By the time Michelle had reached the stables it was too late; Windy was already gone from his stall. The stall door was wide open and straw was strewn from the door. Everything else was as it had been before though. Fancy whickered questioningly as Michelle rushed by without so much as a pat. The lanky girl stood in the stall door, almost as if she was expecting Johnny to be there. She ran out of the barn and looked in the direction of the Kyneese ranch. Not even a puff of dust. Man, he makes good time, she couldn’t help but think.

Then she hung her head, allowing the guilt to rush over her in waves. She knew her feelings were irrational, but she couldn’t help thinking that she was the problem. Her happiness was dampened and another tear slipped down her face, this time not from joy. You know, ever since I’ve incorporated boys into my life, my life has been nothing but one big argument or misunderstanding. I wonder if that’s saying anything? Michelle roughly brushed the tear from her cheek, ashamed of her pointless emotions. She lifted her chin in defiance of herself, of Johnny’s expectations, and of anything else that dared ruin another summer.

She walked back in the house and met Alex’s wondering gaze.

"Johnny left without saying good-bye. I wanted to see if I could catch him." Michelle noted with grim intolerance that Alex’s jaw tightened, as did his shoulders. She pretended to ignore these blatant signs of anger, as she had already told the boys that she would not put up with their ‘manly’ acts of honor or pride.

"Uh huh. . ." Alex seemed doubtful but then it hit him that she’d spent no more than two minutes out there. He visibly relaxed.

"Well, Alex, I think that we’d better find a place to put your young friend," Dylan conceded as he placed a heavy hand on the young man’s shoulder, subtly leading him out of the room. Aaron followed them out, giving Michelle a playful little wink.

Michelle smiled and chuckled a little. When all the men were out of the room, Michelle helped her mother clear the living room of all the dirty dishes and quickly clean them.

"Is Johnny all right?" Tallia inquired innocently.

"Umm, yah, Mom. He’s fine. He just remembered that he had a pressing engagement and had to leave." Michelle knew that it sounded lame but didn’t want her mom to know the predicament that she’d gotten herself into.

"Well, if you ever need to. . . talk just remember that I’m here. Okay? Please?" Tallia stopped washing the dishes and hugged her daughter with all the warmth of the sun. Then she gave Michelle a little push towards the kitchen door, urging her to join her friends with the new addition to the family.

As Michelle walked outside, she realized that every important talk she’d ever had with her mother had been done while they were cleaning the dishes. She chuckled to herself and trotted to the stalls.

"Easy, Bonnie. Easy, girl. There you go. See? He’s not that bad. There’s a good girl. Lay down. . . Wait!" Dylan rushed into the stall as Bonnie almost crushed the colt and swept him out of the thousand pound body. Bonnie sighed as she eased into the blanket of straw covering the hard floor and nuzzled the foal when Michelle’s father put him beside the large brood mare.

This was the scene that Michelle walked into. She had caught her breath when Spirit decided to attack Bonnie’s utter as the mare was lying down and breathed a sigh of relief when her father had diverted the disaster.

"That was a close call. What’s the little guy gonna do when he realizes that there isn’t any milk in this momma?" Michelle inquired. She slipped in beside Alex and joined the circle of men.

Aaron looked up, still chuckling at the eagerness of Spirit. "Well, he’s gonna be mighty upset, more’n likely. But Alex here said that he’s gonna keep him so chalk full of hand fed milk that the youngin’ won’t have time to worry ‘bout it." The old man looked back at the happily resting ‘family’ and closed the gate of the brood stall.

The brood stall was a stall especially built for a mare and her foal. It was about twice the size of the average stall so that the horses had plenty of space. Bonnie had settled herself in and was now examining her new colt. Spirit seemed a little wary at first, but he gradually responded more and more to the gentle caresses of Bonnie’s questing nose.

"They look like they’re gonna hit it off so we can probably get ourselves out of here and leave them to get better acquainted." Aaron shooed them out of the barn, leaving plenty of food in the stall. "Dylan, you’re lucky that you didn’t put that Landers’ stallion on that mare or she might not have taken so lightly to having to take care of Spirit."

Dylan looked doubtful. "I don’t know, it seems that Bonnie would take to any living thing, hers or not. She just has that maternal instinct."

The two men kept walking and discussing, Aaron insisting that Dylan was still lucky and Dylan thinking just the contrary. Michelle grinned to herself as she watched them take themselves into the house, still debating.

