BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!
The alarm clock buzzed. Sab turned to face it and slammed her hand down on
it. 7:00 am it read. Sab turned back to her pillow and planted her face
down on it. She was about to doze off into sleep again when she heard Sarah
cry. She dashed out of the guest room bed and ran to her room.
"I guess someone is wide awake," Sab signed and smiled as she walked toward the crib. Sarah started to calm down as she approached. "Shall we get your brother up for school?"
Sab picked her up then they waked down the hallway to Derek's room. Sab knocked on the door. Then Sarah reached over and repeated what she had just done. "Silly little thing." Sab smiled at her. "Derek?" No answer. "Still asleep, huh?" Sab made a face at Sarah who laughed at it. "Let's wake him up." Sab opened the door to his room to find him still asleep in bed.
"Bubby!" Sarah shouted at her brother. She turned to Sab not knowing why he was still asleep.
"Go wake him up." Sab put her on his bed. Sarah crawled on top of Derek; she hit him with her hands.
"Wake," Sarah said. Derek didn't move so she started jumping on the bed.
"You keep jumping, the tickle monster is gonna get you." Derek jumped awake and grabbed her. He started to tickle her. Sarah cried out laughing then got Sab to take her.
"Ok, time to get up," Sab said, holding Sarah.
"Oh, 10 more minutes." Derek plopped back down on his pillow.
"Hey, if I don't get 10 more minutes, you don't. Up." Sab headed for the door.
"Ok, ok, ok. So when is Cody getting here?" Derek asked. The question took Sab by surprise.
"Um, I don't think he'll be coming," Sab replied.
"Why not?" Derek asked in confusion. "You two are still dating, right?"
"Something like that. Just come down for breakfast and get ready for school," Sab answered, leaving the room.
********
Maria found herself at a truck stop in Davenport, Iowa. The car she had taken was out of gas and she only had enough money for something to eat. She went into the diner and ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. She sat listening to the different conversations going on around her. She heard someone talking about Billings and she looked to see whom it is. She saw that it was an elderly driver having a discussion with a younger driver.
"Excuse me, sir but were you speaking of Billings, Montana?" Maria asked as she approached him.
"Yes, little lady, I was. I have to get there by tomorrow afternoon."
"I'm from Billings, I was born and raised there," Maria told him.
"Are you headed that way?" the driver asked.
"Yeah, I really need to get back there but someone stole most of my money. I just spend most of what I had for food," Maria fibbed a little, not wanting him to know the truth.
"Well, I normally don't pick up riders but you do seem sincere. I have a witness that you're going with me, so if anything happens someone knows," the trucker reasoned.
"I won't hurt anyone. I just want to go home," Maria said, sadly.
"Lets finish our coffees and then we can head out," he told her.
"Thank you sir, thank you so much." Maria went back to her meal and then made a quick phone call before they left.
"I guess I should tell you my name. It's Pete," the trucker introduced himself as they walked out of the diner to his truck.
"Hi Pete. I'm Marie."
"Glad to know ya, Marie. So how long has it been since you left Montana?" Pete asked as he helped her in the truck.
"About 5 or 6 years I guess. I got a job in Virginia and then I was transferred to Illinois. I'm not working right now so I'm going home."
"Well, I'll get you there safe and sound, don't you worry about it." Pete started to big rig.
"I really appreciate this ride. I'll pay you something. I just need to get home, I have access to money there."
"Don't worry about paying me for the ride. I like having someone to talk to," Pete told her as he got on the highway.
"I hope you don't think I'll pay you with a favor. If you do you can let me out now." Maria became defensive.
"No! I don't think that way. I'm a married man. I've never cheated on my wife in 25 years, ain't gonna start now," he assured her. "This is the love of my life." He gave Maria a picture.
"She a lovely lady," Maria stated, giving him the picture back.
"That she is. I'm going to retire soon and we're going to travel places together. We'll take our time, go and do what we please. Answer to no one but each other."
"Good for you! I hope you enjoy it. I've travel all over the world in my job but I never got a chance to enjoy the places I went to. Maybe I might start traveling too."
"Well be sure to run up to me and say hello, if you see me and the Mrs. out and about." Pete smiled at her.
"I will and I hope you would do the same. Is it ok if I take a nap? I'm feeling awfully tired." Maria yawned.
"No go ahead. We have plenty of miles to go. We can talk later. I'll wake you at the next truck stop." It wasn't long before Maria was asleep.
*********
Frank and Elaina arrived home about 2am. Frank kept his promise to keep her busy during the flight. When they got to the Double D, Frank set the alarm so they could go to their special spot to watch the sunrise.
When the alarm went off, Elaina threw her pillow at it knocking it off the nightstand. She heard it break. "Frank, we need a new alarm clock." She took his pillow and tried to go back to sleep.
"Get up Lady, you'll miss the sunrise."
"There's always one tomorrow." Elaina hugged the pillow as he tried to take it back.
"Get out of bed and that's an order." Frank jerked the covers off of her.
"Since when do you give me orders?" Elaina glared at him and then smiled. "Ok, I'll get up. You get the horses, I'll get the thermos of coffee."
