Rocky Mountain Sister (7 page)

Nathan spoke up again, “Cassandra, I know you meant well, sometimes the relief of something is more over whelming then the actual problem. I do wish you would have discussed it with us, we always sit down as a family and discuss important matters such as this. But by no means am I mad at you.” Nathan continued to eat while he spoke. “You are a part of this family Cassie, you have every right to know what is going on. We certainly didn’t mean to worry you either. I just wish you would have come to us and discussed things.”

“I know Nathan, and I am sorry, I apologize to all of you. I really didn’t mean to be so forward and take things into my own hands. I promise to mind my own business from now on.” Cassandra looked around the table only to see them smiling at her.

“I told you not worry Cassandra. Everything would be fine.” Anna said as she lifted her cup of coffee in the air as to raise a toast.

Everyone lifted their coffee cups.

Kenzie giggled at the thought of not having to work so hard. “To a new beginning. Today we will be a family again. All for one and one for all.”

Everyone at the table laughed and agreed that from this day forward, this family would stick together.

CHAPTER TWENTY

Cassandra woke to new start of wanting to spend more time with Makenzie. She still felt guilty for the mistakes of how she accomplished paying of the mortgage, but she was going to enjoy this time with her sister. Cassandra was putting on her boots when Makenzie knocked on her bedroom door.

Kenzie poked her head through the door, “You ready to get up sleepy head. We are going to spend the day together, come on, get up and we can go for a ride.

“See that tree up there, the one on the hill? We used to climb it when we were younger.” Kenzie pointed to a large tree that sat by itself on the top of the ridge. Of course we couldn’t climb very high, Nathan could climb way up and then he would make fun of us.”

“I wish I could remember. It is so hard to know you had a life and not know what it was like” Cassandra said to her sister. Cassandra stopped the tears that formed in her eyes.

The day passed with Makenzie showing Cassandra around the place and where they used to play and hide. Cassandra tried to remember something, anything of her past. She just couldn’t get anything to come into her mind. By evening, the girls started back to the house. Dinner would be ready soon. They didn’t want to worry their grandmother or Rosa.

“Makenzie, thank you for showing me around the ranch today. I enjoyed the stories of what we did very much. The doctors tell me that maybe one day I will get my memory back.” Cassandra said in a very hopeful voice. “I would love to be able remember those times, with you telling though does make me feel better.”

Makenzie smiled, “Cassie, one day things might come back to you. Just remember that we were a very happy family and we had so much fun as children. Ma and pa took us on picnics and we would go camping. I know we can’t change things and they won’t be like when we were kids, but we can make new memories. Just think, one day we will have our own children to make so many memories with.”

Cassandra smiled and thought of Jessie. Would her life be with him? Living next to her childhood home would be perfect. They would all be together again. Christian and Tori could bring their children out west to enjoy the ranch life.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Jessie pulled on the rope that was tied around Ole Boss. “You stupid cow, why do you keep getting stuck in this same mud hole. When are you going to learn?” This was the third time this year she had wondered into the same mud hole. Now he would have to fence it so she would stay out of it. Just about to start saying a few choice words, he heard a female’s voice.

“Jessie, oh dear what are you doing?” Cassandra rode up on the sight to see Jessie slip and fall on his butt. She knew it wasn’t nice or lady like, but she couldn’t help from bursting out in laughter.

“Don’t just sit there laughing, get down here and help me pull her out.” Jessie yelled over his shoulder. “Ole Boss seems to think I enjoy pulling her out of the same mud hole.”

“And what do you suppose I am going to do?” Cassandra asked.

“You act like you have never had to help pull a cow out of the mud. Will you just help me pull her out, then you can go back to being a princess again.” Jessie hollered over his shoulder once again.

“I beg your pardon, Mr. Harper. I did not come over here to be insulted. I heard you hollering and just came to investigate what was going on.” Cassandra told him flatly.

“Fine, just come hold the rope and pull on it while I go behind and push on her”. Jessie handed her the rope and then walked back to his saddlebags and got a second pair of gloves for her.

“Pull harder Kenzie, pull, she is moving a little.” Jessie yelled to the front of the cow.

