*******************************************

"The last time I saw Marge Wilson was the last time I stayed at my grandmother’s house. My Grandma died when I was eleven years old so it will be fourteen years ago." Jordan Martin said to her best friend and agent Mary Houseman.

"I’m glad you got a hold of her. You really needed a vacation Jordan. All of the work you’ve been doing. One movie after another is wearing you down kid. This is just what you need, slow things down and get some rest. Mary said to Jordan with a little smile.

Jordan looked over at the woman who was driving and smiled at her. She knew what Mary was saying was true. Jordan had been working hard lately but not for the reasons people thought. She was tired of people running her life, so she fired her manager, accountant, and all her assistants. Everybody, but Mary was gone. Mary had been the one to get her to take a step back and look at what she was doing. Jordan had soon realized that she wasn’t happy and needed to slow down, which is why she was going to see her grandma’s friend.

Two weeks ago, she had received a letter from Marge saying that it had been awhile and she would like the actress to come out and see her. She still lived on the same ranch she had always lived on. It was called Raging Horses. As soon as she was done reading the letter she called Mary and asked if she wanted to go with her. Mary jumped at the idea. She didn‘t want to go with her husband on his fishing trip anyway. This would be more fun than sitting in a small boat waiting for the big one to take a hit.

"Well, if the guy at that gas station gave us the right directions we should be there in about one hour." Mary said. Jordan nodded her head in agreement.

An hour away a gray hair woman sat on her porch drinking a cup of coffee. She had been waiting for this day for years. Marge always thought of Jordan as one of her family. She loved her like she was one of her own grandchildren (if she had, had any of her own). Marge tried to keep in contact with the little girl that used to follow her around like a puppy, but over time as family’s moved, addresses and phone numbers got lost they lost contact.

Recently, she had a free afternoon and had decided to go see a movie, boy was she shocked to see her little friend up on the screen. Marge nearly choked on her popcorn when she saw the tall beauty. Her hair was long and shiny black and she stood at least six feet high. Her eyes were the bluest she had ever seen. Her little tag along was all grown up and very gorgeous.

It took her a week to get the letter written and mailed. She was overjoyed when she got a phone call from Jordan two weeks later saying she would love to come to visit and could not wait.

The sun was starting to go down when the car pulled up in front of the ranch style house. The house was a light brown with gray shutters; a porch went around half of the house. It had a well-kept garden with all sorts of flowers growing in it.

"It’s so peaceful," was the first thought Jordan had. She stepped out of the car and drew in a deep breath.

Jordan had taken that to heart and it was because of that she was now one of the top actresses. "Well, as I live and breathe look who is finally here," holding out her arms, Marge was not left empty handed, as the tall actress flew into them. "How is my puppy doing? It has been so long, you must tell me what you have been doing and how the rest of your family is?"

"First off, I want you to meet my best friend Mary Houseman. She is also my agent and as you can see my bellhop."

Putting the luggage down Mary extended her hand, but it was pushed away and she was engulfed in a big hug. "It is nice to meet you Mrs. Wilson I can not wait until we can sit down so you can tell me all about Jordan growing up." Mary stepped back and winked at the older woman.

"Don’t you worry; I have some of the best stories. Plus I even have some pictures. And you must call me Marge, my mother in law was Mrs. Wilson God rest her soul."

"Okay Marge it is. Where would you like me to put these suitcases?" Mary asked.

"Hold on a second, and I will have Jimmy come and get them." Reaching into her apron she pulled out a walkie-talkie. "Hey Jimmy are you around?"

From the corner of the house a big man with light brown hair and muscles from head to toe says, "I’m right here, mama."

"Damn it, Jimmy, you scared the life out of me. What are you doing spying on us like that?" Marge asked with a gasp.

Jimmy looked like a three-year-old in trouble, " Well Jay told me to keep an eye out for any trouble. I saw this car pull up and I have never seen it before. So I thought I should see what was going on."

Marge just looked at him and put her hands on her hips, "I know Jay is a little jumpy with what is going on, but you still should not spy on people."

"Yes mama, I will remember that, but I will also remember what Jay says to. You know when she says something is going to happen it usually does."

"You are right Jimmy. Jay is pretty good at knowing when something is going to happen, and thank you for looking after me."

"You know if anything was to happen to you, Jay would go crazy. You and me are the only family she has left. I plan on keeping her and you safe and sound no matter what," Jimmy said with a great big smile.

"Well, you have nothing to worry about here. These are my friends Jordan and Mary. They will be staying with us for a little while. So why don’t you go and get some more work done in the barn? I’m sure that horse of yours is just going wild that you are not there to fuss over it," Marge gave her guests a smile as they watched Jimmy run off to the barn. "I forgot to ask him to help with the bags."

"That's okay Mary and I can get them." Jordan replied.

Just as they turned to go into the house with the luggage, a blue jeep came racing into the yard and stopped in front of the garage. Out jumped an enthusiastic little blonde. She must have stood about five feet five inches with short hair that looked like she just woke up. It was flying all over the place. She had on a pair of old blue jeans and light green plaid shirt with a worn down jean-jacket over it.

She yelled at the top of her lungs, "Jimmy get me my gun and hurry up!"

"Jay what in the heck do you think you are doing? Why would you need your gun?" Marge asked Jay.

"Marge get in the house, please. We are about to get some unwelcome company;" Jay answered as she searched in the back of the jeep. "Damn! I know I put that other rifle back here. Where is it? Shit, oh here it is." A hand grabbed her shoulder and spun her around. Her eyes met older brown eyes and for the first time the older eyes noticed the blood and bruises on the younger face.

"What happened to your face?" Marge asked as she tried to wipe some of the blood away.

"I ran into some of Mr. Blacksmith’s men out in the backfield. They thought just because they work for him that they could get on my land and take what is mine. Well I made them think differently. I kicked their asses and some just got in a few good punches that’s all." You could see the frustration on Jay’s face and the anger in her eyes.

"Then why are you yelling at Jimmy to get your gun from the barn? And since when did you keep one in your truck?" Marge got madder with every word.

Jordan and Mary just looked at each other thinking the same thing. "What the hell is going on?"

Something else jumped into Jordan’s mind when she first laid eyes on Jay, "My God she is gorgeous."

"One of the guys I kicked the crap out of was Mr. Blacksmith’s son," Jay said has she took the gun from under a couple of blankets. "You know as well as I do he doesn't take it well when he gets his ass kicked. Remember when it happened last year?"

"Yes I remember. I will get my guests into the house so they won’t be in any danger. I will also call the police. Here comes Jimmy; make sure he keeps his head down and his butt in one piece," Marge said to Jay as she turned to usher Jordan and Mary into the house. When she reached the top of the stairs she turned around and yelled over to Jay, "You watch your back too. That guy is a snake and will do anything to get back at you."

"No problem, there is no way he is going to win this time, Marge. Now hurry up and call Sheriff Bowden," Jay said as she helped Jimmy load the guns.

Walking into the house, Jordan stopped before Marge and looked at her for an explanation. She wanted to know what the hell was going on and she wanted to know now.

Catching the look on Jordan‘s face, Marge put her hands up to stop any questions, "First let me call Sheriff Bowden and then I’ll answer any questions you may have." She walked into the kitchen and a few minutes later, returned with a tray filled with sandwiches and coffee. Setting them on the table and taking a seat she grabbed a sandwich and started her tale.

"For about the last ten years the ranch has been having money troubles. We had to sell over half of the land and let everyone go. But Jimmy, he had no place to go, so we just let him stay. Jay and I were about ready to sell the place. Let me tell you, this was the hardest thing we ever had to do. We decided to go to the bank on Monday," She paused to take a sip of her coffee.

Jordan and her friend could tell that this was hard on the older woman. Jordan was just about to ask if she was okay when Marge started her story again.

"I have never seen Jay so heart broken. This is the only place she has ever called home. Her entire family is laid to rest in the meadow by the lake. She is the only one left and it was killing her to have to sell. Mr. Blacksmith and his son have wanted this land for years. They bought what land we sold and they couldn’t wait until we gave up on the rest of the land " Marge stood up and walked to the window. Wiping off the tears that ran down her face. "Jay went out for what she called her last ride. While she was out riding, Jay came up on the ridge and was looking out for the last time, when a herd of wild horses came running below her. As she was watching them the black stallion that was in charge stopped and looked at her. It came up in front of her and started to dance around. Jay thought for sure the animal had gone crazy or something. Then all of a sudden it stopped and just looked at her. If you ask her, Jay has no idea what happened next, but the horse came over to her and let her pet him." Turning from the window Marge looked at her guests with a look of amusement. "If you know anything about horses, you know they don’t just come up to people, especially if the are very wild. Jay said an idea popped into her head. The answer to keeping the ranch was right in front of her. So instead of going to the bank the next day she went to the court house to do research. Finding the information on a government land act where the government pays us to watch over the horses since they are an endangered species. Within a month we had nothing to worry about." Marge said as she sat back down on her chair.

"Let me guess, the Blacksmith’s were not too happy?" Jordan surmised.

"I have never seen anyone so pissed off in my entire life. Steam was coming out of Richard Jr. ears." said a smirking Marge. She was about to say more when they heard a shot fired from outside. Making all three women jump in fright.

