By Charli911 and Larabee lady
AN: This is a stand-alone story, not related to any of the other stories in my collection. Enjoy
AN: although slight mention is made of the events of the pilot of Jesse Hawkes, everyone survived the explosion in my stories, just FYI. I like Cutler too much not to keep him around. Hart-I can take or leave. Just never really got into his character.
AN: kudos to all who can name the other TV show that I pay homage to in this story.
Disclaimer: The original characters and storyline of HMR are the property of A Shane Co with Sibling Rivalries and are used here only for the purpose of entertainment. I make no money and hope that the creators and actors take this as a genuine appreciation for their work and effort.
/
CHAPTER ONEMatt Hawkes pulled back on the reins of his horse as he crested the hill, his friend, Jim Cutler, pulling up beside him. Matt took a deep breath, smiling at the sweet smell of pine from the surrounding trees.
"I never get tired of seeing this," Matt said, as he leaned forward against the pommel of his saddle, relaxing as they both took in the view of the wide lush green valley below them. Matt took another deep breath, the crisp clean air clearing the cobwebs from his brain.
Matt and Jim were heading back to the Ranger Station after a five-day inspection of remote cabins used by hikers, campers and Forest Rangers while in the high country of Desolation Wilderness. Generally, the Forest Service did the inspections, but Matt had let them know that he was heading up there anyway to speak to one of the year round residents about some possible poachers in the area and could do the inspections for them, thus saving them the time and aggravation. They had been more than happy to let him.
The two men were now heading back down the mountain, planning to stop by and visit Matt's father and brother along the way.
Jesse and Cody Hawkes lived year round on the mountain in the same cabin that Jesse had built when he'd first arrived in the Sierra Nevada Mountains thirty years before. Matt hadn't been able to see them in a couple of weeks, due to his responsibilities as Commander of the High Mountain Rangers, a Federal Law Enforcement and Search & Rescue unit that was founded by his father Jesse, who had been the Ranger's first Commander.
Summer was winding down and the air in the high country was crisp and cold. Matt pulled his jacket closer as the wind whipped up from the valley.
"Let's go. If we hurry we can make it to my Dad's by supper."
"We gonna spend the night?" Cutler asked.
"That's the plan," Matt said, as he wheeled his horse around and started along the rim of the valley for a short while before jogging further into the woods, Cutler right behind him.
Two hours later, they reined in near the small corral behind the cabin. As Matt dismounted, he heard a yell behind him.
"Matt!" He turned just in time to be tackled by his fifteen-year-old brother.
"Hey, Toad!" Matt replied, wrapping his arms around the younger boy and lifting him off his feet.
"How long can you stay? Can we go fishing? Wait until you see the pictures I took up at Aaron's. Hi, Cutler. You're just in time for dinner. Dad and I caught some great trout this morning. He'll be happy to see you. I'll get your horses, you go on inside."
Thirty seconds later, Matt and Jim were standing alone while Cody led both horses away.
Matt turned and lightly tapped Cutler on the bottom of the chin. "Close your mouth, Jimmy, you'll attract flies," he said, before heading to the rear door of the cabin.
Cutler blinked, still watching Cody lead the horses into the corral. "Matt..." He turned to find his Commander walking away and ran to catch up. "Matt, who the hell was that? Has your father been feeding him too much caffeine or something? He's never that hyper."
"That's Cody enjoying a visit from his big brother," another voice answered from the top of the steps.
"Hey, Dad."
"Mathew," a smiling Jesse nodded, returning the hug his eldest gave him. "Jimmy. I assume you're both staying for dinner and for the night."
"You assume right," Matt replied. "Cody says we're in for a treat."
"Lake trout and wild greens. You and Cutler can clean the fish."
"You got it. C'mon, Jimmy, let's go earn our keep." He slapped the back of his hand against Cutler's stomach and jogged through the back door of the cabin. It took a long moment for Jim to catch on and follow his friend inside, Jesse behind them, content at the thought of having both of his sons at the dinner table tonight.
/
"I'll come back up next weekend and we'll head up into the hills for a couple days," Matt was telling his little brother the next morning.
"Promise?"
"I promise," Matt assured him. "I already have the days off, so barring some extreme emergency like another earthquake I should be able to still get away."
"I can't wait. We don't see you enough, Matt," he whined.
"Horses travel both directions, Toad. There's no reason you can't come down off this mountain once in a while," he teased.
"I know. It's getting Dad to come with me that's the problem," Cody replied with a smile.
"Don't blame it on me," Jesse remarked, wrapping an arm around Cody from behind. "There is no reason you can't ride down and spend some time with your brother on your own."
"Really?"
Jesse smiled, winking at Matt. "I think you're old enough."
The grin that spread across Cody's face would have lit up a room. "Cool! Maybe I can come down to you next weekend instead of you coming up here!"
"I'm okay with that," Matt said, excited about the idea.
"Can we get pizza?"
"I don't see why not." Matt pulled his brother out of his Dad's grasp and hugged him close. "I can't wait." Looking behind Cody, he added, "You're welcome to join us, Dad."
"I promised Aaron I'd come by."
"I'd say, give him a hug for me, but he'd probably shoot you!" Matt remarked, knowing that he was not one of Aaron Bass' favorite people.
