Chapter 1

“O Romeo, Romeo! Wherefore art thou Romeo?” Jamie called as he repaired the fence and then quickly looked around to make sure no one else had heard.

As Victoria drove through the desert her thoughts ran wild. She had taken a big chance by leaving her life in South Bend and heading out west to a town that she had never been to before, full of people she didn’t know. But after all, that’s what she wanted, just to get away from her past.

She had read a story about how Valentine, Texas got its name and that was the main reason she picked this town. The story said that railroaders named the town when they stopped there on Valentine’s Day back in 1882. They thought it would be fun to send valentines to their sweethearts from there but the only problem with that was there was no post office there yet. However, in 1886 a post office did open and made it possible for others to send their sweetheart’s mail post marked Valentine. Victoria thought that story was just too sweet. Well it beat the heck out of the other towns she could choose from, Dry Gulch and Roundhead. So, Valentine Texas won out and she was almost there.

The little Mustang buzzed on down the stretch of road and Victoria admired the view. With the radio playing softly in the background she continued to tell herself this was a smart move. She was getting closer to Valentine and might even be early for her appointment with Mr. Wulmuth, the real estate agent she was working with. Another moment of doubt washed over her. Was she seriously thinking about buying a house here with only a temporary job offer? Yes, yes, she was, no matter what happened here she was not going back to Indiana. Just then Bakerstreet started to play on the radio. Victoria loved that song, it fit all her moods. As she turned up the song, she started to sing along.

Well another crazy day you’ll drink the night away and forget about everything.

This city desert makes you feel so old,

Victoria’s blonde hair was blowing in the wind and she was actually smiling when suddenly there was an enormous bull standing right in the middle of the road. She swerved, hit the ditch and went through a fence. She had passed out when she hit her head, so she had no idea that her rental car was on fire.

Jamie Way had watched the accident but could do nothing to prevent it. Now all he could think was to get that woman out of her car before it exploded. He tapped his walkie-talkie twice and then spoke into it.

“Hank, I need help, there’s been a wreck, call the rescue and get over here right away. I’m two miles east of the main gate. Hurry!”

“Copy that, I’m on my way.”

Jamie was almost afraid to move her from the wreck, but he knew her car could explode anytime. He could smell gasoline and there was already a fire burning under her hood. But by the time he had reached her car it was too late; the interior was already in flames. He could see there was no other choice. With one swift move, he scooped her from the burning car and carried her to the ditch. She had some burns and so did he but at least she was alive. As the car exploded, he laid across her to deflect anything flying from the explosion.

Hank arrived in a jeep just as her car exploded and for one brief moment Hank panicked. He did not see Jamie anywhere. But just as the panic started to set in Jamie stood up and called to him.

“Hank, over here, she’s burnt pretty bad and has a couple broken bones. How long till Rescue gets here?” But as those words came out of his mouth, his ears heard the sirens. Burnt, broken and bloody, he held her waiting for the squad.

Once she was stable and put in the unit, the EMT insisted that Jamie go too.

“Jamie, I’m not going to argue this one with you. Now I’ve treated your burns, but I want you to get in the unit and let a doctor check you out or I’ll ask the Sheriff to drive you in.”

“This is silly, I’ll be fine. I have a lot of work to do and now I have to chase down that stupid bull.”

“Jamie, I’ll go get Romeo, fix the fence and take Santa Fe back to the stables. Get in that unit and get your sorry excuse to the hospital. If you don’t go now, I’ll call Elizabeth.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Jamie said moving toward the rescue unit. Hank only smiled.

“I’ll be in to the hospital as soon as I can. I’ll get a couple of the guys to help with the fence, so it won’t be long.”

The rescue unit sped away with lights and sirens going and Hank watched hoping his best buddy and the woman that he saved would both be ok. By the time the car fire was out, there really wasn’t much of the little Mustang left. The Sheriff took what was left of her belongings and the license plate number to figure out who this woman was. She had carried a piece of paper with directions and John Wulmuth’s name on it.

The ride in the unit was about an hour. The closest hospital that could handle burns was Big Bend Memorial Hospital in Alpine. As Jamie watched the unconscious woman who lay before him, he wondered about her. She was a stranger to these parts. He knew almost everybody for miles around. He had spent his whole life on this ranch and had never regretted a single moment of it until now. He had been lonely for a long time but until right now he hadn’t known it. Even though her face was burnt, there was something about her that pulled at him. Maybe he was just feeling guilty and blaming himself for letting Romeo get out while he fixed the fence. If that damn bull had not been on the road this woman would have driven right on by him and he might never have met her. No, there was something about her. For just a moment she opened her eyes and looked up at him. They were green, not any ordinary green but a perfect shade of grass green. He had never seen eyes that color before. Usually they were hazel or a green with brown in them but just as he was getting lost in the color, she reached out and touched his hand. Before he could react, she had passed out again.

