Author's Note: Thanks to everyone for leaving such wonderful responses! It's so inspiring. I'm happy to know that there are still some fans out there who want to take a journey into the Logan's world (well at least from my perspective – LOL). Thanks again, and please do continue the feedback. It encourages me to continue.

twizzler182000 – Thanks for the positive comments on the dialogue. I work really hard to expand on the characters personalities, but at the same time I try to keep them true to form. It's very pleasing when I hear reviewers say the characterizations are on point.

Chapter Three

Jeremy lay staring at the ridges in the ceiling, content, being in solitude with his thoughts. The Logans had begged him to join them for tea and cookies, but he'd declined, stating that he was tired and wanted to make it an early night. It was true; he was worn, but he was also in no mood for tea and chatter. He just wanted to be alone. He couldn't believe it had been a year since it all happened; time went by so fast, and despite the distance between then and now, his heart still ached like it was yesterday. He closed his eyes tightly, trying desperately to shut out the pain that pulsated through him. A tear flowed down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away. He couldn't keep drowning in the pain of what happened. He thought. He had to do something about it. He had the information he needed to console his heart, but as much as he wanted to move forward with that information, with his plan, he was afraid to open his heart again. Afraid that if he did, he'd again be faced with the heartache he was feeling now. He didn't think he could take more pain, but he had to risk it. She was all he had; the only thing that could mend his heart.

"Keep it down!" Ned scolded "We don't want to wake Jeremy." The Logan family was in the middle of their nightly ritual - tea, cookies and talking in the parlor. Normally their discussions would be a continuation of the conversation they'd had at dinner; but tonight was different. Since Jeremy had opted to skip tea and turn in early, Ned took the opportunity to bring up Alice's concerns for him and her idea to cheer him up.

"So what do you all think of Alice's suggestion?" He asked. Again everyone started speaking "One at a time." He said

"Well I'm totally against it" Clay said sharply

"You would be" Alice countered as she rolled her eyes

"I don't trust him" Clay explained "He's a thief. He doesn't deserve to be apart of this family!"

"That's enough." Ned said angrily, "I know that we had a rocky start with Jeremy, but things have smoothed out."

"Rocky start? Pa he stole from our friends. He was going to steal Sweet Thunder if the barn hadn't caught fire!"

"And he could have very well used that fire to hide his leaving." Ned interjected "Instead he stayed and helped fight the blaze. He assisted in saving your sister's life for God's sake. Now whether you like it or not, Jeremy is apart of this family."

Clay could only bite his tongue; to say more now would make his father angrier, and he didn't want to go down that path. He had to admit, he couldn't really dispute what his father had said, Jeremy was out of control in the beginning, but had seemed to settle down. However, that meant nothing to Clay. Once a thief, always a thief; he thought. He still didn't feel Jeremy was trustworthy, but his father wouldn't hear a word concerning it, not as long as Jeremy was acting the saint and there was no evidence of his falsity. So Clay would have to wait and watch, sooner or later he knew Jeremy would slip up again.

"Well I'm for it." Alice said excitedly, attempting to lighten the mood caused by Clay's comments.

"Me too!" Lexy concurred

"I still think it's too much" Clay said stubbornly

"Clay" Ned warned

"All I'm saying is we've done so much for him already." Clay continued, ignoring his father's warning "We've given him a place to sleep, food, clothing. I don't get why he wouldn't already feel apart of the family."

"I can think of one reason why he might not feel so welcomed." Lexy said accusingly

"Be quiet Lexy" Clay retorted

"That's enough you two." Ned said firmly "Sean, you haven't weighed in on this, what you think?"

Ned's question failed to register with Sean. He was a million miles away, back in the barn, hours earlier, reliving the conversation he'd had with Marita. He knew that she was right about people's intolerance for their relationship, that the logical thing to do would be to move forward – separately, but that didn't make the pain he was feeling any less. After she ran out, he remained in the barn for a long time, immobile, still stunned by her plans to leave Lexington. It was only after the windows began to grow dark that he emerged from his rumination and returned home.

"Sean…Sean, are you with us." Ned asked, finally managing to penetrate his deep thoughts.

"Hmm?" Sean answered distractedly as he turned his attention to his father

"Did you hear what I said?" Ned asked with concern

"No, I'm sorry." Sean replied "What did you say?"

"What are your thoughts on a special dinner for Jeremy?"

"Whatever you decide is fine with me." He said

"Oh come on" Clay whined

"That's four to your one Clay" Alice exclaimed triumphantly "That means the dinner is on!"

