What Lies Beneath (closed)

[zydrate]

As much as Katie had wanted to talk to Kevin and convince him to stay, she knew it wouldn't work. Instead, she just watched him walk away, up the stairs and to the loft. She knew his mind was made up but she wasn't sure this whole thing with Ianucci wasn't over, at least between the both of him. She knew what of sort of man a guy like Ianucci was. He didn't take orders from a woman. Katie had a feeling he'd be back.

She stayed up most of the night, pacing the small confines of her bedroom. She wasn't going to sleep, that much she knew, but her mind was racing. She had made a list of what needed to be done for tighter security around her property. By the end of the week, she'd have a secured gate and some cameras installed around the property. It was the only thing she could for now.

*** 2 weeks later ***
The hired hands had noticed that Kevin wasn't around and had asked Katie a few times where he was. Katie had only replied that he had gone out of town for a few days. In truth, she didn't owe them an explanation. This was her business, that was it. Not that she was an ass about it, she just gave a curt answer and moved the conversation onto other business like that of the horses.

Katie had put off finishing up Duke's training as there were other things needed to be done around the barn and horse pasture. She hadn't realized until then just how much Kevin had been a big help. She had taken on those duties and found herself often out late until all was taken care of.

The weather had gotten increasingly colder, and suddenly one evening, it started to snow... great. She had kept an eye on the weather and found this was only the introduction of several small storms coming in for the next week and half. Wonderful.

But what else could she do? Katie had to deal with it. She was surprised to find that it was storming so late in the season but that was a good thing because she felt she wasn't ready... at least in a personal sense. The property was, that was a good thing. More than once every hour, she found herself thinking about Kevin. How was he doing? What was he doing. Was he alright? More importantly, where was he?

 

[BeachBum25]

As much as he wanted to stay.... as much as he wanted to continue to work for Katie to repay her for everything she had done.... as much as he wanted to spend more time with Katie, Kevin knew that he had to go. He knew that it was just a matter of time until Ianucci figured out that he was bluffing, and then it would be all over.

He picked up his backpack and left. Once again, he thanked Katie for everything. He walked away and went to a motel several miles down the road. He would get a good night sleep and then figure out what he was going to do next.

When he got up the next morning, he showered and checked out of the room. As he was walking toward the main road, he saw a group of men standing around. They were day laborers waiting to see if anyone stopped by looking for workers. He moved over toward them. As he got closer, he could see some of them giving him dirty looks. He knew why. They saw him as a threat to their chances of making money. The more people that were there, the less their chance of being picked.

Walking away from the group, Kevin noticed a large van pull up. "I need 10 men for 2 weeks work. It is 10 miles from here. We won't provide daily transportation, but we will give you a place to stay and 2 meals each day. It pays $500 for the 2 weeks."

Kevin stopped and watched as only a few men took them up on the offer. He waited a couple of minutes and started back toward the group. "I'll do it." The man looked at Kevin. "You sure you are up to it. You don't look like a day laborer." Kevin nodded to him. "I am now."

The hours were long, the work was hard and the food was only barely edible. Kevin stuck with it though. The $500 would help him get a bus ticket and give him some spending money. Who knows where he was going, but it was a way out.

Long hours working gave him a lot of time to think. The work was mindless. He thought a lot about Katie. He really missed her. He thought about Ellie and their "conversations." He thought about Ianucci. The more he thought, the more he realized that Katie was still going to have problems with Ianucci. He also realized that Ianucci was not going to let him get away too easily. Ianucci would try to hunt him down.

As his work came to an end, Kevin realized he had to do something. Yes, it was drastic. He had to make sure that Katie was safe. Instead of using the money for a bus ticket and some spending money. He bought a gun.

Going back to Denver might seem crazy to some people, but Kevin figured that would be the last place that Ianucci would expect him to be. Kevin knew that Ianucci was going to take his revenge on Kevin personally, because Kevin had stood up to him and made him look bad in front of one of his employees. That was when Kevin decided that the first person he needed to deal with was the driver.

The police found the driver laying in a pool of blood next to Ianucci's SUV. He had barely made it out of the vehicle when the bullet hit him in the chest. It was the first time that Kevin had fired a gun. It wasn't going to be the last.

 

[zydrate]

Was she crazy?

Yes, she was. Katie had been needing less hands around since the first heavy snowstorm had passed through several nights ago. It was still mucky out and cold. Very cold. She had no problem tending to the horses herself as long as she wasn't training. Sure, it kept her busy but at least it kept her mind off of Kevin.

What was he doing? Where was he? She just hoped he was safe. Katie had come to the realization the other night that she care for Kevin. How could she not? She was genuinely worried about him. It pained her a lot that she couldn't help him with that Ianucci guy.

What a jerk.

Ianucci. Not Kevin.

Katie looked at Duke. He stared right back at her. She had no problem getting his saddle on to him and he seemed to be OK with that so far... So far.

He was still not taking anyone riding him. Well, she was alone with him. Yes, this was a dumb idea but there were no distractions and with the recent fallen snow, it was quiet... and cold. But quiet was what she had wanted most. Katie talked to Duke a few minutes as she rubbed his neck, her voice at a soothing tone. She patted his neck and then walked around him, still patting his side...his rump and coming back to the other side, making sure she conveyed how much she needed him to trust her. When she thought the time was right, she carefully placed a foot in the stirrup and he pulled away. But Katie held on, still standing in the stirrup and then back down on to the ground... she repeated this several times and did it again on the other side.

She had been so focused on what she was doing, she didn't hear anyone approaching.

Chance heard it though. He started to bark just as a gunshot was heard.

