(GG) Chapter 4

It took the rest of the day to brand the bulls, but when the dinner bell rang there was only one more to go. With it finally branded, the tired lot of ranchers made their way into the house and around the table. Nick was surprised to see that Avery hadn't arrived yet, but knew he would be soon.

Teresa was humming some church tunes as she set up the table, and just as if on cue as soon as the pot roast was on the table, there was a knock at the door.

"Well, go answer it, missy." Teresa barked at Nick.

Nick only glared at her father, and then stood up when he waved her towards the door.

Avery smiled, he was carrying a bundle of late blooming flowers. "For inviting me to dinner." He told her, and then handed the flowers over to her, he walked in and smiled at everyone. Nick held out the white flowers to Teresa.

"What's this?" Teresa asked taking the flowers.

"Avery brought them for you for inviting him to dinner." Nick told her and then took her seat between her father and Andy.

"Oh, Robbie, you are such a sweetie." Teresa pinched his cheeks, as Avery glared at Nick. "And Nicolette, you shouldn't be calling him Avery. He don't wish to be known as that, and you should respect it."

"I don't wish to be called Nicolette or Nicky, but I don't see my wishes being respected."

Teresa sighed and frowned at Jacob, "She's got a point." Jacob said.

"Well, you take a seat next to Hank, and I'll sit next to you, sweetheart." She told Avery and pointed at the chair he should sit in. "I've got to put these lovely flowers in water."

Sitting down at the table, Teresa began her prayer. Most people started snatching some of the cooked carrots, and other side dishes and popping them in their mouth. After a long day of fighting bulls, no one was in the mood for her long prayer, including Jacob and Hank.

"And Lord, please help those who are blind to your teachings, like Rock. And please help Nick become a lady and find a hus…"

"Amen." Jacob said loudly, which caused Teresa's eyes pop open. "But I wasn't finished." She told him, and slapped Hank's hand when he reached to scoop himself out some peas.

"I think you were, Miss Teresa." Jacob told her with a frown, "Now, why don't you cut up that roast beef there, it looks wonderful." He winked at Nick, and she returned it with a smile.

Occasionally, her father would stand up for her against Teresa's good hearted, but misguided intentions.

"You know, missy, I was thinking that maybe this week, I could teach you a few recipes." Teresa said, after everyone had a full plate.

"I don't know where I would have time to learn…"

"Oh, I don't think Jacob will need you all week, will you?" She asked looking at Jacob.

"'fraid we have a wolf problem this year, Teresa, we need every eye out there, keeping watch." He told her and then filled his mouth with a bloody chunk of beef.

"This is superb cooking, Miss Teresa." Avery told her, "Why I bet you are the best damn cook in all of Honeycomb."

"Oh, Robbie, you are such a sweetheart. Any lady who gets lucky enough to marry you, will be so full of herself. You just don't know when to stop the compliments."

Nick looked over at her father to see if he understood what Teresa was doing, he rolled his eyes letting her know that he did. Teresa did it a lot, she would invite a gentleman over and praise him all evening long, in hopes that Nick would follow her example. Or perhaps it was that she thought if Nick saw her praise him that she would think he was a good guy and husband material.

Truth was, Nick didn't her to tell her who the good men in Honeycomb were, she already knew. The only good men in Honeycomb worked on the ranch with her, and she wasn't about to marry any of them. Andy was like a big brother and her best friend wrapped up into one person. And Rock, well he was a good man, as long as pretty women weren't around. When he first arrived he was nothing but compliments for Nick, but she wasn't as naïve as most of the girls. She saw right past his mask, of course, it helped that she already knew about his ways. He had been living in Honeycomb for a couple years before he got a job at the ranch.

Avery, however, was a great sheriff, he did his job and though he was a little cocky about being sheriff sometimes, he kept everyone safe. His father was a sheriff before him, and everyone use to say that his father married the second prettiest gal in town, Nick's mother being the first. Jacob told Nick that Avery's father, Jonas, was head over heels in love with his wife, Karen. Jacob and Jonas were best friends growing up, and he said that Jonas didn't even notice Caroline, it was always Karen, since he was a boy. He told her that Karen was the best cook in town, and Jonas would constantly be buying her gifts. Sadly, all Avery ever saw was his father giving her gifts to keep her happy, and his mother working in the kitchen and cleaning house.

