'Maddie... Maddie it's time to get up.'

Maddie groaned, pulling the blankets over her head. 'Let me sleep...' She mumbled to Cordell, not amused that her dream had been interrupted. She'd been riding a beautiful palomino horse on a beach...

'Maddie-' He placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her gently. 'we-we need to get moving if we're gonna make it to the auction.'

Her eyes flew open.

That was right. It was Sunday. Cordell and her were heading to the horse auction in Bowie.

Cordell chuckled as the teen hastily kicked off her covers, her kitten most annoyed by the disturbance. 'Five minutes to get ready, we'll grab breakfast on the way.'

'I'll be ready in two.' She promised as she went to her closet, Cordell heading back out to let her change. Quickly she slipped out of her pajamas into more suitable attire, dark blue jeans and a light pink western shirt. Her brown hair was hastily brushed and pulled back into a ponytail then slipping her good boots on, she was ready.

The envelope with her horse fund savings went into her small handbag along with her phone and she slung it on her shoulder as she headed for the door. On her way out she grabbed her good hat from the hat rack beside the door, quietly stepping out into the hallway.

'Ready?' Cordell questioned in a whisper, hoping they didn't wake his parents or Liam.

She nodded. 'All set.'

'Where's your jacket? You're gonna need it... It's freezing outside.'

'Damn...' She disappeared back inside her room, emerging a moment later with her jacket. 'Now I think I'm ready.'

'You-you got your money?'

Maddie patted her handbag. 'Right here.'

'Good, think that's everything then...' He did a mental check that he had everything as they started for the door, grabbing his hat off the tack as they walked past. The cold morning air hit them when he opened the door, it was so early the sun wasn't even up yet.

Maddie shivered despite wearing her jacket, hurrying ahead to the waiting truck. Much to her relief the heater was already turned on high as she climbed in. It wasn't long before Cordell joined her, the two of them on their way to the auction a moment later. She yawned tiredly as they drove out the gate, Cordell chuckling.

'Someone's still tired.' He remarked.

'Yeah... I should have brought my pillow.' She said, wishing she had thought ahead.

Reaching behind his seat he grabbed his jacket he'd taken off before getting in the truck. 'Here, use this.'

'Thanks.' Maddie smiled and rolled it up, placing it against the window. 'Wake me up when we stop for breakfast...' She mumbled, closing her eyes again.

Cordell glanced over at her as she settled down to sleep once more, a slight smile touching his lips. Maddie was exhausted and with the day she had the day before, it wasn't any surprise. His conscience reminded him about what had occurred yesterday morning and he made a mental note to himself to speak with Maddie and make sure they were okay. If there was one thing that Maddie was good at, it was hiding how she felt and it made parenting her a hell of a lot harder than it was with Stella and August. He'd only known her a short while and was still trying to figure out how exactly to parent her. Yesterday's slip up though sure wouldn't have done any good.

When Maddie started to mumble in her sleep he looked over for a moment and guessed that she was having a nightmare. Something we have in common... He thought as she began to move about then woke quickly, trying to catch her breath. 'Nightmare?'

It took a moment for it to register where she was and Maddie nodded after a second, her racing heart slowing a beat. 'Yeah...' She sighed heavily as she rubbed her eyes. Looking out the window at the horizon, the first rays of sunlight were starting to illuminate the sky. 'I don't think I'm getting back to sleep now...'

'You-you want to talk about it?'

Maddie shook her head. 'No, I'm fine... Just the same old...' She sighed again. 'My father, things that happened... Nothing I haven't dealt with before.' Resting her head back against the rolled up jacket, she turned to face him. 'How long was I sleeping for?'

Cordell took a glance down at the clock. 'Bout an hour. You didn't get much sleep last night then?'

'It was alright, woke up a couple times then drifted back off again. It's getting better though, I haven't woken your Mom and Dad up for a few weeks now.'

'That's good.' She fell silent again and after sometime he looked back over at her. She was staring out the window at the sunrise and watching the landscape going by. 'Maddie... Y-you sure... we're okay? You just seem... a little- distant.'

'I-I'm alright.'

'You-you sure?'

'It's just...' She paused then turned to him. 'Yesterday, when you got mad with me, it triggered a few... unpleasant memories.'