"What?" Alex asked suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes and looked sideways at the girl standing beside him.

"Huh? What what?"

"What do you mean ‘what?’ That silly grin’s what. What’s so funny?"

"Oh. Just my father and Aaron. They always get into debates like that, about one thing or another. It’s just funny to watch them, like a father and a son. The son’s just arguing because he knows that it aggravates the father and vice versa." She gave a little shrug. "It just makes me laugh, that’s all."

"What happened to that friend of yours, Johnny?" Alex tried to make his voice as neutral as possible and congratulated himself when he sounded somewhat friendly.

Michelle’s face showed surprise, then he even noticed guilt and shame. Alex couldn’t wonder why the latter would surface.

"He. . . he had to leave early. There-was something that he needed to do before it got too late." Like get out of sight of two ooey gooey lovebirds. Michelle silently cursed her insensibility.

"Oh. He-seemed nice?" It was more of a question, but Michelle knew that it cost Alex a lot to say it; she said so.

"It’s nice of you to say so considering your. . . dispositions. He really is a nice guy. If you two weren’t so set on owning me, you might just be sensible enough to become friends." Michelle snorted with contempt of their boyish actions. "You two are more alike than you think. You’re both head over heels about horses. . . and me." She threw the last in with a sly grin, hoping that her friend would catch the joke.

Alex looked startled; then he abruptly pulled the tall girl to him in a rough embrace, one of thanks and understanding. Michelle returned it whole-heartedly, wanting with her entire being for the two headstrong boys to become friends, for if they were both going to be living within twenty minutes of each other, they better start getting used to each other as soon as possible.

Michelle pulled away and wrapped her arm around Alex’s waist, resting her head on his chest. A long sigh of contentment escaped her lips. A sigh of contentment and complete devotion. A strong wave of love swept over her, surprising her once again at its depth. I wonder if I’m just imagining that I love him so much. But then how could it seem that Alex feels exactly the same way? Could we both be making it up? The last thought startled Michelle. Alex felt her start and looked down at her, his eyes conveying a silent question.

"I’m okay," was all she murmured, but Alex seemed satisfied, not pressing for a full explanation as Johnny would have. Michelle pulled herself up short, silently berating herself for the comparison. Here she is telling both of the boys not to compete and then she goes and does it anyway.

They walked up the slight incline behind the ranch and sat down under the trees where it leveled off. No words were spoken and both were easy with each other. As they looked across the top of the ranch to the other side of the plateau, a breeze drifted through the tall summer grass that had not yet been totally eaten. It fell to the drafts like servants bowing to their lord. It swept over the plain as a wave; the four eyes following the edge of it and smiling at the sight. Up out of the trees opposite the two humans rose a bird riding the warm air currents that eddied the white clouds. As it drew nearer, Michelle identified it as a hawk, the red banding on the tail giving it away. It circled higher and higher until Michelle could no longer see it. She shifted her eyes elsewhere. To the ranch itself. There was the scurrying of life between buildings and in the arenas where other hands were working horses.

"How is it that here, where there’s supposedly nothing but air (or so others say), there is so much more than in a city where you’d think they would have everything? There is such a feeling of never-ending time and peacefulness that it lulls you into a waking dream. To me, even though I’ve been here before, it is still a mystery." Alex paused, but Michelle knew that he was not finished. Soon he went on. "I still can’t believe that soon this-" Alex made a broad, sweeping motion with his hand, taking in the whole scene. "- will be the picture that I will wake up to. And that you will be within a quick jog of my arms." With this he wrapped Michelle in one of his warm embraces, giving her the feeling of security. The girl relaxed against him and tried to send the whole of her feelings through the contact of touch.

When they looked at each other, blue eyes meeting soft brown, they smiled and Michelle let a little giggle escape.

"Alex, please don’t take this question the wrong way, but I’ve never held back my questions before so I won’t start now. Why do you and Johnny fight so over me? Don’t you realize that that’s not what I want?" At the mention of Johnny’s name, Alex tore his eyes away from Michelle and his face became stormy, his eyes roiling.

"Why do you think we fight? Do you know how much that bo-Johnny likes you? If I didn’t know any better I would say that his feeling is not much less than mine. I know that fighting is not what you want but with that face you had better get used to it." Michelle sat stunned. Alex had never before even acknowledged her satisfactory looks and she had taken it for granted that that had nothing to do with his feelings toward her. When Alex turned back to her, he saw her pain and his face softened. "I’m sorry, Michelle. That wasn’t supposed to come out that way. If I promise that I’ll be pleasant to him, will that be enough?" Alex was pleading with Michelle.

