Once everyone was settled in Jarrod's office the Barkley's and the Sheriff listened as Mae explained everything that had happened.

"Your brother-in-law found a child and didn't even try to find out who she was or where she came from?" Jarrod asked in disbelief when Mae had finished.

"I am not condoning what Ben did Mr. Barkley, but you have to understand he and my sister had just lost their daughter and."

"And he decided to replace her with my child." Heath yelled as he slammed his fist into Jarrod's oak desk.

Startled by Heath's outburst Mae flinched as she turned to face him. She looked into the steely blue eyes of Amy's father expecting to see anger burning from them, but instead all she could see was pain. "I am really sorry for the pain he put you and your family through, but he and my sister are hurting over this too. Please try to understand." Mae pleaded.

"What your brother-in-law did was kidnapping and you are asking my brother to understand." Jarrod growled as he turned to the Sheriff. "Matt, could you please contact the Sheriff in Carson City and see about having this man arrested for the kidnapping of my niece."

"NO!" Amy screamed as she stood up from the chair where she sat by her mother and crossed the room to face her father.

"Pa please don't send Ben to jail. If it weren't for him I probably would have died that day. For the past seven years he and Molly have been my parents. They were good to me and loved me like their own daughter. Their sons are my brothers. I hurt them all by leaving. Please don't hurt them anymore."

As Heath looked into his daughter's pleading, tear-filled eyes his heart melted and knew what he must do. "Don't worry sweet heart I won't send him to jail."

"Are you sure Heath." The Sheriff asked

"Yes. There has been enough pain." Heath answered. Then he turned to Mae. "Thank you for bringing my daughter home."

"My pleasure Mr. Barkley and thank you." Mae replied. Then she turned and smiled at Amy. "Well I should go now."

"Aunt Mae could you please tell Ben and Molly I am home where I belong and please tell Ben that I forgive him." Amy asked as she hugged Mae goodbye.

"I will tell them. Good bye Amy." Mae kissed the girl gently on cheek then left.

"I should be getting back to the jail." The sheriff said as he turned then left the office leaving the Barkleys alone to get reacquainted with Amy. They remained at the office for about an hour then they headed home.

Victoria was in the kitchen arranging the roses she had just picked from her garden when Jarrod enter the room.

"What brings you home so early?" She asked surprised that he was home in the middle of the afternoon especially, since he had told her that morning not to wait supper for him.

"Well lovely lady it seems Heath and his family have a birthday present for you waiting in the parlor." He said as he offered her his arm.

"But it is not my Birthday for another two weeks." Victoria protested

"This is one present that can’t wait." Jarrod said as he took his mother's arm and led her to the parlor.

When Victoria entered the room with Jarrod she saw Heath and Becky standing shoulder to shoulder by the fireplace. Jarrod led her to a chair and insisted that she sit down. Once she was settled in the chair Heath and Becky parted and a pretty blonde girl stepped forward.

"Happy Birthday, Grandma." The girl said as she placed something in Victoria's hand.

Victoria looked down to see what the girl had given her. As she stared at the gold oval locket the girl's words registered in her mind and she realized who this child was. She stood up and threw her arms around the blonde girl. "Welcome home, Amy."

"How is this miracle possible?" Victoria asked as she held Amy tightly in her arms.

"That is a long story which can wait until Nick is here too. David has gone to find him, so they should be back anytime." Jarrod said.

As if on cue Nick burst into the house followed by David. He crossed the room to where Amy stood beside Victoria and grabbed the girl shoulder and spun her around to face him. "I don't know what kind of game you are pulling here missy, but…"

When David told Nick about a girl showing up claiming to be Amy he was convinced it was a con. There was no way that Amy could have survived. He rode hard to get back to the ranch to put a stop to this girl's lies, but now as he looked into young blonde girl's face he realized he was wrong. This was Amy.

"AMY! It's you. It's really you." Nick screamed as he picked her up off the ground in a bear hug and swung her around the room.