"Son..."
Matt held up a hand as he released his grip on Cody. "Just kidding, Dad. Have fun."
"See you, Son. Jimmy, you know you're always welcome here."
"Thanks, Mr. Hawkes. See you next weekend, Cody."
"Bye," the youngest Hawkes called out, as he waved the two men on their way.
/
Matt and Jim moved their horses slowly through the woods, taking their time returning to the Ranger Station. They had decided to take a ride over the Horner Ridge area on their way back down the mountain. There were several cabins along the way that they hadn't checked in quite a while. Hikers and drifters would often break into the cabins looking for food or something to steal or a place to stay for a night or two.
Coming down on the east side of the ridge, they approached a small one-story cabin that had seen better days. Coming from above the cabin, they noticed a small hole in the roof that hadn't been there the last time they'd checked it. Matt knew the family lived in Sacramento and the father had died a few months previously. He wondered if the wife planned to sell. He would have to dig out her information when he got back and make sure she was advised of the roof damage.
He and Cutler dismounted in front of the residence, both stretching after the long ride. As Matt moved toward the front door, he froze and cocked his head.
"Matt?"
"Shhh," he said, quieting Jim. The two Rangers stood still for several seconds before Jim, too, heard the soft whimpering noises that had alerted his boss. Cutler pulled his rifle from the scabbard on his saddle and moved to stand beside Matt next to the front door. They could hear scraping now, which sounded like an animal trying to claw at the door from the inside.
Matt sidestepped to the window and caught a brief glimpse of what appeared to be a large dog moving around. They would still take precautions, as wolves were known to inhabit the wilderness. Even if it was a dog, there was the possibility it was rabid or wild, so they would treat it as dangerous until they knew otherwise.
Matt moved back to the door, standing to the side, and reaching for the doorknob. Cutler crouched down on the step and raised the rifle, aiming it at the door. He nodded to Matt to let him know he was ready. The big blond slowly turned the knob and gave the door a gentle push.
The whimpering and scratching had stopped, so both men were leery of whatever creature was inside suddenly making a dash to freedom. Once the door was open several inches and no movement seen or heard inside, Matt slowly leaned around the door jam and took a peek inside.
He could see brown fur lying about three feet from the door, and the animal didn't appear to be coming close to the door. Glancing over his shoulder, he gestured for Cutler to move closer. Jimmy did, keeping the rifle poised to shoot if needed. Matt pushed the door completely open and Cutler moved into the cabin, the gun tracking to point at a large, but apparently malnourished, dog lying on the floor nearby.
When the dog made no effort to get up, he raised the rifle toward the ceiling and nodded at Matt to continue into the room. Jim kept a close eye on the animal as Matt moved closer, finally kneeling down next to the animal he could now tell was an emaciated German shepherd. He reached out a hand and tentatively settled it on the dog's head.
When the animal didn't react, he ran his hand along the dog's neck and side. "Jimmy, go get my canteen," he said quietly.
Cutler spun around and hurried back out the door. He slid his rifle back into the scabbard, then grabbed Matt's canteen from where it hung from his saddle horn, took a couple of steps back toward the cabin, before turning and reaching into his own saddle bag and removing a small metal bowl from his mess kit.
Matt was still petting the dog and talking quietly to it. Jim poured a small amount of water into the bowl and handed it to Matt, who placed it down next to the dog. They watched as the animal quickly lapped up the small amount of water and watched as Cutler filled the bowl again, only to see it disappear just as quickly.
"What about food, Matt?"
"I'm not sure that would be such a good idea at the moment. Everything we have is solid. I don't think she'd be able to handle it."
"She injured?"
"Don't see any injuries, except for the tears on her paws, probably from trying to claw her way out of the cabin. We need to get her to the Vet. Check around, make sure she's the only one?"
Cutler nodded and trotted off the follow his Commander's orders. The cabin was small enough that he was back in just a couple minutes, as there was no furniture for any animal to hide under and only one closet in the place.
"She's alone, Matt."
Matt shook his head. "The owners of this cabin better have a good excuse for this," he said, his quiet anger apparent to the man with him, who had known man for over a decade. "We're gonna need to carry her down."
Cutler handed the canteen and bowl to his boss. "Get those put away, I'll get her up and lift her up to you."
Matt nodded and walked outside, putting the gear away and mounting his horse. Jimmy walked out, carrying the dog, and carefully lifted her up to the blond. Matt cradled the animal against his chest, accepted his reins from Cutler, and turned the horse to the trail. Normally, the ride from this cabin back to the Ranger station took about an hour. It would likely take a bit longer with their precious cargo in hand.
/
Matt closed his eyes and leaned back in the hard plastic chair, his head lightly hitting the wall behind him. He and Jim were waiting to speak to the vet, who was examining the dog. He hadn't planned to stay, but just couldn't bring himself to leave until he knew how the dog was. He knew Cutler was amused by the fact that his big, tough boss didn't want to just leave the dog there.
They'd been waiting nearly an hour when a small nudge woke him from a light doze. He opened his eyes to see a large cup dangling in front of his face. The strong aroma told him the cup contained coffee from his favorite coffee shop in town.
"Thanks," he told Cutler, who just nodded and sat down next to him, sipping on his own cup.
"Anything yet?"
