SECRECY

After receiving some more advice, I'm starting over. I hope it works this time, if not, them I'm afraid I'll have to abandon it altogether. Your patience with me is admirable and I thank you all for that.

Summary: On a return journey home after a strenuous two week job of carrying out line shack repairs and replenishing the food stores, Adam comes across an unconscious and very wet young woman who needs help.

Chapter 1

It was towards the end of September and Adam, Sport and Fern, the pack horse, were not enjoying his last days of organising the line shacks. The weather had turned very nasty. Constant rain over the last two days and evening was drawing in. He had spent the last two weeks cleaning, repairing and stocking up the line shacks, pleased at being alone with his thoughts and the two books he brought with him. He loved his family and loved being with them and working with them, but he always liked his alone time too. Sport never appreciated getting wet through, and even wearing his slicker Adam too was soaked. At least he was heading toward the last line shack and it was nearest to home.

At last he was nearing the line shack just as another flash of lightening lit up the area, and he thought he saw something outlined in the near distance on the ground. He took his gun out of his holster and approached cautiously. As he neared he could just make out a form lying on the ground. He brought Sport to a walk and stopped short, just in front of a body. He dismounted and approached carefully but then he could see it was a female. He knelt down and discovered she was unconscious but alive, just, and soaked through. He holstered his gun and considerately lifted her up and placed her across Sport's saddle and mounted up behind her.

"Let's get you to the line shack," he said to her. Thankfully it was not far, just about ten minutes away, and as soon as he got there he lifted her off Sport and carried her into the shack, and placed her on the floor.

"First things first. Get a fire going." Luckily there was some logs in the basket and he set the fire going. Once he had done that which had taken some time, he turned back to the woman. "Now for you miss. Forgive me for what I'm about to do, but these clothes have to come off and you dried."

He went to the clothes cupboard where a few items were always kept for such a purpose, but it was blankets he was after as no towels were available. 'Something to mention,' he thought. There should be towels in each line shack. "Sorry we have no towels but I'll dry you with one of these blankets and then wrap you up in another one. Okay?" he asked, as if expecting a reply. "Maybe, for the moment, it's just as well that you're unconscious. So here goes."

Then each article of clothing was painstakingly removed and he could tell from her body that she seemed fairly young. He dried her with one blanket and then he wrapped her up in the other blanket and lifted her up and placed her on one of the bunk cots he had moved to in front of the fire, which was burning quite well now, and hoped the heat would bring her back to life. She had her hair held up with pins, so he unpinned it and allowed her long hair to hang over the head of the cot. The fire should dry it fairly soon, as well as her clothes, which he had placed on the two chairs, that were housed in the line shack, around the fire. When he felt she was safely secured wrapped well in the blanket. So his next job would be to see to Sport, who had been left stood outside all this time. He walked back out into the rain.

"Sorry, Sport, you too Fern, but it was more important to see to her first. Now let's get you two in the barn here, dried off and rubbed down. Then some food. Yes?" From Sport there was a snort in reply. He lead them into the barn. A small barn built just to house two or three horses. There was one built at each line shack. Ben always wanted to make sure that any ranch hands were well provided for when they had to work far away from the ranch, and that included their horses, as without their horses, they might not make it back home.

On returning to the shack with the last of the supplies, Adam found the girl still unconscious but he could see there was activity in the form of muffled words. She's coming round, he thought. Good. He then stripped down himself and managed to dry himself with another blanket and donned his other pair of trousers and shirt he had in his saddlebags. He found a small space where he could put his own wet clothes next to the fire.

"Let's get some coffee going and then see if I can wake you up." He realised he was having a one sided conversation, but he felt it was better for her, should she be able to hear him in her unconscious state. With the coffee pot on the fire and brewing, Adam gently touched the girl's face.

"He won't….find…" she mumbled. "What was that about. Sounds as if she is trying to avoid someone." With that more words, "lose…him." "Well at least she is beginning to come round. A surprise is in store for her, I fear. I wonder how she will react to me."

