Date: Thu, 10 Mar 2011 07:12:03 -0800 (PST) From: Daniel Running-water Subject: A Heart's Legacy / Chapter Five / Interracial and Beginnings A Heart's Legacy Sequel to Captured Heart By Daniel Running Water Chapter Five Previously in chapter four: When Shane, Spotted Wolf and Caleb entered the cabin, Shane found Emily sitting by Abe's bed. She was gently bathing his brow when she looked up at Shane who was now beside her. "Is it over Shane?" was all that she asked and then turned back to continue bathing Abe's brow. "Yes sweetie, he's gone," was all that Shane said before stepping over to James and embracing him. "He knew before he left, didn't he," James whispered to Shane. "I told him just before his last breath, darling." "I guess we owe Abraham the truth also," James tears rolling freely down his cheeks. "Yes we do James; I promised Emily that we would tell him together." "How do you think he's going to take knowing that George Bennett was his true father?" James asked Emily and looking at his unconscious son on the bed. "Father...that evil man is my father?" Abe said in his mind as the words slowly drifted in from beyond his darkness. "I'd rather die than admit to being his son." Abe slipped further into his darkness... Now chapter five: The darkness that overtook Abe was soon replaced by a white blinding light. He did not know where he was but he no longer felt pain, only blissful contentment as his eyes slowly adjusted to his surroundings. Abe found himself standing in a beautiful garden, surrounded by every kind of flower and fruit tree that was known to man. The colors were vibrant with every shade in the rainbow represented as he gazed in wonder at the surreal beauty of this garden. "Abraham, my son," a soft lilting voice said from behind him, he turned suddenly and found a beautiful woman standing in front of him. Instantly his heart seemed to recognize her...her beautiful blue eyes, full lips and her face was surrounded with golden hair that seemed the color of sunshine. "Mother?" he asked, but in his heart he knew. "Yes Abraham, it is I, your mother Jennifer," she said as she lifted a hand to his cheeks and softly caressed it. "You have grown into such a fine and handsome young man, Abraham," she looked into his eyes and saw that his heart was pure. "I have missed you all these years..." but when he remembered that she was dead, it suddenly brought to his mind the gunshot wound he had received from George Bennett. "Am I dead, mother?" he asked as he covered her hand with his and leaned into her hand to feel its warmth. "No my son, you are in the world that lies between earth and heaven. I have but a few precious moments to set things right for you. God surely heard your last words concerning your father and..." his eyes widened and he turned from her, hatred having crossed over with him and filling his heart. "I don't wish to speak of that evil man," he angrily said and then turned back to look into her eyes. "How could you sleep with a man as evil as he was?" he asked, his words judging and accusing. She smiled softly at him for another moment before her face took on a serious expression. "He was always unkind or evil, Abraham," she told him. "He loved me deeply but his marriage to another prevented him from marrying me. You see son, I was a whore, forced into that terrible life by a brother that valued gold more than me. Yes son, Shawn Murphy is my brother, your uncle and he is now paying for his sins." "Then why was my father so horrid and evil towards me?" he asked. "George Bennett never knew that he had fathered you son. When I became pregnant with you, I begged my brother to let me leave and he agreed on the one condition that as soon as I gave birth, I had to give you up for adoption and resume my life as a whore for him." "So that is how my fathers came to have me and raise me as their own," he asked. "Yes Abraham, and from what I now see in you, they did a fine job." "Why them and not a regular family with a man and a woman?" he asked. "Do not judge the men that gave all of their heart to you and your happiness, Abraham. I searched and watched for several weeks for the right man or woman to place you with. I found Shane to be a man of honor and caring, and when it came to living by the heart and not the gun, he stood above the rest," she confided. "James was also a man that when he loved, he loved deeply and completely, putting others before him unconditionally. I know that their love is not as most, but their love is strong and pure between them and that is what I wanted for my son...for you, Abraham." "I was showered with love growing up and no other man or woman could have loved me more, mother. I know that I have hurt them with my rejection of the love that they shared between them. It wasn't that I judged the love, but rather I let the shame and names that others placed on them, taint me and made me ashamed of them." "I know son, but in your heart of hearts, there is a love for them that your true father could