'Maddie, I'm sorry-'

Maddie shook her head, interrupting him. 'No Cordell, it wasn't your fault. You were right, I should have been more careful. It's not the first time I've almost burnt a house down.'

'Was... was that what those memories were?' He prompted gently.

She nodded after a moment. 'I um... You know my father and I moved a lot, which meant we couldn't take much with us... A couple months after I started living with him, we were renting a room in an apartment. Horrible place, it wasn't fit for rats let alone humans. I was trying to cook a meal on the stove and I did something wrong, I don't even know how but well... there was a fire and my father didn't appreciate it. It wasn't the first time he got angry with me, it certainly wasn't the last and yeah... yesterday...' Her voice trailed off for a moment as she tried to figure out her thoughts into words. 'I um... It was like I was transported back there... It wasn't you getting angry with me, it was him and well... guess that's why I've kinda been a little different.'

'Maddie... You know I would never treat you like he did, right?'

'I know.' She managed a timid smile. 'You've been very good to me Cordell, I know there's not many people out there who would have wanted to take me in with my past and my problems. I just don't want to disappoint you, I've been trying so hard to make sure I'm on my best behavior and yesterday I messed up.'

'No, baby girl, yesterday... yesterday was on me. I shouldn't-shouldn't have reacted the way I did. It was an accident, I know. It wasn't your fault. It was mine and I'm sorry. Will you forgive me?'

Maddie smiled as she replied. 'I already have. I know you didn't mean it, it just really scared me at the time. That, and the memories...'

'Let's try and forget yesterday happened, okay?' He suggested, placing a hand on hers. 'Let's enjoy today, starting with breakfast. What would you like?'

'Um... take a guess.'

'Mmm... let me see... Blueberry muffin and pancakes with blueberries and extra maple syrup. See, I do take notice.'

She chuckled. 'I never said you didn't, just wanted to test that memory of yours.'

'And did I pass?'

'You remembered I like extra maple syrup so yes, you get a passing grade.'

'Speaking of grades,' He slowed the truck down as they came to an intersection, turning onto the highway. 'how are you going with school?'

'I'm trying my best but there's still a lot I have to catch up on...' That was what happened with a father who didn't care about education. She hadn't done any studies since she had a short stint in school as a foster kid back a few years ago and was way behind others her own age. 'My teachers are good though, they've been patient with me and Abeline helps me when she can. I managed to get a C on my last math exam which is a great improvement on my last one.'

'C? That's great Maddie, well done.' Cordell encouraged, remembering how upset she had been when she'd received a failing grade and been required to take the exam again. 'I told you you could do it.'

'I'll just be glad when I get caught up, it's embarrassing to be three years behind in school.'

'But you are getting there, don't worry about it. You'll be where you should be in no time.'

'I hope so.' She took a glance at the time. 'Will we get there on time?'

'We will, don't you worry.' They turned off the highway and pulled up in a gas station that had a cafe adjoining, Maddie handing him back his coat. 'Let's go have breakfast.'

It was just after eight when they arrived at the auction grounds, Maddie looking around as Cordell searched for a parking space for the truck and trailer. Already there were a lot of people there, many leading or unloading horses into the outside pens. 'Wow... there's a lot of people here...' She remarked with a touch of nervousness. 'I didn't realize it'd be so busy.'

'It's a big auction,' He replied, finding a parking spot. 'one of the biggest auction houses in Texas. Dad brought Liam and I here a couple times as kids when he would come to buy stock.'

'I sure hope I don't get myself lost...'

'I won't let you out of my sight, promise.' He said as he turned the engine off, the two of them grabbing what they needed before stepping out of the truck. Once when Abeline had taken Maddie shopping a couple months back they'd gotten separated and it hadn't been pretty when she'd found her... The poor kid had been almost in full blown panic, even more so because her phone had gone flat and she couldn't ring her. None of them wanted a repeat of that. 'We'll go register then go check out the horses.'

Maddie nodded, sticking close to the Ranger as they started through the parking lot. Her eyes darted around as she surveyed her surroundings with caution, taking everything in. There sure were already a lot of people there.

After having gotten registered for the bidding and given the auction catalog, they went to find a quiet place to sit and look over it. The description of a few horses in the ridden section caught Maddie's interest and so after going through the rest of the horses on offer in the catalog, they went to go look at them.

