Hi guys!

Update time! I want to thank everyone who left a review, your feedback means a lot. A fewcof you left some questions so I'll do my best to answer them in a way you guys can understand...

To thr guest reviewer Dee, while your review wasnt quite a question I'll mention a couple of thoughts... i probably should have been a little more specific about Lisa's age when she was in the situation her scars came from. Lisa was about 18-20, so quite a few years older then Jessie is at that time. Don't worry, you all will learn more about Lisa's past as this Saga progresses, you just need to keep an eye out for the little hints along the way.

To the guest reviewer Sam, re Jack and Lisa's age in this story. Well, I'm still trying to figure that out to be exact... I was going to go the easy way and just use the actors ages when they started the series but that would make Lisa 42 and Jack 49... I'm leaning more towards 45 for Lisa and maybe early fifties for Jack? As far as I know, heartland im the series has never actually set an age for them... I could be wrong though, I just dont remember to be honest... hope that answers your question though.

Now, a few harsher words to the guest reviewer in regards to Lisa's scars and I quote 'Lisa has tons of money for plastic surgery. Why would she not have removed them?'

Well, firstly, plastic surgery does not get rid of scars fully! It can help to reduce their appearance and make them easier to conceal but it does not clean the slate so to speak. I should know. I'll be very honest here, I have a lot of acne type scars covering my arms and legs because I'm allergic to mosquitoe bites and regardless of what kind of cosmetic surgery you get, all they can do is reduce the appearance of the scars. To completely hide them you have to use make-up to hide them, plastic surgery DOES NOT get rid of scars completely!

Now, about Lisa in that statement. Though it hasn't been mentioned and probably won't be, Lisa did get surgery to help make them less noticeable. But I'll say it again for the third time. Surgery does not get rid of scars completely! While Lisa might be richer person, no amount of money can remove emotional scars. Jessie seeing that Lisa has scars is a pivotal point in her life, like she said in the previous chapter she was really mean to her and she didn't know. I needed to include this to strengthen an unspoken bond between the two of them. Lisa won't be telling Jack for the nearforseeable future either, this chapter of her past is one she keeps firmly shut and we won't be exploring it fully until much further down the track. I hope that is a good explanation.

One last respond to a review, this one from a guest called Frank for the chapter previous to this one. I quote. 'Are Jack and Lisa anywhere close to a couple to be in a place to get custody of her. I think the authoroties will say no too many variables.'

I have put a lot of thought into figuring out this predicament of Jack and Lisa's relationship and asking to take over guardianship of Jessie. Now, Jack and Lisa have been seeing each other for over a year at this point, while that might not seem to be a whole lot of time I know of people who got married after three months of knowing each other and then adopted a child. This is fiction remember, even as much effort I put into it to make it seem real. Jack and Lisa are concerned for Jessie, in their opinion and I think most of my readers would agree with me, Jessie is better off with them and not a foster home. Foster care is a horribly uncertain world for a child, Jessie has already been through so much. She's attached to Lisa and Jack, (even though she's more close to Lisa then Jack at this point because of her past and trust of men issues) and they to her. As I stated firmly in the other chapter, the desicion about Jessie isn't fully made by Clint. All he can do is put forward a recommendation and his opinion, then it's out of his hands. Being a social worker isn't an easy job, I don't want to see reviews hateing on Clint. Things work out in the end, it'll just take time otherwise I wouldn't have a story to write!

Enough of that now though. I wasn't completely happy with one of the scenes in this chapter but I didn't have anything better to put in and I left it as it was (re Jessie's trouble with Warrior) so please give me the liberty of an underparish scene. I don't have to time to write this chapter over.

Anyway, enjoy

Chapter 21.0

By time the cookies were almost finished baking, the kitchen was back to the way it was before they had started cooking, and the flour fight that had ensued. Thanks to Jessie and Cindy everything was tidy and clean, back to the way it should be. The two girls had managed to get themselves half reasonably clean, their flour laden clothes in the basket to be washed. As they started on the sandwiches while they waited, the smell of the cookies in the oven wafted through the house; a tantalizing, mouthwatering odor that teased everyone inside. It was almost proving impossible with Cindy dancing around to keep them in the oven till they were ready.

