by Brian Quest
“Well, I’ll be here with you girls, but I’m sure Stewart and Keith will take good care of him.”
Connie smiled and then went upstairs. While Debbie tinkered in the kitchen, the men came up with their plan. “So, I’m going to find me a nice spot in the bushes along the gate. It should be fun!” The sarcasm was not unnoticed.
“Well, we will help out. We can make sure to walk by there during our check,” Stewart said.
“No! If you walk by, you may scare whomever it is away.”
“Well, how do you propose we make sure to keep Thomas’ word to Connie if we can’t check up on you?”
Knowing they were right, Andrew replied, “Fine, check up on me from a distance. If they come round tonight, I want it to be the last time. If they get scared off, they will have an excuse to come back.”
“You got it, Boss.”
Andrew went to get his coat, and as he put it on he said, “Oh, and can you please…please…stop calling me Boss? You help take care of my girls, you watch my back, and for God’s sake, you live in my house. Call me Andrew. Hell, call me whatever you want, just stop calling me Boss!” He chuckled.
“Yes, sir.”
“And, no “sir” either.”
“Okay, Andrew. I’ll let Keith know.”
“Please do.”
When Andrew opened the door and stepped out onto the porch, he quickly stepped right back into the house. “It is absolutely freezing out there! I need another layer!”
“Seems like winter is almost upon us. I’ll be sure to bring in more firewood before going to check the barn.”
“Maybe while you are out there you should blanket the horses?”
“Winter is closer than we thought, huh?”
“Winter is right around the corner. I wouldn’t be surprised if we get our first snow soon.”
“Well, then, blankets for the horses, wood for the house and extra layers for us.”
“Thank you.”
“You got it, sir…Andrew.”
Andrew headed out, pulling his coat closed and then sliding on his work gloves. They were warm and would help when he was burying himself in the shrubs. The wind was picking up, and the moon was playing hide and seek behind the clouds that were moving in. At the same time, Keith and Stewart were lugging firewood in by the armful, making sure there would be enough for the night. By the time they were finished, there was actually enough wood in the house to keep the fireplace and the stove in the kitchen going for about five days. Satisfied at what they had accomplished, the guys headed out.
Thomas went into the kitchen and poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the table next to Debbie. “I’m getting ready to go outside. I need to walk the perimeter of the house. I will be right outside. If you need me, just yell for me or ring the bell.”
“We’ll be fine in here. Make sure you bundle up. I can hear the wind blowing, I’m sure it’s cold out there.”
“You know, there was a time when I was saying that to you. You remember that? Back when I would have to get you off to school while your parents were off feeding the animals?”
“Of course I remember, Thomas. How could I forget? You would make me wear that stupid hat.”
“Yeah, and the second you were on the bus you would take it off.” He looked at the surprised expression on her face and said, “You didn’t think I saw it, but I did. Every single day, on your way to your seat, you would whip off that hat like it was burning your hair.” They both laughed and Thomas stood, “Well, I’d better get out there. There’s plenty of firewood and I’ll be right outside.”
“Go, go. I’m fine. We’ll be just fine. I have the shotgun if I need it.”
Thomas pulled on his heavy flannel shirt and then his coat, wrapping the collar around his neck. When he stepped out into the cold, a gust of wind whipped past him and filled the house, creating a hot and cold turmoil in the living room. Debbie could feel the cold breeze reach the kitchen and rushed into the living room, thinking the door had been left open. It was closed and the room already was filling with the warmth of the fire. She sat in Thomas’ recliner and pulled the curtain back to look outside. There stood the man who had been a part of the ranch and their family for as long as she could remember. She noticed a change in him, and it was heartwarming. He had watched her grow up, and in a funny way, she felt as if she now was watching him grow up. She pulled a blanket up over her lap and stared out into the night.