"I don't think so!" Clay contested "Sean's vote could go either way and Pa hasn't said yes."

"Oh Clay, would you stop with the…"

"Can we have the dinner Pa, please" Lexy begged, adding more chaos to the already deteriorating situation.

"Quiet!" Ned finally roared, the children silenced quicker than a baby receiving milk. Ned hated raising his voice, but he'd had enough of the squabbling. "If we can't talk this out like civilized human beings" he said in a calmer tone "I will end this discussion right now."

"That's fine by me" Clay expressed boldly, but quickly realized his error when he saw his father's expression.

"If I have to say one more word to you about your comments, you'll be responsible for your chores as well as Jeremy's for the next week." Ned stated as he glared at Clay.

"I'm sorry Pa" Clay uttered dejectedly

"Don't say you're sorry" Ned said "Be respectful"

"Yes sir"

There was a brief moment of quiet then Ned continued "I think the dinner would be a great way to show Jeremy how much he's wanted in this family, but I'm going to keep it small, family only, and no gifts. I think anything more would be overwhelming for him."

Though Alice and Lexy were disappointed with their father's decision not to make the occasion more special with gifts and attendees outside of the family, they were still happy that he agreed to do it. From there, despite Clay's occasional grunts over a food choice he didn't like, the discussion on the dinner was productive. They decided it would be held the following week, as a surprise, with all of Jeremy's favorite dishes. Clay even managed to add his own positive feedback, suggesting Marita's strawberry custard for dessert, one of Jeremy's favorites. Throughout the planning Sean remained a quiet observer, his mind still plagued with thoughts of Marita. And though Ned was focused on the matter being discussed, he was very aware of Sean's reclusiveness. All night, Sean had appeared spacey, during dinner and again during tea. Ned knew that he had a lot on his plate, but there was something more going on with him. He had never witnessed Sean so distant, and there was a bleakness in his eyes that worried Ned deeply. But what could he do he thought, if Sean was unwilling to open up? Ned had considered approaching him with his concerns, but knew that Sean would gloss it over with excuses of tiredness due to work. He couldn't help him if he wasn't being honest, so Ned guessed the only thing he could do was continue being the best father he knew how and hope that it would be enough to help Sean through his issues.

Asa spotted Henry Langston as soon as he walked into Nelson's Saloon. Pete had told him that Mr. Langston was the only negro that hung out in the place wearing a suit; probably because after a hard day's work, he was the only negro who actually wore a suit to conduct his daily business. Asa wasn't used to dealing with coloreds who were businessmen like himself and in all honesty he wished they would stay in their place as field workers and servants, but times had changed, the civil war had saw to that. However, despite Mr. Langston's growth in the world he still had to answer to men like himself, Asa thought, and if he knew what was good for him, he'd comply with his request. Putting on a deceitful grin, Asa walked confidently to the bar and took a seat next to Henry. Seeing that he was finishing up his drink, Asa offered to buy him another. Henry accepted, then introduced himself .

"I'm Henry Langston" he said as he extended his hand

"Asa Winters" Asa said as he forced himself to return the gesture that filled him with disgust.

"Pleased to meet you" Henry said fully aware of who Mr. Winters was, but never letting on his knowledge.

"You're with Claison Rail Lines aren't you?" Asa asked

"Yes" Henry responded "How did you know?"

"Well, when a man like yourself comes to Lexington, I make it my business to know who you are."

"Hmrph" Henry said as he turned forward and took a swig of his drink. He was no fool; he knew that men like Asa Winters didn't come up and introduce themselves to lawyers they didn't know without a hidden agenda.

"I hear Claison is looking to sell some land outside of Lexington." Asa continued

"We were, but that land has been acquired by another party."

"I know about your pending deal with the city," Asa said calmly "and I'm willing to offer Claison double what they're offering."

" Really? What would your plans be for the land?" Henry asked "Because Claison is looking to sale to someone who is going to use it to develop projects that will be useful to the community of Lexington."

"I understand your concerns" Asa said sharply "but I plan to use the land to build housing for the local workers; many of them don't have proper places to stay. Hence, new housing would be a vast improvement to the filthy, outdated shacks they are currently living in."

"That sounds like a great idea Mr. Winters, perhaps I can offer another piece of land for your project. Claison has many lots they'll be purchasable within the next few months, if you're interested."

Asa was fuming. He'd had enough of this negro's thinking antics. It was amusing in the beginning when he was grilling him about his plans for the land. Now he had the audacity to suggest he consider another piece of property. It was obvious Mr. Langston had no idea who he was dealing with Asa thought. It was time he showed him.