'Are they done yet?' Cindy asked for the fifteenth time in five minutes, peering through the glass door of the oven. 'They look down.'

'Cindy, literally twenty seconds have passed since the last time you asked.' She sighed, placing her knife down that she was cutting up salad for the sandwiches with. 'They need to be in there for the last ten minutes so they don't fall apart, it'll be an exercise in patience for you.'

'But I don't want to be patient.' She stuck her bottom lip out in a mock pout. 'They smell so so so good.'

'Tell you what Cindy, how about you go see if Jack is finished getting the horses tacked up hey?' Grabbing the tomato she began to place it on the bread. 'That way they'll be able to finish baking and you won't be asking every two seconds if they're done.'

'But-'

'Go on! Go! Out!' She replied, ushering her outside. 'They'll still be here waiting for you.'

'Ugh, fine.' Cindy grabbed her coat, putting it on as she glanced back through the door at her. 'But I won't like it very much.'

'Yeah yeah.' Jessie teased with a chuckle, heading back to her work in the kitchen. The house fell silent with Cindy's absence the only noise coming from the fan of the oven. She sighed, placing another made sandwich onto the pile. Her thoughts were muddled like a traffic jam on a freeway that she was trying to make sense of. Somehow it was like she couldn't really believe what she had seen. Lisa was like her, scars from her past etching her skin, a constant reminder to her of what she had been through. Lisa understood what she had been through, she knew better than anyone else what she was dealing with from her own past. The shame, the guilt, the hate of her own body marked by men who didn't know how to respect them.

Grabbing some cling-wrap she began to wrap the sandwiches up for the picnic. It made sense to her now, everything that Lisa had said to her. Lisa could say what she had because she had been there. She knew what it was like to be abused and everything that came with it. A new realization of the woman began to dawn upon her. Never again would she see her as the rich woman with a perfect life. Lisa has been just as broken as she was but look where she was now. She hadn't let her past stop her from living. She moved forward, she had gotten through it.

'Thanks for letting me borrow one of your shirts Jessie.' Lisa said as she walked into the kitchen, now free of flour except for the bit that stubbornly insisted upon staying in her hair. 'My one is going straight in the wash when I get home. Wearing a dark blue shirt probably wasn't practical.'

Jessie chuckled softly, looking up at her from her work. 'I'm just glad we take almost the same size or else you'd have to go home to change. You brought me the shirt, technically it's yours.' She looked down at the coat still on the chair. 'But I'm afraid that your jacket is going to need more than just a wash. Milk doesn't mix very well with fake suede. Cindy accidentally knocked over the cartoon and it got pretty soaked.'

'No, it doesn't.' She picked it up, the fabric already going funny as the milk dried on it. 'It's an old jacket anyway, I'll just throw it out. I was going to anyway.'

'Could I have it, if you don't mind?' A little idea had sprung into her thoughts. 'I'll see if I can do something with it.'

'Sure, but I wouldn't keep it in the house. It's going to smell pretty bad when the milk goes off.'

'Yeah, I think I'll find a plastic bag to put it in as soon as I finish here.'

Lisa nodded, placing the jacket aside. 'Anything you want me to do?'

'No, I think I've got it pretty well under control.' She cut and wrapped up the last sandwich, adding it to the pile. A glance to the oven confirmed it had another five minutes left to go before the cookies were finished and she took a seat while she waited. 'Lisa, I have a question.'

'Mmmhmm?'

'You can tell me it's none of my business if you want, but why didn't you tell anyone about what happened to you?'

