"I must say that Fancy has a heart of gold," the black haired bystander commented. "You'd never guess that that mare just got over a case of colic. And you waited a day to work her, right?"

Michelle nodded her head vigorously. "I wouldn't jeopardize her safety. I waited the day after and then I lounged her in all her paces. I even went on a light ride - without a saddle," she added when Johnny opened his mouth to protest. "I do know a little bit about horses, Johnny. I mean, it's not like I was raised around them or anything."

"Oh? I just figured it was all book knowledge, nothing practical. City slicker stuff. . ." He trailed off and his levity became shadowed. "No offense to you, Alex," he amended hastily. "For a city- I mean, for someone who wasn't raised-" he stammered out some incoherent apology and turned a deep vermilion.

Alex waved it off with a careless gesture and smiled. "Don't worry about it. I know what you mean." He absently scratched Spirit's forehead, which was resting on his knee.

"You two seem to be getting along quite spectacularly," Johnny noted. "Michelle mentioned something about the work you've done with him?"

"Oh, he's done great." Alex's eyes went to Michelle. "A lot of the credit goes to our trainer though. Michelle's been wonderful."

"Really? How do you like it?" Johnny's blue eyes peered into Michelle's blushing face.

"A lot. It's so interesting to watch a rider and their horse discover each other for the first time. If me and Fancy were anything like Alex and Spirit are. . ." Her eyes acquired a dreamy glaze until Alex poked her in her side, jerking her out of her reverie.

"No fair dreaming on the job," he chided.

Her eyes hardened into a flinty blue and she arched a brow. "Well then, since when did you start sitting during the lesson? Lounge your horse. And remember what I was saying the other day about staying level with his shoulder."

As Alex turned his seat over to his trainer, he shot Johnny a rueful look, seeming to say, "Now what have I gone and done?" Johnny just laughed and gestured broadly to the arena.

Spirit tugged on the lead line and Michelle called Alex on it. "Don't let him get away with leaning on the line. It'll carry over to how he carries the bit."

Without another glitch, Alex got Spirit trotting in a circle. The colt's tail was flagged and his ears perked up, yet attentive. When Michelle asked them to move up to the canter, she chastised Alex for allowing Spirit to trot into it, saying he had to begin building up his haunches.

She was hard but not over demanding. All of her requests were within reason and all were geared towards improvement. Not one exercise was busy work. Johnny watched her face as she instructed and liked what he saw. She wasn't scared to laugh when the colt in the arena decided to come to a stubborn halt or when his future rider got the lead line wrapped around his feet.

With patience she demonstrated how to wrap a lead line and how to persuade an obstinate foal into compliance without heartache on either side. There were even a few tricks that Johnny filed away to try on his own time.

When both man and horse were beginning to lose their wholehearted eagerness, Michelle called a halt to the lesson and they all went on a walk to cool down.

"Does your dad let you train with him, Michelle? You sure do a good enough job," complimented Johnny. "I've heard that there's a new family who's just moved into the old Dentsly place, and they're looking for an instructor for their little girl."

Michelle grew a little pale and began to shake her head. "I couldn't train someone I didn't-"

"Like hell, you couldn't, Michelle!" Alex protested. "You're wonderful. You'd have that little girl riding in no time at all."

"And when would I have time to take on this job? That old ranch is over an hour away. And on the other side of town." Her lips quirked up at the corners. "Besides, I'm too busy trying to get you on your proverbial feet, Alex. That's enough work for two people!"

"Hey! I'm not that bad!" he argued. "You just said yourself the other day that I was doing better than you could have expected."

"Well, Alex, maybe you're the victim of a white lie," offered Johnny.

"Are you insinuating that I would tell a lie?" Michelle asked innocently. She placed her hand over her heart and her blue eyes became wide and very young. Johnny jerked his gaze away and cleared his throat.

"Um, what does Aaron think of the job you're doing with Alex and Spirit?"

Alex looked oddly at Johnny but let it pass. He sensed that the neighbor saw a difference but obviously he didn't know what. He didn't know yet, anyway. As soon as Danny got to him. . .

"He's proud of his little Michelle." Alex laughed as Michelle grimaced at Aaron's name for her, but he placed a consoling arm around her shoulders to ease the jab. "He still scolds her, though. There're a thousand things she should or shouldn't be doing in his eyes." Alex squeezed his fiancée to his side. "I think he just doesn't want her head to get too big," he said with a smile.

"Well," Michelle huffed. "While you two talk over my head, I'm gonna go put these two hay-munchers back." She snatched the rope from Alex's hands and turned back to the barn, the horses trailing behind her.

Alex and Johnny shared a look and smiled in mutual mischief. "I just love to get her mad!" exclaimed Johnny. "Her eyes start to flash and her face gets flushed-"

"And she stands up real tall and she rubs her thumb and her forefinger together on her right hand," finished Alex. They both laughed and they could see that Michelle's body had grown stiff with indignation at the snatches that she had overheard.

The two young men turned away from Michelle's withdrawing form and wandered towards the open corral, where two of the ranch hands were working on team roping.

Michelle groomed her fares and turned them into their stalls. Her face softened as Spirit butted his 'momma's' side and then rubbed along her forelegs. The mare nipped at his haunches and the little colt dashed away, practically wagging his tail with pleasure.

She chuckled and, with a parting pat for Fancy, left the stables. Her lips curled at the state of her hands so she detoured to the well and thoroughly scrubbed the dirt away.

