Disclaimer: I don't own anything but original characters.
AN: I just want to thank the following for reviews.
lilwilson-Thank you for the review. It means a lot.
thepathchoosesthewalker-Can you tell me what WOT means??? LOL!!! I am so glad you love the story. I hope I am not disappointing anyone with these upcoming chapters b/c I don't think this chapter went as well as I wanted it to.
Krystal-You know your opinion means a lot to me. Thank you.
Chapter Four
When Joey woke the next morning, her head ached. She looked in the mirror and saw the dark circles under her eyes. Why do I always have to cry, she asked herself?
She took a quick wash up and pulled her hair into a bun, trying to look older today. A few curls fell out and she tried to tuck them back. She got fully dressed since there was company and stepped out hoping not to wake anyone.
When she looked around, Bob was still asleep but Cole was gone. She quietly climbed up the ladder to wake the girls. She got up there to find Bella wasn't there and Megan was watching out the window.
"He acts like nothing has changed," Megan said softly.
"How's that?" Joey asked sitting next to her and looking out the window. Cole and Bella were outside the barn with Midnight. She had never seen either one of them smile like that before.
"He acts like Jimmy never existed," Megan said tears in her eyes. "Jimmy dies and then he just sends us away like we don't exist either. Now he wants to act like he can tell us what to do."
"Oh, Megan, I wish I had words of wisdom for you but I don't. I can't tell you what he's thinking or why he does what he does." Joey turned Megan to her, "But I can tell you this. He's your brother, your blood. That is the most important thing. You have to stay a family, be a family."
"Joey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drudge up family." Megan got up, "Guess I should get dressed."
Joey walked over to climb down when Megan turned to her, "Oh and Joey, you shouldn't cry so much. I know you miss your father but we love you and want you to be happy."
Joey smiled and climbed down the ladder. Whenshe turned Bob was dressed and making coffee. "Oh you are a doll," she said smiling.
"Want a cup?" he asked.
"Yes," she said getting into the cooler for the bacon. She started it and went to making dough for biscuits. "Bob could you get Cole and Bella for breakfast," she asked when it was ready and Megan had the table set. Bob nodded and walked outside.
When Cole walked in the house, Joey lost her breath again. He was cleaned up and looked even better than before. She thought she would faint but instead turned to take the biscuits out.
As she set them on the stove, Cole came up behind her and handed her a piece of paper. Joey gasped. It was Nathan's note. How had he gotten it? It must have fallen out of her book, she thought.
"We need to talk," he said softly and sat at the table. Joey was feeding the horses after breakfast and decided to take Goldie out for a ride. As she saddled the horse, Cole walked over to her. Startled, Joey screamed.
"Hey, hey, it's me," Cole said.
Joey took deep breaths, making sure she had Goldie's reigns. "Don't you ever do that again!"
"Sorry," he said petting Goldie's mane. "Why would you scream way out here? What are you scared of?"
Joey looked at him sarcastically. "Haven't you ever heard of mountain men?"
Cole laughed. He looked at her seriously, "Who wrote the note?"
"No one you need to worry about," she said.
"My sisters are here and that makes me worry. That makes it my business," he said grabbing Goldie's reigns.
"Listen Mr. In-my-face, get out," Joey said grabbing the reigns back.
"Who wrote it, Joey?"
Joey changed her direction, "How dare you read my letters?" Her voice seethed with viciousness. "You had no right. You should have just set it on the table." She had tears in her eyes.
"You know we can take care of it," he said seriously.
Joey glared at him, "That isn't funny." She stood in front of him and lowered her voice. "You think I don't know what you do? You think Bella and Megan don't know? How do you think they feel about it? Huh? Have bank robbers for brothers. I can understand it at first because of the railroad but now there just any excuse."
"You don't know what you are talking about. You aren't much older than them, you don't know how the world works."
"The hell I don't," she yelled.
"You don't. I know what is best for my sisters. I helped raised them."
"And abandon them."
"I didn't..."
"Listen I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Fine," Cole said turning to walk away but turned back. "But let me tell you something. You can want what ever you want from this guy. I really don't care what happens to you but I do care about my sisters. They get hurt because you don't do something about this guy, I will come after you."
Joey stood there. She didn't know what to say.
Cole walked but turned back again, "Bella told me she was scared. If that doesn't tell you something you are stupid. If you love my sisters the way you claimed to that should have some effect on you." He walked back to the house.
Joey climbed onto Goldie and took off. Where was she going? Anywhere but here, she said out loud. And she headed there, crying the whole way to nowhere.