Andrew moved silently in the night. He had had tons of practice being stealthy from all of the hunting he had done in his life. His dark clothes hid him as he walked through the field, having nothing to hide him in the open grassy area. When he got to the spot he thought would be perfect for his watch, he cleared an area and sat down. It was cold and he knew he was in for a long, long, long night.
Within hours, the moon was completely hidden from sight by the clouds that had rolled in. The wind had picked up and the last of the leaves had moved from the trees to their new home on the ground. Debbie closed the shutters in the living room to keep out the draft and then placed a few more logs on the fire. She went to the kitchen to make sure there was enough coffee for the guys, knowing they would be returning soon, and then she went upstairs to get her hoodie. When she came back down she was surprised to find Thomas sitting on the bricks next to the fireplace, warming his hands.
“Oh, I didn’t hear you come in. Is everything okay?”
“Everything is just fine. The guys are finishing up, and your dad is in place. It is really cold out there. Just had to thaw out my hands before I could even think of holding a cup of coffee.”
“I’ll go get that for you. You just get warm.”
Since the guys were going to be back soon, she went ahead and made three cups of coffee and had them waiting by the fire when they walked through the door. Once she knew that at least three of her favorite people were safe and warm, Debbie turned in for the night, but she didn’t sleep. She lay in bed, worried about her father. From her room, she could see the stand of bushes in the distance where her father was hunkered down, waiting for The Rock Bandit. She hated the idea that he was out there in the cold, alone, and in the dark. It made her remember when he would go on his end of the year hunting trip. He would go alone, and she would worry, just like her mom would. She grabbed her blanket, wrapped herself in it, and fell asleep with one hand holding the curtain aside so she could see where her dad sat.
Chapter Ten
The night grew colder and colder, leaving Andrew to wonder why he decided the overnight shift would be a great one for him to pull. On the ground, he pulled his knees into his chest and wrapped his arms around his legs, resting his chin on his chest for just a moment. When he looked up and peeked his head toward an opening in the bushes, he saw someone making their way toward the gate. He instantly thought to himself that it better not be one of the guys, because they were told to stay away.
It took a minute for him to realize that the figure was shorter than almost everyone on the ranch. Maybe the girls were right…maybe it was a child. He just couldn’t believe that a child would be out there in the cold, alone, in the middle of the night. He watched the person intently as they moved closer to the rocks. He squinted his eyes, trying to see the person’s face, but they were wearing a parka with a large fur-trimmed hood that was hiding their face.
The figure finally reached the rocks and bent down to pick one up. That’s when Andrew decided to make his move. He stepped quietly out of the bushes and tip-toed over to the gate. The figure in the dark somehow managed to not notice Andrew’s movements, and in only seconds, he was able to grab their arm as they reached for another rock. The figure screeched and jumped, and for the first time Andrew knew that it was a woman, not a child.
Still holding her arm, Andrew said, “Just what do you think you’re doing?” He was loud and stern.
“Andrew, it’s me,” the woman said, trying to pull her arm from his grip.
“Emma?” Andrew was shocked
, and his voice let her know so.
Laughing, Emma replied, “Yes, it’s me. Let go of my arm please.”
Andrew released his grip and said, “What the hell are you doing out here?”
“Nice talk! You do realize you are not too old to still respect your elders, right? If you were my son I would put you over my knee!”
“Well, if you were my mother, I would let you know how stupid it is for an elderly woman to be outside at night alone…in the cold!”
“And if you were my son and you said something like that to me, I’d wash your mouth out with soap for the sass!”
Both of them burst out in laughter. Andrew’s heart was beating out of his chest, and the adrenaline was pulsing through his body with every beat. “You scared the dickens out of me!”
“Now, that sounds like something I would say! I’m sorry I scared you.”
Inside the house, Debbie was startled awake and looked out the window again. From her vantage point, she could see her father standing with someone, but couldn’t tell who it was. All she knew was it wasn’t any of the guys. She slipped out of the chair, still wrapped in the blanket, and walked out into the hallway, being careful not to wake her sisters. Once she got halfway down the stairs, she quickened her pace and already was talking by the time she reached the bottom.
