Thunder Mountain Ranch

by McCarthy, G. L.

  The moon was almost full which made it easy to see the trail. The lights of the ranch were getting closer and Bruce was almost trotting to get back. Prancing sideways, Alex had to smile to herself as she remembered a time when Beau had done this same thing. It took a lot of patience and sweet talk to make him walk. Being barn sour was not attractive in a horse, but Bruce had been out twice today for a long time, and his stomach was the only thing he was listening to right now.

  Approaching the large clearing where the coroner’s vehicle and the horse trailers were parked, Alex said goodbye to the sheriff and his team. She assured him she would be fine to ride on alone the final few miles to the ranch. She wanted to be left alone to her thoughts and tears. The sheriff said he would call ahead and tell them she would be there in a few minutes.

  Looking up at the moon and a few stars, the tears streamed down her cheeks as she let it all go. Her mind raced over every event that had happened to her these past few weeks until it seemed like she couldn’t cry anymore. She pulled Bruce to a stop several hundred feet in front of the main gate and listened. She could hear the guests in the dining hall talking and laughing about their day’s events. She dismounted and walked the remaining way hoping that no one would notice her on foot. She tied Bruce up to the hitching post and pulled off his saddle. She quickly checked his feet and put him away so he could eat. She would curry him later, if at all, but right now he wanted his dinner.

  For the first time since she arrived, food didn’t sound good to her. Her stomach wasn’t telling her to feed it. The only thing she felt was drained and now she needed some friendly company.

  Walking into the dining hall she headed for the coffee. The dessert bar was open and the kids where making good use of it. Jessie was the first to reach her and then Sam as the noise level quickly dropped. Dawson had decided to tell everyone what had happened knowing it would be in the papers soon enough not to mention the fact that a good portion of the guests had seen her ride out with a police escort. She turned with her coffee, smiled at the guests, and went to sit with Dawson, Jessie and Sam.

  She had Sam next to her and Jessie directly across from her. Looking into Jessie’s eyes she was speechless and didn’t know where to begin. Then she realized the entire room was very quiet. Dawson spoke first and told her that the guests already knew why she had gone up to the mountain. It would be in the morning paper, which had already called wanting a statement from her. Jessie had talked to them and said they needed to get their statement from the sheriff and not from one of their guests.

  Smiling at her friend for protecting her, Alex took a deep breath and stood up. Walking to the end of the table she felt like she was in front of her class with all eyes upon her. She saw caring and interest as well as familiar faces looking back at her. She tried to tell what had happened without too much detail for the younger kids. She explained that the night of the ride she heard a voice and then had a dream about what had happened. So they went back today where she heard it again and was told where to find the missing man. She didn’t tell them of Anna or her experience in the craft room. She hoped what she had shared would be enough to satisfy everyone’s curiosity. As she sat back down, Sam got up to get her a warm chocolate chip cookie and a glass of milk. She reached up as Sam placed the plate in front of her and took her hand. Holding on to it she gave it a gentle squeeze and finished her coffee.

  She was so mentally drained that she just sat there and broke off small pieces of the cookie as she leaned against Sam.

  “I can’t believe the day I’ve had. It is so unbelievable that if I didn’t have you all here as witnesses I wouldn’t believe it myself.” Alex thought that was an understatement.

  “Darlin’, you look like a little kid trying to stay up to see Santa Claus. Can I put you to bed and we can talk about all this in the morning?” Jessie looked at Alex as she was trying hard to keep her eyes open so she could stay up with the grownups.

  “No, argument here. Can dad carry me?” Alex winked at Dawson as she stood up to walk towards the door.

  Jessie took her right arm and Sam her left as they went out and down the steps. She felt like Dorothy walking down the yellow brick road with her dear friends on both sides.

  She was fading fast and trying to walk swiftly to get to that nice big bed. As she went through the door of her casita she said good night, then flopped down on the bed. She was asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow. Jessie took off her boots, belt and jacket and grabbed the extra comforter from the closet. Knowing how warm blooded Alex was, it was plenty to keep her warm.

