What Lies Beneath (closed)

[zydrate]

Katherine (Katie) Prescott
Age: 29

**** 1 year ago ****
She hadn't wanted this to go this far. All he had to do was sign the papers. Simple as that but no, Sean always had to have the last say in everything. He had admitted to cheating on Katie, not just once, but several times... he admitted to falling in love with someone else. Like that wasn't evident. They had only been married 4 years and it was as if as soon as they were married, the sex stopped between them. Hell, it wasn't even about the sex. It was about the love. There was no real love. She had married him because she thought they could learn to love each other. Others just assumed she married him for the money.

The only reason Sean took to this to court was to make sure Katie held up her end of the bargain.. the prenup agreement. She wasn't going to fight it. In fact, she had said she didn't want anything from him. But of course, to save face and the fact that this was all going to be public knowledge, he wanted everything on record so Katie couldn't come back later for more money.

Again, it wasn't about the money.

In the end, the prenuptial was paid out, she got 3 million and that was it. Her life was over in LA. She didn't want to stay. Katie, maybe to spite Sean, had donated all but 500K to several charities, of course, she did it in Sean's name... yes, to spite him.

*** Present day ***
Katie had moved to Colorado... Evergreen, Colorado, to be exact just outside of Denver. She bought a small cabin, complete with a barn set on a 3 acre plot of land... and had even bought 2 horses and of course, a dog. This was a drastic change from her life in Beverly Hills, married to a successful lawyer. She had it all. Money. Homes in different parts of the world... but had given it all up just find some sort of peace.

She had made it a habit every morning to take one of the horses out for an early morning walk. She was used to handling horses from her time growing up. Although she married into a rich life, she had come from humble beginnings. Her father was a trainer of horses. He made a good living at it too, allowing her mother to stay home with her and her older brother. Of course, Katie did pick up a thing or two while growing up and helping her father out. As much as she had wanted her own horses when she married Sean, he said there was no time for his wife to mess with horses.

Jerk.

It pained Katie to think she had seen something special in Sean. As they say, hind sight is 20/20.

This morning, the air was a bit colder. Winter in Colorado was close and soon, it would only be getting colder. She survived just fine last year and it had prepared her for this year. She had plenty of provisions in case something should happen to where she couldn't get into town. Plenty of wood for her fireplace and plenty of feed for the horses.

She guided Ellie, a black and white painted horse, through their usual trail. It was peaceful. The peace she had wanted for a long time. Katie's dog, Chance, followed closely to them, sometimes running ahead, other times, staying right by Katie and Ellie. As they made it halfway through their morning walk, about halfway around the fenced in 3 acre lot, Chance took off running. Katie had assumed he saw a rabbit and decided to chase it but then, he started barking. That alarmed Katie and of course, Ellie stopping. Not wanting to go forward. Urging her on, Katie called out to Chance but he didn't wavier. He stood over something, pawing at the ground... a snake? It was hard to tell in the tall bushes.

She had a rifle with her and thankfully, never went riding without it. Katie reached back to make sure it was still holstered to Ellie's saddle. Although she hadn't had to use it to this day, she at least knew how to use it.

"Chance?!" Katie called out and the dog looked back at her and then where he was standing. Usually he was good about coming when Katie called but this time he wasn't. Ellie also stopped, refusing to move forward. With a sigh, Katie slid off Ellie's back and moved toward Chance, who was probably bothered by some dead rodent.

As she got closer, Katie noticed an arm... "What the hell..." she muttered as she moved closer. To her surprise, Katie saw a man sprawled out on the ground. His right side on his abdomen dark from blood? She didn't think about it as she rushed to him. Katie's brother was a doctor and from helping him study, she knew a thing or two about first aid... that and helping out her father with the horses. Yes, this man wasn't a horse but she'd still help him as best she could.

"Sir... can you hear me?" Nothing. He wasn't dead. She checked for a pulse and he was still alive. He needed help. He was pretty beat up...

"How the hell did you end up here?" she said to herself... the nearest trail was over a mile away with the main road 4 miles away... Katie's place wasn't that far from town but the mountains and trees didn't exactly provide a clear signal for her cellphone. She'd have to use the mainline at home but she didn't want to leave this guy like this... With a hard sigh, she knew she'd have to take him with her. She looked at Ellie and knew that was the only way to get the man to her home so she could call for help.

As she was thinking all this, she took of her top button up shirt and rolled it up. She reached down, talking to the guy, mostly saying what she was doing and that she would take him to get help. She wrapped her top shirt around the guy's middle, tightening it to help stop the bleeding. It didn't look too bad and from what she could tell, it looks like it was either a deep graze or the bullet passed through? Maybe he had been stabbed? It wasn't that serious but she had a feeling it was more the beating he took was what did him in.

Katie jumped up and grabbed Ellie's bridle reins and lead her toward the man. She knew the horse was gentle and wouldn't run as long as Katie was there soothing her with her words. Reaching down and lightly slapping the man's face, hoping to get him awake enough so he could open his eyes, "You need to help me out here guy... OK?" He nodded slightly. At least he understood.

Thankfully it only took one try, with Katie doing a majority of the work, as she helped the man up long enough for him to get onto Ellie's back. Once he was seated on Ellie, Katie reached up and placed the man's hands onto the saddle horn, for him to hold onto. With Katie guiding Ellie like this turned a normal 20 minute ride into 45 minutes, but soon, they were at Katie's cabin. She lead Ellie to the steps where she had an easier time with getting the guy off and having him lean onto her as she led him into her home.

It wasn't until about an hour after she was able to clean up his wound as best she could that she realized, she had just brought a total stranger... a hurt stranger into her home. She needed to call the sheriff to see if they could get some help up to her place. Yes, it was old fashion but everyone in this town still had landlines, only again, because of signal issues. She sat next to the couch the man was laying on, he still hadn't fully woken up, and reached for the phone on the stand. Before she could dial the first number, the man's hand grabbed her hand and was only able to tell her "no" before passing out again.

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin Lamb
Age 27
6'1"... 185 lbs... light brown hair.. bright blue eyes

Kevin grew up under difficult circumstances. He never knew his father. His mother, who had been abandoned by his father the day she told him she was pregnant right after graduating from high school, was also abandoned by her parents who told her that they could not have a girl in their house who was whoring herself around. Yes, her parents were devout "Christians" who did not believe their daughter should make such a mistake.

Luckily for Kevin, his mother had decided to keep the baby. She turned out to be an incredible mother; working 2 jobs to make ends meet and keep a roof over their head. She always looked out for Kevin and made sure that he had what he needed. That is not to say that Kevin was spoiled... far from it. He had everything he needed, not everything he wanted.

Kevin started working odd jobs in middle school. Every penny he earned went to mom; not because she said it had to, but because he wanted it to. Kevin could see what working so hard was doing to her. He wished he could do more for her.

Ultimately, Kevin figured he could use football to help out his mom. He could get a scholarship and she would not have to do anything else to take care of him. She could stop working two jobs and do something for herself.

Kevin had been an All-Conference quarterback in high school. At 6'1", however, he was not tall enough for most of the major colleges to consider offering him a scholarship despite the fact that he had broken all of the conference passing records.

Although several lower level Division I schools had shown interest, nothing ever materialized. Kevin ended up at a Division 3 school. His financial aid was based on need, which meant that he received a lot of financial aid, but it did not cover everything. He would have to find a part time job.