"That's all well and good Mr. Langston, but I want the land being purchased by the city of Lexington. It's the ideal size and location for my project, and I think it would be unwise for you to deny me the opportunity to acquire it." Henry was instantly peeved, but maintained a cool exterior.

"What does that mean?" He asked sharply "Are you threatening me?"

"No, no" Asa said unconvincingly "I was only pointing out that it would be wise for you to consider all offers that may be beneficial to Claison, otherwise you would not be properly doing your job."

Henry didn't respond immediately. He was struggling to suppress the growing anger within him. He'd heard that Asa Winters was a shrewd business man, but this beyond shrewd. Mr. Winters was an arrogant bastard, who probably used few ethics in conducting his business, and because of this, Henry didn't trust a word he said about his supposed plans for the property. In spite of that though, Henry knew he had to concede to Asa, promise to take his offer back to Claison; otherwise his job could be in jeopardy; but this was not over. He was going to do everything in his power to make certain Asa Winters did not acquire that land.

"I'll approach my superiors with your offer and get back to you." Henry said tightly.

"Thank you." Asa said smugly as he stood, placing the money for their drinks on the bar "It's going to be great doing business with you."

"Any problems with the paper work?" Ned asked as he walked into the study.

"No" Marita answered as she continued to work "There are a few things that still need to be worked out, but I should have everything completed by week's end."

"Good" Ned said, pleased. "I don't know what I'm going to do when you move to Michigan."

"Well, I hope that I can be as much of an asset to Cholena as I have been to you."

Marita had informed Ned several days earlier that she planned to accept a teaching position at Cherry's Preparatory School in Cholena, Michigan. Ned was initially upset. Marita was the main reason why the business/financial side of the ranch ran so well. She was organized, sharp, and she kept him on his toes. Plus, she was like a daughter to him. He'd watched her mature as if she was one of his own and just like his own, he didn't want to see her venture into the world, leaving him behind. But after her decision sunk in, he realized how proud he was of her and that despite wanting her to remain his secretary permanently, he wanted her to explore the aspirations she had beyond the ranch.

"You will" Ned said confidently "They'll be lucky to have you."

"Thanks Mr. Logan"

"Marita…" Ned said as he walked closer to the desk she was sitting at.

"Yes" she answered without looking up.

"I need to talk to you about something." Hearing the seriousness in his voice, Marita stopped what she was doing and gave Ned her full attention.

"What is it?" She asked

"It's Sean…I'm worried about him." Though Ned had concluded it was pointless to confront Sean about his recent demeanor, he felt he had to try his last option…Marita. She and Sean had been close for years, he thought. Maybe she could ease his worries concerning him.

Marita became uptight at the mention of his name, but made a quick attempt to conceal her uneasiness. "What about him?" she asked as she forced herself to hold his gaze

"He's been preoccupied, almost troubled lately." Ned answered "I know that he's working on several projects, but I can't help feeling there's something more happening with him. I can see it in his eyes. It's almost the same look he had when his mother died." Unable to disguise the pain that was no doubt more apparent in her own eyes due to her hearing of Sean's struggle, Marita lowered her gaze.

"I know that you and Sean are close, that you've been close since you were children." Ned continued "I just want to know if he's okay. If there's something I should know about him. I'm not asking you to betray his confidence."

Despite her breaking heart, Marita looked Mr. Logan in the eyes and answered. "As far as I know he's fine." She hated lying to Mr. Logan, but she knew that if she didn't mask what she was feeling, he might discern what was going on. "Like you said," She continued "He's inundated with projects. He's probably just more stressed than usual. I'm sure he'll be fine once he completes some of those projects."

Ned studied Marita closely, not convinced by what she was saying. Her uneasiness at the mention of Sean's name had not escaped him, and watching her response confirmed his fears that Sean was dealing with a serious issue. Also, like Sean, there was sadness in her eyes he couldn't explain. Could Sean and Marita's melancholy be linked? Ned thought. It couldn't be. What could Marita and Sean possibly be going through that would cause so much…Ned's thoughts were interrupted by another inconceivable idea. Did Marita and Sean's relationship go beyond friendship? No, that was impossible. He denied, but if there was more to their relationship, it would explain the pensiveness emanating from both of them. This is crazy. He thought, there's nothing going on between Sean and Marita. Sean's just stressed due to work, and they are both probably sad about her plans to leave Lexington. They are after all close friends and will lose that closeness when Marita moved.

"You're probably right." Ned said convincingly, though deep down he couldn't assure himself it was true. "I'm overreacting. Sean is dealing with a lot right now. He's probably just stressed."