have never have accepted from you. Your father let lust for the material things in life fill his heart, replacing his ability to love. I also know of your love for this girl that you think to be your sister," she told him, shocking him with her revelation. "Do not worry about your love for her, for it is not incest because she is not your true blood sister. It is not for me at this time to speak of that, for once you return to the land of the living, she awaits there to speak of these things." Abe could feel a tug on him, as if some force was drawing him away from this garden as well as his mother. He reached out and took her hands, pulling her into his embrace. "I don't want to leave you mother...I wish to stay forever with you," Abe pleaded and she smiled at him as she too, clung to him. "You cannot my son, for there is a long and happy life ahead for you," She told him and then kissed him softly on the cheek. "Someday my son... someday we shall meet again and then we shall be together, but until that time comes, take this ring, it was my mother's," she said and placed the ring in his hand and then stepped from Abe's embrace. "Mother!" he shouted out as the light began to fade, filling his senses with darkness again. *** "Abraham son, can you hear me," James softly said as he wiped the beads of sweat from his son's brow. "Wake up darling and come back to us," he begged as tears threatened to spill from his eyes. Abe slowly blinked his eyes open and found both of his fathers standing there looking down at him smiling. He looked into two set of eyes that were filled with tears of happiness and he weakly smiled up at them. "Father, pa," he said with a voice that was weak. "I saw her...I saw my mother and she told all about my true father," Shane and James' eyes widened with fear when they saw the excitement in his eyes. They had both worried that once Abe learned who is true father was they would lose him forever. They looked at each other and then back down at the man that they had lovingly raised as their own and their hearts were breaking. "I so sorry son, I was going to tell you but you got shot before I could," Shane said, fighting back tears that threatened his demeanor. Abe looked at Shane with tears in his own eyes and then to James who was no longer fighting his tears, but letting them flow freely. "No my fathers, I am the one that is sorry. For all of my life you have always shown me love and respect and what do I do, I showed you shame. I let how you both chose to love and live, embarrass me and fill my heart with shame. I let how others taunted and humiliated you with names affect my love for you," he said with his own tears now freely flowing down his cheeks and his hands each holding one of James and Shane. "Can you ever forgive me for the pain that I have caused you," he asked. Shane lowered his mouth down close to Abe's ear and whispered: "My son, there is nothing to forgive because a father's love is all encompassing," he whispered and gave Abe a soft kiss to his cheek. "I could not have loved you more if you had been of my seed," he added and looked over at James. "Abraham, I have always been so proud of you and never once did my love for you diminish or weaken, I loved you unconditionally and totally son... always." Caleb who had been standing in the shadows listening was in tears because he was falling in love with Abe. Turning and running from the room, Abe caught a quick glimpse of the boy as he left the cabin. "Who was that," he asked. "That is Jonas' son, Caleb," James told him and Abe felt a stirring in his heart that he could not explain. "Hello Abraham, can I intrude on this family for a bit," Emily asked stepping up beside Shane. "Em...my God am I happy to see you," he said and when she went to kiss him on the brow, he pulled her lips to his in a kiss that was anything but brotherly, it was pure fire. She pulled away some and looked down into his eyes, having not told him about her mother's straying into another man's bed, she wondered how he knew. "Yes Em I know that you are not my sister," he said and the suddenness of it caused Emily to gasp and look to Shane with asking eyes. "Don't look at me Emily, I didn't tell him, his mother did," Shane said and then it hit him that Jenny must be dead. A sudden sense of sadness enveloped Shane, as he remembered how hard it had been for Jenny to surrender Abe into his arms to raise as his own. He and James had often spoke of her throughout his growing years and it gave Shane a peace to know that somehow Jenny had come back to her son and saw the fine job that he and James had done. "His mother?" she questioned and looked around the room for her. Abe smiled up at her and then told her of his dream or whatever it was that he had experienced. It was then that he remembered the ring and opened his hand to find a golden band with a simple diamond set upon it. Shane took James by the hand and gasped when he realized that what Abe had been saying really happened. Shane led him