One of his roommates was a local whose father owned a car dealership. He took Kevin to see his father, and the man offered Kevin a job detailing cars a few hours a week. In return, all of Kevin's remaining expenses would be covered and he would get a little spending money. Mr. Ianucci also gave Kevin a car to use to make sure he could get to work. It was almost too good to be true. Actually, IT WAS too good to be true.

When Kevin was ready to graduate from college, Mr. Ianucci told him he wanted to meet with him about a job opportunity. Kevin wasn't sure what kind of job the man could offer, since Kevin's major had been Agricultural Science and Business, because he loved animals and wanted to work with them.

What Kevin found out was that he had been so busy with football and studying that he never realized that Mr. Ianucci was a mobster. He ran the local syndicate that was involved in drugs, gambling, and prostitution. He controlled all of them throughout the Denver metropolitan area. The car dealership was just a front and helped him launder some of the money from his illegal activities.

At the meeting, Mr. Ianucci told Kevin that it was time to pay him back for his generosity while Kevin was in school. Kevin was told that he was going to be working for Mr. Ianucci to pay off the debt that he incurred. Kevin was shocked. There had never been any discussion about the repayment of debt. Mr. Ianucci made it clear that Kevin had no choice but to go to work for him

Kevin Lamb spent the next several years collecting debts that were owed to the mob boss. He didn't realize it, but he was just the first wave of collection. If Kevin wasn't able to collect the debt, another wave would come in; that wave usually involved a beating. If that wave didn't collect the debt, there was the wave that involved gun play and wounding or death.

He came to find out about the other waves when he was moved off of the first wave and made part of a team that was supposed to inflict beatings to collect debts. The first couple of times, he just watched. After that, he was expected to participate. He did so, but not enthusiastically. He had been looking for ways to get away from Ianucci, and now he was in even deeper. This isn't the way he saw his life going.

One night, he went with another guy... someone he had never seen before... to collect a debt from one of the prostitutes under Ianucci's protection. When they got out of the car, the other guy immediately slapped the girl. Kevin shouted at the guy. "What the fuck is that for? Does that make you tough; hitting a woman like that?" The guy said nothing, he stared at Kevin. Then he turned back to the girl and demanded the money. When she hesitated, he smacked her again. This time she reached into her bra and pulled out the money she had there. The guy snatched the money from her hand and walked back to the car. Looking at Kevin, he said, "that is how you get things done."

Kevin wasn't happy with the guy. "So, it does make you feel good to hit a woman. Is that why they send you to collect from the hookers, because you know you can beat up the women?" Kevin should have known his comments were going to get back to the boss, but at that moment he didn't care. It wasn't right.

The next afternoon Kevin got a call and was told to meet the boss at the dealership at 9 pm. That was after hours, so, Kevin knew what it was about. He was going to get a talking-to from the boss about what happened last night. Well, that was what Kevin thought, anyway. As soon as he got out of the car, he was attacked. Three men started beating on him, and when Kevin went to the ground, they started kicking him. Kevin did not have any idea about how long the beating lasted. He vaguely remember being picked up and thrown in the back of a large SUV.

The next thing Kevin remembered was being thrown to the ground. The man who he had smacked the prostitute was standing over him. Kevin heard the man say, "if you are smart, you will never show your face in Denver ever again. As a matter of fact, you should get as far from Denver as possible." He heard the gunshot and felt a burning sensation in his abdomen.

He didn't know how often he went in and out of consciousness. He remembered seeing a woman. He remembered a horse. He remembered her reaching for a phone and reaching for her hand.

 

[zydrate]

His grip was tight on her arm, but it soon loosened up as he passed out again. She reached for the phone again, this time, she called her brother. He was not happy since he had just worked a double shift. Katie talked to him, asking what he would do in this case. She knew she could count on him as he guided her on how to help the man on her couch. When she hung up with him, she quickly went to work. Katie went to her room put the bathroom bathmat on the bed, then a sheet. She took an extra sheet and a pair of scissors. She cut the sheet into long strips.

The man hadn't woken up again and she periodically checked his pulse to make sure he was still alive. She had to cut his shirt off and that's when she saw the extent of his wound. She had been right and saw it was just a deep side gash... almost like a deep graze of a bullet. It was at a weird angle, but this would mean what she was about to do would hopefully work...

After a while, Katie was done. She had moved the man to her bed and made him as comfortable as she could. Why she was doing this, she wasn't sure. She just knew he needed her help. It still puzzled her that he was on her property. He didn't look like anyone she had seen around town before. She did call the sheriff's office to see if there were any recent car accidents around, but nothing. Katie had looked at the man's wallet and found his name to be Kevin. That was all she had looked at was his ID.

After he was resting in her bed, she cleaned up and then went to put Ellie back in the corral by the barn so she could be Henry, Katie's other horse, an American quarter horse. She'd have to take Henry on a walk later this evening.

Although there were still things she had to do during the day, Katie made sure to check in on her guest from time to time. She had made a quick trip into town to grab some antibiotics as well as some pain relief meds, children's meds really only because they were in syrup form and she figured they were easier to get the man...Kevin, to take them if they were liquid.

She came back with dinner for herself and some soup from the local diner for Kevin, if he needed some. She would freeze it and so it would be easily ready when he was awake.

*** 2 days later ***

Katie woke up to a hard crash. It was after 2AM and she heard the crash from her bedroom. She had taken to sleeping on the couch for now. She rushed to the room and saw Kevin trying to get out of bed. Things had been going good so far, as he hadn't had a fever so that meant no infection was taking place. She rushed to his side and wrapped her arm around his waist.

"Hey... calm down." she led him back to the bed, "You're fine Kevin..." She turned on a small, dim lamp on the side table, "Sorry...I should have warned you about the light." She reached over and placed the back of her hand on his forehead, "Well, no fever still, so that's good." She handed him a bottle of water that she kept on the table for him. She waited for him to take a drink before she continued, "My name is Katherine... well, Katie. I found you a few days ago... do you remember how you got here? We're just outside Evergreen. Do you remember what happened to you?"

 

[BeachBum25]

Waking up in the dark, Kevin looked around; wondering where he was. He started to get up, and then laid his head back on the pillow. His body hurt, and it felt like his abdomen was on fire.

Trying to get up again resulted in the same thing; him laying back on the bed. He had no idea where he was, and he couldn't remember what had happened to him that would result in him being in this much pain. What he did know, however, was that he had to get out of there. If he was feeling this way, he must have had his ass kicked, and he did not want whomever did it to him to come back in and give him some more.

He worked his way into a sitting position, then was able to swing his legs and get his feet on the floor. Gradually, he was able to stand up. He didn't feel very steady, so, he took his time. It didn't work though. He banged his knee into something. Something else went crashing down. He was certain that he woke up whoever was keeping him here.

When the door opened, he prepared to try to defend himself against an attack. He heard a woman's voice. It was calm and telling him to settle down. He relaxed a little as she wrapped her arm around his waist. He took a small drink from the water bottle that she offered him.

Kevin listened as she introduced herself to him and told him that she had found him a few days ago.

"Evergreen? I have never been to Evergreen. How did I get here?" He was trying to remember what happened and couldn't figure it out.

"I have no idea what happened to me. All I know is that I hurt like hell. I must have taken one hell of a beating. My head hurts, my ribs hurt, and my stomach is on fire."

