Rhianna opened her eyes. The sun was streaming through the window. What a difference from the last time she awoke. It was the same sun, but now she was warm and cared for. She looked around and saw Nick Barkley sitting in a chair by the bed. She struggled to remember the last few days. All she remembered were the dreams, dreams of another time and another place. Ireland. She had a vague recollection of strong arms supporting her and helping her drink water before falling back into deep slumber. She moved gingerly; her shoulder ached. The slight movement drew Nick's attention.

"You're awake!" Nick was relieved.

.

"Cen ait an bhfuil me?" At Nick's confused look, she closed her eyes briefly and asked again, this time in English, "Where am I?" Her ordeal with the bullet wound and fight with pneumonia had made her very weak.

"You're safe now; you're at the ranch. You've had us all very worried." Nick hastened to reassure her.

"Can I have some water?"

Nick stood up; Rhianna felt his strong arm behind her, supporting her while he helped her drink. He was pleased when she drained the glass.

"What happened?" Rhianna was still trying to piece everything together.

"You were shot a few days ago. Jack removed the bullet, but you developed pneumonia. You've been very ill. You need to rest."

"Liam!" Rhianna suddenly remembered. She started to rise, but Nick stopped her.

"Liam's fine. He's here and he's safe." Nick made sure to look her square in the face so she could see the truth in his eyes.

"I need to see him." Rhianna looked pleadingly at Nick.

Nick searched her face. "I'll get him."

"Barkley?"

"Rhianna, you can call me Nick."

"Barkley?" Rhianna stubbornly continued.

Nick sighed in frustration, "Yes?"

"Thank you for keeping him safe."

Nick nodded and left the room.

Nick walked into the parlor and looked at Father Liam. He grinned broadly and said, "She wants to see you, Father."

Liam walked into the room and looked at his youngest sister. He had asked Nick to get Kathleen. They needed to heal things between them. From what he had been told, they both said harsh things to each other, things they probably didn't mean. He watched as Rhianna got more and more agitated; he knew she would try to get up soon. As the thought crossed his mind it was as if Rhianna had heard and obeyed. She started to rise.

"Rhianna O'Brien! Get back into bed!" Liam tried to order her back, but only Galen could truly get through to her.

"I have to get up…I have to get something…" As she spoke she started to falter. Liam quickly went to her side to help her.

"I can't sleep in a bed anyway…I have to get to Brady." Rhianna was determined.

Liam helped her into a chair by the fire. He could hear footsteps coming.

Kathleen came quietly into the room. She took a seat near Rhianna and looked into her eyes. Liam left the sisters to talk.

As he walked downstairs he thought about Rhianna. He knew what she wanted but wasn't sure where it was. Jack and the girls were downstairs waiting with Nick, Heath, and Victoria.

"Uncle Liam!" Both girls ran to him. Because of Rhianna's illness they hadn't been allowed to go to the "big house" as they called it.

He hugged his nieces and greeted Jack. Silas came in and took the girls to help him in the kitchen.

"Jack, do you know where the rosary is? She wants it and until we find it we won't be able to keep her quiet." Liam asked gravely.

"I don't know, Liam." Jack was concerned. He knew Rhianna wouldn't rest until she had it in her possession.

"What's so important about the rosary?" Heath was curious.

Jack answered, "She always has the rosary with her, always. If we can't find it…"

Nick frowned; he had been thinking. He had seen it. Where had he seen it? "Does it have green beads with a silver cross at the end?"

Yes! Do you know where it is?" Liam asked earnestly.

"No, but I've seen it, if I could only remember where. SILAS!"

Silas hurried in at Nick's bellow. "Yes, Mister Nick?"

"Where is Mary?" Nick had remembered where he'd seen it.

"She's in the kitchen helping me make cookies."

"Bring her in here." Nick ordered.

"Now, Mr. Nick, she's just a little girl. She's not used to your bellowing…" Silas tried to placate Nick.

Nick shooed Silas away with his hands. "Just go get her, Silas."

Mumbling to himself, Silas went and got the little girl.

Mary came in the room with Silas and ran over to her father. Mr. Nick scared her a little. Nick crouched down in front of her and spoke in a gentle voice. "Do you remember giving 'Auntie Ree' her rosary?"