  “Good night, Darlin’. Sweet dreams. See you in the morning.” Kissing Alex on the temple, she gave her back a rub and left her in peace.

  “Has anything like this every happened here before?” Having only worked there for eighteen months, Sam was beginning to wonder.

  “Not since we’ve been running the place.” Jessie hoped this would be the last of the spiritual visitations for quite some time.

  “Well, I need to hit the sack too. I didn’t get that much sleep last night either. Good night, Jess. See you at breakfast.” Sam realized she hadn’t gotten her full eight hours and was beginning to feel it.

  “Good night, Sam. Sleep well and thanks for all your help today.” Jessie hoped now everything would get back to normal and Sam and Alex could get back on track.

  Chapter 15

  Alex slept soundly until two and then needed to pee and get a drink of water. After that she took off her clothes and climbed back in between the cool sheets. Snuggling with her pillow, she was fast asleep in minutes.

  It wasn’t long before she found herself walking down a dirt road. At the end of it she saw a small house and knew it belonged to Anna and Ramon. She walked up the steps to the porch smiling at the two identical rockers sitting next to each other. Knocking on the door she heard laughter coming from the other side. A beautiful young Anna answered, looking as happy as anyone could be when she saw Alex. Ramon was right behind her. Alex was given big hugs and kisses by both. Looking into Ramon’s eyes she felt like she was looking at herself. Smiling at her, he gave her a wink and a soft punch in the arm – further proof she was connected to him, as those were two habits she had always possessed.

  Anna told Alex she had left her a few gifts and that she would find them in the crafts room. They would be in a small deerskin pouch on the top shelf of the broom closet. Hugging Alex with all her strength, tears filled Anna’s eyes as she thanked her for giving her her life back. Because Ramon had been shot in the face he had not been able to see his way back to her or to tell her exactly where he was – only of the last place he remembered, which was the valley. The anger Juan carried with him had kept Anna from feeling his presence when she went looking for Ramon. But now they would be able to spend eternity together, looking after their family, and their family’s newest member, Alex.

  Alex asked Anna if she would ever find a love like theirs that would last forever. Nodding, Anna told her she needed patience and understanding – that the one she was meant to be with was coming. But she would not tell her who or when, for the most precious parts of a memory often come from the journey. Kissing Alex on the lips for the last time, Anna caressed her face and then was gone.

  Alex found herself waking to the sound of the breakfast bell and the smell of fresh coffee.

  “Good morning, Darlin’. How’d you sleep?” Jessie knew the dining hall was going to be alive with talk as the paper had quite a spread about the murder of Ramon and the unnatural death of his killer, Juan. So she brought Alex her breakfast and coffee so she could eat in peace.

  “Good morning, Jess. Was that the breakfast bell? I can’t believe I slept so late.” Trying to focus on the clock she knew it was the latest she’d slept since arriving. “I slept great and my last dream was wonderful. It was about Anna. Ramon was there too. They are so happy together, I envy them. Anna told me my Ramon would come someday. I just need to be patient and understanding.” Alex was r
eady to give it a shot. She just needed the chance to put it into practice.

  She crawled out from under the covers, threw her robe on and sat at the little table where her breakfast was waiting.

  “Room service, you certainly know how to treat your guests who talk to ghosts.” Looking at Jessie, she gave her a wink and then smiled to herself as she remembered Ramon doing the same thing to her.

  “What are you smiling about, young lady?” Jessie thought Alex looked different, but couldn’t put her finger on what it was exactly.

  Alex buttered her toast and then filled Jessie in on everything she had felt and seen in the valley. She also told her all that she had learned from the sheriff – and that he was Ramon’s nephew. She finished up with her dream and what Anna had told her. Then Alex asked Jessie why she hadn’t met Anna two years ago when she had visited the ranch. Jessie had already wondered the same thing, and had checked back in her payroll records. Anna had been away for several months with a family emergency, so apparently it wasn’t the right time for the two of them to meet up. Maybe Alex needed to be in a different frame of mind then she was two years ago.

