Chapter 1

"Kelsey?" My little sister's voice was watery at the other end of the line, and I could picture her dabbing her big, almond shaped eyes daintily with a tissue. Maggie can even make crying look beautiful.

"What's wrong, Mag?" I asked, cradling my cell phone between my ear and shoulder as I ran a curry comb over Cherokee's chestnut painted coat. I didn't have time to talk my sister through yet another exaggerated crisis. I still had three more horses to get bedded down for the night, and wanted to get another chapter or two out before bed.

"It's Daddy!" She wailed pitifully, catching my attention fully. "He's had a stoke! Oh Kelsey...Veronica says that the doctors don't think he'll recover!" She broke down, sobbing softly into the phone as I struggled to process the news.

Our father has been battling high cholesterol for as long as I can remember, though you'd never know it by looking at him. An avid outdoor enthusiast, the man looks like he's in the best shape of his life. He's just always loved his bacon, cheese, and anything else loaded with saturated fats. His girlfriend, Veronica, has been after him for years to listen to the doctor. I was sure the poor woman was probably losing it all by herself up there, and felt a wave of helplessness wash over me.

"Maggie, it'll be alright." I'm usually pretty good at calming my little sister down, but from the sound of her unbroken sobs, I was failing tonight. "Where is he?"

"Fairbanks!" I could hear her struggling to get herself under control so she could talk. "Ben and I are on our way to the airport now." I could her my brother-in-law say something in the background, but his voice was too muffled to make out. "Kelsey, you have to come! You have to come right away!"

I stared at the chestnut and white splattered fur before me, biting my lip as my thoughts raced. I knew I had to be there for my family, but the thought of getting on an airplane has always terrified me. It is one of the reasons I've never traveled to Fairbanks to visit my father in the first place. Being that far above the ground without any control, completely dependent on a couple of engines and some metal has never been a fear I could conquer.

"Kesley?" Maggie sounded impatient. "You have to come! Even if you don't get along with Daddy...he's sick! He needs you!"

"No, no...Maggie, it's not that. Of course I'll come." I said slowly, trying to keep the nervousness out of my voice. Maggie was already losing it, and I didn't want to make it worse. And I definitely didn't want her thinking that my trepidation about the trip was because of the relationship between our father and me. Or lack of it, anyway. There's never really been any real animosity between us, but we have never been close either. I heard Ben talking again in the background, catching my name amidst the mumbling. "What's he saying?"

"He says they're expecting some storms. We'll beat them, but you might have some delays." Maggie sniffed, her breath hitching. "Come right away, okay? We've just arrived at the airport, so I have to go."

"I'll be on the next flight out, Mag-Pie." I used her childhood nickname, hoping it would bring at least a little smile to her face. "Be safe, and let Veronica know I'll be there as soon as I can."

After hanging up, I started at the phone like it was some kind of venomous snake, the full weight of the conversation I just had finally hitting me. Bracing my back against the stall wall, I sank to a crouching position, bracing my elbows on my knees. I knew I needed to get moving--I had to get the rest of the horses situated and get my bag packed, all while trying to secure a ticket for the next flight out of Knoxville. I just needed to take a minute for myself before facing the things the next hours and days were to bring. While it's true I've never been close to my father, I still felt suddenly guilty for not making more of an effort to strengthen our relationship. It was hard to believe that time had run out. I felt something soft brush against my temple, and looked up to see Cherokee stating down at me. The big gelding often behaved more like a dog than a horse, and was obviously sensing my distress. "It's okay, big guy. Let's get you taken care of."

An hour later, I had just finished shoving the necessary toiletries in my suitcase. My neighbor, Terri, stood with my carry-on slung over her shoulder and my purse in her hand.She had insisted on driving me to the airport when I'd called her, professing there was no sense in paying airport parking prices when you have perfectly capable neighbors.

"You've just about got everything but the kitchen sink in there, girl. You best get your buns on the road." Terri is a little younger than my mother was when she died, but we're very close. She owns a small quarter horse ranch and is the closest neighbor I have for miles. She often has her son Jordan look after my four horses whenever I'm on a book tour...which is sometimes as much as once a year, if the creative juices are flowing.

"Okay, okay. No sense in prolonging the inevitable I guess." I gave a shuddery sigh as I zipped up my suitcase. "My laptops in the carry on, right?" I asked her for at least the third time.

"Yes, child! Now come on. Let's get this show on the road. Your sissy and papa need you." Terri's Tennessee twang is thick and wholesome. I followed her down the stairs and out to her old Chevy truck, tossing my suitcase in the bed before hopping into the cab. She got into the driver's seat, passing me my carry-on and purse before starting the truck and guiding it down the driveway. Jordan's truck was parked outside the barn. Jordan is only a couple years older than me, and has some cognitive disabilities which makes things like reading and writing difficult for him. He's great with horses though, and works harder than anyone I know. I'm always happy to pay him to look after my animals when I'm gone.

Terri was quiet on the ride to Knoxville, singing softly with the Classic Country station on the radio as if she knew I needed the time to cope. My fear was mounting with every mile closer to the airport we got and I had the urge to pull out my laptop and lose myself in my writing. There wasn't time for that, of course, but it was my plan for getting through the long plane ride ahead of me.When we pulled up in front of the airport, Terri leaned over and gave me a hug.

"You just get yourself to sleep once you get in the air. You'll be fine." She gave me a smile, then patted my knee. "I'll send a prayer up for your papa, too."

"Thanks for everything Terri. I'll keep in touch." I gave her my bravest smile, then hopped out of the truck. I grabbed my suitcase, waved one last time, and headed inside.

I didn't know what to expect when it came to checking my baggage and going through security, but it seemed like everything went smoothly. Soon enough, I was settling myself in my seat on the aircraft, supervised I'd been able to walk down the boarding tunnel with my legs shaking as bad as they were. I was glad I didn't have the window seat...the last thing I wanted to see was the ground fading away below me.

During take off, I squeezed my eyes shut and grasped the edges of my seat until my knuckles turned white. My breath came in wheezy, quick little gasps. The large woman next to me looked over at me with a raised brow, but said nothing. I didn't trust myself to respond, even if she had...it took all of my concentration to keep from panicking. Once we evened out in the sky, I opened my laptop and immediately threw myself into my work. Writing is the way I cope with just about everything. It's the talent that puts food on my table, but it's also kind of like my drug. My anti-reality drug. The only thing that drew me out of my work was the turbulence. After the second bit of it, a stewardess asked if I wanted a drink.

I accepted.