Back Story 7

"Elizabeth, now's the rehearsals for the Founder's Day play coming along?" Abigail asked as she hurried to catch up to Elizabeth. Elizabeth turned to her, and Abigail saw that she'd been crying. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Abigail." Elizabeth sobbed. "Its just hard not knowing if Jack's safe up there. At any moment he could be killed, and I can do nothing about it."

Abigail took her friend in her arms. "Elizabeth, you have to believe. You have to have faith that God will bring Jack back here safe and sound. Jack doesn't want you worrying about him. He wants you to be happy."

"I know." Elizabeth said as she wiped away her tears. "It's just hard."

"Elizabeth, I understand." Abigail said as they began to walk to the café. "Jack will be back as soon as he can. In the meantime, you need to keep yourself busy. How's the plans going for Founder's Day?"

"Not to bad. Its good that we can have a celebration. The trouble with McCallister still has been on everyone's mind, even though he left a couple of weeks ago."

"What have you got planned?" Abigail opened the door to the café. "As mayor I think I have a right to know what's going on in my town."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Well, since the children enjoyed the dance we had a few months ago, I thought that after the play we might hold another one in the saloon. Of course, there will be the usual games, Josie doing her horse riding trick show, your speech."

"My speech." Abigail groaned. "I hoped you had forgotten all about it."

"Nope, sorry. You can't get out of it. Anyway, I need to be off. I have things to plan." Elizabeth said as she went to the door to leave.

"Elizabeth, anytime you need to talk, I'm happy to listen. You know that I'm always here for you."

"Thanks, Abigail."

"Woah, woah boy." Montana said as she pulled her horse to a stop at a cliff over looking a waterfall. "Good boy."

"You still beat me." Rob laughed. "I think I'm going to trade in old Betsy for one of Josie's younger colts." He gave her a pat on the shoulder as he dismounted.

"Its just skill." Montana teased as she dismounted and quickly caught up to Rob. "You didn't bring me up here to look at the scenery, or did you?" She looked at him, seeing the distant look in his eyes. "Rob?"

"I like it here. Its where I come to think." He replied as he watched the water go by them.

"Yes?" Montana could see that something was on his mind. "Must be true what they say about still waters. I don't see you for days, and then.

"Yeh, I know. I've been pretty busy at the stables, you know, sorting things out. Thanks to McCallister, deciding to auction it off, I was able to get it. Josie's been quite understanding to about me buying it. Actually, I think she was glad I did, even though it means I won't be able to do as much work at Langara as I did before."

"Sure."

Rob grew serious. "Montana, I've got my own business now. I think it's about time I started putting down some roots. I just wondered if you felt the same way."

"About what?" Montana still wasn't sure where this was leading.

"Getting married."

She raised her eyebrows. "Married."

"Well, we could do it."

"That would be something to consider. I guess." She gave Rob a smile. "I really need to be getting back. Josie wants me to help her with a horse. I really don't know why though, she doesn't need it."

"Maybe she just wants to spend time with you." Rob said as he walked back to the horses with her. "She looks up to you a lot. She thinks the world of you."

Montana nodded as she mounted her horse. "Josie is a wonderful sister. When she was taken from us as a baby, I never dreamed that we'd ever see each other again. She's grown into a young lady I'm proud of. My father and mother would be proud to, if they were still alive."

"You must miss them." Rob replied as they began to ride back to Hope Valley.

"I do. At least I have Josie, and my other sister back in Colorado. I want to take Josie back there one day to meet her, but at the moment, she's just happy doing what she's doing." Montana stopped her horse. "Woah."

"What's wrong?" Rob asked as he stopped his horse too.

"I'm not sure." Montana replied as she dismounted, looking at the ground. "Dog tracks. Looks like it was dragging something. Stay here, I'll follow them." She started to head in the direction of the tracks.

"Be careful." Rob said, then he waited for her to return. "What was it."

"Colt." Montana said as she got on her horse. "Dog killed it. It was one of Josie's herd. With that and the three calves of mine it killed, its getting beyond a joke."

Rob looked around. "If you need to head back, go. I want to have a look around first." He replied as he got off his horse and got out his rifle.

"Alright, let me know what you find." Montana replied as she turned around. "I've got to go home before I go see Josie. If you find anything, let me know."