from the room, and once outside, they saw Caleb crying behind a tree. "Let me sweetheart," James whispered to Shane and placed a hand to his cheek, caressing it softly before he stepped from the porch. As he walked over toward Caleb, Caleb hurriedly wiped away the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand. Pasting a brave smile on his face, Caleb met James as he walked toward him and when he was in front of him, he rushed into James' arms and cried. "I love him so much sir," Caleb cried out as his tears once again flowed freely. "I know Caleb...I could see it in your eyes whenever you looked at my boy," James whispered, rubbing Caleb's back and letting him cry. "It's just not fair sir, I am in love with someone that cannot or will not ever love me back...it's just not fair," he cried. "No one ever said that life was fair, Caleb. I don't know if this is love that my son feels for Emily or what, because I don't think that Abraham even knows himself. I have watched my son battle with his feelings through the years concerning his sexuality." James confided in Caleb as the boy rested his cheek against James' chest. "But one thing I truly believe in is destiny Caleb, for what has been preordained shall surely come to pass." "Then I could still have a chance to win Abe's love?" Caleb questioned with not only his voice but also his eyes. "I can't answer you that, but if you and my son are meant to be then it will surely come to pass." Caleb's eyes brightened and he lifted up on his toes and placed a soft kiss to James' lips. "Now watch that boy, that man is already spoken for," Shane said chuckling, causing Caleb's face to redden. "I'm sorry sir, it's that I am so thankful for what I heard that...well I am just thankful," he stammered and rushed over to Shane and kissed him also, before running into the cabin. "He's in love with our son, Shane," James said walking slowly back towards the cabin. "I heard and he's in for one hell of a ride if'n he hitches his wagon to Abe," Shane said. "Yep, one hell of a ride," he said again and they entered the cabin. *** Several weeks have passed and Abe has fully recovered. He had stayed longer than expected because of the infection that had set into his wound. Caleb had spent every minute that he could, nursing Abe back to health, and also falling deeper in love with him. "Pa says that you can go home today," Caleb said sadly and Abe could feel the sadness in the boy's voice. "I bet that you are going to be so happy to see my sorry ass leave," Abe said and he could see that it was going to be just the opposite of being happy. "Oh no Abe," Caleb blurted out, helping Abe from the bed. "I have enjoyed every moment with you Abe...truly I have." "Would you mind giving me those breeches that pa brought me," Abe asked, throwing back the cover, got up and stood there naked. Caleb grabbed the pants and when he turned back to Abe, he gasped at the beauty of Abe's naked body. Abe's long blond hair curled softly over his shoulders and partway to his shoulder blades in the back. He was tall, a tower of sinew and muscles, with wide shoulders and a chest that looked as it had been carved from granite with two tall hard nipples rising from a dusting of soft hair. Even his stomach had held that washboard look which had always caught Caleb's attention. But it was when Caleb glanced at Abe's flaccid manhood which was surrounded by a forest of luscious curls and at the least, eight inches of fat delight to Caleb's eyes. Abe could see the love that was in the boy's eyes whenever Caleb looked at and cared for him. But what he was now seeing was not that look of love... his eyes were filled with fear. Caleb's heart was pounding so hard and loud that he feared that Abe could hear it. He stood frozen to the spot, holding Abe's breeches in his hand as his mind replayed that night years ago when he had been raped. The man that had raped him looked much like Abe, tall, muscular and he too had a manhood that was thick and long. "Caleb...the breeches," Abe said loudly, breaking the trance that Caleb was in. Caleb held out the breeches with a trembling hand to Abe, but just as Abe was about to take them, Caleb opened his hand and they fell to the floor. They both bent down at the same time and their mouths met but a breath apart. Caleb stared into Abe's eyes. Abe stared back, both of them breathing hard and shallow as something magical started to take root between them. "I'm..." Caleb began to say but Abe interrupted. "No...it's..." neither of them could speak, but only remained frozen in time, their eyes gazing into each other's. And just when it seemed that some invisible force was pushing their mouths closer together, the cabin door opened and in walked James and Shane. Both of them stood up abruptly, their faces glowing with the embarrassment of the moment. James looked at Abe standing there naked...at Caleb who was glowing red and then shot a wondering look at Shane. "What's going on guys," Shane asked casually. "Nothing!" they