He relaxed a little as he looked up at Katie. "Am I in your house? So, you found me and you have been taking care of me? Where did you find me? How the hell did I get here? What the fuck is going on? Oh, I am sorry for my language."

The questions just came flying out of him. He had more, but after cursing, he held back a little. He did not want to upset the person who has been taking care of him?

"Just give me a little time and I will get out of your hair. You have done too much already. I need to be moving on, because whoever did this to me might come back looking for me."

 

[zydrate]

He asked how he got there as Katie put the lid back on the bottle of water and placed it on the nightstand, "I have no idea how you got here.. I was hoping you could tell me in time," she looked at him, noticing almost all of the swelling on his face had gone down. She told him where she found him, out in the field at the edge of her property. It had been 2 days since she did find him and that he's been in and out of consciousness.

"You don't have to rush to leave. You're still pretty hurt. I had a friend from the local clinic come in and check you out. She's one of the contract doctors from Denver who comes to Evergreen once a week. She said that you should get to a hospital just make sure you're really OK but given your situation, I told her that wouldn't be possible yet...not until I talked with you, that is."

Katie mentally pushed aside what he said about anyone coming back to look for him... unless a person really knew the area. She wasn't aware of any dangers. Nothing ever happened here, at least since she had moved here last year.

"I hope you don't mind, I did look in your wallet for your name, that's it." She stood up and started to clean up the mess of the broken beside lamp that had fallen earlier, "Like I said, you're welcome to stay until you're better. I'm the only one here.. if you don't count the 2 horses and Chance.." as if on cue and hearing his name, Chance, a great pyrenees, sauntered into the room and sat next to Katie as she cleaned up. "Chance, that's Kevin, keep an eye on him as I get him something to eat, OK"

With that, Katie took the bigger broken pieces of the lamp with her to the trash can in the kitchen. She heated up some of the frozen chicken soup she had gotten earlier in the week and when it was done, she took it back to the bedroom. Katie handed it to Kevin, "Careful... it's not too hot but hopefully, it helps." She looked over at the clock and stood, "You can just leave the cup on the table... it's still pretty late or early," she shrugged, "You still need more rest and I have an early appointment in about...3 hours," she stood, "get some rest."

 

[BeachBum25]

"I don't know how I got here. I just know that whoever left me where you found me did a hell of a number on me. One thing though.... why does my gut feel like it is on fire?"

He listened to the woman talk about having horses, and then, all of a sudden a giant dog showed up. He loved animals, that much he knew. "Hey Chance. You are one big dog."

Kevin knew that it was no use trying to get out of bed and leave while the woman was here. Hearing her say that she had an appointment in 3 hours was good. He would rest until she left, and then he would make his way out of her house. He had no idea still what had happened, but he didn't want to have the woman.... what did she say her name was?... Karen?... Kathy?... Katie... that was it Katie..... get mixed up in something bad. People had put a hurting on him, and something told Kevin that those people were trying to make it clear that he was not welcome.

He laid back in the bed and tried to relax. He wanted to be able to get up and move once Katie left. While laying there, Kevin started to remember some things... and they were not pleasant. He remembered getting out of an SUV and immediately getting punched in the face. He brought his hand to his face and felt his jaw. It wasn't broken, but it hurt like hell.

The longer he laid there, the more things started to come back to him. As he relaxed, he was able to recall some of what happened.... the punches, the kicks... the loud bang. Now, more than ever, Kevin was convinced he had to get out of Katie's house. There were a couple of problems with that, though.... where was he? where would he go? how would he get there?

Laying in bed and listening to what was going on in the house, he could hear Katie moving around. A couple of times she came in to check on him, and Kevin pretended to be asleep.

When she came in to tell him she was leaving for a little while, Kevin opened his eyes a little. "Okay, thanks for everything you are doing for me. You really have gone above and beyond."

Listening for her to leave and for her car to drive off, Kevin plotted his move. Well, there really was no plan. He was going to get out of the bed and slowly make his way away from Katie. He did not want her getting hurt..

Pushing the covers back, Kevin realized he had no clothes on. He was only in a pair of boxerbriefs. He sat on the bed and looked around. On a chair in the corner he saw a pair of jeans. Slowly, he stood up and made his way to the chair. It was only about 10 feet, but Kevin was exhausted. He saw that they were his jeans and he sat down to put them on. Under the jeans was a bloody shirt. He did not have much of a choice. he had to put it on.

After taking about 15 minutes to finish getting dressed, Kevin walked out of the bedroom, only to be greeted by Chance staring at him. Chance started barking at him. Kevin rubbed behind his ears. "It's okay pal, she won't be mad at you."

Kevin made it out the front door and down off the porch. He had made sure to lock the door behind him. He didn't want Katie to know he was gone until she went in to check on him after getting home.

Slowly, he made his way down the long driveway. He didn't make it far though before collapsing in the grass beside the drive... totally exhausted.... temporarily losing consciousness.

 

[zydrate]

“From what I can tell… you were either stabbed or shot. It’s a clean gash, from what Stephanie told me, she said it just needs to be wrapped for now. She would have liked it better to get you to a hospital but I told her that wasn’t possible. If anything gets worse, then of course I’d get you to one.”

With that, Katie let him rest. In the morning, she checked in on him and did her best to move quietly to get some clothes. She left Chance at home to watch out for their guest. She just hoped the big dog didn’t jump onto the bed with Kevin…

In town, Katie went to a small local diner. She was summoned there by one of the local BnB owners who wanted to start to include horse back riding of some of the local trails into around his property but needed someone to tame some horses he was set to purchase in the near future. Katie wasn’t sure how he got her name but she was interested. She had the experience and would need to start earing some sort of income soon as the remaining of her 500K was running low. This was a good opportunity, and it would be doing something on her own.

After the meeting was over, which she thought went really well, she headed to a small thrift store and picked up some clothes for Kevin. She was just guessing his size but he was about as tall her older brother so she got a few shirts and some pajama pants, at least for now. After word, she picked up some takeout and went home.

On her way home, she thought about why she was doing this. Why was she helping this guy…this stranger she found on her property? He didn’t seem dangerous, after all, he was the one beat up… She had several guns hidden in her home as well as in the barn just in case… and she knew how to use them. So, she felt protected. Besides, what was she supposed to do, leave him and let him die? Who knows what would have happened if she hadn’t happened to go out riding in that direction that morning.

But she thought about earlier in the morning, even though he was obviously hurt, he wanted to leave. What sort of trouble could he be in? There was no gossip she had heard at the diner or even at the thrift store… so if he was in trouble, it wasn’t with anyone or anything in town. Well, once he was better, she would help he get going to where he wanted.

As she pulled up to the driveway, Katie noticed Chance laying beside the driveway… that was new. And then she saw why. She stopped and jumped out of the jeep. She saw Kevin laying on the ground. Was he trying to leave in his condition? Why were men so stubborn?

It took a few tries but soon, she got him up and was helping him back to the cabin, “I’m not keeping you here against your will but you have to admit, you need to get a little bit more better before wanting to leave.” She told him as she helped him to the couch. “I know you think you’re putting me in some sort of danger, but trust me, I’ll be OK.”

Katie checked his wound and saw it had opened up again. With a sigh, she grabbed some of the extra wrap that Stephanie had left her with and she cleaned it up as best she could. “You’re in no condition to move like this or, if you want, I can call an ambulance and let you stay in the hospital… it’s totally up to you.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin regained consciousness as he felt Chance's nose against his cheek. He looked up. "Hey buddy. I guess that wasn't a real good decision; was it?" He looked down at his bloody shirt and noticed there was more blood.

