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© 2009, Christy Poff Reviews For THE HASTINGS SAGA Book 3: WINDS OF LIFE, ALEXA by Christy Poff No reviews posted yet. Sample Chapter For THE HASTINGS SAGA Book 3: WINDS OF LIFE, ALEXA by Christy Poff April 1866 Andrew Hastings sat alone on the porch, much as he had every day for the past two months, still deep in his world of loneliness and grief. It hit him that the days kept coming while the nights grew longer and lonelier. Unable to stop mourning her passing, his grief took over more of his life than he wanted. The time seemed endless. Adam Cole worried about his friend. He went downstairs after giving Ty and Tori their monthly check-ups and saw Andrew sitting on the porch rocking, his mind off somewhere else. He tried making some noise so he wouldn’t startle his friend. “Andrew…” “What, Adam?” “Just thought you’d like to know the twins are doing fine. No problems at all.” “That’s fine, Adam,” he said absently, obviously distracted. “Should I leave?” “I don’t care. No! I don’t know!” Adam could see Andrew sat on the verge of breaking down and losing to his feelings of devastating loss. “Do you want to talk?” “Why? You, of all people, know I’m nothing without her. I feel like I died that day as well.” “And what did she tell you?” “What?” “She told you to go on and live life to the fullest. Jessie would hate seeing you like this knowing her death caused you pain. In fact, if she could, I think she’d kick your sorry ass for the way you have been acting of late. You have four kids dying for your attention. Jack’s been running the stock on his own and is afraid he may have lost your friendship.” “Why?” “You haven’t said two words to him in the past few weeks, Andrew. Randolph said you haven’t been by to get the mail lately and it’s backing up to the point he’s threatening to charge room rates until you pick it up,” he told him, trying to make a joke. “Caitlyn wrote me saying you haven’t answered any of her letters. She needs to talk to you!” “Why?” “You know why. You need to help her understand what’s happened.” “How can I when I don’t?” Andrew asked, furiously. “Thank God! Emotion!” Andrew looked at him, wondering what he meant. “It’s about time you came back to us.” Andrew looked at him, his sapphire blue eyes dark with rage. How can he talk to me this way? He finally realized Adam meant to be his friend, his Devil’s Advocate of years before. “I’ve been a jerk, haven’t I?” “No. You’re a man, deeply in love with his wife who now has a chance to be at peace if you let her.” “What do you mean?” “Live, Andrew. Raise the kids, run the ranch, travel to see Chamberlain, even go to…” “Where?” “The contessa’s ranch and help her out.” “But, Adam…” “I’ll go with you, if you want. Jack already said he’d watch the ranch and the kids. Besides, I want to meet the guy who mistreated my best patient.” Andrew looked at him. “Trust me, it’ll do you good to get away from here. You’ll come back, ready to take on your life again.” Andrew looked at Adam. Thank God for
friends. For a man whose reputation had been cool under fire and for
having a good, level head, he acted anything but, though Adam and Jack
had stuck by him, no matter what, and here he sat acting like a total
bastard. “If he’s not in the barn, he’ll be down in the lower pasture. Seems one of the cows is ready to calf.” “I know which one. Thanks.” Adam watched Andrew head toward the barn. The horses grazed in their paddocks after being put out earlier to enjoy the spring morning. Satan and Intimidator both approached him, a section of fencing separating them. Having not ridden since shortly after the funeral, he rubbed their necks and apologized for being away. He led his white stallion out of the gate and saddled him. The custom-made saddle had arrived a few months back, being late due to the silver work he’d ordered. A perfect fit, he cinched it and mounted up. Riding out of the barn, he decided to cut time and go through the meadows. “Ready?” He circled around and, after gaining speed, Intimidator took the jump like it’d been nothing. Watching from the porch, Adam marveled at the beauty of horse and rider, knowing he’d made the right decision when he gave Andrew the magnificent steed. Andrew praised the horse, patting and stroking his neck. Together they rode hard to get to the outer forty acres where the stock had been the past month. No one knew Andrew had been in the office late into the night, keeping up with the goings-on and the dealings of the ranch. He’d made notes on various things including telling Jack to buy the property next to them when it went up for sale. He knew Jack would handle it and all he’d have to worry about would be signing the final papers. Andrew knew the decision to partner with him had been sound and Jack had never let him down. Now he raced to heal a wound he’d caused and hoped he wouldn’t be too late. Andrew felt better than he had since Jessie’s death. The wind in his face seemed to be some sort of cure, but then riding had always done that for him. He spurred the horse a little, Intimidator at full gallop. They came upon a felled tree and cleared it then the fence for the field he wanted. Jack sat on a boulder while Callie grazed a few feet away. He heard the thundering beats of the approaching horse, looking toward the sound surprised to see Andrew. He looked back at the herd, unsure of the moment. Andrew slowed Intimidator to give him a chance to catch his breath and start easing up. He came to a stop before the man closer to him than any brother could’ve ever been. Sitting astride the horse, he looked at Jack with the knowledge of how much he must be hurting over her passing but even more so at the way Andrew had treated