That freaked Duke out who bucked and caught Katie off guard, throwing her off! Landing on the hard ground, Katie had moved away in time before Duke had a chance to step on her. She stood up, maybe a little too fast and she fell back again. She didn't realize blood was oozing down the side of her forehead as she scooted back against the fence and away from Duke.

She felt someone grab her by the shoulders and Chance barking more... that was the last thing Katie remembered before blacking out...

***

With a groan, Katie tried to open her eyes. She realized they were open, it was just dark. She took a deep breath and immediately regretted as she fell into a coughing spell... smoke. She immediately smelled smoke. It filled her lungs and she tried to move but couldn't as her hands were tied behind her back.

She could tell where she was though... in the barn... no horses were there as she had let them out earlier in the day to roam in the small pasture... Katie tried to remain cough but her lungs hurt from the coughing....

 

[BeachBum25]

There was something gratifying to Kevin about pulling the trigger of the gun and taking out Ianucci's driver. He never thought he would feel this way, but taking out a really bad man and an important part of Ianucci's inner circle felt good. He felt like he was doing something good. Of course, that was just a way of rationalizing taking a man's life.

He moved around between flea-bag motels in Denver; plotting how he was going to get Ianucci. He knew it would not be easy. Ianucci would be very careful after his driver was taken out. Kevin had to find a time when he was alone.

To make sure that he had enough money for hotel rooms and food, Kevin picked up a day job once in a while. It was awful work and the pay was even worse. Since the snow came, there were fewer men looking for work, so, the pay went up a little.. you know... supply and demand, but it still wasn't great. It gave him enough money for food and the motels and a little bit of extra cash that he used to give a guy he met in one of the motels to use his beat-up car to get around and do some recon on Ianucci.

The time alone in the motels gave him a lot of time to think. Most of that free time was spent with Katie on his mind. He missed her... a lot. The truth was that he cared more for her than he had ever been willing to admit. He wondered how she was doing. She was on his mind when he woke up in the morning and when he went to bed at night.

He didn't feel like working today. He was just laying in the bed in the motel, deciding whether he should move on to another motel when a thought crossed his mind.... would Ianucci think that Kevin had anything to do with the driver's killing? If he did, he might go after Katie. Now, Kevin's mind raced. Would Ianucci do that?

Picking up the burner phone he had bought, Kevin called Katie.... no answer. It was okay. She was probably out in the barn or in the fields and didn't hear her phone ringing. He called her every 15 minutes... nothing. Figuring Katie might not be answering because she didn't recognize the number, he left her a message, "It's Kevin, just saying hi." He figured she would get the voicemail and then answer his next call.... but no.

Grabbing the gun, he jumped in the junker of a car he was renting from the guy and headed toward Katie's. The driving wasn't easy, because the roads out near Katie's still had some snow on them. As he approached her ranch, Kevin saw smoke rising into the sky.

"What the fuck is that?" He drove faster and when pulling up the drive, he saw the barn... in flames. His first thought was about Ellie and the horses. He rushed toward the barn and, as he did, he saw that the horses were out in the field.

He stopped and looked around. Where was she? where was Katie as her barn is burning down. "SHIT."

Kevin rushed into the barn. It was filled with smoke. He couldn't see anything. "Katie. Katie, are you in here?" He looked around, and then he heard something. He moved in the direction of the sound and he found Katie. He used the knife that Katie had told him he should ALWAYS carry with him when working on the ranch, to cut the ropes that were binding her arms, and then he carried Katie out of the barn.

Sitting her on the hood of the junk car, Kevin used the burner to call the fire department before carrying Katie inside. He made sure that she was okay, and when the paramedics arrived, he turned her over to them. "You go with them and get checked out. I will take care of everything. The horses will be fine."

The barn was another story. That would need to be rebuilt. It wasn't a total loss, but pretty damned close. "Ianucci will pay for this. Not in money, but.."

Kevin watched as Katie was loaded into an ambulance and taken away. He was sure she would need a couple days in the hospital. When Kevin turned around, there was the Sheriff. He wanted to know what happened. "You will have to ask Katie. I found the barn on fire and Katie inside.. tied up. My guess Sheriff is that you have an arson with an attempted murder on your hands. Something a little bigger than you usually get out here."

The Sheriff took notes about what Kevin found and then went to the hospital to speak with Katie. Kevin went to one of the out buildings where extra supplies were kept. He found blankets for the horses and made sure that they were all covered. He talked with Ellie; telling her this was all his fault and apologizing to her for it.

After feeding the horses, he pulled the junk car behind the house and he waited inside. He had a feeling that one of Ianucci's people would come by to check on things. He hoped Ianucci himself would stop by. Kevin sat in a chair near the front door with Katie's shotgun. He had decided to bury the gun he had used on the driver in the woods behind the property. Katie's shotgun would serve him better here.

 

[zydrate]

The Sheriff was now a constant pain in Katie’s neck. He had a deputy there with Katie the entire time. She was admitted overnight not only for the smoke inhalation but also the other slight injuries she had suffered from being tied up and being thrown from a horse. She had a small bump on her head and a broken left wrist.

Perfect.

Many times, the Sheriff had asked who she thought did this. What happened?

Katie told the truth. She wasn’t sure what happened. She wasn’t sure who did this. In her mind, she had her suspicions but couldn’t say for sure.

She didn’t want to say for sure. At least not yet. Right now, she was worried about the horses. Her home…

And Kevin. He had arrived just in time but how?

Damn, there were too many questions and not enough answers. Part of Katie had wanted to blame Kevin for what happened but that was a small part. There was no one to blame but Ianucci in all of this. In her hospital room, Katie studied her new cast. It would need to stay on for a few weeks which put a snag in her plans. There was still a lot to do, especially finding a new home for the horses until a new barn could be built.

