Thunder Rolls Chapter Ten

The sun was still out when tons of huge, fluffy, white clouds started dotting what was once a clear blue sky. The rain that had soaked the earth a few days before had dried out and a soft, cool breeze was blowing through the air. Life around the Ponderosa had quickly gotten "back into step" and over the next few weeks Tyler Mitchell was all but forgotten by the Cartwrights. Now Ben, who had seen Callie do nothing but work, had put his foot down and insisted on taking her on an afternoon picnic.

"You're a hard worker, Callie" Ben said as he smiled and shook his finger at her, "but you need to learn to relax and take breaks once in awhile too." She'd just finished thanking him for the picnic, but was insisting it wasn't necessary.

Relax? Silently mused Callie; she had not forgotten Mitchell or the fact that he could again make an appearance on the Ponderosa. She sighed and shook her head. "Relaxing lets your guard down and…" she paused as she picked up and threw a rock across the creek they were seated by, "things can happen."

Having had many talks with Callie, some light hearted, some more serious, Ben had quickly learned to "read" this woman. What he was reading now bothered him, for somehow he knew he had not been mistaken when he thought she was hiding something. That admittance allowed the thought of Tyler Mitchell to again gain access to the front stage of his mind. He reached and touched Callie on the hand. He was shocked when she recoiled, a look of slight panic in her eyes.

"Callie, I meant no harm or forwardness. I was only going to ask if there was something you wanted to talk about." Ben was appalled he'd frightened her somehow. That she, apparently thought….he was stopped from pondering when shock waves went through him as all of a sudden he knew what her secret was. "That man served time for his thievery." Ben looked at Callie who had, for the first time, failed to control her nerves in public. "That man did something worse… he? Ben paused once again, not needing to ask. The details weren't necessary; the fear in Callie's eyes revealed it all. Ben gently turned her face back to face him. The man should have been hung, shouldn't he?" Callie tried not to shudder. She looked into Ben's caring eyes. She didn't know how, but in that instance, she knew Ben had read through her involuntary reaction and, somehow, seen what she'd been running from for years. She didn't fight the tears that had been hiding for so long and they rushed out as if someone had reached out, took a hold of a gate and opened it wide. Without thinking, Ben wrapped his arms around her and held her close. He massaged her back with comforting circles as her shoulders shook from the racking sobs. As he felt her shoulders shake and heard her tears fall, Ben felt righteous indignation against the man who had caused Callie such fear. "Why didn't you tell someone?" he finally asked as she regained control of herself, but stayed in his arms needing to feel safe and secure.

For a moment she didn't answer, and then she pulled back and Ben let go. "I wasn't supposed to be out the night he took the money from the bank. I'd had an argument with my elderly father though and wanted to 'clear my head'." She let out a slight 'humph' and shook her head. "It was because of that I saw him through the bank window. He didn't see me then or I'm sure he would have killed me on the spot. I hurried to the sheriff's office and told him." Callie looked up at the sky and swallowed hard. "Tyler was gone from the bank by the time the sheriff got there, though. The sheriff told me to go to the hotel and sleep there for the night." Her shoulders started shaking again, "I didn't listen. I thought I could make it home okay, in spite of the late hour. Later…" she wrapped her arms around herself and started shaking again.

Ben had to remind himself not to show any emotion while he waited for her to continue, as he didn't want her to shut down. Finally she started back up, "I was half way home, relaxed and happy as I could be, but Mr. Mitchell had other plans. He ambushed me on the trail…he did things…I…He…"

"Shhh," Ben soothed, "you don't have to say it. I'm here, I won't let you go. He can't hurt you."

Callie melted into Ben's arms once more, not wanting to let go, not wanting to describe the events of that night and feeling relieved she didn't need to. She lifted her head and rested it on his shoulder and spoke softly. "Afterwards he threatened to kill anyone I told. I guess between his threat and my knowing I never should have been out there in the first place kept me from telling. It was my fault; I shouldn't have been out there. I should have been in bed. It has been a shameful secret I have lived with all this time."

Ben caressed the hair on her head, gently assuring her of her safety and her dignity. "It wasn't your fault!" Ben didn't yell or bark, he just stressed every word he said. "None of it was. Okay, maybe you shouldn't have been out there, but what he did…it was not your choice. It was his. He made that choice. The sin is upon his head, not yours! You need to stop blaming yourself." Right then and there, Ben swore if Tyler Mitchell ever stepped foot on the ranch, the law would have a live prisoner, but they'd have a live one that wished he was dead.

Callie gave him a sad smile and asked, "How?"

0000

Hoss and Little Joe were just coming out of the barn when Ben and Callie rode up. They couldn't help but notice how relaxed and happy Callie seemed to be, much more than they'd ever seen her since she had accompanied their father back to the ranch. The formal air she'd had about her over the weeks with them; the one that said I'll be polite to you, I'll smile at you and tell you no lies, but don't get too close to me, appeared to be gone. Not knowing the secret she'd finally let out to their father, they couldn't help but throw smiles each other way. "At least she's older than Adam." Hoss whispered as he thought of couple of money grabbing young women who had tried to turn their father's head.

"I think you best keep quiet, or you just might feel pa's wrath for having the nerve to speculate," quipped Adam.

Little Joe giggled as he headed for the house. Silently, he hoped his father did marry Callie. It was obvious there was a good connection there.