"Right." Rob waited until Montana had left, then he began to track the dog down himself. The trail lead into thick forest shrubland, then with the dead foal, the trail went cold. Rob stopped and looked around, not realizing that the dog was now behind him.

With a snarl and a growl, the dog leapt on top of Rob, knocking him to the ground. Rob grabbed the dog, keeping it from bitting his face, and trying to get back to his feet. As soon as he could take the chance, he grabbed the rifle and shot it off into the air. The dog took off with a yelp, then Rob quickly fired again, this time getting him but all it did was only wound him.

"Its only a scratch." Rob told Montana as she cleaned the bites on his hands from the dog.

"Yeh." She said sarcastically. "Only a scratch. What did you think you were doing getting yourself half mauled to death?"

"What would you expect me to do?"

"Stay in open country, keep a safe distance. You were the one with the gun, he had to get up close to do this much damage."

"Oh, so now you're the expert. It's a pity you weren't out there so you could have shown me how it's done."

"It's a rouge, and now it has a taste for human blood. You're the one we could have been burying up in the top paddock, you know that?" Montana said as she poured more iodine into the wounds. "What?"

"Nothing." Rob replied as he flinched. "Just wondering if you've had a chance to consider." He saw the look she gave him. "Well, I figure if you're going to criticize a man this much, you might as well be his wife."

"Marriage is a big step, Rob." She took the basin to the sink. "One I never thought I'd make."

"Do you still think that?"

"I think." She said as she walked back over to him. "I think." She paused to see his reaction. "I think I've never loved a man more. Of course I want to marry you." She wrapped her arms around him.

"You do?"

"Yes." She giggled as Rob kissed her.

"Good."

"We don't even have a ring." She exclaimed as she realized the fact.

"No problem. We'll get one. What sort?"

"I don't know, I haven't thought that far ahead."

"Gold, it has to be gold."

"Yeh, sure, but I saw one in a catalogue a while back from some fancy jeweller in Calgary."

"Great, the fancier, the better, I don't care how much it costs."

"Is this really happening?"

"You bet it is. We'll send away for the ring as soon as possible." Rob noticed a loose ring from her curtain. "And in the meantime."

"What are you doing?" She asked as he pulled it off the rod.

"Making it official." He said as he slipped it onto her finger. "Who are you going to tell about this first, hey?"

"Josie, of course." Montana replied as she grabbed her coat. "Speaking of Josie, I really need to get going. You should go and tell Matt about that dog. Get him to help you get it."

"Yes, Montana." Rob replied as he rolled his eyes.

"And while your there, you might as well tell them this new news." Montana flashed the ring. "Because if you don't Josie will get the word out faster then wildfire."

"Well, its about time." Danni teased after Rob told her about his engagement later at Langara. "You two make a perfect couple."

"This is great news." Matt said as he shook his son's hand, Rob wasn't too happy about that, because it was his sore hand. "Sorry about that. Maybe your wife to be should set you straight about being out-flanked in the future."

"The dog double backed on me." Rob defended himself.

"Oh, so its vicious and smart."

"Yeh."

"Who cares about the stupid dog?" Danni interrupted. "This is going to be the biggest wedding."

"No, no no, hold your horses." Rob tried to stop his sister, but she didn't listen.

"With bridesmadies and flowers and music."

"We haven't even discussed any details like that yet, so just wait."

"And your going to need to get a new suit."

"Danni."

"Montana will make the most beautiful bride. I wonder if she'll let me help her get ready." Then it dawned on her. "She's going to be my sister in law."

"I don't believe this." Rob looked at Danni. "And Montana was worried Josie will let the cat out of the bag."

"That's the thing about weddings." Matt said as he put his coat on. "You've got more chance of stopping a run away train then once the women get a head of steam up."

"Its going to be the most perfect day ever." Danni continued. "I'm going to go find my book with wedding dresses it in." She ran out of the room.

Rob rolled his eyes at his father after she had left. "Oh, boy."

Josie waited for Montana as long as she could, then she started with the horse herself. Bonfire was a sixteen hand beautiful bay stallion, five years old with a lot of spirit, but he had one problem, he had a vicious temper.