She had a lot on her plate now but what she wouldn’t do to just get home and rest. She had already called a few neighbors who would be willing to shelter a couple of horses, including both Charlie and Ellie, until she could figure how long it would take to get something built.

The doctors had told her to rest but she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. Besides, wasn’t this what they wanted to see? To make sure she was OK and could function? Probably not but she wasn’t going to stop now.

***
The next day, Katie was back home. Her brother Noah was there. Apparently, since he was listed as Katie’s emergency contact, the hospital had contacted him and he rushed down from Denver to check on his little sister. Of course, he wasn’t happy when he got to the hospital. He was a doctor after all and had started to direct the staff on what needed to be done.

Katie could tell he wanted to read her the riot act, but he was trying his best to be nice. As he drove Katie back to her place, he wanted to know what happened. She told him half truth as she didn’t want him involved. She knew he was worried but she assured him it was OK, this was just a freak accident.

When they got to the ranch, Katie winced at the site of the burned barn. There was nothing left. She bit her lip and inhaled deeply. She heard Noah curse.

Before anything could be said, Katie saw Chance run toward her and almost bowl her over as he greeted her. He then ran over to Noah and almost did the same. Katie looked around but didn’t see anyone. She thought she had seen a light go off in her house and wasn’t sure if Noah had seen it too. She saw the old junker of a car parked behind where the barn would have been. That must have been what Kevin was driving? So, was it safe to assume he was still here?

Great…that would make Noah have more questions. And Katie didn’t want him involved. It took some doing, but she convinced her big brother she would be OK and that it was OK for him to return to Denver. She’d be OK. She could tell he wasn’t convinced but he agreed… only because he didn’t want to be away from his work too long.

Once he was gone, Katie walked up to the door and entered… “Kevin?” she said in a loud whisper. “I know you’re still here….”

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin made sure to keep an eye on the horses. Chance helped Kevin keep the horses from wandering off. He did not want them to go too far from the house, because of the threat of coyotes. They all had blankets on them to try to keep them warm. Ellie, didn't leave Kevin's side. "I am sorry girl. This is all my fault." She lowered her head to him. It was almost like she was telling him that everything would be okay. "I'm not so sure about that girl. Look at the barn. It is going to take some time for that to get built back."

Every once in a while, Kevin would go inside the house to warm up. He would not stay inside too long, because he wanted to make sure that he was able to keep an eye on and to protect the horses.

After the sun came up, Kevin would stay inside a little longer because he could see the horses from the window. One time, he even decided to sit in a chair and take a short nap. He wanted to make sure he could take care of the horses until Katie was released from the hospital and could come up with a plan.

During one of his trips inside the house, Kevin heard a car in the driveway. He quickly moved to turn off the light. He hoped whoever was approaching didn't see the light. He peeked out, and saw that it was Katie. He didn't know who it was with Katie, but Chance seemed to recognize him and was comfortable with him.

Kevin wondered how he was going to get out of the house without being recognized. He knew that Katie was not going to want to answer questions about him to this guy, whoever he was. Kevin also was not interested in answering any questions.

He moved to the back of the house. He would try to sneak out the back door as they entered through the front. He would wait until he heard them talking in the front room and then make his way out.

Hearing the door open, Kevin moved close to the back door. He didn't hear any conversation, so, he was concerned that the guy would be walking around the house to check things out.

then, he heard Katie's voice. He froze for a second, wondering what gave his presence away. Kevin moved toward the front of the house and peeked around the corner. He came face-to-face with Katie. "I bet you saw the light go off, didn't you?"

He looked her over. "How are you feeling Katie? I am so sorry to have you caught up in this. It is all my fault. I wish there was some way I could fix all of this.... to fix the mess that I brought into your life."

 

[zydrate]

Katie wasn’t sure how to answer Kevin. Instead, she pushed pass him. Although this wasn’t his fault, she had no one else to take her frustrations out on. With a deep breath, she stopped and turned to him, “I’m fine… I just… I need to change, I have to get the horses ready because I have some people coming for all of them.”

As much as she didn’t want to, it had to be done. The horses would be split up with the option for the client to come get their 10 horses or let Katie finish her job but even that was going to be difficult with her injury. But no, she had to do this.

In her bedroom, she quickly changed clothes, putting on a jacket and forcing a leather glove over her hand with the cast. Damnit, this wasn’t going to be easy, but she wasn’t going to just sit back. There was still work to do.

Katie hurried outside. She wanted to see the barn for herself. Stopping in her tracks, she was finally able to get a good glimpse at it. There was literally nothing left. She wasn’t sure whether to pissed off or devasted. Either wouldn’t get her anywhere.

Turning on her heel, she went to the shed where a few extra saddles were kept. She yanked it opened and with her good hand, she dragged a saddle out and tossed it on the ground. Then she grabbed a halter with a bridle attached. She stood and looked around for Ellie, whom she saw by the back of the cabin. With rope in hand, she walked over to Ellie, who stood there as Katie put the loop of the rope around Ellie’s neck and then lead her toward the equipment. She needed to gather up the horses before the volunteers would be there later that morning.

Katie stood over the saddle and knew it was going to be difficult to get it on but she could do it... all she had to do was ignore the throbbing in her wrist and the pain in her head.

 

[BeachBum25]

It was extremely obvious that Katie was pissed off at him. He could honestly say that he understood the way that she felt. She walked past him without saying anything, and then the next thing he knew Katie was going outside.

Even if she was mad at him, she had not told him to go away. This was a mess that he created, so, until she told him to leave, he was going to stay around and do whatever he could do to help Katie out.

Walking outside, he watched Katie. He saw her stop and look at the footprint of the barn with nothing remaining. Then he watched her go to the shed and get the saddle. She was struggling with it, and just tossed it on the ground. Kevin wanted to go over and pick it up for Katie, but he knew how she would react. He could almost hear her say to him, "haven't you done enough?"