Avery never got to see how much his father truly loved her, and that he just couldn't of possibly made it in the world without her. Jacob called Caroline his angel, just like every man who married a Honeycomb Ranch daughter. But Jonas called Karen his only reason to live, he once told Jacob when Karen was real sick that if she died, he would have to die too. Jacob had told him that he was being ridiculous and that he had to live for his son, but Jonas looked him dead in the eyes and said "No, Jacob, she's my life and if she goes, then she takes my life with her." When Jonas died, a couple years ago, Karen shut down. She stopped coming out of the house, the only thing she ever did was cook for Avery and pick up the house. After two years without Jonas, she past away in her sleep.

The town buried her next to Jonas, and in Reverend Halton's eulogy, he said that Karen was dying slowly everyday since Jonas past away, and that a love like theirs wasn't possible to have and lose. Jacob had said that he based the way he loved Caroline on the way Jonas loved Karen, give it all to her every second of your life or let her find someone who will. Avery told the reverend that he didn't understand why the town saw so much love between his parents. It was sad that a love that strong wasn't seen by their own child, and all he saw was his father buying his mother's affections. And worst yet, that would be what Avery saw as love for the rest of his life, and most only prayed that he would someday find a girl to show him the error of that way.

All Nick knew was that it sure the hell wasn't going to be her. She felt sorry for him, but there was a lot she wanted to do in her lifetime. There was no time for her to teach a man how to treat her, and there was even less time to find a reason to love someone.

---***---

After dinner was over, Trent and Darren headed out to the bunk for the night. Hank, also, took their lead and went upstairs to his room. Teresa stayed to chat with Avery, who to Nick's surprise, didn't pay much attention to her.

"Come on, girl." Jacob told her and headed out to the back door with Andy.

"Where you going, Nicolette?" Avery asked.

"Yeah, where you going, missy?" Teresa mimicked.

"I have night watch duty, I'll see ya all later." Quickly she made her escape as Jacob held the door open for her, Andy was close behind.

Jacob looked over at Teresa and waved her over, with his lips close to her ears so that Avery couldn't hear him whisper. "My daughter will pick her husband when she is good and ready. If you ever try to tell her who she should marry and that she needs to get married again, you can find a new place to live, understand me?"

Teresa looked at him, her eyes wide.

"We don't disrespect you and your beliefs, so you best respect mine." Jacob said his voice still low, and he headed out the door.

It was rare for Jacob to actually scold someone, let alone Teresa. She stared at the door for a moment, and then took a deep breath and smiled at Avery. "Well, so what was I saying?" She asked, walking over to the table.

Jacob walked over to the stable, where Andy stood with his horse ready.

"Mister Beldin, I am heading over to Reverend Halton's house for the night."

He rose his eyebrow, "Why's that, Andy?"

"He sent word that one of his horse's went into labor and wants me to keep watch on her for the night. I'll be back in time for work tomorrow." He added the last past as if it were incentive.

"I can't tell you what to do in your off hours, Andy. Be safe riding in the dark, take Snow."

Andy gave a quick nod, and handed off Jacob's horse to him.

As Jacob rode into the field he saw Rock on his horse next to Nick, "It isn't your night, Rock, go to bed."

"I can't sleep, I'm just going to keep watch with ya all."

Jacob grinned and looked over at Nick, "It's because ole' James slugged him, isn't it?"

Nick giggled.

"I should go knock some since into him, attacking a man my size!" Rock snapped, catching Jacob off guard.

"Easy there, boy, don't you go getting wild on me. You can't just be walking into town and beating men up, leave him alone. You caused him enough grief for a lifetime. Now, if you can't sleep then you can help keep guard, but don't you let me hear of you beating on a drunk, not unless he starts it, hear me?" Jacob's voice was stern, but obviously he cared about the ranches reputation. They couldn't be having their ranchers run into town and beat up random people for the hell of it.

