Karen and Audra had gone out riding to exercise the older horses and they were enjoying the day. It was a nice day with a clear blue sky and rather nice temperatures for the time of year. Both girls had decided that they would stick to the open areas of the ranch, where it would be easier to see danger coming at them.

Once they found a nice big field, they just opened up and let the horses run as hard as they could. Karen and Audra both found themselves laughing as the horses raced each other across the field.

The two women felt the wind on their faces and all of their worries just melted away.

At least until a gunshot echoed through the air. Both horses put on a burst of speed and turned back toward the house. Neither woman had control of the horses. The horses had taken control when the gunshot went off. Both women could do little more than hang on for dear life.

Arriving back at the barn, Karen was finally able to get her horse under control.

One of the ranch hands had grabbed at Audra's horse. She hadn't reacted much at all when they had ridden into the yard at an insane pace. The man pulled the horse to a stop and was taken by surprise when she fell from the saddle into his arms. He slid to his knees, cradling Audra carefully.

When he rolled her gently down to his arms, Karen screamed on seeing the blood that covered her dress. She jumped from her horse and ran to Audra's side. "Audra? Audra, no. You – you weren't supposed to get hurt while riding with me. Heath told you to keep yourself as safe as you kept me. You promised him that."

Karen's tears were guilt-laden and everyone around them knew it. One hand ran for the house to get Victoria. Another ran for his own horse in order to go to town and get the doctor. Two others grabbed a couple of clean saddle blankets and used one to cover the wound only and the other was used to cover Audra completely.

"Karen?"

"I'm here, Audra. I'm right here. I'm so sorry that you got hurt. You have to be okay. You can't leave us."

"Audra?" came Victoria's voice from near the house. Karen looked in that direction to see the older woman nearly running toward them, fear etched into her face. Victoria knelt beside her daughter, tears filling her eyes. She looked at the hands. "Lift the blanket. Let me see."

They immediately did as they were told. Karen had turned her head, not wanting to see the damage again. Not when she knew that it was all her fault.

Karen couldn't deal with the tears that started falling down Victoria's cheeks. She jumped to her feet and ran toward the house, her own tears blinding her to where her feet were going. She didn't even notice when she ran past Jarrod and Nick who were running to see what they could do to help their sister. She ran into the house and up to her room where she sat down in a corner away from the door and out of sight should someone look into the room from the doorway without actually entering the room.

'I'm certain they won't want me around after this. Audra's been shot and I don't know if she'll live or not. It's all my fault that she got hurt. I had to be stubborn and insist on going even without Heath. I should just pack my things and go back home to Pa and the boys. I don't really need all this schooling. I already know how to run a house and all I'm doing now is taking up space that could better be used for someone who might actually have a house to run one day.'

Karen pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, hoping that no one would come looking for her. She didn't want them to look for her. She didn't feel as if she deserved it.

In Audra's room, the doctor was examining the wound. "I don't think you are in any danger of losing your daughter, Ms. Victoria. I think what caused her to collapse the way she did is the shock of having been shot. I also think that the fact that the horses bolted at the sound of the gunshot didn't help. Realizing that she had made it back to the ranch house and that – Karen, was it?- was safe as well, the adrenaline in her system burned off rather quickly and let her body relax to the point of collapse."

"She'll be alright?" Victoria asked, her voice still a bit fearful.

"I believe she'll be just fine." The sky started clouding over rather quickly just then. "I don't think I'll make it back to town before that storm hits. Would it be alright if I just stay here until it passes by?"

"I insist, doctor. In fact, I've already had my hands put your horse in the barn so that he'd be protected if the storm hit before you were ready to leave."

"Thank you, Ms. Victoria. I appreciate that very much." He smiled at the matriarch of the family. "Besides, this gives me a chance to observe Audra a bit more closely and make sure that I am right in my diagnosis."

Victoria had retired to her study and sat down to go over the books. Nick and Jarrod were keeping the doctor busy with chess and discussion as the storm raged on. Suddenly, Victoria looked up. 'I haven't seen Karen since the girls rode back in. She ran to the house when the hands lifted the blanket so that I could see how bad Audra was and I haven't seen her since. I think we'd better see if we can find her.'

Victoria stood up and walked out into the living room where Jarrod was currently playing chess against the doctor. "Jarrod. Nick. Have either of you seen Karen lately?"

"No, Mother," replied both young men in near perfect sync.

"I haven't seen her since she ran from Audra's side when I asked the hands to lift the blanket so that I could see Audra's wound. Help me find her. I don't like the thought that she may have been hurt too."

"Mother, do you really think she may have been injured too and just felt too guilty about Audra being hurt to tell anyone?" Jarrod asked, picking up immediately on what his mother was saying.

"I think it is possible. She would want us to focus more on Audra than on her. She could very possibly hide such a thing from us to keep us from worrying about her." She stood up straighter. "Search the house. She has to be here somewhere."

Nick and Jarrod stood from the table they sat around and moved to start looking through the house. Both men went upstairs and started from opposite ends of the hall. Both hoping they would be bringing their mother good news.

Jarrod walked into the room that they had given Karen but he didn't see her. He looked under the bed and in the closet and behind the doors. No sign of Karen.

At the other end of the hallway, Nick had started searching rooms the same thorough way Jarrod was. In Heath's room, he found Karen curled up in the wardrobe, sound asleep.

He smiled at her when he saw her there.

Bending over, he gathered her gently into his arms and moved her into his brother's bed, tucking the covers up over her. She didn't wake at all.

