Rocky Mountain Sister (4 page)

Kenzie wrapped her arm in her sister’s arm. They walked along the path, talking about different things over their lives. Makenzie didn’t want to talk about their parents yet. She wanted to wait until Nathan was with them. It would only be a couple more days, then three of them could sit down and talk. She did tell Cassandra that their parents were dead. Makenzie explained to Cassandra, since she was only nine at the time of the accident, Nathan remembered more than she did.

“Kenzie, I can’t believe I have found you. I always wondered if I had any brothers and sisters somewhere. It is so wonderful to be able to find out things of my past.” Cassandra squeezed her sister. “If I never remember, at least now I know.”

The girls walked further down the path to the stream, they sat in the grass watching the water flow by.

Kenzie looked at Cassandra then laid head on her shoulder. “Cassie, I love you, I have missed so much, I am ready to burst with the excitement to get home to the ranch for you to meet Nathan and Elizabeth and Grandma.

Cassandra looked at her, “Makenzie, I am happy to, I am just nervous. I can’t believe we have found each other. You have known me my whole life and I am only learning about you.”

“Cassie, I have a lot to learn about you to, it has been ten years, so much has changed. You have changed. I don’t mean that in a bad way.” Kenzie giggled a little. “We will learn about each other together. You will see that it won’t be so bad.”

Cassandra looked off into the distance, “I know you are right, I didn’t think of it that way.”

It was late when the girls returned to the house. After eating a small supper, Makenzie headed Cassandra out the door and to their Aunt and Uncles. Makenzie told Cassandra the Edward and Caroline, and their children Jason, Edwin and Mary. Cassandra explained to Makenzie how the young man acted at the store. They figured it to be their cousin Jason, the oldest of the Hubbard children.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Makenzie knocked on the door of her Aunt’s house. Mary answered the door. She didn’t move. Her mouth stood wide open. Mary had never met Cassandra, she was just a baby when Cassandra disappeared.

“Mary, are you going to mind your manners and invite us in? Makenzie asked the young girl.

Mary slowly backed up and opened the door slowly, still not saying a word.

“Where is your mama, Mary?” Makenzie ask as she walked through the door. Instead of waiting for the girl to answer. Makenzie yelled for her Aunt.

Caroline came running into the parlor thinking something was seriously wrong. She knew the voice yelling was Makenzie’s, the girl just never came into the house screaming before. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw her two nieces standing side by side. Not able to talk, Caroline ran to the girls and hugged them. She then let go of Makenzie and grabbed Cassandra.

“Cassie, oh Cassie, is it really you?”

“Yes ma’am, it is I.” Cassandra wasn’t sure how she could tell her Aunt that she didn’t remember her.

Aunt Caroline couldn’t take her eyes off her niece. She couldn’t believe her sister’s daughter was home after being missing for ten years. That evening the family stayed up late getting reacquainted.

CHAPTER NINE

Rosa pulled the horses in the direction of the path towards a large house. The drive from the road to the big white house was at least a mile long. From the road, the place looked huge.

Cassandra looked around as they rode closer to the house. It was big, but needed lots of work. The barn seemed in worse shape, parts of the back falling in. Cassandra didn’t know what to think. Hard times must have hit them over the past couple years.

She didn’t want to think that these people wasted money on other things and not fixing the place up. The house looked like it could use a coat of paint, a few cracked windows fixed and the flower beds were a mess.

She shrugged off the poor feeling when she heard a woman yelling from the porch. She was an older, her grandmother maybe. Cassandra watched Makenzie ride ahead to meet the woman. Rosa stopped the buck board close to the house, the older woman stood staring at her, but didn’t move. Tears ran down the woman’s face. Her hands were red from twisting them.

Cassandra climbed down and walked over to the gray haired woman. She too was now crying.

“Grandma,” Makenzie started to say when her grandmother interrupted her.

“Cassie, oh my dear Cassie, look at you.” The older woman gave Cassandra a squeeze.

“Grandma,” Cassandra whispered to the woman.

Rosa climbed down and stood by Kenzie, when Anna stopped hugging Cassandra, Kenzie introduced Cassandra’s traveling companion. Cassandra had not explained that Rosa was her housekeeper. There would be plenty of time for minor details.

