Note: The only character in this story that I do not own is The Undertaker.

Chapter Three

Moving herself among the people that had come off the train and the locals that called Black Oak Falls their home, Annalise couldn't help but be in awe of her new surroundings as she moved herself at a steady pace. Her hands kept a firm yet gentle grip on her suitcase's handle while she had her attention focused on sights and sounds around herself that were new to her ears.

This is amazing. I never thought I would be in a western town to make a fresh start, especially one as as active and thriving as this place.

There was an assumption she had beforehand in regards to what she had come to mind when she was told that her position was to be in a western town that was only a few years old from the day it had been established. A vision of a city with little to offer and not many people calling it their home came to her mind.

However, the discovery of the type of place that was to be her home being a populated and highly active atmosphere shook those images from her.

Annalise moved herself at a decent pace that would allow her to soak in several of the buildings that was near her, and keep her from being pushed around by the locals of the city that might be in a rush to get around her. She moved herself a little more before the sight of a building on the other side of the street caught her attention.

Standing several stories tall and having enough space for a good portion of the residents, a well-built hotel stood facing where she was nestled on the other side of the street. It had the appearance of a high class establishment, and gave off the feeling that the owner took very good care of it.

Annalise wasn't sure at first if the building before her was in fact the place she was to stay since it seemed out of her league. She didn't come from a family that was wealthy, and her aunt Martha was the same when she had left with Jasmine. It didn't seem to her that it was to be her home.

It took seeing her cousin, now a young woman such as herself, stepping out onto the porch of it in a light pink gown and waving her to come over with a big smile on her face for her to realize that the place before her was to be the place she was to call home and this was where her aunt and cousin worked.

Feeling a little more at ease, she flashed a friendly smile towards her childhood friend and relative, and started to make her way across the dusty road that was the main street. Her hands maintained its grip on the bag she had brough with her on her trip there to keep from dropping it during her trek over to the building.

I can't wait to hug and talk with Jasmine once more. It has been so long since we-

"Look out!"

The sound of a man screaming out to her caused her to stop moving any further, and direct all of her attention to the source of the sound. She found herself gazing upon a coach heading right in her direction with a team of black stallions pulling it.

"Annalise, move!"

She tried to move herself out of the line of danger but her body was completely frozen out of fear. The iron grip it had on her prevented her to move at all, making her an easy target for the raging animals. Deep down inside, she had the feeling that her life was going to end at that exact moment.

It was when it seemed all was lost that she felt a strong arm circle her around her waist, and rush her out of the line of danger before the stallions could run over her. A gasp of air left her lips from the shock of the moment that she was rushed towards the foot of the hotel's steps. It was until a few moments after the threat had passed that she was able to see that her bag had left her hands and now was at the bottom of the steps leading up to the porch of the hotel, and noticed a strong arm clad in a leather sleeve to be wrapped around her waist still, alerting that her rescuer was still holding onto her.

That was a close one. I need to thank the person who was responsible in saving me just now.

Moved by a need to show her gratitude to the person who rescued her, Annalise lifted her gaze up to the face of the person once she had turned around to look at them. She found herself doing a double take when her eyes made contact with a piercing gaze that took her complete focus from her. Her voice seemed to shut down all at once from the instance her eyes made contact with him. Holding her line of eye contact, Annalise shuddered inside from the deep voice coming from the captivating man that stood before her with one of his arms still wrapped around her waist.