said in unison, their faces reddening even more as they avoided each other's eyes. "I can't wait to get back home pa," Abe blurted suddenly as he began pulling on his breeches and looked around nervously for his shirt. "Here it is son," Shane said and lifted it from the chair, handing it to Abe and watching him intently. "Why don't we wait outside for you son," James said, pulling Shane out of the room. Abe bent to pull on his socks but he still felt a twinge of pain when he stretched. "I'll get those for you Abe," Caleb said as he took the socks and dropped to his knees. Abe lifted a foot and allowed Caleb to pull on the sock and then offered him the other foot. Caleb helped Abe with is boots and when his eyes moved to Abe's groin, he saw that Abe's breeches were undone. He placed his hands on the buttons but Abe covered Caleb's hands with his own. "I can get that Caleb...thanks," he said softly and before Caleb moved his hands, he gave Abe's manhood a light squeeze before standing. "I see that you are ready to leave," Jonas said as he stepped into the room, followed by Spotted Wolf. "I hope that Caleb wasn't a bother," he added. "Not at all Jonas, as a matter of fact, he is a great nurse," Abe said chuckling and much to Caleb's embarrassment. "I'll give you a nurse," Caleb said smiling and holding up a threatening fist to Abe in a joking manner. Abe grabbed Caleb by the arm and pulled him into a warm embrace. Caleb's heart was pounding and he felt Abe's just as strongly beating as Abe held him tightly to him, his cheek pressed to Abe's chest. "Thank you handsome for everything," Abe whispered in Caleb's ear and then let the boy go. "Well my fathers are outside waiting for me," he said as he walked toward the door. "Thanks so much for everything doc," he added as he shook both Jonas and Spotted Wolf's hands. After he opened the door he paused, turned and gave Caleb a quick loving glance and noticed the tears that were welling up in the boy's eyes. *** September 1891... Hawk was pacing angrily around his lodge, he had been to the trading post and he had heard some news that disturbed him. Seth, who had been out hunting with Jumping Elk and a few other warriors, did not know why his husband seemed so agitated. "Come my husband and sit beside the fire with me, let me love on you," Seth said. "Gah-ween Red Sun, for Hawk is too angry with news that he heard today to love," he told him with fire in his eyes. "Then come and sit, tell me this news that has my husband pacing in anger," Seth said patting the mat beside him. Hawk gazed down at Seth and reluctantly he sat, his eyes fixated on the fire. "The Sac, Fox, and Pottawatomie-Shawnee Lands, were opened today for more white settlers," he said and there was venom dripping from his words. "This is why Hawk wishes to move his people's village Red Sun, because soon it shall be our land that this...this forked tongue chief in Washington will give away to settle." "Are you sure Hawk that this is what you truly heard?" Seth asked. "Ay-uh and Hawk wishes that his ears had failed him. I was standing in the shadows listening to Colonel Dickson speaking to Sam about it. Although he professed to be our friend, the colonel spoke of this thing called progress." "Ay-uh progress...for it's just another name for stealing land that belongs to the red man," Seth said sighing. "So what is my husband going to do," Seth asked, not totally sure that he wanted to know the answer. "What can Hawk do, Red Sun?" he asked. "I shall meet with our people and discuss moving again, but not in this land but west to a land called Arizona," he said. "Arizona?" Seth asked. "If you think that the weather here is hot, wait until you feel how hot and dry it is there," he told him, remembering the letters that his father had received from Seth's uncle that lived there. "We are a strong people and we can endure it, just as we have endured the atrocities of the white eyes," Hawk said rising, crossing his arms across his muscular chest. "Come Red Sun, Hawk shall assemble his people and counsel together on this land of Arizona." *** "Are you sure son that this is what you truly want to do with your life," Shane asked Abe, as they rode along the river in the cool of the morning. Abe had just broken the news that he was going to marry Emily Bennett and that he wanted to merge the Bennett ranch with Shane and James' land, forming a plantation that would spread for just over one thousand acres. "You know son that when James and I are gone, this ranch and land is going to be yours," Shane said and Abe nodded, but there was something that nagged at the back of his mind about this merger and he couldn't quite put his finger on it. "I think that we should wait until after the wedding to even consider such a merger as you have described. "Why father, don't you trust your own son to not throw you and pa out of your home?" Abe asked with a hint of sarcasm in his tone. "You know I trust you completely son, but..." Shane paused but Abe interrupted