As Katie led Ellie to where the saddle laid on the ground, Kevin watched the horse intently. Ellie looked in his direction. It was almost as if she was saying, "don't worry, I will take good care of her." Kevin trusted Ellie. He knew that she would be good with Katie.

Kevin finally had to step in as Katie struggled to pick up the saddle. There was no way she was going to be able to get it on Ellie.... not with the bad wrist. He walked over to Katie and took the saddle from her. He lifted it up and placed it on Ellie. Then, he strapped it on. He did it without saying a word to Katie. He had spoken to her in the house. She was going to have to be the one breaking the silence going forward.

He gave her a leg up and watched as Katie settled into the saddle. Even with a bad wrist, she mounted the horse gracefully. After Katie was settled in, Kevin stepped back. He had done as much as he could with his limited knowledge of what Katie wanted to do with the horses. Now, as Katie rode off, he was going to wait for her to tell him what she wanted him to do. He leaned against the fence and watched. The horses had not wandered too far out into the field, so, it wouldn't take Katie very long to round them up.

 

[zydrate]

Thankfully the horses were used to being herded to the barely standing corral. It wasn't perfect as some of it had some char on it, but it would have to do for now.

As she rounded the horses up, Katie tried to think of a positive about all this. Granted, her almost being killed was not a positive but now... she would have more say into building a new barn? One that could house more horses comfortably. One with better heating in the winter so she didn't have to worry about anything breaking down.

OK, so it was a thought... a far off thought. Where was she going to get the money do all that?

And that made her think of Kevin. She hadn't really talked to him and Katie knew better than to think all this was his fault. No, it was only one person's fault. It had to be him. Who else would it be?

"Kevin, run that rope across that part of the fence!" Katie called out as she went to gather up the last horse... Duke. He wasn't going in willingly.

Stubborn guy.

Having Ellie move up to Duke, Katie carefully and slowly placing the loop of the rope around his neck. She secured the other part around the horn of the saddle...just in case. She grabbed the slack of the rope and gently pulled Duke closer to her. They stared at each other for a moment before Katie spoke to him, "Can we at least be friends? At least for today?"

Duke huffed before looking away toward the other horses.

"I guess you'll think about it.." Katie said, turning Ellie back toward the corral with Duke in tow.

As they got back to the corral, Katie did a quick head count. 12 horses... at least until after Ellie was put back into the mix. Yes, both Ellie and Charlie would be going to one of the volunteers home for now... temporarily, of course.

Sliding off of Ellie, Katie leaned against her. She hadn't realized how exhausted she was. Even with her pounding head and throbbing wrist, she was surprised she did as much as she was able to.

Even with one hand, Katie started the process of untacking the saddle from Ellie. She heard Kevin approach as Ellie moved to him to nudge him, almost knocking Katie over. "You said earlier that this was all your fault... and I want you to know that it's not. I knew what I was getting into by insisting you stay here. I could have told you to leave but I didn't. What happened..." she looked where the barn used to be... at least intact, "is all this Ianucci's fault. Plain and simple. I'm just glad you came back in time..." she knew what she was saying yet it was still hard to say. "I guess you could say we're even... at least in saving each other from dying."

 

[BeachBum25]

"No Katie. we aren't even close. You saved me when I was a total stranger. I saved you from something that I was responsible for happening to you. No Katie, we are far from even."

He rubbed Ellie's neck as he talked with Katie. "I am going to Ianucci. I am going to tell him to leave you alone and find out what it will take for him to leave you alone. I hope your insurance will cover the barn Katie. I truly am sorry for everything."

Kevin walked away, got in the junker and drove off. He had a plan. He had no idea if it would work, but he had to try something.

Sending an email to the FBI office in Colorado Springs, Kevin laid out a little of what he knew about the criminal enterprise being run by Ianucci. He gave them places, dates and people that he was aware of. He let them know about his drug, gambling, prostitution and extortion activities. He gave them a little information... just enough to get them interested. He wanted to hold some back. At the end, Kevin added that he knew that police in Denver were working for and with Ianucci, which was why he was notifying the FBI. he also indicated, although he had no evidence, that the FBI office in Denver may have been infiltrated by Ianucci.

A couple hours later, Kevin received a reply from an agent in Colorado Springs wanting more information. Kevin replied that he would not provide anything else until the FBI had gone out and verified some of what he had already given them. It was Kevin's hope that the FBI poking around would be a message to Ianucci.

Two days later, he received an email from the FBI agent saying they were able to verify some of what Kevin had reported. Kevin didn't respond to the email. Instead, he went to visit Ianucci. It wasn't easy to get to see him, but Kevin was persistent.

"So, you thought I was fucking with you when I told you that I had information that was going to the FBI, didn't you? Well, you probably checked with your sources here in Denver and they told you that you would be okay. Guess what, you fucked up. I am sure by now some of your fucking cronies have let you know that the FBI is sniffing around. You are very welcome. You tried to kill that woman and you burned down her barn, which will probably ruin her business. That is going to cost you. I have a series of emails scheduled to go to the FBI starting 23 hours from right now. Each email provides just a little more information to them. Each one will make them more and more interested in what it is you are doing. One of them, not the first and certainly not the last, will implicate you in the attempted murder and arson out at the ranch."

Kevin had no idea where the balls to do this came from, but he was going through with it. He handed a piece of paper to Ianucci. "On the paper is a bank account number for a recently opened account at First National. Yes, I know you bank there, which will make what you are going to do rather easy. The account has $25 in it. If by the time that first email is scheduled to go out, the balance on the account is $500,025.00, I will stop the email from going out, and as long as the ranch owner and I never see, or hear from you or any of your people again, those emails will not go out and the FBI will back off because they have no more information."