The girl’s eyebrows had pulled down and her full mouth was now tight with confusion and a little anger. "So nice for you to oblige," she crooned with as much sarcasm as it would hold. "Now if I could only get so much out of Johnny." Her voice became bitter with the memory of Johnny’s quick departure, but Alex just took as her feeling for the whole situation. She didn’t bother correcting him. Alex took on a resigned look and just held his girl, for that was something that he knew for a fact she needed.

When they hiked back down to the ranch, the air between them was clear. The couple had learned their lesson last year when they had gotten into a row that you don’t leave things alone when there’s anger. It only makes it harder to do it later. Alex slowly guided Michelle to the brood stall, not heeding Aaron’s advice to leave the two horses alone to themselves. Michelle made no protest, though, when he opened the stable doors and walked in.

When they peeked over the edge of the stall door, the mare and the foal were cuddled together, Spirit in her legs, and very happy. Michelle checked the food and the water and noted that the mare had eaten. Spirit did not seem hungry and said as much to her friend. Not needed, they walked back to the house.

They grabbed a drink as they passed through the kitchen and then drifted up to their rooms. Even though the sun was a couple hours to setting, the boy and the girl were equally tired, the day’s event washing over them in a rush and leaving them in a state of near exhaustion.

"Alex, I know this sounds funny, but, do you read?" The two friends were sitting back to back, relaxing their full weights against the other, in the middle of the connecting door between their rooms. Michelle had a fantasy novel in her hands; she had no idea what Alex was doing.

There was a silence that could only mean that Alex was trying to come up with a suitable response to Michelle’s question.

"I need this clarified. Are you asking if I’m reading now? Or are you asking if I can read?"

"Well, I do know that the cities push their students through the grades and that the percentage of literate graduates is on the decrease. . ." Michelle caught a disgusted grunt from her companion and was glad that he couldn’t see her smile. "But. . . are you reading now?" The flutter of pages over her head was the only answer she got.

"Gosh, no need to get offended. I was only curious," Michelle mumbled, her voice sullen to mask her laughter.

"Yah, I know what you were thinking. You always try to get one up on me, but I know you too well, Michelle Valentine." He leaned his head back and whispered maliciously in her ear. "I know that you country bumpkins are in school twice as long as we are. So tell me, are you in the sixth or seventh grade by now?" He chuckled at her sharp intake of breath.

"I didn’t think that I could get a rise out of you, my beautiful Ice Queen." Yet Alex’s insulting words were softened with a backward hug.

When they stood for bed, Michelle pretended to be only partially mollified. She held herself aloof and was quite proud when Alex seemed truly wary of her. When he wished her good night, she laughed and squeezed him tightly, relieving his fears that he had done something wrong.

"Good night, Michelle."

" Night, city boy," Michelle replied.

They closed the connecting door and each was left to his or her wonderings and thoughts as the night continued on its cycle and sleep claimed two victims. Outside the windows of the two bedrooms, creatures of the night stirred and came to life. The moon rose, casting its silvery shadows over the hills and playing with the water of the river as it restlessly rolled onward. Owls could be heard calling to each other, as could other animals. The song of the night continued until the false dawn touched the sky and lightened the horizon.

Through the slats of the two bedroom windows, sun slanted down onto two seamless faces, worry free in slumber. Alex was the first one up, his concern with his new colt over riding his want for sleep. He slipped into some clothes and crept out of the house, not forgetting the semi-warm milk for the foal.

When he stepped out of the house, he was startled to feel completely at home. The way that the buildings of the ranch were set up, the people that lived there, the sounds breaking the morning stillness and the shadows that slanted across the ground from the newly risen sun, all seemed as if they were meant to be and were meant to be for Alex.

When he stepped into the barn, the warm smells of hay and horse rolled over him. The wuffle of horses sleeping became like a lullaby. When Alex passed Fancy’s stall, he peeked in and was surprised in what he saw. The large, black mare was on her back, rolling from one side to the other. He shook his head at her antics and continued on to Spirit’s stall.