  Alex thought back to her sudden trip to the ranch, remembering she had been upset with Dez for not wanting to take a short vacation with her. She just packed her bags and took the first flight she could get. When she returned, Dez was very apologetic and promised she’d try to give her a weekend of quality time once in a while. It never happened, and was probably the third or fourth nail in their relationship coffin – she wasn’t really sure which one it was.

  Jessie suggested Alex stay in her room until the morning ride left. Whereas yesterday’s ride consisted of only a few brave souls, today all the guests wanted to ride up to the valley and see the cave. They were even going to take the wagon up with the overflow so they all could see and then hopefully get back to normal guest ranch activities. After the ride left she could go out and have some privacy, and practically the whole place to herself.

  Thanking Jessie for breakfast, Alex headed for the shower. She shut the door and left the light off. The hot water felt so good against her skin as she stood there in the dark – just her and the water, with nothing to look at but black. She took her time, then dressed slowly, wishing the ride would get going so she could check and see if there really was a present from Anna. Figuring she’d have to wait at least another hour she decided it would be a good time to call Cyn. Alex had to think a moment to recall what day it was. Being Saturday, Cyn would be home and they could have a nice long talk.

  Cyn picked up on the third ring, and Alex could hear the oldies playing in the background.

  “Good Morning, or is it afternoon there?” Alex looked at the clock and did a quick calculation of the time back home.

  “Hey, I was just thinking about you. I miss you, girlfriend. It seems like you’ve been gone a month, instead of a week.”

  “I miss you too. How are you doing? Find anyone else to eat lunch with?” Alex wished Cyn had someone else, but there wasn’t anyone at school who was worthy.

  “No chance. There’s only one Alex, and she’s having a great time in New Mexico! Are you having a great time, or what?’ Cyn could hardly wait until she came back.

  “A great time, absolutely. How is it going at school? Is my replacement sticking to my lesson plan?” When Alex left she had no idea who was going to replace her.

  “Would you believe Mrs. Greenway is teaching your class. She’s definitely sticking to your lesson plan, and is very grateful you’re so organized and had everything laid out for the whole semester.” The good thing about having Mrs. Greenway teach a class was that she would now know it wasn’t as easy as she remembered – she hadn’t taught a class in over twenty years.

  “What do the students think? Anyone talking or everyone just counting the days until I get back?” All her students were sweet girls and she was sure they were making due.

  “A couple are in a snit, but for the most part all is nice and calm. But they miss you too. Megan told me to tell you “Hi” from her and Phantom.” Cyn wasn’t sure Alex wanted to hear from her, but she had promised.

  “Oh, gosh. How is she doing? What are they saying about her mother?” After all that had happened, she figured Megan’s father might have pulled her out of Taylorwood.

  “That Sally had a psychotic breakdown and tried to commit suicide. You tried to stop her and were accidentally stuck by the syringe she had for herself. Then she tried to jump off the cliff and Dez had to save her. The whole story is nauseating and makes Sally sound like the victim instead of the perpetrator of attempted murder. But if it protects Megan then I guess it’s the story we’re stuck with for the time being.” Cyn hated lying to everyone, but after Megan was old enough to understand what had happened, they would tell her the truth.

  “Wow, that is some story. Who came up with it?” Alex figured it was Mrs. Greenway, as she would be sure to protect the good name of the school, and the real story was not good for business.

  “Mrs. Greenway, who else. The sheriff was all about telling the truth, but because only a few people knew what really happened, he figured the story would fly. The authorities having so many credible eyewitnesses went along with it and told Mr. Jennings the truth and that his wife would be institutionalized until she was certified sane.” Cyn hoped they never let her out.

  “Is there any idea of how long that will take?” The thought of Sally Jennings being free to do as she pleased sent a chill down Alex’s neck.

