The Children Wished On A Puppy Tooth!

Josh and Maxine made sure everyone was settled in their bedrooms. They had found all kinds of quilts and pillows in a huge linen closet upstairs. They listened at the doors for a bit and all was quiet. Addie had settled down after only a little encouraging from her grandmother. The three children were all snuggled up together on the floor. They had said they would rather sleep on the floor on quilt pallets than on the bed. Maxine had seen to it that the pallets were soft and comfy. She and Josh looked at their now clean peanut butter free little faces and smiled, but both wondered what would happen to them come a new day. The sheriff was going to make some calls and so was Allie.   They shut off the light and softly closed the door. The children listened until they could no longer hear the grownups footsteps on the stairsteps. With hardly a sound Kaylee whispered, "Did you hear what that man called us? He called us orphans. That means that we don't have a mom or dad, but we used to have some. I miss them something fierce." Her little sister said, "I miss Mama too. I remember she was so pretty and liked to wear hats." Aadon said, "I went fishing with my daddy." Kaylee said, "We used to all go fishing together. Sometimes I close my eyes really tight and wish we were all together again. Remember when Mama caught a great big fish and I caught a frog? I think Daddy was just as happy as Mom was. Didn't we all catch fish that day? That was a really good day wasn't it?"

Zeke was listening to the children whispering through the hidden chip in Willow's tooth. Willow was a special guardian angel in the form of a puppy especially for children to find their way. She was to make their wishes come true as long as the wishes met with the supervisor's approval. In this case, Zeke was the supervisor in charge of Willow.

Zeke was laying in the sunshine with Marlee looking like a lazy dog enjoying the beautiful weather, but his mind was busy as could be. He had already gotten Edward and Virginia back to the Double D Ranch instead of fishing, now his young apprentice angel may have gotten herself into a bigger job than she was able to do. If she could pull this off she just might move up to the next level in her apprenticeship. He would help her as much as he could. He was a busy dog, what with two little girls and a mini farm to guard and keep safe.

Willow was snuggled up close to Kenlee and snored softly in her ear. "Kaylee, look! It's a tooth! Where did that come from?" Kaylee said, "Let me see. Oh, it's a puppy tooth. Hey, wake up, Kenlee. I heard a story once that if you find a puppy's tooth and make a wish on it that the wish will come true. Shall we give it a try?" Her brother and sister agreed and all held hands, with their eyes closed. All three wished as hard as they could. They wished that they could find a new home with new parents and that they would be loved again. They wished that they would always have warm clothes and food to eat. They opened their eyes and looked down at Kaylee's hand. The tooth was glowing! "Oh my hand is hot! I think it might be working!" Her brother and sister crowded around her hand and watched. Soon, too soon the light went out and they began to fear that their wishes were not going to be granted. They cuddled up together and went to sleep for the night their tears drying on their cheeks.

                                                          &&&&&

The sheriff took Maxine's hand and said, "Let's get out of here. I'll take you home. It's going to be a busy day for all of us around here, I'm thinking." Maxine agreed, but said, "How about I come into town about nine or so and meet you for breakfast. Maybe you will have some answers by then or is that too early?" They continued to visit as they went out to the patrol car. They said goodbye and didn't notice little Addie walking out to her grandma's car. Virginia was on duty however and stood watch keeping the little one safe.

Willow was in charge of the three young children but knew there was trouble on the Double D. There was a youngster in danger. She got up and looked out the window. Sure enough Addie was outside. Her poor grandmother was so tired she hadn't heard her leave the bedroom. She would fix that for sure. She ran down the hall and barked and scratched at the door. Soon the older lady said, "What's the matter, puppy? Huh? What's wrong...Oh my stars, Addie is gone!" Willow ran ahead of her and stopped and turned to make sure that she was being followed. She barked again. The lady ran down the stairs and followed her outside. There in her car was Addie saying, "Eat! Eat! Hungry!"

Willow went over and stood by Virginia who was still standing watching over Addie. "Boy, these children sure keep us busy don't they? Reminds me of ours when they were little. He chuckled and said, They were a handful weren't they? But they turned out alright."

 

The young couple was just pulling into town as everyone at the Double D had finally settled in for the night. The guardian angels were still on duty so all was well.

"Hmm, I wonder if we can find a motel that will take dogs? Maybe we should have left them at home with a sitter. I sure didn't want to board them while we were gone."

"No, we'll find someplace. I'll just keep driving around. It's a pretty small town. Hopefully they have a motel. Don't worry. We'll find something."

Welcome To Life On A Dude Ranch, Addie!

 To say the least Allie was surprised to not only hear Josh's voice but to see him in her kitchen. "I thought you were supposed to stay in bed, Josh. You don't want to hurt yourself any worse than you did." Josh grinned at her and said, "For some reason I feel like a million bucks. What's with all the kiddos in the kitchen? What's going on?"

Allie said, "I'll explain later, but if you could be in charge of drinks for everyone, I'll help Maxine make some pallets for the kids upstairs. I knew I should have gotten the cabins ready, but I wasn't expecting an emergency situation. I'll be right back, okay?" Josh assured her that he was perfectly capable of getting juice and milk for the little ones. He turned to the adults and asked if they wanted coffee. He would make some if they would like. They said, that it was too late at night for coffee, just juice or water would be fine. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a mop of curls crawling up on the window ledge. She and the blinds were about to have a battle and the blinds were going to win. "Hey watch out, little one!" About that time Addie fell down and started to cry. "Oh I'm so sorry. It's late at night and she is out of sorts. She does like to climb, however. I'll try to keep a closer eye on her. Come to Grandma, Addie. Now you sit here and eat your sandwich, okay?"

