UNITED WITH FAMILY

UNITED WITH HER FAMILY

CHAPTER I

Angel is with baby, and she’s about seven months along in her pregnancy, upon having been on her way back home to her parents’ home, one night. Her family didn’t have the faintest idea, that she would be coming back home, again. This was because they heard from her for about a year and a half. Her car seemed to have conked out in the cold of the night. So, she’s caught out in the cold to her dismay and stranded on the highway.

“Here, I am caught up in love with Mike, who didn’t even happen to be anywhere,” she thought. She, originally, was going to be spending the holidays with her man, like she had about a year ago. One thing, which was going through her head, was that fact that her birthday was close to Christmas. Christmas was jus around the corner. At Whitman, the tradition of a Johnson’s family was for one of them to place the beautiful white angel on top of the tree. This tradition has remained in the family for years.

While her, still, was stranded on a highway in Whitman, all these memories of having spent Christmas with her man, and, usually, what her family did to celebrate the holidays, was going through her mind. During the Christmas season, she could remember how most of the family would be so much in a hurry to get up in the morning, every year, at Christmas time to open up their presents.

Every year, it seemed, a girl in the family, would become as lucky as a four-leaf clover, to put all the lights up on the tree. And jus after this was finished each season, every one drew a number out of a hat, to see who the lucky one was to put the special white angel on the Christmas tree, every year. The reason, this white angel was so special to every member of the family, was that it had been handed down through the family for many, many years.

`In her beautiful memories, was how every one’s eyes would light up, jus when a member of the family was putting the last touches on the Christmas tree, every year, at Christmas time? What, also, came to her mind, was how she missed spending the Christmas season with her family, last year. What she, actually, had done for a year and a half, was run away from all the memories of the family. She has been living in a college dorm over at Bradford away from Whitman.

Angel was due to have her baby at any time. In this condition of being very pregnant, she figured that the family would be having a hard time, understanding in her being this way.

She was cuddling in a blanket inside her Chevy Malibu, trying to keep warm. However, her car seemed to be getting colder, making it harder for her to stay warm. She took it upon herself to walk a few miles in this cold. But she was wondering, what she would do if she started going into labor before reaching the family ranch.

About an hour later, freezing like crazy, with her fingers and toes, feeling quite numb along the way, she has been thinking about how she had been born in Whitman in the middle of a blizzard. Also, she was thinking about how her parents had jus arrived at the family ranch jus in time, for her to be born into this cruel world of ours.

Her real father has been dead, ever since, she had been a baby girl, jus because he had been unfortunate enough to have died in a car accident, when she was jus a couple months old.

She had been going to college in Bradford. But she didn’t end up having taken agriculture, which would have been more educational for her, being she has lived with her family for most of her life on this big ranch of theirs in Whitman. A rancher, Mike, had gotten her, knocked up without wanting to have her, turn this way, jus because she had been wild about sex with him, when she had been living with him over at his ranch in Bradford.

All what seemed to concern her, right now, is what worried her, on how her parents would respond to all that hurt, she had created between them, through having run away from her family, some time ago. After, then, having ended up over at Mike’s ranch back in Bradford, she, then, had fled the ranch, jus after he had gotten her, knocked up, which left the custody of the unborn baby to him.

She jus has this weird feeling, having crept up inside her that her family, probably, would be looking for him. That would become true if they hadn’t started, already, searching for her lost lover, Mike, who she had left behind. She was jus hoping, that he would end up being found either by her or her parents, jus so that her and Mike would get married. Though, she has doubts in her mind, about the two of them, end up married.

Mike was living back in Bradford on his ranch, because she ran away, and then, somehow, through no fault of her own, lost track of him. All the passion inside her, which she used to have for him, has been covered up with hatred and shame. What couldn’t have been worse was the fact. That when she had been going with him back in Bradford, she had faked her identity, all the time, the two had been living, together, back there. This had been during all that time, when she had moved to Bradford to go to college, and when Mike had turned into her lover.

The reason, she figured, he had become her lover, was because of all that time, she had faked her identity. She had gone wild after him, trying to act more sensuous an aggressive, than her real personality, which one, also, was a sexy and friendly one.

There, right at Bradford, she had moved into a dorm with Mike, a rancher. She had found happiness in his arms, back there, too. She had thought for some time, that she had, actually, been in love with him. Then, because she, always, had forced herself to go after him for sex, she had ended up being with baby because of this.

At that point, when all these lies and secrets, they had between them, had come to light of the matter. She had taken off in her car from Bradford, and had left him behind. When she had realized, he was following her, too hurt and in shame at having been involved with him, was what made her, run away from as soon as she had found out, she was with baby.

He’d almost caught up with her in Tombstone, and to various people, he bumped into on the way, he had asked anybody, who he had come across, questions about her. However, no one ever seemed to know who she was or have caught sight of her. Also, in her subconscious, having warned her about him, been following her, she had, almost bumped into him over at some diner in Bradford.

On her way through Tombstone, then, west to Grassroots, she had happened to find a one-room apartment on the water. Thee, she, also, had been lucky as a four-leaf clover, to find a job for herself as a receptionist as well as finding a doctor for her unborn baby, and settled down for a little time.

She figured that her man had lost track of her on her trail, or had given up and gone back home to his ranch in Bradford. She turned out to be very disappointed, that he gave up on his search for her for the time being. Upon missing all the heat, where she was living in her apartment in Grassroots, she packed all her things and moved onto Whitman, where her family ranch was situated.