AN: I just want to thank the following for reviews.
lilwilson-Thank you for the review. It means a lot.
thepathchoosesthewalker-Can you tell me what WOT means??? LOL!!! I am so glad you love the story. I hope I am not disappointing anyone with these upcoming chapters b/c I don't think this chapter went as well as I wanted it to.
Krystal-You know your opinion means a lot to me. Thank you.
Chapter Four
When Joey woke the next morning, her head ached. She looked in the mirror and saw the dark circles under her eyes. Why do I always have to cry, she asked herself?
She took a quick wash up and pulled her hair into a bun, trying to look older today. A few curls fell out and she tried to tuck them back. She got fully dressed since there was company and stepped out hoping not to wake anyone.
When she looked around, Bob was still asleep but Cole was gone. She quietly climbed up the ladder to wake the girls. She got up there to find Bella wasn't there and Megan was watching out the window.
"He acts like nothing has changed," Megan said softly.
"How's that?" Joey asked sitting next to her and looking out the window. Cole and Bella were outside the barn with Midnight. She had never seen either one of them smile like that before.
"He acts like Jimmy never existed," Megan said tears in her eyes. "Jimmy dies and then he just sends us away like we don't exist either. Now he wants to act like he can tell us what to do."
"Oh, Megan, I wish I had words of wisdom for you but I don't. I can't tell you what he's thinking or why he does what he does." Joey turned Megan to her, "But I can tell you this. He's your brother, your blood. That is the most important thing. You have to stay a family, be a family."
"Joey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to drudge up family." Megan got up, "Guess I should get dressed."
Joey walked over to climb down when Megan turned to her, "Oh and Joey, you shouldn't cry so much. I know you miss your father but we love you and want you to be happy."
Joey smiled and climbed down the ladder. Whenshe turned Bob was dressed and making coffee. "Oh you are a doll," she said smiling.
"Want a cup?" he asked.
"Yes," she said getting into the cooler for the bacon. She started it and went to making dough for biscuits. "Bob could you get Cole and Bella for breakfast," she asked when it was ready and Megan had the table set. Bob nodded and walked outside.
When Cole walked in the house, Joey lost her breath again. He was cleaned up and looked even better than before. She thought she would faint but instead turned to take the biscuits out.
As she set them on the stove, Cole came up behind her and handed her a piece of paper. Joey gasped. It was Nathan's note. How had he gotten it? It must have fallen out of her book, she thought.
"We need to talk," he said softly and sat at the table. Joey was feeding the horses after breakfast and decided to take Goldie out for a ride. As she saddled the horse, Cole walked over to her. Startled, Joey screamed.
"Hey, hey, it's me," Cole said.
Joey took deep breaths, making sure she had Goldie's reigns. "Don't you ever do that again!"
"Sorry," he said petting Goldie's mane. "Why would you scream way out here? What are you scared of?"
Joey looked at him sarcastically. "Haven't you ever heard of mountain men?"
Cole laughed. He looked at her seriously, "Who wrote the note?"
"No one you need to worry about," she said.
"My sisters are here and that makes me worry. That makes it my business," he said grabbing Goldie's reigns.
"Listen Mr. In-my-face, get out," Joey said grabbing the reigns back.
"Who wrote it, Joey?"
Joey changed her direction, "How dare you read my letters?" Her voice seethed with viciousness. "You had no right. You should have just set it on the table." She had tears in her eyes.
"You know we can take care of it," he said seriously.
Joey glared at him, "That isn't funny." She stood in front of him and lowered her voice. "You think I don't know what you do? You think Bella and Megan don't know? How do you think they feel about it? Huh? Have bank robbers for brothers. I can understand it at first because of the railroad but now there just any excuse."
"You don't know what you are talking about. You aren't much older than them, you don't know how the world works."
"The hell I don't," she yelled.
"You don't. I know what is best for my sisters. I helped raised them."
"And abandon them."
"I didn't..."
"Listen I don't want to talk about this anymore."
"Fine," Cole said turning to walk away but turned back. "But let me tell you something. You can want what ever you want from this guy. I really don't care what happens to you but I do care about my sisters. They get hurt because you don't do something about this guy, I will come after you."
Joey stood there. She didn't know what to say.
Cole walked but turned back again, "Bella told me she was scared. If that doesn't tell you something you are stupid. If you love my sisters the way you claimed to that should have some effect on you." He walked back to the house.
Joey climbed onto Goldie and took off. Where was she going? Anywhere but here, she said out loud. And she headed there, crying the whole way to nowhere.
