Epilogue
Rick sat staring at the TV, waiting for Laurie to come back from the barn. Oh, the wedding reception had been great, he was happy for A.J., but suddenly it was sinking in; his little brother was a married man, he definitely didn't need him so much anymore.
Suddenly he heard his wife call his name. Not seeing her in the kitchen, he headed toward the barn, only to hear the fire alarm go off. Rushing to the stable door, he felt it for heat, then finding none he entered the barn, only to start choking on smoke.
He looked up and saw Laurie, clinging onto a ladder high above a small fire burning in the feed bin.
"Honey, hang on, I'm going to put out the fire!" he yelled, then pulled out the fire extinguisher and put out the small blaze, near a broken heat bulb. Once it was out, he called to her "It's safe now, Laurie, come on down."
She shook her head, coughing, then croaked "Snake, there's a snake down there." Rick looked over the bales to see a huge rattler, trying to slither up the ladder. He saw she had no alternative but to jump, so he made eye contact with her, saying, "Sweetheart, I need you to jump to me, I'll catch you."
Laurie stared into his eyes, "I can't move." He tried again, "Laurie, please, come to me." He opened his arms, gazing up at her.
She nodded, then jumped into Rick's arms. He caught her and dropped onto a pile of hay. Laurie was shaking in his arms as she said, "Rick, you heard me, oh, I thought I was going to faint. Thank God you came!"
She kissed him as he held tight to her, "Darlin', I don't know how, but I did hear your voice. You're safe. I'll take care of that snake."
Taking her outside, he made her wait in the patio while he retrieved his gun and returning to the feed area; shot the snake as it started toward the horses. Making sure none of the horses were hurt, he put the alarm on and shut the barn up for the night.
Going back to his wife, he found her anxiously watching for him. He swooped her up in his arms, saying, "No more snake, darling. Are you all right?"
She nodded, putting her face in his shoulder. "It's childish, I know, but snakes scare me so much, I would have been ok, except for that light breaking over the feed area. When I tried to call out to you, I started to choke, I could barely breathe." He cuddled her against him, as he carried her into the house. Setting her down on the living room sofa, he got her some water, then comforted her as she slowly stopped shaking. "I'm ok, Rick," she took a deep breath, relaxing against him. "If you hadn't called to me,.."he stopped, horrified by what could have happened. Laurie put her hand to his cheek as he wrapped his arms around her, "Darling, you came when I needed you, you always have. I don't know why you can hear me, only, " her voice broke, "I love you so much, I never want to be without you."
Rick kissed her hand, realizing that while his brother might have a new partner in life, he already had someone who needed him as much as he needed her, and had all along. "You'll never have to worry, Darlin" I'm always going to be there. I love you, don't ever leave me!" She smiled up at him," Never, ever!"
Suddenly she realized something. "Oh, Rick, my roast in the oven, it must be a rock by now!" He laughed with relief. "I turned off the oven when I went to get you the water, it's my turn to take care of dinner, darlin!" He helped her up and as they went to the kitchen, she put her arms around Rick, saying, "That's not all you take care of around here, and don't you forget it!"
Silently he agreed, and as he returned her embrace, he knew that he had gained a whole new appreciation of the one who would always be there for him.
"Sweetheart, how would you like to be my back-up while A.J's gone, just once in a while," he added, "until he's back?" "Oh, Rick," she gasped, throwing her arms around him and covering his face with kisses. "I'd love to, thank you for trusting in me!" He grinned, "Boy, I never got a reception like that from A.J., sorry I", he kissed her back, "didn't think of it sooner!"
Sitting down to dinner, he picked up his glass and toasted her, saying, "Here's to my new substitute partner!" Laurie touched first her glass, then her lips to his, adding, "And here's to keeping it in the family!"
Rick sat staring at the TV, waiting for Laurie to come back from the barn. Oh, the wedding reception had been great, he was happy for A.J., but suddenly it was sinking in; his little brother was a married man, he definitely didn't need him so much anymore.
Suddenly he heard his wife call his name. Not seeing her in the kitchen, he headed toward the barn, only to hear the fire alarm go off. Rushing to the stable door, he felt it for heat, then finding none he entered the barn, only to start choking on smoke.
He looked up and saw Laurie, clinging onto a ladder high above a small fire burning in the feed bin.
"Honey, hang on, I'm going to put out the fire!" he yelled, then pulled out the fire extinguisher and put out the small blaze, near a broken heat bulb. Once it was out, he called to her "It's safe now, Laurie, come on down."
She shook her head, coughing, then croaked "Snake, there's a snake down there." Rick looked over the bales to see a huge rattler, trying to slither up the ladder. He saw she had no alternative but to jump, so he made eye contact with her, saying, "Sweetheart, I need you to jump to me, I'll catch you."
Laurie stared into his eyes, "I can't move." He tried again, "Laurie, please, come to me." He opened his arms, gazing up at her.
She nodded, then jumped into Rick's arms. He caught her and dropped onto a pile of hay. Laurie was shaking in his arms as she said, "Rick, you heard me, oh, I thought I was going to faint. Thank God you came!"
She kissed him as he held tight to her, "Darlin', I don't know how, but I did hear your voice. You're safe. I'll take care of that snake."
Taking her outside, he made her wait in the patio while he retrieved his gun and returning to the feed area; shot the snake as it started toward the horses. Making sure none of the horses were hurt, he put the alarm on and shut the barn up for the night.
Going back to his wife, he found her anxiously watching for him. He swooped her up in his arms, saying, "No more snake, darling. Are you all right?"
She nodded, putting her face in his shoulder. "It's childish, I know, but snakes scare me so much, I would have been ok, except for that light breaking over the feed area. When I tried to call out to you, I started to choke, I could barely breathe." He cuddled her against him, as he carried her into the house. Setting her down on the living room sofa, he got her some water, then comforted her as she slowly stopped shaking. "I'm ok, Rick," she took a deep breath, relaxing against him. "If you hadn't called to me,.."he stopped, horrified by what could have happened. Laurie put her hand to his cheek as he wrapped his arms around her, "Darling, you came when I needed you, you always have. I don't know why you can hear me, only, " her voice broke, "I love you so much, I never want to be without you."
Rick kissed her hand, realizing that while his brother might have a new partner in life, he already had someone who needed him as much as he needed her, and had all along. "You'll never have to worry, Darlin" I'm always going to be there. I love you, don't ever leave me!" She smiled up at him," Never, ever!"
Suddenly she realized something. "Oh, Rick, my roast in the oven, it must be a rock by now!" He laughed with relief. "I turned off the oven when I went to get you the water, it's my turn to take care of dinner, darlin!" He helped her up and as they went to the kitchen, she put her arms around Rick, saying, "That's not all you take care of around here, and don't you forget it!"
Silently he agreed, and as he returned her embrace, he knew that he had gained a whole new appreciation of the one who would always be there for him.
"Sweetheart, how would you like to be my back-up while A.J's gone, just once in a while," he added, "until he's back?" "Oh, Rick," she gasped, throwing her arms around him and covering his face with kisses. "I'd love to, thank you for trusting in me!" He grinned, "Boy, I never got a reception like that from A.J., sorry I", he kissed her back, "didn't think of it sooner!"
Sitting down to dinner, he picked up his glass and toasted her, saying, "Here's to my new substitute partner!" Laurie touched first her glass, then her lips to his, adding, "And here's to keeping it in the family!"