"No. The Doc is taking x-rays," he said, taking a sip of the strong coffee. "You don't have to wait, you know."
"Neither do you," Jimmy shrugged. "The guys know where we are and I have a radio. If they need us, they'll call."
The two men sat in silence for the next fifteen minutes, enjoying the coffee and the quiet. They looked up when the door to the back area opened up.
A young woman, about their age walked out and smiled at them. Amanda, or Mandy as she liked to be called, had known both men since high school, had in fact dated Cutler their junior year. They had all stayed good friends, including her husband, Max, who was a firefighter with the South Lake Tahoe Fire Department.
"Jake with be out in a few minutes. He's just taking a
look at the blood work."
Jake Manning was the best veterinarian that Matt had ever met. He'd been born and raised in Tahoe, leaving only long enough to get his degree and then he'd returned to take over his father's practice when Michael Manning retired two years ago. Michael had been the vet for all the Rangers' horses since Jesse Hawkes had founded the team. Now Jake handled that job.
Amanda consulted the papers she had in her hand. "The Shepherd was chipped. We tried to contact them, but the phone listed with his chip number is disconnected. We'll send out the required letter, see if we get any response. Legally, the owners will have two weeks to contact us. After that, we assume ownership and will put her up for adoption. She'll likely be here at least that long recovering anyway."
"Is the owner local?"
"No, we don't think so. The phone number is a San Francisco area code, but of course if it's a cellphone, they could live anywhere."
"Let me know?" Matt asked.
She smiled. "Of course. Should we assume she'll have a new home, Matt?"
Matt smiled. "Yeah, maybe."
"Matt!"
"Jake, how've you been?" Matt asked, shaking hands with tall, stocky man who walked through the door. Jake had been a linebacker on their high school football team and looked every bit the part. His dark hair and complexion spoke to his Indian heritage. He was, in fact, a member of the same tribe as Frank Avila's family.
"Good, good. Amanda says you found the Shepherd abandoned in a cabin."
"Yeah. We were making the rounds of the seasonal homes, heard her whimpering."
"Any idea how long she'd been there?"
"Not more than two weeks. I was by there the first of the month. Family was outside barbecuing. I didn't see the dog with them, so I'm not sure if she belongs to the family I saw, or if someone else left her there."
"We'll see if we get a reply to our standard letter. She's gonna be here for at least a week anyway. She's dehydrated and slightly malnourished, probably hasn't eaten in several days if not longer. I didn't see any sign of heartworm. She does have a bad case of fleas."
Matt grimaced. Just the idea made him itched.
"Don't worry, Matt," Cutler chimed up. "We'll make sure the Doc sends you home with some flea shampoo."
"We'll take care of that while she's here," Jake assured them.
"I wasn't talking about the dog," Jimmy muttered, receiving a slap on the arm from his long-time friend, both of them grinning.
Jake shook his head, used to the antics from the Rangers. Theirs was a tough job and they took their humor where they could find it. "I'll call you once I have a better idea of her condition. She ate a little of what we gave her, but I don't want to over-feed her and make her sick."
"Thanks, Jake. Let me know if you hear back from the owner. We may pursue animal neglect charges if they left her there on purpose."
"Will do. I'll get a statement typed up and ready just in case." He waved as he turned back to his office. "See you boys later."
Both Rangers said their good-byes and headed to the station. They were discussing the Shepherd as they walked inside.
"...gonna do if they don't find the owners?"
"I don't know," Matt replied as he hung up the keys. "Guess we'll have to wait and see."
Overhearing the conversation, Avila put in his two cents about the dog the others had only gotten a quick glimpse of as Matt and Jim rode up and transferred the animal from Matt's horse to his truck for the quick ride to the Animal Hospital.
"We could make her our mascot," Izzy suggested, half-jokingly.
"You won't get any argument from me. As long as you all are willing to help with feeding and taking care of her, she can be the station dog." Matt knew what would likely happen when they brought the dog back and figured having the canine around would be fine, as long as she didn't chew up the place.
The others all smiled. It was a great idea. A dog would make a great mascot for the High Mountain Rangers.
"I wonder if she has any training," Frank pondered.
"We can figure that out later. Right now, she needs rest and food. She's slightly malnourished."
"Where did you find her?" Frank asked the question they had wanted to ask before, but held back since Matt had been in a hurry to get the animal to the vet.
Matt settled onto the sofa, the others grabbing seats where they could to listen to the story. "You know that little cabin at the bottom of Horner Ridge, about five miles from my dad's place?" Frank nodded. "We were checking the seasonal homes out that way and when we approached that cabin, we hear some whimpering and scratching."
"Somebody abandoned her?!" Avila asked, outraged. He was an animal lover, having grown up with all kinds of animals on his grandfather's property.
"Appears that way," Matt said, rubbing his hands through his hair.
"What's going to happen to her?" Izzy asked.
Matt's looked turned angry. "First thing I want to do is see if we can figure out who left her there! Izzy, that cabin belonged to a family from Sacramento, last I knew. Name of ...Fellows...I think, or Bellows. Check and see what we have on them, then call the Vet, see if it matches the info they got from her chip." Izzy nodded and walked over to the desk, where he pulled out the large binder that held that information. "After that, we'll see. I can't have dogs at my place..." his voice trailed off. The others exchanged grins. They knew that their Commander was already attached to the injured animal and would likely find some way to adopt the dog.