Lisa sighed, taking a seat across from her. 'For the same reasons as you, I guess. It's not easy, talking about things.' She paused for a moment. 'I just felt like I couldn't talk to anyone about it. I didn't want their pity, I didn't want the looks of 'poor you' every time I saw them and I especially didn't want the 'I told you' so's from them.' She glanced out the window for a moment, dead silence filling the room as she mustered the strength to continue. 'I didn't have anyone that I fully trusted, that I could fully rely on. My relationships with my family were strained at the time, I didn't feel that I could go to them and so eventually I worked through it by myself and moved forward.'

'But what about your husband? You never told him either?'

She shook her head. 'No. I guess I was worried that if he knew the truth that he wouldn't want me anymore. It's silly, I know, especially as we got divorced anyway.'

'No, it's not Lisa.' Jessie gently interrupted. 'It's not easy, bringing up the past and sometimes even if you trust a person there are things that maybe are just too painful to share with them. I trust Jack, but I can't tell him everything about my past. I think it's just that we have to work through and learn from.'

'I know.' She agreed softly. 'Jack has always been such a gentleman to me, he's the best man I've ever known.'

'He's the best I've ever known too.'

'Well, with the people you were around the competition wouldn't have been too fierce.'

Jessie laughed in spite of the truth of her statement. 'Yeah. Can't disagree with you there.' The timer on the oven interrupted their conversation and she quickly got up to check on the cookies. 'Looks like they're done.' She announced, opening the door. 'Can you hand me that mitten please?'

'Here.' She grabbed an extra towel as she handed the mitten to her. 'Those look delicious.'

'Yes, they do.' Carefully she placed the trays on the cooling rack, savouring the smell of them as she turned off the oven. 'Hopefully they taste as good as they look and smell.'

'Are they done yet?'

'Yes, yes they're done Cindy.' Jessie chuckled as the girl hurried in. 'Woah, not so fast. I just got them out, they need to cool for a couple minutes.'

'Awe.' She complained, looking at them hungryly. 'How long?'

'Just till you won't burn yourself and they won't fall apart. They need to harden slightly before we take them off the tray.'

'Alright. I guess a couple minutes won't hurt.'

Lisa looked at Jessie, stifling a giggle as they exchanged glances. Cindy was being so serious it was hilarious. The door opened and closed again and she turned as Jack walked into the kitchen. 'We ready to go out on the trail?'

'Yep, just as soon as you guys are finished we can go.' He nodded with satisfaction as he looked at his kitchen. 'You cleaned the snowstorm up pretty quick.'

'Well we thought we'd had better clean it, seeing as we did make it.' Jessie placed the sandwiches in the saddlebags and handed it to him, grabbing a container for the cookies. 'Alright, I think they're cool enough.'

'Brilliant.'

'Cindy.' She exclaimed, almost knocked over in the girls rush to get to the bench. 'They're still there, no need to hurry.'

'Sorry.'

'Here, I'll give you a hand.' Lisa began placing the cookies into the container, seeing as Cindy was preoccupied with eating. 'That should do it, we'll leave the rest to cool.'

'Mmmmm, not bad.' Cindy commented between bites. 'Not bad at all.'

Jessie looked at her then back at Lisa with a mischievous smirk. 'And I thought you were the one I had to watch. Alright, let's go.'

'The horses are all tacked up.' Jack exclaimed as the girls headed to grab their coats, noticing Lisa didn't appear to have one. He wondered where the one she had been wearing had got to. 'Lisa, it's slightly chilly outside. Where's your jacket?'

'It had a slight milk bath and it didn't do it any good.' She replied. 'I'll be fine Jack.'

'Nonsense, you need a jacket. I'll go grab one of mine you can borrow.'

'Alright.' Lisa surrendered as he headed to his room. 'You go on ahead girls, I'll wait for Jack.'

'Okay.' Jessie picked up the saddlebags Jack had placed down. 'Grab the picnic rug Cinds.'

'Got it.'

The two girls headed out to the horses tied up outside, Lisa waiting quietly for Jack to return. Even though she wouldn't admit it out loud she was touched by his worrying for her going cold. That was just the way he was. Kind, thoughtful. She had known from the first time that she had met him that he was a true gentleman.