"Yes, I'm sure that's it." Marita said softly, suppressing the tears that were threatening to flow.

"Well I'm going to town" Ned said as he turned to go "You need anything?"

"No, I'm fine , thanks." Marita answered

As soon as Ned was gone, Marita released a tearful sob. Though the conversation she and Sean had was still fresh in her heart, she had managed to lock her feelings away by immersing herself in work, but when Mr. Logan voiced his concerns about Sean's recent mood, it brought all the pain back to the surface. It hurt her so deeply to know that Sean was carrying around such anguish, and it hurt even more to know that there was nothing she could do to stop it.

Wilhelmina found Vivian lying on her bed staring at the wall. It was obvious she was still sulking over her life. Ever since her argument with Sean Logan, she had been sour with everyone. Her normally active routine had dwindled to nothing. She moped around day in and day out dressed in her most unappealing gowns, grumbling about what had happened. Wilhelmina could understand her need to isolate herself from everyone; she was hurting, but enough was enough and Wilhelmina was going to put a stop to it right then. She rushed to the windows, pulled back the draperies, and opened the panes, letting in the bright sunshine and the fresh spring air.

"Wilhelmina what on earth are you doing?" Vivian shrieked as she sat up on the bed, shielding her eyes from the light.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Wilhelmina said as she went to Vivian's closet and removed a colorful dress "I'm letting some life into this room and getting you out of this house."

"What?" Vivian exclaimed

"You heard me" Wilhelmina said firmly "I want you washed and changed in an hour."

"Wilhelmina, I'm not up for this" Vivian answered stubbornly as she stood and headed towards the windows, determined to shut out the life that had been let in.

"If you touch those drapes…" Wilhelmina said angrily

"How dare you speak to me this way." Vivian complained with her own anger

"How dare you sit around here wasting away over Sean Logan." Wilhelmina countered "It's been a week since your little tiff with him and you've made no effort to leave the house and you're still being as mean as you were when it first happened. Now I'm sorry things didn't work out between you and Mr. Logan, but it's time that you get over it!"

"Get over it?!" Vivian cried as she returned to the side of the bed "Sean broke my heart all over again when he rejected my attempt to reconcile. I will never get past what he's done to me"

"Oh nonsense" Wilhelmina said as she took out a pair of shoes to match the dress she'd lain out.

"Nonsense? I…" Vivian said with shock

"I don't want to hear it." Wilhelmina interrupted "You knew that Mr. Logan was not going to continue your relationship after that horrid display at the engagement party. But you pushed it anyway, thinking you could maneuver your way back into his life and when he didn't respond the way you wanted you became more angry, than hurt because you didn't get what you wanted."

"I can't believe you're saying this" Vivian said, completely astonished

"And I can't believe that you're putting all the blame for your broken heart on Mr. Logan" Wilhelmina continued "Do you really believe that Sean Logan is responsible for what happened last week?"

Vivian was so stunned and angry, she couldn't respond. She wanted to blame Sean for her agony. She wanted to blame him for everything. The birds singing in the morning, disrupting her misery, the rain, but when she looked honestly at the whole mess it wasn't his fault. She was genuinely hurt when he ended their engagement, but Wilhelmina was right. When Sean refused to reconcile with her a week ago, she was hurt by his rejection, but she was more devastated by her failure to get what she wanted. She was also angry with herself for being so naive in thinking that they could actually resume their relationship. She still loved him. She guessed she always would, but it was clear he did not love her, probably never did. The entire incident left her feeling humiliated all over again, but this time not by Sean, but by her own brainlessness.

"No" Vivian finally conceded "I don't… I blame myself for last week. I want to blame Sean, but I can't. I was so witless in thinking that he would actually want to resume our relationship after he was the one that ended it. How silly was that? So completely silly."

"Honey, that's love for you" Wilhelmina said as she sat next to Vivian on the bed "It can make you do silly things."

"I was hurt though Wilhelmina, maybe not like before, but I was." Vivian said softly

"I know" Wilhelmina said "I just wanted you to see that you couldn't waste away the rest of your days in this house. You have you're whole life ahead of you, which I'm certain will include a man more right for you than Sean Logan. I know that you probably can't see it now, because you still have feelings for him, but it will happen... But first you've got to get past this and the only way to do that is to get out and start living again."

"I know your right but…"

"No buts" Wilhelmina said "I want you changed and out of the house before lunch."

"All right," Vivian sighed "I'll try it, but I'm not promising anything"

"Good" Wilhelmina said