He could see how pissed off Ianucci was. It was making him crazy that some young nobody was telling him what to do. Kevin was showing no signs of backing down. "You little piece of shit. You think you can tell me what to do? You think you can intimidate me? Who the fuck do you think you are?"

Kevin smiled at Ianucci. "I am somebody who is sick and tired of being intimidated and bullied by someone who exploits people. You took advantage of a naive college student to force me to work for you. Then you tried to have me killed because I spoke up to one of your asshole enforcers. Well, guess what, you can keep trying to do your shit with me and with the ranch owner, but it will have the fucking feds so far up your ass that you won't be able to do anything."

Turning to walk out, kevin had enough of Ianucci. "If I ever see your face again, I will start sending the emails. Make sure that you are nowhere near me... and stay away from the rancher. Oh, and by the way, you are down to 22 hours and 30 minutes. Have a nice life."

After leaving Ianucci, Kevin needed to have a drink. The adrenaline rush was wearing off and Kevin thought he was going to have an anxiety attack after what he had just done.

The next morning, Kevin logged onto the account. He wasn't sure what to expect. The account balance was $25. "Fuck."

He went to the hotel lobby and got a cup of coffee. "What the fuck do I do now? How can I pay back Katie?" He took the styrofoam cup up to his room and sat on the bed. he refreshed the account and was shocked at what he saw. Ianucci had done as he was instructed to do.

 

[zydrate]

It was cold. For some reason, the ranch felt colder without the horses and especially without the barn.

Katie sat on the porch, finishing off a beer. She generally wasn't a beer drinker but tonight, she felt she needed one. Her brother had come for another quick visit, mostly to assess her and also get the scoop of what exactly happened that night. Of course, she couldn't lie to him. What would be the point?

She could tell he wanted to tell her she should have known better but he didn't. Instead, he could only do a visual assessment on her wrist and the bump on her head. There were no stitches, just a small bandage in place. Yeah, her head still hurt but the pain of her wrist distracted her from it.

That, of course, made her think of Kevin. Was he OK? What was he planning to do? Would that junker of a car make it where he was going?

She was worried about him. In that moment, she came to the realization that she did care for him... she was concerned for him... Hell, she was worried for him.

Chance was sitting at her feet, looking at her.. almost as if saying "It's cold... let's go inside maybe?"

"OK," she said as she stood up. Once inside, she tossed some more wood into the fireplace and went to her room to change into something comfortable. It had a been a long day and although she didn't do much, she was exhausted. Dinner that night had been pizza her brother had brought with him for his visit. That was fine since Katie was in no mood to cook.

Once she was changed, she came back out into the living room and turned on the TV. The news was on and she watched a bit before she had fallen asleep...

 

[BeachBum25]

Despite the fact that Kevin had convinced Ianucci to put money into his account, he did not trust the man as far as he could throw him. No matter what, Kevin was not finished with Ianucci.

The next morning, Kevin decided to pay a visit to Katie to see how she was doing. There was no doubt that Katie had been harmed physically, mentally and emotionally. That was in addition to the financial harm she had suffered as a result of the barn being burnt down. It hurt him a lot that he brought such pain to Katie. She had done so much for him.

Kevin also had to admit that he had feelings for Katie. For quite a while, he thought those feelings were just because of what she had done for him. He had come to realize, however, that there was more to it than that. He was attracted to Katie.

When he got to the ranch, he walked up onto the porch and knocked on the door. Before Ianucci's intervention, he would just give a little knock and then enter the house. Not now, though.

When she answered the door Kevin said hello to her and waited for her to invite him inside. "How are you doing Katie?"

After some small talk, Kevin handed Katie a cashier's check for all but $25 that was in his newly created account. It was obvious she was in shock and had questions about where the money came from.

Kevin watched as she moved to a chair and sat down. After sitting down she stared at the check and looked up at him.

"I want you to build the barn back... bigger and better. I want you to bring your horses home, and I want you to be able to expand your business beyond the 10 horses that you had here."

He watched Katie. He knew there would be objections.

 

[zydrate]

The next morning, Katie had cleaned up best she could. Thankfully her cast was one that was waterproof and breathable so she was able to take a long, hot shower.

Once she was dried and put her hair up in a messy bun, she remained in some comfortable clothes since she didn't have to do much today. Later, she had wanted to go visit the horses at their respective, temporary homes.

She had just grabbed a bottle of water when there was a knock at the door. Chance perked up from his spot by the fireplace, looking at the door. He tail wagged when she walked to the door and opened it after unlocking it.

Kevin. Katie hoped her relief wasn't too evident as she saw he was still in one piece and unhurt. She actually wasn't sure what to expect with him but his return visit was welcomed.

Katie smiled and invited him in. He asked how she was doing and she shrugged, "I'm OK, I was about to make something for breakfast... did you want to join me?"

Instead of answering, Kevin gave Katie something. She looked at it, hearing tell her that he wanted her to rebuild a bigger and better barn.

The cashier's check was for $500,000.00.

"Wait... what?" She looked over at Kevin, "How..." she shook her head and stood, "No, Kevin... where did you get this?"

Katie was in complete disbelief. No, she couldn't accept this. No, she had to stop and calm down. She wasn't upset, she was just...surprised? Shocked? She was feeling a lot of things, that was for sure.

 

[BeachBum25]

"Katie, sit down and relax... take a breath. Let me make you breakfast and I will explain."

Kevin guided Katie to a chair at the dining room table. "Sit down and take it easy. The money is yours. I will explain everything to you when you settle down."

Going into the kitchen, Kevin put on a pot of coffee, and started to cook. He did not say anything to Katie for a little while. he wanted her to settle down. He didn't want to wait too long, though, because he knew that she would get anxious and want to know all of the details.