"Nick, we just got her back in one piece and we like to keep her that way. Now put her down." Heath yelled at his older brother.

Nick placed a stunned Amy back on the floor. "If you go anywhere near the river again young lady I'll help your father tan your hide is that understood."

"I have been terrified of water for years." Amy stammered. She wasn't sure what to make of this tall dark haired man. First he had seemed ready to throw her out on her ear, then he was so happy to see her, now he was threatening her with a tanning. "You don't need to worry about me going near the river. I can prom."

"Don't make promises." Paul yelled from where he stood beside Jenny watching everything. When he noticed that everyone was staring at him he ran out of the house.

Heath started toward the door to go after his younger son, but Amy stopped him. "Let me talk to him Pa.

Heath agreed and Amy went in search of her baby brother.

Amy found her younger brother in the last stall of the barn. The dark haired boy was leaning his head against the shoulder of a bay horse while he gently stroked the animal's neck.

"Paul" Amy announced her presence as she approached the stall, but the thirteen-year-old boy ignored her as he continued to stroke the horse's neck.

Not sure what to say or do she sighed deeply as she leaned over the stall door. She reached out to stroke the bay's nose, but her hand froze in mid air as the memory of her eighth birthday - the day her father gave her a little bay mare - flashed through her head. "What's her name?" She remembered asking her father.

"Shadow!" Amy whispered as the horses named popped into her head. Amy opened the stall door, walked over, threw her arms around the Morgan's neck and buried her face in the black mane.

"I took real good care of her. I never let anyone, but me ride her." Paul's voice cracked as he spoke.

"Thank you for looking after her for me when I couldn't." Amy said as she turned to face Paul who was staring at his feet. She reached out to place her hand on his shoulder as she asked. "Paul why didn't you want me to make a promise?"

The silence in the barn was deafening as Paul continued to stare at his feet without saying a word. Amy was beginning to believe that her dark haired brother would not answer her, but finally he spoke.

"The morning of the Church picnic I was sick so Ma told me I had to stay home with her and the baby. I was so upset that I would be missing all the fun at the picnic and the chocolate cake Mrs. Hunter always brought to Church potlucks. As you were leaving you promised." Paul stopped.

" Amy reached out, grabbed Paul's chin and made him look at her. "What did I promise?"

"You promised to bring me home a piece of cake and that when I was better you and I would ride out to Willow Creek for our own picnic, but you didn't come home. I was so angry at you for breaking your promise, I was angry at you for leaving me and I hated myself for the way I felt." Paul yelled as he pulled away from Amy and exited the stall.

Paul walked over to a bale of hay sat down and buried his face in his hands in shame. By some miracle his sister had survived and made her way back to him and his family, but all he could think of was how angry he had been at her for breaking her promise. He should be telling her how much he had missed her, how he would pray every night for to come home and how overjoyed he was now that his prayer was finally answered, but instead he told her how angry he had been at her. He wanted to tell her how much he loved her, but could not find the words.

Amy patted Shadow once more then left the stall. She walked over and sat down beside Paul. "You shouldn't hate yourself for the way you felt. You had every right to be angry and hurt. I am so sorry it took me so long to come home, but I still want to go on that picnic. Would you take me to Willow Creek tomorrow?"

A grin spread across Paul's face as he looked at Amy. "I like that."

The two siblings sat in the barn talking until their father came to see if they were all right and to tell them that they should go get cleaned up for supper.

The supper that night had been a feast in celebration of Amy's returning home. After the meal they had all went into the parlor where they spent the evening talking. Her grandmother had bought down an old family album to show her. As Amy sat looking at the album and listening to each member of the family tell stories she started to remember more about her life before she fell in the river. She told her family of her life with Molly and Ben.

Amy enjoyed spending the evening at the big white mansion getting to know her family once again, but she was relieved when her father finally said that they should be heading home. She had found the whole day very overwhelming and she was emotionally drained. After good nights were exchanged she exited the mansion with her parents and siblings. They climbed into the awaiting wagon and drove the mile to ranch house that was her family's home.

