13. Promises and Papers

Red

It was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. Looking around, I realized I was in my room. I was tucked in bed and all the pillows were stuffed behind my back for support. The wind blew against the house, making creaking noises. Starled, I inhaled quickly and flinched. My lungs ached and I found that my stomach was wrapped in thick cotton strips, which prohibited any movement, at all. Breathing steadily, I leaned forward slightly to get a better look around the room, since the pillows hampered my view.

There, a couple feet away from the bed sat Trooper, fast asleep in one of the velvet chairs. With his head tipped forward, resting on his hand, he snored loudly. With-holding a giggle I knew would pain me, I said softly,

"Trooper"

"Hmmm" he mumbled, waking up and shaking his head, before realizing who had awaken him. Jumping up, he scooted the chair closer and rested his elbows on the bed.

"Hey, how do you feel?"

Borrowing some of his sarcasim, I replied,

"Like I've been attacked by a wild pig."

"Oh" he said, grinning.

"Really?" he asked, seriously.

"Better than I did before but sore" I answered honestly.

"Want me to go get Josie"

"Well, I guess you better tell her I'm up"

"Alright", and with that, he dashed out the door.

Laying my head back down on the fluffy pillow, I rested for a moment before hearing the thundering pound of what sounded like wild horses.

I lifted my head up just in time to see Josie whip open the door and rush to my side.

"Tara" she cried in delight.

"Hey" I said.

"How do you feel?"  "Doc said he would be in a sec."

"Fine."

"You know Tara, Troop never left this room." she said, a wide grin spreading across her face.

"What?"

"Uh hu, he wouldn't leave for nothing."  "You were out for a couple hours and he only left to use the restroom."

Thinking hard, I let Josie's word wash over me. Why was he being so paranoid about me?  I didn't have time to answer my own question because just then, Doc Lehman walked in.

"Well, how is are patient" he asked.

"Sore, but good"

"That's what you get for being such a bad young lady," he said, jokingly.

After giving me a quick check-up, he pronounce a full recovery and for my sprained ribs, a couple days in bed and minimal work.

Sighing, I agreed, unhappily if anything. Josie would have to do some of the minor work till I was able to get around.

"Um Tara" Josie asked, "Trooper wants to know if he can speak to you in private for a minute?"

"Sure." I said.

Saying thanks and goodbye to Doc Lehman, who showed himself to the door, Josie went out to get Trooper. I figured Trooper would want to talk to me, probably about last night, but I didn't know how he would go about it.

Would he get upset and correct my awful behavior? Granted, I did deserve it but I wasn't a child. Would he get emotional and make me feel even worse? I was beginning to think that wasn't possible. I already felt bad enough.

"Knock,Knock."

It echoed in the room, bouncing off the walls at me like a warning signal. It reminded me of when I would get sent to my room after doing something wrong, and then my father would come to my door and knock. You knew what was coming and it all began with that little noise. Pushing me thoughts aside, I called,

"Come in"

The door opened and Trooper walked in, closing it behind him. He walked around my bed and sitting down on the chair next to me, he leaned forward and asked,

"Feel good enough to talk a bit?"

"Sure"

"Its about last night"

" I figured it would be"

"Look Tara, there aren't any words for how bad I feel, my temper got the best of me but that is no excuse to yell at you."  "I carried on and on and you just sat there and took it."   "It wasn't until I looked over at you and saw your face, it hit me like a ton of bricks."   "I really am sorry but I know that isn't enough."  With that, he placed his head in his hands and studied the floor.

Gently tapping his arm, I said,

"You took the words right out of my mouth."

Looking up at me with a confused face, I continued.

" I got  back to the hotel and just felt terrible about the whole thing."  "It was really all my fault."   "You were right, I  had no business asking you those kinds of questions and you had every right to act the way you did."    " I'm the one who should be sorry."   "I only hope you can someday forgive me."

"Already done" he said.

"But how about me?"

"Troop, I forgive you too."

I could have sworn he would have hugged me had it not been for my injuries, so we just sat there and smiled at each other.

"Oh and there was something else I wanted to talk to you about." he said.

"What?"

"Well, I got to thinking, I'll move my things into the in-laws place that way I will be close to you girls and I already have a few guys lined up who are willing to help get the crop planted."

"Oh Trooper, I thought after our fight, you wouldn't want to help." I admitted.

"Tara, I told you I would and even if we hadn't made up, I said I would have, I keep my promises." he said.

"Was it really a promise?" I asked

"I said I would and what I say, I mean."  "Tara, if my word doesn't have any value, than what does?" he replied.

"Alright, you really don't have to but if...."

"Ah, don't start, we have already been through this." he said.

"Fine, when you planning on moving in?"

"Tomorrow."

"Sounds good"

"Um, Tara?" a voiced called from the closed door.

"Oh come in Josie", I yelled back, regretting it as my ribs pinched from the quick intake of breath.

She entered with a stack of papers.

Trooper said his goodnights and said he would be back bright and early tomorrow morning to move in.

"I don't like you two out here all by yourselves," he said, as he turned for the door.

"Oh we're big girls, Daddy, we can take care of ourselves," I replied, while motioning for Josie to sit on the bed.

"Yeah, yeah, night". he called, laughing as he shut the door.

"Um Tara, I hate to bother you and all but I wanted to show you these before we got things really moving, in case their important," Josie said, holding out the papers.

"OK", I said, taking them and studying each one. My aunt had really left everything and I mean everything to me. Then, I stumbled across a paper that said,

"Inheritence by monitary"

Glancing down it quickly, it list the entire estate, who much it was worth and then how much money my aunt had in cash or valuables.

"Uh, Josie how much of this grand totaly is cash?" I asked.

"Oh, about 95%".

My eyes bulged.

"Where is it?"

"Here"

"HERE?!?!"   "Where is here?"

"In the house, the upstairs safe" she answered.

"Your kidding."

"Nope."

"Josie you know that size amount of cash can't just be sitting in a safe", I said. To be honest, I was surprised and impressed they had found a safe big enough to store all of the money in.

"We are going to have to take it to the bank, soon" I told her.

"How soon?" she asked

"Like, tomorrow, if I can get Trooper to take me"

"What?!"   "Doc said you weren't...."

"Never mind Doc, I'll be careful, but everyday that money is up there, the higher the chance that it could get stolen or burned or something," I said, insisting.

Josie knew I was right. Nodding her head, she said goodnight and left.

Laying the papers on the table next to my bed, I twisted till I was somewhat comfortable and tried to sleep. I knew I was going to have to fight to get Trooper to take me tomorrow to town. And fight was what I planned on doing.