While the bacon was cooking, Kevin took Katie a cup of coffee and placed it in front of her. Then he sat down with her. "After what happened here... after the police left and went to the hospital to talk with you, I had made up my mind that Ianucci was going to die. I didn't care if I died in the process, he was going to pay dearly for what he did to you."

After taking a sip of his own coffee, Kevin continued. "As I was planning on how to get him, I thought that there was a better way. I emailed the FBI, not the Denver office, and I gave them just enough information that they would have to send an agent or two and look into it. I made it sound urgent, and I told them I had more information where that came from. Now, it wasn't much that I sent them, but it was enough to get them interested. I also told them that Ianucci had people in the Denver FBI office and in the Denver PD."

Katie was looking at him and listening intently.

"My plan worked. The FBI started snooping around rather quickly. I contacted Ianucci and reminded him of what I told him here that day and that he should not have doubted me. I told him we needed to meet. When we met, I told him what it was going to cost him. I told him I had all of the future emails ready to go to the FBI and that they were set to be sent every week. As long as the money went to the account I set up, which happened to be at the bank he uses, and as long as nothing happened to you, your property or anything to do with you, then I would stop the emails right before they were set to go out. To my surprise, he transferred the money to my account. That money is yours."

Kevin pointed at the check. Jumping up, Kevin ran into the kitchen to keep the bacon from burning. He didn't need to start a grease fire and burn her house down too.

After returning to the dining room table and placing Katie's breakfast in front of her, Kevin smiled down at her. "Use it to build a bigger and better barn. Expand your business. It is an opportunity for you to build your dream. There is enough there that you can have an architect draw up plans and get a builder out here quickly and get back to doing what I know you love to do. There is probably a little there to get materials for me to fix up the fences."

 

[zydrate]

Katie listened to what Kevin was saying about Ianucci. She didn't interject as she wanted to hear it all. In her mind, she was fighting an inner battle. Keep the money or give it back to Kevin...

She knew his intentions were good and as the beef between himself and Ianucci, well, that was something between them...

Until Ianucci brought Katie in on it by hurting her and almost destroying her home. What if the horses had been in the barn when they started the fire? That would have been more devastating than anything. She had also worked hard to get where she was at and she wasn't going to let some jerk like Kevin's former boss take it away from her.

With breakfast in front of her, thanks to Kevin, Katie set the check down on the table and heard Kevin saying that he wanted her to build a bigger barn... to be honest, that was really tempting. It would pay for a lot of time she had loss in training but also, yes, it would be enough to build a bigger place...

"Kevin...." she said, after a few minutes, "I can't. I mean, I appreciate what you went through to get this but I can't take it... I'm sorry. I--" She got up and walked to her room, closing the door behind her. She didn't have the words but this just wasn't right. If she did this... took the money and used it... and Ianucci found out? What would he do then? Katie wasn't sure... and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out. It was all just too risky.

 

[BeachBum25]

Kevin wasn't surprised by Katie's reaction. Disappointed? Yes, he was disappointed that she wouldn't take the check, but he was not surprised. She was hardheaded and would not give in.

When Katie got up from the table and walked to her room and closed the door behind her, Kevin just sat at the table for a little while contemplating his next move. He didn't want the money, and he certainly wasn't going to return it to Ianucci.

Once again, he felt like he had done something to hurt Katie. That had not been his intention... far from it. He really cared about Katie and he had gone out on a limb to try to help her. She, obviously, did not see it that way.

It was at that moment that Kevin decided that the best thing for him to do was to leave. Despite what he had tried to do, he made Katie feel worse. He decided that the only way top help Katie was to go away.

Standing up from the table, Kevin looked down at the check. He shook his head and then turned and walked toward the door, leaving the check right where Katie had left it. He walked out the door, and closed it quietly behind him and then drove away. He drove into Denver, contemplating what his next move would be. Nothing he had done had been the right thing to do.

He found himself pulling up to the bus station in Denver. He parked the car, left the keys in it and went inside. He walked to the counter and asked where the next bus out was going. He was told it was going to Albuquerque. "What the hell is in Albuquerque?" The woman behind the counter just smiled. "Well, I guess I will be.... soon." He paid for the ticket and headed out to the bus which was departing in a few minutes.

***********

A month later, Kevin was making strides in his new life. Kevin worked hard to put his life in Denver behind him. He found a job working in a fulfillment center warehouse. He was able to get an inexpensive apartment, buy an inexpensive car, and start saving a little money. When there was overtime, he took it. He had nothing else to do in New Mexico, so, he worked as much as he could.

As hard as he tried to put Denver behind him, there was one thing in Colorado that he couldn't get out of his mind.... Katie. While he worked, he was able to push her to the back of his mind, but when he was not working, he was always thinking about her. "I guess it is just going to take some time."

He was still worried about Katie. Just to keep Ianucci on his toes, he sent an email to the FBI letting them know that they should probably ask Ianucci about his involvement in the arson and attempted murder that took place in Evergreen. They wouldn't be able to prove anything against Ianucci, but it might be enough to keep him away from Katie.

 

[zydrate]

There were times when Katie would be doing something and she would just think of Kevin. It had been over a month an half since he left... actually, Katie didn't think of it as him leaving. She thought of it more as she had pushed him away. He had tried to do something to help her and she just flat out rejected it. That cashier's check was in a book on the bookshelf in the cabin. She hadn't thrown it away nor has she cashed it. It still didn't feel right to do so.

She tried to put him out of her mind by concentrating on getting better. After a month and a half, her cast had been removed but she still had some rehab to get done in order to be at 100%.

Although her first attempt at training horses hadn't gone as expected, the company had been impressed with what she had done so far and had insisted she finish up at their stables. It was an hour's drive each way every morning, but she didn't mind. She had to delegate some of the training to staff which was what she had been planning on doing anyway as time went on.