Alone in her room latter that night Amy sat on the window seat starring at the stars shinning brightly in the sky as the cool night breeze teased her hair. The night after she had discovered the truth about herself, she had made a wish on a shooting star that she would be able to find her true parents. When she arrived in Stockton this morning with Mae, she had been afraid to hope that her wish would come true. Now she was in the home that her father had built the year he married her mother. Oh how good it felt to be home.

Finally Amy arose from the window seat and went to bed.

Not everyone was overjoyed that Amy had returned home. Jenny Ann Barkley had only been six months old the day when Amy fell in the river and was believed to have drowned. As the only surviving daughter her parent and brothers showered love and attention on her. They didn't mean to spoil her, but that had been the result. She was use to being the center of their attention, so she resented this new girls intrusion.

The spark of resentment began the moment she saw her father and mother hugging the strange blonde girl on the streets of Stockton. It grew stronger when her parents told her to ride in the back of the wagon with her brothers, so Amy could sit up front with them on the way back to the ranch. Although she usually rode up front between her father and mother the young red head reluctantly obeyed her parents wishes. If Heath and Becky had not been so overjoyed in finding out that the daughter they thought had died was alive; they would have noticed the hurt in their younger daughter's green eyes at their request.

The resentment grew stronger as Jenny watched her grandmother and Uncle Nick greet Amy with joy. After supper she sat quietly listening as everyone told stories that did not include her. It seemed that her family had forgotten that she existed. Everyone's attention was on this blonde intruder. Oh how she hated this new girl.

The next morning it was decided that their parents, David and Jenny would join Paul and Amy on the picnic at Willow Creek. Jenny had refused to go at first, but when she realized that her family would go without her she reluctantly agreed to go.

"You are going to let her ride Shadow?" Jenny asked in disbelief when Paul handed Shadow's reins to Amy. Her brother never let her ride this horse, but now he was allowing a perfect stranger.

"Yes." Paul answered.

"You never let me ride her." Jenny pouted. "Why can't I ride Shadow? She can ride Pepper"

"Because Pepper is your horse and Shadow is Amy's horse." Paul tried explained.

"Pepper is fat and slow." Jenny whined. She really did love her cubby black pony, but she had always wanted to ride Shadow.

"That is enough, Jenny. You will ride your pony or you will stay home." Her father informed her putting an end to anymore of her complaints.

Jenny reluctantly mounted Pepper, as her resentment toward her new sister grew stronger. It seemed like her family loved this intruder more than her.

Over the next two week Jenny played the cruelest of pranks on the girl that claimed to be her sister. The first prank she pulled occurred that night after the family picnic to Willow Creek. She placed the snake that she found at Willow Creek in Amy's bed.

The prankster thought it was hilarious when Amy came running out of her room screaming, but her parents did not. She was forced to apologize and sentence to helping her brothers pick rocks from the south field the following day. The punishment only added fuel to the fire of resentment burning in Jenny's heart and deepened her belief that her parents loved this new girl more than her.

The next day after Jenny spent the entire morning and most of the afternoon picking rocks she went to the swimming pond to cool off. She had been swimming for about half an hour when she looked up to see her blonde sister walking down the path calling her name. As her older sister approached the pond the red headed girl began to thrash around like she was drowning.

"Help!" Jenny screamed as she continued to thrash about in the water.

Her mother had asked her to go to the swimming pond to get Jenny for supper. The blonde girl was almost to the pond when she heard her younger sister calling for help. This can't be happening Amy thought as she broke into a run. Just as the frantic girl reached the edge of the pond Jenny's head disappeared beneath the water.

"OH God! What am I going to do?" Amy thought as tears poured down her face. She used to be a good swimmer before she fell in the river, but now she was terrified of the water. She could run back to the ranch and get help, but then it would be to late. It was up to her to save her sister. Pushing aside her fear the blonde girl took a deep breath and was about to dive into the water when she heard laughter behind her.