Of course, Nick wasn't happy with the tear tracks on her cheeks. But he stepped away from the bed and left the room, wanting to let both Jarrod and his mother know that the young woman who was making such an impact on the family was safe and sound.

Stepping into the hallway, Nick saw Jarrod stepping out of Karen's room just next door. He gestured to Jarrod who immediately walked over to him. "Did you find her?"

"Ssshh. She was in Heath's room, curled up in his wardrobe asleep. I moved her to his bed and tucked her in. Jarrod, she looked like she'd been crying hard. Tear tracks dried on her face."

"Let her sleep for a bit yet. Heath hasn't returned home and Audra's resting well also. We'll go let Mother know that she's safe and sound here in the house.

Walking into the living room where Victoria sat in her usual chair, talking with the doctor who was sitting on the couch, both men were glad to have good news for their mother. They would be even happier when Heath returned.

"Did you find her?" Victoria asked, worry lacing the older woman's voice.

"Nick did. She was in Heath's room. He found her in the wardrobe curled up asleep."

"I moved her to Heath's bed and tucked her in. She didn't wake up at all. But, Mother, she'd been crying. Hard from the looks of it. She had tear tracks down her cheeks."

"I'm just glad she didn't try to run off. We'll deal with the other later, when she's had a chance to sleep and relax."

"Has Heath come home yet?"

"Not yet. I hope he was smart enough to stay in town until this blows over. I wouldn't want him taking any risks to get home in this storm."

Jarrod nodded. "I agree, Mother. I agree. I just hope it blows over soon because I think we may need him here to calm Karen down when she wakes up."

"He does seem to have a magic touch when it comes to her, doesn't he?" Victoria smiled as she thought about the fact that her son seemed to be able to comfort the young woman who was staying with them so easily.

Victoria and her two eldest sons would have been pleased to know that Heath had taken a hotel room for the night with the guest that had arrived on the train. Adam Cartwright had decided that he needed to see how his sister was doing at her new school and so had made an unannounced trip with his father's blessing so that they would all know how she was.

Heath found himself worried about Karen as he settled in for the night after he and Adam had eaten supper in the dining room downstairs. "Heath, what aren't you telling me? What has you so worried that you would be willing to brave a storm like this to get back to the ranch?"

"Your sister doesn't do so well during storms without me around and I miss her anyway."

Adam smiled. "I can understand that. I came to see her because I miss her. And storms have often bothered her in the past but she usually makes it through okay."

"And I'm sure she will this time. I just would rather be there for her."

"Heath, is she doing okay at school?"

"She's been doing just fine at school. Except for one girl who has been teasing her about me riding with her back to the school after her first weekend at the ranch. She accused Karen of traveling with someone who was less than a gentleman with her. And of acting like less than a lady. The headmistress sent her home to us after that to allow her to calm down." Heath breathed heavily. The thought of someone accusing Karen of less than ladylike behavior made his blood boil. "I apologize, Adam. The thought of anyone thinking that your sister is less than a lady just makes me so mad..."

"I understand that thought. I can't understand how anyone could think such a thing about my sister."

"I think I understand where this girl is coming from. She doesn't seem to like being away from home to attend school. She doesn't think that women need to be educated. From what Karen says, she's always trying to get thrown out of school and then acting like she's done nothing wrong and that the schools are just trying to keep her from getting the education that her family wants her to have."

"So she thinks to set her hat for some rich fella who doesn't care if she has an education or not so long as she can bear children and keep house?"

"In fact, from what Karen says, most of the girls at the school believe she's set her cap for me. I wouldn't have her. I don't think she's half the lady your sister is."

"Then, stay your course, Heath. I think I can say with some certainty that my sister likes you as much as you like her and that can only be a good thing."

The two men slipped into the two beds in the room and slid off to sleep, praying that the storm would abate by morning so that they could get out to the Barkley ranch.

Audra woke up just before supper was served at the ranch that night. She had woke up with a cry, calling for Karen. Jarrod had been checking on her when she woke up.

Her eyes flew open and she moved as she called out. "Karen!"

"Audra. Audra, it's me. Jarrod. You're safe, Audra. Karen is too." Jarrod sat down beside his sister. He didn't want her waking Karen up but he did want her to calm down.

"Is she? She didn't get hit?"

"No, Audra. She's safe and sound just down the hall in Heath's room."

"Promise me that she's safe, Jarrod."

"I promise you, Audra. Why are you so worried?"

"I'm almost certain that the shot that hit me was meant for her." Audra looked around the room. "Where is she?"

"I told you, Audra. She's down the hall in Heath's room. I think she thought we would blame her for your injury and hid in there. Nick found her in the wardrobe and tucked her into Heath's bed. He said she'd been crying."

"Jarrod, please. As soon as she wakes up, will you bring her to me? I want to see her for myself." Jarrod nodded, knowing that he couldn't refuse his sister such a simple request. Not if it would make her feel better.

"I promise. Just rest a little more and we'll bring a tray up here for your supper this evening. Okay?"

"Okay." She relaxed against the pillows and, before Jarrod knew it, his sister was once again sleeping peacefully.

'I don't want to wake Karen but I think she needs to eat something as much as Audra does. And then I would have a reason to make sure that Karen wasn't hurt and is just hiding it from us. None of us would be happy about that.'

Jarrod knew that his mother would want to know about Audra waking up and the doctor would too. He decided to inform them of the occurrence and then, while they were checking on Audra, he would check on Karen.

After all, he knew what Audra was thinking and he agreed. That would be the sort of thing that Karen would do to protect them from worrying about her while Audra was hurt.

Now he had to know if Karen had been hurt in this incident.