People can Change

Ch. 5

Juliet was thankful that the night's full moon lit the trail for her and her young daughter. Juliet rode her horse holding her son while her daughter rode the only other horse they had had in the barn. She prayed that the horses would make it to Stockton with no problem. She turned her head and saw that her daughter had started to get sleepy and so decided to stop for a couple of hours before continuing on their journey.

Juliet spotted a clearing and turned her horse towards it. Catalan followed her mom. The little girl was tired, but she remembered her mother telling her that they were going to see daddy which was enough to make her tired body to keep moving.

After laying the children down on the saddle blanket, Juliet took care of the horses. The whole time Juliet's mind was racing a hundred miles per second as she worried about her man. She remembered what Scott told her about the Barkleys and the time he'd spent in Stockton. When he left he vowed to find the peace that they had, and he did find that peace to a point. It wasn't until almost three years ago did she get him to tell her what was the last thing he needed to face to come to peace with himself. She urged her husband to face it and smiled the day he rode out to get over the last hurdle that lay in his path.

Juliet laid down beside her children as she recalled her friend Jackie's response when she told her she was going off to Stockton.

"You're what?" Jackie yelled.

"Me and my children are going to Stockton." Juliet said as she saddled both of the horses.

"How do you know this Barkley lady is telling the truth?" Jackie asked. She hoped that the letter was true, but part of her said it wasn't.

Juliet turned to face her friend as she spoke, "I know you and Keith are worried about me, but I am going to go. If it is true, my husband will not die alone. My children and I will be there. They will get to see their father one last time." Grant it, Juliet hope that Scott would not die, but she also knew that she may have to face the cold hard facts.

Jackie didn't say anything, because she knew if she was in Juliet's shoes she would be doing the exact same thing. She handed the last of their supplies to Juliet before saying, "I hope it is true and I hope he doesn't die. Ya'll will be in my prayers."

Juliet watched her friend get into her buggy and leave. She sighed as tears fell. She hoped and prayed this was not a foolish thing to be doing. At least her Indian friends would watch her horses while she was gone. Juliet got her children and started out on the long journey.

Juliet looked up at the stars and silently asked for the man above to watch over them and she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

/

Mark sat down on the couch next to Audra as Nick and Heath teased him royal about him falling in a puddle when his horse got spooked by a rabbit dashing out of a bush nearby. He only grinned and took it in good humor. Mark's head turned when he heard the door open and was greeted by the sight of Jarrod holding a telegram.

Jarrod kept looking at the telegram as he said, "Abby, Travis, and Paula will be in shortly."

Heath asked, "What is on that piece of paper that's gonna bite you, brother?"

"It's a telegram from one Juliet Breckenridge. She and her two children are coming here." Jarrod spoke as he looked at the group in the front room. He noticed Mark's face light up and asked why he looked so happy with that piece of news.

Mark answered, "I now remember why I recognized Scott."

"How do you know him?" Audra asked her fiancé.

Mark waited for Nick and Jarrod to sit down before speaking, "At the time he had a beard; I was around eighteen and going down the wrong path when I met Scott. He pulled me aside and asked me, if I continued to go down the path I was on, could I live with what I was doing for the rest of my life? I told him yes, but he knew deep down I couldn't. He took me to his home and there I met his wife Juliet. At the time they didn't have any children, though Juliet was expecting her first child. Somehow she had the ability to see right through me, and she had Scott hired me to help Scott out with the horses. I still don't know why they didn't go to town very much, but all the people in town, if asked about them, would not answer any questions. Scott was the one who helped me get another job after I worked with them a year, even gave me a horse and when I tried to pay him. I got told by him and I quote; There is no need to pay me. I'm a friend. I tried two more times to pay him and finally he said; If you want to pay me back for that horse that I gave you, just pay it forward. Help people out every time they need it. So, that's what I did and have continued to do. Scott also helped a rancher finish paying off his mortgage and told him the same thing he told me about paying it forward. I am sure he helped more people out, but you won't get him to admit that."

Everyone sat in silence as they thought on what Mark just told them. Even Abby, Travis, Paula, and Victoria who had walked in half way through Mark's story didn't know what to say. The children didn't know the man they called Scott but they knew that they needed to be quiet for the time being. To the adults that knew Scott thought it seemed that the man had changed a lot since the last time they saw him; now the man was laying in the bed fighting for his life.

Nick asked, "Do you know anyone who would try to kill him?"

Mark shook his head, "Not as far as I know. Then again he might have a few enemies from his past."

They all agreed on that. Audra noticed the time and said it was time for dinner. They all got up and headed off to the dining room to eat supper; the whole time praying that Scott would live. The man deserved to be back with Juliet and their children.