To Everything, There is a Season #2 – Falling (by MonicaSJ)
Chapter Twelve
The sun was just barely up when Adam drove a buggy into the yard of the Flying W. When he knocked on the front door, he got no answer, so he stuck his head in, yelling. Shiloh didn’t answer, and he stepped in, looked in the parlor and the kitchen, then went back to the front door. As he stepped out, he saw Hank walking toward the back corral. “Hank, where is everybody?”
“Well, we do work around here, Adam,” said Hank, smiling jokingly, offering his hand. “But you really mean Miss Shiloh, don’t you?”
Adam stuck his tongue in his cheek. “Yep. I told her I’d take her to town today.”
“Yeah, she already told me. Said she might not be back and not to worry. But she wanted to go over the breeding schedule for her heritage stock with Johnny and Billy before she left. She’s out back.” The two men talked as they walked to the back corral.
“Has she said anything about the barn?” asked Adam.
“I got an earful about the barn this morning. She had the original plans that her father had drawn up for a new barn, and she wanted to know if we could handle it. I told her I’d wanna check with you…it’s a mighty nice barn. Too nice, I think, to have done this winter, and she’ll be needin’ shelter for the horses.”
“I’ll talk to her about it, Hank.” Hank grunted. “Is there something else you’re not telling me?”
“Well, you know how determined she is to do things on her own.”
Adam raised his eyebrows. “And?”
“She told me not to say anything to you. Adam, she’s had a lot of good ideas that were workable, but this one….” Hank shook his head. “I don’t know how we can make this work for the winter.”
“Don’t worry about it, Hank. I’ll bring up the barn. Maybe she’ll talk to me about it. And if she doesn’t, I’ll…well, I’ll think of something.”
The back corral was actually a group of corrals and paddocks, two large corrals on either side of a row of smaller paddocks in the middle and on the west side. In a large breeding operation, all the center paddocks would be used multiple times a day with a handler moving pairs of horses in and waiting. There was a smaller stall in the middle of the paddocks where uncooperative mares were confined during breeding. The paddocks on the west side of the corrals held the stallions that would be bred, after which they were released into the west corral.
Adam and Hank stood behind Shiloh and listened as she gave instructions to Johnny and Billy. “I wasn’t going to do this much but…” she took a deep breath, and finished in a shaky voice, “with Max gone, we only have four…really three stallions to breed. I would prefer to not breed Eli right now, but I don’t think we have a choice. I still haven’t made my mind up about Satan.”
“Satan?” said Adam, surprised. “You named a horse Satan?” Shiloh turned slightly and eyed Adam severely. “Excuse me,” he said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Breed Apollo with Artemis and Cleo, Zeus with Athena and Delilah, and Eli with Sheba and Storm. If Storm gives you problems, breed Eli with Jezebel, too. She’s a little older, but she should have a few good years left in her. I want to wait another year, at least, for Koko.”
“What do you want us to do with Satan?” asked Johnny.
“Nothing at this point. I’ll wait to see what this produces, and if we get some good foals, I may geld him. But, not yet. I may have to use him.” She looked up at Johnny and Billy. “Any questions?” Both shook their heads. “If anything bad happens, stop everything, and one of you come get me.”
“Yes Ma’am,” they said in unison.
She turned and walked back toward the house with Hank and Adam falling in behind her. “Hank, do you have the buckboard loaded?”
“No Ma’am. I still need to load your trunk. I was going to get help when Adam drove up.”
“Drove up?”
“I brought the buggy,” answered Adam.
She stopped when she rounded the corner and saw the buggy at the same time he said that. “Oh, well, I appreciate it, but I’ll be taking my trunk and leaving it in my dressing room.” Looking sweetly up at him, she asked, “Would you mind helping Hank bring it down?”
“Not at all, dear lady,” he replied, smiling, and removing his hat as he bowed.
On the way to Virginia City, Adam dared to bring up the horses. “Satan?”
“You’d have to know him. He’s high-strung and mean. I don’t want to pass that disposition along.”
“You might not, you know.”
“Yes, I know, but I don’t want to waste a season for one of my mares if I can avoid it. And the best way to avoid the possibility is not to breed him at all.”
“Then why haven’t you already gelded him?”
“Because, I was down to five stallions. I’m down to four now with Satan. And I don’t have the money or the time to import more.”
“You just got money from Maguire, and you’re about to make more.”
“Some of that will go to rebuild the barn,” she said sadly.
“Sweetheart, it won’t take all that to rebuild the barn.” She let her shoulders slump and looked away. He looked over with creased brows, knowing she wasn’t telling him something, and that it had nothing to do with the barn. Pulling back on the reins, he stopped the horses and turned, putting one arm around her shoulders and leaning back in the seat. “You can tell me anything.”