Moving over so that his back was against a tree, Kevin leaned there and relaxed a little. Chance came over to him and laid down next to him. As big as Chance was, he helped Kevin to remain calm. Kevin knew that Katie would probably be upset with him when she found them out here.

While he sat there, Kevin wondered why Katie was doing what she was doing. Why hadn't she simply called for an ambulance and had him taken to the hospital? Why was she going out of her way to nurse him back to health? Was she associated with whomever had done this to him and was just keeping an eye on him for them? Kevin did not know what to think.

He heard a car coming up the drive, and he hoped it was Katie. If it wasn't, it could be bad. First off, it could be those who had kicked his ass coming back to inflict more pain, or possibly finish him off. Secondly, it could be anyone else, and how would he explain who he was and what he was doing next to Katie's driveway with Katie's dog wearing a shirt covered in blood?

Fortunately, it was Katie, and after she struggled to help get him back in the house, he collapsed onto the sofa. "I am so sorry. I don't want to be a bother to you. I just figured that while you were gone, I would get out of your way so you don't have to deal with me. I guess that wasn't such a great plan."

He listened to her as she lectured him a little and then told him that she could call an ambulance and have him taken to the hospital. "Like I said Katie, I am sorry. Yes, I am stubborn, but I am not selfish. I wasn't trying to leave for my own benefit, obviously, I just didn't want you to have to be my nursemaid."

Kevin watched as she cleaned and wrapped his stomach wound. Despite the fact that she was working on an area of his body that burned like hell from whatever happened to him, her touch felt good. It also just felt nice to be close to a woman that was as beautiful as Katie was.

"Listen, I promise not to make any more dumb decisions about trying to walk away from here. I want you to make me a promise though. If I become a burden... well, more of a burden than I already am.... If I become a burden, you will take me somewhere and drop me off. Take me to a hospital, doctor's office.. hell, take me to the Sheriff's Office. I just don't want to be in your way."

He looked into her eyes, waiting for a response. Damn, she had amazing eyes.

 

[zydrate]

“No.” Katie said to his promise. “Listen, I know it seems weird to have a stranger take care of someone they’ve never met in their life… hell, even if they did know each other, it’s still rare. But I’m just not that kind of person… never was.” She went to the bedroom and grabbed a pillow before bring it back and setting it down on the couch for him, “Just rest, OK? It’ll be fine.”

She gave him the TV remote, “here you go… only if you want to watch something… other than that, just rest.” She stood up, “In the meantime, I need to take the horses out for their routine walks. If you’re up to it—” she stopped as she looked at him and seeing he was asleep. “Just let me know…” she finished in a whisper.

After about 2 hours out in the warm afternoon, Katie returned to the cabin. She had taken that time to go on quick walk with the horses, this time, riding Charlie with Ellie in tow. Chance hadn’t accompanied them as he was still with Kevin in the cabin. Katie found that a bit cute, how that big dog took to Kevin right away. Usually, Chance didn’t like strangers and either growled at them or ran from them. Crazy dog. She had thought of getting another dog soon…perhaps before the winter. If there was one thing her ex-husband wouldn’t let her have were any animals… unless you counted him.

With the horses fed and corralled for the evening, Katie walked back into the cabin and saw Kevin awake. The TV was on but it didn’t seem like he was watching it. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a cellphone she had been able to find where she found Kevin out on the trail. “I’m not sure if it still works but if you want to charge it, you can. Just a warning though, the signal out this way is terrible so I’m not sure if you need to contact anyone it might be a bit spotty.”

“Are you up for eating? I was going to make something for dinner.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin was exhausted from his "escape attempt." He relaxed on the sofa, and, when Katie brought him the pillow, he put it behind his head. Soon, he was asleep on the sofa.

When he woke up, he was alone; except for Chance. Chance was laying on the floor and had his head on Kevin's foot. Kevin used his foot to rub Chance's neck as he continued to rest on the sofa.

While relaxing, Kevin continued to wonder what had happened to him. Slowly, things were coming back to him. He remembered getting hit, and getting kicked, and the loud bang. That led to Kevin being convinced that he had been shot, not stabbed.

When she handed him his cell phone, he looked at it and looked at her. "Please do not go out of your way for me... anymore than you already have. If you have a little extra from your dinner, I will have some... yes, please."

He watched Katie go into the kitchen and then he looked back at his phone. He wasn't worried about how strong the signal was. He was only wondering about incoming and outgoing calls. He thought that they would jog his memory.

It had been a few days since he had made any outgoing calls, obviously. There was 1 incoming missed call from a day ago. Then, a couple of days before there was a call from someone. He recognized the name. He wracked his brain trying to figure it out. Then, it started to come back to him and the name Ianucci popped into his head. He searched his contacts and found the name, and suddenly, everything came flooding back to him.

His recent history started repopulating in his mind. He was a collector for someone who he thought had been helping him out. Instead, the man used him, and continued to use him with the threat of violence. Kevin now knew first hand what would have happened if he hadn't done what the man wanted. Hell, he had done what the man wanted and still got his ass kicked because he had words with one of the other collectors.

Kevin started to worry. Would they come back to find out if he survived? What would happen if they checked for his body and it wasn't there? Was Katie now in danger?

Kevin opened his phone and looked at a map to see just how far Evergreen was from Denver. It wasn't that far, but it was far enough away that his body being found might not bring attention to Ianucci and his organization. Then he remembered being told to stay out of Denver. He had no intention of going back.

He looked up as Katie came back into the room with food for him. "Thank you so much. You really are too kind." He took the tray from her. "Do I remember you saying you had horses?"

 

[zydrate]

Katie made something easy and quick, she wasn’t really an expert on cooking, but she did her best. After she was done, she came back out with a plate for Kevin and herself. It was an early dinner but there was plenty if either were still hungry as the day progressed. She got them each a cold bottle of water. Of course, Chance saw that there was food being served and he walked up to Kevin, hoping to get some bites in.

Lightly smacking Chance’s butt away, he moved to the corner and sulked. Katie sighed and sat down as Kevin asked about the horses and she nodded, “I do. Just 2 right now… both Charlie and Ellie. Ellie is the gentler one and luckily I was walking her when we found you. She’s also smaller so it didn’t take too much effort to get you back.” She took a sip of water, “I’m hoping to get into training more horses in the future. It’s what I do how to do. So, I’ll see how that goes.”

Hopefully it would go great. It would take some time and she told her new business contact that. It would take time and if wanted the horses to be ready for the start of summer vacationers, then he would need to decide soon so she could get started and get the additional hands needed. Another 3 or 4 horses she could tame and train with no problem but he wanted at least 20 ready and Katie didn’t have the time needed nor the help.

“Did you find out anything on your phone? At least anything useful?” She didn’t want to bombard him with a ton of questions so she slowed down, “I’m just wondering… maybe in finding out how you got here.” She thought a minute, “The only thing I can think of is that someone dropped you off.” Or in his case, threw him off? What kind of person would do that?

Of course, she should have been more wary, but she didn’t get that sort of vibe off of Kevin. She didn’t get the sense he could be dangerous.

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin listened as Katie talked about her horses and about being asked to train horses. He loved animals and had gone to college to work with animals. Unfortunately, that all got sidetracked.

