Chapter 17, 18, & 19

Chapter 17

    Several days passed with nothing unusual happening on the ranch.  Then, Katie’s father called. 
“Well Princess, the good news is that I am not going to jail.  However, the bad news is that my license was suspended for 10 years, I have to pay $50,000 in fines, and do 500 hours of community service.”
“Daddy I am just glad to hear that you aren’t going to jail.  I hope you don’t mind me asking, but you never told me any details of your client’s case.”
“Katie, I would like to tell you but I am afraid that you couldn’t handle it.  As I said it was and is a very delicate case.  Besides you’ll hear about it soon enough.  So anything new with you?”
“Actually, there is!  Mark and I are engaged!”
“Really?  That’s great.  Made any plans yet?”
“No, it just happened a few days ago.  Daddy, why don’t you come out here for a visit?  I would love it and am sure Mark wants to meet you.”
“That sounds like a good idea.  I’d love to meet him and it would get my mind off of things.”
“How about lunch Saturday?”
“Sounds great.  I’ll be there.  See you then.”
“Okay Daddy.  Bye.”
    Katie was glad he was coming, and when she told Mark, he was glad to finally get a chance to meet him.  Katie talked about him so much that Mark knew he would like him.  They both couldn’t wait until Saturday.
    That next evening, Katie and Mark had one of their talks.  They realized they had never sat down and told each other about their lives.  So they did just that.  Katie told Mark all about her mother’s death and then meeting Billy, college, and the engagement.  Everything really seemed to interest him.  Then Mark starting telling Katie his life.
    “Mine wasn’t quite as good as yours.  I had a pretty rough life.  My father was an alcoholic, and I didn’t know who my mother was until I was 18.  My father abused me as a child, physically and verbally.  When I was nine my father came home drunk as a dog.  I was watching TV.  Something had happened earlier that made him mad, so he decided to take it out on me.  He beat me literally half to death and probably would have killed me had a neighbor not called the police.”  Mark was beginning to cry.
Katie looked at him compassionately, “Mark, if you can’t tell me that’s okay.”
“No, I think you should know.  I want you to know.”  So he continued.  “The police came and arrested my father and took me to the hospital.  After several weeks, I made a full recovery and was placed in foster care.  I spent two years there until Mr. Jones, Billy’s grandfather, took me in.  I lived here and worked for him.  He taught me everything I know.  When I turned 18, I began looking for my mother.  In a few months, she was found. 
My mother explained to me the reasons for my childhood.  When she had me, she and my father were not married, as she was a minor.  She had a choice to either put me up for adoption or allow my father to take me.  My father promised that when she was of age they would get married if he were allowed to keep me.  She allowed him to take me for this reason.   Her parents then moved her across the country and would not allow contact with my father.  After a while she had no idea where my father had taken me.  She tried to find us but had no luck.   After I was put into foster care, it was impossible for her to find me until I was able to initiate the contact when I turned 18.  She was a great, loving woman and had married a wonderful man.   They became a big part of my life. 
I moved in with them when Mr. Jones became ill and then died.  Mr. Jones left me money to go to college so I did.  My new mom and dad were great.  I loved them both and they really showed me what loved is and what a family is all about.  After I finished school, where I got a degree in Business and Electronics, I got a job working with computers.  I didn’t like it much because my passion was with horses.  I worked there for about two years and then I came here to work for you.”
    “Wow, Mark I had no idea.  I thought growing up with a lawyer and doctor was hard.  You’re just lucky to have grown up.”
“Yes, God was watching over me and now is giving me my reward for being faithful.”
“Really?  What’s that?”
“Why, the most beautiful woman in the world not to mention the sweetest.”
“Well, thank you future Mr. Katie Warren.”
“Hey, watch it now.”
With that they laughed and kissed.  Mark held Katie in his strong loving arms until they both fell asleep.
    They woke up the next morning glad to see the other was still there.  It was Saturday so there was no great rush to get work done.  Katie didn’t give lessons on Saturday and the only work the ranch hands did was feed.  After Katie showered and changed, she began preparing for her father’s visit.
    Mark made sure the hands fed the animals, showered and changed, then began helping Katie.  About 11:30 Katie and Mark were sitting on the porch when Katie saw her father’s car coming up the long drive to the ranch.