They all went into the house while Rooks, the ranch hand who stayed close to the house, took the animals to the barn.

Inside the house, Cassandra looked around the foyer, she didn’t know what to expect. The house was in some need of repair, but for the most part, it looked beautiful. The foyer was wide with a stair way going up the back wall, open for the length of the foyer in the back. She followed her Grandmother into what she considered must be the parlor.

A huge fire place stood on the far wall. She could see a door close to the west wall that was closed.

“Cassandra, Rosa, please sit down and I will make some tea.” Anna told the two women and then exited the room into the foyer.

Cassandra heard a baby cry from upstairs.

Kenzie stood and faced Cassandra. “Please excuse me while I go check on them.” She was in the foyer and up the steps before anyone could say a word.

Rosa smiled at Cassandra... They were enjoying this trip so much. So many wonderful things had happened in the last week. Cassandra didn’t think her life could get better.

Soon Kenzie came down and took Cassandra up to meet Elizabeth and Joseph Greenwood. Cassandra was so happy. She felt like little Joey, being born again with her Colorado sister and brother. The past was now the past, where it would stay.

The next few days were filled with stories, Cassandra never revealed the full extent of her station in life. She didn’t want her family thinking she was just a rich busy body trying to flaunt her money. Especially now that she has seen how run down the place was.

CHAPTER TEN

Cassandra decided to go for a ride. She was reunited with Paisley, the horse she got for her seventh birthday. She didn’t remember the gift of course, but Kenzie had told her all about the party and the horse they each received. Paisley, the horses name was a wonder to everyone.

Cassandra never told anyone why she named her horse Paisley, now she didn’t even know herself. Now no one will know.

She found a spot by the river with a big boulder with a view overlooking the beautiful flow of the water. Sitting there taking in all the beauty of the Rockies. Oh how she wished she could remember the past. This land seems to get prettier every day. “Christian, you would love it here. The land, the sky, everything is so beautiful” Cassandra said out loud to herself.

Jessie Harper sat on his horse watching the beautiful woman sitting on the rock across the river. Kenzie Greenwood seemed to draw his attention more than usual. He was never attracted to Kenzie, but today she seemed different, more beautiful than he had ever seen her.

Today she was wearing a dress. In the five years he lived next to the Greenwoods, he couldn’t ever remember Makenzie wearing a dress outside of the house. He crossed the river slowly, Kenzie didn’t seem to move. She never noticed him.

“Good morning, you seem to be lost in the clouds.” Jessie hollered up to Kenzie.

Cassandra jumped at the sound of his voice. Upset with herself for being so absorbed in the outside world, she didn’t notice the man and horse approach her.

“
Fool
.” Cassandra thought to herself. It was the man from the general store. “
Oh Lord, please help me keep my composure and not make a fool of myself again.

“I didn’t expect you to be out her gazing at the sun, I figured you to be off somewhere chasing cattle.” Jessie climbed the boulder and sat down beside her. He felt himself a shudder, he had this over whelming feeling to put his arm around her.
What in the world made you think that?
He always thought of Kenzie as a sister. Yes, he was protective of her, but
this
was different. He wanted to hold her. The same feeling as when he saw her in the Mercantile. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and protect her,
like Makenzie Greenwood need protecting.
Jessie thought to himself.

Cassandra gave the handsome man a second look, she gave herself a giggle. He must think she was her sister. Only a few locals in town saw both of them at the same time and knew they were twins.

“This is such a beautiful spot to watch the wild life, look at the mountains, and watch the clouds roll by.” Cassandra said to man. She knew she shouldn’t trick him into thinking she was Kenzie, but right now it was kind of fun. “And I don’t chase cattle.”

“Nathan told me you lost ten more head last night” Jessie’s voice was quiet. “If we can’t figure out something to stop Ferguson, he will wipe us all out.”

“I’m sorry, I have no idea what you are talking about, I am not Kenzie” Cassandra decided she better come right out and tell him since he was talking about the ranch to her. She knew nothing of this Ferguson man or what he was talking about when he said losing ten head. Ten head of what? She wanted to ask him.

