Saturday morning saw Maddie curled up in her favorite spot on the couch with Bubbles purring away on her lap, book in hand as her family looked at ranches for sale online. So far they hadn't had any luck but she supposed it was something to do. Something to keep them all busy and keep their minds off things. She on the other hand didn't even feel like looking at ranches and so had instead picked up her copy of Silver Brumby's Daughter to pick up from where she had left off.

Cordell came downstairs, finishing buttoning up his work shirt as he did so then stopped, seeing everyone in the living room either on their laptops or phones. Grabbing his phone out from his pocket he took a picture. 'Look at this. Precious family time together.' He said.

'We're looking at ranches.' Abeline remarked, glancing up at him for a moment. 'Breakfast is on the stove keeping warm.'

'Anything promising?' He questioned as he headed into the kitchen.

'Pickings are slim.' Liam replied while closing up his laptop.

'Well-' Bonham interjected. 'Cost an arm and a leg to get a ranch up and running anyway. Maybe it's time to put this cowboy out to pasture.'

Cordell rolled his eyes a little at that. 'All right Daddy. Uh, Stella Blue.' His eldest daughter looked up from her phone for a moment. 'Good morning to you. Heard anything back from Sauber yet?'

'Oh, that's that school from Oregon, right?' Liam questioned.

Stella nodded.

'That's right.' Cordell replied. 'See? I-I know things. I listen.'

She chuckled. 'Um, not yet. But last day for letters is next week, so... there's still time.'

'Okay. All right, well, I-I wouldn't worry. You got this Blue.' He looked over at Maddie as he grabbed a plate from the cupboard to serve his breakfast onto. 'Maddie. Good morning.'

Maddie looked up at the mention of her name, having been too absorbed in her book to take much notice of what was going on around her. 'Oh, hey Dad.'

'Good book?'

'Yeah...' She yawned softly as she stretched, her cat jumping down off her lap at her sleep being disturbed. 'It's okay.'

'You've been awfully quiet this morning.' Abeline remarked. 'Something on your mind?'

Maddie shook her head. 'No, no... Just enjoying this book is all.'

She nodded, deciding against pushing the matter any further. 'Want to come see some ranches with us today?'

'I was hoping to go down to the stables, spend some time with my girls.' She said with slight hesitation. 'I mean, if that's okay...'

'Yeah, yeah, I don't see why not.' Cordell commented as he scraped the last of the scrambled eggs from the pan onto his plate. 'Be good for you to get out. You sure you're feeling up to it though?'

'I'm sure. I mean, I know yesterday wasn't a great day...' Her voice trailed off. Yesterday had most certainly been one of her worser days, she'd been feeling pretty lousy from the medication she was on. Today though she seemed to feel alright.

'Well-' Liam interjected, placing his laptop aside and picked up his empty coffee mug to go get a refill. 'If you need to come home early, just call. One of us will come pick you up.'

She nodded. 'Thanks. I better go get ready then...' She looked over at Bonham. 'Grampa-'

'Yep.' Bonham got up from his seat and went over to her. 'Up you come darlin.' In one easy motion he picked her up, blankets and all.

'I'll be up there in a moment.' Abeline said as he started up the stairs with Maddie. 'What about you Stella? What are your plans for today?'

'I was thinking of hanging with Todd and his brother if that's okay...'

As Bonham carried her up the stairs to her room, Maddie rested her head against his shoulder. Surprisingly, Bonham had become her anchor these days, her safe place. He knew what she was going through because he had and was still going through cancer himself.

'You know-' He remarked as he gently placed Maddie down on her bed. 'Mawline's right. You have been pretty quiet this morning.'

'I know...' She replied softly, looking up at him. 'Can I-can I have a hug?'

Sitting down beside her on the bed he placed his arms around her. 'Feelin bad again?' He questioned gently.

Maddie nodded. 'I just... I just need a hug.'

Bonham pressed a kiss to her head and held her tight. 'It's gonna be okay Maddie.' He said after a moment. 'You're gonna make it through this.'

She nodded again, swallowing back the lump in her throat. Damn she hated feeling like this. She would be feeling fine then out of seemingly nowhere she would feel like she wanted to cry. She knew it was the medication but still... It wasn't fun and just another thing she had to deal with on top of everything else. 'I know.' She replied, stifling a sniffle then after lingering a moment longer she pulled away. 'I'm okay now.'

'You sure?'

Maddie nodded, wiping away a couple tears off her cheeks. 'I'm okay.'