Her path back to where the two boys were took her past the saddle shed. Yet, before she could pass the small building, something in the muted light within caught her eye. With faltering steps she entered and paused just inside the doorway, letting herself become adjusted to the lack of illumination.

Before she could even think, she ran to the prostrate heap on the floor, bruising her knees as she dropped onto the hard concrete. A noise she didn't even recognize as human tore itself from her very soul.

"So you've been training together for how many years?" Alex inquired again.

Mike grinned. "Since we were fourteen." He traded a wry grin with his partner. "We thought we'd hit it big the first rodeo we won. . . Boy, were we wrong!" He shook his head ruefully.

"Yeah. Thank God that Dylan was there. He offered us a job and now we rodeo for the Fancy V spread." Mike's partner Tod laughed and scratched his horse's nose.

"How much can you get from one-"

All of a sudden, an anguished cry ripped the very air. "NOOOOO!!! AARON!" The four men flinched and tears sprang to their eyes. The cry was animal and so mournful that for a moment no one moved.

"Oh my God. What the heck was that?" Johnny demanded.

Alex shook his head, not wanting to believe what he knew to be true. "That was Michelle."

Johnny's mouth was hanging open in question as Alex sprinted in the direction of the cry.

Johnny looked to each of the ranch hands before following Alex. Mike pulled himself onto his horse and galloped to the main house to get his boss.

By the time that Alex reached the saddle shed, the crazed howling had ceased to pour from Michelle's tortured throat. She cradled the old cowhand's head in her arms and rocked back and forth as if soothing a babe. She held her head down and her hair fell around her face, hiding her features from Alex's sight.

"Michelle, what's happened? What's wrong?"

Silence greeted him. He moved closer and crouched next to the still rocking girl, her hair swaying back and forth. He tried to see her face but between the light and her incessant movement, it was a maze of shadows.

"Michelle, talk to me. What happened?" Alex shook her, trying to take one of her hands from Aaron's body.

Violently, she tore her hand from Alex's and began stroking Aaron's hair, murmuring as a mother to her child.

"Aaron, it's okay, Aaron. You're gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay. Nothing's gonna happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you." Her voice was oddly flat and Alex's spine tingled. With new fear he tried to get Michelle's attention.

"Michelle, look at me! Listen to me, Michelle."

But his efforts were futile. She continued to rock and murmur and rock and murmur, almost mechanically. She had shed no tears yet and her eyes were frighteningly blank. It was as if she was no longer Michelle but a shadow of the girl.

Alex started as Michelle's body tensed and her rocking ceased. She lowered her head to Aaron's lips and the intelligence burned in her eyes once more.

"What Aaron? I couldn't hear you?" Michelle coaxed.

Alex could hear the old man clear his throat and the weak voice grew stronger, carrying to his ears.

"My bright eyes. I'm so proud of how you've turned out. I couldn't be prouder if-" Aaron paused to catch his breath and Alex saw him close his eyes in pain. "I couldn't be prouder if you were my own flesh and blood. Don't you never forget that! " Aaron's hands tightened on Michelle's arm.

"Aaron, it'll be okay. Just hold on. It'll be okay. Nothing's gonna happen to you. Just wait, Daddy'll come and he'll help you." Michelle's voice was childish and Alex was at a loss. This was worse than when Fancy was with colic. Instead of frantic and wild, Michelle was calm and completely emotionless.

Footsteps fell in the door and Alex turned. Dylan, Johnny, and Mike stood framed in the outside light. Dylan looked as though he'd been punched in the gut; Johnny looked completely confused.

"What happened, Alex? Michelle honey? What's going on?" Dylan's voice was edged with panic.

"I don't know what happened. I just ran in and they were like this." Alex moistened his lips. "Something's not right, sir. She's-" he was at a loss for words. "She's like a little girl, just rocking and talking."

Aaron stirred and all eyes focused on him. A weak, pained smile pulled at his white lips. "Dylan, glad you could make it. That old black rider finally got the better of me." His eyes turned to Michelle and tears welled up and rolled down the weathered cheeks.

"Bright eyes, I kinda look forward to going. Up there I can get bucked and not worry about these old bones betraying me." He chuckled dryly. "The only thing I'm gonna regret is missing-" His breath hissed through his teeth and his body tensed with pain. "-is missing your wedding. You're gonna make a beautiful bride, bright eyes. My bright eyes. . ."

"No, Aaron. You can come. You're gonna be okay. See, Daddy's here; you're gonna be fine." Panic broke her apathetic mask. "Aaron? Aaron!" She gently shook his head and shoulders. "Aaron, no! You can't go. Aaron, please don't go. Please!" She layed her head on the old man's chest and continued pleading with him, her words barely reaching the others in the room. Aaron closed his eyes as he tilted his head to place and soft kiss on the crown of Michelle's head.

The old man's eyes opened one last time and looked at each person: a paternal smile for Dylan, a companionable nod for Mike, a respectable nod for Johnny, and an almost apologetic look for Alex. Alex's hand touched his bruise and Aaron simply smiled. Alex smiled back and briefly inclined his head, yet in that brief moment that Alex's eyes were elsewhere Aaron's soul departed. The four men glanced at each other and tears were in everyone's eyes. Dylan stepped forward and knelt beside his daughter, draping his arm across her shoulders.