Frank, taking the bull by the horns, stood up and walked to the desk. He spun the old Rolodex until he found the card he wanted. Slipping it of the track, he marched over to his friend.
"Call him. He'll start looking for you."
Confused, Matt looked at the card. "Your cousin?"
Frank nodded. "My cousin...the real estate agent," he emphasized. "You need a house, with a yard and a fence."
"Frank..."
"Matt, you spend more nights here than you do at your apartment because of noisy neighbors. You know that you've been talking about using your portion of the money from the sale of Jackie's house to buy a place of your own. Why not start looking, give that dog a proper home."
When he seemed a bit undecided, Hart spoke up. "Couldn't hurt to call, Matt."
"Yeah, Matt," Izzy added, as he flipped through the binder. "Get a big house, with a huge backyard, somewhere we can have barbecues! We could party every weekend!"
"Izzy, are you trying to convince him not to do this?" Robin asked, laughing.
"Well, Matt," Frank pressed, nudging with a foot and gesturing toward the card Matt still held in his hand.
"I don't even know if the dog is gonna be okay, Frank."
"Doesn't matter. You still wanted to get a place of your own, didn't you?"
"Yeah," he admitted.
"No time like the present. Call Mike, have him get started looking at what's available. Then go talk to your Dad. See what he thinks."
"It would give your Dad and Cody someplace to stay when they come to town," Hart suggested.
"Yeah, Matt," Frank added. "They might stay longer if they didn't have to put up with the chaos of this place every time they come to town."
A thoughtful look came over Matt's face as he considered that. Before his Mom died, whenever his Dad and Cody ventured down to Tahoe, they stayed at her place. Matt's apartment was too small to fit all three comfortably. And Frank was right, it sometimes got very crazy at the Ranger Station. He looked down at the card again, then raised his eyes to meet Frank's.
Then he stood up and walked to the desk, determination warring with indecision. Behind him, Hart and Avila shared a quiet high-five. After a short conversation, he hung up, a smile on his face.
/
Two weeks later, Matt entered the Vet's office, Cutler right behind him. The Shepherd was slowly on the mend and Matt was taking her back to the Ranger Station to convalesce. It wasn't the ideal situation, but they planned to set up a quiet spot for her in Matt's office.
Avila's cousin, Mike Nighthawk, was looking for a house with some property for Matt, but hadn't found anything yet that Matt wanted to call home.
Matt was shown to Jake's office, waiting only a minute before the vet joined him.
"Morning, Matt," he said as the two men shook hands
"Jake. How's she doing?"
"Better than I would have thought. She's already put on four pounds and she's starting to move around a bit more. I'll want to see her on Friday for a follow-up and we'll see how she's doing, maybe get her started on hard food."
"Alright."
"We've been calling her Lady, but of course you can call her whatever you like."
"Lady is good for now. We can change it later if I find something that suits her better."
"Like that horse of yours?" Jake asked. "I still think you should have just named that animal Stubborn."
Matt glared, but Jake could see the slight twinkle in his eye. "Now don't you be maligning Shadow."
"Shadow," Jake replied with a shake of his head. "You do realize your horse is white, don't you?"
"He's a contrary animal," Matt offered in explanation.
"He's stubborn!"
"Not with me," Matt replied, smugly.
Jake laughed. "You got me there. So, you wanna go see the lady?" He stood up and led Matt back to the kennels, opening up one of the large cages. The Shepherd sat up and greeted the big blond. Matt reached in and scratched behind her ear, allowing her to remember his scent. Matt had made a point of stopping by every other day or so to see how she was doing, to the amusement of both Jake and Mandy.
"You ready to get out of here, girl?" he asked softly, allowing Lady to lick his hand.
"Why don't you go see Amanda, get all the paperwork settled. I'll get her medications sorted out and get her ready to travel," Jake suggested.
Matt nodded. "I'll be right back, girl," he promised.
After settling up the bill and getting all the discharge paperwork and medications, Matt and Jake got Lady settled in the back of the Blazer. Matt looked around, searching for Cutler. When he didn't see him outside, he walked back into the office.
"Amanda, you seen Jimmy?"
She just grinned and crooked her finger. He followed her down the hall. She pushed open the doors to the kennels and headed toward the back of the room. Matt shook his head at finding his friend and fellow Ranger on the floor, a ball of white and gray fur crawling all over him, not hindered in the least by the large bandage on his rear leg. It was a beautiful Husky puppy, about three months old.
"I just can't take him anywhere. He's always finding strays," Matt remarked.
"Yeah, like you have room to talk, Matthew," Jimmy said. "I seemed to recall a German Shepherd that's going home with you."
"He's got you there, Matt," Amanda chuckled.
Matt had no response to that. "So, we gonna have another furball at the station, Jimmy?"
Cutler grinned. "Isn't he cute?"
"I think you're gonna have another adoption on your hands soon, Amanda," Matt told her. "I think Jimmy is smitten."
She just laughed. "That little one won't be ready to go for another few days. He's the last of a litter that one of our foster dogs had a few months ago. The others have already been adopted, but Jake doesn't want to release this one until his leg is healed."