All three ran to the front door and looked out to see Jay and Jimmy standing with their guns pointing at six very big men. They all looked like they just got done rolling in the dirt. Jordan and Mary didn’t have to guess which one was Richard Jr. He had blood running from his nose and a set of black eyes forming. They could see the hatred in his eyes and his eyes were on Jay. Jordan had this urge to go and protect Jay, but she knew she should stay where she was.

"You fucking bitch. You broke my nose." Richard yelled as he tried to wipe the blood off his face.

"If you stayed off my land then it wouldn’t of happened. When are you going to learn that you can't just go on other people’s property and do what you want?" Jay said to him.

"Jay, when are you going to learn that my daddy runs this here county? No matter how long you stall, this here land will be mine and there will be nothing you can do about it. So, why don’t you give up and just hand it over? Maybe I will let you stay on and you can pick up all the shit." Richard glared at Jay.

"You want to know something, Ritchie? I would rather die than see you or your asshole father get this land," Jay raised her gun and pointed it at Richard and his friends. "Now, if you don’t get off of my land right now I will shoot your ass." Pulling the hammer back she took aim.

"I will let you off this time. But you better watch your back, because next time I will get you." Richard said as he pointed at Jay.

"I sure hope that wasn’t a threat, Mr. Blacksmith?" Sheriff Bowden queried as he stepped out of his car. "If it was, I would have to take you in and we both know your father would just hate to have to come and get you." He stood in front of his car with his arms crossed over his chest.

"No, it wasn’t a threat, Sheriff. We were just having some fun. We’ll go now." Richard and his friends got into their cars and left, throwing dirt and dust over Jay and Jimmy.

Coughing and trying to get the dust out of her eyes Jay turned to the Sheriff, " Thanks for coming so fast, I wasn’t sure what they were going to do."

"No problem. I knew something was going to happen one of these days, because it has been too quiet around here," Bowden said as he helped wipe off the dust from Jay and Jimmy.

"Well Sheriff, why don’t you come in and stay for dinner?" Marge said in a shaken voice. "Jay, I want you to go and get cleaned up. Then get me the emergency kit so I can look at your cuts."

"Don’t worry Marge I’m fine." Jay said looking very exhausted.

"Look here, honey, you can act all rough and tough to fool Mr. Rich Boy, but you can’t fool me. You are hurt and I want to make sure for myself that you are okay." Marge said in a caring voice.

"Yes Marge. I’ll be right over as soon as I get cleaned up," Jay says as she turned and walked around the side of the house.

"Okay, now that that is settled, why don’t you all come on in and we can have some coffee and talk while I make supper. Oh and Jimmy would you please get cleaned up too?" Marge said to him in a motherly tone.

"Yes mama. I will do it as soon as I put the guns back in the barn." Jimmy said with excitement.

*******************************************

Stepping into the shower, Jay let the hot water soak her hair. She felt all of the blood and dirt roll off of her body as she stood under the spraying water.

The headache she had had turned into a migraine. It usually started out as a minor pain behind her eyes then would over take her entire head by the end of the day. Jay knew she should go to the doctor’s, but that cost money and time. Both of which she had little of.

Slowly she eased her way to sit on the side of the shower stall. She knew she could not stay here for to long, because Marge would be sending Jimmy after her. So she sat there and tried to will the pain away.

After a few minutes, she stood up and started to wash herself. After rinsing the soap off she turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. As she toweled herself dry Jay looked at her reflection in the mirror. One of her eyes had turned black and blue, and she had a split lip. Jay carefully touched it and cursed for letting Dusty getting the drop on her like that.

Walking out of her bathroom, Jay looked around her small home. It had the all the basic stuff in it. A kitchen, which she never used except for the refrigerator. Jay had one addiction and that was soda pop, to be more exact she loved Diet Dr. Pepper. The pictures that hung in the small hallway were all she had left of her family. Her favorite one was the one of her and Jack, her younger brother.

A knock on the door told her she had better hurry up and get over to the main house. Taking one last look at the photograph, Jay, grabbed a gray t-shirt and a pair of jeans and got dressed. She looked for her boots and remembered that she left them on the small porch attached to her house. Opening her front door she grabbed them and took off toward the main house.

*****************************************

Walking into the house Jay called out, "Hey Marge, what’s for supper tonight? Hope whatever it is you made a lot. I missed lunch and right now I could eat a whole cow." Stepping into the kitchen Jay froze in her tracks. Sitting next to Marge, she saw the most stunning person she had ever seen. Jay looked into blue eyes and they just captured her soul. Pieces missing for so long seemed to be found in the deep blue orbs.

Jordan had no idea what was happening. The green eyes that were staring back at her made her heart beat faster than it had ever beaten before. They looked into her soul, finding a home.

Jordan knew she had to get to know this feisty little blonde with the clearest green eyes she had ever seen. She liked the way the gray shirt Jay wore was tucked into the waist of her pants. It showed off a trim waist and the short sleeves gave her a nice view of very strong tan arms. She had to stop herself from going any further, when she noticed Marge get up from her chair.

Marge got up from where she was sitting and walked over to Jay. She grabbed her arm and pulled her to a seat by Mary.

Jay didn’t realize as Marge guided her to a chair as she never lost eye contact with Jordan.

Jay couldn’t believe the beautiful dark hair stranger sat at her table. She broke from the stare to glance down at nice full lips, that Jay knew once she kissed them nothing else in the world would matter.

So deep in thought Jay didn’t notice what Marge was doing until she jumped when something hit her eyebrow.

"OUCH!" Jay jumped off of the chair and looked right at Marge. "Why did you do that? That hurt like hell." Marge glared at her. "Sorry Marge, I didn’t mean to swear at you. You should tell a person before you go and do something like that."

"Well, if you were not paying attention it was not my fault. What is wrong with you any way?" Marge grinned. "Oh, by the way, let me introduce you to a friend of mine. Her Grandma was my best friend." She walked around to stand behind Jordan and Marge put her hands on Jordan’s shoulders. "This is Jordan Martin and this is her friend Mary Houseman. They come here for a little peace and quiet and they walk into the OK Corral," Marge said with a laugh.

"Hopefully that will be the only stand off we have while you are here," She shook Mary’s hand, "It is nice to meet you." She reminds me a little of my mom. Then she turned to Jordan to shake her hand too. "Welcome to the Raging Horses Ranch. May you find the peace you are looking for." The instant their hands touched all other things ceased to exist. They each wondered if the other person felt what was happening. The way Jay would describe it later on, "Like two halves of one soul finding each other and

not letting go."

Jordan heard a slight cough breaking her from the moment first, "It is nice to meet you Jay. I do believe I may find that peace."

Getting her voice back Jay said, "Good, and if there is anything I can do to help let me know."

"Now, why don’t you tell us the whole story of what happened today? Supper will be done in about 15 minutes and Jimmy is out showing Bowden something in the barn," Marge said to Jay as she took her seat.

"Well, I was checking the back pastures for any flood damage..."Jay began her story to her curious audience.

******************************************

"One of these days, I am going to get that bitch," Richard Jr. yelled as he kicked a cat that choose the wrong moment to pass by.

"We were on her property Rich. Maybe we should leave her alone for awhile." Sam said in a weak voice.

Rich grabbed Sam by the collar of his shirt and slammed him up against the car, "Listen to me you shit-head. That land should be my fathers and mine. She took it out from under us. It doesn't matter that it was hers first. All that matters is that it was supposed to be mine!"

"Come on, Rich let him alone. He’s a coward anyway. We’ll think of a way to get Jay Kramer off of that land. One way or the other. Accidents do happen, do they not?" Travis said as he held out a beer to him.

He looked over at his friend and releasing Sam grabbed the beer. He took a big swig and started to laugh. "Remember that one guy whose barn caught on fire and it jumped to his house killing his family? Well maybe another unexplained fire will be happening in the future." While he wasn’t happy that they killed someone Ritchie got over it fast because his father was proud for a job well done.

Sam was not too happy with the way things were going. He was not sure why he hung out with Rich and his friends. They treated him like dirt. He knew he had to tell someone what they were planning before someone got hurt again. Sam knew he had to go to the Sheriff or to see Jay herself,

before anybody got hurt.

*******************************************

The next morning found Jordan seated on the porch swing as she watched the sun come up. She could not believe the colors that the sun threw across the sky. The orange and pinks along with the yellows were amazing. She could hear the birds meet the morning with their own song. Jordan had forgotten what it was like to wake up with the sound of nature instead of cars honking and police sirens wailing. There was nothing like peace and quiet to wake up to. Sitting there enjoying her morning she was startled out of her musing when a curse was heard loud and clear.

"MOTHERFUCKER, SON OF A BITCH!" Jay came walking around from the corner of the house madder than mad.

"Well I can see that you are not a morning person," Jordan said in an amused voice as she continued to swing.

Jay stopped in her tracks and looked up at Jordan, "Sorry, didn’t think any one was up yet. My alarm clock didn’t go off." she smiled shyly.

"That’s okay, I woke up about a half an hour ago. I think it was the peace and quiet, not being use to it and all." Jordan said as she took a sip of her coffee. "So what are your plans for today? Mary won’t be up for a couple of hours, so I have time to kill."