Her old identity as Kate died off back in Bradford. She, once more, became Angel, her old self.

She, somehow, lost her way and ended up some time later on Tombstone coast. Jus in happening to have developed the jitters inside her, this, really, reminded her, that she needs to be with her family, again. Without even knowing, exactly, what direction, she was heading, she, somehow, jus by chance, ended up back in Whitman.

Upon reaching that area, she jus was spending numerous days, wandering around stores and other places. Whenever it reached dusk at night, then, turned dark, she had to stop wherever she could, and spend most of her nights, resting up until the crack of dawn, the next morning.

Then, she found herself, heading towards Whitman, where the family ranch was at, because she, finally, became homesick for her family being she had been away from them for some time, and had lost contact with them.

She had run away even when she knew deep inside, that Mike wanted her back into his life, again. Also, she had the feeling inside, that he jus wasn’t going to give up on her, and would keep on his chase for her, until he found her, again. And this, she jus knew, he would try to accomplish through stopping at different places, where he knew, she usually, loves to go to like bars and diners.

What she wanted, badly, because he and she had sensed, had grown strong in their relationship, they had with each other. In having been, wildly, in love with him, she jus wanted that some love for her baby, even after it was born into this world.

Mike had set out on a good, long trip on his search for her, jus because he wanted to get her back into that bed of his. He wanted things to turn out the way, things used to be, when the two were living, together, back at his ranch in Bradford. This search was partaken of, jus because he, still, loved her, and wanted her back into his life. Though, he hasn’t seen her for months, and they have all this time, lingering between them.

With the fake identity, she used to have as a woman, which identity, she used to take on, and call herself, Kate, he used to know her as, he, still, thought, she was, really, his gal, yet. She used to have that one identity. When she had been in his life, he hadn’t even known a woman such as her as being very sensuous and has such a power within her to love him as a man.

BACKFLASH

All this panic, he had ended up going through before she had run away from him. He, simply, jus had driven her away from him. This he had done, months ago, through having encouraged her to have picked the wrong time to tell him, she was with baby. No matter, what he had tried to do, he jus couldn’t seem to stick to her like glue in their relationship.

Over a beautiful dinner along with tulips on the table, one night, she had put him in a state of shock through having told him, she had been planning on offering her baby up for adoption. This she had said to him, jus because she hadn’t felt, as though, she could have handled, bringing up her baby. Also, she hadn’t allowed him to claim the baby as his, either.

She had fled out the door like the wind, and had runaway from his Bradford Ranch. Jus after her, having run out the door like a road runner, he had realized, he had this longing for her and her baby to become a family. Then, he had gotten the impression that she would never come back to him.

The very next morning, jus because he had felt, he loved her. He had taken off like the wind looking all around Bradford and on his way to Whitman. Any person, who he had run into, couldn’t give him, any information about Angel’s whereabouts. Also, no one had seemed to recognize the photograph, which he had been carrying with him in his jacket pocket. This picture, he had grabbed out of his pocket, so many times. That it had been starting to become warped.

He was traveling in his Chevy pickup to all different areas of Bradford and Whitman to different places like diners and bars. At these places, he figured, she liked to hang out at. She had been the one, who had gotten him into looking for her. She, though, couldn’t allow herself to be found by him. In him, losing her was hurting him, so deeply, that all that hurt was cutting through him like a knife.

He, originally, had no father, back when he had been growing up jus like she hadn’t had a blood father. Her blood father had died, shortly, after she had been born, in a car accident.

It was bad enough for Mike, that he couldn’t stop seeing visions of her baby, coming up into his mind. He, really, became worried over the fact, that the baby might not have any father after it was born, which birth was bound to happen any time, now.

Mike ended up getting to the last straw, which broke the camel’s back, over this situation of her and the baby. So, then, he went ahead, and paid up to the nose to hire a detective, jus because it hurt him, so badly, jus to be without her in his life. He, also, used his own instincts, which, he, thoroughly, depended on for tracking her down and finding her.

It jus might turn out to be luck like a four-leaf clover, that she had been spotted at a café in Whitman. Being him jus knew, that she loved to stop at diners; he stopped at one of her favorite ones in Whitman. One of the waitresses, who worked, there, at the diner, could seem to sense, that something was up with him. She gave him, great encouragement to talk about whatever was on his mind.

Being that he was so determined to track Angel down, he, finally, gave into the waitress, “It’s, mostly, that I have some unfinished business on hand. I jus happen to know somebody, who’s been knocked up by me. What her baby needs is a father. Also, I can sense, that there’s a great possibility, that if I can track her down that the two of us will go for marriage.”

“Well, dude, it happens, that the two of us, Angel and I, have gone to school, together, attending school from the fourth grade all the way through to having graduated, together, several years ago. But it jus happens, that I haven’t even seen her, since, graduation. For one thing, I do know her family lives in Whitman. That they are so filthy rich, that they own most of the land and almost, all of Whitman, in living on this huge ranch, there.”

He, then, set off to travel through Whitman to try to find Angel along with the help of the waitress, Cherry, who jus happen to know the area. Also, she acted like she was sure; she could track down Angel’s family ranch for him. So, she rode in his pickup along wit him, while she tried to guide him over to Angel’s family’s ranch.

While, they, still, were on their way over there to the family ranch belonging to the Johnson’s, her family name, he was, really wondering if Angel has been lying to him about being with baby. Also, she was heir to the wealth of the Johnson’s, which, alone, could convince her to come back to him. So, this is the reason, while Cherry, the waitress, hitched a ride with him in his pickup over to Angel’s family’s ranch, where she figured, her family, still, could be living at the present.