him. An uneasy silence settled between the two men. “I owe you one hell of an apology, Jack. You’ve been doing a fantastic job for me and I’ve been told I haven’t said more than two words to you in the last month. I know what you’ve been doing and I thank you for it. I’ll sign the papers on the acreage when we go back.” Jack kept looking ahead, afraid to look at his friend. “Adam told me I’ve been a rotten bastard. Jack, I am so very sorry and I’m deeply indebted to you. Talk to me, hit me, do something!” Jack stood up, turned and looked at Andrew, sadness in his eyes. He looked away again and sat down. Andrew dismounted and went over to sit next to him. “You know my background from Philadelphia. You know you are my only family. The last month, you’ve made me feel like the first day I ever met you. You’ve been so rapt up in your grief for Jessie that you ignored the rest of us. I realize how much you loved her. Hell, we all did but you’ve got to…” “Jack, I know. That’s why I came out here.” “What?” “I’m sorry I’ve been consumed in grief. It may take a while to get out of this, I don’t know. You know as well as anyone how much she meant to me. You know more about my history than anyone save Adam. Hell, you two know more about me than even Jessie did. Jack, I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. I owe you so much and had no right to treat any of you the way I have been. I can’t help it. My life is over!” “No, it isn’t! You’ve got four little ones who need you. Jessie died trusting you to take care of them. I’m depending on you to run the ranch and…” “I get the point. I have one question though.” “And…” “Can you forgive me? If you don’t, I guess I’ll understand…” “Of course, General Hastings,” he said, extending his hand to his friend. They shook. “My God, he’s getting formal with me again,” Andrew said before laughing, the first time in a long while he’d let himself relax enough to actually laugh and, surprisingly, it felt good. He actually noticed the sun shining and the beautiful day. Jack checked the herd and found the cow he’d been keeping an eye on ready to give birth. She acted odd though and he guessed she might be in distress. “Want to help with the calf, boss?” “Let’s go!” Andrew got a rope from his saddle and joined Jack. The calf had started coming out but became stuck. They tied the rope around the calf’s hooves with the other end attached to the horn on the saddle. Intimidator stood the rope holding it taut. They pulled some, helping the calf’s birth. Finally, the newborn had been delivered, now taken care of by its mother. It tried to stand up a bit later and, though wobbly, it did. Andrew grinned, happy as warmth ran through him. He’d helped bring this new life into being and couldn’t describe the feelings going through him. Is my life beginning again? Is this a sign from my Angel? “Andrew, are you all right?” Jack asked. “Better than you know. Trust me,” he answered, grinning. “Come on, let’s go get something to eat.” Jack knew Andrew, while not quite one hundred percent, could start to go on with his life now and help with Sarah, John, Tori and Ty. Now, the rest of them could get on with their own lives. He looked up to the sky, saying a quiet Thank you. Andrew retrieved his rope and replaced it on his saddle then mounted Intimidator to wait for Jack. Jack mounted Callie and the two of them rode back to the upper meadow. “You’ve done a hell of a job in the last month or two. Thanks!” “Not a problem. You said you’re ready to sign the papers on the other property?” “Anytime now.” “Good.” “Question? How well does Callie jump?” “I don’t think as well as Intimidator.” “Let’s see,” Andrew said, Jack amazed at Andrew’s complete turnaround. They took off and while Callie didn’t jump as well as Intimidator, she held her own. They ran up the field to the meadow, cleared the last fence and then slowed to let the horses ease into a slower gait. Once back at the barn, they removed the saddles and put them on the rack in the tack room. Andrew looked at her saddle, a twin to Satan’s and felt an emptiness from knowing they would never ride together again. He looked over at Duchess and figured exactly how he’d handle his next task. “Jack, could you saddle Duchess and Satan?” “Sure, why?” “You’ll see.” Andrew left Jack wondering what might be going through his mind. Jack saddled the two and brought them up to the house. * * * * Andrew entered the house and headed straight upstairs to his daughter’s room. Sarah sat by the window playing with the doll he’d gotten her in Austin. He went over to sit on the floor next to her. “Hey, Sam.” “Hi,” she quietly said, afraid to look up. In her own way, she feared she might be dreaming. She hadn’t had her father’s attention for a very long time. “Sam, it’s okay. You can look at me.” “Daddy?” “I’m here!” He held out his arms to her and she went to him. She’d wanted this more than anything and now her father held her again. His little girl had grown old enough to know something had happened while too young to understand everything that’d gone on. Andrew held her close, hugging and kissing her then tried to explain things and reassure her he’d be there for her if she needed him. “I love you, Daddy!” “I love you too, my little Angel. Come here, I have a surprise for you.” “What?” she asked, her eyes sparkling. “You’ll see.” He led her out of the house to where Jack waited with Satan and Duchess then helped her mount up as Jack watched. “Does my daughter know how to ride, I wonder?” “Yes, Daddy. I do!” “Show me, then,” Andrew said as he mounted Satan. “But, Daddy…” “Show me you can ride, Sam.” With a slight hesitation, she urged Duchess to a gentle gait. Andrew followed her, proud of his daughter. She