'Well, it's not fancy like yours but it'll keep you warm.' Jack exclaimed as he came back out with a jacket. 'I've got you an oilskin too in case it rains, the girls already have theirs on their saddles.'

'Thanks Jack.' She smiled as she put it on.

'Your welcome.'

They headed out, the girls making last minute adjustments to their gear. 'Ready to go?'

'Yep.' Cindy tied the blanket to the back of Copper's saddle. 'All done.'

'I'm ready as well.' Jessie exclaimed as she fixed up the way the picnic was packed in the saddlebag, trying to stop Warrior from getting his muzzle into it. 'Hey.'

'I'll give you a leg up.' Jack offered, helping Cindy onto the gelding. He untied Cooper, handing her the reins as she settled in the saddle. 'Here you go.'

'Thanks Jack.'

'Alright.' Jessie grabbed Warrior's reins as the stallion danced energetically, turning him around in a small circle away from the other horses as he started to get more jumpy. 'Easy, easy boy. Steady.'

'You okay Jessie?' Lisa asked as she mounted the chestnut Jack had tacked for her, slightly concerned about the girl handling a spirited horse when she was still recovering from her injuries. 'You need some help?'

'No, it's okay, I've got it.' She grabbed his cheek strap, turning him again as she calmed him down. 'He's just excited, he'll calm down in a few minutes.' He threw his head back, sidestepping away from her. 'Woah! Warrior! Easy mate, we'll have a run soon.'

Jack saw that she was struggling even if she didn't want to admit it and quickly ran over, grabbing Warrior's bridle on the other side. 'Easy boy, easy.'

'Thanks Jack.' Jessie exclaimed with relief as the stallion started to calm down from his excitement. She patted his neck as he sniffed her shoulders, blowing softly onto them. 'There you go mate, that's better.' He nibbled her jacket, nudging her as she reached for the stirrup. 'Can you hold him while I get on Jack?'

'I've got him.' Jack replied, keeping a firm hand on the horses bridle. Warrior eyed him warily but didn't go to attack him, he'd gotten over that faze. 'Easy boy.'

She placed her foot in the stirrup, pulling herself into the saddle. No sooner had she found the other stirrup with her foot then the stallion side-stepped, forcing Jack to let him go as he reared. She threw herself forward, her arms around his neck to steady herself as he pawed the air. 'Easy boy, easy! Steady!'

'Jessie!' Cindy gasped.

'Woah, easy boy. Easy.' She held on as he came back down, stamping the ground with impatience as she held firmly onto the reins. Her legs were wrapped around his stomach tightly, her body anticipating his next move so she didn't get thrown. He snorted, shaking his head as he pulled against the bit. 'Easy mate, steady.' She started to walk him around in a small circle, his nose almost touching her boot as she kept him going forward. 'If everyone is ready to go, can we please leave? I've got no idea what has gotten into him but if he doesn't get some energy burnt soon he's going to explode.'

'Are you sure you're going to be okay riding him?' Lisa asked as Jack grabbed Paint and mounted. The stallion was fighting the bit, tossing his head around as Jessie tried to keep him occupied. 'He's pretty fresh.'

'He'll settle down once he's on the trail.' She replied, the stallion breaking into a slow canter. 'I don't understand it though, he was completely fine this morning when I rode him. I must have given him too much oats or something when I fed him.'

Cindy nudged Copper into a walk as Jack led the way out of the ranch yard to the trail head, a horrible realization coming to her. 'I gave him some of the horse pellets in the feed room when I tacked him up. I'm sorry Jessie, I didn't know that he'd act like this.'

'The old racehorse feed pellets?' Jack asked.

'Yeah, I didn't know. I just thought I'd give him a treat. I'm sorry.'

'How much did you give him?'

'Nearly a pail full.'