While the two, still, were on their way, there, to the family ranch, she said to him, feeling a bit curious, “I wonder if you’d be better off with another woman, who would, honestly, go out of her way to care for you, not Angel. This is because I know for a fact. She’s the type of woman, who keeps moving, never wanting to stay in one place along with being a great liar, as long as I have known her.’

After months of having been away from her, he was going to find out, where they stood, and if he, really, has gone out of his way to have placed her on some kind of pedestal. If he ended up not liking her as his woman, he would jus take the baby after it was born, back to Bradford with him to his ranch, and try to raise the baby on his own.

Upon Angel, having arrived at the Johnson’s ranch, her parents, was, greatly, shocked to see her, again, after all this time of being out of contact with them.

What she ended doing, that night, was dragging both of them out of bed, because she didn’t realize they both were in bed by now. She made things, worse, through refusing to tell them, anything about her baby, still, inside her womb. Though, to them, there was no mistaking, that she was with baby jus by the size of her stomach.

Her parents demanded to know from her, whose baby, he belonged to, and were wondering if she was, already, married to this one guy. Tears, then, came into her eyes, enough tears to fill a bucket, over being ashamed of not having stayed in contact with them, all these months.

However, by the way, her parents seemed to react to her, by their happy eyes. They both seemed to be glad to have her back home, again. They let her know, right away, that they both loved her as their own daughter, no matter, how she had hurt them, through not having stayed in contact with him, all this time. Even though, her father was, only a step father to her.

Angel felt her parents’ love, chasing away all her loneliness and fears. Her father never allowed anyone in the family, to even get hurt, again, through putting up his defenses, because it was in his blood to feel this way towards all of the family.

At breakfast, the next morning, Angel was going to try to hide what she could about what had been going on in her life, especially, anything concerning her baby, since; her and her parents have been out of touch. However, her parents started questioning anything to do about her whereabouts for the past year and a half. Since, she graduated from college in Bradford.

Angel, finally, gave into them, “It’s, mostly, that I’ve been traveling most of the time, not settling down in one place for long.”

So, her father said to hr with a curious look on his face, “We’re assuming, you’ve come back home without the baby’s father, jus because you have nowhere else to go.” This brought many tears to her eyes, enough tears to fill a bucket. So, then, she let them know jus how much, she, really, has missed them, all this time.

She, then, said to her parents in a curious way, “Mike’s been trying to find me for the last eight months, and hasn’t been hiding from me, anywhere, that I know of.”

Her dad responded to her, “Why did you run away in the first place?”

“I ran away from Mike, because he didn’t seem to want the baby. You can be sure that he never would do anything to harm me in any way being he’s so kindhearted of a guy.”














































CHAPTER II

While they all were having some dinner, that night, she was having all these memories, flood back into her mind, when her father looked stunned over her, being with baby. That Mike jus before she had run away had this blank expression on his face, like he had no feelings for her at that time.

So, she said to her parents over dinner, that night, “What I thought, back then, was that I, really, loved him. But I know, he doesn’t, and I jus would feel better about the whole thing, if I put all of this behind me.”

BACKFLASH

While Cherry, that waitress from that diner and Mike had been over at her parents’ house, before coming over to the family ranch, where Angel’s family lived, Cherry had made a phone call over there.

When Angel’s mom had happened to answer the phone, she had said to Cherry, “Yes dear, can I help you with something?”

“Yes, you can, you can assure yourself, that the only reason, Angel had ended up over here at the family ranch, was because she hadn’t realized, she had made an unexpected visit over here, the night before.”

Then, Mike had been trying to cool down, and had this vision, of the way; Angel would react to him at the front door of the ranch house, with him, arriving in his Chevy pickup.

However, after Cherry took off walking home, upon him, arriving at the front door of the ranch house, he thought to himself, I shouldn’t have put up with a fool like Angel. Upon running into her, he’s surprised at how knocked up, she appears to be to him.

So, upon seeing his face, she tired to slam the door on his face, as he reached for her stomach, jus because he wanted to see if he could feel the baby move. He was very irritated over her, having run away from him, and her, making him, feel shaken up with desire for her beautiful pregnant body.

However, she, suddenly, had the urge of wanting to take off. But in sensing this about her, her mother tried to get him to leave for all the pain, he’s caused Angel. Her mother was looking at her with much self- pity; jus because she had the idea that he had allowed Angel to run away from him. That it had been over some argument with her, over her, being with baby, back months ago.

Then, as Angel led him into the living room of the ranch house, they jus sat down to try and get comfortable in some black leather lazy boy chairs. They were jus staring at each other, feeling speechless. In the meanwhile, he thought, “She’s, still, the same girl, I met back in Bradford.”

So, then, all of a sudden, they got into this argument over the baby. “You aren’t with baby, are you?”

“C’mon, now, I’m Angel, not the other girl, you used to know as being sexy and vulnerable.”

“You’re, definitely, going to be having our baby soon by the size of your stomach.”

But he jus glared at her with angel, boiling inside him. So, in her, placing her hands on her very pregnant stomach, she appeared to be stunned. So, then, he said to her in a surprised voice, “Since, the very day, you ran away, I’ve been chasing after you.”

“No, you haven’t, only my baby.”

She turned cold and silent, feeling very uncomfortable around him.

So, he said to her, still, glaring at her while staring into her eyes, “As of now, that baby has become mine,” he retorted.