“Guys, wake up. Hurry!”
Thomas jumped up and said, “What’s going on? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Dad is out there talking to someone. He shouldn’t be alone.”
While Thomas woke Stewart and Keith, Debbie made coffee for them and met them back in the living room with a tray holding three big cups. They all took one sip, placed the cups back on the tray and hurried outside. Debbie followed, curious as to what was about to happen. Just as they all went out onto the porch, Andrew and Emma walked up the steps.
“Emma? Is that you?” Thomas asked.
“Well, it ain’t Bo Derek, that’s for sure.”
The guys laughed and Debbie went to the woman, slipping her arm under Emma’s and helping her into the house. “What in the world are you doing out in the cold, Emma?
“Well, dear, it seems I’ve been busted.”
“Busted? Busted doing what?”
Andrew took a step closer to Debbie and said, “It seems Emma is The Rock Bandit.”
“The Rock Bandit? You call me The Rock Bandit?”
“Well, what would you have me call you? You slip in when nobody is looking and you move our rocks around.”
“I guess I’ve been called worse.”
Debbie ushered Emma over to the couch and offered to take her coat. After hanging the parka on the hook next to the front door, she rushed to the kitchen to make her a cup of tea. She knew that Emma didn’t like coffee as much as the guys, and she loved taking care of her. She hurried the tea to Emma and sat next to her.
Andrew sat on the other side of Emma and turned sideways on the couch to face the woman. “What in the world were you doing out there?”
“Well, obviously, I was moving rocks.”
“But why?”
“Why do women watch soap operas? Why do men watch golf on TV? Because I was bored, and because you all needed something to do that didn’t involve hard work.”
“So you thought you’d scare us to death?”
“You sure look alive to me. Besides, you gave me a name, so obviously you all talked about it with each other, and I’m guessing it wasn’t just a one-time discussion.”
Debbie smiled and said, “No, we talked about it a lot. We spent hours trying to figure out who it was. And we also tried figuring out why they were doing it. Why were you spelling the word help?”
“Help? I wasn’t spelling help. If you would have let me finish, you would have seen I was spelling HELLO.”
“Hello?”
“Yeah. I figured then you would know who was doing it. If not, it would have been followed by my name.” She turned and looked at Andrew and Thomas and said, “I can’t believe you stood right next to me and didn’t even say anything about The Rock Bandit! It’s a good thing this Rock Bandit wasn’t messing around my place without me knowing about them!”
“Woman, The Rock Bandit is you!”
“But what if it hadn’t been? You never said anything about it.”
Andrew realized she had a point and said, “You know what, you’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just glad there wasn’t actually a crazy person lurking around. Well, at least not one crazier than you!”
When the laughter died down, Thomas said, “You know, Emma, you could have gotten yourself shot tonight…or any night for that matter.”
“I didn’t do it just to give you all some excitement. This old lady needs some fun every now and again!”
“Well you can have all the fun you want in the morning,” Andrew said. “Right now, we all need to get a little more sleep. Emma, you will stay here tonight.”
“Oh, I will, will I? Don’t I get a say?”
“Not tonight you don’t. I sat out in that cold all night, the least you can do is stay here so I don’t have to go back out there to walk you home.”
“Nonsense. I walked myself over here, I can walk myself back.”
“Over my dead body!”
Debbie stepped between the two bickering adults and said, “Emma, I’d like it if you stayed with me in my room. Then, in the morning, after breakfast, I can walk you back to your cabin.”
“That’s not necessary, Dear.”
“Oh, come on, Emma. Please? It would be nice to have another woman to talk to who isn’t related to me. There’s only so many times my sisters and I can talk about the same things together.”
Not wanting to disappoint Debbie, Emma said, “Okay, okay. I’ll stay. But, I’m going to do my part. In the morning I will help make breakfast.”
Debbie was happy. “Thank you, Emma.”