Rock gave a nod, "Fine."

---***---

Night time on the ranch was black, that was the only way to describe it, and even that didn't do it justice. One could only tell where the house was from the torches Teresa put out on the porch, and Andy hung a couple in front of the stable. They kept watch for wolves by looking for their glowing eyes, and making enough human noises hopefully to keep them away. The dogs had come out with them, and they normally would sense a wolf before they could see it. Boss stayed near Nick's side at all times, desperately keeping watch on the nearby woods. They each carried their own lantern and held it up high at any noise they heard coming from the surrounding woods.

Nick was terrified of wolves, but she never let it show. She was sure that her father and the others probably knew, but were decent enough not to say anything, because she didn't. Finding a wolf in the dark was like finding a needle in a haystack, and most of the time they only saw them when a cow let out a scream of fear. Worst yet, the wolves could make the heard stampede and that was even more deadly then the wolves.

Rock rode over to her and gave a smile, "You alright?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

He shrugged, "You just seem a little on edge, I've watched you pick up that lantern at least six times in the last five minutes. I thought maybe you heard something and weren't sure about it."

"I'm fine."

He stared at her for a moment, "Are you sure?"

"She said she was fine, leave her alone, Rock." Jacob yelled.

Nick placed her lantern on the fence post, and Rock did the same on the next one.

"Was thinking that you and I should go down to the creek sometime and fish some." He told her, but it was more asking then anything else.

"Maybe, if we have time…" Nick saw three horsemen riding up towards the ranch, then heard her father mumble he would be right back.

She watched carefully, as Jacob greeted the men. They all dismounted including Jacob and went into the stable, "Wonder what that is about?"

Rock shrugged.

It remained silent for sometime, then one of the horsemen came out and looked into the field. Rock and Nick's horses were blocking the light of their lanterns, and so they were practically invisible to him. They watched him carefully, and then he went back into the stable.

"Getting kind of chilly at night." Rock said as the man turned and went back in.

"Sure is, I thought it was going to rain today. There were some storm clouds in the sky on the way home from church."

He gave a nod, "Yeah, I noticed them too. Maybe tomorrow, it'll…" They heard gun fire, and immediate Rock pulled his pistols and Nick grabbed her rifle from the back of her horse.

Two of the men came out of the stable, and walked towards the house. One went into the house and the other went around to the bunk. Nick grabbed her lantern and blew it out, Rock followed her lead.

Riding up, she dismounted for Goliath before she got to the stable. She decided to go around back and look in through the back door of the stable to see if her father was alright. She didn't know if the shots came from the stable, or maybe Trent and Darren saw a wolf near the bunk.

Rock said he was going around to the bunk, and then disappeared into the darkness, leaving his horse behind. The back stable door was slightly ajar, and she looked around. A tall slender man stood over Jacob.

"This is what happens when you try to rob Mister Brody, you think we wouldn't of come all the way from Redrock to punish you, Jake." The man delivered a sharp blow to his ribs, then looked up towards the back doors when Teresa screamed from inside the house, "Now, you get to listen as the rest of your family dies." He said in a high voice, as he spit on Jacob's face.

After a few moments, Nick jumped when she heard Teresa scream and then a gun shot. She came running out of the ranch in her under garments, and before Nick could pull her rifle up to shoot whoever would come out chasing her, she fell to the ground as two more shots were fired.

The man stepped out of the front door, and looked over the front porch steps where Teresa's body laid. Nick's heart raced as she tried to decide what to do. He tossed a lantern out in front of the house, then grabbed one of the torches, and threw it into the house. She watched as the flames began, and knew he most of poured the oil out of the lantern. She had to get by the man, and put it out, but by the time she finally lifted her rifle and let out a shot, it was already burning. The man, who had lit the fire, dropped to the ground as he ran towards the stables.

The thin man in the stable heard her shot, and began firing at the stable doors. Nick ran towards the woods near the bunk.

"Ed! Let's go!" The thin man screamed as he threw open the back stable doors, then run over to his horse.