"You don't have someone adopting this one, do you?" Jimmy asked, his face already showing his disappointment.
"No, not yet."
"I want him." Amanda was reminded of a little kid seeing the grin splash across Cutler's face.
"Where are you gonna keep him, Jim? You live in an apartment," Matt reminded him.
"Yeah, but my apartment takes pets," he gloated, knowing that Matt's place did not.
Matt nodded. "And there's probably a weight limit."
"Yeah, twenty-five pounds. He can't weigh more than ten."
"For now! What about once he's fully grown?"
"It'll give me time to find a new place, somewhere where he can run around," Cutler said with a shrug.
Matt shook his head at his friend's reasoning. "Let's go, we have work to do. See you, Amanda."
"Bye, Matt," she said, accepting the puppy back from Cutler. "Should I get the paperwork started on this one for you, Jimmy?"
"Yeah, let me know when I can pick him up. I'll get all the paperwork done with my landlord in the meantime." He reached down to scratch behind the dog's ear. "See you, little one."
He trotted off behind his Commander, waving at the Vet tech and the dog as he left.
Once back at the station, Cutler helped Matt get the Shepherd settled into his office. The two men watched for a short time from the doorway, before Matt pulled the door closed behind him, leaving it slightly ajar to allow the dog to leave the room if needed.
"So, when are your Dad and Cody coming down?" Jimmy asked. Although the original plan had been for Cody to ride down on his own to spend time with his brother, the discovery of the injured dog and Matt's decision to purchase a house, had Jesse joining his youngest son at Matt's request. He'd asked for Jesse's assistance in deciding on his first major purchase.
Matt looked at his watch. "They should be here anytime," he said, as he heard the noises of the arrival of horses outside. Glancing out the window, he smiled. "Speak of the devil."
"Which one, Cody or your dad?" Cutler asked, chuckling.
"Neither, both?" Matt replied with a smile.
Jesse and Cody pushed through the doorway, Cody's dog, Dingy, following in their wake.
"Matt!" Cody called out and rushed over to greet his brother, relishing the big-brother hug he always got from him. Dingy barked in excitement, which drew the Shepherd from the office. When Dingy saw the other dog, he approached, tail wagging, always happy to make new friends. The Shepherd moved closer to Matt, who reached down a hand to pet her.
"It's okay, girl. This is Dingy. He's a part of the family." After a minute of the dogs checking each other out, the Shepherd barked once, then turned back to Matt's office, returning to her bed.
Dingy followed her, as did Matt, Jimmy, Cody and Jesse.
"So, how's she doing?" Jesse asked Matt, as Cody sat down beside both dogs. Dingy was sniffing at the Shepherd again and the Shepherd was allowing it without growling. Matt had explained everything that had happened when he'd asked his father and brother to come to Tahoe and give him a hand.
"She's walking, with some difficulty, and she tires easily. Jake gave me some medications for pain and antibiotics and put her on a strict food schedule, which is one of the reasons she's here, so whoever is working the radio can keep her on schedule."
"That and the fact that you can't have her in your apartment," Jesse teased.
Matt smiled in return. "Yeah, that too."
"When are we supposed to meet Mike?"
"At two this afternoon."
"Can you get away in the meantime? I think I might have found a good solution for your problem."
Matt glanced at his watch. It was just past ten o'clock. "Yeah, we've got time. What's up?"
"Remember Fred Saunders?"
"Yeah. Nice guy. He owns about thirty acres that abut the back of the station property. We check in on him once in a while when we pass through his land."
"He's moving off the mountain," Jesse told him.
"You're kidding me! Old man Saunders is leaving his mountain? I never thought I'd see the day. Next you'll tell me Aaron Bass decided to move to a big city!"
"Now, that will never happen," Jesse said with a smile. "Seems that Fred's daughter is having her first child, twins actually, and she wants her dad to be nearby so the kids can get to know him. She and her husband renovated their home in Monterey, added a whole wing just for Fred. Plus, he's having such a hard time with the arthritis, he can't even use his second floor anymore, and had been thinking about moving into one of the single-story cabins on his property."
"I hope he finds a buyer that's not gonna build something commercial back there. We cut through his property on a regular basis as a shortcut to some of the passes further west."
"Cody and I stopped by to see him this morning. When we told him why we were heading into town, that's when he mentioned he was moving. He has a proposition for you."
Matt was silent for several seconds, then thoughtfully nodded his head. "You think he might be willing to sell me that small cabin on the ridge and an acre or so of land around it?"
Jesse smiled. He knew that Matt would be pleasantly surprised by the proposition that Fred Saunders wanted to speak to him about. "You never know. Go saddle your horse, boy. Let's go talk to Fred."
Matt relented and headed outside, while Jesse spoke to Cody, letting him know where he was going. Cody decided to stay at the station and play with the dogs. He knew what Saunders had in mind and hoped his brother would take him up on the deal.
/
Thirty minutes later, Matt and Jesse were dismounting in front of a mid-size, two story log house that sat in a small clearing surrounded by tall pines, fir trees and a smattering of manzanita, with three large, craggy boulders sprouting from the ground to the left of the house. A small creek ran behind the house, and Saunders had built a small footbridge that he used to cross over the creek in order to get to the two small cabins that sat on the other side of the small woods behind the house, one in a small clearing, one perched on a small cliff overlooking the creek.