Jessie turned Warrior again as the stallion threatened to bolt, his body tense as she tried to keep him under control. She was fuming, the stallion jumping crazily as he picked up on her emotions. How dare she feed him! It was no surprise at all that he was almost leaping out of his skin. 'Cindy, next time you want to give my horse something, ASK ME FIRST!' She snapped as Warrior jumped, bucking high and pitching her forward into his neck. She managed to keep her seat however, bringing his head back up with some difficulty, ignoring their gasps. 'We're headed for the Overlook, aren't we?'

'Yes.' Jack replied, glancing back at her as she fought to keep the horse from bolting. 'Jessie, maybe we just leave the ride. Are you sure you're going to be able to control him?'

'Its fine, he just needs to blow off some steam.' She replied, trying to get her anger under control. Warrior was mirroring how she was feeling and it was only adding to the severity of the situation. I'll meet you at the Overlook.' She barely touched his flanks with her heels and the stallion leapt forward, taking the bit in his mouth as he charged up the trail. She let him run, leaning down low over his neck as the wind blew through her hair.

The ground flashed by under his hooves as he galloped headlong up the long slope to the top of the hill that overlooked the ranch, hench why it was called the Overlook. His tail held high like a banner, he ate up the distance in a couple of mere minutes. Slowly he started to calm down, his bolting gallop transitioning into a more calm, collected working gallop. There was no need to be tearing around like the devil was after him and so he started to slow now that he had burnt off some energy.

'Easy boy, easy.' Jessie gently reined him in, her hands telling her through the reins that he no longer had the bit in his teeth and that he was willing to listen to her now. He shook his head as he slowed to a canter then finally came to a halt at the top of the hill. She patted his shoulder, the stallion sniffing her boot with his velvety muzzle. 'Its okay boy, it's not your fault.' She reassured him, and herself. Her heart finally stopped its mad pounding as she started to calm down. It had been slightly scary, he hadn't acted like this for a very very long time. One thing was for certain, whatever was in those pellets had certainly made him hot. There was no way she was going to feed those to him ever. She liked his spirit, but today's antics were verging on being a little too much. 'Did you enjoy blowing off some steam hey?'

Warrior nickered gently, lipping the toe of her boot as she scratched behind his ears and she chuckled. 'I guess that's a yes.' She smoothed his mane down for a few moments then glanced back at the trail she had just come up. Jack, Lisa and Cindy were nowhere in sight, Warrior having left them far far behind. She sighed. If she stayed, she would miss out on riding with them. She patted him again, leaving her hand on his neck for a bit longer than usual to feel his muscles. He wasn't tense anymore, he was back to being quiet and gentle. 'Let's go back, shall we?'

A gentle touch of her heel and Warrior turned around, jumping eagerly into a slow gallop. Her anger was abated now, there was no way she could stay mad with Cindy when they only had a couple days left together. It was a simple mistake, it was just lucky for her that it hadn't come with serious consequences. Warrior was a hot horse at the best of times, he didn't need that kind of feed to get him going. Gently she applied a little pressure on his reins, turning him off the trail slightly to jump a fallen log. His attention fixed on the log, daintily tucking his legs underneath him as he jumped over it with ease. She patted him as he headed back onto the trail, a smile on her face. Nothing compared to the thrill that jumping at speed gave her. 'Good work boy.'

The trail turned another corner in the forest and the small group of people riding slowly came into view. Warrior fell back to a slow lope as they approached, then to a trot as she turned him to fall into formation beside Lisa, Cindy and Jack. 'Good boy.'

'How is he now?' Jack asked, glancing over at her. The stallion didn't even appear to have raised a sweat from his gallop. 'He alright?'

'Yeah, he's good now. Just needed to get the vinegar out of his system.'

'Vinegar?' Cindy asked, her forehead scrunched into a frown as she tried to figure out what that meant. 'Huh?'

'Means he needed to blow off steam, it's just another way of saying that.' She turned to Cindy. 'I'm sorry for yelling like that at you earlier, but you need to understand what you did was dangerous. You might have thought you were giving him a treat but you should have asked first. Horses can't take sudden changes in their diet and you gave him way too much food just before he was to be ridden. You can't do that.'

