CHAPTER TWO – LONG RIDE HOME

He pulled the team under the covered area outside the barn and was grateful to be out of the rain.

"Johnny," the foreman saw the wagon coming in and came out of the first bunkhouse to help, "we expected you hours ago."

"Sorry, Ralph."

He jumped down and walked forward to pat the team. They had brought him safely home through a nasty spring storm and never gave him any trouble. Johnny was truly grateful to the two enormous workhorses.

"Say," Ralph was in the wagon bed checking under the heavily tied down tarp, "I thought you were dropping this stuff off over at the Olsen place?"

"I was there, but they won't be needing these supplies. Tomorrow, we'll have to send a few men over to bring their livestock here. It's too far to send someone to care for them everyday. We'll simply hold on to their animals until the sheriff can sort out their property matters."

Ralph nodded his understanding, the Olsens weren't the first neighbors the Lancer Ranch lost to this fever and probably wouldn't be the last. He kept working to get the wet tarp off the supplies while Johnny unhitched the team and wearily walked them into their well-deserved stalls in the barn. When he got back outside, Ralph and two other men were finishing with the tarp and securing the wagon.

"Any trouble while I was gone?"

"Rain brought the crew back early, but the men could use the rest."

"True."

"You're looking a bit dragged out yourself, Johnny."

"How can you tell, Ralph?"

"What do you mean?"

"I feel like a drowned rat; so, how else could I be looking?"

The men helping with the wagon laughed with Johnny and his foreman. They finished and got ready to head back to their assigned bunkhouses while Johnny readied himself to make a dash across the yard to the kitchen door.

"I'll send Ernesto right over, Ralph. I sure appreciated knowing he was handling things at the house while I was gone."

"Ernesto came back more than an hour ago. He said Murdoch relieved him."

"Thanks."

Johnny jogged away as Ralph and the men headed back to the bunkhouses. Once inside the kitchen door, he was relieved to see the room empty. He had feared Murdoch would have tried to wait up for him instead of getting the rest he needed. It took more energy than Johnny expected to get his drenched boots and socks off. Then, as he began to peel the layers of his absolutely soaked clothing off, Johnny couldn't get over the great shape Ernesto had the kitchen in. He even had most of the things Johnny would need to make breakfast out, along with three preset serving trays. He hated to admit it, but he was tired and thankful not to have these chores to do before heading in to check on his family.

Once his boots and clothing were propped on chairs to dry, Johnny wrapped an afghan from the laundry pile around himself and headed out of the kitchen. As he entered the great room, he came to a dead stop seeing a wonderfully inviting fire glowing in the fireplace. Murdoch was dozing in his preferred armchair and his coloring was much improved since their conversation that morning. Johnny closed his eyes and sent a prayer of gratitude toward the sky. It appeared Teresa, now Murdoch, were truly getting better and, with luck, Scott would feel better soon, too. The Lancer family had been blessed, truly blessed.

He left Murdoch napping by the fire and headed to get dressed in his bedroom. After a quick check on Teresa and Scott, who were both resting comfortably and glad to see him in from the weather outside, Johnny returned to check on Murdoch. Finding the room wonderfully warm and inviting, he took a seat on the coffee table and let the fire's warmth soak into his bones.

"Glad to see you made it home safe."

Murdoch's words came out of the blue and Johnny's reflexes took over. He was up and had spun to face his father before he'd finished his sentence. Luckily, they had come to an agreement about Johnny wearing his gun in the house or Murdoch might have fallen victim to another of is youngest son's reflex reactions to being surprised.

"I'm sorry, Johnny," Murdoch smiled and held up his hand in mock surrender, "I didn't mean to startle you."

"And I could have used not being startled!"

Johnny turned and sat sideways on the coffee table. When his heart slowed a bit, he offered his father a smile and chuckled at how surprised he had just been.

"It's late. Did you run into trouble at Iris and Ron's place?"

"No, Murdoch," he turned so his father couldn't see his face, "no trouble. Just the weather, the rain made me late."

Murdoch noted the change in his son's body language, but knew not to push too hard.

"Ernesto has everything caught up here. Why don't you try to get some rest, John? You've got to be tired."

"I am but, right now, I'm grateful to this fire for warming me up. We can call it a night in a bit."

"Alright."

Murdoch watched as his son further relaxed and did seem to take great comfort in the heat coming his way from the fireplace. He didn't need to say anything; Johnny's slumped shoulders and exhausted demeanor spoke volumes to his worried father.

"Iris and Ron were some of the first folks in the Valley that Scott's mother and I got to know. Being a few years older than us, they offered we poor newlyweds an example of people making it through the stresses placed on a relationship by this untamed country. They were never blessed with any children, but that didn't stop them from being genuinely excited when we found out Scott was on his way."

The two men sat quietly watching the fire until exhaustion got the better of them both. They secured the fireplace for the night and headed toward their bedrooms. Walking by Murdoch's bedroom door first, Johnny was pleasantly surprised when he was pulled into a strong hug.

"Thank you, Johnny. The Olsens were dear friends. I wish … " Murdoch took a step back and found his son's eyes, quietly sharing, "If it had to be, I'm glad you found them. I know you treated their remains with great respect."

"For now, I had to leave them buried in shallow graves in a semi-dry protected spot I found next to the barn. We'll move them when there's time for a proper burial and Ralph will see to their stock tomorrow. Until then, their animals are cared for and safe for tonight."

Murdoch nodded his appreciation and then watched as his son wearily walked down the hall and into his bedroom door. They were both instantly asleep, but when Murdoch woke up, it was obvious Johnny hadn't stayed in bed long. The ranch was up and working, a breakfast tray was waiting on the table by his armchair and he could hear Johnny laughing with a stronger sounding Scott in the room next door.