"Afraid of a little water." Jenny mocked Amy. Then she burst out laughing.

Amy whirled around, walked over and slapped Jenny's laughing face. The blonde girl had never been so furious in all her life. How dare this brat play such a cruel joke on her?

Jenny burst into tears as she placed a hand on her face where Amy had slapped her. "I'm going to tell Ma and Pa that you hit me." She screamed as she turned and raced down the path toward home.

When Jenny told her parents that her older sister slapped her they were angry with Amy, but when Amy told them why she slapped the younger girl they were furious with Jenny. They sent their red headed daughter to bed without supper and for the rest of the summer she would not be allowed to go to the pond to swim.

Although Heath and Becky understood the reason why Amy slapped Jenny they could not allow one child to hit the other. They gave their blonde daughter a good lecture on finding a better way of dealing with conflicts.

After the swimming pond incident Jenny was on her best behavior for a few days. Becky decided that it was a good time to take both Amy and Jenny into town to shop for new dresses for their grandmother's upcoming birthday party. In town Jenny's resentment of her older sister began to burn again as everyone they ran into welcomed Amy home and told Becky how happy they were for the family. It seemed that no one even noticed the red headed girl.

"You have good taste. Just like your Aunt Audra. This style of dress and its color will be perfect for a young lady your age." The shopkeeper told Amy. "You can try it on if you like.

"Thank you Mrs. Hunter." Amy shyly answered as she took the dress and headed to the change room. She wasn't use to getting compliments.

Mrs. Hunter picked up a box from behind the counter and handed it to Becky. "This is the dress Jenny tried on the other day you were in here. I wrapped it up for you. I also charged the dress you wore out of here to your account."

"Thank you. I must apologize for my hasty retreat that day." Becky replied.

"You have nothing to apologize for my dear. I am just so happy for you and your family."

"Ma, what do you think?" Amy asked as she stepped out of the change room to show her mother the dress.

"It's beautiful on you." Becky answered.

Mrs. Hunter handed Amy a beautiful hair comb. "This will be perfect in your beautiful hair, dear. Consider it a welcome home present from me."

"Thank your ma'am." Amy squealed with delight. Then she went back to the changing room to change back into her old dress.

That night after everyone was asleep Jenny crept into her sister's room and cut off a big chunk of her blonde hair. Of course she would be punished when her parent's found out what she did, but she did not care. No one would be saying Amy had beautiful hair for awhile.

After finishing her nasty deed Jenny tried to slip quietly out of her sister's room, but stubbed her toe on the dresser. Her yelp of pain awoke Amy. As her older sister reached out to turn up the oil lamp by her nightstand Jenny put her hands behind her back to hide the lock of hair and scissors she still held in her hands.

"What are you doing?" Amy asked when she found her red headed sister standing on one foot with her hands behind her back.

"I heard you talking in your sleep, so I thought I would come see what you were saying." Jenny lied.

"What do you have behind your back?" Amy took a step toward the seven-year-old.

"Nothing." Jenny tried to back out of the room, but Amy grabbed her and forced her to reveal what she was trying to hide.

"What have you done!" Amy screamed when she saw her own blonde locks in her sister's clenched fists. She let go of Jenny as she reached up to feel her hair.

"I did you a favor. You needed a hair cut." Jenny smiled mischievously as she dropped the scissors and hair.

"Why you little brat," Amy screeched as she lunged at the red headed girl, who ducked out of the way and bolted for the door. Jenny had just made her escape out of her sister's room and was heading down the hall to her own room, when she ran into her father and mother who where coming to see what the commotion was all about.

"What is going on?" Heath demanded.

"Amy tried to hit me." Jenny whined trying to get her parents sympathy. She was hoping that they would be so mad at Amy that they wouldn't notice what she had done, but they did not buy her victim act.

Heath grabbed his red headed daughter by the hand and dragged her back into his older daughter's room. When Becky and Heath discovered exactly what had happened they were furious with their younger daughter.