"I found some numbers and some names in my phone, but it doesn't help me with trying to figure out what happened to me." Kevin figured it was better to keep Katie in the dark about what he was remembering about how he came to be beaten, wounded and left on her property. He didn't want her to worry about him, but, more importantly, he didn't want her to be fearful of what might happen to her. They had told him to stay away from Denver. He had no intention of going back. Once he was healthy enough, he would move as far away from Denver as possible.

"The numbers I found in my phone remind me of some people I know... or I knew. There are no text messages that give me any information that is useful, and there are no voicemails at all."

His mind wandered a little. He thought about working with animals. The truth of the matter was that he had hoped to some day become a vet. He had wanted to work with animals for a few years, save some money and go back to school. "Katie, do you think that when I am able to get up and walk a little that you could take me out to see your horses? I really love animals, and I think horses are really cool animals."

"Actually Katie, I am wondering if, once I am healthy enough, if you would let me help you out around here... give me an opportunity to pay you back for your kindness and everything you are doing for me. My major in school was Ag Science, so, I do know some things about animals; of course, I don't know how to train horses though, but I could help out in other ways."

He wasn't sure how she would take it. Maybe he was moving too fast with this, but he was suddenly excited about the opportunity to work with horses. "I am sure I could find a place to stay not far from here so that I could be here to help you."

 

[zydrate]

Katie nodded when he said what he had on his phone didn’t help. It never once crossed her mind that he could a murderer? Someone that had a bad streak or a criminal… she just didn’t get that feeling from him, but whatever happened to him, with what seemed like a beating and a gunshot wound? Someone wanted him gone, that was for sure.

“That’s too bad. Maybe something later will snap, and you’ll remember something.” She said as she picked up the plates and took them to the small kitchen, placing them in the sink. It was getting late out, and she still had some things to do. Walking back to the main room, she listened to him ask about seeing the horses when he was able to. That made her smile, “Of course. Even though you don’t remember, you’ve met Ellie, she helped me carry you back that day. Charlie is still a bit skittish of strangers but he’ll warm up quickly, I’m sure.”

What he said next caught her completely off guard. He wanted to help when he was better…? “Well, I wouldn’t mind the help but I don’t expect it. I’m not looking for payback… why don’t we see how ends later? I don’t want you to feel obligated to have to help.” he had also mentioned college and knowing some things about animals. “AG Science, that’s neat… my father used to train horses so that’s where I learned about it… But yeah, we can talk about it later if that’s what you still want to do…”

She grabbed her jacket, “Why do you get some more rest and I’m going to get the horses sheltered up tonight. It’s supposed to be colder than normal, so I need to get them into the barn. Give me about an hour and I’ll be back…” she called Chance to follow her but as usual, he just lay on the floor by the couch. “Looks like Chance had adopted you…” she smiled, “crazy dog…” she turned and headed out to get the horses in the for the night. When she came back in later, Kevin was asleep. Katie wasn’t sure if she wanted to wake him in order to get him to the bed or just leave him to rest. In the end, she decided to let him rest before she headed to bed for the night. Tomorrow, she would need to look and see what sort of repairs the barn needed in order to shelter additional horses and then came the adding in of expenses to not only shelter them but also feed them as well as hire additional help. Was she ready for this? Yes, it would just take a lot of planning but she was ready for this new chapter in her life... no more thinking about her old life. This was something she had always wanted.

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin watched Katie carry the dishes into the kitchen. She certainly was easy on the eyes from all directions. "Stop that Kevin. This woman has gone out of her way to help you out. Don't think of her like that."

"I wish I could help you get the horses into the barn. Of course, if I was physically able to do that, I wouldn't be here with you." Kevin chuckled when Chance decided to stay with him. He felt himself falling asleep again while Katie was outside, and was very comfortable with Chance at his feet. He thought he should get off of the sofa, but didn't want Katie to come back in and find him on the floor.

He awoke sometime later, and the house was pitch black. Chance was still at his feet. Kevin had a feeling that it was partly because Chance liked him, and partly because he was protecting Katie and did not want to let Kevin get far from him.

Sitting on the sofa in the dark, Kevin was once again reliving what happened to him. He was remembering more and more of the details of the beating. He was remembering the punches, and the kicks, and the bang. Yes, it was a gunshot wound that he had. It is a good thing Katie didn't call an ambulance to take him to the hospital, because that would have triggered a police response, and what would he say to them. Yes, he could play the "I don't remember anything" angle, which had been true.. for a while.... but the police would have continued to ask him about it, and that may have led to further beatings, or worse.

It was getting hard for him to just sit around. Kevin wanted to start moving... start walking.. .start getting some physical activity. Sitting in the dark, Kevin decided to try to stand up. No, he wasn't going to go anywhere. He just wanted to get up and start the process of getting his strength back. He had no idea how long that would take.

When he started to try to get off the couch, Chance stood up and turned around and looked at him. As Kevin got to his feel, Chance gave a small, low growl. Kevin looked at him. Was Chance being protective of Katie and trying to send a message to Kevin that he better not try anything? Or, was Chance trying to tell Kevin that he better not try heading down the driveway again?

"It is okay Chance. I am not going anywhere. I just need to stand up and get my blood flowing through my legs." As Kevin stood in front of the sofa, he bent one knee and then the other.. Then he extended one leg and rotated his ankle before repeating that with his other leg. Before he knew it, just that little bit of "exercise" had him exhausted. He stood there for another couple of minutes, before sitting back down on the sofa. Yes, it was going to take some time, but Kevin was determined to get himself moving.

 

[zydrate]

It was 2 weeks later when Katie got the first shipment of horses. A total of 10 horses, a mixture of breeds she had worked with when she was younger and helping her father. The barn could hold at least 15 horses so she knew in time, she would need to build an addition, just in case. More money… but she kept telling herself it was an investment for her future.

Kevin was doing better… a lot better. He was walking around but not too far and not too long. Katie fixed up the small room above the barn for him. She was worried at first because the steps were steep, and she hoped he wouldn’t injure himself, but he had insisted he was going to be OK.

She had asked him once in a while if anything had come back to him and he still didn’t give anything different but things being a blur.

Katie had introduced him to Charlie and of course, Ellie. She was right about Charlie, he didn’t take to Kevin right away but, as time went on, he seemed to treat him just like he treated Katie…by accepting him.
Watching the newly arrived horses, Katie leaned on the corral rail, just watching. She was feeling particularly good about this new endeavor.

It would normally take at least 2 months to get them all trained but with the winter months coming, she had to stretch that out to around 3-4 months’ time. Yes, it would probably take a shorter amount of time but, she was training all 10 new arrivals by herself. It wasn’t easy but she knew she could do it. Of course, she did hire some additional help to help with the cleaning of the barn and feeding the horses.

One evening, Katie walked up to the porch where Kevin was sitting with Chance. She knew he was feeling guilty about not being able to do more but she always told him not to worry about it. She was exhausted but needed to take Charlie and Ellie out as she had neglected to so for the past 2 nights.

Katie saddled up both horses and rode Charlie with Ellie in tow, “I know you said you like animals… feel like helping me walk the Mister and Misses? I’ll give you Ellie, she’s very gentle. Only if you’re up to it, of course.” Katie positioned Ellie up against the steps, so Kevin didn’t have to strain too much getting up into the saddle.