"First and for foremost, I need to get some of that coffee." Jay answered with a yawn. "Then I have to go check on an expecting horse. She is due any second. After that the usual stuff clean stalls, feed the horses check the fencing, and the list goes on and on."

Jordan looked at Jay with a smile. She had always wondered what it would be like to live off of the land. Not like a farmer but what Jay was doing. Putting blood, sweat and tears into something that was her own. Something that she can put her heart into and see it grow. Hopefully someday she would find it.

Not even realizing Jay had left to get a cup of coffee, Jordan continued thinking to herself. Why has it taken me so long to realize I was not truly happy in what I was doing? When did all of this doubt get into my head? Then it finally hit her. It all started when she was at her last movie location. Sitting on her balcony watching all of the people walking along the street. Jordan had noticed a couple walking hand in hand just smiling, with a look of total happiness on their faces. To be that content with someone else was something Jordan had not had in a long time. In fact maybe she had never really had that. All you have to do was look into their eyes and you knew that no matter what, they would always love you, and be there for you. Still thinking to herself Jordan jumped when the screen door slammed shut. Jay was walking out with a mug of coffee and a look of pure heaven on her face.

"I take it the coffee meets with your approval?" Jordan asked curiously.

"Oh really? What’s the best way to start the morning?" Jordan asked.

Taking a long sip of her coffee Jay turned her head and looked right at Jordan, "My mom told me once that the only real way to wake up in the morning is in the arm of the person who has the other half of our soul. To just lie there and feel the peace and quiet of the new day. To be able to just hear the person you love breathe and to feel their heart beat under your ear. It’s just the simple things that make it the best way to wake up."

Stunned by what Jay had told her. Jordan was not sure how to reply, she was saved by Mary coming out onto the porch. "Hey, Jordan do you smell that aroma coming from the kitchen? My god I think I have died and gone to heaven." Noticing the way Jay and Jordan were looking at each other. Mary could see that she had interrupted something. Trying to sneak back into the house, she got smacked in the face with the door as Marge opened it.

"I am so sorry, Mary, I didn’t see you there. I just wanted to say that breakfast was ready." Marge said as she looked for any sign of bruising on Mary’s face.

Seeing Marge trying to check on Mary’s face while Mary tried to stop the older woman. Jordan said in a giggle, "Don’t worry about her head Marge it is made out of bricks."

Hearing what Jordan said Jay started to laugh and spilled coffee on her lap. "Oh boy, that is hot."

Turning to see what Jay did to herself, Marge grinned and said, "Now see what happens? What comes around goes around."

At that moment Jimmy came out to see what was taking everybody so long. "If you guys don’t hurry up and get in here I’m going to eat all of these rolls."

Hearing what Jimmy said, Jay started for the door with Jordan hot on her heels.

********************************************

After Jay and Jimmy left, the three remaining women sat around the kitchen table getting caught up on what had been happening in their lives. Mary was having a ball, hearing about some of Jordan’s antics while growing up.

"You have to be kidding me, she actually ran around the block buck-naked?" Mary laughed.

Marge laughed right along with her, "Yep she sure did." She looked over at Jordan laughing as she continued her story. "We found out later the reason she did it was because of some bet she made with the neighborhood kids. Apparently she was the loser."

"Well I always did pay off my debts." Jordan said as she sat there with a big smirk and eyebrows wiggling.

"What was the bet over?" Mary asked Jordan.

"It really was not a bet. It was more like a dare. They wanted me to kiss little Peter. I said that I would rather run around naked than kiss him. So they dared me to do it and I did." Jordan giggled.

Jordan had not thought of that summer in years and she still could not believe that she ran around the block naked as a jay bird. Wishing that life was still that easy and that no matter what happened she had a place to go and feel loved and not judged. Just because her face was well known and people saw her on the big screen they thought they knew her. Boy, were they wrong.

"So, Jordan, tell me what is going on in your life now?" Marge asked Jordan who was a million miles away.

Not hearing the question she sat there and continued to stare at her coffee. Jordan finally snapped out of it when Mary fingers snapped in front of her.

"What? Did you ask me a question?" Jordan asked looking up at Mary and then to Marge.

"I asked you what you have been doing with your life?" Marge asked and took a sip of coffee.

"Okay, I started in movies when I was 18 years old. You know just the little parts here and there. Then when I was twenty-three years old I got the lead role for this action movie called ‘Forrest Runner’ and it was a box office hit. Since then I have done six different movies. Work is all I have known for the past couple of years. Then it kind of hit me one night that I have not been living my life the way I really want to. Then I got your letter and called. The as they say is history." Jordan replied with a small shrug.

"Well, you can still say so much yet say so little. I want to know what has been going on up here and here," Marge replied and gestured with one hand to Jordan’s head and the other to her heart.

"Well to tell you the truth, I have decided to start over, to live my life the way I want. Plus I want to find what I have been missing for such a long time." said Jordan with a smile.

"What would that be Jordan?" Mary asked wondering what Jordan could be missing.

"I want to find someone who will love me no matter what I say or what I do. Someone that will make me laugh and cry all at the same time. That no matter what may happen she will be there for me and value what my heart has to offer. I want to find peace within myself and share it with someone special. I am hoping this little vacation will be a step in the right direction." Jordan said with all seriousness.

"It’s about damn time girlfriend!" Mary said as she slapped the tabletop. "All I have ever wanted for you was to be happy and I knew that no matter how much work you did it was not what you wanted. I cannot wait until I tell Bob about this. He is going to be so happy you finally figured out that work is not all you need in life." She got up and gave Jordan a hug.

At that moment Jay walked in and saw Mary hugging Jordan with Marge smiling off to the side. "So what has got all of you so happy? Did the sugar rush from the sweet rolls take affect?" The three happy women looked at Jay and they just grinned. Jay just looked back at them and shrugged her shoulders. "I just came in to get some coffee. Jimmy and I will be fixing the back fence that I was checking yesterday. Not sure when we will be back. The river did some major damage and I want to get it fixed before shit-head and his friends come back." She got a thermos and filled it. Jay also grabbed a couple of the last rolls and started to walk out of the house. She looked back to see the three still grinning. "Bye, and don’t you three girls get into any trouble today."

"Don’t worry Jay we will be good. You just try to come home without any bruises. Okay?" Marge replied in a worried tone.

"I will do my best Marge. See you later." Jay laughed as she left.

Mary took a glance at Jordan. Jordan didn’t even blink when Jay came in. Mary wasn’t even sure if she took a breath. The dreamy look on Jordan's face when she looked at where Jay had just been gave Mary an idea. "Hey, Marge tell us about Jay."

Hearing what her friend said Jordan looked over at Marge and said, "Yes Marge tell us about Jay."

She gave a slight wink at Mary and started her story. "Jay Kramer is the most honest person you will ever know. She wears her heart on her sleeve, even though she can hide it pretty well. Her mom and dad got into a fatal car accident. Not only were they killed, but so was her brother. She would have been in the car too, but she stayed home with me because I had a really bad cold. She was devastated. She told me that afternoon that she had a feeling something bad was going to happen. I didn’t believe her and I will never forget the look on her face when Sheriff Bowden came out to the ranch. Jay knew right away that her family was gone. She didn’t come out of her room until the day of the funeral. I got worried that after it was over with that she would retreat back into herself, but she told me that she was done crying and had things to do." Marge got a far off look in her eyes. She loved Jay as if she was her own daughter. Nobody could take her place. Marge only wished that Jay could find the one person who would make her life

complete.

Mary seeing the distant look on Marge’s face decided to change the subject. "Well, Marge, are there any good stores around here?"

Jordan still had many questions about the little blonde that had jumped into her heart, but knowing her friend had changed the subject to lighten the mood she realized she would have to wait, because it appeared that her two companions had shopping on their minds.

*******************************************

"Hey, Jimmy, will you bring the hammer?" Jay asked.

"Sure Jay, no problem." Jimmy picked up the tool and ran back over to where Jay was. "How long do you think Mama’s friends will be staying here?" He asked.

"Not sure, why don’t you like them?" Jay asked curiously.

"No, I like them. I guess I’m just not used to having other people around." Jimmy said shyly.

Jay stopped what she was doing and looked at her friend. "They seem to be nice enough, and Mary seemed to really like that joke you told at dinner last night."

"Yep, you're right Jay. Maybe it’s just that there are so many girls in the house now. Do you think I could spend the night at your place sometime?" Jimmy asked excitedly.

Jay looked at Jimmy and said, "Jimmy, you do know that I’m a girl too? So why would it matter if you stay with me or up at the main house?"

Jimmy stopped fiddling with the piece of grass in his hand. "Jay, you are not a girl. You are my best friend." He said very seriously.

Not wanting to hurt his feeling Jay said, "You are my best friend too. And don’t worry, I’ll protect you from all of those girls." She had to laugh a little at what Jimmy said.

"Thanks, Jay, you are a life saver." Jimmy looked relieved.

"What am I saving you from?" Jay could only guess what Jimmy had in his head.

"Well, you should know Jay, I’ll never get into the bathroom with all those girls running around." Jimmy said with determination.