'I know.' The girl looked away from her, her head down. 'Jack told me. I'm sorry. I won't do it again.'

'That's all I need to know. Let's consider the matter closed now, shall we? It's too nice a day to spoil it on arguing.'

'Alright.'

'Good.'

'So did you actually make it to the Overlook or did you just turn back?' Jack asked as they made their way along the trail. 'You weren't gone for long.'

'No, we did make it to the top but then I decided it was going to be too boring to wait for you guys and so I came back.' Warrior shook his head, pig-rooting a couple steps and she steered him away from the chestnut Lisa was riding. 'He's still as fresh as when we started, but without the bite shall we say. I really must thank you Lisa, you've kept him in prime condition while I was unable to ride.'

'I was happy to do it.' She replied with a smile, looking at the girl affectionately. 'Warrior is a great horse, however I am thankful he never played up like that on me. I might consider myself to be an alright rider but I would never have been able to seat his antics. You did well to keep him under control as much as you did.'

Jessie blushed slightly. 'Breaking in mustangs gives you a good disliking for falling off, either you learn how to sit anything or get ready to have a steady diet of dirt.' She patted the black's neck as he settled back to a walk to match their pace. 'And riding bareback helps a lot.'

'When have you broken in mustangs?' Cindy asked in bewilderment. 'How?'

'Oh, yeah.' She chuckled hollowly. Cindy didn't know about that because she hadn't told her about Lillian and Robert. 'I helped Lillian out with training a few mustangs she saved.'

'So-' She thought for a moment, trying to make sense of the stories the girl had told her previously. 'None of this makes sense.'

'Yeah, like I said before I'll explain it all fully when you're older.'

'But-'

'No buts.' The look in her eye silenced the girl in an instant. 'I'm not going to talk about it.'

'Okay.'

The atmosphere thickened slightly as the girls fell into silence. Both Jack and Lisa knew about Jessie's past and they couldn't blame her for not wanting to tell Cindy, especially Lisa. Cindy was only young, even with what she had gone through she didn't have the mentality to be able to fully comprehend and understand about Jessie's chequered background. With what little innocence and faith in humanity that she had left there was no need for her to know. It was better for her that she didn't know.

'So.' It was Jack who finally broke the awkward silence. 'Are you up for a canter Cindy?'

'Sure.' She sneaked a quick glance towards Jessie, the older girls face set and devoid of any emotion. Nothing about her made any sense at all but she didn't have anymore time to think of it as Copper jumped forward into a canter following the other horses lead. She held onto the saddle horn with one hand, the other holding onto the reins. Copper was a way different horse to ride than Warrior, it was like she had to tell him everything wheres with Warrior already knew exactly what he needed to do. 'Easy boy.' She uttered nervously, trying to keep him on the trail. 'Steady.'

'You okay there Cindy?' Lisa asked as she looked back towards her, reining her horse in slightly to keep pace with her.

'Yeah, I'm alright now.'

Jessie glanced over at her, satisfied that Lisa seemed to have taking care of Cindy under control. She nudged her stallion faster to catch up to Jack, grinning mischievously. 'Is that all the speed Paint has?'

'He might be old, but he's still got plenty of miles in him.'

'Good.' She smiled. 'Race you to the Overlook?'

'Your on.' Jack chuckled, spurring Paint with his heels. 'Three, two-'

'Ya'ah!' She dug her heels into the stallions flanks, Warrior shooting ahead of Paint and she laughed as she heard Jack urging Paint on. There was no way that Paint would be able to keep up if Warrior kept going near his top speed and she reined him in slightly. She glanced back, Paint was almost five horse lengths behind and she slowed him a little further to let the gelding have half a fighting chance of keeping up but still made a show of urging Warrior on even though she wasn't giving him his actual cue to sprint.

The two horses raced up the hill, Paint's nose reaching to Warrior's flank now as both riders urged their horse on faster. Jessie laughed as she reached the top first, slowing her stallion as their friendly race came to a finish. 'Well, he kept up better than I thought he would.'