Another man ran from the bunks, but didn't get very far before another shot rang out. Rock shot him down, but was smart enough to stay in the darkness. Nick, however, ran towards the stables, giving the thin man a chance to shoot her. Rock fired again, and he fell from his horse.

Running into the stable, Nick looked over her father, there was a pool of blood forming underneath him. His white shirt was stained with blood, and the tips of his vest were beginning to soak it up, as well.

"Nicky, oh God, Nicky, you're alright." He cried, when she kneeled down beside him, her knees fell into the warm blood.

"Papa, what's going on?" She asked, pushing her hand over his wound, blood flowed out around her fingers, watching it only made her choke for a moment.

"It don't matter now." He told her as he stroked her hair, leaving it red when his hand pulled away. "Nicolette, listen to me good, girl."

"Pa, we got to get you to the doctor."

"Nothing that old quack can do for me. Listen good."

"What?" She cried, tears began to pour from her eyes, as she watched the pool of blood flow out around her.

"Your mama, she's real tired of being alone up there in heaven. It's time for me to go be with my first angel, ya hear? You did good, real good. Keeping me loved and happy all those years, I couldn't of made it without you. I would have been like Karen, died from a broken heart." He coughed again. "Pa, please, let me go get the doctor."

"No, girl, listen." His fingers fell to her shoulder, "It's time for you to go be another man's angel. Every Honeycomb girl ever born to this ranch was two men's' angels, ya know?"

"Her father and her husband, I know." Nick sniffled, "Pa, please…"

"That's why I never pushed you to marry. I knew that you would know the man you needed to show the way when you found him. Every Honeycomb girl does, your mama completely changed me, and you kept me going when I thought it was all lost. I love you, don't you ever forget that, ya hear?"

"I love you too, pa."

He grinned, "My sweet, sweet Nicolette. Your mama's calling me, I can hear her sweet voice now. My only regret is that you never met her, Nicky. Her father told her the same thing when he died. He was sorry she never met her mother, either. That's the way angels work though, Nicky. A man can only have one." He coughed, "Sweet, sweet Nicolette." His voice was a mere mumble, "Sweet, sweet Caroline."

"Pa?" Nicky cried and laid her head on his chest, hearing his last heart beats. "Pa, please, please, don't leave me, Pa!"

She hadn't noticed but Rock stood in the entryway of the stable, he walked over and pulled her up by her arms. The front of her pants were soaked with blood, and red droplets fell from her finger tips.

"He's gone, Nicky." Rock said, as he pulled her up. "He's gone."

Nicky looked up into Rock's eyes, they were a misty. "He can't be."

"They got Trent and Darren too."

"Oh God, Teresa and Hank!" Nick yelled and ran outside to look at her burning home, she ran over to Teresa and tried to pull her body away from the burning house.

Rock ran close behind and help her, pulling the body a good distance away. He looked at Nick as she stared at her house, yellow and orange engulfing her home.

A few moments and they heard a moan from behind them, the thin man was still alive. With rage in her heart she ran over to him, lifting him up slightly by the collar she punched him twice in the side of his face. There was blood but she wasn't sure if it was her fathers or the thin man's.

"Nick, stop!" Rock ran over, and yank him away. "You don't hit hard enough." He said, and let the man have two more.

Blood spilled from his mouth and he looked up at Rock.

"Why did you do this?" Rock barked.

The man only grinned.

"Why the hell did you do this?" He lifted up his first.

"Hit me all you want, I'll be dead soon. Won't matter much to me." He laughed.

"Who's Mister Brody?" Nick asked.

The thin man laughed, "Which one of you incompetent fools shot me?"

"I did." Rock growled.

"Can't believe you all never heard of Richard Brody, you are dumber then you look." He laughed, and then spoke no more. The words were the last he would ever speak on this earth, and Rock dropped his dead body.

---***---

Two days past like a blur for Nick, she had to camp out by the field as the bunk burned down as well. It was lucky that it didn't take out any of the herd or the stable. Every morning, she would look over at the pile of rubble that had been her house. She had already had offers for the land and cattle, and with each morning she became more and more willing to sell. This land with every happy memory, all of her love and hard work, had become her most dreaded enemy. She didn't smile at it over the horizon, she cried.