 

[BeachBum25]

He was starting to feel stronger. Well, anything was stronger than when he first was found by Katie. Going up and down the stairs to the loft above the barn helped to build his stamina a little. He wanted to do more to help Katie considering everything she was doing for him. She provided him a place to stay, and was feeding him. He still wasn't sure why she was going out of her way like this for him.

Kevin tried to help by moving things around in the barn for Katie, but he always seemed to get in the way of the laborers that she had hired. If only he was strong enough, he could do the work for her and she wouldn't have to pay for the work to be done.

To try to increase his strength and stamina and get ready to help Katie with the horses, Kevin started walking up an down the stairs to the loft multiple times every day. No longer did he go up the steps just to get to the loft. Now, he would go up and down as a form of exercise. He started out doing 5 sets each day. Two weeks later he was up to 8 sets. He was feeling better.

Many times while sitting on Katie's porch watching everything going on Kevin wondered about telling Katie about what happened to him. If he did, would she want him out? Probably. However, Kevin wondered if he was putting Katie and everything she was trying to build here at risk.

When Katie brought the horses over and asked him to go for a ride with him, he got very excited. He stood up a little too quickly, and had to steady himself. "Thank you so much Katie. I have been hoping to do this ever since you told me you had horses.

Moving over to Ellie, Kevin patted her neck and then ran his hand down between her eyes. Then, slowly, he climbed into the saddle. It took a lot of effort, but Kevin was determined to do it. Once in the saddle, he took a deep breath and was really satisfied with himself.

Smiling at Katie while patting Ellie's neck, he sat up straight. "Let's ride."

While riding, Kevin decided to let Katie in on his history. He told her about being forced to working for Ianucci and how that had derailed his plans to use his degree. He told her about defending the prostitute against the one enforcer and how that led to his beating.... and to being shot.

"I will get out of your way as soon as I can. I don't want to cause you any trouble. You have been too kind to me."

 

[zydrate]

Leading them both along a smaller, shorter trail, Katie listened to Kevin as he told her about everything he remembered so far. He ended it with explaining how he must have ended up on her property, shot and probably left for dead.

Stopping Charlie and turning him so she could face Kevin, Katie looked at him and said nothing. She then carefully and slowly walked Charlie around Kevin and Ellie. She had a small feeling he remembered more as time went on, but she wasn’t expecting what he said... With a deep breath, Katie continued to walk Charlie around them, “So, did you ever hurt anyone intentionally?"

She didn’t wait for him to answer, “Did you kill anyone?”

He answered.

As she made one last circle around them with Charlie, Katie continued them all along the trail, this time taking one of Ellie’s reigns in her hand as the horses walked side by side.

“Are you going to hurt me for helping you?” Katie said, before holding a hand to stop him from answering, “No, you’re not.” She said, answering for him. And again, for some reason, she knew he wouldn’t.

“Thank you for telling me Kevin…” they were both quiet for a while as they started to head back, “I bet you’re wondering why I helped you and continue to help you.” Katie shrugged and at the same time, shivered from the cool evening, “Well, that’s a good question because I don’t know. What was I going to do? Leave you to die on my property? Of course not. I mean… considering what I’m getting into, that wouldn’t be too good for business.” She looked at him and smiled, hoping he knew she was joking, “But yeah… I don’t know. I could have called someone I guess, but I wasn’t sure how long you had. Could I make it back in time with help? Would help arrive on time? It was touch and go those first few nights…” she stopped and took a breath. They were almost home, and Katie told him about the first night, how he had mentioned the name Ianucci and then some other guy’s name and how angry he said his name for hurting someone. “That’s all I knew. I guess I didn’t say anything because I wanted you to remember on your own.”

They made it back to the house and again, she guided Ellie against the steps so it would be easier for Kevin to dismount. “Go get some rest Kevin, I’m going to put these two away and then be in.”

 

[BeachBum25]

After telling Katie his story, Kevin knew there would be questions. He also knew that Katie would probably start to question the decision she had made to bring him into her home and nurse him back to health. He wondered if he should have just continued to say he didn't remember, but he knew that what he had done was the right thing. If Katie wanted him gone, he would go quietly, in much better shape that when she had found him.

"No Katie. I have never killed anyone. In fact, I have never hurt anyone. All I ever did was go and collect money from people. If they didn't have it, I told them they better get it soon. Never hit anyone. Never touched anyone. I guess that was my indoctrination. It was easy and the money was good, so, I stayed. That was until the guy Paulie hit the woman. I guess I should have kept my mouth shut, but it isn't my style to watch people get bullied."

He told Katie that he would never hurt her. "I owe you my life. There is no way I would ever harm you."

Kevin climbed down off of Ellie onto the porch steps, carefully. He walked up onto the porch and sat down. He contemplated just going up to his loft in the barn, but decided to stay and wait for Katie to return. She may have some other questions for him, or she may want to talk more about his past life. He would answer any questions she had and would give her any information she wanted. He owed her that.

While he waited for Katie to return, Kevin thought about what it would be like to stay out here on the farm and work with Katie and the horses. Yes, it would be something that he really enjoyed. Horses always were his favorite animal and he had developed a special bond with one while in college getting his degree. He was amazed at how smart horses were and how they developed attachments to humans.

It was possible, however, that Katie wouldn't want him around. He had to prepare himself for that, physically and mentally. He couldn't get too attached to life here. He had to be ready to move on at a moments notice. Fortunately, he didn't have much to take with him. He was dumped with nothing, and that was what he would leave with if it came down to that.

He watched as Katie returned from the barn. As she walked up onto the porch, he nodded his head at her. "Thank you so much for talking me with you as you walked the horses. I forgot how much I love animals. It felt so good to ride Ellie." He paused. "I guess that is just one more thing I have to thank you for."

 

[zydrate]

In the barn, Katie unsaddled the horses one at a time, putting the saddles away. The other horses watched her, intrigued with what she was doing with her 2 horses. She hasn't let them interact in the same corral... at least not yet... In time. As she finished up, she thought about what Kevin had told her. So there really were people out there like the guy he worked with... He also said he wouldn't hurt her... Katie knew he wouldn't after what he confessed with their talk.

When she was done, she closed the barn and walked to the cabin, and he was waiting for her. "Ready for dinner? Because I am starving."

3 weeks later, the training was going well with the horses. Even though Kevin was still healing, Katie put him to work, brushing the horses and starting their blanket training (which was just covering the horses backs with a weighed blanket for a few hours at a time) to get them ready for the saddle.

The weather was also getting cooler to the point where Katie had to have heaters installed in the barn to keep the animals warm enough for through the night. She had picked a place on her property to have a new, bigger barn built starting in the spring. She couldn’t really afford it, but she also couldn’t really afford not to have it.

Katie also made sure to let the hired hands know she was the one in charge of the training and that everything should be done how she wanted. She didn’t think she was bossy, she just wanted things done a certain way. It also impeded anyone trying to take advantage of her.

It was time to saddle the horses. There were still only 10 (not including her own) to train and even though it was possible to train them in less than a day, that wasn’t her style. Or at least, that wasn’t the style her father had taught her.

Everyone gathered to watch from the outside of the corral and Katie had already spent the better part of the morning with one horse, a painted like Ellie but a little bigger. She had put a saddle on him, whom she affectionately called Duke, of course she wasn’t supposed to name any of them, but she felt dumb calling them Williams 1. She talked with Duke, running her hands over his neck, and tugging affectionately at his mane. She had told everyone that no matter what happened, no one was to shout, yell or act suddenly because there was chance, she was going to get bucked off. It happened before and yes, it hurt but it was part of the game.

