When Jude woke up, she waited for her maid, and good friend Kat, to come in and help her dress.

She hated dresses, but her father, the owner of the biggest ranch of the country side, told her it was her job as his daughter, and as a women, to be prosentable at all times, so she wore them.

Today though, she didn't mind, she was going to wear her favorite of them all, her riding habit.

The skirt was navy blue, as was the jacket. The vest was a light cream color, that matched the gloves and boots wonderfully.

Now although she loved her horse, Dasiey, she was not the reason why Jude loved to ride.

Kat came in with her breakfast, and helped her dress, then left her with a smile, knowing Judes plans for the day.

As Jude walked to the stable, she couldn't hide the smile on her face. But as she walked through the door, she did hide the squeal of happiness that wanted to escape, when two hands reached out of the empty stall, and pulled her in.

She smiled as she turned, and looked into his laughing blue eyes, as she leaned in to kiss his everwaiting lips.

When he pulled back, he smiled "I have to tell you something."

Jude looked into his eyes once more, and smiled "What is it?"

"I love you." He said, looking more serious then she had ever seen him look before.

Her smile widened, that was not the first time he had said that to her, but she loved to hear it "And I love you."

He smiled then, and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her feet off the ground as he spun them both around.

When her feet touched the ground, she took a step back "Are you ready now?"

He nodded, and grabbed her hand, and they walked to the stall with her horse.

----

After their ride they brought the horses back to the stable.

They were once again, alone in the empty stall, when he said something to her, she had been longing to hear.

She was leaning against the wall, he was standing in front of her, he had just brushed a loose piece of hair from her face, then he looked into her eyes "I want to marry you."

She smiled "Alright." Then she stood up from the wall, as he leaned down, and captured her lips in a kiss.

As he brought his hand up to rest on her cheek, she was taken back to the night they frist met.

--

Her father had thrown a party, the winter was over, and the herd had survived, only two had not made it, and he was in good spirits, so the hired hands were to come also.

Jude was standing by the wall, talking to her sister with a glass of punch in her hand, when she looked up to see the most beautiful man she had ever seen, walking torwards her.

He came to a stop in front of her, and smiled "Hello." He said, in a velvety smooth voice.

She smiled slightly and gave him a small nod "Hello."

he reached out his hand, and she lightly placed hers in it, her smiled widened slightly, as he brought her hand to his lips, and gently kiss the backs of her fingers.

Jude had never seen this man before, and knew her father must have hired him for the winter.

he released her hand, and smiled "Would you care to dance?"

She nodded, and followed him to the dance floor.

After dancing twice together, they had to go their separete ways, more then two dances would have been improper.

Just as Jude was turning to walk away, he stopped her, by placing a hand on her arm. She turned and looked at him "What is your name?" He asked, looking into her eyes.

She smiled "Jude, Jude Harrison, my father owns the ranch. What is your name?"

He looked at her for a moment, then replied with a half smile "Tom Quincy."

Jude gave a small courtesy "It was lovely to meet you Mr. Quincy."

He smiled, and nodded "Call me Tom, and it was a pleasure to meet you as well, Jude."

Her brows raised at the familiar use of her given name, he only chuckled, before turning and walking away.

--

She was brought back, when the kiss ended. She took a step back, and looked up at him, worried "How?" She asked, in a small voice.

He looked serious as he thought for a moment "We must tell no one for now, we'll figure something out, I promise you, we will be together, I love you."

She nodded, but never had a chance to respond, for at that moment, the stable door opened and her father stormed in.

Some one had told him they saw her in there with one of the hands.

He found them together in the empty stall, and pulled her along with him, as he shouted back at Tom "I want you out, off of my ranch, you are never to see my daughter again."

Jude struggled against him, but it was of no use, he was much to strong for her.

All she could do, was look back at Tom "Please" She cried "Don't go, don't leave me."

Her last glimpse of him, she saw him standing there, looking just as lost as she felt.

--

That night, Jude was sitting on the stairs in the main hall, crying as her father spoke with her mother, telling her what had happened.

Her sister Sadie, sat down beside her, and wrapped her arms around her, letting Jude cry on her shoulder.

"Please" Jude cried over and over "Don't go, don't leave me here all alone, please don't go."

After a few minutes, Jude sat up, and looked at Sadie "He left."

Sadie looked at her sister, she lifted a hand, and wipped the tears from her face "I'm so sorry, why didn't you tell me about him before, I would have helped you?"

Jude shrugged her shoulders, in a very unlady like manner "We hadn't wanted to take the chance, of someone else finding out, I guess we have nothing to worry about now."

Sadie wrapped her arm around her once again, and they sat there, gently rocking side to side, until the parlor door opened, and their mother stood in the doorway.

She saw her girls sitting there, and looked at Jude "Your father and I would like to speak with you, right now."

Jude nodded, and slowly stood up, then she followed her mother back into the parlor, where she recived the worst new she had ever been give.

She was to marry James Andrews, who was a fine man, but not the man she loved, and that by itself, made him not good enough for her.

------

Beepbeepbeepbeepbeep.......

Jude reached a hand over, and hit the button on her alarm clock, shutting it off.

She sat up rubbing her eyes, then she looked around the room, she was in her room, in her apartmen, the same one she had lived in since she left home almost a year ago, after her parents got divorced.

She sat there for a moment, before shaking her head "Wow" She said to herself "That was a weird dream."

Then she got out of bed, and made her way into the bathroom, to get ready for her first real day at the studio, wondering to herself, why she would have dreamed about a man she had only seen for the first time, the day before?