Mary nodded her head.

"Do you remember where she put it?" Nick asked carefully.

Mary nodded again.

Nick asked, "Could you tell me?"

Mary looked at her father who nodded. "She put it in the bag on the horsey."

Liam and Jack both spoke with dread. "Brady!"

Jack looked nervous until he realized Rhianna's saddlebags were in the barn and not actually on Brady at the moment. He gave a sigh of relief and joined Nick to search for the treasure.

Kathleen had seated herself next to Rhianna. They looked at each other intently. Kathleen was the first to break the silence. "You scared the hell out of me, Rhianna. I thought you were going to die this time."

"I know." Rhianna spoke quietly, remembering the things that had been said between them.

"I love you so much, Rhianna. I remember when I started taking care of you. You were so little, only five days old. I raised you. It broke my heart to put you with the army. I know we did the right thing, but that decision still haunts me. If only Da wasn't so…so…"

"Stop it. Don't blame Da. No one is to blame for the choices we all had to make. Don't take them all on yourself. We all made choices that led us to today." Rhianna took a deep breath; she was losing strength. "I shouldn't have said those things before I left. I was so worried about Shawn Andrew and Liam. I'm sorry."

Kathleen squeezed Rhianna's hand in acknowledgement. "I'm sorry, too. I didn't mean anything I said. I knew you were getting sick. I just wanted to protect you."

Rhianna tried to stand.

"Where do you think you're going?" Kathleen was alarmed. It was too soon for her to be up and about.

"I have to go. There's something I have to find." Rhianna was compelled to get to Brady.

"Jack! Come help me!" Kathleen knew Jack was the only one besides Galen who could deal with Rhianna when she got like this.

Jack ran up the stairs. "Rhianna, get back in bed!"

"No!" Rhianna spoke defiantly.

"Rhianna, at least sit back down near the fire. If you have a relapse, you won't survive. I won't let you out of this room. Not this time!" Jack stood in the doorway as an obstacle.

Nick came into the room and stood behind Jack.

Rhianna knew they wouldn't let her out. She didn't have the strength to fight both of them. She reluctantly allowed Kathleen to lead her back to the chair and Nick brought over a blanket. She looked at them bitterly and Jack knew she was plotting on how to escape them to get to that horse of hers.

Nick was amused because he, too, could tell she was scheming. As soon as she was settled, he placed the rosary in her hand. She looked at him, exhausted from all the activity.

"Now, go to sleep, Rhianna. You need to sleep." Nick spoke gently.

Jack watched amazed as Rhianna looked at Nick and softly said, "All right." As she drifted off to sleep, she clutched the rosary to her chest.

The next morning when Rhianna awoke, she was still in the chair by a roaring fire. There was a quiet knock and Audra poked her head into the room. "You look much better." Audra smiled. "Would you like some company?"

Rhianna smiled and said, "Sure." She indicated the chair near her but Audra was already shaking her head. "I can't stay, but Heath asked me if I would poke my head in and see."

Audra opened the door and Heath and a younger man walked in.

"Good Morning, Rhianna." Heath said hovering in the doorway.

Rhianna smiled at the cowboy and beckoned them into the room. They came in and took seats near her.

"Who is this?" Rhianna asked curiously.

"This is my younger brother, Gene. He came home for the holidays. We decided to wait until you were able to join us. Gene is in college preparing to go to medical school." Heath explained.

Rhianna looked at the younger man and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Gene." She looked at Heath. "What holiday?"

"Thanksgiving was a few days ago."

"What's Thanksgiving? I've never heard of it." Rhianna was curious.

As the two men explained about Thanksgiving and all the American customs, Rhianna could hear lots of commotion in other parts of the house. The three had lunch together. Rhianna got to know Heath and Gene and had a pleasant afternoon, though she kept glancing at the door as if waiting for something…or someone.

As the sun sank lower, Audra and Kathleen came in and shooed the men out of the room, asking Heath to wait outside. They had brought Rhianna a dress and helped her to get into it so she could join them all for dinner.