“Kenzie, please let me help you and Nathan. Together we can stop him” Jessie looked her straight in the face. His eyes lingering on her lips.

“I am not Makenzie. I don’t even know your name, let alone what you are talking about.” Cassandra tried to keep her stare on his eyes, but she too lingered on his lips. Lips she wanted to be kissed by.

“Don’t talk.” Jessie lifted a finger to her lips. Slowly lowered his head and kissed her.

Cassandra felt fire run through her body as he touched her then lowered his face near hers. When he kissed her, she didn’t resist. In fact Cassandra enjoyed the kiss very much.

“Sweetheart, I don’t know what you are doing to me. You seem to be driving me crazy.” Jessie didn’t want to stop kissing her.

“Please stop, you don’t understand. I am not Makenzie. I am her sister.” Cassandra pushed away from Jessie. She wanted to be in his arms. She felt protected and safe with him, even though she didn’t know this man. Cassandra figured he was Jessie Harper, the neighbor Makenzie and Nathan had mentioned in several conversations.

Jessie watched her run to her horse and ride back toward the Greenwood ranch house. He couldn’t figure out why she was acting like someone else. Makenzie didn’t have a sister.
Did she?
He would know about her if she did. The girl was acting strangely, and he was confused of his own feelings.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Cassandra didn’t talk to anyone when she got back to the ranch house. She ran straight to her room. Confused about why she let this man take liberties on her when she didn’t know him. She had been kissed before, but never felt the way she felt today. Sitting at her desk in her room, Cassandra heard the kitchen door slam shut and her brother talking.

The small vent in the floor went straight down to the kitchen. She wasn’t trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it seemed important and Nathan was being very quiet.

Nathan looked at Kenzie, “we have ten more head missing. Doesn’t seem like much, but if this keeps up, we will never be able to make the mortgage payment and have enough left over to feed the horses, let alone us. I don’t know how Ferguson is doing it, but I am sure it is him.”

Kenzie put a pot of coffee on the stove, then turned back to face Nathan. “You are just going to have to take time and go into town to. Cramberry won’t let me near the books because I am a woman.”

“No Kenz, he won’t let you near the books because he knows you will find out he is messing with them, he uses you being a female because he knows I don’t have time.” Nathan looked at Kenzie with a sympathetic look. “He knows how smart you are Kenz.”

Kenzie poured them both a cup of coffee and sat down at the table. “We will just have to make more cuts, that’s all.”

Nathan looked at her. She deserved more than he can give her. She worked just as hard on the ranch as he did. She couldn’t even afford to buy a dress length of material. “Better enjoy this coffee, we might not be able to afford any come winter.”

Cassandra couldn’t believe what she was hearing. None of them had even hinted of the strain someone trying to take the ranch or not being able to make ends meet. She sat down at the table and wrote her brother Christian a long letter. Then she went down stairs and informed her brother and sister that she needed to make a trip to town, she told her brother and sister that she had mail to back east.

Of course neither Kenzie nor Nathan wanted her leave, but she wouldn’t be gone very long and she promised to stay with them until the end of the month.

CHAPTER TWELVE

Five days later, Cassandra, Rosa, Thomas Delaney, and Mr. Carl Anderson were standing in Edna Middleton’s kitchen. Carl Anderson was Vice President of the Bank of Denver, who insisted on coming back to Forest Heights with them to watch the fireworks were standing in Edna Middleton’s kitchen. Cassandra was quite confused about why Mr. Anderson wanted to watch fireworks, but decided to not ask. She would just wait and see what he was talking about.

Cassandra noticed that her friend seemed to have a spring in her step. She had excused herself immediately on their return and came out of her room with a clean dress and her hair redone.

“Why Edna, don’t you look absolutely lovely this afternoon” Cassandra said with a little giggle.

“Thank you dear. I just thought that it is such a beautiful day, I feel very happy today.” Edna looked at her friend and smiled. “Maybe we will celebrate your returned with something special for lunch.” Edna put on her apron and started preparing lunch. “Let me see, what will I fix?” She asked herself.