There was only horse among the 10 that did NOT want to take to training at all. That was Duke. And that was OK. Some horses just weren't meant to be tamed. Even though it added to her debt, Katie had asked if she could keep Duke, only because if wasn't earning the stable money, then he would have been shipped off someplace and she couldn't see that happen to him.

Katie had a small, 4 horse barn built in place of what was there before. Yes, it was smaller but it was all she could afford for now. Perhaps later, she could easily have something added on but for now... it would have to do.

 

[BeachBum25]

Work had helped to keep Katie off his mind, but there was so much free time that she always creeped into his head and he was unable to shake her. He wondered how she was doing. He wondered if Ianucci was leaving her alone. Sometimes Kevin wished he had just done the same thing to Ianucci that he had done to his driver.

Every day that Kevin went to work was the same. It felt like he was in the movie Groundhog Day. The only difference was that he couldn't do anything to change the way things went. Or could he?

This was not what he had gone to school for. What he had done at Katie's ranch was more along the lines of what he wanted to do. There were times when he thought about going back to Evergreen and trying to work things out with Katie and get her to build the barn that would help expand her business. He knew she hadn't done anything with the check... actually, she probably just tore it up. She was so stubborn.

********************

It was now three months since he had left the ranch, and Kevin was getting more and more miserable every single day. There was nothing for him in Albuquerque. In fact, he had less money now because he had decided to go to the International District after getting off the previous day. What a big mistake that was. There was nothing international about it. There was, however, a group of thugs that decided they wanted everything Kevin had. They took his money, his watch, his wallet and his keys. Now he didn't have a car. The police told him if they found it that it would probably be burned out.

On the bus ride back to his apartment, Kevin made a decision. "I need to go talk to Katie. if she won't take me back then I will have to find work on a ranch somewhere else. I can't do this anymore."

 

[zydrate]

"I understand and I'm sorry again Mr. Boyd... yes, I know... I got that..." Katie sighed as she looked out the window of her cabin. She was staring at the horses in the small pasture beyond the barn. She was mostly looking at Duke... he had been a handful since taking him on. It seemed early this morning, he kicked part of the fence down that separates Katie's property and Boyd's property... again! Only in a different spot...

"I will get on fixing it in a few minutes, once the supplies get here-" She heard a click on the other side and she looked at her phone. He ended the call on her.

Hell, she'd probably be mad too if someone's horse kept destroying her property...well, in a way she was upset but that didn't mean she was going to take it out on Duke. No... she'd just have to work with him more.

It had been what? 2 months and he wasn't making any progress? Katie had the bumps and bruises to prove it. When she had the vet over to check up on the horses, Duke had almost knocked the vet's head off. Luckily he was fast and moved out of the way in time.

Katie sighed... what was she going to do with him?

In a good way, she was glad to be dealing with Duke's behavior... it kept her from thinking about Kevin. How was he doing? Where was he? She hoped she would be able to see him again some day soon. Again, she could have called him but then again, he could have called her.

Before she could think about it anymore, a horn blared and she grabbed a long sleeve button up. She would be taking the supplies to the where Duke had knocked the fence down and start repairs.

***
It was late in the afternoon when Katie started to drag the panels from the small trailer hitched to the back of the jeep. She was able to get 3 of them down before she looked to assess the damage. She only ended up sighing at the site and started to get to work. If she did it fast enough, she'd be done before dark.

 

[BeachBum25]

Using some of the money that he saved up, Kevin bought a used pick-up. Instead of riding a bus back the almost 500 miles to Evergreen, Kevin decided he would drive. It would save a lot of time. The only thing he would have to stop for was food and gas, and he wouldn't need much food for the 6-7 hour drive. The truck would come in handy once he got back to Evergreen, also. It would give him something to get around in without having to rely on Katie. That was, if she would welcome him back to the ranch.

The drive was uneventful. He left Albuquerque before the sun came up. He wanted to get as much driving done while people were still asleep, therefore having less traffic to contend with. It was a good decision. At times he was the only one on the road. It made for an easy drive.

He spent a lot time thinking about Katie during the drive. How would he be received by her? Would the check still be a problem between them? It seemed that his attempt to help her had just driven a wedge between them. He had no idea how things would go, but he was sure he needed to give it a shot.

When he pulled up the drive to Katie's house, he did not see Katie's jeep. He parked near the front door and looked at the new barn. It was small. Obviously, Katie had not used the money from Ianucci. The barn was very nice, but it would severely limit Katie's ability to grow her business. He didn't enter the barn, because he wasn't sure if Katie would welcome that, but he did look inside. He saw Ellie, who also saw him and started to get excited. "Hey girl. I will stop in and see you in a little while. I have to make sure Katie is okay with it first."

Then he walked back toward the house; looking out into the fields. He saw someone out along the fence line. Then, he saw Katie's jeep. He made his way out toward her, and as he got closer, he could see that Katie was working to repair the fence bordering the neighbor's property.

As he got closer, he called out, "Hey there. Do you need any help with that?"

 

[zydrate]

Before Duke, Katie had never fixed a fence before… but now, she thought she was getting pretty good at it. Perhaps, she could do this to relax?

Hell, who was she kidding? She’d be back later, she knew that for sure if Duke continued to act up like this.

In her mind, she thought of what else she could be doing with Duke in order to make progress with him. She thought of calling her father for some advice but didn’t want to do that only because he would make it his business and tell her to get rid of that horse. Nothing like this prepared Katie on how to handle it.

Perhaps she could turn him into a bucking bronco for the rodeos? He’d be hell of a match but no, she had seen the rodeo scene before and it didn’t impress her. Besides, it was strictly a man’s world, that was for sure. At least that’s what she took from it.