Josh looked around and saw the three older children. "So, sheriff, what's their story? Are their parents coming to get them? Are they lost or hurt? Do I need to call someone? What's going on?"

"I don't know what's going on, but they are tired and hungry. I told them they could stay overnight with Allie. I asked Maxine if she would help. I had no idea this lady and her granddaughter would be here too. This is a lot to ask of Allie. Are you able to help her until  Child Services come to get them? They say they ran away from an orphanage because they hate it there. I have to verify everything in the morning. Have you got this? If you don't mind, I'm going to run back into town after I check on Maxine and Allie. It seems that tomorrow might be a long day. Oh and by the way Jean is here because of K.R. He sent her a letter saying that he needed money or he would sell her daughter's horse. Yup, even in jail he messes with peoples' lives. Okay, I'm on my way upstairs. I'll let you know when I'm on my way back to town. Oh no, little one! Not blue frosting on my uniform! Sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. Maxine! Allie! Can you come get this little blue cupcake eater so I can go to the dry cleaners in the morning? Maxine! Please!"

Soon Addie's grandmother pulled her off the sheriff's leg and once again apologized for the mess. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into her..." The tears were running down both the grandmother's and Addie's cheeks. Allie heard sobbing as she entered the kitchen. "Josh, what did you do to this nice lady? What's the matter with you?"

 "What? I didn't do anything? Why do you always do that, Allie? You always blame me for stuff I didn't do! Dog! Quit licking the sheriff's pants! Get that dog outside. She doesn't belong in the house." Suddenly all three orphans started crying. "Please let the dog stay with us. We are so scared and she is our friend. Please! We won't be any trouble and we will be really quiet and go to sleep right away. Please?" Willow backed up to the three children she was in charge of with fierce determination and a low growl in her throat. This assignment was going to go well if she had anything to do with it.

Addie looked at Willow and said, "Dog! Want dog!" Suddenly there was a loud knock at the door. There stood a cowhand that proudly announced, "Ma'am you've got yourself triplets out in the barn. Three little baby goats! By golly if they aren't the cutest I ever did see. I took a picture of them for you, but you should come see for yourself!"

Allie was astonished. "How did that happen? I only have one goat! This is the craziest night in my life!"

The cowhand grinned and said, "Well, now you have four. 'Night! Welcome to life on a dude ranch."

Addie said, "Goat. Want goat!"

 The four adults looked at Addie then looked at each other and started laughing. They laughed and laughed until they thought they would be sick. This was the funniest mess they had ever seen. It was just like something you would watch on television. The sheriff finally realized he had to get serious and said, "Maxine, do you and Allie have a room ready for Jean and Addie? Great. Okay you two go get settled and you children follow Allie and Josh up the stairs. Is it okay if they keep the dog for one night?" Allie said, "Of course it is." She frowned at Josh and said, "Really, Josh, you know nothing about children. You are something else, ya know that?"

On a farm several states away was a young couple that desperately wanted children. They had a big house on a farm. They had hoped and prayed, but children didn't seem to be a part of their lives. This year they decided that they needed some time away from the farm. They loved to travel and decided to do something completely different this time. They had seen an ad in a magazine that a dude ranch needed help. The ad said that if you wanted to be part of ranch life that you were invited to be a cowhand, a cook, a housekeeper anything that you wanted to do plus the fun things like bonfires, trail rides, riding lessons, even fishing and many other fun outdoor activities. The stay would be free all that you needed to pay for was food. They knew about farming and she loved to cook. They both loved to fish. This sounded like the perfect getaway. They decided to leave the next day for Texas.

Allie Finds Her Kitchen Very Busy

 Allie was exhausted. It had been such a long day. The sheriff had made sure that Josh was comfortable in a bed upstairs before he left. "I still can't figure out how he fell up the stairs, but at least he didn't break anything. I think it's pajama time for this girl. I have a busy day tomorrow that's for sure. I have a lot of phone calls to make and there's mail out on the kitchen table that needs to be gone through. Hopefully it's some applications for jobs. I need cowhands, I need someone to cook now that Pat's gone and gotten herself married. Oh this was not good timing for that to happen." She chuckled to herself, "I'm sure she thinks the timing is very good." She went through her nightly ritual of turning off lights before she went upstairs. "I just might fall up the stairs I'm so tired," she giggled.

Just as she was heading for the staircase she heard a dog barking. "I wonder why Maxine can't keep that dog quiet. He's just a nuisance. That's for sure. Then she heard knocking at the front door. "No, I can't handle any more today. I'm too tired!" But, of course, she turned around and went to answer the door. There stood an older woman and a baby girl. 

"Oh my goodness! Please come in. It's getting chilly out there. There you go. Here. Sit down. Are you lost? What can I do for you? Would you like some coffee? I can make some quick if you'd like. I bet you are lost. Where are you heading?"

The lady looked at Allie with a dazed look on her face. She had never heard so many questions in less than one minute. She smiled and said, "Well, I think I'm where I'm supposed to be. Have you ever felt that way? You just knew you were where you were supposed to be." The lady gave the squirming little girl a hug and smiled and said, "Maybe she would like some juice if you have some."