'This one's nice.' Cordell remarked, stopping in front of a paint gelding. 'Not too old either-'

'He's got four whorls, hell no.' She interrupted. 'That one would be a hard one to work with.'

'What's whorls got to do with anything?' He questioned, looking down at her.

Maddie chuckled. 'You don't know how to read a horse's personality based on its whorls?'

'Ah, no...'

'Okay, let me explain then.' They moved away from the paint gelding, Maddie looking for a good horse to explain with. A couple pens down there was a halflinger with a single center whorl. 'This one here is a perfect example of a calm, gentle horse. See how the whorl is right between her eyes? That means she's got a steady temperament. If the whorl is above the eyes, that means they're more reactive. Below, and they're friendly and agreeable.'

'Did Dad teach you that?'

She shook her head as they continued down the aisle. 'Learnt it years ago from reading. Mama actually taught me about it too. She had a little saying to help me remember One is good, two okay, three means work and leave four for another day. That paint gelding had four in a Z pattern. That's the worst kind of whorl pattern you can find, horses with those are dangerous and unpredictable.'

Cordell looked down at her with an amused smile. 'I never knew that but it makes sense. Dad had a colt when I was a kid that was so crazy he had to put him down. I think he might have had four from memory.'

'While it's not dead set accurate, it gives you a pretty good idea...' Her voice trailed off as a leopard appaloosa mare caught her eye. Glancing at the catalog confirmed it was a horse that she'd marked to check and so approached her. 'Hey there...' The mare came to sniff her hand and after a moment she gave her a pat then motioned for Cordell to come closer. 'See this one? She's got two that's high and side by side. That means she's talented but could be a touch challenging.'

Cordell gave the inquisitive mare a pat when she nudged his hand, looking her over with a close eye. 'I think she might go for a bit out of your price range though, with that pedigree of hers.'

She looked down at the catalog. 'I don't recognise the names on it.'

'Spot My Blue Boy is a world champion, so is her dam. I wouldn't get your hopes set on this one honey, she won't go cheap.'

'I guess we'll just wait and see...' She added another mark to the catalog that meant she would consider bidding on the mare. 'She's gorgeous.'

'That she is.' He agreed, looking over her shoulder. 'Which one next?'

'Pen eighty-seven, bay quarter horse gelding.'

They continued on their way along the pens, Maddie observing a couple more horses she took a liking to. The appaloosa however had really caught her eye but she didn't set her hopes on getting it since Cordell seemed to think it'd go for a high price.

The aisles became more crowded the closer it got to auction time and Cordell noticed with amusement that Maddie slipped her hand into his, the teen clearly uncomfortable being around so many people. He squeezed her hand gently to reassure her and she smiled up at him as they headed down to the unridden section.

There were a lot more horses in the unridden section, some of them in bad condition. They came along an old chestnut mare that was so skinny and sorry looking that Maddie couldn't help but feel sorry for her. She was there for one purpose though and that was to find a rideable horse, not a glue-factory nag and so they kept looking.

Before long it was time to go find a seat in the auction and once they had found a place in the stands Maddie went back over the catalog again. There were about six or so horses in the ridden section she was interested in and about four in the penned. They arrived back in time too for a few moments later, the auctioneer opened with a prayer and then the auction began.

Maddie took careful notice of the proceedings as the morning kept on and when the appaloosa came up for bidding, she had her fingers crossed that they'd be able to buy her. Her hopes were quickly dashed however when the bidding started at the reserve price of five thousand which was already out of her budget. The appaloosa went for sixteen thousand and she was glad she hadn't set her heart on that one.

The other horses in the ridden section went for more than she had expected and when the section came to an end, she hadn't purchased anything. The auctioneer announced they would break for morning tea and the auction would continue with the penned horses shortly after.

'You were right about the appaloosa.' Maddie remarked as she and Cordell made their way out of the auction house to a coffee van set up outside to grab a bite to eat. 'I can't believe she went for that price.' She glanced back at the catalog in her hand. 'Hopefully the penned horses won't go so high.'

'How many penned ones are you interested in?'

'Four. The three year old bay quarter horse filly, five year old gray thoroughbred gelding, four year old black quarter horse mare and the six year old palomino paint mare.'

Cordell nodded. 'And your pick from that lot would be?'