At the hospital, he was treated and released. But he was in no hurry now to leave. He needed to know more about this woman. He had to make sure that she would be all right. He wanted to see her again, but the doctors wouldn’t let him. She would soon be going into surgery for her broken leg. She had also broken her arm and a rib or two, but they did not need surgery. They had already set her arm and had wrapped her ribs, but the leg and burns needed more. While he waited, there was a commotion at the nurse’s station. Of course, it was Hank and he had Elizabeth with him. She was demanding to know where Jamie was.

When he stood and called to them, both were relieved to see that he looked ok.

“Jamie, are you alright?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes mom, I’m fine. Just a couple burns on my arms and a cut on my back from something when the car exploded. I’ll be fine.”

“What about the woman?” Hank asked.

“Well I’m not sure. She is in surgery right now. They may have to put a pin in her leg. Her right arm is broken, and she has cracked a few ribs. But I’m really concerned about the burns. I feel so bad about the accident. If I hadn’t let Romeo get out while I was fixing that damn fence none of this would have happened.”

“Honey it was an accident. That road doesn’t see ten cars down it a month. It was just bad timing but good luck that you were there to save her.”

Just then the Sheriff appeared.

“Jamie, Mrs. Way, Hank.” He said tipping his hat. “We have a name on the young lady. Victoria Thatcher, she is from South Bend, Indiana.”

“What the devil was she doing clear out here?” Hank asked.

“Well from what I get from John Wulmuth, she is moving here. She had an appointment to meet John to look at the Marlow place.”

Just then the doctor appeared and nodded to the Sheriff.

“Are you discussing the accident victim?” He asked.

“Yes, any news?”

“We now have a name on her, it is Victoria Thatcher.”

“Good, I take it there are no family members here?” The doctor asked.

The Sheriff nodded.

Well then, we’ll need to find some. She came through the surgery for her leg just fine. She is strong and healthy, and the break was clean, so we didn’t even pin it. Her burns are bad and I’m hoping we won’t need to do any grafting, but she is going to need someone to take care of her and it may be a long recovery. She will stay here for about a week but then she will be released and need lots of care. We have bandaged her face to keep the burns from infecting and they will need to change those regularly, after the fear of infection is over, we will remove the bandages and let the air get to it and that should help heal it faster. Her arm is in a cast and in about six to eight weeks that will come off, and she will need some physical therapy. The leg however; that will take longer to heal, and the therapy will be much more intense. The only real problem I can for see right now is if the young lady is right handed.”

“Why is that a problem Doc?” Hank asked.

“Most people who are right handed use that hand for everything, like eating and other important things.”

Hank felt like a fool. “Of course, what was I thinking?”

“She will need some serious care for a while Sheriff, so I suggest you find some family member or someone to care for her or we will release her to the nursing home.”

“Ok Doc, I’ll start placing some calls.” Sheriff Tubber said.

“That won’t be necessary Sheriff,” Elizabeth said, “She’ll be staying with us.”

Jamie smiled and nodded. “Yes of course, she’ll be staying with us.”

Elizabeth hadn’t offered to take the woman in because she thought it was their responsibility, or even because she thought no one else would, she said it because she saw the look in Jamie’s’ eyes. She had never seen that look on Jamie’s face before. Lucas had looked at her like that when they were young, so she knew what it meant.

Every evening for the next week Jamie finished his duties at the ranch, showered, ate dinner and drove that 60 miles in to the hospital to see how Victoria was doing. The first two evenings she was pretty drugged up. She had pain and they were giving her medication to help her sleep. But on the third evening she was awake and able to talk. He had explained who he was and what had happened. He apologized about Romeo being on the road and explained that he would do anything he could to help her get better.

“Is there someone we can call for you?” He had asked almost hoping she would say no. Although her face was nearly covered with bandages, he could see her eyes, and the sadness that reflected in them from his question, was so painful, that he almost cried. What a roller coaster of a ride this woman had put his emotions on? All day long he couldn’t wait to get dinner over, so he could get to the hospital and now she almost made him cry. What was she doing to him?

The next visit was nice but still confusing to him. Elizabeth had gone along and was asking Victoria if she would consider staying with them while she recovered. Jamie had to admit that his mother had a way about her. Everyone loved her, and she mothered them all, from the ranch hands at their place to the bank tellers at the little bank in town. Victoria was saying thank you, but she didn’t want to put anyone out. Elizabeth took her hand, which was also bandaged because of burns and assured her, that it was fine. Again, Jamie could see the deep sadness in Victoria’s eyes. It hurt him so to think of what she must be feeling. Alone, scared and probably angry. Yes, angry with him. He did this to her, and she probably hated him now.

Her doctor had come in and was talking to her about the possibility of going home with the Ways. She did not have to do this unless she wanted to. There was a nursing home next to the hospital and her insurance would cover her staying there while she healed and received part of her physical therapy. Sheriff Tubber had been in yesterday and had taken her statement and had given her the low down on the Ways. “Good people.” He said. “The best kind of folks around.”