"Jenny apologize to your sister this instant." Becky demanded of her younger daughter.

"No! I won't." Jenny screamed.

"Jenny Ann Barkley! You will not raise your voice to your mother. You will apologize to your sister and you also will be spending the next week mucking out the barn, cleaning tack and any other job that needs doing." Heath's stern voice boomed.

"But Pa I." Jenny started to protest

"The only thing I want to hear from you right now is an apology to your sister is that understood." Heath demanded.

"I am sorry." Jenny mumbled as she looked down at her feet. She bolted from the room, raced down the hall to her own room; she threw herself on the bed and burst into tears. When her father came into her room she refused to look at him. He tried to talk to her, but she refused to answer. When he tried to kiss her good night she pulled away. Finally he left her alone and she cried herself to sleep.

After Jenny and Heath left, Becky cut Amy's hair so it would all be even. "See it's not so bad." She assured her older daughter.

Amy looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair that once was waist length was now shoulder length. She would miss her long hair, but her mother was right it did not look that bad and it would grow out again.

It was still dark out when Jenny awoke from a fitful sleep. After last night she was convinced that her parents loved Amy more than her. Well if that was the way they felt then she would leave. The heart broken girl got up, dressed and headed for the barn. She saddled her little fat pony, led him outside and mounted. Once she was through the gate she kick Pepper into a gallop heading toward the north ridge. She knew there was a line-shack up there.

Jenny knew it was not safe to gallop a horse in the dark, but she did not care. She just wanted to get as far away from home as possible. Pepper was tiring and tried to slow down, but she just kicked him hard. Jenny didn't see the log in front of the path, but the pony did and he stopped dead in his tracks causing his rider to fly over his head. Once free of his rider he headed for the safety of the barn.

The sun was just beginning to make its debut for the day as Pepper raced through the gates and headed for the nearest water trough. The tired pony was looking forward to a good long drink of cool water. Lucky for him his master's father stopped him or he would have made himself very sick.

Heath sat in the swing on the veranda with his arms wrapped around Becky as they waited for the sun to make its entrance. Believing that all their children were still upstairs asleep in their beds they were shocked to see Jenny's pony running into the yard.

Heath raced across the yard and grabbed the reins of the sweat-covered pony to prevent the overheated animal from drinking. He cursed himself for not making Jenny talk to him the night before. He knew the girl was upset, but he didn't think she would do something as stupid as riding a horse at night and by the look of the horse she had ridden him hard.

"Becky, walk Pepper to cool him off. I am going to find Jenny." Heath said as he handed the reins of Jenny's pony to his distraught wife, who obeyed him immediately. Once assured that Pepper would be taken care of Heath raced to the barn.

As Heath saddled his horse, he could not stop thinking of that tragic day seven years ago when Amy had fell into the river and was believed to have died. He had just got Amy back was he now to lose Jenny? No, he would not allow himself to think that Jenny was dead. He would find her and prayed that when he did that she would be all right. His legs felt like rubber as he mounted Star and started to follow the trail left by Pepper.

Jenny felt her body hurtling through space and heard the sickening sound of a bone snap as she hit the ground. The red headed girl fought nausea and dizziness as she picked herself up off the ground. She could hear the sound of Pepper's hoof beats as he took off for home leaving her stranded.

"You stupid horse." Jenny yelled after the retreating horse as she burst into tears. Her shoulder felt as though it was on fire and she couldn't seem to stop herself from shivering. Feeling like she might pass out or throw up she sat down and rested her back against a tree. She wanted her Mama and Papa, but so strong was her belief that they no longer loved her that she believed they would be glad that she was gone. Feeling sorry for herself she convinced herself that her parents wouldn't bother looking for her. Never in her short life had she felt so alone and scared.

An hour after he had began his search for his missing daughter Heath spotted her sitting beneath a tree. He was relieved to find his child alive.

"Jenny!" Heath called out her name as he jumped from Star's back and raced to his daughter's sided. As he knelt down beside her the girl looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

"You came for me. You still love me? You still want me as a daughter? " Jenny asked through chattering teeth.