Allie stared at the lady for what seemed like an hour before she said, "Of course, I'll get her some juice. As she was getting the little one some juice out of the fridge she asked yet another question, " What do you mean you are where you are supposed to be. Who are you?"

My name is Jeannie and this is Addie. You have my daughter's horse, Shadow, here. My daughter is in the service overseas. I have no idea where she is, or if she's safe and my nerves are shot. My doctor said that I needed a vacation and some peace and quiet. I have sent you almost all the money I have for the feed and boarding of Shadow. K.R. said that I needed to send him the money or you would sell the horse. Have you sold him yet? Shadow means the world to my daughter. Please tell me he is still here."

                                                                                          ***

The sun was setting and it was getting dark. The children were getting cold and it still was a ways before Willow would be able to get them to the Double D ranch where they would be safe. "They are so worn out I'm afraid they will fall asleep on their feet. Zeke, can you hear me? What do I do with these children?"

Zeke thought about the situation and said, "The sheriff is the answer. He is on his way back to town. He should be getting to your area just about now. There! See him driving towards you? He has his headlights on, but be careful to keep to the side of the road. There, see? He is slowing down now. He sees you. I'll see to it that he takes them back to the Double D. You are learning. With each assignment you learn more and more. You do need to control your barking however. It's really annoying."

The sheriff saw the children and the dog and slowed down. He stopped the car and got out and walked towards them reassuring them he wasn't going to hurt them. He said, "Are you on your way home? I'll give you a ride. It's getting dark out here and it's dangerous to be walking on the road at night. Where do you live and I'll get you there in a jiffy."

The children whispered to one another in their tiny little huddle. Would this man put them in jail? They were so scared and so hungry and cold. Kaylee walked towards the sheriff and said are you going to put us in jail for walking on the road at night?" The sheriff smiled and said, "Absolutely not. Just tell me where you live. I'm sure your parents are worried sick about you and probably will be calling me to help look for you soon. What are your names? Do you know your phone number? I can call them now and let them know that you are safe."

Kaylee asked her brother and sister if she should tell the sheriff the truth. What would he do if she told them they didn't have any parents? Would he make them go back to the orphanage? They hated it there. They couldn't remember their parents very well, but they still missed them. They missed the hugs at night and stories. Their mom used to read them stories. They used to go fishing and have fun. She just couldn't remember their faces very well. Finally she decided since she was the oldest she would have to do what was best for her family. They needed help desperately. "Sheriff, we are orphans. Our parents died a long time ago. We ran away from the orphanage because we hate it there, but please don't put us in jail. We are so very tired. Could you just take us somewhere where we could take a nap or have a sandwich? I can figure something out tomorrow if you can help us tonight. Can we take the little dog with us? I think he is lost and doesn't have a home either. Please?"

The sheriff thought his heart would break in a million pieces, but he knew what he had to do. He had to call Children Services and get these poor children a foster home. He had a lot of calls to make before he called Children Services, however. Sometimes children just decide they don't like the rules at home and decide to run away from home. He smiled and said, "For tonight since it is so late I'm going to take you to a friend of mine. She owns a ranch and has a big house. I'm sure she has stuff to make sandwiches. Peanut butter and jelly sound good?" The children hugged him and said, "Yes!" very loudly. 

The sheriff stopped his car at Maxine's cabin and told her the situation. They soon headed up the driveway and knocked on Allie's door. They were surprised to see that she was up and had company. The children looked hopefully at a very pretty sleepy looking lady that answered the door. She was making a lady and a little girl some sandwiches. When she heard their story she started giving the sheriff and Maxine directions of where to find plates and glasses. She told them where to put the children and where quilts and pillows were. She had lots of peanut butter and had enough juice to go around. Oh how she wished Josh was able to come down and help her. But at least he was upstairs where she could talk to him. Who ever heard of falling up the stairs? Then she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey everybody! What's going on down here? Are y'all having a party without me?"

Lost And Hungry Children Are Guided To The Double D

 Marlee had gone to visit Grandma Lu the other day. They had had a cookie and visited about her wanting to go to Texas. They had also talked about stories that were pretend and stories that were real. She had told Marlee that the stories that she writes are pretend stories. She had told her that someday she could go to Texas with her family if they decided to go there and visit, but she couldn't go there all by herself. Marlee was laying out in the warm sunshine on the sidewalk at her Grandma B's thinking about what Grandma Lu had said. Grandma Lu wasn't her real grandma, she already had two of them. But it seemed like a lot of people called her  Grandma Lu even the grownups. She cuddled up to Zeke. He was a big old white furry dog of her Grandma B's that she loved. She had grown up with Stashia B's wrinkled up old dog. She had been her very best friend when she was little. Then Zoe came, but she didn't stay very long. B said that she had died. It seemed like lately that she heard that word a lot. She had heard her Grandma B talk about angels in the latest stories that Grandma Lu had been writing. Sometimes they were funny and sometimes they turned into puppies and were even clumsy and made mistakes just like her. I wonder if I'm an angel. My grandma sometimes calls me an angel, but not when I'm naughty, she chuckled. Oh Zeek, what's it like to be a real angel? Do they live in the sky? Do they live in Heaven, or are they really here watching us and protecting us? Are they cardinals? Do they have wings with feathers? Are you an angel? I love you so much. You must be an angel. Those angels in Grandma Lu's stories were going fishing! I've never been fishing. Just look at those clouds. Do they look like fish? I'm getting so sleepy watching those clouds float around the sky. Let's go fishing, Zeke. Let's go to Texas in our 'magination like Grandma Lu does."