The coffee was ready and Adam was in need of a good cup of coffee. "I'll think about some food, after I've had this coffee. But while he was drinking he notice movement from the cot. The girl was beginning to come round. Head movement a good indication.

"Hello, miss. Can you hear me." No response. "Miss. Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you." Still no response. So Adam wet a small washcloth and began to wash her face. This action made her open her eyes - wide. 'And what eyes', he thought.

"What…where am I…who are you…let me go." "Calm down miss, my name is Adam and I found you unconscious out in the rain. What's your name?"

There was a pause but she eventually said, "Ju..lie."

"Good. Hello Julie. Are you feeling up to a coffee. Or perhaps you'd like water?" "Water would be good, thank you." Julie made to sit up when the blanket slipped and she suddenly realised she was naked under the blanket. "You bastard," she screamed. Adam turned back instantly. "You took advantage of me while I was unconscious? You blackguard. You are the lowest of the low. Get me my clothes and I'm out of here. NOW."

"Listen Julie and calm down." He was about to put his hands on her shoulders to help calm her down, but rejected the idea as soon as it entered his head. Didn't want to add to her thinking he was about to molest her. "I have done no such thing. I'm not that type of man who would abuse a woman. I simply just brought you in here. You were cold, very wet and unconscious. My first thought was to get you out of your clothes and dried off and warmed up. You must forgive me for taking such liberties. Just consider me as a doctor. He would have done just that. Please don't be embarrassed. My only goal was to get you well again."

Julie was struggling within herself. Could she trust this man? He did seem genuine in his concern for her. And he had a nice comforting voice. "Maybe I was too hasty and apologise for my name-calling."

"It's okay. I can understand your reaction. Waking up to a face you didn't recognise and finding yourself without…that is to say undressed, and in a place not suitable for a skunk." The last said in an effort to relieve the tension. "Now how would you like something to eat. I'm afraid it will only be bacon and beans."

"Not been hunting today?" Julie asked.

"No, not today. Wasn't expecting visitors."

Trying to sit up and wrapping the blanket securely around her she said, "So this is where you live?!"

"Well, today it is. This is just a line shack for the hands and my family when we have to work away from the ranch."

"Oh, so you're a ranch hand?" "Yes and no. This last two weeks or so I've worked as a hand, but I was on my way here to our last line shack and found you."

"So you don't live here. Where do you live?" She asked.

"I live on The Ponderosa, approximately three hours ride from here. This was my last port of call before returning home."

"What's the Ponderosa?"

"It's our home ranch and we call it The Ponderosa, after the trees that surround it."

"It sounds grand."

"Well, maybe. But I need to get some food started before we talk the night away with no food."

"We're both staying in here tonight?" Julie asked with concern still on her mind. Adam decided to start cooking the food and spoke as he did so.

"Please don't worry on that score. If it had been a good night I would've slept outside under the stars, but as it's tipping down, I'll have to give it a miss."

He started placing the bacon in the pan. "There's another cot over there. I'll sleep there and you will stay close to the fire to keep warming you up."

"But you'll be cold over there. And what about your own clothes. Aren't they wet too?" "Actually, I always travel with another pair of pants and shirt. I dried myself and changed while you were unconscious. See they're drying alongside yours. See?" There was no further discussion along those lines. Then, the food being ready, Adam placed some bacon and beans onto the plates and brought them over to Julie.

"Do you think you'll manage this?" He asked, wondering now if this food was what she required right now. "Sorry there's nothing more appropriate for you."

"I'll try and manage some of it. I hope I'll be able to keep it down and apologise in advance if I can't."

"That's okay. Just eat a little at a time."

And so they quietly ate their food and so far Julie had managed very well. Once they had finished Adam took the plates away to wash.

"I think it's best for you to try and sleep now and rest. Your clothes should be nice and dry in the morning."

"Thank you, Adam, for everything. I might not have survived if you hadn't come along."

"You're welcome. Now lie down and sleep. I'll see you in the morning. Night."

"Goodnight, Adam." They nestled down each in their own cots and it didn't take long for them to fall asleep, both having had a long and wet day.