Jay just stood there, until she had to let out the big laugh that was brewing. Jimmy was the only person who would come up with something like that. Calmed down enough she asked "Jimmy why in the world would you think they would take over the bathrooms?"

"Oh, come on Jay, you have to know that girls love to spend all of their time in there. And since we only have two bathrooms and they’re three of them I don’t have a chance." He explained.

"Well, I can see where that could be a problem. We’ll see what we can do so you won’t be without a bathroom, Okay, buddy." Jay said shaking her head.

"Okay, Jay, that would be great," said Jimmy as he walked back to the jeep to grab a drink of water.

Jay watched Jimmy. She couldn’t help but love the guy. Too bad the way they got to know each other wasn’t under better circumstances.

The day after her family’s funeral, she went and asked Sheriff Bowden what happened. He told her of the drunk driver that had swerved into the same lane of her parents’ car. They had hit head on. Killed her Mom and Dad instantly, Jack had fought to stay alive but his head wounds were too bad. By the time he got to the hospital he was gone.

Jay also wanted to know what happened to the other driver. Sheriff Bowden, told her that he was at the county hospital. He had a broken arm and a few broken ribs. He also told her that a passenger was in the other car as well. It turned out to be the driver’s younger brother. He had major trauma to his head, and wasn’t expected to live.

Sheriff Bowden told Jay that people had seen the young man try to stop his brother, but couldn’t. So, he got in with him to make sure he got home okay. They were almost home when the accident happened.

The driver got out of the hospital and went straight to jail. Where he got a lousy 2 years for vehicular manslaughter. They last heard he was in California somewhere.

Jay went to see the younger brother at the hospital where she found out that after time he would be mostly okay. Just that all of his mental abilities wouldn’t be the same. So, Jay went to the hospital every chance she could. She figured that the young man wasn’t to blame and would need a friendly face. They got to be friends almost immediately.

When it came time for him to be released from the hospital. Jay, had an idea, since he had no family and it was clear that even though he looked like an adult, he had the mind of a child. Jay figured that even though it was his brother that had gotten them both in this circumstance, she would bring him out to the ranch to live.

Together with Marge at the center Jay and Jimmy became their own little family. She loved Jimmy like a brother and would not change him for anything.

Coming out of her thoughts Jay yelled at Jimmy, "Hey, Jimmy, look inside the jeep and you will find that I snagged a couple of sweet rolls from this morning for you."

"Jay, you are the best." Jimmy reached into the jeep and jumped for joy when he saw the treat.

*******************************************

"I haven’t had that much fun shopping in a long time." Marge said as she sat on the couch.

"Hey do you guys want anything to drink?" Jordan asked from the kitchen.

"Sure, I’ll take a Coke." Mary saw Marge nod her head in agreement "Marge will take one too." she said.

"Okay, you too lumps just sit there while I get your drinks," Replied Jordan.

Mary looked to see if her friend was out of earshot. She had wanted to ask Marge if she saw the way that Jordan and Jay acted around each other. She whispered, "Hey, Marge, have you noticed the way that our two friends have been acting around each other."

"How could anyone miss it. The sparks that flew when Jay came in the house last night nearly knocked me over," replied Marge with a big smile.

"How long do you think it will take one of them to make the first move? I’ll only be here for a couple of weeks. I don’t want to miss it when it happens," asked Mary.

Marge took a glance toward the kitchen and said, "I don’t think it’ll be that long. I don’t know about Jordan, but Jay, has always said that she had no time for love. So she’s been doing nothing but try to get this ranch up and going."

Curiously Marge asked, "Used her for what?"

With a big sigh Mary answered, "every one of those women wanted her either for her money or her celebrity. Some even wanted both. Luckily she saw what was happening and put a stop to it."

"Is she seeing anybody right now?" Asked Marge.

"Nope, not a soul. I don’t think it would matter with the way those two looked at each other. They have something and I can’t wait until it explodes," Mary said excitedly.

Seeing that the tall woman they were talking about, was coming out of the kitchen they stopped their discussion.

Jordan had seen the two in the living room talking quietly. Wondering what they were talking about she asked, "So what are you two whispering about?"

Marge answered, "nothing dear, nothing at all."

She saw the look they gave each other and replied, "some how I don’t believe you, but I’ll take your word on it."

*****************************************

After dinner Jordan and Mary sat on the porch swing. Jordan looked at her friend and asked, "are you going to tell me what you and Marge were gossiping about this afternoon?"

"Why on earth would you think we were gossiping? Can’t two people carry on a conversation without being accused of something?" Mary asked in a playful voice.

"Not when the moment I walked in you two shut up like clams," Jordan said with a giggle.

Mary was about to make a sarcastic reply when they saw Jimmy. He came running out of the barn. Then they watched him run around the corner of the house. A few minutes later Jay came stumbling from behind the house. She was trying to get her boots on and she was failing miserably.

Wondering what was going on, Jordan asked, "Hey, Jay where is the fire?"

Seeing the two women on the porch, Jay sat on the ground and fought to get her boots on. Finally winning she answered Jordan’s question like an excited three-year-old. "The baby is coming."

"What baby, I don’t remember anyone being pregnant?" Mary asked getting excited.

"My horse the gray palomino is getting ready to give birth." Jay said jumping up off the ground and running to the barn. Halfway there she turned around and yelled at the two women still standing on the porch. "Well, are you guys just going to stand there, or are you coming with me?"

Jordan and Mary looked at each other and then like a fire was set under them took off. They caught up with Jay, and all three ran to the barn.

Jordan felt the excitement as soon as she entered the barn. She watched Jay go to the last stall. Jay looked like an expectant father; the sheer joy and worry ran across her face at the same time. Jordan waited to see if Mary and her could approach. Not sure if their presence would disturb the expectant mother.

Mary heard footsteps coming up from behind her. She turned and saw Marge as she walked through the door. Smiling at the older woman and she said, "Well, it looks like you’re going to be a Grandma."

Marge smiled at Mary and replied, "As long as this one is okay I’ll be glad to be called Grandma."

Seeing the questioning look on Mary’s face Marge explained. "A couple of years ago Clouded Destiny had a very hard labor and we lost the little colt. Plus we almost lost her. Jay didn’t want to breed her any more after that. Then she ran away one night and apparently she hooked up with a mate. So that is why we are standing around here now."

"Oh man, do you think the baby will be okay? Do you have any clues who the daddy is?" Jordan asked as she walked up.

Marge shook her head, "Yes; Jay said the black stallion that came up to her that one night is the father."

"How do you know for sure? Did he send flowers or something?" Mary said as she giggled.

They heard laughing behind them and saw Jay as she walked up to them. "No, he didn’t send any flowers. He’s been coming closer and closer to the house lately. He knows that Clouded Destiny is getting ready to go into labor." Jay looked behind them and said, "give me second will you?" She walked to the doors and threw them open. She looked right and then left. Then she waved for the three women to come closer to her. Jay pointed to the left and said, "See, he knows that he is about to be a father." They looked

to where she pointed and about one hundred yards away stood the black stallion.

"My God he is enormous." Mary gasped as she looked at the horse.

"He does have a presence about him that’s for sure." Marge said.

The horse must have heard her because he suddenly reared up. Then he started to prance around getting all excited. Showing off for his spectators Than as suddenly as he started he stopped and looked at the barn. When they all heard a crashing sound they took off back into the barn.

Jay ran up to the stall and looked in. Clouded Destiny had kicked a hole in the side of her stall. Trying to calm herself she talked to the horse. "Shh shh, it’s going to be okay Cloudy girl. Just take it easy girl.

Nothing is going to happen to this baby, I’ll make sure everything comes out okay."

Jay sensed that the horse was getting real close to delivering. She wanted to know where the vet was. She had sent Jimmy off to call the vet as soon as he told her it was time. Jay took one look behind Cloudy and could see the leg of the foal. "Damn, Marge go see what Jimmy is up too?"

"Sure Jay I’ll be right back." Marge said as she took off out of the barn.

Jay stepped into the stall and came up to Clouded Destiny. She patted the horses’ side and tried to let her know that she was here to help. "Easy girl. Calm down everything is going to be okay." The horse put her head on Jay’s shoulder as a sign that she knew why she was here.

"Look at that, Jordan. Have you ever seen anything this amazing?" Mary asked stunned by what she witnessed.

"It’s incredible." Jordan looked at the way Jay communicated with the animal.

Jordan walked up to the stall and asked, "is there anything Mary or I can do to help?"

"Can you look and see if the foal is still coming out okay." Jay replied with concern in her voice.

"Okay, but you will have to tell me what I’m supposed to be seeing." Jordan said as she opened the stall door and walked in.

"The foal should have one leg out and then the head should be..." Before Jay could finish her sentence Clouded Destiny got very agitated. Jay grabbed the reins to try to keep Clouded Destiny still, but it wasn’t working.

The horse scared Jordan so much she almost jumped over the side of the stall. She saw Mary as she tried to open the door. She was not prepared for what Jay asked her to do next.

"Jordan I want you to get behind Clouded Destiny and help the foal out of the birth canal."

Jay said as she still tried to calm down the excited horse.

"What are you nuts? Jordan don’t you dare get behind that thing. It might kick you in the head," Mary yelled.