him. "But what father...tell me," Abe said. "Could it be that you don't trust Emily, because she might have lived too long with George and his evil, scheming ways could have rubbed off on her," he asked and instantly it hit Shane, this was exactly what was bothering him...he did not trust Emily. There had been too many times when he had come across her in town talking with other ranchers and business men. But when Shane had strolled to where he could hear them talk, she had abruptly stopped talking. She would always be polite but she never would pull him into her conversation and she did it with his son also, so no, he did not trust her. "That's what it is father, you don't trust the woman that I'm marrying, do you...come on dad say it," he taunted. "You can't accept that she's not only beautiful but also a savvy business woman." "No, I don't trust her any more than I trusted her father. She comes off all sweet and innocent on the outside, but beneath that façade, there lies a shrewd business woman that wants only to serve her own material needs," he said. "How can you turn on her and on me also father, when she's been nothing but loving and sweet to me?" "Then if she's so innocent and loving, there shouldn't be a problem with waiting until after you two are married to further discuss any merger," Shane suggested. "Like I said Abe, once we are both dead, our ranch and wealth will go solely to you," he reminded him. "Whatever father, have it your way, but remember this, Emily is not as conniving as you make her out to be. I have chores to do, so I'll see you later," Abe rode off and Shane's mind suspected that Emily was not in love with Abe as much as she lusted for the wealth that would be his. "I must warn James that our very lives could be in jeopardy, just like they were when George was alive. *** Jeremy Richardson was a tall, square shouldered man whose handsomeness could rob a woman of their breath just being in close proximity. His shoulder length blond hair and soul piercing blue eyes were just adornments for this man. "I don't have much time this morning, I'm supposed to meet Abe at our lawyer's office to arrange the merger between our families' property," Emily said as she stepped into Jeremy's embrace, their mouths meeting in a crushing kiss. "Sweetheart, I am your lawyer," Jeremy reminded her, "so Abe will just have to wait until we are finished," he added and they broke apart to slowly undress each other. Once naked, Jeremy led Emily over to his bed where he laid her softly upon it and covered her body with his. Looking into Emily's eyes, Jeremy's hand guided his thickness into the warmth of her wet folds. Gasping from the entry, Emily arched her back and wrapped her legs around his slender waist, thrusting her pelvis upward as he began his assault on her womanhood. Minutes passed and soon they were both approaching their edge where a sexual ecstasy would soon envelope them. "Yes...yes," she screamed out as Jeremy's thrusts became more urgent, as did hers. "Yes my lover... oh God yes...harder...deeper," she screamed as her ecstasy quickly began to envelope her. "Aaaaaaaagggghhhhhh," he screamed out as his seed began to rise quickly within him. "I'm coming Emily... damn your body is so hot," he gasped out as his seed burst forth, sending him into that place of sexual rapture. Jeremy pulled his cock from her and collapsed beside her, both of them gasping for normalcy. "I love you Emily," Jeremy whispered as he pulled her to his lips. "I love you also," she whispered back, even though she did not, for he was just a means to her purpose. "I must hurry, for Abe will be wondering where I am," she said as she pushed away and got up, looking about for her clothes. Leaning up on an elbow, Jeremy watched her dress, while his hand slowly fondled his cock. "Why must it always be so quick with us, I would love to just spend the day making love to you," Jeremy said, watching her slipping into her dress. "You know why sweetheart, I have obligations just as you do, now hurry up so you won't be late with our meeting," she warned as she took a brush to her hair to sort out the tangles that their lovemaking had caused. "Go on ahead of me Emily, I don't think we should be seen showing up together at my office," he suggested. Emily shrugged her shoulders and then lowered her mouth down to his, before she hurried from his bedroom. "Just don't keep me...us waiting long," she warned at the door and then quickly left. Jeremy laid his head back on the pillow, slowly stroking his cock and glanced toward the bedroom door when he heard his front door open and close. "I'm up here sweetheart," he called out and waited. "Did she or anyone else see you come in," he asked when Caleb stepped into the room. "You know that I am always careful, lover," Caleb said. "Hurry and undress, I have a business meeting at ten, so this has to be quick," he said and leaned up again and watched as his next lover undressed. "Damn, but your body is so beautiful, just like I