Jenny Read Online Free PDF Page B

had always been there for her. They were like
family to her, and she hugged him tight. "I've missed
you."
    "We've been missing you, too. I wanted you to
come back home, but not..." Louie stopped himself
from saying like this.
    "I know, I know." Her words were tortured as she
drew away, wiping at the tears that could no longer
be denied.
    "Hello, Louie," Evelyn said as she came to join
them.
    "It's good to see you again, ma'am."
    `Evelyn' will do just fine," she said with a gentle
smile.
    "Yes, ma'am," he told her. "I've got the buckboard
tied up right out front. You go ahead out while I get
your bags. I'll meet you there."
    Jenny and Evelyn made their way to the front of
the station to wait for him.
    "Is there anything I can do to help you?" Evelyn
asked Jenny as they stood by the buckboard.
    "I wish there was something that would help, but
I know there isn't. It's just so hard-with Papa not being here, and I keep remembering..."

    "Remembering what, dear?"
    "My last day in town. I know how badly I disappointed Papa. He did so want me to marry Cole."
    "Do you think you'll see Cole again? Is he still in
the area?"
    "From the few times Papa mentioned him when he
came East to visit, I think Cole's doing fine on the
Branding Iron. I doubt if I'll see him again, though,
and I really don't want to." She had not had any contact with him since that fateful day so long ago and
didn't relish the thought of a reunion with him.
    Her aunt nodded. "I understand. Things are difficult
enough as it is."
    Louie rejoined them then and loaded their luggage
in the back of the buckboard. He helped them in and
then climbed up, too, and took the reins. They moved
off through the streets of town, heading for the Lazy
S - heading for home.
    The trip to the ranch was long, but Jenny didn't
notice. She was too enthralled by the beauty of her
surroundings, and she found herself wondering how
she could have stayed away so long.
    "I didn't realize how much I missed home," Jenny
said, her heart swelling with the absolute magnificence of the mountains.
    "I wondered why you didn't come back sooner,"
Louie remarked. "And so did your father."
    She cringed inwardly at his words. "I guess I
needed to see more of the world, so I could better appreciate what I had. I'm just sorry it took this to
make me realize it."

    "Don't feel guilty. We can never know what's going to happen in life. Your father wanted only your
happiness. You meant the world to him," Evelyn offered. "He loved you, and you loved him."
    "Louie..." Jenny was suddenly very serious.
    The foreman glanced at her, hearing the change in
her voice and wondering at it.
    "What happened that day? How did Papa die? I
know you said it was a riding accident, but he was
such a good rider.... It just doesn't make sense that
he'd be thrown and"
    "No, it doesn't make much sense, horseman that he
was, but when his mount came back to the house
without him, me and the boys went out looking for
him right away. We figured we'd find him walking
back and probably cussing and spitting mad. We
thought we'd get a good laugh out of it. We were all
set to give him a bad time...." He paused as he remembered that terrible day.
    "Where did you find him?"
    "It took us a while, but we finally found him near
the creek in the high pasture."
    Jenny shivered at the thought of her beloved father
dying that way all alone with no one to help him.
"It's good that you were able to find him at all."
    "We buried him with your mother," he offered, not
really wanting to talk about it, but knowing that she
needed to know all that had happened.

    "Thank you, Louie. I don't know what I would
have done without you."
    They fell silent, each lost deep in thought.
    Jenny was dreading returning to the empty house
and seeing the last and final proof of her father's
death his grave.
    Evelyn was wondering what her niece was going
to do now that she was owner of the ranch. Jenny
loved living in the East.