'The six year old, if she goes for the right price.' She replied as they joined the lineup for the food van. 'Good conformation, steady temperament. The others might be alright but the paint has good potential with her conformation. Unfortunately though-' She sighed heavily. 'She'll probably go for more than the other three because of her color.'

'If-if you really have your heart set on her, I might be able to help you out-'

Maddie shook her head. 'I can't ask you to do that. I have four thousand, if I can't get a horse under that I'll just keep looking.'

'You sure?'

She nodded. 'Positive. The right horse will come along and in the meantime, I can get a well needed lesson in patience.'

By the time they were able to order, the auction was about to start again and they made their way back inside once more. The first horse had just been sold as they walked in and a shiver ran up her spine as the horse's eyes met hers. That was it, that was the one she wanted. She stopped Cordell, motioning to the black horse as the riders forced it out of the auction house to the pens outside. 'That one.'

'T-that one?' He stuttered with surprise.

She nodded. 'That's the one I want.'

'That-that's a wild mustang.'

'Yeah, I know-' She replied as the next horse was brought in, another unhandled mustang. 'and I know that it's the right one. Trust me Cordell, I know what I'm doing.'

The Ranger chuckled as he shook his head. Once Maddie had made up her mind, there was no stopping her. If that was the horse she wanted, she'd stop at nothing to make sure she got it. 'Alright. I'll go speak to the clerk and find out who bought it, you stay put.'

Maddie nodded as she took her seat once more, Cordell leaving to go speak with the clerk. More mustangs were brought through but none of them caught her eye like the black had. There was something about it that drew her to it, something inside her that told her it was the one. The horse for her. The palomino paint was forgotten about as the image of the black played over and over in her mind. It was either that one, or no horse.

After a time, Cordell returned. 'What did he say?'

'The horse was sold to an A.M. McCathy for six hundred .' He replied as he sat down beside her again and pointed the gentleman out from the crowd. 'We'll speak to him after the auction is over. What about the paint though?'

'I want the black.' She said decisively. 'Did the clerk give you any more information on it?'

'Nothing other than it's an unhandled mare, about five years old. There was a herd of mustangs bought in during the ridden section to be sold as a late entry. Deceased estate or something.'

Maddie nodded. 'Hopefully he'll be willing to sell her to us.'

The horse section of the auction was soon over, most of the crowd dispersing as they started with the tack sales. When they could get out of the auction house Cordell and Maddie made their way to the pens in search of the gentleman who had brought the black mustang. After Cordell had made a few inquiries around, they were told he could be found at the furthest pens loading up the horses he had purchased.

As they got closer to the loading pens, the sound of a horse screaming and the crack of a bull whip could be heard. Cordell tried to stop Maddie from running ahead but he wasn't quite quick enough, the teen running towards the sound.

The black mare was running frantically around the pen as four men tried to load her into the trailer, one man there chasing her with a bullwhip. The mare was frantic, trying to leap over the yard panels in an effort to escape and as Maddie ran to the fence, the man hit her again with the whip. 'Hey!' She yelled as the mare screamed, trying again to jump out of the yard. 'You don't have to treat her like that!'

'Stay out of this girly-' The man snarled, cracking the whip again at the mare. 'doesn't concern you.'

Tears came to her eyes as he started to beat the mare again and she jumped as a hand was placed on her shoulder.

'Let me take care of this.' Cordell said. 'Where's your money?'

She handed him the envelope from her purse.

'Go wait over there.' He motioned for her to go over near a tree on the other side of the yard and she did so then he turned back to the men in the yard. 'Excuse me. Cordell Walker, Texas Ranger...'

Maddie hurried away to where Cordell told her to wait, hoping that he could buy the mare off that horrible man. It looked like he had purchased most of the mustangs that had been through the auction though the black was the only one he hadn't been able to load up yet. A sickening feeling washed over her as she realized those horses were on a one way trip. The man was a kill buyer.

She waited like Cordell had told her with her fingers crossed, begging inwardly to any higher power that he could buy the horse. The mare wasn't dangerous, she was frightened and scared and with good reason. If she'd been running wild her whole life up until this morning it was no wonder she was acting this way. It didn't help either that the men trying to load her onto the trailer were beating her either...

When Cordell started towards her, she ran up to him. 'Did you get her?'

'After a little persuasion, yes.'