It really sunk in standing there over her father's casket, he was buried next to her mother and great grandparents. Teresa and Hank were buried not to far away, and Trent and Darren were placed in their family's lot. Five funerals in one day, Nick nearly lost her balance during each eulogy, either Rock or Andy would put their arm around her and keep her standing. Worst part was she didn't even understand why. Why would this Richard Brody want her father and his family dead? What could they possibly gain from their deaths?

"Jacob Thomas Beldin was more then just a loving father and husband, to anyone who knew him, they called him friend." Reverend Halton began, Jasmine standing behind him. "He brought smiles to the faces of those who loved him, and smiles to the faces of those that would. He trusted those who no one else would give a chance, taking in stray men and making good hard working ranchers out of them. He raised a daughter when his wife past on, and to no one's surprise, she grew to have the compassionate heart of her father, and the gentle soul of her mother. Perhaps, the greatest flaw of Jacob was that he loved too well, and too deeply. A flaw we should all wish to suffer. It is a sad day to bury such a man, a man who we all should wish to be like."

The Reverend's voice broke, he cleared his throat and continued on. "God saw fit to take the man, as it was time for him to be with his Caroline. His last words spoken to his daughter were of her, so we should all be relieved that he is finally with the woman, he couldn't live without."

Nick had never done it before, and she probably never would again, but with those words she fainted. Rock caught her before she collapsed onto the ground, and it was strangely Patricia who ordered that she be taken inside the church immediately.

When Nick awoke she was laying on a pew, and Patricia's grandmother Lily, who was friends with Teresa stood over her, waving a handkerchief back and forth.

"Where am I?" Nick asked, and tried to sit up but Lily pushed her back.

"Be still, child. You just had a little fainting spell is all, it's from not sleeping properly, you can't be laying out in the dirt with those two boys. Heaven knows what the whole town might start to think!" Lily took a deep breath, "Oh dear, forgive me, Nicolette. I shouldn't be nagging you about such things at a moment like this. You've been threw so much, and hear I am yelling at you. What is wrong with me?"

"It's alright, Lily. Actually, it reminds me of Teresa a bit. Haven't heard her make a fuss over me in … seems like forever." Nick wiped some tears off her face.

"I can't believe God would let something like this happen to your family. It's a tragedy, I tell you." Lily was starting to cry, "Worst thing to ever happen in Honeycomb."

Nick sat up and patted Lily's back. She had a doily pinned to the top of her head and over her gray haired bun, she was wearing her Sunday's best. A blue dress with white trim, and even her white gloves. "It's not God's fault, Lily. It's was those men."

"And you punished them, didn't you, missy?"

"They are dead, if that's what you mean. Rock and I shot them."

"God bless Rock, bringing justice to your family."

"Nick, you alright?" Andy said coming in from the back of the church.

"She's fine." Lily stood up, "You take good care of her, make sure she's gets plenty of sleep." She told her, and then left the church. Nick thought she just didn't want him to see her cry.

"You had us all scared." Andy sat down beside her.

"I'm sorry, it was all just a little more then I could handle at the moment."

He gave a nod, "I feel like I lost my family all over again." He stared up at the cross hung from the ceiling, "Nick, will you pray with me for a bit?"

"I think I could really use that, Andy."

He smiled, and took her hand. They both kneeled down, and fell silent. Nick could never truly understand how her best friend had felt until those moments, it had all sunk in. It was a pain that could never be described in words, a cut that would never heal. Andy once told her that it was like a scar, you would always look at it and remember the pain, it was there forever on your body, except in this case it was a scar on her heart. She prayed that someday she could look back on her father, and remember only the good times, and not that night of his death. She prayed that she would never take for granted a person's love and affection. She prayed that the next time someone nagged her about an important issue, she would remember Teresa, and knew that they only mean that they loved her. And most importantly, she prayed that she would stand up and dust herself off, never forget, but never linger on the moments that had come to pass.