"She won’t hurt you Jordan. Trust me, all she needs is a little help. Mary why don’t you see what is taking Marge and Jimmy so long," Jay said tiredly.

"Okay, I’ll do that, but Jordan don’t do anything stupid. You have no idea what to do." Mary said as she turned around and walked out the door.

"Boy, she can be the bossy mother, can’t she?" Jay said has she looked at Jordan.

"You have no idea. That was very mild." Jordan said with a little laugh.

"Do you always listen to her or do you think you could help me? I don’t know when the vet will be here. Jimmy was supposed to call him." Jay said as she tried to calm down the nervous horse. "I don’t want to lose this foal and the only way I can think of helping is for you to grab the foal and pull."

"You want me to what? I can’t do that; I might hurt Clouded Destiny. Plus what would happen if I did something wrong?" Jordan said in a voice.

"Don’t worry; just don’t pull unless she is having a contraction. I will warn you, you might get a little dirty." Explained Jay.

"A little dirt never hurt anybody before. So lets get this thing going, and see what your new foal will look like." Jordan said as she got behind Clouded Destiny. "Now you want me to grab it and pull, right?" She asked just to make sure.

"Yes, but don’t pull to hard. Just do it nice and easy," Jay said.

They waited for the next contractions. She couldn’t believe what she saw next. The little foals’ head was all the way out. She saw its little head moving and told Jay, "I can see its head. Do I do anything?" She asked.

"Remove the membrane from its nose. That will help it breathe a little better when the cord breaks off." Jay explained.

Jimmy came running in the barn as soon as Jay finished speaking. He came up to Jay and said, "The vet will be here as soon as he can. He is in emergency surgery." He saw where Jordan was and asked, "is there something I can do?"

"Yes, go get some blankets and while you are at it get me a soda." Jay said.

"No problem, Jay, I will be back in a flash." Jimmy said as he ran from the barn.

Mary and Marge came into the barn next. Mary carried a tray of coffee and sandwiches. When Mary saw where Jordan was she nearly dropped it. Handing it over to Marge she walked up to the stall door and asked, "What in the hell do you think you are dong in there?"

"Calm down Mary, nothings going to happen. You should see this though it is amazing. Its head is out and I think its going to be grayish like its Mom " Jordan said with enthusiasm.

"No way in hell am I going in there." Mary replied as she pointed at the stall.

Jimmy ran past the two women and handed Jay her soda, "Thanks Jimmy just set it over there by the sandwiches."

Jay wanted to see the foal born so she turned to Jimmy as he walked back over to the stall. "Jimmy why don’t you come over here and hold the reins. I want to see what is going on back there."

Like a three-year-old in a candy store Jimmy jumped into the stall and took the reins. "Now don’t hold them to tight. I want her to have as much play as she needs. Okay, Jimmy" Jay said.

"I understand, Jay, I won’t let you down." Jimmy said proudly.

"I trust you Jimmy. Just watch out in case she gets agitated. I don’t want you to get hurt." Jay said as she passed by Jimmy.

Mary heard what Jay said and was about to say something, when Marge came up to her and shook her head. Mary looked at her with worry in her eyes and Marge said, "Trust Jay, she knows what she is doing. Do you really think she would put Jordan in a dangerous place?" Marge tilted her head in the direction of the two women. Mary looked and could see the electricity between them.

She thought, "Damn, look at that. I’m surprised that they haven’t jumped on top of each other yet. Jordan deserves this more than anyone I know and I hope Jay keeps her happy." Mary heard Jordan laugh and looked at her friend. "Yep, Jay will make her the happiest person alive."

Before Jay and Jordan knew it a baby foal was sitting in their laps.

"Well, how does it feel to be a Grandma, Jay?" Jordan asked as she laughed.

"It feels great, even though we are covered in some disgusting stuff " Jay said with a great big smile. The foals head sat in her lap as Clouded Destiny came over to check on her baby.

"Jay are you going to tell us if it’s a boy or a girl?" Jimmy asked as he jumped up and down.

"You will have to ask Jordan, I have the wrong end," Jay said with a smirk.

Not one to get embarrassed over such things she lifted the foals’ leg and took a look. "It would seem that we have a brand new baby....... boy " Jordan yelled.

Jimmy and Marge started to clap and pump their hands up and down. Mary stood there shocked at the mess Jordan was in. She looked around and finally started to clap. Then she started to jump up and down and hugged Marge. She yelled "Congrats, my friend. He is beautiful."

"Jay, what are you going to name him?" Jordan asked.

"Well, since you are the one who really helped pull him out. I thought about naming him after you." Jay said in a sincere voice.

"I can’t let you do that." Jordan said shyly.

"Yes, I can and I will. Everybody I would like you to meet the new member of our family ‘Jordan’s Destiny’. Jay said proudly.

Jordan was stunned. The look on Jay face when she announced the name made her want to gather her in a hug. The thought entered her conscious mind and before she knew it she hugged Jay.

Jay just stood there. She felt the shock to her system and almost fell over. If it weren’t for Jordan holding on to her she would have. When they pulled back their eyes locked and before they knew it they were kissing.

Mary and Marge looked at each other and gave the other a high five. Marge got Jimmy’s attention and waved him over, "Why don’t you grab the tray and we can sit on the porch and eat."

They never noticed the others leave. It is a sweet tender kiss. A kind of kiss that made you crazy with want.

They ended the kiss at the same time. Jay put her head in Jordan’s chest and smiled to herself. She had never had a kiss like that in her life. Her heart pounded so fast she thought it would burst. Jay ran her hands up and down Jordan’s back. She could feel the muscles tremble with her touch. She had to know though, if Jordan had the same feelings.

Jay took a deep breath and asked, "Jordan? I have to know what you are feeling?"

"After that kiss do you really have to ask? I’m amazed that I am still standing. Your hands on my back are sending shock waves through my core I want to kiss you again, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself." Jordan said with as much feeling as she could. "So, does that answer your question?"

"Oh boy, does it, and I am glad. That’s how I feel and I don’t think now is the time to continue either. We need to get to know each other better and we are kind of a mess." Jay answered as she stepped out of Jordan’s embrace and looked at their clothing.

"You‘re right, we should slow down. We need to take this nice and slow, but I really need to kiss you one more time." As Jordan said that she stepped forward and kissed Jay gently with a whisper of a kiss.

Jay wanted more so she pressed closer and she clasped her hands around Jordan’s neck. Bringing her in for a stronger kiss. She ran her tongue over Jordan’s lip. Jay wanted to taste her mouth and nothing was going to stop her.

Jordan couldn’t believe what this woman was doing to her. She felt Jay’s tongue as it ran across her mouth. She invited it in and the duel began. Jordan brought her hands across Jay’s back and pulled her even closer Only the need to breathe broke them apart.

"I thought we were going to slow down?" Jay asked breathlessly.

"So did I, that was ..incredible. No one has ever made me feel the things you do with just one kiss." Jordan replied as she took a step back.

Jay ran her hand through her hair. She looked over at Jordan who had a flush look on her face. She realized that this woman had entered her heart and made a home. How did that happen in such a short time span?

"Maybe we should get cleaned up? I smell really bad and some of this stuff is drying." Jordan said as she sniffed herself.

"You go on ahead. I want to check Clouded Destiny and little Jordan before I go in." Jay said as she looked at the horses.

"Thank you for naming him after me." Jordan said as she stepped out of the stall.

"No, Thank you, for the help and for jumping into my heart. I kind of like you here." Jay said as she pointed to her chest.

"Believe me, it’s my pleasure and just so you know. You’re in here too." Jordan replied back as she covered her heart with her hand.

******************************************

A week had passed since Jordan’s Destiny was born. He was getting stronger everyday. He would prance around his stall like he was a king. Jordan came and visited him everyday. She loved how he knew she was coming. He would have his head stuck out a hole in the wall to watch her enter the barn. Jordan knew that they had some kind of connection, but everybody kidded her and said, "He just wants the sugar cubes you give him."

The connection she had with Jay was getting stronger everyday too. They would meet on the porch swing and talk or just hold hands and watch the sun come up. This particular morning Jay interrupted the quiet musing when she asked Jordan, "Will you go out on a date with me?"

"Yes, I will go out with you. What kind of date are you thinking about?" Jordan asked curiously.

"I thought that we could go on a picnic down by the pond. I could introduce you to my Mom, Dad and my brother Jack. I figure they should meet the person who holds my heart." Jay said with sincerity.

"I would be honored to meet your family. I’m even more honored that I have your heart. You must also know that my heart belongs to you." Jordan said with love.

Jay cupped Jordan’s face and brought her down for a soul-searing kiss. They were interrupted when they heard a cough. They stopped and looked to see who would have the nerve to bother them.

Jay turned her head and saw Sheriff Bowden as he stood on the steps with an apologetic look on his face. "Something you wanted this fine morning Sheriff?" Jay asked as she took Jordan’s hand in hers.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I have something you need to hear." When he said that he looked to his car.

Next to the car stood Sam Packet. Jay got up from the swing and slowly made her way to the end of the porch. Jay knew that Sam was a friend of Ritchie. She wanted to know what he was doing here, before she beat the shit out of him. "What is he doing here?" She said with venom.

"He has some information I think you will want to know." the Sheriff said.