Heath walked Rhianna down the stairs. They went slowly and when they finally reached the ground floor they found a festive atmosphere. Everyone was relieved Rhianna was on the road to recovery. Victoria was especially happy because she had all of her children home. It didn't happen often, and that alone was cause for celebration.

Victoria went over to Rhianna and gave her a gentle hug and said, "Rhianna, dear, we were so worried about you. I'm glad you're better and can join us in giving thanks for all our blessings this year."

"Thank you, Mrs. Barkley. I want to thank you for your hospitality. It's not everyone who would take in a stranger, a sick one at that. I won't impose on you too much longer. I need to be back out there." Rhianna's gaze drifted to the windows.

Nick exploded, "You can't go back out there. It's far too cold!"

"Nick, that will be enough." Victoria had been expecting this. She spoke as if to one of her children, "Rhianna, Nick's right. It's too cold. You could have a relapse and die before anyone would know you're sick. You will stay here, at least until Christmas so your lungs can fully heal."

"A month?! I cannot stay inside for a whole month and…"

As Victoria had started to speak, every Barkley child relaxed. Rhianna wasn't going anywhere. They had all heard that tone from their mother. This was one argument Rhianna didn't have a prayer of winning.

Rhianna looked at Victoria. She thought she could win. She wasn't the woman's child. And then, she saw something. Kathleen was standing in the background. She wasn't trying to interfere, but she looked incredibly sad. Rhianna looked at her sister as if for the first time.

"All right, Mrs. Barkley. I'll stay until Christmas. After that, I'll make no promises. Kathleen?" Rhianna gave in.

Kathleen nodded.

"I'll need someone to get my things. I can tell you where to look…" Rhianna broke off as Heath shook his head.

"I already got them. They're in your room." Heath spoke in his quiet, unassuming way.

"You found them? How?" Rhianna was incredulous.

"It took me a while, but I managed to locate your camp." Heath couldn't keep a note of pride from creeping into his voice.

Rhianna's respect for Heath rose even higher.

Victoria spoke again, "Well, it's time for dinner; shall we all go in?"

In the following weeks, Rhianna made a slow recovery. She was still weak, but got a little better each day. She still didn't sleep in the big, comfortable bed, but instead slept in a chair near the fire. She would have slept on the floor, but knew it would just provoke an outburst from any one of several Barkleys who seemed to watch her a little too close for comfort.

As she got better, cabin fever set in. Rhianna was going stir crazy; it was the longest she had ever spent indoors. Jarrod had noticed every time she walked by the piano she fingered the keys. He tried, but she wouldn't play. Heath and Gene tried to draw her into a game of Checkers, Billiards, or Cards, but she refused. Audra had a little success talking about the ball she was organizing to benefit the orphanage, but eventually it, too, was failing to entertain Rhianna.

Liam came every Sunday to see Rhianna. He was concerned the forced quarantine was taking away her spirit. Then, on one such visit, he heard loud voices. Rhianna and Nick. They had been arguing every now and then, but no real pitched battle, until now.

"Why not? Someone has to exercise that horse of yours! He needs to be ridden. I am a damn good rider and it needs to be done." Nick was exasperated.

"NO! No one rides Brady but me! You will never keep your seat. He is a one rider horse. Stay away from him." Rhianna ordered.

"Rhianna…" Nick was prepared to continue the argument.

"All right, fine then. Go ahead. Don't bother listening to me. I am, after all, his owner and the one who trained him. Don't let my opinion count for anything." Rhianna's sarcasm was evident.

"Listen, lady…"

"What is on your boots, Barkley?" Rhianna's tone was dangerous.

"Huh? Oh, these are just my spurs." Nick was confused.

Rhianna exploded. "Spurs? You listen to me, Barkley. You wear those things riding my horse and I will shoot you myself. I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth. There will be no place you can hide…"

"I got it! I got it! No spurs on your precious horse!" Nick removed the spurs and slammed them on the table.

"Oh, and Barkley? Don't come crying to me when he dumps you on your…"

Nick stormed out, determined to ride Brady, no matter what.

A few hours later a much disheveled Nick Barkley stalked into the house. He was dirty and unkempt. He also was limping.