Tucking her hair back over her ear he stood after a moment. 'These clothes here what Abby laid out for you?' He questioned, motioning to the pile of folded clothing left on the dresser drawers. She nodded and he grabbed them for her, placing them down on the bed beside her.

'Thanks.' She replied with a sad smile. He nodded then headed out of the room, closing the door behind himself. After he had gone she let out another soft sigh then began to unbutton her pajama shirt. They were right after all, there was something that had been playing on her mind lately.

Amber.

As Maddie was struggling with her buttons, a knock sounded on the door. 'Mawline?'

'Yeah honey.'

'Come in.' The door opened and Abeline closed it behind herself before coming over to her. With a sigh she gave up her fight with her buttons and let her grandmother give her a hand to help her change. Once she was ready for the day Abeline took a hairbrush off the bedside table and sat down on the bed beside her, beginning to brush what was left of her hair into a reasonable look. 'Mawline...' Maddie started softly after a moment. 'Who was Amber?'

The brush stopped midair for a second as Abeline recovered from her surprise. 'A-Amber?' She repeated. Maddie nodded. 'How... How do you know about her?'

'I um...' She paused then looked up at her grandma. 'While-while I was there at the hospital, in a coma... I um... I-I went to this place.' She started to explain as Abeline finished brushing out her hair and placed her wig on for her. 'My mom was there, so was Emily. It-it was like it was a dream but it felt so real.' Maddie stopped again for a moment, watching Abeline's expression. 'There was another person there, a little girl with blue eyes and red hair. She looked like you-'

'Maddie.' Abeline interrupted her gently. 'I don't want to talk about it, okay?'

Without another word her grandmother stood and left the room, Maddie taking a deep breath as she rubbed her hands over her face. It had been troubling her, who the young girl in her dream had been. While she only remembered bits and pieces from the dream she'd had while in the coma she knew for certain that there had been another person there with her mom and Emily.

The question was; who was she?

Cordell dropped her off at the stables a little later that morning, Maddie deciding to keep her thoughts about Amber to herself for now which had resulted in a very quiet ride. When Bonham had taken her downstairs her grandmother hadn't spoken to her and she kicked herself inwardly for even bringing it up. Whoever Amber was obviously brought great pain to Abeline to think of and Maddie was sorry she'd even asked. Her mind though wanted to know who the girl in her dreams had been. She hadn't meant any harm by asking...

With Mika away for the weekend at a competition, another groom had been assigned to look after her horses while she was gone. Bel and Hope were turned out first with Mia's help and after that she spent some time with Dakota before turning her out as well.

'Maddie.'

She turned, a slight smile coming to her lips as she saw Elizabeth coming up to join her at the fence. 'Elizabeth. Morning.'

'Morning.'

Maddie looked back at her horses grazing, Elizabeth climbing up the wooden rails to sit atop the fence. 'How's Diablo this morning?'

Elizabeth let out a long sigh. 'Still flighty and anxious. I haven't made much progress with him.'

'These things take time.'

'Time is one thing I don't have.'

Maddie placed a hand on her knee. 'You have to be patient.'

The girl nodded. 'I know... It's just... I don't want to lose him, you know.' She sighed again. 'I mean, Diablo is the only good thing in my life. If I lose him...' She shook her head.

'You aren't going to lose him. I promise.'

Elizabeth smiled sadly at that. 'I'll hold you to that.'

'I know you will. We will find a way to help him,' Maddie encouraged. 'we just have to be patient.'

She nodded again.

'Come on.' She invited, leaving her own ponderings for a later time. 'I'll come take a look at him.'

'But aren't you here to spend time with your horses?'

'It's fine. I need to be back soon anyway to watch Rose's riding lesson.' Maddie assured her. As she wheeled herself away from the fence Elizabeth climbed down and the two of them started over to Diablo's paddock.

The stallion was grazing as they approached, raising his head to look at them for a moment. Maddie looked at him closely, reading his body language. He was quieter today then he had been earlier in the week but there was just something that wasn't quite right with him. She couldn't put a finger on it but there was something wrong.

'Where do we go from here?' Elizabeth questioned after a time. 'What's our next step?'

'Gaining his trust again.' She told her. 'Now that he's had a couple days to unwind and be a horse, the next thing I want you to do is start spending time with him.'

'How? I can't even get anywhere near him.'

'You don't have to be near him to spend time with him. Just being here at the fence is enough for now. Talk to him. Read to him. Anything to start bonding and gaining his trust again.'

Elizabeth looked at her skeptically then sighed. 'Alright. Alright. I'll give it a try.'

