Well this heart of mine has been hardened like a stone
It might take some time to get back what is gone
But I'm movin' on and you don't haunt my dreams
Like you did before oh when I would curse your name

Well I heard the news that you were back in town
Just passin' through to claim your lost and found
But I'm over you and there ain't nothin' that
You could say or do to take what you did back
Well you got nerve to waltz right in
And think what's mine is yours again

Love Don't Live Here by Lady Antebellum

First. I would like to thank everyone for their reviews.

Second. I still own nothing.

Third: I'm not all that proud of this chapter. But I need something to move the story along.

Chapter Four

Iron River Ranch

Beau Bennett was relaxing in his chair on his back porch. Rooster and Colt weren't home yet and Dale was out in the barn checking on a couple of horses. It was peaceful and quiet. Probably because his sons hadn't made it back yet to ruin his fucking peace. He could almost close his eyes and fall asleep.

"Hey! Dad guess what best day ever!" Beau's eyes snapped open as he watched Colt bound up the steps with Rooster following behind him.

Never fucking mind.

Colt flopped down in the old porch swing. It's a wonder the boys hadn't broken that damn thing yet. "Seriously best day ever!"

"Shut-up Colt!" Rooster snapped from beside him. "No one gives a fuck about your best day ever."

The Bennett patriarch eyed his sons with slight interest. Rooster was slumped in his seat head in his hands and Colt was bouncing up and down in his seat out of pure giddiness. Jesus.

"Aren't you going to ask me about my day?" Beau just stared at his youngest son. "Alright fine, I'll just tell you. One of my favorite friends is back in town."

Great. That's just what he needed. One of Colt and Rooster's old idiot buddies back in town here to stir shit up and cause Colt and Rooster to fuck up.

"Which one of your idiot friends decided to grace us with his presence?" Beau asked.

Colt grinned from ear to ear and looked at his brother. "Do you want to tell dad which one of our idiot friends is back in town or do you me too?"

Rooster looked up long enough from his hands to flip Colt off.

"Katie Morgan's back in town."

Katie Morgan had grown up right beside the boys. She had been Rooster's first love. Rooster's first actual girlfriend. When the two had broken up years ago, Rooster had kept quiet about what happened between them. Maggie had assumed that Katie broke Rooster's heart leading the ranch to become a Katie free zone. Beau guessed it had more to do with Rooster than with Katie and that there was more to the story. What he did know though was that Rooster had never completely gotten over Katie.

Well Shit.

"Well I checked on the horses they're doing just fine." Dale said interrupting his thoughts. "Yeah, Katie Morgan's back in town alright. Saw her and that little girl of hers yesterday when I stopped by the farm to check on some of the animals." Dale said walking to his truck. "Would have been in town this whole entire time helping me out. If somebody hadn't fucked it up," the old veterinarian grumbled to himself.

"I need a drink," Rooster muttered getting up from the swing.

Morgan Family Farm

"I've missed this," Abby said curling up on the Morgan family's couch. "It's no fun having you live six hours away from me."

Katie laughed softly at Abby's pouting face and handed her a beer before settling in beside her. Katie pulled her legs up on to the couch and took a sip of her drink. "I've missed this too."

"So, how long do you think you'll be in town for?" Abby asked.

Katie looked at the bottle in her hand and then swirled the contents of it. She watched the liquid swirl inside for a second thinking about her answer. "I don't know for sure yet," she paused. "It depends on some things."

"Do those things have anything to do with Rooster?"

Abby watched Katie's face fall briefly before she placed a fake smile on her face.

"No," Katie answered. "Ellie has a week of school left before summer. I don't know if I should call the school and see if Ellie's vacation could start a week early. Or if I should go back to Denver for the next week and then come back. Or I should I ask my Aunt Charlotte to watch for her for a week, stay here, and then go back and bring Ellie back here when school lets out. "

"I thought you said Ellie was doing really well in her classes?" Abby asked. "Maybe the school will let Ellie start her vacation early and plus it's only what the third grade? I don't think she'll miss anything too important."

"Maybe," Katie answered. "Plus, on top of all that there's my job to consider and even with all that I sincerely doubt after all this time Rooster will care one way or another that I'm back in town."

"I know you never really told me what happened between you and Rooster all those years ago," Abby said slowly. "But I know he never really got over you and I think the reason your stressing so much about what to do is because you never really got over him either. And seeing him today after avoiding him for so many years brought up all those old feelings."

Katie sighed and turned her face away from her old friend before responding, "Even if and that's a very big if Abigail," she warned. "Even if I still had feelings for Rooster, he made it abundantly clear he did not reciprocate those feelings. After we broke up I drove here the very next day from Denver to try and talk to him. When that didn't work I tried the next day. When that didn't work I drove back to school thinking I needed to give him time to cool off and that he'd come see me on the weekend. But he didn't. So, I spent that weekend alone, devastated and alone," she paused before continuing. "I went to my classes the following week barely existing and then when my last class of the week came I packed my stuff up for the weekend to try again. Except this time, I didn't try just talking to him. I called Colt who didn't even know we broke up. I tried Maggie who told me to and I quote to go 'fuck off', I didn't even want to try talking to Beau, so I just came back to the farm and stayed here for the weekend locked in my bedroom."

"I didn't know that," Abby said softly.

"You didn't know because I didn't tell you. I went back to school put more effort into my work and earned my degree and now I'm Dr. Katie Morgan, I have a wonderful job at Jones Pet Care and I have a beautiful daughter. I'm doing great."

Abby looked around the Morgan's living room there were rodeo trophies, pictures of Katie and Danny, Danny and their dad Charlie, graduation pictures, and pictures of Ellie in just about every available space. The blonde smiled. "I know you are." She said patting Katie's knee.

"So how are you and Colt?" Katie asked changing the subject.

"We're- "Abby started before being cutoff by the doorbell.

Katie looked at the grandfather clock. It was late. "Who could that be?" She asked getting up from her spot on the couch.

Abby pursed her lips. "It could be Colt I told him we were hanging out tonight he said he might stop by. I think he missed you too. Not as much as me of course," she laughed.

Katie threw head back and laughed. "Well I've missed you more than I missed Colt." She chuckled opening the heavy oak door. Katie's brown eyes widened, and her laughter died at seeing who was standing on the Morgan's front porch. "Rooster what are you doing here?" She asked in disbelief.

*Author's note: I recently finished all the episodes of Part Four. Elements of Part Four may show up the store some but not all.