remembered it," he whispered against the creaminess of Caleb's neck after he got into bed. Caleb's insides were cringing as Jeremy's hands moved about his body, remembering back to that night in St. Louis when he'd been raped by this very man. Somehow Jeremy had found him and wanted to renew the sexual tryst that he had with Caleb. He would have stayed clear away from the man, but when he saw him and Emily whispering, he knew that they were up to something devious, so he allowed it. "Did you just say that to Emily Bennett, Jeremy," Caleb asked and then gasped when Jeremy nibbled a little too hard on his nipple. "You know that I am only using her to further my own needs, my sweet boy," he said as he pulled Caleb onto him. "Ride your lover Cal...make him feel as if he were the only one that you love," he said as Caleb straddled Jeremy's hips and reached back to grab the hardness of Jeremy, slowly guiding his thickness and heat into his ass. "You know that you are my only one Jeremy," he gasped out as his ass slowly slid down the length of Jeremy's cock. Fully impaled, Caleb tossed his head back and with closed eyes began riding the hardness of this man. First he would move up and down and then, fully impaled on Jeremy's length, he would grind his ass around as he let his lover's cock rub his love nub. "For a kid Cal, you really know how to please a man," Jeremy said, while his hands teased and pinched the hard, pink nipples that stood tall against the alabaster skin of Caleb's hairless chest. "You... taught me... well, Jeremy," he stammered as he quickened his moves upon Jeremy's hardness. Jeremy's fingers slowly wrapped around the hardness of the boy, stroking his young cock feverishly as Caleb quickly pushed Jeremy to another edge. Their bodies moving as one, with Jeremy thrusting up each time that Caleb lowered his ass down on the hardness of his lover's cock. "Faster...I'm going to shoot," Caleb moaned and Jeremy fisted the boy's swelling cock faster. "Aaaaggghhh yes," Caleb howled and shot his seed, hitting Jeremy in the face several times before landing the rest on his chest and stomach. "I'm gonna shoot it baby boy," Jeremy howled and placed his hands on Caleb's hips, holding him in place as he shot his seed deep into the warmth of Caleb's velvet sheath. Caleb's hands rested on Jeremy's chest as his ass moved fast and furiously up and down on Jeremy's cock, until he had drained him of his seed. Slowly he lifted off Jeremy's shrinking cock and slowly the seed that he had just implanted in the boy, drizzled out, dripping unto Jeremy's balls. "Damn it boy, you know how much I hate that," Jeremy cursed, pushing Caleb off him and then rose from the bed. "Why can't you just squeeze that cute ass of yours shut and hold my seed inside you?" "And do what Jeremy...leak it out all day in trickles?" Caleb asked as he reached for a towel and slowly wiped away the seed that was oozing from his well worked rosebud. "Never mind...just clean up and get dressed," Jeremy ordered as he wrung out a washcloth and began washing himself. Caleb smirked as he tossed the towel onto the floor, bending over to retrieve his breeches. He hated having sex with Jeremy Richardson, but he knew that it was the only way that he could get the information he needed to protect Abe. "I love you Jeremy," Caleb purred when he came up behind his lover and wrapped his arms around Jeremy's waist. "Are you going to finalize the merger between Emily Bennett and Abraham Mathews-Thornton?" he asked, hoping to gather more information so that he could finally bring it to Abe. "What business is that of yours," Jeremy asked sternly, turning around to face the boy. "I asked because I know it will only benefit our own future sweetheart," Caleb convincingly said. "I am hoping that she has succeeded in talking Abraham into joining their two properties." "So how will that benefit us darling," Caleb expertly played his hand against this lawyer. "Well if you must know baby boy, once the merger goes through, Emily is arranging a...shall we say an accident for Abraham. Then when she's free of her respectable mourning period, she and I are going to marry." "Marry...you never told me that you were going to marry that bitch," Caleb sharply said as he stepped away from Jeremy's embrace. Jeremy reached out and pulled a reluctant Caleb into his arms and kissed him heatedly. "You know that I have to marry her in order to get my hands on her property," he paused and kissed Caleb again. "Then she is going to have an accident," he chuckled. "God I love how devilish your mind is sweetheart," Caleb said. "Me too sweet boy, now off with you and make sure no one sees you leaving," he said, slapping Caleb's ass as the boy passed by him. Outside, Caleb spit several times and broke off a glob of pine pitch and stuck it his mouth, to wash away the taste of Jeremy from his mouth. "God how I hate that man," he said and then slipped away, staying to the shadows as he made his way back to his father's cabin, thinking