'Good. You might be surprised how he'll respond.'

'How long do I have to do this for?'

'Until he's completely relaxed and happy for you to be around him. It could take an hour, a couple hours, a day?' She shrugged. 'You won't know until you give it a try and there's no better time then to start right now.' Maddie had taken a glance at her watch while she spoke, seeing it was almost time for Rose's riding lesson to begin. 'I've got to go. .Let me know how it goes.'

Elizabeth nodded. 'I will. And thanks... for all this.'

Maddie smiled at her. 'Diablo's going to be okay, I know he will.'

It was almost time for Rose's lesson to begin as Maddie wheeled herself into the riding arena, Rose's face lighting up when she saw the older girl. 'Maddie!' She exclaimed with an excited squeal, running to meet her. 'You came!'

'I promised I would, didn't I?' She questioned with a chuckle as she returned the girl's tight embrace.

Rose nodded. 'You did.'

'And how is my little bunny rabbit?' Maddie asked as Rose let her go again. 'How's Mary?'

'Mary and Patches are good.' She reported proudly. 'Mama's going to bring me over to your house soon and bring them with us. We can have a bunny play date.'

Maddie chuckled at that. 'That sounds like a good plan.'

'Morning Maddie.' Jenny said as she joined them, having been speaking to the instructor that was taking over Rose's lesson for the day in Mika's absence. 'Rose, they're about to begin. You better go get ready.'

'Okay Mama.' She turned back to Maddie. 'You better be watching me Maddie.'

'I will, promise.'

Jenny wore a smile on her lips as Rose skipped away to join the group lesson, shaking her head. 'I swear every day is a challenge with that girl.'

Maddie laughed softly at that. 'Rose is a real sweetheart.'

'Yeah, she is. Even though she doesn't think before she speaks.'

'Kids. They're brutally honest.'

She chuckled, nodding. 'That they are. That they are...' Silence fell as the lesson started and Jenny found herself a seat, Maddie wheeling her chair alongside her. 'How-how are you going?' She questioned after a time. 'How is your treatment going?'

'It's... okay.' Maddie replied slowly. 'I had some scans done earlier this week. There doesn't seem to be any signs of the tumor regrowing so that's something.'

'That's great news.'

She nodded. 'They're going to start me with the chemo soon though, just as soon as they believe I'm strong enough.' She paused for a moment to watch Rose as the girl began her turn at trotting her horse over a set of low cross poles. 'Already feeling horrible with what I'm on at the moment so I'm not looking forward to it at all.'

Jenny placed her hand sympathetically on the girl's knee.

'And my family...' Maddie let out a sigh as she continued. 'It hasn't been easy on them.'

'If you need anything-' She started after a moment. 'Anything, just call. You know I'll help out as much as I can.'

'I know.' A slight smile touched her lips. 'And I appreciate it.'

Silence fell again, Maddie retreating into her thoughts as she absentmindedly watched Rose's lesson. Jenny tried but she didn't feel comfortable sharing everything with her. She hadn't really known her for that long. As she watched Rose take Blossom over the trotting poles again she pulled her phone from her pocket and got up her messages to Colton. They needed to talk.

Maddie was waiting out in the car park a short time later, glancing up from her phone as a vehicle came up the drive. Colton had arrived. As he parked his truck in an empty spot across the parking lot she started over to him.

'Hey.' Colton started as he stepped out of his truck. 'You okay? Your message... You sounded kinda upset.'

'I-I'm okay.' She replied. 'I just... I need someone to talk to. I hope that's okay?'

'Of course, of course Maddie.' He took a look around the yard, a couple of thoroughbred horses being led by. 'Wow. Check this place out. Fancy.'

'Yeah. It is.'

'Well, do you want to find somewhere to sit or something-'

'I was hoping maybe you could take me out to the ranch?' Maddie interrupted gently. 'If it wouldn't be too much trouble.'

'No trouble at all. Grandma and Mom are away at the moment with Aunt Geri so it's just me and my Dad there. Place is a bit of a mess...'

'That's okay. Your Dad won't mind me coming over?'

'He'll be fine with it.' Colton assured her. 'Are you sure you want to come over though?'

Maddie nodded. 'There's something I need to do and I don't think my family would be ready to go back there. Not yet anyhow.'

'Alright. I'll take you there.' He looked at the chair she was sitting in. 'Might be a bit hard getting you in the truck.'

'Grampa or Dad picks me up to put me in. We can do that if that's okay? I still haven't got the hang of doing it on my own.'

'We'll figure it out.' He assured her. 'Come on.'