In the parlor, Rhianna was reading. Without so much as looking up from her book, she said, "So, Barkley, did you learn something today?"

Nick stalked to the drink cart and poured himself a drink.

Rhianna closed her book, marking her place, before rising. "Next time, maybe you'll listen to me. I know my horse. Don't try it again."

As Rhianna went upstairs, Nick watched her go. He knew, had always known, he shouldn't have tried to ride Brady without her permission. He felt bad about it, though it was good to see her spirit. After he finished his drink, he went upstairs. He went to Rhianna's room to apologize to her.

As Nick looked through the slightly open door, he saw her kneeling on the floor. She was next to the bed, holding her rosary while praying. He thought back and realized every morning she seemed to walk stiffly at first. Did she always kneel on the hard floor to pray? He backed away and left to find answers to his questions.

Kathleen answered the knock on her door and was shocked to see Nick Barkley. He looked awful.

"Is Rhianna okay?" She asked fearfully.

"Yeah, she's fine. I just needed to talk to you." Nick was quick to reassure Kathleen.

Kathleen was relieved. "All right. Come on in. Let me get you a piece of pie and some coffee while we talk."

"That would be nice, Thank you." Nick removed his hat and took a seat in the sunny kitchen.

"Nick, if you don't mind me saying, you look awful. What happened?" Kathleen couldn't help but make the observation.

Nick answered her, "I tried to ride Brady. Unsuccessfully, as you can see."

Kathleen chuckled admirably, "You have guts, Nick. I won't go near that devil of a horse, and neither will any of my brothers, if they can help it. Jack doesn't even like to lead him to her." They sat in companionable silence for a few moments. "So, what's on your mind?"

Nick took a sip of his coffee and said, "I just saw Rhianna kneeling on the floor praying with her rosary. Does she always kneel on the floor?"

Kathleen considered for a moment before commenting, "Yes, she always has. She believes the only way to properly pray to God is to be kneeling. She will stay kneeling until she is finished, sometimes for hours. In many ways she is as devout as Liam."

Nick nodded in agreement. "Doesn't it hurt?"

Kathleen nodded, "Probably. That rosary is more precious to her than any possession she has, Nick. She would walk through fire to get it."

"Who's Katie?" Nick asked abruptly.

Kathleen looked at him stunned. "How..? How do you know about Katie?"

Nick explained, "When her fever was so high, she thought Liam was…um…I think it was Gail."

"Galen. One of our brothers. He and Rhianna have always been extremely close." Kathleen knew this wasn't the time to explain about Galen and Rhianna even if she could.

"Galen. She begged him to help her find Katie. She sounded so lost and desperate." Nick watched Kathleen; his eyes begging her for an answer.

Kathleen got up from the table, walked to the window and looked out while she thought about what he was asking her. She liked Nick Barkley. She thought he was good for Rhianna. She wanted to tell him, but did she really have the right? Would Rhianna ever forgive her for telling him? Her decision made, she turned and faced Nick.

Kathleen began carefully, "Nick, I will tell you who she is, but the rest is Rhianna's story to tell. You can't tell anyone else what I tell you, not even Heath. Agreed?"

Nick nodded.

Kathleen took a deep breath and forged ahead, "Katie was her daughter."

"She has a daughter? Wait a minute, WAS?" Nick was stunned.

"Katie died in Ireland a little over a year ago. The rosary was Katie's. It's about the only thing of Katie's she has left."

"I didn't know. How horrible for her." Nick thought back to all his interactions with Rhianna. The flashes of pain on her face, the importance of the rosary, the looks at Mary. "How old was she when she died?"

"She was just about the age Mary is now. I know it's hard for Rhianna to be around Mary. I think as she gets older, it will get better; at least I hope so." Kathleen gave Nick a small smile.

"Thank you, Kathleen. I know it wasn't an easy thing to tell me. I promise I won't say anything to anyone. Thank you for your trust." Nick was sincere.

After taking his leave and thanking Kathleen for her hospitality, Nick left. He mounted Coco and instead of turning to go back to the ranch, he headed for the orphanage. He wanted to talk to Father Liam. He had an idea for a Christmas present for Rhianna.