"That guy over there knows nothing I want to know. Get that piece of shit of my property." Jay said as she restrained herself.

Jordan could see that Jay wanted to jump off the porch and pummel the guy. She got up and stepped behind Jay and put her hands on her shoulders. She could feel the tension roll off her. To help Jay calm down she started to rub her hands up and down her back.

The instant Jordan put her hands her back, Jay felt the mayhem leave her body. She knew that there had to be a reason why Bowden brought Sam here so the least she could do was hear him out.

Sheriff Bowden went and got Sam out of the car. Sam slowly got out and walked up to Jay. "Sorry for what happened last week. I really didn’t want to do it. They made me go with them. I had no clue that was what they had planned." Sam rambled.

"Shut up Sam and tell me what you need to tell me," Jay yelled.

"Jay, calm down. Sam is trying to help. Just let him talk," Sheriff Bowden said as he guided Sam up the stairs to the porch.

"Okay Sheriff, he has five minutes to tell me what ever he needs to tell me." Jay said as she tried to calm back down.

"Tell her what you told me, Sam." said the Sheriff.

"Okay, they said that they were going to burn down your barn. You really pissed off Ritchie the other day when you broke his nose. He wants payback and he wants it bad." Sam took a drink of his soda and continued, "I don’t have a clue when he is going to do it. I just didn’t want to be apart of all that. I came here to work and build things not burn things down. I just couldn’t leave with out saying something." Sam admitted.

Jordan knew it took a lot of guts for Sam to come here today. Maybe she could help the guy who seemed to be in the wrong place at the right time.

"Where are you going after you leave here?" Jordan asked.

"Well, I can’t stay here that’s for sure. I will never be able to find a job. The Blacksmith’s will see to that. Especially when they find out what I have done." replied Sam with a sigh.

Jay saw a man who could have just left and not said a word, but he chose to stay and risk his life for a stranger. And Jay was that stranger. She looked Sam in the eyes; she could see that deep down he was a good man just stuck in a very hard place. So she decided to give him a chance.

"What kind of work do you do?" Jay inquired.

Sam looked at her funny. He wondered why she asked him that. "I do all almost everything. I can fix any kind of motor and I’m great with horses."

"What would you do if I offered you a job here? I can’t pay all that much, but I can give you three meals a day and a bed at night." Jay offered the man.

"You would do that for me?" Sam said stunned.

"As long as you give me you word that you won’t try anything. I’m willing to give you a chance. So, what do you say?" Jay said as she stuck her hand out.

Sam took her hand and shook it with excitement, "I give you my word that this is my new home. I will work hard for you and protect it like it was my own." He said proudly.

"I have no doubt that you will be a good addition to our family. Why don’t you get your stuff and I will show you were you will be staying." Jay said with a smile.

Jordan whispered in Jay’s ear, "That was very nice of you. I think you did a very good thing. I knew that deep down you were a softy." Before she pulled back she nipped her ear.

A shot of electricity shot right down to Jay’s groin. She groaned and looked over her shoulder and gave Jordan and evil grin. "You keep that up and I will let you find all of my soft parts."

Jordan’s face blushed. She turned her head so that Sam and Sheriff Bowden wouldn’t see her face as they walked up to the porch.

Marge came out as the two men hit the last step. She looked around and saw the look Jay gave Jordan and she also saw the red creep up her face. Wondering what was going on she asked, "What’s going on out here? Jay what did you say to Jordan to make her as red as a tomato?" Then she looked at Sheriff Bowden and asked him, "how do we rate to get the company of the Sheriff so early in the morning? And who might you be young man?

"Hello ma’am, my name is Sam, and Jay just hired me to work here at the ranch." Sam said as he shook her hand.

"She just hired you. Welcome to the family. It will be nice having someone new to talk to around here. Come inside and I will introduce you to Jimmy." Marge said as she grabbed Sam’s arm and guided him into the house.

"Do you really think Ritchie will try something, Sheriff?" asked Jordan.

Jay answered before the Sheriff could, "I know he will, but I just wish I knew when."

"Don’t worry Jay, we’ll catch him. Than he won’t be able to terrorize this county any more." Sheriff Bowden said with confidence.

"I’m sorry, Marge." Jay said with a grin on her face.

"No you’re not, and you wouldn’t hesitate to do it again." Marge matched the grin she saw on Jay’s face. "So tell me what has got you all fired up? Does it happen to have anything with a tall, dark haired guest of ours?"

Jay walked around to the kitchen table and took a seat. She looked at Marge with an expression of joy on her face. Jay meet Marge’s eyes and said, "I think I’ve found something, and I pray I’ll never lose it."

"What have you found? I didn’t know you lost anything." Marge teased.

"Marge, what was it like for you when you feel in love? "Jay asked very seriously.

"Jay, my girl, I’ll tell you this, falling love is different for everybody. For me my hands would shake and my heart would beat ten times faster then it usually did. I couldn’t think about anything else. Why don’t you tell me what you’re feeling?" Marge asked.

Jay got a far off look on her face. The smile that spread across her face was radiant. Jay’s eyes shone the love she found.

"How do I describe what I’m feeling? Every ounce of my body can tell when she’s around. The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. Every waking moment I want to be near her, to feel her in my arms. The core of my heart has been over run by the love I feel for her. One life time isn’t enough time for me to show her how much I love her." Jay finished and put her head down on the table.

"I hope that I’m enough for her." Jay whispered from the crook of her arm.

"What do you mean enough for her?" Marge asked, but she knew where this was going Jay lifted her head and sat her chin on her arm, "Jordan can have anybody she wants. She has enough money to buy ten ranches the size of ours. Why would she want someone who has no money, or future on a ranch that might go belly up?" She stated as she shook her head.

"I don’t want to ever hear you say that again." Marge scolded as she stood up and began to pace.

"This ranch will be here for a very long time, and it’s all because of you." She pointed at Jay. "The Blacksmiths will never get any more of this land, because you’ve seen to that. There’s nothing they can do, because this ranch and all the land it sits on is protected."

"I know, Marge, it’s just that I’m scared. I’ve never in my life felt like this. In a way I don’t want it to stop, but in the next second I want to run." Jay confessed as she got up and put her head on Marge’s shoulder. "I don’t know if I could survive loosing someone else I love."

Marge lifted Jay’s head and wiped the tears away. "Oh, sweetheart, you have nothing to worry about. What happened to your family was an accident, and nothing could’ve been done." Marge looked into Jay’s misty green eyes, "Even though you knew something was going to happen. You had no clue that they would die. If you could’ve stopped it you would’ve. So, stop blaming yourself, okay?" Marge asked with a voice of love.

Jay saw the love on Marge’s face and knew she was right. "Okay, I’ll let Jordan continue to hold my heart. It wasn’t like I could really stop it or anything. I’ve never been in love before and it kind of scared me." Jay said in a bashful tone. "Thanks, Marge, I don’t know what I would’ve done with out you."

Marge broke down and started to cry. "Jay Lynn Krammer, you are the daughter I never had. I thank God everyday for you." She kissed Jay on the cheek. Then wiped the tears off her face. "Okay, enough of this mushy stuff. What are you doing home in the middle of the day? Shouldn’t you be up to your neck in mud or something?" Marge teased.

"I asked Jordan if she would like to go in a picnic with me. I just thought that maybe I should, you know fix something to eat." Jay informed Marge as she tried not to look her in the eyes.

"I think I might pass out." Marge grabbed the counter and pretended to sway. "You, Jay Krammer, are going to fix lunch? Has hell frozen over? Are pigs flying?" She turned to Jay; "this must really be the one. I have never seen you want to cook for anybody."

"Come on, Marge, will you give me a break? All I’m going to do is make some sandwiches. Maybe even chips," Jay responded as she crossed her arm across her chest.

"You’ve got to be kidding me? You’re going to bring sandwiches?" Marge asked with amusement.

"Yes, what’s wrong with that?" Jay asked with a small frown.

"I want you to go and take a shower. Let me worry about lunch." Marge told Jay as she reached into the fridge. "Go on, get out of here." Marge ordered as she waved her hands to get Jay moving.

"But, I already took a shower this morning." Jay pouted and lifted her arm to sniff. "And I wanted to make lunch for her." Jay said as she moped.

"Trust me, Jay. Sandwiches don’t have an ounce of romance to them. I’ll fix something that will knock the socks off of you both." Marge said as she went to the cupboard and got the picnic basket down. She turned to Jay who continued to stand still. "Now get going, I’ll have everything done in forty-five minutes." She said and turned and ignored Jay as she stood there and sulked.

Jay knew when she had lost, and she had lost this lunch to Marge. "Okay, I’ll go, but next time I’m going to fix my sandwiches." Jay replied and walked toward the back door.

"Do you want her to get food poisoning? Remember I’ve eaten your cooking before. I know my stomach will never forget it." Marge yelled at the retreating back.

Jay stopped, turned around and yelled back. "Like it was my fault. Nobody told me that mayonnaise gets bad if it sits in the sun. Geesh, are you ever going to forgive me? Or are you going to hold it over my head for the rest of my life?"

"Well, hold it over your head of course. What else would you expect? I thought I was dying." Marge replied back with a laugh.

