Blue Spanish Eyes
Tauna Petit-Strawn and Ghostewriter85 do not claim to own the copyrights to Bonanza
Chapter Four
The sound of thunder sounded off in the distance as Rosita shook her head and found herself standing on a bit of land that lay on a slight slope and in unfamiliar territory. Well, she had seen pictures of the place and studied maps, so at least it wasn't altogether new. "Well, if I didn't waste my time on the wrong pictures, Barry at least got me on the Ponderosa; even if I'm not back at the house." Rosita spoke to no one in particular, as she looked over the gorgeous blue lake that lay within the boundaries of the Ponderosa. It looked far grander without any boats ripping away at its surface, or at least that was her opinion. Her gaze only lasted seconds as she knew full well time wasn't something to be wasted, especially hers.
It didn't take her long to find her way up the few short feet to flat land. Unfortunately, with the sky deciding it was time to set; her first priority was to start a campfire. The flint and steel were pulled out after she'd gathered kindling and wood for a fire. Once she had that going, her bedroll was laid out; the gun kept handy, and she'd lain down for the night. A warm breeze blew over Rosita as she slept and dreamt of blue lights and a man with dark black hair.
Sun rise came early enough and found Rosita back in the saddle, so to speak. A horse was something the good woman would have dearly loved to have, but there was no way she would have suggested such a hair-brain notion as that to Barry. Good heavens, transporting a human was risky enough. As it was, his remarks to her concerning her trip still rang in her ears.
"We have to do this just right! We're risking a lot here! You might get stuck in limbo, disappear for a few only to come back dead. I only know a few people who have tried this. The ones who jumped too soon, always wound up that way; dead that is. Actually," the man sighed, "I only know two who survived and history books give a death date for them that was shortly after they left here. Since both were killed in accidents, I can't guarantee you anything." She'd jokingly asked about animals, and he'd given her such a stern glare there was no way the lady was going to ask it again; joking or not.
"How many people know about this?" Rosita later asked as she stood in the back of the library talking to him in hushed tones; so low not even the librarian could hear them.
"Quite a few actually believe in the theory, but only a couple have tried it. Like I said before, this is relatively new. Someday, I'm sure they'll come up with some specific name for it other than time jumping." He'd then asked Rosita if she was sure the risk of jumping was worth it to her.
"More than you'll ever know."
Now she halfway wished they'd risked sending a horse, then again, maybe not. Getting back to Adam; even if it took walking the rest of the way was definitely worth it.
Thanks to careful use of the water, resting during the hottest part of the day, and water given to her by a family going the opposite direction of the ranch house, Rosita kept hydrated just fine. Glancing back at the wagon headed west she supposed she should have told them they were on private land, but how to do that without having to divulge how a stranger knew that was far too complicated, so she'd simply turned back to the task at hand.
As she walked along her mind whispered words of the past; ones her friends and kin had always repeated to her. "You have a way with animals; it's like they can understand you, or "You take to the desert like a fish takes to water." The last one was definitely true; she loved open spaces far more than she did any crowded city. Nonetheless, she wasn't sure about the first one.
True, she always made sure the animals she'd been in charge of were well fed. The injured ones had gotten a call to the vet without anyone having to pull Rosita's arm and, okay, one time she had chewed out the family's dog and his eyes had widened before turning and walking away. She couldn't see why that was a big deal. That dog was just Jake. He was the smartest, yet dumbest, dog known to mankind.
The screech of a wild cat got Rosita standing still, with the gun Barry had given her pulled out. Sure enough moments later an oversized bobcat blocked her path looking at what he figured would be his next meal. Thinking of the family's dog, and other people's words yet again, the woman figured she had nothing to lose by testing the theory they'd always espoused.
"Okay, big cat," Rosita said as she made herself as straight as possible, "make you a deal." Call her crazy, but that darn cat actually lifted his head slightly as if waiting to hear what this dark headed stranger had to say. "You bite me, and I shoot you. You walk away, and I let you live." It was all she could do not to bust up laughing when the cat actually lifted an eyebrow and turned down his mouth as if to say 'party-pooper' before turning around and walking away.
"Maybe, my family wasn't crazy after all." Rosita smiled as she stuck the gun back in its holster. She started whistling as she walked away. If that big cat had still been around he'd have told her without hesitation 'My dear lady, something about you deters me; your aptitude for whistling does not' Night found her at yet another campsite.
The woman didn't count the hours for the next couple of days. Why should she? They all held the same routine; walking, using water sparingly, resting and sleeping. Finally, she crested a hill which allowed her to see the Ponderosa's grand ranch house from a distant. Glancing down at her footwear the woman couldn't help but let out a sigh.
"Good thing the journey's end is coming soon; I'm not sure how much more these old boots can take." She spoke as her big toe stuck out the end of the boot. Rosita then started down the hill and in the direction of the house. She just hoped Adam would be as glad to see her as she was eager to see him.