She squealed with excitement, throwing her arms around him. 'Thank you! Thank you!'

Cordell chuckled, patting her back with a smile. 'I-I do hope you know what you're getting yourself in for my girl, taming that mare isn't going to be an easy task.' She nodded as she let him go. 'I don't know... about this Maddie-'

'Trust me.' She begged, looking up at him. 'I can do it. I've learnt everything your Dad has taught me and you've seen me work with your dad's horses-'

'Woah, woah, woah.' He interrupted as she began to race off a million miles an hour. 'Maddie, Maddie. Stop. I wouldn't have agreed to get you that horse if I didn't think you couldn't handle her but I don't want you to get hurt-'

'I'll be careful. Promise.' She said wholeheartedly, glancing over at the yard as the men closed up the trailer and left the auction grounds. 'It's not going to be easy to load her onto the trailer though... Not after that.' The mare was still running around the yard, sweat and blood dripping from her back coat. 'Those bastards...'

Cordell placed a hand on her shoulder. 'Let's just go bring the trailer around, load her up and get her home.'

'I'll stay here and see if I can get her calmed down.'

'I don't want you going in there with her while I'm not here.'

'I won't. Promise.'

'I'm trusting you-'

'I'll stay on this side of the fence until you get back.' She replied and after a moment, he left to go bring the trailer around. The mare was snorting and half rearing as she walked over to the fence, Maddie staying true to her word and kept on the outside. Their eyes met again, the mare tossing her head before starting to run around the small yard once. 'You're okay girl...' She murmured, watching her closely. 'You're okay...'

The whip had left deep gashes on the mares rump, back and sides, anguish filling Maddie's heart. The mare hadn't deserved to be treated like that just because she wouldn't load onto the trailer. It made her blood boil that people could be so cruel to animals yet she knew herself firsthand how cruel some people could be. She and the mare weren't so different after all...

They both needed a lesson in learning to trust again.

It was a class she herself was still taking.

The mare though was only just at the start of her journey.

As she watched the mare, she could see so much of herself in her. Frightened. Scared. It was exactly how she had felt in the days and weeks after her fathers murder and her adgusting to her new life with the Walkers. It had been easy to trust Abeline and Bonham as she had already fostered a good relationship with them but for Cordell and Liam, it had taken her a lot longer. Now though, she could say she trusted them. It was just other people outside of the Walker family she didn't trust at all.

Cordell came around in his truck a few minutes later and she helped him back the trailer up to the gate in preparation to load the mare. He turned the truck off again and the two of them swung open the gate and trailer door, the mare still running around in the pen looking for a way out.

'This isn't going to be easy...' He remarked as the mare stopped for a moment, her head up high as she snorted and pawed the ground. 'She's sure worked up.'

'No surprise why, the poor thing.' Maddie replied with a sigh. 'If only people understood horses and were kinder to them. They have feelings too.' The mare darted off again with a snort, running along the fence. 'Let me see if I can get her to calm down a little, is that okay?'

Cordell nodded. 'Just-'

'Be careful.' She finished the sentence with a smile. 'I know.'

The mare eyed her warily as she stepped into the yard and stopped running for a moment, their eyes locking. As soon as she made the connection with her, she dropped her gaze and stepped back, the mare tossing her head as she sniffed the air. After a moment she approached again, waited for their eyes to meet then retreated once more.

Maddie kept repeating the process over and over as Cordell observed quietly from a distance, the mare slowly starting to calm slightly. With the goal being to load the mare into the stock trailer she didn't attempt anything else other than getting her calmer and slowly moving the mare closer to the trailer through her positioning in the yard. When she felt that the mare was calm enough, she decided they'd attempt to load her.

Cordell joined her in the yard and with the two of them working together, pushed the mare slowly towards the waiting trailer. The mare attempted to shy away and escape from the trailer but they didn't let her get past them and on the third try, they finally managed to load the mustang up.

Closing the door quickly behind them, Maddie breathed a sigh of relief as she turned to Cordell. 'Thanks...' The mare kicked out at the trailer, the trailer rocking slightly as she tried to get out. 'Good thing we brought the old trailer and not your Dad's new one.'

'Yeah.' He agreed as he double checked the door was closed securely. 'You know-' He remarked, his arm around her shoulders as they walked up to the truck. 'we're both gonna have some explaining to do when we get home.'