 Chapter 18
Katie ran out to greet her father with a hug.  She then introduced Mark.  Mr. Warren and Mark instantly hit it off.  They talked all through lunch.  Every so often they would ask Katie something but that was about it.  She didn’t mind though.  She was glad to see them getting along so well.
    Finally about 3 o’clock, Mark said he had something he needed to do.  He said goodbye to Mr. Warren, gave Katie a kiss, and left.  Mr. Warren said, “Well, Princess, you sure know how to pick ’em.  You should feel blessed to find Mr. Right twice.”
“Thank you Daddy and I do.  I still can’t believe it.  Deep inside, I still love Billy, but Mark makes me forget all about all of that.”
“That’s good.  I never found that after your mother died.  You know Katie that I have tried to help you with Billy’s case whether you realize it or not.  I am sorry to say I haven’t been much help.”
“It’s okay Daddy. I understand.  Forget about that.  Hey let’s go for a walk and enjoy this beautiful landscape.”
    Katie and her father walked around the ranch property just talking and having fun.  About 5 o’clock he told her that he needed to be getting back home.  He told her bye and that he loved her.  Katie told him to come by any time.  With that he got in his car and started for home. 
    Around 7 o’clock Mark returned.
“Where have you been sweetheart?”
“Oh, just out looking at some horses.”
“Find any good ones?”
“As a matter of fact I did and I bought three.  I have to take the trailer up Monday and pick ‘em up.”
“That’s good.  You must be starved. Let’s eat.”
    Mark and Katie had a nice supper.  They talked about the wedding and possibilities on how it should be.  No definite plans were made but at least they were getting started.
    Monday morning, Mark left to get the horses.  He arrived back at the ranch just before lunch. 
Katie went out to see the horses. 
“Well hun, there they are, the newest additions.  Now one is a little on the wild side, but once I get him trained, he will be great.”
    Katie watched the horses in the corral.  They were beautiful.  Then she saw which one Mark was talking about.  It was a beautiful black Stallion and one of the most beautiful horses she had ever seen.  It was running around bucking and kicking like crazy.  “Mark, please tell me you aren’t gonna try to ride that horse.  He’ll kill ya.”
“No, I am not gonna try to ride him, I am going to ride him and I am gonna start right after lunch.”
“Mark, please be careful and don’t let him hurt you.”
“Don’t worry, my love.”
    After lunch, Mark gathered all his riding gear and went to work with the stallion.  He decided that before he did anything, that he must name him.  He asked Katie to help him think of a good name.  After throwing several names at each other, they finally decided to call him Coal Miner, since he was black as coal and had a tough attitude.
    Katie went out on the porch to watch Mark try to break him.  Before he left, she gave him a kiss and told him again to be careful.  He smiled and headed to the corral. 
    Several of the hands were standing around to watch and help.  Mark slowly climbed onto Coal Miner’s back.  The horse was pinned into the bucking shoot just like a bull at the rodeo.  When Mark got on, Coal Miner jumped and jolted a few times, then Mark signaled the guys to open the shoot.
    Coal Miner came flying out, bucking and kicking like a crazy horse.  Mark hung on as tightly as he could.  He held on for a good five minutes.  The tighter he held, the harder the horse bucked.  Mark was doing well.  Then all of the sudden Coal Miner went loco.  Mark held as tight as he could, but the horse threw him off.  Mark went flying about ten feet in the air, broke the fence, and hit the ground with a loud thud. 
    Katie came running up to him with tears in her eyes.  “Mark! Mark! Are you okay?  Mark, can you hear me?”  He was knocked out cold.  Katie could see that he wasn’t moving and that he was bleeding from the back of his head.  She told everyone not to move him and for one of the hands to call 911.
    When the ambulance arrived, they immediately loaded him and, Katie left Mark’s assistant, Jeff in charge.  She hopped in the ambulance and told them she would call as the ambulance sped off to the hospital.  Everyone stood around in shock.  They all had tears in their eyes as they tried to get back to work.


 Chapter 19
    About four in the afternoon, Katie called the ranch.  She told Jeff that Mark had just gotten out of surgery.  Jeff asked her what all was wrong. 
“Well, Jeff he is pretty bad.  He had a broken shoulder, three broken ribs, a cracked vertebra, and some head trauma.  They are not sure how bad the head is hurt but said he took a very hard blow.  He’s in a coma.”  With that Katie began to cry.
    “It’s okay Katie.  He’ll pull through.  He’s a tough guy.  God will take care of him.  You want someone to come get you?”
“No.  I think I am going to stay the night.  I’ll call if anything changes.”
“Okay Katie.  We’ll all be praying for him.  I’ll come by in the morning to visit.”
“That would be good.  See you then. Bye.”  Katie sat in the waiting room and cried for half an hour.  When she settled down, she went back to Mark’s room.  She couldn’t stand to see him in that condition, hooked up to all those machines but couldn’t leave his side.
The doctor came in about seven to check on him,  “Oh, hey Katie.  You staying the night?”
“Yes I am.  How is he?”
“Well, he is very lucky.  Most men would not have lived through that.”
“Doctor, please tell me that truth.  Will he come out of this?”
“Katie, it’s hard to say right now.  There is swelling around the brain.  He took a hard hit.  We must watch more closely.  If the swelling gets worse, we will have to go in and relieve the pressure.  Hopefully it will not and will actually start to go down.  The next 24 hours will be the tale.”
“Any idea how long he will be in a coma.”
“Well, most people come out in a day or two, some a few months, and some never.  Looking at the x-rays, I feel he should come out, but as I said, the next 24 hours are very critical.”
“Thank you doctor.”  Katie decided to pray.  She believed strongly in the power of prayer and knew God would not take the man she loved away twice.  Praying was all she really could do.  She knew God could and would heal Mark.  Katie prayed the rest of the evening until she fell asleep in her chair.
It was a little after eight the next morning when the nurse woke her.  “Katie, would you like some breakfast?”
“Please.”
“Okay, here you are, and I brought you these to change into.  I figured you might want a shower and I didn’t see a change of clothes.”
    “Thank you very much.”  Katie took the hospital scrubs and laid them on the bed.  After eating her breakfast, she went to the bathroom and took a nice long hot shower.
    Katie was sitting in her chair watching television when Jeff knocked on the door. 
    “Hey, Jeff, come on in.”
    “Hey Katie.  Nice duds.”
    “Oh, thanks.  The nurse gave them to me.”
    “Well, Ms. Sue sent you some of your things she thought you might need, clothes and stuff.”
    “Oh, tell her I said thanks.”
    “So how is he?”
    “Well not much change from last night.  The doctor said there was some swelling around the brain and that the next 24 hours were critical, but I know he’ll make it.”
    “He will Katie, don’t worry.”
    Katie and Jeff just sat and talked.  It was good for Katie to be away from the ranch.  After a while, Jeff decided he better return and tend to things.  They hugged and Jeff left.