It was time. Katie put her foot into the stirrup of the saddle and immediately, Duke moved away, and Katie talked calmly to him. She was almost fully on the saddle when he moved away more, huffing, and shaking at the reins… Katie kept calm and hoped that Duke could sense it. It would do no good if she was scared because that would make him nervous too. It took a couple more minutes and she was on. No reaction from Duke…

Katie started to usher Duke forward… he didn’t budge. She tried again and this time, he did a hard move and bucked, kicking his hind legs out but Katie was ready. She let him and didn’t scold him, instead she talked softly to him. Trying again, she eased the left rein and gave him a gentle nudge with her left foot… he shook his head and pulled again… several more minutes and he was calm and she was guiding him around slowly, but carefully, around the perimeter of the corral.

That was day one. Although somewhat successful, she would try again tomorrow to see if Duke would remember the ride… So now, Katie only had 9 others to do the same to and knew she had a lot of work ahead of her.

That night, during dinner, the TV was on and there was news that a storm was expected but nothing too serious, just winter approaching.

“I meant to ask you, how is it in your room? Are you warm enough? Did you need anything for it?” She asked as she ate her dinner of spaghetti, which Kevin had made. It was surprisingly good. "I mean, I think you look a lot better..."

 

[BeachBum25]

Recently, as he started to feel stronger, Kevin had been doing more and more around the ranch. He had even taken to cooking a meal or two now and then. He wasn't a gourmet chef, but what he made would not cause someone to die from food poisoning.

"Katie, what you have provided for me is just fine. If I feel cold, I can add another blanket, or just put on a sweatshirt."

He smiled at her when she said he looked a lot better. "Oh, so now you are judging my looks. I see how it is. So, what am I to you, just some piece of meat? The next thing I know you are going to be whistling at me and making catcalls." He laughed as he watched Katie's reaction.

"I am feeling much better, thanks to you Katie. I am feeling so good, in fact, that I want you to give me more to do. I know you have been giving me menial tasks. I can do more than brush the horses and put blankets on them; although, I really do enjoy the time with the horses."

He sipped his water and watched Katie for a reaction. "I am feeling stronger every day... in addition to looking better," he laughed. "I can handle myself. Giving me more to do will mean that you don't have to hire as many people to work here and it will save you some money in labor and mean more money in your pocket."

Kevin couldn't tell from Katie's reaction whether she agreed with him or not. Kevin hadn't been able to read Katie's reactions yet. He thought he was pretty good at reading people, but Katie was a tough one.

He was going to plead his case some more, but decided he wouldn't. He didn't want to seem like he was begging. He wanted Katie to trust him to do more and help out more around the property and with the animals.

When they were finished eating, Kevin cleared the table and cleaned everything up. He told Katie to go and relax and let him handle it. When he was finished, he walked into the living room. He sat down in a chair opposite Katie and they talked for a little while. Kevin didn't bring up doing more around the ranch. He had already made his feelings known, so, he was not going to bring it up again.

After a while, Kevin got up. "Thanks for everything Katie. You have done more for me than I can ever repay you for. I really appreciate it. I think I am going to go up to the loft and call it a night." He rubbed Chances ears and headed out to the barn. Before going up to the loft, he walked through the barn and said hello to the horses. He stopped and talked to Ellie a little. She was by far his favorite since she was the one he rode. Being in the barn with the horses felt so right. It sucked that he had missed out on it while stuck working for Ianucci.

After spending time with the horses, he went up to the loft and got into bed. He was still working to get raise his stamina. He would get there, but now he just needed to sleep.

 

[zydrate]

Katie had wanted to talk to him about assigning him more if was OK with it, “Don’t think of the tasks given are menial. It’s just… I trust you with them. But, if you want more, I can give it.” She said, smiling before finishing up her dinner. “Thanks for dinner also.” She stood and started to clear the table, but Kevin had shooed her to the living room.

In the living room, Katie untucked her shirt from her jeans. She was a mess, as she was almost every day. She wasn’t one to just tell people what do to as a boss, she got in there and worked along everyone. Including showing them what needed to be done her way.

After bidding good night to Kevin, she turned to her room and got ready to take a shower. It was what she needed after she thought was a successful day with the horses.

***
Katie fell hard, the wind knocked out of her. Duke stood over her after bucking her off. She held up a hand, waving those off heading to her to help her. She got up slowly and stood, albeit a little painfully, in front of Duke.

“I guess you’re in a mood today...” she said as she reached up to the saddle horn. With a deep breath, she tried again.

She was bucked off again. This time, she was able to land on her feet.

Once more…she took it slower by standing on the stirrup for a while longer.

Finally. She was able to stay on as she guided Duke around. He tried a few times to raise on his hind legs, but she quickly corrected him.

She walked him around for an hour. That morning, she had Kevin help with cleaning out the stalls while the horses roamed the property, she hoped he was OK with it since it was a bit of a more strenuous activity. With a sore side, she slid off Duke and guided him to the side of the barn. Katie called out for Kevin, “Hey, can you take him and remove his saddle so he can go off with the others? I need to get some ice.”

She had told him she was OK, just a sore shoulder. She could raise her arm and hold it out, so it wasn’t dislocated, just sore. After making an ice pack and held it against her arm. Standing in the living room, Katie saw a car pull up. A very expensive car.

“Goddamnit…” she said as she threw the door open and met the car in the driveway. Sean. “What the hell are you doing here?” she asked.

 

[BeachBum25]

As each day went past, Kevin started to feel stronger. His stamina increased as he worked hard on walking the stairs to the loft. He increased the number almost every day. If there was a break in his work, Kevin would go the the stairs and walk up and down a couple of times. Some of the workers commented that he was fanatical about his "workouts." "Soon, I am going to start running and won't have to worry about walking stairs.

He was happy to take on additional responsibilities. No, cleaning out the horses' stalls was not glorious work, but he had no problem doing it. Yes, it was more strenuous than what Katie had him doing before that, but he was okay with it. He enjoyed the way it made him feel physically.

Kevin continued to spend time with the horses. Sometimes he would have conversations with them... they were great listeners and never talked back or told him he was wrong. Ellie was still his favorite, but there wasn't a single horse that Kevin disliked. Yes, there were times when a couple of the new horses would turn their backs to him when he walked through the barn, but Kevin was okay with it. He had patience with them and knew they would come around.

Katie was one tough cookie. He watched the way she handled the horses. She was able to take getting thrown and remain calm and work with the horse. Kevin was amazed at how she did it. He wondered if he would remain calm and work through pain the way she did. Watching her success, though, told him that she was certainly doing it the right way.

"Of course I can take care of the saddle. Are you okay?" Yea, she was tough. He watched her go into the house as he removed the saddle and let Duke out with the rest of the horses. "Listen Duke... we are going to have to have a little chat. You can't be treating her like that. She is good people, and will take very good care of you. Do as she says, and you will be just fine." He patted him on his hind quarter and let him go off.

Moving back toward the barn, Kevin noticed a car pull up in front of the house... a very expensive car. There weren't many visitors to the ranch, so he figured it was someone who wanted to have Katie work with his horses. Kevin stopped and watched as Katie came out of the front door. Her body language said she wasn't happy. Kevin heard Katie raise her voice, but could not make out what she was saying, so, he stopped and watched to make sure she was okay.