“Mr. Harper, please stop calling me Kenzie, my name is Cassandra. Why do you insist on calling me by my sister’s name?” Cassandra switched positions trying to get a better grip when Ole Boss turned her head as Cassandra was talking. “I have told you before that I am her………

Jessie looked up from behind the cow. There laid a form of a young lady covered in mud. “Oh dear.”

Cassandra scrambled to her knees, spitting and sputtering mud. “Oh, look what you have done, you brute.”

“Me, what did I do? I told you to keep the rope tight.” Jessie broke out into laugh. “Look Princess, we can get you cleaned up at the river when we get Ole Boss out of this mud pit.” Jessie reached a hand down to help her up. “It’s just a little mud.”

Cassandra let Jessie pull her up to a standing position. Then with all her strength, she jumped at him and knocked him down into the mud. Ole Boss let out a big loud “MOO”, she wanted out of the mud.

Jessie was now covered with as much mud as Cassandra, they both looked at each other and started laughing. Cassandra didn’t want to laugh. She wanted to be mad at him for the way she looked, but she was having fun. Cassandra picked up a handful of mud and threw it at Jessie.

The mud fight lasted for twenty minutes. Somehow in the mix of throwing mud and wrestling around. Cassandra and Jessie got Ole Boss out of the mud. Crawling up to the edge of the mud hole, laughing hysterically, they both fell back on the ground. Ole Boss took off running.

“Run you old cow, I am going to put a fence up around here, then you won’t get stuck anymore.” Jessie yelled after the running cow, who didn’t even turn around and look. Soon she disappeared over the rise.

Jessie looked at his muddy companion and started laughing again. “Sweetheart, even covered in mud, you are still as beautiful as a princess.” Jessie then got up and walked over to the saddle bags, grabbed a rag and then his canteen.

“Thank you, I must look a sight.” Cassandra said as she took rag and canteen. She tried to get the mud off, but there just wasn’t enough water.

Sitting by the river’s edge, Cassandra and Jessie talked of many different things. He had helped get as much mud out of her hair as he could. There was no way to get the tangles out until she was able to wash it. They sat there for hours talking about their lives. Cassandra finally convinced Jessie that she was Makenzie’s twin sister. At least she hoped he believed her.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

She told him about the week she had in Denver and Forest Heights and he told her about how the family moved her five years prior and how he had to take over the ranch when his father came across an accident last year.

“So, do you believe me Jessie?” Cassandra looked at her new friend with compassion and hope that he did believe her.

“Well, I don’t have a choice. The Greenwoods are private people. I faintly remember a picture once that I saw in the parlor. I guess I never really paid much attention to it.” Jessie laughed at the thought of being slapped. “That would explain why I thought one day you were all sweet and innocent, and the next day you seemed to want to beat the fire out of me.”

Both laughed at the thought. “Yeah, I understand that Makenzie can be a little spitfire when she wants to be.”

“Sure can, but it sure is weird to think of all this time they never said anything.” Jessie was replied. “I couldn’t figure out why I wanted to kiss Makenzie all of a sudden either. Good to know I am not going crazy.”

“I am sure it has been very hard on all of them. So much has been lost in the last eight years, and then to think they were losing the ranch to that awful Mr. Cramberry.” Cassandra looked sympathetic to the thought of what her family had faced.

“Have you heard any more about Ferguson or if they proved he was behind it.” Jessie asked her.

Cassandra repositioned herself on the ground. She was very uncomfortable sitting on hard dirt. “No, Mr. Delaney hasn’t been out to the ranch yet, but believe me, he is very confident that he will find the answers and the proof to put both Mr. Cramberry and Mr. Ferguson in jail.”

Thunder came from somewhere in the distance. Jessie new that he had better escort Cassandra home. Sometimes the storms come up quickly. He looked around and noticed that the sky was getting dark toward the south. “Well Princess, looks like we have a nasty storm headed our way. I am going to make sure you get home.”

“Jessie, I am sure I can find my way to the house. It isn’t that far.” Cassandra knew how to get back to the house, but her fear of storms was creeping up on her. She didn’t want Jessie to think of her as a big baby, she tried to keep up a calm attitude.