Her running away made him, want her and hr baby from male pride. She sensed this, so, then, she demanded, “Why don’t you jus go back to Bradford? I don’t need to place the care of the baby to be on anyone other than my mother, you not included.”

Then, staring into his eyes brought back her attraction for him. She couldn’t seem, suddenly, to resist him. She was far from thinking, she was over him like she thought, and she was. She didn’t want to talk about her baby, because she felt, he jus wanted it for his own.

He begged her for a wedding to happen between them, being serious. So, she had to do something to stop him before he started bringing into the living room, anything needed for a wedding being he was in this kind of mood, as she could sense this about him.

“His scheme for legal claim on my baby, it was all about,” she thought, “over time, he would have to prove, he can be a father to my baby.”

“Now, Mike,” she said with anger, stirring up inside her, “I’m making it clear, that there is to be no wedding between us. I mean it, too. I want you jus to go back to Bradford, and live your own life without any kind of commitments between you and me.”

Then, right there, in front of her parents, he went ahead, and gave her, a passionate kiss. To her alarm, this kiss started a yearning inside her for him, which she had to stop, upon feeling all the hurt, he has caused her, months ago, over not wanting her baby and to be a father to it when it was born.

They argued about how he acted when she had told him; when she first was pregnant, how he had made her, mad. That he had said some mean words. That marriage was out of the question. The last thing, he had wanted was a baby, back months ago. She, still, wanted him to leave and go back to Bradford to his family ranch. To her, this has become the last straw to break the camel’s back. However, to her surprise, her mother allowed him to stay over at the family ranch for the holidays.

There was nowhere to hide, where he couldn’t find her. So, she was up to a grueling standoff, alone, in her bed, upstairs. She lay down in her bed, upon running up the stairs, and started the standoff to her pleasure.

“He’s not ever going to marry me. I won’t allow him to. He can’t have my baby. All the time, he’s, here, at the ranch, I’m going to, painstakingly, avoid him. I’m going to act like he’s not around me.”

She had split because he had been outraged, back months ago, when he had found out, she was with baby. He didn’t mean to, all he had intended to do, was to keep his ranch going.

Now, he’s jus trying to make things to go right with Angel, and her baby, she was about to have, and in him, not trying to get her to marry him.

Despite all her lies, back before she had become with baby, she had convinced him. All he had wanted was her and her baby in his life, through chasing her down all these months. This had happened, because he had felt, and still, felt, the child has a right to get to know his father in this world.

However, she wanted no part of him. But he’s going to stay at the family ranch at her disposal, until he can convince her; marriage is what he wants for hers and the baby’s sake. He wanted to go for a claim on her baby, even if he had to go through taking her to court to accomplish this.

Her mother warned her, if she was going to marry Mike, she would have to face the family’s opinion over the matter. All she wanted to do was to hide inside her bedroom, and not have to explain the situation between her and Mike to her parents.

Mike was trying to get her to marry him, no mater if love was involved or not. “His view of love and marriage, to me,” she thought, “was very underhanded.” She had been insulted that one time, back some months ago, in finding out, she was with baby, because things hadn’t been going her way. So, she had no choice, she had felt, but to run away from her problems, hoping that would help them, fade away into the dark.

Mike was chasing after her. So, this convinced her, he didn’t want her baby in his life. She’s made it clear to her family. She doesn’t want him over at the family ranch, certainly, while she’s, there, for the holidays.

As the two took a walk out in the cold, she thought, “How could a man like him, have put up with my sexy and liar personality, until I had run away from him, when I, first, was with baby. That when he had been sleeping with me, that my sexiness, really, was a put on, back then.”

FLASHBACK

Back then, months ago, she had lived as a different person, having taken on a different identity. This she had done jus because she had been dissatisfied with living on a ranch as the only child under those pressures. She had run away and had changed her name and identity to a free girl, who had looked for all the love in the world. This had been going on until she had found Mike over at a bar in Bradford, where his ranch is situated.

Her act of rebellion had led her to Bradford to take up anything other than agriculture. Then, after having graduated from college, there, she had started traveling around starting with Mountain Ridge, which had led her to Bradford.

There, she had met Mike, while having a waitressing job, there. This had brought them to going stead and into a relationship where she had gone head long for sex. Therefore, she had gone through a change to a new identity; sinking under the water through his flirting.

In him, coming to her family ranch, and trying to get her to marry him, has turned out to be a big mistake to him. But he wanted custody of the baby, after it was born, in having the baby all to himself. She was terrified of his threat to take her baby from her, because he had hurt her in the past.

She feared, he’d say in court, she was an unfit woman and betrayed him by trying to take on another identity, which had turned her into a big liar.

She thought, “I have to get a compromise going with him on sharing my baby as a family. Not him, jus snatching the baby away. So, it could have his name, because he wants to behave in such a way that would win me back. That’s I want from him plus proof of his love for me,” as she was coming out of her emotional hassle.

He won’t be able to resist her, when she’s through with him. She demanded to protect her baby from any misgivings and keep on him. This would keep happening until they were down the aisle, and a family, forever, as everything seemed to be unsettled between them.

She wasn’t ready to face the rest of the family, the one, she had earned as a result of her mom, and having remarried after her real dad had died in a car accident back when she had been born into this cruel world of ours. Facing her family was harder for her to due to Mike’s wild expectations of having tracked her down, with a woman, Cherry, having driven him over to the family ranch.

