.
Koje smiled indulgently, allowing his son to hover over him, knowing the young man had gotten quite a scare. Chanu took his elbow and helped him up the two steps to the porch of the small cabin.
The others watched as Chanu tried to guide his father inside, but then, at Koje's urging, assisted him over to the rocking chair on the porch. Koje settled in, then patted Chanu on the arm. His son headed into the cabin and came back out with a blanket. They watched as Koje shook his head. Chanu frowned, but then laid the blanket on the railing, in easy reach if his father needed it later.
Koje said something to his son that the others couldn't heard, then Chanu headed back into the cabin. The old man smiled and began rocking, his hands settling onto his stomach in contentment.
Rafe stepped away from the group and approached the cabin. Koje nodded in greeting as Rafe stepped onto the porch.
"How are you doing, Koje?"
"I am fine, Rafe. The doctor wants me to take it easy for a few days, but after that I'll be back out there with you youngsters."
"I"m so glad. I so sorry about what I did."
"You have already apologized and I have accepted. Now we must move forward."
"Still, I just wanted to make sure you knew that I won't fight with Chanu again."
"I am happy to hear that, Rafe." He gestured toward the chair next to him. "Sit. Talk."
Rafe shook his head. "I really should get back to work. We've all been so worried about you, nobody's got much done today."
"I am pleased to have so many friends to be concerned. But, as you can see, I am fine. I will enjoy the next few days of leisure, but look forward to getting back to work myself."
"Is there anything I can do for you?"
"No!" Chanu said from the doorway. "You have done enough damage!"
"Chanu!" Koje stopped his son from saying more. "Rafe is here to ask about my health. You will not get into an argument with him."
Angry, Chanu turned to go back into the house.
"Wait!" Rafe stepped closer to the door. "Chanu, wait, please." Rafe watched as Chanu stopped and turned around. "Chanu, I've already apologized to your father. And now I want to apologize to you. I never meant to hurt Koje. I... I know I was wrong to blame you for Claire's death. I just... I just couldn't blame my own father. He's the only family I have left now... and I... I didn't want to be alone." By the end of his short speech, Rafe was whispering. "I wish... I wish Claire was still here. She always made this so much easier.'
Chanu relaxed and gave Rafe a small smile. "Yes, she did. She always made it easier for me, too." He sighed and glanced at his father. Koje raised as eyebrow, as if to say 'keep going'. Chanu took a step toward Rafe, closing the distance. "Rafe, for what it's worth, I did love Claire. And our child. She would tell me all the time what a great uncle you would be. She was looking forward to you being in our child's life. So was I. I have no brothers and I hoped that once you got to know me, we could become brothers, more than just by marriage."
"I don't know if that's possible now," Rafe said, "but... I think... I hope... that we can at least be friends." He held out his hand.
After only a short hesitation, Chanu grasped his hand. Koje smiled and leaned back in the rocker. Claire could rest in peace now.
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