As Josie put the bit into the horse's mouth, Bonfire rolled his eyes widly, stamping his hooves with anger. "None of that today, mister." She said as she slapped him to stop him from biting her. "Where are your manners?"

Bonfire snorted as she carefully placed the saddle blanket on his back, then the heavy western saddle she used for breaking horses in. As she did up the girth, Bonfire kicked out, missing Josie's head by only inches. "Minster! Stop!" Josie wished Montana would hurry up, but there seemed to be no sign of her.

After she made sure the girth was done up nice and snug, so the saddle wouldn't slide around his belly, she led the horse out of his stall to the round yard, him prancing, bucking and trying to get away the whole time. As she locked the gate to the corral so that the horse couldn't get out, she saw Montana riding up and waved to her. She saw Montana wave back, then she unclipped the lead rope, threw it onto the fence and vaulted onto the horse.

Bonfire began bucking even before Josie had spent one second in the saddle. Josie jammed her feet down into the stirrups and yanked his head up. "Stop bucking, mister. You've never acted like this before." Josie said as he reared up, then hit the ground hard, trying to unseat her.

He began to buck harder, twisting his body each time he launched himself off the ground, then he tried another trick. As he landed from a whopping buck, he turned around and tried to bite Josie's foot, but got the saddle fender instead. As he bucked again, the saddle girth snapped, sending Josie flying.

Josie rolled herself away from the horse as she landed on the ground. Then as she flipped over, she saw the horse getting ready to attack her, pawing the ground and snorting. She slowly began to slide back towards the fence, then the stallion charged her, with the intent to kill, but he never got there. Before he could trample Josie, Montana dropped him with a single bullet and he crumpled in a heap on the ground, dead.

Montana ran to Josie, climbing over the fence and kneeling down beside her. "You alright?" She asked as she saw blood pouring out of Josie's nose.

"Yeh." Josie nodded as she pinched her nose. "I don't get why he went like that. He never did that before. I just don't understand it."

"Your lucky he didn't kill you." Montana said as she rubbed Josie's shoulder. "I'm sorry I had to kill the horse, Josie, but there was no other way of making him stop charging you."

"Its fine, Monty. Really, it is. It's safer for all of us that he's been put down, if he went like that and got loose, there's no knowing what he might have done."

"You right to get up now?"

"I think so." Josie looked at her wrist. "But I don't think I'll be doing my trick riding this Founder's Day. I know what your going to say." She looked at Montana. "Off to Dr. Shepherd for me."

Abigail pulled off her gloves as she closed the door to the café, then she saw Josie sitting on the couch with Montana, then she noticed the sling. "What on earth happened to you?"

"Um." Josie didn't know how to say it. "I came off Bonfire, then he charged me, so now he's dead. Carson said its only a bad sprain, and there's a lot of bruising, but it wont take long to get better."

Abigail gave a sigh of relief. "Josie, you make me worry about you so much about you." She playfully tapped her on the shoulder. "Be more careful next time."

"Well, since your both here." Montana began. "I have something to announce." She saw the questioning looks on their faces. "Rob asked me to marry him, and I've accepted!"

Abigail and Josie were thrilled. "That's wonderful news, Montana." Josie said as she gave her sister a hug. "I thought it would never happen."

"Well, with you getting us together every chance you had, I'd say you were quite counting on it." Montana gave a little laugh. "You did work hard to get us to talk to each other."

Abigail gave Montana a hug. "Congratulations, Montana. You've found yourself the perfect man."

"Thankyou. That means a lot to me, Abigail."

"So," Josie interrupted. "When's the wedding?"

"We haven't even thought that far yet, missy. Rob and I will have to talk about it. There is another thing though, Josie. When Rob and I were out riding today, we came across one of your foals."

"Brown with two white socks and a blaze?"

"Yes, if fact it was."

"Where is it?"

"The rogue dog that has been killing my calves got it just up near Stony Flat. Then Rob went to track it, and it attacked him. I'm going to get Bill and Jay to go after it, they'll know what to do. Until they do though, you'll need to be extra carful out riding. Its not afraid to attack humans, and it could be capable of killing one. I'm sorry, but I need to get going." Montana said as she grabbed her coat. "So, I'll see you two later."