urged her mother’s horse to go faster, Satan keeping pace. By the time they stopped, Andrew found she’d led him to the overlook. “Sam, are you all right?” he asked as they dismounted. “Yes, Daddy, I wanted to see her grave. I miss her so much!” She picked some wildflowers and placed them at the base of the headstone. “So do I. I’m sorry I’ve not been the father you’ve needed since she died. I had trouble handling her not being with me so I just shut everyone around me out of my life. Can you forgive me?” She went to him, hugging him. “I love you, Daddy!” “Remember I mentioned a surprise?” She nodded, her eyes sparkling. “What would you say if I said Duchess is yours?” “Mine?” “I think your mama would like that. You’ll have to take care of her but I think you can handle it.” “Thank you, Daddy! I promise I will!” She hugged him again. “Why don’t you keep the saddle as well?” His daughter grinned and promised she
would take care of both her new treasures. “Go ahead and start back and I’ll be right behind you.” She smiled, urging her horse on. He watched Sarah leave him, looking at a very mature five-year-old. She had grown so much in the past month and he realized he’d been part of the reason. Andrew turned back to his wife’s grave. He hadn’t been back since the day of the second funeral service when he’d sunk into a tailspin after finding the cottage and facing their empty, lonely house. “I’m sorry, Angel! I haven’t been a very good father or friend. I couldn’t handle your leaving me, at least until today. I hope you don’t mind Sam having Duchess now but it seems right. I hope I’ve started to repair some of the damage I’ve caused. At least, Jack and I have straightened things out, I hope.” He took another deep breath. “I found the cottage. You really did it up beautifully. I’m sorry we never got the chance to enjoy it together as you wanted. I’ve been there once or twice since I found it. Somehow, I feel close to you at that place, like I feel now.” He paused a moment and went on. “I’d better catch up with our daughter. I love you, Angel!” Wiping tears from his eyes, he put his hat back on and mounted Satan. He and Satan took off to catch up with Sarah. They rode back to the house where Jack met them and took the reins of both horses. “Are you all right?” “Let’s put it this way. I’m better but I’ll never be all right. Where’s Adam?” “He went into town. Said something about saving you rent?” Andrew snickered and explained the meaning of his friend’s words. “Your father-in-law is threatening to charge me for keeping all my mail. It seems to have spent the last few weeks piling up. I owe him an apology.” “No, you don’t. He understands more than you know. He went the same route you have when Heather’s mother died. He’s offered to help in any way he can, if you want him to.” “Maybe I’ll take him up on his offer.” “What’s next?” “I’ve got to talk to John and see the twins. Let me know when Adam gets back.” “Sure, boss!” Andrew smiled at this. “You don’t know how good that sounds. Thanks for being my friend, Jack.” “I told you, you’re the brother I never had. Besides, I figured if anyone got to beat you up over the way you’ve been acting, Adam’s the best one to do it.” “You’re right on that.” Andrew excused himself and went upstairs while Sarah remained downstairs with Jack. He found Rachel with the twins and John lying on his bed. “John, what’s up?” His son looked at him, jumped down from the bed and ran to his father’s waiting arms. Andrew picked him up and hugged him, holding him tight. “How’s my son doing?” “Good!” he answered, smiling. Andrew did his best to try to make his son feel safe and secure. Andrew knew at John’s young age, he didn’t understand the reasons why his mother had gone with the angels. Andrew looked back on his own life to help him and the rest of them get through it all. He picked his son up again and took him over to the window and, as they looked out at the horses, Andrew told John some of what had happened to him when he first did reports. He told his son different happenings and about different men and places plus other things he saw while moving to the rocking chair. Sitting down, he rocked and John quickly fell asleep. He held his son, kissing his forehead. Andrew wondered how he’d been so fortunate to be blessed with four wonderful children. Did I ever tell Jessie how much they mean to me? Cautiously getting up, he took John over to his bed and covered him then pulled the drapes a little, dimming the bright sunlight slightly. Next, he went to the nursery. * * * * Rachel saw him come in and stared at him, this the first time he had been to see the twins since the death of his wife or so she thought. “Andrew, how are you?” “Better but I still have a long way to go. From what I’ve seen, you’ve done a hell of a job for me and I’m very appreciative for everything. I apologize for my actions and I hope to do more than I’ve done the past two months.” “There’s no need to apologize. It’s just really good to see you like this. Have you seen…” “Sarah? Yes, in fact, she’ll tell you I’ve given her Jessie’s mare. I just rocked John to sleep so you don’t have to worry about his nap this afternoon—now for these two. Just to let you know, I’ve checked on these two precious ones every night. I’ve held them when they cried and rocked them back to sleep.” She looked at him, puzzled. “I guess because they’re too young to ask me any questions, I felt safe.” “I think I understand,” she said. “Why don’t you take a break?” “You’re sure?” “Very.” Rachel left them, happy to see life back in his eyes. The sparkle had returned to the darkness of the blue sapphire as it seemed their brilliance had turned to onyx since Jessie died but now Rachel saw a glimmer. |