 

[zydrate]

After a long talk with Sean, Katie had sent him on his way. He seemed to be showing up a lot lately. The last time was over 4 months ago. Again with the same request, he was ready to give their relationship another try.

Like it was her fault things had ended the way it did.

He wanted her only because Katie had been one who wasn’t afraid of him. Not that he was abusive, he was more… wanting to control her. Which was probably why he ended up cheating on her (not the first time) and then saying he fell in love.

Chance didn’t like him, that was for sure. He had planted himself near Katie when she and Sean were talking. Katie could also feel Kevin’s stare and noticed he too had been nearby. No, Sean wouldn’t physically hurt her, that wasn’t his style, but he would degrade her whenever possible.

Later that night, when everyone had gone home for day, Katie had decided to leave the horses out for the night so they could roam and feed on what was left of the grass before the next snowfall. They’d be OK.

As she and Kevin had their dinner, something simple she had cooked up, she realized she was quiet, seeing Sean did that to her. Made her wonder what the hell she saw in him.

“That was my ex-husband.” Katie said, speaking up suddenly. Kevin had told her about his past, well, what he could remember at first and she realized she hadn’t told him about hers.

Katie laid it all out. Meeting Sean. Marrying Sean. Sean cheating on her and wanting someone else. Katie initiating the divorce. “He comes around to see if he can get me back. He just doesn’t get it that I don’t want anything to do with him anymore.” She shook her head and sighed. “Crazy huh?”

She didn’t want talk about it anymore. Instead, Katie started to tell Kevin about growing up with a father who trained horses for ‘rich people’. Which is where she picked up what she could. “I’m hoping I’m not forgetting anything important with their training.”

“Anyway…” she stood and went to her desk and grabbed an envelope, handing it to Kevin, “It’s payday.” She said, watching him open his first paycheck. “Trust me, you earned it.”

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin tried his best not to be seen by Katie or the man she was talking to. She would find out later, when Katie let him know she saw him watching, that he had not done a very good job of it.

At dinner, he listened to her tell of her time with her ex-husband. Kevin thought the guy sounded like a jerk. "It is not surprising that he keeps coming back for you. You didn't put up with his bullshit. So, he sees you as a challenge." That was the only comment Kevin made, and when Katie changed the subject, he let it go.

He loved hearing Katie talk about how she learned about training horses from her father. He chuckled when she said that he had trained horses for rich people. The way that she emphasized "rich" almost gave an indication that she resented them. Of course, Kevin wondered if the "rich" was a resentment of her ex considering the car that he was driving.

Kevin did not tell Katie, but he watched her training the horses whenever he could. He loved the way she worked with them. It was like she was establishing a relationship with them. That was why Kevin would talk to the horses the way that he did. He was mimicking what he saw Katie do. It wasn't that he wanted to train them, he just enjoyed his time with them. Of course, if the opportunity to help Katie train horses came up, he wouldn't say no.

"You are doing an amazing job Katie. I respect the way that you handle the horses. No matter what happens, you maintain a calm demeanor. The way you handled Duke today was incredible. I knew you were hurting, but you didn't let him know. You maintained your composure and in your own way, let him know who was in charge."

They talked for a few more minutes. He listened as Katie said she hoped she wasn't forgetting anything. "I have seen the horses that you have worked with already. They are doing very well. I don't think you forgot anything."

When she got up and walked away from him, his eyes followed her. Yes, he was checking out her ass. How could he not? It was perfect.

When she returned and handed him an envelope, he gave her a questioning look. When she told him it was payday, Kevin placed the envelope on the table. "HELL NO." He stood up and looked into Katie's eyes. "I could work here for a very long time and still not earn enough to repay you for what you have done and continue to do for me. I am not taking this. No way Katie. I owe you everything that I have. I certainly will not take your money."

Kevin wasn't sure why he was getting so upset. It was almost like he felt insulted. He shouldn't feel that way. Katie was just that good of a person. He could not, however, get over the feeling he had.

He left the envelope on the table and started to clear the table of dishes. "I'll clean up since you cooked. Why don't you just relax. You had a rough day. Duke gave you a run for your money."

After clearing the table and washing the dishes, Kevin walked back into the room. The envelope was still on the table. Looking to Katie, "I am sorry I blew up on you. I just can't do it. I am working here to repay you, and because I enjoy being here. Maybe in the future I will be your employee. Right now, I am just a guy repaying a debt. Good night Katie."

Walking out the door, Kevin headed for the corral. When he got to the fence, Ellie came trotting over to him. "Was I wrong Ellie? Did I offend her by telling her what I did. It is just that she has done so much for me, and has asked for nothing in return. I just couldn't. She works hard for her money. She doesn't need to be giving it to me."

Ellie seemed to be listening to him. She nudged him with her nose, almost like she was telling him she understood. Then she nudged him again, and it seemed like she was telling him to go back and talk to Katie. He rubbed her head. "You are a better person than a lot of humans I know Ellie."

Kevin went back and knocked on the door. When Katie came to the door. "Listen, I am sorry about how I reacted. I guess I just feel so indebted to you and I don't feel I will ever be able to repay you. I always believed in paying my debts... yes, even before I got forced into that job. It is just the right thing, and here you are and I owe you so much... probably my life.. and I want to pay you back for that."

He watched for her reaction. "I just had to come back and apologize. Ellie told me to. I told her what happened and she made me come back and tell you I was sorry. She is a smart girl."

 

[zydrate]

Katie was surprised by the outburst…at first, but after Kevin left, she understood it. She should have asked Kevin about it first, not just spring it on him. She wasn’t mad, just sorry she hadn’t asked.

She had changed into a t-shirt and was ready to take a shower when she heard the knock on the door. Chance’s tail was wagging as she opened the door, knowing it was Kevin… who else would it be, especially how Chance was reacting. She opened the door and she listened to Kevin. She had to smile when he said Ellie told him apologize.

“Well, she does give good advice….” She walked outside and stood next to him, “I want to apologize also. I should have asked you first if it was OK to do that.”

They bid goodnight and Katie went to take her shower. She was exhausted from the day, both mentally and physically. She hated one thing about today and that was of course, Sean. Why the hell did he keep coming back? Katie had a mind to stampede the horses on him next time…of course, she wouldn’t do that, but it was a pleasant thought.

****
Almost reaching a deep sleep after an hour or so tossing and turning, Katie was woken up with Chance barking… Calling out to Chance to get him, Katie told him to stop… of course, he didn’t. Getting up out of bed, Katie went to the front room and that’s when Chance took off through the back door that had his doggy door. “Chance!”

Things were silent and that’s when Katie heard it… coyotes barking and howling in the distance. It was faint but she knew that sound.

The other horses were still out, roaming the field. What the hell was she thinking letting them do that? She quickly ran to her room and dressed. Before running out the house, Katie grabbed her rifle and a belt with extra ammo. As she approached the barn, she grabbed Ellie, only because she was the younger of her horses and Charlie wouldn’t be able to move as fast. There was no time to saddle her, only time to bridle her. She heard Kevin come down the steps above the barn.

She jumped on Ellie, “There are coyotes out and the horses are still out. Get the stalls open, I’m going to get the rest of the horses back inside.” What she failed to mention was she was going to scare off the coyotes first…