Maddie wheeled herself across the parking lot to Colton's truck, Colton getting the passenger door for her. He looked at her for a moment then the truck then back at her, sliding one arm beneath her legs and the other supporting her back. After a moment he gently placed her down on the seat and she moved her legs in beneath the dash. 'Thanks.'

He nodded and closed the door for her, Maddie doing up her seat belt as he placed her chair in the back. Once that was taken care of he got into the truck and started the ignition, Maddie resting her head back against the headrest as they drove out to the road.

'So...' Colton started to interrupt the awkward silence. 'I haven't heard from you since the Ranger Fair.'

'Had a lot going on.' She replied, turning to him. 'A lot has been going on and I didn't know if you wanted to speak to me or not but I just need someone to talk to.' She paused for a moment. 'I know you said you didn't want me to vent to you anymore, but I just felt like my head was gonna explode.'

'No, it's cool. I was just mad about our other stuff.'

Maddie nodded. 'Thanks... For being here.'

Colton placed a hand on hers. 'You know I'll always be here for you, you know that. I care about you.' Silence followed. 'Maddie... What's going on?'

She let out a sigh that turned into a sad chuckle. 'I haven't the faintest clue of where to begin... Stella's hoping to get into college and the idea of her moving away is taking a lot to get used to. It just seems like a lot on top of... everything.' She sighed again heavily.

'I get that. Dad's been pushing me towards real estate after I graduate. It just seems like an absolute snooze fest.'

Maddie laughed at that. 'I genuinely forgot your dad had a job.'

'Oh yeah. He's a better realtor then rancher. He's trying to take care of stuff by himself. Yeah, it took him two whole days to tear down the fence between the pastures.' She shook her head with amusement at that then silence fell again as he turned the truck onto the highway out of Austin. 'So... Why did you really get in touch with me? 'Cause the last time I saw you I kind of spilled my guts to you, and you didn't seem like you totally hated it.'

'I didn't. But everything just... It feels so unknown right now, you know...' Resting her head back against the seat she took a deep breath. 'With my family, with me. I just... I didn't know who else I could talk to.'

Colton nodded, glancing over at her for a moment before returning his attention to the road ahead. 'I'm so sorry Maddie. About everything.'

'Me too.' She agreed. 'I just our families could get along. This feud, it seems so trivial compared to what I'm going through right now.'

'How have you been going?'

'Not... Not very good.' Maddie admitted after a pause. 'The doctors are happy with my progress but...' She shook her head. 'I'm tired and sick of being stuck in that wheelchair. I know it's going to take time for me to be able to walk again but I'm just getting so frustrated. I just want things to go back to normal, you know...' He looked over at her, placing a hand on her knee. She smiled sadly at him. 'You don't mind my ranting, do you?'

'Of course not. You know that.'

She nodded. 'Just double checking is all.'

It felt weird seeing the ranch for the first time since they had left, silence falling between them as they drove through the big double gates and up the drive. Maddie looked out the window at the landscape passing by, some cattle off grazing in the distance. As they passed the house she noticed that Mawline's gardens out front had been pulled up and let out a sad sigh.

'What's wrong?'

'Mom's rosebush is gone.' She replied as Colton drove around the back to the farmhouse that at one time had been occupied by Cordell and his kids.

'Your mom's rosebush?'

'Mawline and I planted a rosebush for Mom on her birthday a few months back.' Maddie explained. 'Something for me to have here to remember her by.'

Colton sighed. 'I'm sorry. If I'd have known I'd have asked Grandma not to pull it out.'

'It's okay. Really. Just wasn't expecting it all to have changed so much.' She looked around as he stopped the truck, spotting a few horses she recognized in the paddocks beside the farmhouse. 'The horses that were sick, are they okay now?'

'It was touch and go for a while with them but they've got a clean bill of health now.'

'That's good.' Colton turned off the engine and climbed out, Maddie undoing her seat belt as he got her chair organized for her. Once he had it ready he helped her out of the truck and back into her chair, Maddie wheeling herself over to the fence to see the horses. Chopper, hearing her whistle, came trotting over to her and she smiled as she reached up to pet him. 'Hey boy... Hey... You been doing okay?'

Chopper knickered softly and she chuckled, Colton coming to join her at the fence.

'He's a good boy.' Colton remarked as the gelding came over to see if he had any treats. 'We've become pretty good friends, haven't we boy?'

Maddie smiled seeing the two of them with each other. 'I'm glad he's taken a liking to you. Chopper's always been a bit of a handful.'

