Chapter 7

At the ranch Frank and Elaina were walking to the exercise barn with Alex. They could hear music coming from the barn.

"What's going on in there?" Alex wondered.

"Derek and a few of his friends are going to provide the music for the wedding. It was Becky's idea to create the band. It's their wedding gift to us," Elaina explained.

"That's so cute. He does have your singing talent, Elaina."

"Thank you, Alex."

"Yeah, it's a good thing he's not tone deaf like me." Frank opened the door for them.

"I think I'll just go sit with the others and listen, before I make a comment I'll regret." Alex laughed as she walked off.

"I didn't think it was funny. I was just stating a fact," Frank said.

"I love it when you talk as if Derek is your natural son." Elaina hugged him.

"That's how I feel about him. I love him as much as I do Sarah." Frank looked down in her eyes and saw tears. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"Tears of joy, Sweetheart." Elaina kissed him. They start dancing to the music as they stood in the doorway of the exercise barn.

Frank noticed that she became awfully quiet. "Lady, what are you thinking about?"

"Just enjoying the music is all."

"I take it, this is where we are suppose to be?" Dee asked, with Rav and Heather, following her.

"Hello, Ladies. I see you're all interested in the horse demo today?" Elaina asked, still holding to Frank.

"If it gets us away from paperwork or work in general you bet." Dee walked over to the seats with the rest of the group.

"Follow her, have a seat or dance. That's what we're doing." Frank started dancing with Elaina again.

"The least you can do is get away from the door." Elaina heard a very familiar voice that surprised her.

"Hank!" Elaina let go of Frank to hug him. "I didn't expect you until next week." She hugged him again.

"Take it easy there, Missy, I'm an old man." Hank laughed.

"Since when? Oh, I'm so glad to see you. Wait until you see what we're doing."

"Frank called me a few days ago and told me about all this," Hank explained. Elaina looked at Frank who was please with himself for keeping her from finding out.

"You did this to surprise me?" Elaina asked Frank.

"Yes I did." Frank was finally able to greet him. "Hello, Hank. Glad you could make it."

"I wouldn't miss this for anything. I have to see how she did at training the horses."

"Derek helped, I didn't do it all." Elaina wanted to make sure that Derek got credit too.

"Derek sounds pretty good up there. I think I'll go sit and listen to the pup." Hank walked over and sat next to Monica and Alex. Elaina saw that they introduced him to the other girls.

Cody and Sab came in the door running. "Finally! We made it," Cody said.

"What's your problem?" Frank asked, seeing he had to drag Sab in.

"She wanted to see Gambit first. I told her we were late enough."

"I don't see Billy yet so I have time. Bye." Sab took off for the stables.

"I'm curious where did she get the name for her horse." Frank asked Cody.

"She reads X-Men comics and Gambit is her favorite character," Cody told him.

"She's like a little kid with that horse." Elaina looked at her watch. "I better go get the horses ready."

"Frank, go tell Derek to stop and get this place ready," Elaina ordered him.

"Yes, Lady." Frank walked away.

"Want me to help you with the horses?" Cody asked.

"No. I think I have a helper out there already. Whether she knows it or not." Elaina went out to the stables and found Sab talking to her horse. "Well, I see you found him safe and sound."

"Yep." Sab was petting Gambits neck. She saw Elaina getting the saddle. "Want me to help?"

"Sure. Get Sahara next. Then Velvet but don't let go of her or she'll go looking for Frank."

"Okie dokie." Sab went to the stall holding Sahara and took her to Elaina.

"Double check the saddles some of these horses like to hold their breath as I tighten them, then exhale to loosen the saddle up."

Sab checked it and then went down to get Velvet. "Whoa! Big girl, you're frisky today," Sab told the horse as they approached Elaina.

"She's frisky everyday, aren't you girl?" Elaina threw the saddle on her back. "Hold on, Velvet. I'm almost finished." Elaina pushed against the horse with her boot and the horse exhaled. "You, I can get to do that the others won't." Elaina tightened the saddle more and then turned to Sab. "Let her go and watch what she does."

Sab turned he horse loose and then ran out to watch as the horse cleared the stables, she put her head up flicking her ears, listening. She then took off for the exercise barn. Elaina brought the other horses out and tied them to the hitching post. Sab and Elaina watched as the horse head butted the door. When it didn't open, she hit it with her hoof.

"What's that?" Jake was standing by the door with Frank.

"My horse is knocking." Frank ignored the horse. She whinnied and hit the door again this time harder.

"Better let her in before she breaks in," Jake suggested.

Frank opened the door and the horse walked in and stood next to him. "You're spoiled, you know that?" Frank scratched her head.

"Like you didn't have anything to do with that?" They both laughed.

"That was cool, she knocked until they opened the door for her." Sab walked back with Elaina.

"He's lucky she didn't kick it in." Elaina put the saddle on Dante next as Sab went to get Culver at the far end of the stables.

"Hello ladies."

Elaina turned to see who it was. "What the hell are you doing here?" Elaina asked, seeing it was Maria.

"I heard that the wedding was back on, so I brought you a gift. I won't be around for the festivities."

"Still going ahead with the surgery then?" Elaina took the gift from her and looked at it. "Why are you giving me a gift? Last time we talked, you wanted me out of your life."

"Don't worry, I still do but unlike you, I still think of you as family. Thought I should give a gift, at least," Maria told her.

Elaina opened the box and saw a picture of Maria and Miranda together. "Thank you but why a picture of the two of you?"

"I just thought you needed to be reminded of who your actual relatives are. I think you've forgotten who to be loyal to over the past few months." Maria was staring at Sab. "Besides it's also a picture of the two women that hate you most in the world."

"Miranda doesn't hate me. We just don't speak that much at the moment," Elaina explained.

"We've talked, she hates you all right," Maria assured her.

Elaina grabbed Maria by the shoulders. "What lies did you tell her?"

"I just told her the truth, that you prefer to be friends with the bitch standing behind you, than you would your own cousin or sister."

"Why you! You're the bitch here, I'm going to rip every hair out of your head," Sab said, starting after Maria.

"Sabrina, stop it! That's what she wants, is to start a fight. Walk away. I mean now, Sab."

"I'm not leaving you with her," Sab told her, still glaring at Maria.

"I said, walk. Now do it." Elaina watch Sab go in the tack room away from them. "Get out Maria, before I do or say something we both regret," Elaina threatened her.

"I'll go. I just want to tell you that I invited Miranda to the wedding. Hope you don't mind, I'm sure Frank won't." Maria's smile was evil.

"Get out, before I let Sabrina loose on you," Elaina told her.

"You letting her fight for you now. Frank better watch out or you'll be moving her in too," Maria said, laughing.

Elaina became furious and punched her. "Get out before I give you your facial reconstruction for free."

Maria left laughing at finally getting to her cousin. Sab came out of the tack room. "Are you ok?"

"Fine, take the horses and tell Frank I want to see him," Elaina told her.