“I know, but sometimes we have such quick downpours that you can’t see two feet in front of you. You are really not familiar with this land and this storm looks like it is going to be fierce.” Jessie replied with strong voice. “We certainly can’t let you get lost out here.”

“Whatever you say my Prince. I shall follow you through the storm to my safety.” Cassandra laughed and grabbed her shoes.
Thank you Lord.
Cassandra didn’t really want to be alone with the storm approaching. She was enjoying this afternoon so much. She didn’t want it to end so she took her time putting on her shoes and socks. Then the thunder rolled across the sky loud and very close. When she about jumped out of her skin, Cassandra decided that she better hurry.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“Hurry sweetheart, we are not going to make now. Hopefully we won’t get completely drenched in this downpour.” Jessie hurried her along. Soon they were headed to the Greenwood Ranch house, but not soon enough. They were about a mile away when the downpour hit. Jessie had to take Paisley’s reins so that he could make sure Cassandra didn’t drift off in the wrong direction.

Cassandra sat in saddle like a frozen doll. The huge raindrops pounded down upon her. With just the thin dress on that she wearing, it clung to her like a second skin. Still she wasn’t as afraid as she thought she would be. When Jessie took the reins of Paisley’s bridal and held the horse close to his own horse, Cassandra felt safe.

“Oh my word, Cassandra, what happened to you. You look like a drowned rat.” Rosa looked as shocked as she ever could be when Cassandra and Jessie walked through the door. She had never seen Cassandra like this for many years. As a child she expected it, but at nineteen, it was pure shocked.

“I am fine Rosa, we just got caught in the storm.” Cassandra giggled danced toward the stove.

“Jessie followed Cassandra through the door. “I’m sorry mam, I was hoping to get her back in time. Sometimes storms out here are unpredictable and come up fast.” Jessie didn’t know who the woman attending Cassandra. He was raised to be respectful to everyone and wanted this woman to know he would never let anything happen to Cassandra.

“Get over here with Cassandra by the heat. I say, you both are going to catch the death of a cold.” Rosa ushered Jessie to the stove and went after towels.

Jessie gave Cassandra a look of concern. He had never met the black woman before. He wasn’t sure if he had really believed Cassandra’s story before. He sort of thought Makenzie was hiding from the real world acting like someone else, or that maybe she had hit her head and thought she was someone else at times.

“It’s okay Jessie, Rosa is my housekeeper from Missouri. She is also my travelling companion. I have never been able to go anywhere without her.

Rosa brought towels in and gave them to the young couple who were dripping water all over. She handed one to Jessie and wrapped one around Cassandra’s head. “It will take all night to brush these tangles out of your hair young lady. It is a total mess. You will be lucky if we don’t have to cut it off, and look at this mud. What were you doing out there, having a mud fight?”

Cassandra rubbed her head as Rosa wrapped another around her shoulders. “Rosa, this is Jessie, he is a neighbor.” Cassandra then turned toward Jessie, “Jessie, my travelling companion, Rosa. She is not as mean as she is acting right now.” Cassandra giggled again. “And yes Rosa, we did have a mud fight. I haven’t had this much fun in years.”

Rosa wanted to scold Cassandra, but she would have to wait until later. She would not embarrass Cassandra in front of her friend.

Jessie wasn’t for sure what to say. He knew that Nathan wouldn’t be happy about this. Being caught in a storm wasn’t very logical. This time it couldn’t be help though. Jessie smiled knowing that he enjoyed every bit of saving Cassandra from the violent storm that raged outside.

“I am going to put some coffee on. You two need to just keep drying off.” Rosa turned around and got the pot.

Anna walked into the kitchen surprised to see Jessie standing in front of the stove dripping Wet. When she saw Cassandra, she burst into laughter, “my goodness, Cassandra, you are finding out about our storms out here the hard way.” Anna didn’t mean to be laughing at the sight of her granddaughter, whom she had never seen have a hair out of place, stood there dripping wet like soaked dog. “Jessie, did you drag my granddaughter out in this mess?”

“No I did not. In fact, she found me and we just didn’t make it back here in time. We tried though, about lost her a couple times in the down pour.” Jessie smiled at the older woman whom he adored. He grabbed Anna’s hand and kissed it. “I certainly would never cross you by keeping your granddaughter in a storm like this and make you worry.”