Now, what Mike wanted was for her to offer him, protection from any family insults about him, having slept with her and having knocked her up. That was if it came to her, revealing the secret of how she became with baby, and almost, due to have her baby. She had never given Mike, a chance to know her, better, after she had ended with baby. This was because instead of her, running away, they could have settled with each other.

Instead, she had messed up their relationship, and had moved around for months on end. And now, they have to try to fight for that love, they, once, had between them. If she makes any mistakes, he’ll be after her all the way to Bradford, where his ranch is situated.

She needs to find some way to claim her child before he tries to take the baby away from her after its born. Soon, all the family, including her relatives, would be expecting a wedding, because of the way; she has been acting like she’s hanging onto Mike.

Now, one of the family, Jane, thinks Angel’s need for protection from Mike, should be a prenuptial agreement. So, that she’ll, in the long run, be able to stand up for herself in being an heir to the Johnson’s family ranch from her grandfather, hopefully, in a few years. This about her, becoming an heir, is going to come forth in her future, jus because she has a big size of a fund, coming to her to protect what’s hers for the baby’s future.

But she didn’t know if it mattered to her, because she doesn’t know if her and her guy is in love. She thought, “Now, all distrust between me and him has gone a bit further. So, this means, he wants to marry me, jus because he’ll, then, steal all my inheritance and go as far as to take my baby away from me.”

So, this could stop them, from rediscovering all those good feelings, which used to be between them, months ago, before she had taken off from him. These feelings, once, had pulled them, together, into a good relationship, involving all that making love, they used to do.

But the two had never fallen for each other, in the first place. Though, because she had acted like she had, months ago, with a heart and mysterious love, which she, only, acted out in not being true to her heart. She has even forgotten, what his touch used to feel like, which dismayed him to the core. This was without any intimacy, whatsoever, what they, once, shared.

Upon him, laying his cards on the table, so to speak, he said to her, “My darling, I’m going to marry you, and definitely, give our child, which I can sense, is going to be a boy, my name.”

With spending the Christmas season in Whitman, he knew he wouldn’t be able to be along with her, with all that nonsense noise and talking going on between his family and relatives in Bedford. That’s why he had a small ranch back in Bradford, where the ranch was an isolated one compared to the others around the area. That’s what country life was like to him.

So, of all the family of hers, gathered inside, the family ranch made him, retreat to another area of the ranch, which brought him to his first choice, of wanting to be outside in the cold. Also, he wanted this, jus because Angel’s family seemed to be smug as a rug. She seemed to be so happy in being around her family while acting like if he wasn’t around.

He thought, as he was going out the front door out in the cold, “There’s no way, she can catch me out here.” But in due time, she seemed to sense, he was outside in the cold. So, she jus went ahead and joined him outside, whether the weather seemed to be snowy along with being freezing cold.

In her, being out in the cold, in jus being along side him, has seemed to bring back to her, this longing for him. Hopefully, this way, she’d succeed in tuning herself into all of what they used to share, together. In her, starring into his eyes seemed to be creating this flame inside him, which was stirring him up like wildfire.

But it jus happened that two younger ones of her family, caught Mike and Angel, sneaking in a kiss, outside, which in noticing two of her family around, made him, pull back from her without being aware of it.

“What were the Johnson’s boys going to do,” he thought, “Were they going to sneak out to all of her family that they happened to catch Angel and me, necking and kissing out in the cold?”

Mike and Angel, still, were out in that freezing cold. Snowflakes seemed to melt on their faces as he gave into the urge to feel her stomach. As he did, to him, her unborn baby, suddenly, seemed to enter into this world reality, more than it has been

BACKFLASH

Back months ago, when she had, first, found out, she was child, her and Mike jus hadn’t been in the position to sort out their feelings for each other. She hadn’t had enough trust to tell him, the truth, about who, she, really, was. All she had done was like through having taken on a different identity of being a sexy and flirtatious girl, when in reality, that identity jus hadn’t been her true self.

Now, all he wanted from her was for her, to keep some distance from him. He was hoping this would be all they needed to get back together as a couple, like they, once, were. He, still, upon coming out of the cold with her, having numbness in their fingers and toes, dared her to admit if she wanted him for her man. This he did jus because she jus had an argument with him.

This argument had been about if he was the one, who should be guilty, because he never had the sense to believe in Angel, months ago. This had been back when she had been a liar to him through her fake identity. With this on his mind, he should be going out of his way to offer her, his forgiveness, for having hurt her enough to have caused her to run away.

They seemed to have developed all this affection between each other, which neither of them, realized was, there, with them as smug as a rug. They, still, didn’t seem to be showing any trust for each other. She, actually, had been daring enough to betray him through running away from him. But she has to realize, that he never has done anything in his life to go against her.

There was doubt about Mike being in love with Angel, upon him, winning this game of Poker with the guys in Angel’s family. After this game of Poker, he happened to have, quickly, gathered all his winnings, together. There was no doubt, that he has jus shown all her family, plus Angel, that he’s become a poker stud.

Upon entering Angel’s bedroom right after playing the Poker game, he couldn’t help but see all this sadness in her eyes. She, almost, choked on these words, “I thought all you wanted, was all the money, I’m due to get through that inheritance along with all that land, I’ll be inheriting. However, in the long run, up face, you’ve got to understand, all this time, you’ve been the one, I’ve wanted not because I know, you’re a rich guy,” she said to him as all these tears, were rolling down her face.

She wanted to start all over, again, with him at Pines, tomorrow, because all of the family would be heading out at the crack of dawn. For her, this would turn out to be a good time to start a new relationship with him.

