There it was again thought Lou. But no one else heard it. Teaspoon told her it was just her nerves, but Lou knew it wasn’t. When she went and pulled on her coat, Teaspoon’s fathering side came out. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

“There’s someone out there Teaspoon. I keep hearing a horse. What if it’s the boys and they can’t find the bunkhouse? What if something happened and they……”, Lou’s voice trailed off as she couldn’t find the voice to speak the words that she was thinking. Somehow, those unspoken words found their way to everyone else’s head.

“Teaspoon, what if something happened? Can’t we just go out on the porch with the lamps and see if we can see anything?” asked Jimmy.

“Please Teaspoon???” piped in Cody

“Ah, all right….but you better stay on the porch and put on your coats. Five minutes and then everyone better be back in here.”

Five pairs of eyes peered into the blinding snow and darkness, but other than the wind howling, they didn’t hear or see anything either.

Teaspoon called from inside the bunkhouse, “Time’s up boys, get back in here ‘for I get a notion to fire ya all.”

Four of the riders turned and went indoors, but Lou tagged reluctantly behind. She kept looking over her shoulder and straining her ears to hear it again. Finally, Teaspoon came out and dragged her back inside.

Everyone sat back down to hot chocolate and gingerbread cookies. Noah started to tell the stories he had heard growing up. This helped relieve Lou’s tension as he had a way to make even the dullest moment funny. After a round of story telling, Noah attempted to teach the others a new card game, but wasn’t having much luck.

2 days earlier, Rocking R Ranch

Caroline kneeled down in the family graveyard and bowed her head in a silent prayer. Then she started weeding around the markers and talking to herself. Her Uncle Joseph stood at a distance and watched his only niece grieve for her parents. She had lost her mother, Joseph’s sister, when she was 10 and her father had passed away only two weeks ago. Caroline, being an only child, had always been close to her parents and after her mother’s death, her and Robert, her father, had become nearly inseparable. Uncle Joe had only been living at the ranch for a year, but had recognized the bond between the two almost immediately. Today had been an especially rough day as they had met with Robert’s attorney.

“Oh poppa, I can’t believe you left the ranch to me and Uncle Joe together. We’ll make you proud and keep up the place. Red Bear is even bringing some horses in today to trade. I’m glad that you made me learn how to sign. I think he will treat me fairly. But poppa, my biggest problem is the suitors - now that you’re gone, they all think I can’t do this by myself, even though you and I both know I can. And then there’s David, you know I never cared for him on a personal level, even though he is good with the horses and supervising the other cowboys. He’s the worst about nagging me about living out here by myself and that ranching isn’t for women. I have this gut feeling he just wants to marry me just to get to the ranch. I don’t know what it is about him, but he scares me now poppa, but Uncle Joe tries to stay with me when he’s at the house.

It’s getting colder out momma; I know how much you loved the snow - I think it is going to snow in the next couple of days. I hope it does enough to make your snow ice cream. Every time I make it I think of you. Uncle Joe was telling me stories last night about his days as a Texas Ranger - did he ever tell you about a fella by the name of Teaspoon? I laughed until my side hurt. Uncle Joe has been a blessing to have around, especially when poppa started getting sick. You take good of him now, ya hear. Sorry I can’t stay later, but I need to get back to meet with Red Bear, you’d like him momma. He’s Kiowa and speaks some English - Uncle Joe and I have been trying to help him with it when he’s here. I love and miss both of you.” With that Caroline stood up and pulled her coat closer around her. The wind had started to pick up in just the half-hour she had been there. Caroline looked up and saw Joe trying to look unobtrusive; but she knew he had been there the entire time. She slapped her hat against her leg and started heading to her horse, “Come on Uncle Joe, Red Bear will be here soon.”

As Caroline and Joe rode back to the main house and stables, they discussed their ideas for the horse ranch. “I’m going to go in and make a fresh pot of coffee. Red Bear should be here anytime now.” Just as Caroline stepped back out on the porch of the main house, Red Bear and two of his braves rode in with a herd of ponies. Red Bear dismounted and took Caroline into his arms, “I’m sorry to hear about your father, he was a good man.” She murmured her thanks and turned to the ponies, but not before Red Bear saw the single tear roll down her cheek.

Caroline studied the ponies as her father had taught her to do, checking their teeth and legs. Her mother had always said that Caroline was a special child for her soothing ways with the animals. Even with her wild streak, she had the ability to calm even the wildest horse down enough to study it. Red Bear and Joe watched her, their admiration written all over their faces.

“How is she taking Robert’s death?”

“Okay I suppose, she’s pretty much thrown herself into the ranch since the funeral. She goes to the graveyard at least once a day. She thinks I don’t notice, but I follow her a lot.”

“I’ve noticed her there too. She’s a very special lady. Is she promised to anyone? She will make someone a lucky husband someday as long as they don’t try to tame her spirit.”

Red Bear’s comments threw Joe off guard for a minute, but then he realized that Red Bear also saw Caroline like a daughter or younger sister. “No, she’s not promised yet, but it’s not from a lack of suitors. I think she scares most of them off by being too independent and stubborn for her own good.” Red Bear and Joe had become fast friends and had discussed Caroline’s future on more than one occasion. They quickly shifted their conversation back to the horses as Caroline approached.

“I told poppa today that you would treat me fairly. These are excellent ponies. How much?” Caroline was a little nervous; this was the first time she had bartered with anyone without her father there. She cast a silent prayer up to the sky asking for guidance and remembered what her poppa had taught her.

“Four hundred in gold.”

“No, one hundred in gold, blankets, flour and new cooking pots for the women.”

“Three hundred in gold and the blankets.”

Caroline thought for a minute and shook her head. “One hundred in gold, blankets, flour, cooking pots, beads and tabacco.”

A small smile crept across Red Bear’s face as he accepted her offer. Caroline went in the house to get the coffee and the cake she had baked earlier that day. They would get the supplies after they had a cup of coffee, as was their usual custom.

The door shut behind Caroline as a hand clamped over her mouth. “You no good two-bit whore. Think ya better than me and then go out and deal with those stinkin Injuns. This will teach ya to tell me no.” The man spun Caroline around so fast she had to grab the table to keep from falling.

“David, what are you doing in here?, she hissed. “Just go away, I don’t want to marry you, I never did and never will. You’re a filthy, low down good for nothing coward. The only reason you want to marry me is to get your hands on the Rocking R and I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth!” Caroline’s words did nothing more than unleash the anger that was brimming at the surface. His hand came up and slapped her across the cheek so hard she fell and hit her head on the side of the table.

As Caroline blacked out, David picked her up and made his way to the bedroom. This was the moment he had been waiting for. “Guess I’ll show the brat what it takes to run a ranch. She’s going to do as I say rather she likes it or not. Too bad she isn’t awake though, but it’s probably better this way - she won’t make so much noise and bother her precious Uncle Joe and damn Injun friends.” David smiled as he threw her down on the bed and started undoing his trousers.

On to Chapter Three

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