Zeke curled up to Marlee and silently sent his thoughts to his young puppy angel that was on B's porch, "Well, Willow, it's your turn to watch out for that little fellow at the pond who decided to go fishing by himself. Edward and Virginia are so busy talking about the old days they will need you to get them back to work and save that little boy. I think a puppy is just what this assignment is called for. Remember to keep his head out of water if he he falls in, but hopefully just seeing you will make him walk up the beach where he will be safe. Can you see him?"

Willow looked out the porch window at Marlee and Zeke and said, "Yup, I think you are right. See you later!" And in a blink of an eye his angel spirit was gone, but he would not be missed by Grandma B or her granddaughters.

In a few minutes Willow sent a message to Zeke and said, "It's a save, but the poor kid has no parents. I'm taking him back to the ranch. I'm sure between Josh and Allie they will take care of him and give him lots of love. Are you going to get Edward and Virginia back? I think I could use some help from them."

"Good job, Willow. Yes, I'm going to hover over them and get their attention. They did go back to their pontoon and are out on the water. They'll be back on the job in a few minutes."

Zeke drew Marlee closer and said, "Okay, kiddo. I hear your Grandma B calling. It's supper time, girl. Let's go home. All is well in Texas."

What Zeke didn't know was that Willow didn't have an easy job of it. Once she got close enough to get the little boy's attention he dropped his fishing pole and lost his fish. He jumped right in the water after that fish. What a job she had pulling him to shore.

When Willow was satisfied that the boy was alright she heard a sharp voice that said, "Hey, dog! Leave my brother alone. I'm in charge of him. Shoo! Go away. He's just fine." Willow stopped for a moment but followed them down the gravel road. "I wonder what's up? I think I will trot along even though big sister isn't fond of me."

He heard the boy's big sister say, "What's the matter with you? Why did you jump in the water? You could have drowned! Where'd that dog come from? We don't have any food for her. We don't have enough food for all three of us. We need to get back to our safe place. Kenlee is waiting for us. We need to have a family meeting and make a plan.."

By the time the two got back to their secret place it had started to rain. There was only one umbrella and the girls decided to give it to their little brother. He still was a little wet from trying to rescue his fish. "So what are we going to do about food? I'm hungry. Kenlee said, "I'm hungry too. That's why I was trying to save the fish. We are almost out of everything. Are we going to have to beg for food? I think I saw some horses out in the pasture. I'm sure someone will give us some food."  Kylee said, "No! We can't do that. They will want to know where our parents are. When we tell them we don't have any they will put us in an orphanage. We can take care of ourselves. I'll figure out something."

They neither saw nor heard Virginia and Edward riding their horses behind them when they were walking down the road, but Willow knew and watched them as they listened to the children talking. "I think I know the perfect place for these children to get a fresh start. I also think my plan just might help those two star crossed lovers to get their act together. What do you think, Edward?"

Willow whined and thought, "That was my idea you know. I'm going back to Grandma B's where I'm appreciated."

Josh Just Stopped To Say Goodbye

 It didn't take long for Josh to discover that his grandfather had ingeniously duped him and had taken his private plane to Las Vegas. He and Pat had gotten married in one of those famous little wedding chapels Vegas was so known for. He had driven to Master City to only find out that not only his grandfather, but his grandfather's best friend, Laura and her husband had all flown to Vegas  for a romantic wedding. When he looked at his cell phone and saw the picture of him and his new bride, Pat, he laughed and shook his head. He quickly texted him back with congratulations. He asked after his health which was silly. His grandfather was mentally and physically better than he was. Josh had a headache and was so disappointed in the direction his life had been taking. He hadn't known Allie very long but he felt like he wanted to be in her life for the rest of his life. It seemed at every turn there was an argument, an interruption, and lastly a misunderstanding at the dance. He should have never accepted the invitation to dance with Haylee. Allie had trusted Haylee and thought they were best friends only to find out that she was a federal agent. Haylee had moved to D.C. with her little dog, Chata. He had wanted Allie to re-open the mine when he had found out that the mine was full of silver and gold. When she heard the news she blew her cork. He only wanted what he thought was not only best for her, but what he thought would make her happy. It had only been three or four weeks, but he knew when he was whipped. He would stay in Master City and find himself an office, or maybe he would go back to Springfield or maybe go back out in the field.  He looked at his grandfather's happy face, and said, " What should I do, Grandpa? It seems like I can't win for losing."

When Allie got up the morning after the dance she rubbed the back of her neck. She had a headache. "Oh goodie. Just what I need today. I have so much to do. I need to have something to eat and then make a lot of phone calls. I am going to put Josh out of my mind for now. Enough is enough. Where did I put that magazine? After looking for just a minute, she found it and took it into the living room with a bowl of cereal and an orange. She turned on her old television set and was surprised when she saw Cedar Rescue ranch on the news. She had seen that ranch once before. There had been a little girl riding a horse. She started leafing through the magazine. Sure enough there was a lot of information about them.

After Allie watched the short news clip she leafed through the pages. She knew what her next move was. She was going to ask the owner if she could make a deal with their ranch. If they would take the five horses that the children brought her she would donate money to their ranch. She had learned that hay and vet bills were expensive just for her horses. She couldn't imagine the cost of caring for abused and neglected horses and cattle on a full time basis. She wasn't interested in making money on the Double D and neither was the Cedar Rescue. They just needed money to maintain the care of the animals that needed it. She needed the space for riding horses for children and adults. "I think I will get some ideas and information from them. It might prove beneficial for both our ranches."