With the colt nestled in the crook of his arm, and Spirit attacking the milk, he could hear the rustle of straw from Fancy’s stall. For the ten minutes that he was there, the rustling never ceased. Finally Spirit emptied the bottle and Alex brushed himself off. The spindly colt arranged himself among his surrogate mother’s legs and seemingly settled back to sleep.

On a hunch, Alex checked back in on Fancy. She was still on her back, yet now her ears were laid back and tight with pain. Tharo was trying to peer around the partition between the stalls and only succeeding in rubbing his neck raw.

Alex took one more look at the mare and then bolted for the main house. He ran up the stairs ignoring Danny’s savage demands for peace and quite. He threw open Michelle’s door and all he got was a pillow in the face and a shrieking cry for him to turn around before he got pummeled. His face was flaming from hairline to chin and his eyes were squeezed closed, even though his back was to the semi-naked girl.

"O my goodness, Michelle, I am so sorry! I never meant to walk in on you. I would never have done it had I known. Please. . . I’m sorry," Alex babbled. He was barely coherent.

Michelle had yanked the quilt off the bed and wrapped it around her. Her face was pale and her eyes as wide as saucers, but a smile tweaked at her mouth.

"Alex, please, you’re not talking straight. I guess it was just my turn. Besides, with as fast as you turned around, I don’t even think that you could have known it was me." Michelle considered making him remain facing the door but the she sat down on the bed. "You can turn around now. You won’t see anything I don’t want you to see. . ."

Alex slowly turned around, his eyes still scrunched tightly shut. One eye became an open slit and the other followed until both were warily open. He looked like someone who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. When he realized that she was only clothed in a blanket, he made as if to turn back around but Michelle’s impatient gesture turned his feet to cement.

Alex looked Michelle up and down as surreptitiously as possible. His eyes were inorexibly drawn to the long pale lengths of her legs that were peeking out from under the comforter. He was not as sneaky as he thought he was for Michelle gave a rich laugh full of mirth.

"They don’t see much sun. Maybe I should wear shorts more often, but then I couldn’t just hop on Fancy and ride."

"Thank goodness you don’t. If you bared legs like that in the city, you could cause car accidents." Alex clapped a hand over his mouth, speaking before thinking again. He remembered what the response had been the last time that he had commented on Michelle’s perfect form. Yet, surprisingly enough, the tall girl seemed pleased, if crimson to her hairline.

"I’m assuming that that is a compliment, and will take it as such." Michelle shifted her legs, the comforter slipping up to her buttermilk pale thigh. She thought that Alex’s eyes were about to fall out.

"It’s rude to stare," she reminded him gently, yet to help him she tucked her legs underneath the blanket. Alex shook his head as if to dispel cobwebs. "What was so important that you would burst in here like that?"

Twin spots of color bloomed on his cheeks but he answered calmly. "Fancy is lying on her back in her stall, and she seems to be in a lot of pain. I don’t know what it is but it looked bad. I didn’t mean to dis-" Michelle cut him off rudely, drawing him up short.

"Was she rolling from side to side, her ears all tight?" Her voice was sharper than she meant it to be but she paid it no mind. She tried to remain calm but the fear bubbled up in her and threatened to overflow.

Alex looked baffled. "How did you know that-"

Michelle interrupted him again. "Was she?! Answer me!" She stood from the bed and her grip on the blanket seemed tenuous. Alex eyed her cautiously.

"Yes she was. Tharo seemed-"

"Get both my parents up and tell them to call the vet. Then get Aaron out of his bed. I don’t care if you have to pour water on their heads, get. Them. Up!"

Alex was getting very tired of being interrupted but the command in her voice - mingled with the insane fear - urged him to move. As he looked at the lanky girl, she dropped the blanket and began to pull clothes on. Alex whipped around and ran down the stairs before what he saw registered. He thought that he would have to put new hinges on his mouth after what his eyes had just feasted on. Yet his feet did not slow until he was pounding on Michelle’s parents’ door with both fists.

Soon feet began thumping the stairs and he saw Michelle bolt out the door, shirt half buttoned and no shoes on. His efforts became panicked, and soon the door opened to show a fully dressed Dylan and Tallia.

"How’d you-"

Again he was cut off. "Go get Aaron. I heard through the floor. Hurry, don’t just stand there scowling!" The same commanding voice that had sent him scurrying from Michelle’s room made him do an about face and race out side. The frustration at not completing one question this morning boiled his blood, yet he did not stop running until he had stirred Aaron from his bed.