“You know, Mike, all has to get settled between us. There’s no doubt about it. I won’t do you any good to make any decisions concerning our relationship, yet. I’m not about to marry you, jus so that you can grab the baby in your name. Before we try to make any agreement, there needs to be some kind of settlement involving jus us.”

But instead of settling an argument with words, he reentered her bedroom, and gave her, a kiss, which swept her right off her feet.

He was begging her for distance, but she wanted to talk out all their frustrations.

She invited him along with the rest of her family and relatives to make this big trip to Pines to her grandfather’s house. One the way, she admitted to him, “I want you in my life, Mike, and the baby. So, we all can turn into one happy family.”

But he jus remained in is world of silence, because to him, silence was golden. He had nothing to say, because he was, suddenly choked up for words. He felt, as though, he was being smothered to death in this cruel world.

“If he couldn’t get himself to love me. If he couldn’t forgive me for being a liar. I want no more to do with him,” she thought, as they were traveling with her family in this carriage driven by a horse through Whitman to their destination in Pines.










































CHAPTER III

After they all arrived in Pines on one snowy day, Mike thought, “One time, Angel, actually, acted like she had jus been caught in a storm. She, then, was racing like a car in a race after me all through the ranch house. This had occurred when Angel had jus found out; she was knocked up with my baby.”

Upon the two arriving inside the kitchen over at her grandfather’s house, after they all walked through the front door, Mike walked over to Angel, and took her by surprise with a mushy kiss. As they waltzed around the table, he said to her in a daring voice, “I dare you to lie to me, now, about the whole thing, of you, being with baby.”

Then, tears started rolling down her face, enough tears to fill a bucket, over some fight; they got themselves into, jus because she didn’t want to keep the baby after it was born.

With him, going in circles around her, and to her amazement, pulled her into a strong embrace with her in tears, yet, She thought, “After that fight, which we had in the past, jus when I found out, I was with baby, I and Mike should give up having a future, together.”

After pausing to regain her composure, jus after they stopped going around in circles, she continued in thought, “What I want is for Mike and me to stop all that silly stuff, and listen to each other, lending an ear to each other, whenever the situation allows this during our shaky relationship.”

She made a confession to him, whiles them, still, and was inside the kitchen, upon them, sitting down across from each other and taking each other’s hand. “This means no more running away from you. I’m swearing to the truth, right now. I’m going to stay and work everything out between us.”

He was surprised, she jus made a commitment to him. Even though, distrust, still, is coming between them. And their baby deserves whatever they can do, that they have been working on, whatever they can do to give him, the baby, his blood father and mother.

Angel was upstairs, getting ready for the big party while she thought, “My family is out to get me, married to Mike, without whatever fussing, and they can do without.”

Angel and Mike, finally, came to their senses in a truce. He was turning, naturally, into a member of the family, which annoyed her to no end. Thought, she, also, saw this as going to go forward to her advantage. He has made up his mind to stick out his stay at Whitman, as he’s settling into the family, like if he were a part of the family.

He felt anger, stirring up inside him, over having missed most of the time of her, being with baby, which anger, she can sense inside her about him, through them, having had numerous fights, together, over petty things. Her heart’s aching like if it’s been cut through with a knife, for time, missed of sharing. Since, she’s run away, back months ago, when she, first, had found out, she was with baby.

She was recalling in her mind, “In him, being kind and gentle, had made me, fall for him in the first place. It didn’t, necessarily, mean, I wanted to get married to him. He’s, mostly, been focusing his mind on my baby. The baby jus happened to be all he wanted, jus to have custody of him, when he becomes born into this cruel world of ours. He jus might try to win my trust in him, back. If he does, he jus might run away from me.”

What she wanted was to build a wall between them. Hopefully, this would offer protection for her, when she thought, he’d have to leave, and fight over the child for its custody. She figured her family would be nice enough to go out of their way to fight for her, jus because she’s a Johnson heir. She wouldn’t be afraid to put up her defenses against him, no matter, what it took.

He went ahead, and snuck into her bedroom behind her, and then, locked the door behind them. He pulled out a Christmas present for her from his pocket, and handed the present to her while her eyes, appeared to be starry to him. However, upon her, hesitating to open up the box, she gave it right back to him, with sad eyes. But he jus hoped, she would change her mind, and accept his present, some day.

He turned out to be disappointed over the whole thing. But he, only, wanted to; somehow, get everything, settled between them. He wanted her to accept his proposal. But she wouldn’t for a very good reason. She jus didn’t have her heart set on getting married at this time.

The two wanted to set certain ground rules in their lives. But the baby seemed to be covering this situation at hand. The baby was in charge of what direction; their relationship was going to take.

Mike and Angel were trying to do their part in helping out in getting the tree up, as they, finally, succeeded in getting tree to stand up. As they did, his gaze jus happened to catch hers; it seemed to connect them in a certain way. This connection placed them so deep in awe, that this couldn’t even be explained.

The memory of their last Christmas, together, he happened to be seeing in a vision. This vision made this memory, seem like a mystery. He, actually, could see every one of these memories, which the two had, together, from last Christmas, as it seemed to show up in their eyes. Actually, it had to do with the way; her eyes were twinkling like stars on a clear night.

As the two sat down on this black leather love seat in the living room, the two were watching different ones in her family, putting up the lights around the tree, one of the final touches like the special angel and the garland. As Mike and Angel were sitting down, contentment seemed to linger over them. As he fingered over the box in his pocket, he tried to ignore any feeling of overwhelming defeat. This has been caused by her, not having accepted his marriage proposal.