She had finished her breakfast and was about to make her call when she heard someone knock on the door. It was the sheriff. "Hmm, I wonder what's going on." When she answered the door she could tell by the expression on his face that he wanted a serious talk. "Come in, sheriff. Is everything alright?"

The sheriff smiled and said, "I really don't know. This is a letter that is addressed to K.R., but is in care of the Double D ranch. I brought it out to you to see what the deal is. K.R. is back in jail. Haylee caught him snooping around Maxine's cabin last night. She arrested him and now he is spending time in prison once again for breaking parole. We won't be seeing him for several years; hopefully never again."

 Allie took the letter and opened it. It contained a check for boarding  a horse that she had never heard of. "Here's a note from this lady, sheriff. K.R. has evidently sent her a bill for boarding her horse here at the Double D. If that horse is in fact here, I have no clue which one it is. Look, she has her phone number on her check. I'll give her a call and see if she can describe the horse to me. The cowhands probably know which one it is by her description, if not the name."

" He is one underhanded guy, isn't he? Josh would be so upset about all this. Sheriff, Josh is a good guy and I really like him. You or I need to tell him about his dad going back to jail. Is Maxine alright? You are? Oh how wonderful! Sure you guys can have the wedding here. Have Maxine come over, both of you can and we can discuss the details. How fun! A wedding at the Double D ranch is just what everyone needs."

Josh had gone back to the ranch to get his things. He decided to say goodbye to Allie before he left. As he  got close to the house he had overheard the sheriff tell Allie about his father. "Well, Dad, he thought, I don't have to worry about you any longer; at least not for a few more years." He knocked on the screen door and stepped into the kitchen. "Hey, congratulations, sheriff. Good news for sure. It seems like wedding bells are ringing all over the place. I just got a text from my grandfather. He and Pat got married in Vegas today; now you and Maxine. Great news. Allie, is it okay if I go get my duffel bag? Then I'll get out of your hair. I think I'm off to see where the highway leads me. I just know I don't belong here anymore. You will do well with this ranch."

The news that Josh really was leaving made Allie both sad and mad. "So is your girlfriend going with you?"

Josh looked Allie in the eye and said, "You belong here at the ranch, Allie. You don't want to come with me. I think I'll join a group I read about that's going to do some ocean exploring. I have a feeling that the earth's resources way down under aren't close to being tapped yet. Or maybe I'll go to Alaska. I don't know yet." he walked through the kitchen and had started up the stairs when suddenly he fell hitting his head and wrenching his shoulder. He couldn't move it. The pain made him yell a little when he tried to get up.

Uncle Bill's ghost chuckled and said, "Sorry about that kid, but you and Allie need more time to get things straightened out. She didn't even get the part about her being your girlfriend. She thinks you are leaving for good. Now I hope Allie and the sheriff get you upstairs to rest up. You are going to be needed around this place, my boy." 

"Oh, Josh! Are you hurt? Here, let us help you. Oh I'm so sorry. Sheriff, can you help Josh upstairs? He was staying in the last room down the hall to the left. I'll go get some water and an ice pack. I think that shoulder will be really painful. Do you think he needs a doctor? How can someone fall up the stairs? Never seen anyone so clumsy." She chuckled all the way back to the kitchen. Serves you right for flirting with that girl last night, Bozo." 

Edward and Virginia grinned at each other as they heard Allie humming in the kitchen. "Well, Bill might be clumsy at times, but he did good this time. He's probably right. They just need more time. Want to go fishing like the old days? I think Bill can handle this for today. Plus you don't have to be a puppy anymore because  K.R. is just where he needs to be. I think we are about ready for our next assignment. Wonder who it will be."

"First of all do you really think Bill can handle the star crossed lovers? I don't and second of all I always catch the first fish so why do you think it's so much fun?"

Virginia grinned at her late husband and said, "Because I always catch the biggest one! Remember sometimes I even needed Julie to help me hold them up for pictures! Come on let's go. Bill will be fine."

The Strains Of An Old Love Song Haunts Allie

 Josh and Haylee were quietly talking about K.R. and where he could be. Josh was so upset that his own father could be so mean to his grandfather.  Josh told Haylee that he'd better get going to the hospital to see how his grandfather was so they said goodnight. Haylee told Josh not to worry she was sure that Rex would be fine, but to call her if his health was worse than they thought. She had read a text on her phone then said, "I have some work to do then hit the road. Good to see you." They didn't notice when the sheriff said, "Good luck" to Pat and gave her a little wink as he walked out the door to supposedly go to his office. They also didn't hear him whistle the only wedding song he knew as he 'two-stepped' his way out to the patrol car. He was probably going to get fired for this, but at this point in his life he just didn't care. He had been thinking about retiring for years. He just might hand in his papers sooner than later. Rex had talked him, the nurses, and the ambulance drivers into taking him to the airport, not the hospital. He had faked passing out so he could dodge K.R. if he showed up at the nursing home. "Lucky dog." Laura and Paul were even in on it. They all were going to fly to Vegas and find a cute little chapel and come back to town as a Mr. and Mrs. live happily ever after married couple "If I know Rex he will probably pick out an Elvis Chapel. He laughed out loud and thought, "Whatever works, old man. Whatever works."

