Disclaimer: See Chapter 1, "Texas" Also, the Blackthorn B&B isn't mine. It really does exist. However, the description is mine. I just wanted a name of an acutal B&B for the story.

As Nicky and John drove up the windy road to the Blackthorn Bed and Breakfast, Nicky began to shrink back into his shell. He worried about the strangers that he would see at the B&B. He wondered if they would be like his babysitter and hurt him.
John glanced over at Nicky as he pulled into a parking space in front of the Blackthorn. There was a subtle change in his son's behavior. Nicky still seemed happy to be there but the boyish enthusiasm that was present for the past week had diminished. His son had once again put up a protective wall around himself and John had no idea why. He hoped the wall would soon fall.
As John and Nicky climbed out of the car, they looked around at the gorgeous view that surrounded them. The B&B was set back a bit from the water on a private road. There was a lodge for all the guests and a smaller house for the family that owned the place. Around it there was open space with wildflowers growing sporadically along with a carefully planted flower garden. Fruit trees behind the main lodge were covered with apples, plums, and peaches. But the main view was to the right of the lodge, the vast Pacific Ocean. The sun was now over the ocean, highlighting the dark blue water. Nicky and John paused for a while just to enjoy the beauty of the ocean. A man and woman walking towards them disrupted the two.
"Beautiful view isn't it. I see it every day and each time I'm amazed. Oh, sorry. Welcome to the Blackthorn. My name is David Sidle and this is my wife Anna."
"Hi," John replied in his thick Texan accent. He reached out his hand and introduced himself, "The name's John. And this little guy is my son Nicky."
"Dad, I'm not little. I'm almost 10" Nicky complained. After a quick glace from his father, Nicky offered his hand. "Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Sidle." he said smoothly.
"Nice to meet you too Nicky. We have a daughter your age, Sara. Maybe you too can hang out during your stay here." Anna said as she shook the boy's hand.
Nicky's eyes perked up at the thought of having someone his age around. It wasn't that he didn't' love his brother and sisters, but it was hard being the youngest. He was always thought of as the baby of the family. Plus he didn't often get to play with people his own age other than his family.
As John and David took the bags out of the car, a young girl came running up. She bounded over to Nicky and introduced herself. "Hi, my name's Sara. Mom and Dad said someone my age was coming for the week. I couldn't' wait. Usually only adults stay here and I don't get anyone to play with but now you're here. What's your name?"
"I'm Nicky."
"You have a funny accent. Where are you from?" Sara asked.
"I'm from Texas." Nicky replied proudly.
"Okay Nicky. Come on, I'll show you around this place." Sara said looking at the three parents for permission.
John laughed and nodded while Sara's parents just smiled at the behavior of their daughter.
The two children ran off across the property. Sara began showing Nicky the different flowers and named them all off. Nicky soaked up the information. When they got to the trees in the back of the lodge, Nicky noticed a red-tailed hawk perched on the roof of the lodge. He pointed it out to Sara and the two watched as the bird raised its wings and soared off.
The next two days were busy for Nicky and John as they drove into San Francisco each morning so John could work on his case. Anna had offered to let Nicky stay and play with Sara during the day but Nicky chose to spend the time with his dad. He didn't tell John, but the reason was he was scared of staying with a strange woman. Sara's mom seemed nice, but Nicky had learned the hard way that appearances were deceiving. However, every afternoon after they got back to the Blackthorn, Sara and Nicky played together. The tire swing hanging off one of the trees was their favorite thing. After playing around, they would go join everyone else at the B&B for dinner.
The fourth day, John decided that he could stay at the B&B rather than go into the office because he already had most of the information he had come out for. After breakfast, Nicky and Sara ran outside to play. John soon followed them and called out, "How would you two like to go to the beach today?"
Nicky looked thrilled with the idea, but Sara wasn't as pleased. Although Nicky's dad seemed nice, she was still afraid of men. "Umm, maybe not today Mr. Stokes. I'll just stay here and help out my parents. I'm sure they have tons of stuff that I could do for them," Sara said.
Nicky looked sad as Sara said this but he didn't press her. He figured that they could talk after he got back from the beach.

A/N: I hope you all enjoy this chapter. Sorry it took so long to get up. I saw my boyfriend over the weekend for the first time in 3 months. I hope to write and post the next update soon. The next chapter will have the talk between Nick and Sara. It might take me a bit longer, but maybe in the next few days. I know where this fic is going and what I want to happen, I just have to write it all out and fill in the blanks. Thanks for reading and please review if you feel so inclined. Annie