“Don’t get too used to it. After breakfast I’m outta here.”
“You really should stay longer. Winter is coming and you shouldn’t be all alone.” Debbie always was concerned about people.
“Oh, Sweetie, I’m not alone. I am surrounded by nature out there, and I have my memories. They keep me warm at night.”
“But memories are static, Emma. Don’t you want people around you can talk to? Wouldn’t that be more comforting?”
Emma took Debbie’s hands in her own and looked deep into the young woman’s eyes. “When you sit in your chair at night, what is the book you hold in your hands? You know, the one you hold to your chest and then lay on your lap?”
“How did you know?”
“I am The Rock Bandit. I’m here often, and I see you in the window.”
“It’s my mom’s journal.”
“And, why do you hold it while you sit there with your eyes closed?”
“I’m remembering her. It makes me feel close to her.”
“Of course it does, Dear.”
Debbie realized what Emma was getting at and said, “It keeps me warm and happy. I get it.”
“Would it be easy for you to just leave here?”
“No, Ma’am.”
“That’s why I want you all to understand why I keep telling you ‘No’ when you ask me to live here. Sure, there may be a day when I can’t take care of myself anymore, and when that day comes, I would love nothing more than to be here with you. But, until then, I have a home. Now that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t welcome some regular visits from such a special family!”
“Of course, we understand. I will make sure we come visit you more, too. Now, let’s get you upstairs. It’s almost dawn already!” Connie took Emma’s arm and walked her up the stairs. Once she got the woman settled, she returned to the living room to check on her father and the guys.
There on the couch, her father sat, head against the back of the cushion, feet sprawled out in front of him, and he was snoring louder than she ever had heard. Keith and Stewart had passed out on the floor in front of the fireplace, and Thomas was kick
ed back in his recliner. She stood there, smiling, and watched them sleep for a moment. It always amazed her how one minute things could be total chaos, and then the next minute there could be total silence…except for the deep rumble of snoring.
Eager to get back to Emma and have some real female-to-female conversation, she went back up the steps, checking in on her sisters as she made her way to her room. Everyone was sleeping, silent and smiling. When she opened her bedroom door, she looked over at the bed and found Emma, already sleeping. She laughed to herself and then decided that still had one more thing to do before crawling into bed herself.
Back over by the window, Debbie sat down in her chair, pulled her blanket tight and then slipped an arm out to reach over to her chair-side table. She picked up the leather-bound journal and, as usual, held it to her chest and closed her eyes. The vision of her mother’s face filled her mind and a feeling of comfort washed over her. She smiled, opened her eyes, and then got up and climbed into bed, careful not to wake Emma.
Part Two
Chapter Eleven
After the EMP that changed the world, knocking out power and destroying technology, life on the ranch changed for Andrew and his daughters--Debbie, Connie, Beth and Amy. Sure, they still had a home, and the cattle still were their main source of sustenance, but everything else changed. The security of the entire family and the ranch became priority number one, and with the help of the ranch hands--Thomas, Keith and Stewart--things had gone fairly well. Between the beef from the cattle, and the milk from the cows, and the eggs and protein from the chickens, food was never a problem. During the summer and fall, the garden provided enough fruits and vegetables for the family to enjoy comforting meals and left enough to can for the winter months. Everyone tried to keep life moving as if nothing bad had happened in the world, and everyone on the ranch lived as one large, happy family.
It was no secret how brutal the winters could be in Montana, and life on the ranch had to keep going, even when the storms would roll in. Everyone was accustomed to the blizzards and sub-zero temperatures, but the first storm of the season always stirred up a lot of different feelings. There was excitement among the younger girls, Amy and Beth. They loved being able to build snowmen and pull each other on the sled. Debbie and Connie loved to wake up the morning after a storm and look at the fresh snow; the pure white powder laid out like a blanket over the ranch. Andrew, Thomas, Keith and Stewart looked at the snow in a different way…they saw it as beautiful, but way more work.