  “A minimum of two years, according to Sheriff Taylor. But it could be longer. It all depends on how she progresses. Don’t worry, Alex. Dez has more to worry about then you do.” Cyn wished it was a life sentence, or at least ten years.

  “Well, I guess it’s a start. Not much, but a start.” Alex thought Sally was totally nuts so two years definitely wasn’t enough time. But she could breath a little easier.

  Alex checked the clock, looked out the window, and saw the trail ride leave. She promised Cyn she’d call her again soon, but she needed to do something while she had most of the ranch to herself. Cyn begrudgingly said goodbye to Alex and told her to take care of herself and be safe. If Cyn only knew the half of it.

  Alex headed towards the crafts room, walked in, and felt the emptiness that Anna had left behind. Going to the shelf where the picture of Anna and Ramon sat, she wondered if Jessie would let her have it. She put the picture in her jacket pocket and turned to look for the broom closet. She eyed it at the very back of the room with several boxes stacked in front of the door. It must have been a long time since anyone opened it. When she finally cleared a path and looked in, the cobwebs proved her right. Carefully looking on the top shelf, as she didn’t want to upset any sleeping spiders, she found a deerskin pouch. Her heart started to pound. She decided to open it in front of Jessie, needing a witness to the amount of dust on the bag and the square knot keeping it shut.

  As she walked towards the office she held the bag as gently as possible, not wanting to damage what was inside. Jessie had been watching for her and came out to meet her on the porch. Sitting in the swing, Jessie looked at the bag and shook her head in wonder as it had been just where Anna had told Alex it would be. Alex carefully brushed off the dust and untied the knot. As she gently shook the pouch two small fetishes slid out into her hand. One was a Wolf and the other a Medicine Bear. Having a collection of her own, Alex knew what they meant. The Bear stood for health and strength and the Wolf meant loyalty and strong family ties. Since it was only one of a few animals that mates for life it can also mean lasting relationships. Tears of joy came as Alex caressed both animals. Of all the things Anna could have given her these were the most endearing.

  “Darlin, I would say that Anna knows you pretty well. Your love for fetishes must have come from Ramon, as some of his family are carvers.” Jessie stood to leave Alex to her new treasures as she needed to field the phone calls that were coming in. So many people wanted to know if the ranch was haunted and whet
her or not they had daily tours going up to the valley. This adventure of Alex’s was great for business – but also a pain in the neck. Jessie was grateful for the business and she had Dawson to help make the pain in her neck go away.

  Chapter 16

  Alex left the swing and walked into the office as she felt the picture in her pocket and remembered she needed to ask if she could have it. Waiting for Jessie to answer all the caller’s ghost questions almost made Alex laugh out loud. Her response was very professional but her eyes were rolling at the silly things being asked of her. When she was finally finished Jessie walked up to the counter where Alex was patiently waiting with a big smile on her face.

  “Is my little adventure causing you undue pain?” Smiling at her friend, Alex was glad that it was boosting business. The ranch wasn’t full to capacity at the present, which had allowed her to get a great room at such short notice.

  “Nothing I can’t handle and greatly appreciate. You look like you have something on your mind. Did another spirit talk to you on the porch?” Smiling wide, Jessie loved giving Alex a hard time when she knew it would be taken in jest.

  “Not any new ones. Is it all right if I keep this picture of Anna and Ramon? If it belongs to the other teacher I would like to have a copy of it.” She showed Jessie the picture, placing it on the counter.

  “The truth of the matter is, I don’t remember ever seeing that picture before. Honestly, when you walked over and took it off the shelf that day, it was the first time I ever laid eyes on it. And as far as belonging to the current teacher, she didn’t know Anna or the family. I think it’s another gift from the both of them to you.” Jessie reached out and gave Alex’s hand a squeeze, knowing how much the picture would mean to her.

  “Wow, I hope so. But just in case someone comes back and asks for it, just let me know and I’ll get a copy for myself and send it back.” Looking back at the crafts room, Alex had another question.