The cabins couldn't be seen from the main house, and were separated from each other, which gave privacy to any guests that used the cabins. Saunders rented out the cabins sporadically, mostly only to people recommended by friends or family. It was a beautiful piece of property, with a fantastic view of Lake Tahoe. And Saunders had selectively cleared several trees so that the lake could be seen from each building.
As father and son walked toward the house, Fred Saunders emerged, cup of coffee in hand. He was a tall, stocky man, with a full head of gray hair. And though he was past sixty, he still looked like he could take on men half his age... and win with ease. The only sign of his age, aside from the gray hair, was a barely-there limp. He dressed simply, in a blue and black flannel shirt, over a white t-shirt and blue jeans, a pair of worn cowboy boots on his feet. As a child, Matt often pictured him with a pair of six-shooters on his hip and a tin star pinned to his shirt.
In fact, the man was a retired Deputy Sheriff and had, at one time, been recruited by Jesse to become a part of the High Mountain Rangers, but always refused, saying he was content with the life he was living. His wife had died about four years earlier, the victim of a vehicle accident coming home from visiting her sister in Placerville. Matt and Cutler had been the ones to climb down the embankment to retrieve her body.
"Jesse, Matt," he greeted them simply.
"Hello, Mr. Saunders," Matt replied as he tied is horse to the old style hitching post in front of the house. The men shook hands and Fred led the way back into his house, setting two extra cups and the coffee pot down on the table, gesturing for his guests to help themselves, while he grabbed the sugar and cream.
Once everyone had a full cup, he turned to Matt, never one for small talk.
"So, Matt, your dad tells me you're in the market to buy your first house."
"Yes, sir."
"Did he tell you that I'm gonna be moving from the area?"
"He did and I've gotta tell you, that surprised me. I never thought they'd pry you off this mountain," he said with a smile, one that was returned in full force by Saunders.
"I never thought it would happen either," he agreed. "But, these hills are getting a bit much on these old bones, can't even make it up the stairs to the second floor anymore without pain, much less keep going back and forth to the cabins. And my daughter and son-in-law have been begging me to move in with them."
"Dad says they added a wing to their house just for you."
Saunders' smile got bigger. "Can you beat that? We had discussed me getting a small apartment nearby, somewhere I could stay when I come to visit and during the winter months when the snow got too deep up here. But when Adam told me what he and Sarah had done, well I gotta tell you, I was floored. Don't get me wrong, I love my daughter, and that man she married is definitely a keeper, but I never thought they'd go that far to make me feel so welcome."
"It's a special thing, for sure," Jesse opined.
"Yeah. She did good with that one, my little girl did. And now, she tells me she's pregnant, gonna have twins. I'm gonna be a grandpa!"
"Congratulations," Matt told him.
"Thank you. That's where you come in, Matt."
"Dad says you plan to sell. I was hoping I could make a deal with you for one of those cabins," Matt suggested.
"I do have a proposition for you. You know that I'm retired, with a fairly good pension from the Sheriff's Department. Plus I still have most of the inheritance I received when my folks died several years ago. And my Doris' life insurance has never even been touched. This property and everything on it have been paid off for years, so I have no mortgage. I'm not hurtin' for money, Matt. I'm not looking to make a big profit or sell to the highest bidder. I want someone on this land that will treat it like I have all these years."
"You think you'll be able to find someone that won't turn it into a hotel or condos?" Matt asked.
"Actually, I think I already have."
Matt's hopes dashed, he forced a smile onto his face. "Well, I hope we can meet them, see if they will continue to allow us access across the property."
"Oh, I don't think will be a problem. Matt, I want you to buy this property."
"Me?! Mr. Saunders, I can't afford this place. This is prime Tahoe real estate..."
"And like I said, I'm not interested in making a huge profit. I want someone on this land who will respect it and treat it right."
"Still, it's worth way more than I can afford. Maybe, one of the cabins, but..."
"Son, it's worth what I want to get for it. Now, let see what we can work out."
/
Matt was incredulous, his reaction obvious by his jaw dropping nearly to the floor. Jesse leaned over and gently pressed a finger against his chin to close his mouth, a smirk taking up residence on the older Hawkes' face.
"That...that's...I mean...you..."
"My son generally is more articulate than this, Fred."
"Dad! That's a huge piece of land to just give away," he said, defensively.
Saunders chuckled. "Matt, I know that you and your Rangers will treat this land the way it deserves to be treated. If I deed that small portion of my property to the Rangers, it will allow you to expand later. Your Dad was saying that you have been wanting to get some more property and make some improvements to the buildings you already have, but couldn't afford to do both. This way, you won't have to buy the property and can use the money you have to complete the improvements that you want to do."
Matt smiled and shook his head. "Mr. Saunders, that has got to be the most generous donation that has ever been given to the Rangers. I would tell you that we can't accept it, but my father didn't raise any fools, and has always told Cody and me to never look a gift horse in the mouth. So, on the behalf of my Rangers, I accept that offer." He put out his hand and the two men shook on the deal.
"Wonderful. I know that you and your Rangers will do good things with that parcel of land, Matt. I've always felt comfortable having you all as neighbors. You and your crew have always treated this mountain with the respect that it deserves."
