Disclaimer: Don't own anything but my health which isn't very good anyway.
Chapter Two
The following week was hectic for the girls. They weren't just getting ready for visitors; they were getting ready for winter. Megan was to board up all the northern windows on the house and barn so that the north winds wouldn't get in. Bella had to make sure the winter blankets, clothes and boots were out of the barn and the animals were set up. On top of that, everyone was making sure the house stayed clean and there were sleeping spots for Bob and Cole.
It was now the day of their arrival. Joey had just returned from town with Jesse and Zee. Jesse had just unloaded the last of the flour. "Well, that's it," Jesse said coming into the house.
"Sure you can't stay?" Joey asked.
"No, we have some stuff to do yet at our house," Jesse said. "We will see you tomorrow when they guys get here."
Joey hugged Zee bye and went to the barn, "Bella? Megan?" She looked around and saw Megan on the ladder. "Where is Bella?"
"She took off on Midnight again," Megan said.
Joey looked around to see the black Mustang gone. "Does she even stay put?" She went to saddle Goldie, her yellow Palomino, when Bella walked into the barn with Midnight. "Are your chores done?" Joey asked not looking up from her saddle.
"No, ma'am," Bella said putting Midnight in his stall.
"Well," Joey said walking Goldie out, "now you have more to add to that list. I want all the tubs filled with the food I just bought. And I did buy some chocolate but you aren't to eat any tonight."
"Yes, ma'am," Bella said.
Joey walked up to her. "But," she smiled, "you can make a cake for your brothers for tomorrow."
Bella smiled big, "Yes, I will get right on that." She ran over to grab some blankets still left in the barn and walked toward the house.
"I am going for a ride," Joey told Megan while mounting Goldie. "I will be gone a couple hours."
"Okay," Megan responded. "You want me to start supper?"
"Yes. Also, if Jimmy happens by he is not to stay. And you need to tell him we will have visitors."
Megan frowned, "Okay."
"But you can invite him to Christmas Eve dinner."
Megan smiled big and went back to hammering.
Joey rode out and toward her favorite spot. When she got there she looked around sliding off the horse. She looked down at the slowly flowing stream. The snow hadn't started falling yet this winter, but she could see the blue clouds rolling in. She knew it would snow soon.
"Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling. From glen to glen and down the mountain side..." Joey sang the old Irish song her father used to. She heard a stick snap and spun around. "Who's there?"
"Sorry to scare you miss," said a strong male voice. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Millers Hill is."
When Joey saw his face, her breath was lost. She had never seen anyone so handsome. He wore an old hat and looked like he hadn't had a bath in months but underneath it all she saw his eyes.
"Miss, are you okay?" he asked from his horse.
Joey looked at him again, "Um...yes. Millers Hill is about fifteen minutes west."
He tipped his hat, "Thanks." He looked at the sky, "You might want to head back to wherever before the storm hits. Hiya!" He commanded the horse and took off.
She stood there for a moment before realizing the snow had started to fall. She mounted Goldie and headed home. When she arrived at the house, the snow had started to fall hard. She shook off the snow as she entered the house.
"Where have you been?" Megan asked running up to Joey, taking her coat.
"Ran into some visitors," Joey said. "Got dinner going?"
"Yes," Bella said stirring chili in a pot and opening the oven to check on the cornbread muffins. "I think it will be ready in ten minutes or so."
"Have you heard anything from Jesse or Zee about your brothers?" Joey asked. She grabbed some bowls for the table.
"Zee was by earlier, said Bob and Cole would be here as soon as they stopped by. But they wouldn't be able to be by tonight because the storm," Megan said while grabbing a piece of paper from the mantle. "Mr. Jackson stopped by earlier," she said smiling. "He left this."
"Great," Joey said grabbing the paper and setting it in her room.
"Why don't you like Mr. Jackson?" Bella asked softly.
"He isn't all charming," Joey said. She looked at Bella, "Don't be fooled by charm. It is what is on the inside. Some people act a certain way to get you to like them but it isn't always who they are."
Bella smiled, "I know. I don't get a good feeling about him either."
Joey looked at Bella intensely, then Megan, "Has he ever said anything to you? Either of you?"
Megan shook her head.
But Bella refused to look up at her. "He said that we shouldn't be here. Said we gave you a bad reputation."
"Why would he say that? What were you talking about?"
"I told him maybe he should lay off you. That he was putting to much pressure on you to go courtin'. That's when he said I don't know what I'm talking about and I should know my place."
There was a knock at the door. Joey walked toward it, "When was this?"
"When you went to town with Jesse and Zee," Megan spoke finally.
"Son of a bitch," Joey said under her breath as she opened the door. She was surprised to see the man from earlier. Behind him was a taller but younger man, not as attractive, though.
"You," he said.
"You," Joey said softly.
"Cole!" Bella yelled running past Joey and into his arms.
Cole embraced her tightly while looking around and asked, "Where is your husband?"