'My Dad found that one out the hard way.' He replied, the two of them starting up the drive past the farmhouse. 'Chopper tossed him the first time he tried working him.'

She chuckled. 'Mmmhmm. If he's not kept in work he does have the tendency to become fresh.'

'As my Dad found out.'

'I'd have loved to have seen that.' Maddie chuckled. 'Would have been awesome. He didn't get hurt though did he?'

'Apart from his pride, no.'

Silence fell again as they continued on their way up the drive, Maddie stopping to pick a few wildflowers growing alongside the road. When they came to the path leading to the Walker family graveyard she sighed. 'No way I'm getting my chair up there with how overgrown it is.'

'Here-' He handed her the flowers he'd been carrying for her. 'I'll carry you.'

In one motion Colton picked her up, leaving her chair beside the drive and they started up the path. Resting her head against his shoulder as he carried her, Maddie closed her eyes and breathed in his presence. Even if it were for just a moment she felt safe in his arms. She didn't have to be strong as she felt she needed to be in front of her family. With Colton she could be herself. She could allow herself a time of having her guard down.

'You falling asleep on me hey?'

Her eyes opened again and she chuckled softly. 'No. Just thinking.'

Colton nodded in understanding. 'I haven't been up here before.' He remarked as they reached the top of the hill where the graveyard was. 'I didn't know it was here.'

'I found it while out riding one day.' She replied, Colton carrying her through the half opened gate. 'Used to come here from time to time to speak to Emily. Kinda felt like I was talking to my mom when I'd come here, you know. Stupid isn't it?'

He shook his head. 'No, it isn't.'

They continued on to where the newest headstone was, the headstone marking the place where Emily had been put to rest. Gently Colton set her down on the grass beside the headstone then stepped away to let her have a moment.

'Hey Emily...' Maddie started as she laid the fresh flowers down at the base of the headstone, the last flowers she had laid there long ago wilted away. 'Been awhile since I've come to visit...'

Time passed by as she spoke what was on her mind to the headstone, Colton lingering off in the distance but close enough to hear what she was saying. As she spoke he couldn't help but overhear her, glancing over in her direction from time to time. Maddie spoke of what had been going on the last couple of months and about things she had going on. She mentioned too of an Amber and he wondered what that all was about, making a note to ask her about it later on.

Finally, Maddie was ready to go and motioned for Colton to come back over. 'Thank you for bringing me up here.' She said as he picked her up again. 'I really did need to come here.'

'Feel better now?'

She nodded, her eyes lingering on Emily' grave. 'A little.' Colton started making his way back out of the graveyard with her, Maddie looking around again for a moment before her eyes fell on something she'd never noticed before. 'Colton, can we go over there?'

He saw where she was pointing and nodded, carrying her over to what she'd pointed out.

In the knee deep grass was a little grave that time had long since forgotten, a single white cross with no name written on it surrounded by an old white wooden picket fence.

Maddie sighed softly. 'That must be Amber's.'

'Amber?'

'Long story.' She replied as she looked at the little grave for a moment. There was definitely no name to tell of who was buried there but from the size of the fence it was most definitely a child sized grave. It was the only grave that didn't have a name to it and it wasn't as old as the other ones in the graveyard, a few of them going right back to the first Walker generations. A soft breeze blew that sent a shiver up her spine. 'We can go now.' She told Colton. 'I don't want to stay here any longer.'

Colton carried her back to where her chair was in silence and they started back to the farmhouse. 'Maddie...' He spoke after a time. 'Who is Amber?'

'I don't know.' She replied softly, glancing up at him for a moment. 'When... When I was in that coma, I had a dream. My mom was there, so was Emily but there was someone else in it too. A young girl. All I remember about her is that her name was Amber. I tried asking Mawline about her this morning but she wouldn't say anything... Wait...' Her voice trailed off as she noticed something growing beside the drive and she wheeled herself over to the side of the path. A closer look confirmed what she had thought at first glance. 'That's hemlock.'

'Okay?'

'Okay, so hemlock's really poisonous.' She looked up at Colton with a worried expression on her face. 'Even a little might kill a horse or a cow.'

'I thought livestock usually avoid poisonous stuff.

'Not the hungry ones. Me and Gramps cut this down in Spring and we should probably rip these up before it spreads.'

Colton thought about what she said for a moment. 'I think I saw all this on our side of the pasture, and my dad just...'

'Took down the fence.' She finished off the sentence for him, pulling her phone from her pocket. 'Hey Grampa... You got a minute? Something's come up...'