"My old man taught me that too, sir," Matt replied, giving a look of gratitude his father's way. Jesse returned the compliment with a wink and took a sip of his coffee, knowing there was more to come.
"Now, about the rest of the land. This old house is well built and solid. I've done the yearly maintenance religiously, as you well know, since you and your Rangers have helped me in the past."
Jesse raised an eyebrow. This was news to him.
"Don't be so surprised, Jess. You did raise this boy right. He and his Rangers stop by here at least once a month, usually more often, to make sure I'm okay. That Izzy fella has stopped by with groceries, and that pretty gal, Robin, has come by to check on my health. Not that I need it, but I always let her check my blood pressure and such. Never could say no to a pretty woman."
The two Hawkes men laughed at that statement. Matt had made a habit of stopping in to check on Saunders any time he passed by, alone or with one or more of his Rangers, as they often used his property, with his complete knowledge and permission, as a short-cut to and from Cutter's Pass. Cutler had been the one to inform Saunders when he'd noticed some damage to the roof of one of the cabins and the next day he, Izzy and Frank had driven up with the supplies and the tools to do the repairs. The four men had completed the work in less than two hours, after which Saunders made the three Rangers lunch before they left.
"Anyway, Matt, like your Dad told you, I am moving to Monterey. I want to be there when my grandkids are born and be around to watch them grow up, and be a part of their lives. I also want to spend more time with my daughter and her husband. I can't do that from here, since it's so difficult for them to visit. This place isn't exactly handicapped accessible for Adam."
At Matt's look of confusion, Fred continued. "Sorry, I thought you knew. He's in a wheelchair. He was injured in a training accident while he was in the National Guard, oh, nine months ago now. Injured his back. He's not paralyzed, but it's difficult for him to get around without the chair. So they don't come up here anymore. I've been talking to some folks about putting a road in and putting in some ramps and such, but now that I'll be moving, it won't be necessary."
Matt and Jesse could both see that it hurt Fred to think of leaving this place for good, but that he knew it was the best decision for him. Fred got temporarily lost in his memories, then shook his head and glanced at his guests.
"My father bought this land when he married my ma. I had hoped to one day leave it for Sarah, but that just isn't possible now, with Adam unable to come here with her. So, I've been procrastinating on calling a realtor, because I can't sell this place to just anybody who has the money to buy it. Matt, I know if I wanted to just sell the land, I could get a pretty penny for it. But I don't need the money. Neither does Sarah. Her mom was from a wealthy family and when she died, she left a large inheritance to our daughter."
He glanced around at the log house they sat in. "I grew up in one of the small cabins on the other side of the creek, built this house when Elizabeth agreed to marry me. Sarah grew up in this house. I want to be sure that whoever lives here after me appreciates the history of the house and takes care of it. Now, your dad told me that you've been looking for a house and about how much you have to spend. And I'm prepared to sell you this house, the two cabins and all the property, except for the acres I'm donating to the Rangers, for the exact amount you have, minus the ten percent for your agent and closing costs."
Matt looked between his father and Fred Saunders, stunned at the offer. He stood up and walked over to the large picture window that overlooked the lake. He could see the roof of the Ranger station peeking between the trees further downslope from the log house. Saunders offer was more than generous, way more...it was a steal.
"What about Sarah? And your grandchildren?" Matt asked quietly. "This is their birthright."
Saunders smiled at Jesse, pleased that Matt thought of that and not just of the opportunity this gave him. It proved to Fred that he was making the right decision.
"I spoke with Sarah this morning after your father left. She thinks this is a wonderful opportunity for you and she is thrilled with the idea that I'll be moving off the mountain and into town with her and her family. She's happy it's going to someone who was born and raised here. She...well, since her mother died, she's been reluctant to come back up here. I think she blames the mountain for taking her mom from her."
Jesse nodded. He knew that Sarah had only been back to visit her father a handful of times since her mom's death and had wondered if the accident was the reason for that. He thought it was a bit unreasonable, but grief does strange things to people, sometimes.
"I do have one condition, Matt." The blond turned around to face this man who seemed to be handing him his own piece of paradise. "I would like to reserve the right to come back anytime and spend some time in my old home, the smaller of the two cabins, the one I grew up in. As much as I look forward to living with and spending time with my only daughter and her family, I don't think that I could give up this mountain completely. And you could make a good amount renting out those cabins to tourists. Or take in a tenant to live in the larger of the cabins and leave the other one for tourists and for me when I visit."
That thought sparked the beginning of an idea for Matt. He came back over to sit down and looked at his father. "What do you think, Dad?"
"I wouldn't have even brought you here if I didn't think this was an opportunity you can't pass up, Matt. You always told me that you wanted to eventually have a house of your own on the mountain, but wanted to be a bit closer to town then the cabin you grew up in. This is the best of both worlds. You'll have a great deal of privacy here, but still be close to the Ranger Station and to town."
Matt sat for several minutes in silence, as the two older men sat back, sipping their coffee and talking about Fred's upcoming move to Monterey. They both went silent as they noticed a huge grin slowly take form on Matt's face.
"Well?" Fred asked.
"Dad's right. This is an opportunity that I can't pass up." He put out his hand determinedly.