“It’s nothing, Adam. It’s just…Max, I guess.”
He turned her face toward his, and she dropped her eyes. “Alright. Maybe you’ll feel like talking about it later.” The remainder of the trip was quiet.
Oh, I love this story! I cried my eyes out for Max. I love Annie and Hoss. The wedding was beautiful. Cat Fight!!! Perfect. My second read and I think I like it better this time. You also hit on a struggle that has been going on forever. Women’s rights. Things have changed in 150 years but things still aren’t equal.
You know, Max’s death was by far, the hardest part of these stories to write – perhaps because I’ve had to say goodbye to some of my own horses, and could not imagine having to live through what Shiloh did with Max. I glad you like this one. And you will see more about women’s rights in the future. After all, those women in Boston think they have some kind of hold on Isabella. Thanks again, Neano!
What can I say? You went through all the highlights. I’m just so glad you liked all those things that got written. I had never intended for this story to be so long, but as I write, things just keep coming up. I have to wonder if they’ll ever grow have kids…grow old…finally just be comfortable with the people they are.
Thank you so much, Marie.
I bet it’s that fired Hand, Sam King. That sneaky b@st@rd. He shot those animals! I hope he gets caught. He’s just a cruel person.
I’m so glad to know Shiloh is going to sing in Virginia City. Her ideas were perfect! Tom will want to generate buzz and excitement prior to the opening of the new season and having a pre-season kick-off will do just that! I love it!
OMG! First the cattle, now the horses! I know it’s that heartless animal, Sam King! Max! How could he do this to those poor defenseless animals! Adam and Hank did what was right by Max, he would have suffered greatly otherwise. My heart stopped when I realized the orange glow was the barn where the horses were. I hope they catch that b@st@rd! Nothing will do Shiloh more than to see his sorry butt hang for the misery he has caused her. 🙁
Adam is such a great guy. I wished Shiloh knew Adam is only wanting to help because he loves and cares about her, not because he doesn’t feel she can take care of the ranch herself, quite the contrary. She’s as bull headed as Adam. No wonder they are attracted to each other. LOL
I wonder what is on Shiloh’s mind? Could it be she’s falling in love with Adam? Hmmmmmm 🙂
Keeping herself busy with the music preparations will help keep her mind off everything that’s happened. I just hope she’s safe in town.
Thank goodness Adam got Tommy to confess. Now, to catch the other animal, Sam King. Oh, when Adam and he come face to face….and the plot thickens. 😀
Sam got what he deserved, but at the expense of Shiloh having to find out personally what it took to take a man’s life. 🙁
I cried when she lost the mare and her colt. :'( I just cried. How much more loss did Shiloh have to endure? Very well written. I cried.
The catfight…OMG! So funny! I could see it all in my head. I laughed so hard and that woman deserved it! She deserved to be ran out on a rail the way she was.
The wedding was beautiful! I loved the note Adam placed on the try for Shiloh, again, I cried like a baby. So beautiful.
I was so excited for Annie finally getting into medical school! How sweet she and Hoss became a couple. I would love to see her come back and she marry Hoss. How wonderful it would be to see Shiloh’s best friend become her sister-in-law.
How funny was Joe’s kiss to Shiloh. I loved Adam’s response. So Adam, so Joe. Loved it!
The ending was just perfect. It didn’t matter how they got from there to here, they were here. What a great way to end the story. I’m so excited to see what the next story involves.
Loved this story! Loving the series!
Gosh, you’re bringing back memories. Seems I started writing this story so long ago. I have a very rough outline, but most of things that happen, only happen at the moment they get written. Sometimes I surprise myself with what I read back. The barn fire and the horses were one of those things, and I could draw on my own love of my own horses, and how I would feel if faced with a barn fire while my horses were inside. They generally have the run of the place in good weather, but in winter, they are in the barn at night. As far as Shiloh goes, Will Stewart was a mistake. She had thought she would never get married, so thinking about Adam romantically has to be frightening for her, especially with his strong sense of taking care of those he loves. He’s a take charge kind of guy. She’s a take charge kind of girl. So either they’ll bash heads or they’ll find a way to work together or it will be long path to get to where they co-exist peacefully.
I added my final comments to the story above your reply. I really enjoyed the story immensely! I look forward to reading the other parts but I’ll save those as a treat for later when I’m done cleaning the house and doing laundry. I stayed up very late the past few nights trying to finish the first and second stories, but had to call it a night each time and finish the next day. I see my breaks and lunch is going to be busy reading because once I start a new story, I can’t put it down! LOL