Jay turned back around and headed to her house. She thought, "I guess I should let her hold it against me. That sandwich sure did make her sick. She turned every shade of green and I’ve never seen her run so fast in my life."

Jay opened her front door and headed to her refrigerator. She grabbed a Diet Dr. Pepper as she remembered the look on Jimmy’s face, when Marge ran past him and knocked him into the bushes. "I’ll never forget what Marge screamed." Jay thought and giggled. "Get out of my way Jimmy. I just know she poisoned me. Why did I eat that sandwich, why God, why, why?" Jay took a drink of her soda and walked into her bedroom. "It was pretty funny, but maybe she’s right, I should just stay out of the kitchen."

*******************************************

"Hey, Mary, does this shirt look okay?" Jordan asked when she stepped out of the walk in closet Mary looked up from the magazine, "Well, if you’re going for the cowgirl, girl next door kind of thing? Then, yep, you got it." Mary teased with a smirk.

"Come on, Mary, I want to know if Jay would like it. She is always wearing these flannel shirts and they look comfortable. So the other day I went and got me some." Jordan replied with a shy grin.

"Is Jay the one?" Mary asked because it was killing her not to know.

Jordan wondered when her friend would get around to this conversation. "The first time I laid eyes on her, my heart was hers. From that instant nobody in the world mattered. When we kissed, I knew my soul had meet it’s other half." Jordan stated with confidence. "You know what I mean?"

"Yep, that’s sort of how I felt when I meet Bob. Except I wanted to kill him." Mary laughed. "Why on earth did you want to kill him?" Jordan asked, as she laughed along with Mary.

"Lets just say we had a crashing first date." Mary replied laughing harder.

"What’s that suppose to mean? Crashing first date. What did he do? Hit you with his car?" Jordan was stunned when Mary nodded her head, yes. "No way."

"You hit the nail on the head. He told me that he was so enthralled with me that he lost concentration and ran right into my new car." Mary glanced up at Jordan with disgust. "I only had that car for two days, and he smashed in the front end."

"Well, you must have calmed down because you’ve been married forever." Jordan said with a smile.

"Yes, when I finally calmed down I took one look in his big gray eyes and fell in love." Mary stated in a whimsical voice.

"Isn’t love grand? Well, Mary, I should go and meet Jay. She wanted me to be at her jeep around 12:30 and it’s 12:35 so I better be going." Jordan said as she looked at her watch.

"Go on, leave me here with nothing to do, but read an old magazine." Mary yelled as she watched Jordan close the door.

Jordan opened the door a little and stuck her head in, "You betcha, Jay kisses better than you do." She quickly shut the door so the pillow that was thrown at her didn’t hit her.

Mary got up and looked out the window. She watched Jordan walk up to Jay and kiss her. She saw the look of pure bliss pass over Jay’s face.

Mary started to laugh when Jay walked to the drivers side door and fought to get it opened. When Jay decided that wasn’t going to work she took a step back and jumped over the door. "Guess having a jeep without a roof has it’s good points." Mary thought.

Seeing the two kiss again Mary smiled and turned to the chair were her coat hung. She dialed a number from memory. When the other end picked up she said, "Hello, love, do you miss me?"

*******************************************

Jordan and Jay each grabbed a side of the blanket. They laid it in the ground under the big willow tree. "I'll be right back," Jay said with a smile.

Jordan watched Jay walk up the incline to the jeep. Then she turned and looked all around her. The view was spectacular. About twenty yards from where they had the blanket was a quiet pond. On one side of the pond was a flock of ducks. She watched them as the dived under the water. Then she turned her head and watched a turtle stick out it’s head and stare at her.

"That’s Tank." Jay said as she stepped up behind Jordan. "My brother, Jack and I saw him one day, and a mountain lion was trying to have him for dinner. He just hid in his shell until the lion left." She put her arms around Jordan’s waist and rested her head on her back. "We waited until the lion was far enough away and checked on him.

Jordan tried to get her mind off of Jay’s body that was pressed up against her. "Why is his name Tank?"

"Jack came up with the name. He said that his shell keep him safe like a tank did for a soldier. So the name stuck." Jay laughed.

"How do you know for sure that’s Tank? Jordan asked as she brought Jay to stand in front of her.

"Well, he has a scratch along his shell." Jay pointed. "See it’s right there."

"Hmmm…"Jordan was too distracted to hear the question.

"Jordan, I really don’t think he’s in my hair. Not that I mind though." Jay tilted her head to give Jordan better access to her neck. "That feels nice."

"Do you have any idea how good you taste?" Jordan asked as she nipped and sucked on Jay’s exposed neck.

Jay opened her eyes as she turned in Jordan’s arms. A look of pure desire ran across the littler woman’s face. She pulled Jordan to the blanket. As she sat on the blanket she guided the actress to lay on top of her. Their lips meet before Jordan was completely down. At first contact she nearly fell the rest of the way down

Jordan wanted nothing more than to have Jay love her. She could feel her core vibrate with want, but she had to make sure this was the right time for both of them and not just the heat of the moment.

She broke from the kiss and looked into lust filled green eyes. "Maybe we should stop before we can’t." Jordan whispered . "Making love to you right now would make me the happiest woman in the world, but not here and not now." Jordan said trying to calm her body down.

Jay dropped her head and sighed, :"I guess you’re right. My mind say’s it’s to soon, but my body is ready to jump you right now." She laughed.

Jordan rolled off of Jay and reached for the picnic basket. "So what goodies did you make?

"I suppose I should tell you the truth." Jay said in a low voice.

Jordan wasn’t sure at first if she heard right. "What could Jay have lied about? Was it the way she felt about her?" Her heart jumped into her throat and asked, "What do you mean by telling me the truth?"

Jay didn’t see the look Jordan gave her when she asked her question. Jay grabbed the basket and sat it in the middle of them. "Well, I said that I’d make lunch. Marge, she had other ideas though. She didn’t want me to poison you like I did her. So she made lunch, I didn’t." Jay confessed as she reached in and took out a plate with chicken on it.

What Jordan heard wasn’t what she expected to hear. She couldn’t believe she doubted Jay. Deep in her heart she knew Jay was the other half of her soul. So she kicked those insecure feelings out of her mind and thought to herself. "Jay, isn’t one of those money hungry bitches from my past . Jay has the most genuine heart and would never use me."

When she came around it hit her what Jay had said about poison, "What do you mean poisoning her?" Jordan asked concerned.

"Let’s just say that I didn’t know that mayo spoils if it’s not refrigerated ." Jay looked up to meet amused blue eyes. "Don’t laugh when I tell you this and you’re not to tell a soul."

"Okay, I promise not to laugh or tell another soul." Jordan sat up straight and crossed her heart. Jay looked left and then right. She acted like she was about to tell a national secret. She lowered her voice to a whisper, "I can’t cook to save my life. Never been able too, either.

Jordan looked at her with an amused grin on her face. It soon turned into a full grown belly laugh. She couldn’t believe she thought it was something serious. The tall woman couldn’t keep herself up right any longer and rolled on the blanket.

"I don’t think it’s that funny." Jay said a little hurt, because Jordan laughed at her. "I just never took to it. My mom tried every trick in the book and nothing worked.

Jordan tried to stop. She sat up and saw the hurt expression on Jay’s face. "Oh, sweetheart, I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you." Jordan grabbed Jay’s hand and brought it to her lips. "When you said you should tell me truth, my head went off in a totally different direction.

Jordan looked at the hand she held, "I thought you were going to tell me that this was a lie." She waved her free hand between the two of them. "So many people have tried to use me. If it wasn’t for my money then it was for my fame." Jordan looked right at Jay and continued. "I knew in here," She laid Jay’s hand on her heart, "that wasn’t true, but here sometimes is stronger." With her other hand she pointed to her head.

Jay grabbed the hand that pointed to Jordan’s head and placed it on her heart. "I trust you here, because the love I have for you is the strongest thing in the world. Plus, I usually don’t use my head when my heart is concerned." Jay said with a little laugh. "People might say that’s not a good thing, but it has brought me this far, and it’s brought me to you."

Jordan just looked at Jay. She knew Jay was right, so she reached behind the blonde woman’s head and drew her into a kiss.

The kiss shattered any doubts that lingered in Jordan’s head. Her soul soared through the heavens and didn’t want to come back down.

All of a sudden Jay leaned back and sniffed the air. She got up and looked around. "Do you smell that?"

Jordan stood up next to Jay. "No, I don’t smell a thing. What do you smell?"

"Smoke, I smell smoke." Jay answered before she started to walk to her jeep, then she took off into a run. She stopped when she reached the top of the hill where the jeep was parked. "Shit, the Flats on fire.

Jordan came up behind her out of breath and asked. "What are the flats?"

"That’s what we call the pasture on this side of the hill. They’re the flattest part of the whole property." Jay explained then turned to Jordan. "I need you to wait here and call Jimmy on the radio. Have him get the fire department. I’m going to see what’s going on." The last part was said as she handed Jordan the radio and got in the jeep.

"I won’t argue with you. Just make sure you’re careful." Jordan kissed Jay lightly on the lips. "I love you," she said when she pulled back.

A smile plastered across Jay’s face. "I love you too, and don’t worry. I’ll be careful." Jay said before she started the jeep and took off.