As he drove home he thought, "I'm happy for them. I'm happy for me. Maxine said, "Yes!" Soon we will be a happily ever after couple too. I love the idea of getting married on horseback on the ranch. It will be the perfect beginning for a happily ever after. Nothing is going to stop us, not even K.R. I have to tread lightly when it comes to him. Maxine loves him for some reason even after all the times he has conned folks out of their money. I can't believe she was considering opening up that old mine on her property. That would finish things for us. Allie wants her ranch to be a haven for troubled and tired children and adults. She doesn't need any more money to achieve that. Bill left her well off, however, how he did that I'll never know. I had no idea he had that kind of money. Whatever, leave well enough alone and marry the love of your life. Time to go to bed and get rested up. I think we will work on her old pick up that she's been restoring. That will be fun." 

With that he went home oblivious to what was happening out on the Double D Ranch.

When Allie got out of her car she thought she heard music coming from the bunkhouse. It was old time music, but it seemed to her that there was more than one guitar playing. The music was soothing to her. After the dance in town ended badly she thought she wouldn't ever want to hear country music again, but this was nice. She decided to walk over and listen to the cowhands play and sing. It might just be what she needed tonight.

As she listened she thought, "I've never heard this song before. But the words are something I'd always thought that I might hear from the man I was going to marry. Josh's face came to her as she heard the cowhands sing 'Now you talk about tomorrows I can see one, There's no mountain we can't climb if we reach one, If you believe in forevers we could start one, If you want to be together we could be one.' She could feel her eyes fill as she listened to the sweet song, but she didn't care. "Why him? I can't get it right ever! Maybe I'm just not met to be with anyone. Maybe that's why Uncle Bill left me this ranch. Maybe I'm the one that needs friends and peace and some wide open spaces therapy." She shook her head and walked back to the house. The last strains of the melody would haunt her; 'If you want to be together we could be one...'

Virginia and Edward watched as the sad young woman opened the door and turned out the lights. "Well, isn't that just great? Now what do we do? Why can't they get along? Oh no! Look who's out here! K.R. is messing around Maxine's cabin. What do we do now?"

Virginia said, "You have no choice. You have to turn back into that puppy she shooed away. Maybe bite him in the ankle so he will leave."

"No I can't do that, or he will yell and wake up Maxine. Can't you see? Her lights are out. Turning back into a puppy is not something I do with much pleasure. She doesn't like me at all." Well, you have to do something to scare him off," said, Virginia.

They soon knew that their problem was solved. Headlights were shining brightly then suddenly went dark as a car came down the driveway and stopped. They watched quietly as they saw a young woman approach K.R. and heard her say, "Well, I guess this just isn't your lucky day, K.R. You have just broken your parole. You have to serve out the rest of your sentence. Put your hands behind your back. You are once again under arrest and heading back to prison. Get in the car."

The Dance

Allie was so excited about going to the dance with Josh, but she sure wasn't going to tell him that she was. As she was getting ready she looked out the window and saw those five horses that the children brought to her ranch for care. "Those kids were so caring and did what they thought they should do, but I just can't have a rescue ranch at the Double D. It seems to me that there is one that I have seen in a magazine or on line. I'll have to look tomorrow and see where they are and how far away they are. If they are a not for profit like I remember I will refer folks to them. I won't be like the kids, I will call them first and get some particulars. After she finished getting ready she went to the kitchen and noticed the magazine that she remembered. "Ah, yes. Cupcake the sweet donkey that they had rescued. Yes, I will call them tomorrow and see how they are set up and funded."

As Allie pulled up into a parking place by the big dance hall, she heard strains of country western music as lots of folks were walking through the door. "It's pretty neat that even though I'm from the city I have always liked country western music. Okay, I guess I'm going to do this. Here goes nothing." As she walked towards the door Josh was standing there waiting for her. "Hey, girl. Let's go have some fun."

She laughed and said, "I agree. Let's liven this place up a little." When they walked in she realized they didn't need to liven things up. It was jumping and full of people, both young and old. People had brought children to a dance?! Allie even saw some people that she knew. This was the place to be in her new home town.. Josh led her over to the tables that were heaped with food. There were tables with punch and soft drinks as well. She told him she'd rather find a table first if they could. Then they could sit after dancing. He led her to the back and found a table. They sat for awhile then decided to dance. They found out that they fit perfectly and he didn't even step on her new boots. Josh couldn't believe that she was the perfect dance partner. "Maybe someday..." He got tapped on the shoulder and was asked if he could cut in.. Well, he certainly hadn't expected that to happen. This was his night with Allie! Allie grinned and said, "Sure, I'd love to dance." Josh found himself standing in the middle of the dance floor with no one to dance with. Then he heard a familiar voice say, "Hey, Josh are you here all by yourself? It seems like forever since I've seen you. How about a dance?"

Josh looked for Allie and saw her laughing and dancing up a storm with some local yokal. He smiled at Haylee and said, "Sure, why not?"

About the time Haylee and Josh started dancing Allie saw them dancing to a step she'd never seen before. They were good together. "What is going on here? I thought Haylee had been reassigned to a Federal job in D.C. But there she is, my so called friend dancing with my guy. Good thing I brought my own car." She made her apologies to the man she was dancing with and left the dancing to others. As she was heading out of town she saw an ambulance in her rear view mirror with it's lights on and heard the siren's shrill warning. She pulled over to the side of the road to let it pass. She said, "Whoever is in that ambulance is having a worse night than me. I'm going to stop feeling sorry for myself right now." After sitting for a bit she pulled back out on the highway and back to the ranch.

