"Why Melanie, why! I thought you loved me!"

Trampas, who was on both knees at Oak Creek, had been asking that same question toward Heaven every day for almost four months now. After all the time had passed since receiving word that the love of his life Melanie Kohler had died, he still did not find the answers that he so desperately wanted. Clinching his fists and waving them both toward the heavens angrily as the tears ran down his face.

"Why, why!"

The longtime cowhand of the Shiloh Ranch was still feeling many emotions from grief to anger unable to understand why she did not tell him that she was dying.

He kept shouting as the tears once again fell from his eyes. Slowly gaining his composure he was starting to mount his horse Buck when he heard a rider coming towards him. Then turning to look over his shoulder he saw his boss climbing down from his horse walking towards him.

"Afternoon Trampas, I thought I might find you here!" John Grainger said matter of factly.

"Hello Mr. Grainger, I guess well am I fired?"

"Goodness no, I have no reason whatsoever to fire you, I just came to talk to you about something that's all!"

"Thank you sir, but I'm guessing that the foreman would wants you to fire me!"

"Well, he does have the authority to hire and fire if and when he sees fit, but I have the final say so, you must have forgotten." Is all Mr. Grainger said

"No, no I haven't forgotten!" Trampas said while chewing on a piece of straw that he just picked up off the ground.

"What did you wanna talk to me about sir?"

"Well," Mr. Grainger took a deep breath then took his handkerchief wiping his forehead then continued.

"I received a letter this morning from Jim Kohler, he had thought he would've heard from you by now. He's concerned about you Trampas, as is everyone else."

Trampas felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his body, he turned away from Mr. Grainger his back now facing his boss clearing his throat he said softly,

"I'm not alright, I don't think I ever will be. I still don't understand why she couldn't tell me she was dying; I loved her Mr. Grainger I would have taken care of her the best way I could until her last breath."

The cowboy had to stop and gain his composure yet again. He then turned back around to face Mr. Grainger. Smiling just a little he looked at the man standing in front of him.

"I'm not angry with you or Mr. Kohler sir, you both kept your word to her until she passed. And I understand that completely, but I am hurt and angry with her!"

"How could she, I mean how could anyone keep something like that away from someone you're supposed to love! I started thinkin' that maybe she didn't love me after all!" shaking his hands nervously.

"Yes sir, I've almost come to the conclusion that she didn't love me after all. Even though she never asked me for money, I never felt like she was using me, but…!" his voice trailed off

"She loved you Trampas, she loved you very much!"

Trampas gave Mr. Grainger a stern look!

"I don't believe you; how could you believe that she loved me after her being dishonest with me!"

"I would not call what she did being dishonest!"

"Then what in the devil would you call it then!" Trampas was angry now.

Calmly Mr. Grainger said,

"She just didn't tell you all about herself that she should have, maybe she was afraid that if you knew about the cancer that you would not love her! But I know you Trampas, I know for a fact that you would have loved her despite anything, that you truly loved her. Jim knew it too believe me, he begged her to tell you, but she kept refusing she told him that it would be better if you never knew."

"Both her father and I disagreed with that, but we had made a promise to her while she was alive! After her death however we did not feel that we were bound by the promise anymore."

"Well, I appreciate you both for respecting her wishes, but I know that's the kind of men you both are."

The cowboy then slowly took something out of his vest pocket, looking down at his hand, he was holding a cameo necklace that his mother had given to him when he was a boy. He had given it to Melanie as a token of his love for her.

"I gave this to her, and she slipped it in my saddlebag before she left!"

Clinching the necklace in his hand he kissed it, then placed it back into his vest pocket.

"Thanks Mr. Grainger I'll do my best to write him a letter soon I just have to figure out what I'm gonna say to him. I know his heart is broken more than mine, after all she was his only child, his daughter."

Laying a hand on the cowhand's shoulder Mr. Grainger said,

"I know you will, oh and don't worry about being slow with your work around here, you have every right to grieve, and there is no time limit to grief believe me I know. And if anyone says anything about the way you are doing your work now tell them to come and talk to me."

Smiling at his boss, "I will sir and thanks!"

Mr. Grainger turned the reigns to go toward his home then stopped and called to Trampas

"Trampas!"

"Yes sir!"

"Trampas, when I told you that I believed she loved you, I meant it! Hold on to the memories they are precious!"

Shaking his head Trampas said, "I will never find a love like hers again that's for sure!"

"No, you won't you're right! For you see each love is different and special in its own way, but don't close your heart up to never finding love again, you'll find it again if it's meant to be, and it will be wonderful, I promise. Well, I best be going, need to go to town on business!"

"Yes sir, and I have chores on this ranch that needs doin'!" A smile stretched across his face.

After bidding one another good-bye, Trampas watched Mr. Grainger go towards town. Once he could no longer see him, he slowly looked up to the sky one more time before heading in the direction of the east line shack.

"I guess I'll never know if you really love me, but I'll always love you Melanie Kohler, I'll always love you that's a promise. Then just before he mounted Buck, he sent up a prayer: Lord, please take care of her for me and give her a hug and tell her, tell her I love her will ya…. Amen!"

And with his latest prayer Trampas went back to work.

Ten Years Later

John Grainger was right. Trampas did indeed find love again; he married a schoolteacher there in Medicine Bo and he did build a home on the same piece of property that was given to him a few years earlier. Although he did find love again, he knew he would never ever forget the love he and Melanie shared even if it was for just a short time. He even resolved himself to the fact that he would never know the real reason why she did not tell him of her illness. Although he had been told numerous times by many around him that they knew for a fact that she did love him. He often wondered if that was indeed the truth. However, he concluded after many tears and years later that he would never know, but he would always and forever carry a piece of her tucked down deep inside his heart.