Chapter Two
The following week was hectic for the girls. They weren't just getting ready for visitors; they were getting ready for winter. Megan was to board up all the northern windows on the house and barn so that the north winds wouldn't get in. Bella had to make sure the winter blankets, clothes and boots were out of the barn and the animals were set up. On top of that, everyone was making sure the house stayed clean and there were sleeping spots for Bob and Cole.
It was now the day of their arrival. Joey had just returned from town with Jesse and Zee. Jesse had just unloaded the last of the flour. "Well, that's it," Jesse said coming into the house.
"Sure you can't stay?" Joey asked.
"No, we have some stuff to do yet at our house," Jesse said. "We will see you tomorrow when they guys get here."
Joey hugged Zee bye and went to the barn, "Bella? Megan?" She looked around and saw Megan on the ladder. "Where is Bella?"
"She took off on Midnight again," Megan said.
Joey looked around to see the black Mustang gone. "Does she even stay put?" She went to saddle Goldie, her yellow Palomino, when Bella walked into the barn with Midnight. "Are your chores done?" Joey asked not looking up from her saddle.
"No, ma'am," Bella said putting Midnight in his stall.
"Well," Joey said walking Goldie out, "now you have more to add to that list. I want all the tubs filled with the food I just bought. And I did buy some chocolate but you aren't to eat any tonight."
"Yes, ma'am," Bella said.
Joey walked up to her. "But," she smiled, "you can make a cake for your brothers for tomorrow."
Bella smiled big, "Yes, I will get right on that." She ran over to grab some blankets still left in the barn and walked toward the house.
"I am going for a ride," Joey told Megan while mounting Goldie. "I will be gone a couple hours."
"Okay," Megan responded. "You want me to start supper?"
"Yes. Also, if Jimmy happens by he is not to stay. And you need to tell him we will have visitors."
Megan frowned, "Okay."
"But you can invite him to Christmas Eve dinner."
Megan smiled big and went back to hammering.
Joey rode out and toward her favorite spot. When she got there she looked around sliding off the horse. She looked down at the slowly flowing stream. The snow hadn't started falling yet this winter, but she could see the blue clouds rolling in. She knew it would snow soon.
"Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling. From glen to glen and down the mountain side..." Joey sang the old Irish song her father used to. She heard a stick snap and spun around. "Who's there?"
"Sorry to scare you miss," said a strong male voice. "I was wondering if you could tell me where Millers Hill is."
When Joey saw his face, her breath was lost. She had never seen anyone so handsome. He wore an old hat and looked like he hadn't had a bath in months but underneath it all she saw his eyes.
"Miss, are you okay?" he asked from his horse.
Joey looked at him again, "Um...yes. Millers Hill is about fifteen minutes west."
He tipped his hat, "Thanks." He looked at the sky, "You might want to head back to wherever before the storm hits. Hiya!" He commanded the horse and took off.
She stood there for a moment before realizing the snow had started to fall. She mounted Goldie and headed home. When she arrived at the house, the snow had started to fall hard. She shook off the snow as she entered the house.
"Where have you been?" Megan asked running up to Joey, taking her coat.
"Ran into some visitors," Joey said. "Got dinner going?"
"Yes," Bella said stirring chili in a pot and opening the oven to check on the cornbread muffins. "I think it will be ready in ten minutes or so."
"Have you heard anything from Jesse or Zee about your brothers?" Joey asked. She grabbed some bowls for the table.
"Zee was by earlier, said Bob and Cole would be here as soon as they stopped by. But they wouldn't be able to be by tonight because the storm," Megan said while grabbing a piece of paper from the mantle. "Mr. Jackson stopped by earlier," she said smiling. "He left this."
"Great," Joey said grabbing the paper and setting it in her room.
"Why don't you like Mr. Jackson?" Bella asked softly.
"He isn't all charming," Joey said. She looked at Bella, "Don't be fooled by charm. It is what is on the inside. Some people act a certain way to get you to like them but it isn't always who they are."
Bella smiled, "I know. I don't get a good feeling about him either."
Joey looked at Bella intensely, then Megan, "Has he ever said anything to you? Either of you?"
Megan shook her head.
But Bella refused to look up at her. "He said that we shouldn't be here. Said we gave you a bad reputation."
"Why would he say that? What were you talking about?"
"I told him maybe he should lay off you. That he was putting to much pressure on you to go courtin'. That's when he said I don't know what I'm talking about and I should know my place."
There was a knock at the door. Joey walked toward it, "When was this?"
"When you went to town with Jesse and Zee," Megan spoke finally.
"Son of a bitch," Joey said under her breath as she opened the door. She was surprised to see the man from earlier. Behind him was a taller but younger man, not as attractive, though.
"You," he said.
"You," Joey said softly.
"Cole!" Bella yelled running past Joey and into his arms.
Cole embraced her tightly while looking around and asked, "Where is your husband?"