"Excellent!" Saunders replied, gripping the offered hand and sealing the deal. "You get hold of that real estate agent of yours and we can all meet to iron out the details. He can handle all the legal stuff on both the sale and the donation of the twenty acres. I understand he's the cousin of one of your Rangers."
"Yes, sir. Frank Avila's cousin, Mike Nighthawk."
"I've met his family. I'll be glad to give him my business."
"I'll call him once we get back to the station. We were supposed to meet at two to look at some houses today anyway."
"Well, just bring him up here instead and we'll get all the legal stuff out of the way, then I can start making plans to get started on my packing."
"On one condition," Matt said. At Fred's questioning look, he continued. "You let me help with packing and getting you moved. Anything you want to keep here on the mountain, we can get moved to the small cabin and placed wherever you want it. Anything you want to keep up here, but don't want to take the chance of getting damaged by flatlanders, you can keep in this house. I will take special care of it."
"That means a lot to me, Matt. Anything especially important, I'll be taking with me, of course. But there is one thing you need to be aware of. My Elizabeth is buried up here, on the property. I'll show you her gravesite before I leave, just so you know where it is. I'd appreciate it, if you'd keep it neat and tidy for me."
"Of course. I'll treat her as if she were my own mother."
Jesse's fought to keep the tears from falling. He knew that Matt still felt deeply the death of his mother nearly two years ago. The fact that she was buried in Arizona and he wasn't able to visit her grave was hard on his son. Being able to help keep Elizabeth Saunders' grave tended to would be a blessing.
Jesse and Matt took their leave thirty minutes later. Matt was silent for several minutes into the ride, before finally pulling back on the reins and bringing his mount to a halt. Jesse stopped beside him as Matt looked back over his shoulder.
"Do you think this is what he really wants, Dad?"
"I think it is, Matt. It will be hard for him to leave this mountain, as it would be for me in his place. But the love he has for his daughter, and for his soon-to-be-born grandkids, is enough motivation for him to leave. And I think the knowledge that he can come back anytime will help a lot."
"I just don't want him to regret this."
"Son, I've known Fred Saunders for a lot of years. I think the only reason he hasn't left already is because he didn't want to sell his land to someone who would tear everything down and put up condos or something. When I told him this morning that I was meeting up with you in order to help you decide on a house to buy, you should have seen his face. It was like he'd found the answer to a prayer. And he'd already decided before all this to donate that twenty acres to the Rangers. He'd mentioned something to me about it the last time I came through."
Matt let out a relieved sigh. It was just what he needed to hear. This looked like it would be the best thing for both of them. And the Rangers would benefit as well. Matt was getting excited about the fantastic opportunity that had just landed in his lap. He couldn't wait to get all the paperwork completed.
/
Later that afternoon, Matt had returned to town with his father, made a couple of calls, then went back out again. He was being extremely secretive and the others were making ever increasingly outrageous suggestions about what was going on.
They didn't think it was anything serious, however, since when Matt returned the second time, he had been nearly giddy. Cutler remarked that he'd probably met a new girl, to everyone's amusement.
Matt was now tucked in his office, with the door closed, working on some paperwork. He had taken the Shepherd outside for a bit when he'd returned from his mysterious errands and now the dog slept peacefully on the blankets behind his desk. Jesse and Cody had gone in to town to visit with friends and buy some supplies, leaving Dingy behind to keep the other dog company. They planned to return later for dinner with Matt and would stay the night at Matt's cramped apartment, since Matt planned to spend the night at the station to care for the dog.
They could already tell that the dog would be as protective of Matt as their Commander was of the dog. Each time someone walked into the office, they felt the dark eyes of the Shepherd on them. And she had only allowed Matt, Jim, Cody and Jesse near enough to pet her.
She still shied away from Izzy, Hart and Robin, but Frank had been allowed close enough that afternoon to feed her. Of course, Cody had been nearby, so that might have been the reason. The reaction to Robin had been interesting. Although the dog just glared at the others, she actually growled at Robin.
They all wondered when Matt would get around to naming the dog. They couldn't just keep calling it dog. Matt had mentioned that the Vet had called her Lady, but that he was waiting for her personality to show itself before he named her.
Matt emerged a few minutes later, with a manila envelope stuffed with papers. "Frank, you pass by Mike's house on your way home, don't you?"
"Yeah, I do," Avila said, looking up from the magazine he was reading.
"Could you drop this off for me? He needs it before morning."
"Sure, Matt," Frank replied, taking the envelope. "Does this mean you found a house?"
Matt grinned largely. "Oh, yeah, I found a house and then some!" he said, slapping Frank on the arm and returning to his office, telling everyone to head on home for the day.
Okay, Frank was intrigued now. He looked at the envelope. Damn. Sealed. Well, just have to push Mike for details then, he thought, grabbing his coat and heading to his truck. Whatever it was, Matt seemed very happy with it. It was good to see the man in that good a mood. He was usually so serious.
Frank realized that he really didn't care what was in the envelope. If it made his Commander this happy, he would wait until Matt decided to reveal the secret himself. Until then, he'd just relish the smiles the blond was wearing almost continuously. It looked like things were finally working out for his friend and Frank was happy for him. He deserved all the good that came his way.
/