"Of coarse I love you and you will always be my daughter." Heath answered confused by Jenny's question, but more concerned with the girl's obvious pain and pale complexion he asked. "Where are you hurt, sweetheart?"

"My shoulder hurts real bad Papa."

"Are you hurt anywhere else. Your legs, back, head?

"I don't think so, but I feel sick and I am so cold." Jenny answered.

Heath walked over to his horse and removed his raincoat that he always carried with him in case he got caught in the rain out on the range. He wrapped Jenny in the coat, picked her up, carried her to his horse and put her on. Then he climbed up behind her and turned the horse for home.

Even at a slow walk each step the horse made caused Jenny excruciating pain. Heath was grateful when he spotted David driving the buckboard to meet them.

"Ma told me Jenny's pony came home without her. Is she okay?" David asked, as he looked anxiously at his little sister leaning heavily against their father.

"She hurt her shoulder." Heath informed his son. He dismounted Star, gently lifted Jenny off the horse and placed her on the seat of the buckboard beside her brother. "Get her home. I'll ride to town and get the doctor."

Heath vaulted into the saddle and urged Star into a gallop toward town.

"It will be okay Sis. We'll get you fix up good as new." David comforted his baby sister as he turned the team and slowly headed for home.

"What did you think you doing riding a horse at a gallop at night?" Heath demanded of his youngest daughter the next morning after the accident. Luckily the girl had only broken her collarbone which would take six weeks to heal. It could have been a lot worse.

"I thought you and Mama didn't love me anymore, so I was leaving." Jenny meekly replied as she stared at her feet.

"Why would you think that we didn't love you?" Becky asked.

"You have Amy back now you don't need me. You love her more than me." Jenny finally voiced her fears to her father and mother.

"Let's get one thing straight young lady." Heath said as he gently lifted his daughter's chin to make her look at him.

"Your mother and I love you, Amy, Paul and David all the same. We would rather die than lose anyone of you. Seven years ago when we believed Amy died a part of us died too. When Amy returned home that part of us was reborn. Yesterday morning when Pepper returned home without you we were so afraid that you were." Heath voice cracked and he was unable to continue. He turned away from his daughter in an attempt to hide his tears.

Jenny burst into tears not from the pain in shoulder, but from the pain she had saw in her father's eyes before he looked away; pain that she had caused. "I am sorry Papa. I didn't mean to hurt you or Mama. I'll never do it again. I promise."

Heath and Becky hugged the remorsefully child. Then they all went downstairs for breakfast, which Amy was cooking.

It was a couple days after her injury and Jenny was sick of staying in the house taking it easy. While her mother was busy she snuck out to the barn. She wanted to go play with the barn kittens that were up in the loft, but her father caught her, as she was about to climb the ladder.

"And what do you think you are doing?" Heath demanded.

"I just wanted to play with the kittens." Jenny pouted.

"You can't climb up there with that shoulder young lady. You will have to wait until your shoulder is healed to play with them." Heath scolded his red headed child as he grabbed her good arm and took her back to the house.

Amy was in Shadow's stall brushing the horse. She overheard the conversation between her father and little sister. After her father and sister left the barn she climbed up to the loft and took one of the kittens. Luckily they were old enough to be away from the mother. She carefully carried the little fur ball down the ladder and to the house.

Amy found Jenny sitting on the swing on the veranda sulking. The blonde girl placed the calico kitten into her baby sister's lap. "Maybe we can convince Ma and Pa to let you keep it in the house."

Jenny's green eyes danced with joy as she picked the kitten up and held it against her cheek. "Do you think they will?"

"All you can do is ask, but I think they will." Amy smiled. She had actually already asked her parents who both agreed.

"Amy, thank you for bringing me the kitten." Jenny said

After that day Jenny accepted Amy as her big sister. She no longer felt threatened by the older girl's presence, because she now knew her parents would always love her. Over the years the two girls formed a very strong bond.