"Deal. Make sure you dress warm, it's pretty cold out there," Frank advised here.
"Gee, the windows are frosted over. I'd never have guessed it was cold," Elaina joked. Frank threw a pillow at her as she went out.
Elaina made the coffee and then went back to get dressed. Frank was already outside. The phone rang and Elaina thought it would be Derek since he knew their plans. "Double D." Elaina answered and the call disconnected. "Wrong number, I guess."
Frank and the horses were waiting when she came out with her big winter coat on and a knit hat pulled down over her ears. "We have got to be crazy doing this, as cold as it is."
"Quit complaining, when we get back I'll warm you up." Frank helped her onto Honey, a dark palomino.
"I'm sure you will and I will gladly let you. When we get back to Chicago, I'm telling Velvet where we went and what we did," Elaina said of his other horse.
Frank got up on Cloud, a white appaloosa. "You know she'll throw me if you do." Frank laughed.
"Why do you think I'm going to tell her? My revenge for you not telling me about Maria sooner." Elaina took off with Honey kicking up snow.
"Death by horse, so at least I know how it's going to happen!" Frank yelled as he took off to catch her.
"Whoa girl," Elaina said, stopping her horse. "This better be good, if not you owe me big time, Mr. Donovan."
"It will be beautiful. It has never failed us yet," Frank assured her. He moved his horse over closer to hers and put his arms around her.
"You know, I could get Cloud to move and make you fall off right about now," Elaina said, mischievously.
"You do, you'll go down too." He told her, holding on to her tighter.
"Good point, I won't do that then." She kissed him and the horses nickered. "No heckling from the horses, either." Elaina giggled.
They watched the sunrise and then raced back to the house. Hank met them at the stables, as they were coming in. "Have a nice time kids?"
"Don't we always?" Frank told him. "Anything happening today, we would be interested in?"
"Going to shoe some of the new horses want to watch?" Hank asked.
"I think we'll pass, we have something to keep us busy for a while," Elaina said, hugging Frank.
"I wonder what you mean by that?" Frank teased her.
"Hank, do we get very many wrong numbers here?" Elaina asked, still thinking of the phone call.
"Why do you want to know that?" Frank asked, being confused.
"Well, when I was getting dressed, we got a call and when I answered and the caller hung up."
"It happens sometimes," Hank told her.
"Didn't you check the caller ID?" Frank asked.
"Yes, but it said out of area and I can never get a call back on those," Elaina replied. She noticed the look on Frank's face. "You think it was Maria trying to find me, don't you?"
"Could have, but she can't get past our security. She doesn't know that much about it," Frank informed her.
"Come on, you promised to warm me up." Elaina took his hand and they walked back to the house.
"I guess someone is wide awake," Sab signed and smiled as she walked toward the crib. Sarah started to calm down as she approached. "Shall we get your brother up for school?"
Sab picked her up then they waked down the hallway to Derek's room. Sab knocked on the door. Then Sarah reached over and repeated what she had just done. "Silly little thing." Sab smiled at her. "Derek?" No answer. "Still asleep, huh?" Sab made a face at Sarah who laughed at it. "Let's wake him up." Sab opened the door to his room to find him still asleep in bed.
"Bubby!" Sarah shouted at her brother. She turned to Sab not knowing why he was still asleep.
"Go wake him up." Sab put her on his bed. Sarah crawled on top of Derek; she hit him with her hands.
"Wake," Sarah said. Derek didn't move so she started jumping on the bed.
"You keep jumping, the tickle monster is gonna get you." Derek jumped awake and grabbed her. He started to tickle her. Sarah cried out laughing then got Sab to take her.
"Ok, time to get up," Sab said, holding Sarah.
"Oh, 10 more minutes." Derek plopped back down on his pillow.
"Hey, if I don't get 10 more minutes, you don't. Up." Sab headed for the door.
"Ok, ok, ok. So when is Cody getting here?" Derek asked. The question took Sab by surprise.
"Um, I don't think he'll be coming," Sab replied.
"Why not?" Derek asked in confusion. "You two are still dating, right?"
"Something like that. Just come down for breakfast and get ready for school," Sab answered, leaving the room.
********
Maria found herself at a truck stop in Davenport, Iowa. The car she had taken was out of gas and she only had enough money for something to eat. She went into the diner and ordered a cup of coffee and a piece of pie. She sat listening to the different conversations going on around her. She heard someone talking about Billings and she looked to see whom it is. She saw that it was an elderly driver having a discussion with a younger driver.
"Excuse me, sir but were you speaking of Billings, Montana?" Maria asked as she approached him.
"Yes, little lady, I was. I have to get there by tomorrow afternoon."
"I'm from Billings, I was born and raised there," Maria told him.
"Are you headed that way?" the driver asked.
"Yeah, I really need to get back there but someone stole most of my money. I just spend most of what I had for food," Maria fibbed a little, not wanting him to know the truth.
"Well, I normally don't pick up riders but you do seem sincere. I have a witness that you're going with me, so if anything happens someone knows," the trucker reasoned.
"I won't hurt anyone. I just want to go home," Maria said, sadly.