The next morning, the two and the rest of the family, all were sitting around in the living room, waiting to open up their presents. At this time, as Mike and Angel were holding hands, she felt as if she was caught up in some spell. This spell seemed to be jus, somehow, drawing her and him, closer, together. This certain spell made her, want to love him, again, jus like she used to when they were back in Bradford at his ranch.

She was lost as what to do or what path to take with him in their relationship.

The two were jus reminiscing on what the baby, was going to be like when it was growing up, if it would end up being like her, a lover and flirt, or like him, handsome and muscular.

Mike, originally, had come to Whitman. But he had ended up running into a pregnant woman like Angel. He discovered her to be past his whims, beautiful with a stomach so rounded. Yet, she used to have a figure with lot of curves to it, when, they, first, had met each other, one time, over at a bar. But there was one thing, he could say about her. That was that she had quite a bit of strength and courage, which developed in her over time.

He had chased Angel around, jus because he wanted his child for his own. She intrigued him much like, once, fake identity, she used to have months ago. Measuring her with Kate, her once fake identity, to him, Angel seemed to be more of a flirt, along with being generous and loving. But one thing, that stayed the same with her, was that she has a big desire for sex a lot.

One thing, they had between them, was a big chance for all to go the right way. Also, his attraction for her has grown as big as a mountain. He needed to get himself to admit to her, He wanted and needed her not jus for the baby with a more solid foundation for their relationship. If he let her know, he cared for her, and made a confession to her, one of loving her with his heart, she, certainly, was going against him.

He couldn’t prove to her that her feelings for him have changed for the good. But for one thing, she, certainly, and always, seemed to be unpredictable. So, if he ever went ahead, and actually, let her know, his feelings for her. This could turn out to be a big risk for him to take in life.

What turned out to be a beautiful Christmas gift from Mike to Angel was a white cradle for her future baby. Setting right inside it, was this huge teddy bear. It was so huge, it, actually, appeared to be like a life size bear cub.

Thought, jus as she was opening this one present, she, suddenly, found herself, crouching over in pain. This pain seemed to be grabbing her right in her stomach. She knew, right away, what triggered it. This was making her, feel like she could be about to have her baby. But, it could be, only, a false pregnancy, her cousin thought. Though, Angel seemed like she was overdue to have her baby.

But all in her family hadn’t expected to be having her baby, so close to Christmas. But she wasn’t sure, she, actually, was going into labor, either. With all these pains, close together, there was no way. She could make it to the hospital. So, her mother and Mike carried her upstairs to her bedroom.

One of her cousins, Diane, who, only, was a veterinarian, could end up delivering her baby. But Angel kept pressing for someone in the family to take her right to the hospital. They all knew she would never make it, there. So, Diane, her mother and Mike stayed right there in her bedroom, while Mike stayed at her side. She thought, if she grasped her stomach for awhile, it would delay her labor. So, someone in the family could get her to the hospital.

But Mike assured her,” There’s no way; the baby wants to wait that long in this snowy weather. It wants to come out of your womb. It’s more than ready to be born.” However, she jus started yelling at him.

He, still, was going to stay at her side, helping her out with her breathing, the best he could. It had been smart of her, to have taken some Lamaze classes. But unfortunately, she had left her coach, somehow, in another part of Whitman.

While Mike was doing his duty to her, in helping her out with her labor, he was in thought, “I never am going to allow her to have any more babies, because for me, one is enough to handle and take care of.”

Diane was going to have to help deliver Angel’s baby. Thought, Angel’s mother had to run around the house, gathering some supplies, like a scissors, towels, and a blanket. Babies, usually, tend to take a long time to be born in the first labor. But Angel’s baby didn’t seem to want to wait long to come out of Angel’s womb. Thought, with no doctor around, she would have to have her baby without anesthesia.

She grabbed onto Mike’s hand. She was crying out bloody murder. But he couldn’t take any more of this yelling from her. So, he left the bedroom, for her, to go through labor on her own. Then, the baby came out within an hour’s time. Angle’s cousin, Diane, delivered the baby for Angel, although, she’s jus a veterinarian. After the baby was out of her womb, Mike gave the baby boy, his name, Michael David Pauley.

Then, Angel’s cousin left the bedroom, leaving Angel with him. She didn’t like this, at all. She’s afraid that Mike’s got something in mind to take her baby away from her.

He thought that the baby would hear him and understand him, if he talked to him. So, Mike jus stood by the baby’s side in the bedroom, and tried to tell the baby, all about ranching.

“One day, all that land and ranch, I have back in Bradford, is going to become all yours. When you’re old enough, I’m going to let you in all the secrets of ranching. I’m going to make a wise and attending rancher out of you, my boy. You’re even going to, one day, own your own horse to care for and ride on, my boy.”

So, Angel, really, got the idea, that all Mike’s going to care about is that baby of his.

“Don’t tell me, Mike, that I don’t know a single thing about ranching. My mother and father made sure, from way back when I was a little girl. That they taught me, every little bit, there’s to know about ranching.”

Her father took it upon himself and called over at the nearest hospital, for a doctor. Then, he assured Angel, the doctor was coming over to pick up her baby. That he was going to see, that the baby was, thoroughly, checked out. The baby was going to receive a doctor’s loving and tender care.

Then, Mike said to her, “I have something to tell you, my darling. Think for not giving the baby away for adoption, like you, originally, had planned to do.”