Josh and Haylee got themselves a small plate of snacks and something cold to drink. Josh had seen Allie leave. "Well I have done it again. I can't win with that girl, he thought. "So what brings you to town, Haylee. I thought you had moved to D.C."

Haylee said, "I have moved. Didn't you hear? K.R. has gotten released from prison. Some how he got a new trial and is out. He's on parole, though. So they sent me back here to see if he has come looking for you or Rex. I'm hearing chatter that he needs money and will probably contact you or Rex for a hand out. That's why I stopped in here. I saw your car and wanted to warn you. I didn't expect to have fun while I was on the job. Didn't I see Allie? I'd love to catch up with her. I think she was a little upset with me when I left, but it couldn't be helped. So you haven't heard from your dad? Okay then I had better get over to the nursing home and check in with Rex. With what I remember he has rather frail health. He doesn't need the stress of K.R. breathing down his neck. Oh okay. Sure, lead the way. We can both go see that the nurses know not to let K.R. in."

When they got to the nursing home they both saw the sheriff's patrol car sitting there. "I wonder what's going on here? Surely K.R. hasn't been here already. I just got the news yesterday., said Haylee. When they walked in they saw the sheriff. He was on the phone to Laura. "Yes, Laura. He's on the way to the hospital in Master City. They think it was another stroke. Can you and Paul leave and keep Pat company? She's insisting on going there, but I think it would be a good idea for her to have you and Paul there for her. You just never know at his age and with the history of having had a stroke before. Thanks, girl. You are a good friend. I'll tell her that you guys are coming." He looked up and saw Josh and Haylee and didn't look a bit happy. "Josh said, "What's going on, sheriff? Is it K.R.? Is he causing my grandfather trouble?"

The sheriff said, "The nurse found him passed out on the floor. She called the ambulance then me. She had seen K.R.'s name on your granddad's cell phone. Evidently just seeing his name was too much for him. He's on his way to Master City hospital now. Laura and Paul are coming to take Pat over there to be with him. She's in no condition to drive herself." 

" I got a call that there was a letter addressed to K.R. that folks didn't know what to do with. I told them to send it to my office. It should be there by tomorrow.  They have closed up his Springfield office. I guess no one has gotten paid and no rent paid on the office, so he's probably hurting pretty bad for money. He hasn't called you? You know if he has, I need to know, Josh. Now is not the time to be hiding anything from me. Haylee, what are you doing here? I thought you were in D.C." Haylee explained the situation to the sheriff. He was not happy. He had just proposed to Maxine. His world was once again right with the world; now this. Maybe he should retire and live on top a mountain somewhere with his true love. Life would be so easy...

Josh felt like his day couldn't get any worse. He had planned on having a wonderful time at the dance with Allie. She found someone else to dance with, but when she saw him dancing with Haylee she left, now his grandfather might have had another stroke because of his con man dad. On top of all of  that the sheriff acted like he knew something he didn't.

"Sheriff, I haven't heard a word about my dad until just a few minutes ago. Haylee says he's out of prison and maybe headed this way. That's why she's in town. Allie is mad at me once again because she saw me dancing with Haylee. I know she won't answer the phone if I call her. Would you please call her and explain to her what's happening? I don't think I could take one more bad thing today."

The sheriff was tired and getting a headache, but he knew what Josh was going through. Maxine had taught him a lot about love. It wasn't easy that's for sure. "Sure, kid. I'll make the call then the rest is up to you. I've probably got a long day tomorrow."

Marlee Learns Pretend Stories Are Called Adventures

 Grandma Lu kept looking out the kitchen window watching for Marlee. "So little Miss wants to go to Texas. I wonder where that idea came from. Oh there she is. It will be good to see her. I haven't seen much of her since she started school."

"Hey, Marlee! I'm so glad to see you. You are growing like a weed. How are you? Sit. Sit. I'll get us a glass of juice and a cookie. How does that sound? Good." She brought the things to the table and they chit chatted for awhile and finally Grandma Lu said, "Okay what's all this about you wanting to go to Texas? Where in the world did you get that idea?"

As Grandma Lu sat and listened to Marlee she just grinned and said, "Oh is that right? Really? Okay, now you know that I write stories, but do you know that they are just pretend? Remember all the adventures that we wrote together? Those were fun, weren't they? That's what these stories are. Just fun, but mostly not for kids this time, but I understand where you got this from. You looked at your Grandma's phone and saw you in the pictures didn't you? Yes, I put you in the stories, Whitlee too. You wore your prairie dresses, but Marlee you don't have to go to Texas to be in the stories, you can just pretend to go.

 Look I'll show you how to do that. Come with me into my office and I'll show you how. Look. See this picture of you pretending to do laundry? You have your prairie dress and bonnet on. Remember how you hated the bonnet? Well, I'll just bet that little girls in those days hated them too. Let's put your picture in the scrapbook that Allie finds. Remember your name is Maggie in the story." Marlee giggled and said, "That's fun and you did that so easy. You call our stories adventures don't you?" Grandma Lu gave her a hug and said, "I sure do. Fun pretend adventures."

" I'll bet between you and me we can go to Texas in about two minutes instead of ten or twelve hours. As you get older and learn how to read you can travel not only to Texas, but all over the world. Reading books and stories even magazines is a wonderful thing. So pay attention in school and learn everything you can and maybe someday you can write pretend stories all by yourself."