Jack rolled his eyes as he halted Paint, patting the gelding. 'You and I both know that Warrior could run rings around him.'

'Maybe, but apparently not today.' She smoothed his mane down as she dropped the reins to ground tie him and slid off, grabbing the saddle bags from off the saddle while they waited for Lisa and Cindy to arrive. She sighed as she sat down on the grass, exhilarated by the run. Jack dismounted, tying Paint up to an old tree then joined her. 'I needed that.'

He nodded understandingly as he sat down beside her. 'I had no idea Cindy fed Warrior those pellets. I should have kept a closer eye on her, I know how much he means to you.'

Jessie shook her head. 'No Jack, it's not your fault. She thought she was doing something good.'

'It won't happen again, I told her not to give him anything without asking you first.'

'Thank you, but it wasn't really necessary. I highly doubt if she'll even see Warrior again.' She fell silent, looking down at her hands. 'What did Clint want?'

'He just wanted to see how you two were and that everything was in order for Cindy to go back to her grandmother, that's all.'

'Did he tell you he's making me speak with a psychologist?'

'Yes, he mentioned that.'

She rolled her eyes. 'I don't need to talk to anyone, I'm doing just fine on my own.'

'Jessie, he's only trying to do what is best for you and part of that is checking up on your mental health.'

'I know.' She sighed again, then fell silent. There was no point in getting mad, it wasn't going to do anything. She glanced down at Heartland in the valley below them, her eyes misting. 'I'm going to miss this place, even worse than before.'

'You know your welcome to come visit anytime you like honey.' He placed his hand on her shoulder gently, hoping that she didn't need to actually leave. Clint hadn't said much about if he thought their application to get her guardianship was going to be accepted or not but he felt that he wasn't too optimistic. He knew Jessie needed a stable environment and the authorities probably weren't going to like the arrangement as it stood very much. The only thing they could do was wait and hope that they did get her guardianship before the girl had to leave the next week. 'And I'll take good care of Warrior, you have my promise.'

'Thanks Jack.' She quickly wiped her eyes before she started crying, turning to look towards the trail as she heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching. From out of the trees Cindy and Lisa appeared, back down to a trot with Lisa leading Copper. She quickly got up to meet them, walking over as they stopped beside Paint. 'What happened Cindy?'

'I took a little spill.' Cindy slid stiffly out of the saddle, winching as the motion jarred her sore shoulder. 'Nothing big.'

Lisa saw Jessie looking at her as she tied her chestnut up, almost like the girl was waiting for an explanation. 'A garter snake spooked Copper.'

'Are you alright? You're not hurt?'

'I'm fine Jessie, really.' Cindy assured her as she got the blanket off the back of her saddle. 'It's nothing to be worried about. Now, I don't know about the rest of you but those cookies are just screaming my name, dying to be eaten.'

'I'm glad to see your appetite wasn't affected.' She replied teasingly but deep down she was relieved that the girl wasn't hurt. She followed them over, pausing to give Warrior another pat as they got the blanket out and started on the picnic. The stallion lifted his head from grazing to nudge her with his nose and she scratched behind his ears affectionately. 'I'm going to miss you boy.' She whispered, then quickly composed herself and joined the group on the rug. Cindy was already well stuck into the cookies as Jack and Lisa sat together, talking quietly between themselves. 'Cindy, leave some for the rest of us.'

'Sorry.' She took her hand out of the container, still nibbling on the one she was holding in her other hand. 'They are just so so so good.'

'Have a sandwich.' Jessie grabbed one from the saddlebag and handed it to her then laid down on her side with her head propped up on her hand. The girl took it, sneaking another couple of cookies while she did so. She didn't stop her, didn't even seem to notice that she had taken them. She was looking far off into the distance towards Heartland with that look in her eyes. The look of longing. She could hear Jack and Lisa talking with Cindy but didn't bother trying to listen to their words as she let herself be absorbed fully by her thoughts. All she knew was that she wanted this moment to last forever.