"Lets finish our coffees and then we can head out," he told her.
"Thank you sir, thank you so much." Maria went back to her meal and then made a quick phone call before they left.
"I guess I should tell you my name. It's Pete," the trucker introduced himself as they walked out of the diner to his truck.
"Hi Pete. I'm Marie."
"Glad to know ya, Marie. So how long has it been since you left Montana?" Pete asked as he helped her in the truck.
"About 5 or 6 years I guess. I got a job in Virginia and then I was transferred to Illinois. I'm not working right now so I'm going home."
"Well, I'll get you there safe and sound, don't you worry about it." Pete started to big rig.
"I really appreciate this ride. I'll pay you something. I just need to get home, I have access to money there."
"Don't worry about paying me for the ride. I like having someone to talk to," Pete told her as he got on the highway.
"I hope you don't think I'll pay you with a favor. If you do you can let me out now." Maria became defensive.
"No! I don't think that way. I'm a married man. I've never cheated on my wife in 25 years, ain't gonna start now," he assured her. "This is the love of my life." He gave Maria a picture.
"She a lovely lady," Maria stated, giving him the picture back.
"That she is. I'm going to retire soon and we're going to travel places together. We'll take our time, go and do what we please. Answer to no one but each other."
"Good for you! I hope you enjoy it. I've travel all over the world in my job but I never got a chance to enjoy the places I went to. Maybe I might start traveling too."
"Well be sure to run up to me and say hello, if you see me and the Mrs. out and about." Pete smiled at her.
"I will and I hope you would do the same. Is it ok if I take a nap? I'm feeling awfully tired." Maria yawned.
"No go ahead. We have plenty of miles to go. We can talk later. I'll wake you at the next truck stop." It wasn't long before Maria was asleep.
*********
Frank and Elaina arrived home about 2am. Frank kept his promise to keep her busy during the flight. When they got to the Double D, Frank set the alarm so they could go to their special spot to watch the sunrise.
When the alarm went off, Elaina threw her pillow at it knocking it off the nightstand. She heard it break. "Frank, we need a new alarm clock." She took his pillow and tried to go back to sleep.
"Get up Lady, you'll miss the sunrise."
"There's always one tomorrow." Elaina hugged the pillow as he tried to take it back.
"Get out of bed and that's an order." Frank jerked the covers off of her.
"Since when do you give me orders?" Elaina glared at him and then smiled. "Ok, I'll get up. You get the horses, I'll get the thermos of coffee."
"Deal. Make sure you dress warm, it's pretty cold out there," Frank advised here.
"Gee, the windows are frosted over. I'd never have guessed it was cold," Elaina joked. Frank threw a pillow at her as she went out.
Elaina made the coffee and then went back to get dressed. Frank was already outside. The phone rang and Elaina thought it would be Derek since he knew their plans. "Double D." Elaina answered and the call disconnected. "Wrong number, I guess."
Frank and the horses were waiting when she came out with her big winter coat on and a knit hat pulled down over her ears. "We have got to be crazy doing this, as cold as it is."
"Quit complaining, when we get back I'll warm you up." Frank helped her onto Honey, a dark palomino.
"I'm sure you will and I will gladly let you. When we get back to Chicago, I'm telling Velvet where we went and what we did," Elaina said of his other horse.
Frank got up on Cloud, a white appaloosa. "You know she'll throw me if you do." Frank laughed.
"Why do you think I'm going to tell her? My revenge for you not telling me about Maria sooner." Elaina took off with Honey kicking up snow.
"Death by horse, so at least I know how it's going to happen!" Frank yelled as he took off to catch her.
"Whoa girl," Elaina said, stopping her horse. "This better be good, if not you owe me big time, Mr. Donovan."
"It will be beautiful. It has never failed us yet," Frank assured her. He moved his horse over closer to hers and put his arms around her.
"You know, I could get Cloud to move and make you fall off right about now," Elaina said, mischievously.
"You do, you'll go down too." He told her, holding on to her tighter.
"Good point, I won't do that then." She kissed him and the horses nickered. "No heckling from the horses, either." Elaina giggled.
They watched the sunrise and then raced back to the house. Hank met them at the stables, as they were coming in. "Have a nice time kids?"
"Don't we always?" Frank told him. "Anything happening today, we would be interested in?"
"Going to shoe some of the new horses want to watch?" Hank asked.
"I think we'll pass, we have something to keep us busy for a while," Elaina said, hugging Frank.
"I wonder what you mean by that?" Frank teased her.
"Hank, do we get very many wrong numbers here?" Elaina asked, still thinking of the phone call.
"Why do you want to know that?" Frank asked, being confused.
"Well, when I was getting dressed, we got a call and when I answered and the caller hung up."
"It happens sometimes," Hank told her.
"Didn't you check the caller ID?" Frank asked.
"Yes, but it said out of area and I can never get a call back on those," Elaina replied. She noticed the look on Frank's face. "You think it was Maria trying to find me, don't you?"
"Could have, but she can't get past our security. She doesn't know that much about it," Frank informed her.
"Come on, you promised to warm me up." Elaina took his hand and they walked back to the house.