“I have something for you, Mike. Both you and I should bring up our baby like a good and loving mother and father should. Also, I’m wondering what you’re planning to do with the baby. Hope you don’t have some scheme on your mind, to take Mike Jr. away from me.”

The last thing, she wanted was for the baby, to end up going back and forth from Bradford to Whitman. For the baby’s sake, they were faced with working out something to keep it in the family. They both made an agreement to be a mother and father to their baby. This was so that neither of them would end up using the baby as a pawn in a chess game, either.

They were going to make sure; they both took care of the baby. Between them, they would share all the duties of taking care of a baby. But she found him, taking quite a bit of time, fondling the baby. He seemed to be ignoring her. He wasn’t aware; he wasn’t giving her, the tender loving touch, like he was to Mike Jr. She decided on breastfeeding the baby. She was hoping that it would stop anyone in her family, from taking her son away from them.

However, she knew that Mike was trying to act like he was possessed with their son. She was worried about how he was going to act around her, when he tried to take the baby back home to Bradford.

She thought, “What am I, going to do, because I’m in tears and can’t seem to get the baby to calm down. This is happening, because he can sense, I don’t know the first thing about being a mother. Now, that Mike has the baby in his arms, he jus proved to me, that I can’t handle the baby. That he’s a better parent to our baby, than I am.”

He told her, because she’s acting so restless, “What’s on my mind is that through laying the cards on the table. That we can either get married, make sure the baby, goes through baptism, and then, head back to Bradford.”

“What’s the other choice,” she said, as tears crept up in her eyes, with enough tears to fill a bucket?

“We could take this situation of ours to court. And fight over who is eligible for taking custody of our son, having the judge, decide who gets to have his custody in this matter. Or leave the baby, here, with you, leaving me, to try and forget all about caring for him. And allow you to raise your baby in your family name.”

But she said, confidentially, “I want to work this matter through our own way of arranging custody through a lawyer.”

However, all this would do was lead to a marriage where love’s not involved. It would, only, through his threatening to take the baby away, that she would take her baby, and ran away from him, again.

He told her, “If you ran away from me, again, I would be along with your grandfather and father, in joining forces, and starting out on a new search for you, again.”

Trying to defend her, she responded, “But I know my father and grandfather were never the type of people, who would ignore the care of the baby. Or the fact, that it was alive and a human being, for that matter. Neither of them would try to do anything so drastic to make sure, it kept its father.”

If she wouldn’t go forward, and admit any of her love to Mike, after the holidays were over, he would end up having to leave for his ranch in Bradford. In that case, he would have no choice but to leave his son behind.

He’s been trying to do all he can to force Angel to marry him, because it’s what he, really has wanted to happen. But it’s turned out to be very hard for him to plan what he wants in this matter. This is because she has gone ahead, and has tried to place how much distance, she can between them. But if he ended up marrying Angel, some day, the family ranch would become all his.

She was playing games with him, so, she told him, “If I test your patience, you might jus go off to Bradford, like you would do, if I stirred up a storm.”

Then, without any warning, he went ahead and jus pushed her into his lap. With a mushy kiss, he tried to do all he could to seduce her into getting her defenses down. So, he could surprise her, and remind her of all the love, that ever existed between them, if it ever did.

He walked away from her like he was going to be leaving for good, and going back to his ranch back in Bradford. So, he would leave her alone with the baby, because he couldn’t love her back.

Then, she jus happened to play the game, catch me if you can, in another room, cradling their son. This he was doing, because he wanted some time alone with the baby. He’s trying hard to get her to believe, he loves her like she loves him.

After he told her, “I love you,” the next matter, which was brought up was that she said, “I could go out of my way to learn to become a good rancher in living in Bradford with you on this type of honeymoon.” This gave him, the impression, that he was blackmailing her into marriage.

So, the two weren’t going to be at the family ranch for a new year’s gathering, because she wanted to be a ranch helper around at his ranch. Since, romance to her, was being in his arms, so lovingly, he admitted to her, “My darling, if this is what you want, then, I’m never going to allow you to run away from me, ever again.”

The housekeeper for Angel’s family was going along with Mike and Angel to put in her part to help take care of the newborn, until Angel felt, she didn’t need her help, anymore.

Since, David Johnson, Angel’s step father, was picked to be the best man at Mike’s and Angel’s wedding, her mother, already, had her dressed in a beautiful white dress with a lot of cleavage to it.

Epilogue

To establish a family bond with Angel, her mother sent her a lot of pictures of family gatherings over to Mike’s ranch in Bradford. It jus happened that was where Mike and Angel were living, and have been for a few years. Since, her family, also, has been sending her, a lot of letters, after Angel having read the most recent one, this one made her, homesick for the family back in Whitman. In the last letter, her mother wrote, that Angel’s cousin, Diane, finally, has hooked a guy on a fish hook as her very own.

Mike and Angel have been married for about five years, and their five-year old son was doing jus fine in having lived at the ranch with them, all this time, after they all have left the Christmas gathering over in Whitman over at the family ranch.

Each time, Mike and Angel happened to find the time to get into making love, familiarity and commitment between them, kept deepening that bond, which they have had between them, all these years.

Where they were living at the ranch in Bradford, this ranch, for them, was going to stay their permanent home, together as a family. So, over at this ranch, where their son has been living with them for about five years, already, has made their son, grow up while he’s been very special in the family to both Mike and Angel.

One of these days, they were going to make sure, he was going to become a great rancher jus like them. More than being the father of Angel’s child, he has been fastened like a shoe lace, right inside her heart. He, still, has loved her with pouring it all out with all his heart and soul.