of a way to alert Abe to Emily's devious plan. *** Abe paced back and forth in front of the dark office of Jeremy Richardson, wondering if he had gotten the time wrong for their meeting. "Is he not in yet," Emily asked as she arrived at the office, wondering what was keeping her secret lover. "Are you sure that he said...here he is now," Abe said and Emily turned to see Jeremy riding up on his black stallion. "I'm sorry that I am late, but a client stopped by and sought my legal advice on a matter," he lied as he tied the reins to a hitching post. "So how is everyone this morning?" he asked offering his hand to Abe, who gingerly shook it. "We are good and how are you," Abe asked, watching the man as he unlocked the door to his office. "I'm well...come on in and have a seat while I light a lamp," he said ushering them into his office. Emily sat and watched her lover as he busied himself lighting an oil lamp, remembering how sweet it was earlier, in his arms. Finally he sat down at his desk and tried to keep his eyes from resting on the beauty of Emily's face and breasts. "Did you get permission from Shane and James to merge your two properties together," Jeremy asked, glancing fleetingly from Abe to Emily and then back to Abe. "Not yet, my father Shane is apprehensive still about doing this before we are married," Abe nervously said, avoiding Emily's eyes. "What, but I thought that you said that there would not be a problem with either of them," Emily asked sharply, turning to face Abe. "I know what I said, Em," he paused to take in a deep breath, "but he is inquisitive as to why it must be now and not when he and James pass on," he told her, holding back the part that Shane did not trust her. "Whatever," she said bitterly turning from Abe back to Jeremy, furious that her plan for the merger was not going as planned, and she began thinking up another plan to gain what she wanted. "Does it really matter if we merge now or when my fathers..." he stopped short of saying died. "I guess not sweetheart, as long as I have you is all that matters," she lied softly and leaned over to place a kiss to his cheek, already knowing that these two men must be eliminated before she can move on with her plan. "We can still move along with the wills though, can't we?" Abe asked. "Of course and I have the wills drawn up and just waiting for your signatures," Jeremy said, furious inside that things were not moving as fast "I'd like to take them home and read them if you don't mind," Abe said, watching Emily blindly sign her will without even reading it. "Now what's the problem, Abraham," she asked, trying very hard to keep her demeanor calm. "My father always taught me to read any legal documents before signing them," he informed her. "You know Abraham, you and your fathers are acting like you don't trust me," she scolded, reminding Abe of his earlier conversation with Shane about not trusting her. "Of course I trust you darling, I just want to be sure that everything is as I requested it," he told her and when he went to place a kiss to her cheek, she flinched, setting off an alarm within him. "Are you so angry with me that my kiss offends you?" "Of course not darling," she replied sweetly and leaned over to kiss him. Folding the document, Abe placed it in his shirt pocket, refusing to sign it without reading it. *** Caleb stood silently outside the door of Shane and James' ranch, waiting for someone to open the door. He had waited and thought long about coming to talk to Shane and James about what he knew, but his only concern was for Abe's safety, so that was the only reason that he decided to tell Abe's fathers. "Caleb...how nice to see you again," James said as he stepped aside to let him enter. "What brings you all the way out to see us this late in the afternoon," he asked as he led the way to the parlor where Shane was reading a book. "Caleb...you look worried," Shane said after he looked up from the book which he was reading. "Is everything all right with your father," he asked and put his book aside, rising to go to the boy and hugged him. "I need to talk you both about something concerning Abraham," he said nervously, his eyes looking away from Shane, because he knew that he would have to tell them how he came about the information that he was about to share. He was just about to tell them when Abe walked into the room, causing Caleb to hesitate when he saw him standing there. "Caleb, how nice to see you my friend," Abe said as he walked over to the boy and gave him a manly hug. "You might as well have a seat son, because what Caleb has to say concerns you somehow," Shane said and looked at the alarm on Caleb's face. "It is alright if he stays?" he asked and slowly, Caleb nodded his head. To be continued... Thank you to all my readers that have taken the time to share with me, their thoughts about my story. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I do look forward to hearing from you at: danielrunningwater@yahoo.com Thank you all, Daniel