Jordan watched her go. She turned the radio on and called for Jimmy. "Jimmy, pick up, I need you to call the fire department. The Flats are on fire. Jay just went to check it out." She clicked off the talk button and waited for Jimmy’s reply.

"We heard you Jordan, Jimmy is making the call. Tell me where you’re at? We’ll come get you." Sam said on the other end.

"I’m at the top of the hill with the pond behind me," Jordan replied as her hands began to shake.

"Is there a big willow tree there?" Sam asked to make sure he got the right spot.

Jordan turned toward the tree and remembered the peacefulness she felt just a few minutes ago, "yes, right by it. Just hurry will you." She turned back towards the smoke that was getting thicker. "I can’t see Jay anymore." She relayed in a worried voice.

"Don’t worry, we’re on our way. We’ll be there in less than ten minutes," Sam replied back.

*********************************************

Jay drove down closer to the smoke. Half way there she had a twinge go down her back. "I hate it when I get that feeling." She thought.

The smoke had gotten so thick that she couldn’t tell where the flames were located. So she drove through a patch of smoke. What she saw in front of her made her temper go over the edge. Three horses danced around scared out of their minds. "I have to get them out before they get hurt." Jay thought as she leapt out of her jeep and walked slowly towards the horses.

She tried to guide them to go in the direction her jeep was in, but they’d rear up trying to protect themselves. "Come on guys, trust me. Let me help you." She waved her hands up and down to try to get them to move.

When that didn’t work she started to yell and jump up and down.. "Get going, move it." That seemed to work and the horses headed for the jeep.

"That’s it, keep moving. Go on, go on." They finally made it past the jeep and took off to safety. "Finally." Jay coughed.

Jay took one more look around to make sure she didn’t miss anything. "Don’t see anything else. Time to get my ass out of here."

The smoke had gotten worse and Jay started to cough more. She noticed that the flames were visible so she started back to her jeep. A flash of something metal caught Jays eye. She went over and picked up a silver lighter with some initials engraved on it.

"Fuck…" She coughed, "that asshole has gone too far."

Jay turned to get back to her jeep, when the sight before her stopped her in her tracks. The flames now surrounded her. "Now how am I going to get out of this? Jordan is going to kill me." She said out loud as she brought her hand up to cover her mouth and nose.

The smoke grew heavier making it harder for Jay to breathe. A violent cough made her wish she had a bandanna. When she reached the jeep she dropped down next to it.

"I think I’m in trouble." Jay said as she looked around at the flames that were getting closer and closer.

*******************************************

Ritchie and his friends had planned on starting a fire to catch some horses they saw on Jay’s land. Instead the fire trapped the three horses they were after.

Travis was the one who saw Jay drive straight for the fire to help the trapped animals not realizing the danger she was putting herself in.

Ritchie glanced at his best friend who he had known since first grade. "Do you think she saw us, Travis?" He asked out of breath from running to hide.

Travis’s bright red hair stood straight up as he ran his hand through it. He looked over at Ritchie with his crooked blue eyes and shrugged his shoulders. His five foot three inch frame hid the danger of who this man really was.

"I hope the bitch dies." Ritchie spat coldly.

"You and me both." Travis agreed with a smile.

"She must have a death wish. Why else would someone drive right into a fire like that?" Frankie replied as he watched for any sign of Jay.

Ritchie looked over at his skinny, buck toothed friend and shook his head. He had a face only his mother could love. They didn’t call him Ratface for nothing. "No, she doesn’t have a death wish. Jay’s just a noble little bitch." Ritchie growled. "She’s someone who thinks of others before herself. Right at this moment our righteous little do-gooder is trying to save those horses and with any luck she’ll die trying."

"No way," Mark and Doug said at the same time. The twins looked at each other and started to laugh. They always thought it was funny when they did the exact same thing at the same time.

"Would you two muscle headed baboons shut-up." Ritchie yelled as he slapped the back of their heads.

They sat and waited to see if Jay could make it out of the danger that they put her in.

Ritchie pulled out a cigarette and searched for his lighter. "Hey, who has my lighter?"

"Frankie had it last." Doug said.

"Give it here shit-head. My Dad gave me that as a present." He held out his hand and wiggled his fingers. "Give it back, now" Ritchie ordered.

"I don’t have it." Frankie answered in a weak voice.

"What do you mean, you don’t have it? Where did you leave it?" Ritchie demanded.

"Well, when Travis yelled I dropped it." He quickly put his hands up to protect himself from the punch. "Look I’m sorry. I’ll get you a new one." A scared Frankie said.

"That’s not the real problem." Travis yelled as he grabbed Frankie by the neck. "The real problem is they might find it and then they’ll be able to link us to the fire. You stupid son of a bitch."

"There’s no way they’ll be able to find it after that fire." Frankie croaked.

"You had better hope they don’t find it. Because if they do, you’ll be the first to know about it." Ritchie said before he punched him.

"We better get out of here. I hear sirens." Doug informed the group before he turned and ran.

Ritchie took one last look at the fire. "Rest in peace you fucking bitch. I’ll see you in hell one day." He yelled and took off after the others.

********************************************

"Damn it, where are they?" Jordan asked herself out loud. "They should’ve been here by know."

Jordan looked down to where she last saw Jay. Instead of the thick black smoke she saw glowing hot flames. "Oh, God Jay. Please be alright." She wanted to take off down the hill and find Jay, but knowing that all she’d do is add more problems she stayed put.

She heard a motor and turned to see Jimmy and Sam about a hundred yards away. "It’s about damn time." Jordan said relief. "Now they might be able to help."

The truck finally pulled up beside Jordan and Jimmy jumped out before it actually stopped. "Which way did Jay go?" He asked as he looked down at the growing fire.

"She went that way." Jordan pointed. "You’re going to help her aren’t you?"

"If we can, we will." Sam said as he stepped next to Jordan.

"First they need to find a safe route down there, so we can get a fix of the whole situation." A voice said behind Jordan.

Jordan twisted around and flew into Marge’s open arms. The tears that ran down her face were wiped off by Marge.

The older woman cupped Jordan’s face with both her hands and looked right into scared blue eyes. "Jay is going to be okay. She would be crazy to leave now that she’s found you."

"Sometimes you can’t stop death." Jordan replied as tears continued down her face.

"Do you really think Jay won’t come back to you? Because I truly believe she would walk through the fires of hell to get back to you." Marge said with determination.

"She just might have to do that." Mary suggested as she pointed to the raging fire.

"Oh, my God. Please Jay, come back to me." Jordan whispered in disbelief. The fire had grown twice its size in a matter of minutes.

They watched as the growing fire devoured everything in its path.

"Look." Jimmy shouted. "Three horses just ran out of the fire."

"Come on, lets go down there and see if we can find her." Sam grabbed Jimmy and took off towards the truck.

"Make sure you stay with in our sights." Marge yelled after the two.

"Don’t worry Mama, we’ll be okay, and we’ll find Jay and bring her back." Jimmy said back with confidence.

"The boys will find her." Mary whispered in Jordan’s ear.

"I hope you’re right, Mary. God how I hope you’re right." Jordan thought to herself.

*******************************************

"Damn, it’s getting hot." Jay thought. "How in the hell am I going to get out of here?"

The smoke made it really hard for her to breathe and even harder for her to see.

Jay knew the fire was getting closer to her. She could feel its heat on her exposed skin.

Jay tried to get as close as she could to her jeep. She started to cough. "That is really starting to hurt."

"I can’t drive the jeep out, because the fire might hit the gas tank. I really shouldn’t be sitting next to it for that very reason." Jay continued to think to herself.

Jay sat there for a few minutes until she had an idea. "I know what to do." She stood up and looked for a big rock. When she found one big enough she walked back to her jeep. "I hope this works."

She quickly walked to the back of the jeep and searched for her shovel and fire blanket. When she found them she set the rock down and started to dig. When the fires got to close she stopped and looked at the small hole she dug. "That’s going to have to do."

Jay then ran to the drivers side of her jeep and opened the door. She reached in and started the engine, then backed out and tried to get her belt off. Her hands shook and sweated so bad she had trouble grasping the leather. "Come on, damn it."

When she finally got the belt off she tied it to the steering wheel. Jay then made sure the car was in neutral, before she put the rock on the gas pedal. With lightening speed she quickly shifted the jeep into drive and jumped out of the way.

Jay watched as it headed straight for the fire line. In an instant the fire devoured it and not much later an explosion sent Jay flying almost knocking her out. "Oh, great." Jay said as she brought her hand up to feel the nice sized bump on the back of her head. She pulled her hand back when a sharp pain ripped through her head.

"It just keeps getting better and better." Jay said as she stared at the blood covering her hand.

Jay stood up on wobbly legs trying to ignore the sick stomach feeling she got from the dizziness. She knew she had to hurry and get into the hole she had dug.

Finally she got to the hole and covered part of her body with the excess dirt and all of her body with the flame-retardant blanket. "Please God, let me live. I just found the other half of my soul and I want to live forever with her." Jay prayed.

"I love you, Jordan." Jay thought before she closed her eyes from the pain in her head and the intense heat.

*******************************************

Continued in part two……