Katie was so deep in her thoughts that when she heard someone ask her if she needed help, she just shook her head and turned to look at the voice, “No thanks, Mr. Boyd, I said I’d fix it and I---" that’s when Katie stopped.

“Kevin?” she said. Katie was speechless. She was also paralyzed from shock... it was him?! They were only a couple of feet from each other and Katie couldn’t decide whether to greet him with a smile or punch him for leaving. She decided that he didn’t deserve the latter… instead, Katie dropped the hammer and walked over to him as they were face-to-face. “Do you even know how to fix a fence?” She asked quietly.

 

[BeachBum25]

Who was she talking to? She told Mr. Boyd she would fix it? Mr. Boyd was the miserable guy next door that always complained about the horses being close to his property.

Then, Katie realized it was him that asked her if she wanted any help. He watched as she walked toward him. She was walking with attitude. he wondered if he was about to get hit. Well, at least she had already dropped the hammer.

"Hello Katie. No, I do not know how to fix a fence, but I am sure that I can figure it out. If I can't figure it out, you can tell me what to do and I will just be the manual labor that gets it done. Sound like a plan?"

Without waiting for an answer, Kevin went over and picked up the hammer. He looked at the fence and the panels that Katie had to repair it. "Okay, I think that we can do this." He didn't wait for a response from Katie. he just went to work. Eventually, Katie started giving him directions, and with her brains and his brawn they were able to get the fence repaired.

After loading the remaining supplies and the damaged pieces of fence onto the trailer, Kevin looked to Katie. I will meet you up by the barn and unload the trailer for you." He walked back to the barn after Katie drove away, and put all of the items where Katie instructed. The damaged fence pieces went behind the barn, where Kevin noticed some other pieces. Apparently this wasn't the first time Katie had to replace some fence.

Once they were finished, he looked to Katie. "I like the new barn. You did a nice job with it. What are you doing about your business, though?" He could see the dirty look from Katie. "Well, would it be okay if I went in and said hello to Ellie? I saw her when I got here, and she wasn't happy that I didn't go in to say hello to her, but I told her that I needed to ask you first to make sure you were okay with me being in the barn."

 

[zydrate]

"Of course you can say hello to her... she missed you too." Katie wanted to say she missed him too but didn't think it would be appropriate... or would it?

No... he asked about her business and of course, she didn't say anything. She wasn't sure about it yet so that was why she was quiet about it even though it was something that was always on her mind...

As they entered the barn, Ellie perked up at the sight of Kevin and that made Katie smile. As Kevin went to Ellie, Katie walked up to Duke and sighed. She reached out to his harness and looked him in the eyes, "Are you ever going to be good?" she whispered to him. His response was to pull away by yanking his head back hard and backing further into the stall.

Katie sighed again as she turned to Kevin and Ellie, "The business is on hold for now.. I'm trying to figure out what to do with it.. so..." She shrugged and walked to him. She reached out to pet Ellie, "What about you? Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad you're back... are you going to stay? Because I only have the couch if you're OK with that... I would like if you stayed."

Did she just say that? Yes... she did... it was true. She wanted him to stay... if even for a few days because she wanted time to talk to him, get things clear between them.

 

[BeachBum25]

Ellie leaned her head down and nudged him as Kevin approached her. He rubbed Ellie's neck and watched as Katie approached Duke. Kevin remembered Duke being a wild one, and he saw that things hadn't changed. Kevin whispered to Ellie, "I bet you could teach Duke over there a few things, couldn't you girl?" He watched as Duke pulled away from Katie.

Kevin was disappointed to hear that Katie's business was on hold. He thought about the money from Ianucci, and he really wished she would use it, however, he knew better than to say anything about it right now. If he stayed around, he knew it would come up, eventually.

"I went away for a while because I felt that I was bad for you. Ever since you found me, bad things happened to you. Hell Katie, I almost got you killed. I went to the bus station and got on the first bus out.. I didn't care where it was going. I ended up in New Mexico. The entire time there, all I could think about was you. I was worried about you, and, finally, i decided I had to come back just to make sure you were okay."

He was a little surprised to hear Katie say that she would like it if he stayed. "Are you sure you want me to stay Katie? There isn't much for me to do around here right now. Well, other than help you with stubborn, old Duke over there. I would have to go out and get a job somewhere, and I have no idea what I would do."

Then, he tried to break the tension a little bit. He smiled at Katie. "Well, I guess I could always go see if Ianucci would hire me to do something." As soon as he said it, he regretted it. He could see the look on Katie's face. "I'm sorry Katie. I was just trying to make a joke. It was a bad decision."

 

[zydrate]

"New Mexico?" Katie said, refraining from making a face. Even though it was just the next state over, she'd never been. She could only imagine where Kevin had gone in New Mexico. But now.. he was here again Katie could admit to herself that she was glad he was back. She had missed him... and she could see the way Ellie was behaving, Ellie missed him too... probably moreso...

She reached over and petted Ellie, who was eating up the attention she was getting. She listened to what Kevin had said about almost getting her killed. She knew he probably had questions about whether or not she had used the check... which she still had hiding in a book on her bookshelf. "It wasn't you who took a shot at me, Kevin... it wasn't you who burned the barn down.. but, it was you that had saved me from being killed from the fire." She sighed, "And of course, I want you to stay. I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it. We all missed you and things around here haven't been the same."

When he mentioned Ianucci, Katie glared at him as he apologized. Without hesitation, she punched his arm, "Not funny." She said, before laughing under her breath. They were quiet a moment before she spoke again, "I would like it if you stayed... Like I said, all I have for the moment is the couch."

"Come on, it's still early but I haven't eaten yet... we can talk some more over an early dinner if you're up to it?"