 She gave Marlee another hug and said, "You had better get back to your grandma's house now. I need to get back to the story I'm writing. Thank you so much for visiting." She watched Marlee until she turned up the sidewalk to her grandma's house. Waved at her, shook her head and said, "She is such a smart little cookie she just might end up being a writer someday. I do know this, that whatever she decides to do she will do well. Now back to the unanswered phone calls in Texas, Miss Marlee, she chuckled. Now old woman, let's figure this out. It seems to me that the sheriff was the only one to answer his phone the others blew it off and never did answer their phones. Let's find out why."

                                                                               ********

"This is the sheriff. May I ask who is calling? Is that right? So you are closing up K.R.'s office. Well I'd say it's about time. Oh, no I don't know where to send it. I'll tell you what why don't you just mail it to my office and I'll contact the sender. Thanks so much for calling and I'll take care of it. Good night."

Maxine heard the sheriff talking on the phone. "What was that all about?" 

"Well, someone sent mail to K.R.'s office in Springfield, Illinois. They are in the process of closing it up. No one has been paid. I think the manager of the building is boxing everything up. It seems that there is a letter addressed to K.R. and they wanted to know what to do with it. I told them to send it to me and I'd let the warden know about it. Then he can take it from there. I'll call him in the morning. So are you going to say yes?" Maxine looked up into those eyes she had become so fond of and said, "Are you sure you know what you are doing? We'd probably fight like cats and dogs. I'm not an easy person to get along with. Plus you would have to spend money on taking me out to eat. I love to try new places and then of course, there is K.R. Then there is the town folks. They associate me with K.R. Don't forget Rex. He's the reason K.R. is the way he is. You are not going to change my mind about that, my dear. I guess if there are some things that we will never agree upon. Can we agree to disagree and just not bring them up?" They agreed and soon the when and where particulars of the wedding were discussed. They decided not to wait long and that they wanted to get married on horseback on the ranch!

When Allie woke up the next morning she picked up her phone and saw that she had missed a phone call. She didn't recognize the number. "Hmm, I wonder who this is? She was always careful about responding to numbers that she didn't recognize. There are just too many crazies out there. I don't need another problem in my life." So she didn't call the number back, but went out to the barn to see about the new horses that had come in the day before. The children's parents had driven over and picked up the kids. They seemed like nice folks, but they told her that they had been spreading the word that she was the owner of the Double D ranch which was a rescue ranch and would take in horses that were neglected and abused or abandoned. They were sure that before she knew it she would have all kinds of horses to take care of. "What? Now what do I do, she thought. I didn't want a rescue ranch. I wanted a place for visitors to come, take riding lessons, make friends, find some peace and quiet in today's busy noisy world. I don't have the help to care for what sounds like a lot of horses." She smiled and said, "Thank you. I will help when I can, but I would like to see the Double D as a refuge for people rather than horses. So unless it is an emergency situation, I will have to find another ranch for them to go to. But thanks so much for helping these five that the children brought over. We will get them well and then we can find an adopted home with someone to love and care for them."

Later on that day Allie realized that the unknown caller might be someone that was answering the help wanted ad in the Money Magazine she and Pat had placed. She decided to call the number back. She was in need of more ranch hands that was a fact. It was a young woman that was  answering her ad. She had just graduated from high school and really wanted to live on a ranch and help horses. After quite a lengthy conversation she told the girl to write her an essay telling her why she wanted to go to Texas and why she wanted to work on a ranch. She would be considered for free transportation if the essay qualified as one of the best. She was assured that she would be sending it in the next mail.

Allie grinned and thought, "Well, if nothing else her bubbly personality and energy would be a plus. We shall see what she says in that essay."

Allie's phone rang again and it was Josh. "Hey, Allie. There's a dance in town tonight. Would you like to go with me? I think we need a fun night. No fighting, just good music and there's usually good food at these things in town. What do you think? Can we make it a whole night without fighting?"

Allie's heart did a little dance. "Well, let me think about it. What do you wear to these things? Do I have to dress up? Can I wear jeans and boots? Oh well, maybe. I'll let you know. Okay? And by the way it isn't my fault that you always argue with me. Bye."

Allie found herself grinning at the thought of dancing with Josh on a date! Well, maybe they could get along for a couple of hours. She'd better go up and look in the closet to see if she had a decent pair of clean jeans. She loved her new boots, but she did need a cowboy hat here in Texas. She grinned again. Her ranch, her new home. She closed her eyes and thought, "Things were better, if only her mom was there to reassure her and encourage her to let people tear down the walls that she had spent building. Okay, I'll do it. But I'm not going to call him back for awhile. And I'm going to drive myself into town just in case he makes me mad like he always does. That way I'll have a way home."

When Rex woke up the next morning he smiled so big he thought his face would break in two. She said, "Yes!" Yes! She said she'd marry me. She will have to drive me places and I don't care. I will live with her and no more nursing home! I love that woman to pieces. I never thought I'd be so happy again. I'd better get dressed and down to breakfast. Pat will be here any minute." When he got dressed and ready to go to the dining room he picked up his phone. He no longer smiled. His face went white with anger. He knew his blood pressure was going up and he couldn't have that or he'd have another stroke. "I'm not going to let him ruin my life. No never!" 

The ringing stopped and the message that was left was never listened to. 

Before calling Allie Josh had not noticed he had a missed call.