Return to Shepherdess' Bluff

Author’s Note : Originally writen by me, under my former pen-name Peg-Leg Dukk. This was for a Christmas Theme Contest, but the story wasn’t ready by the deadline, so I took my time to finish it properly. This is one piece I hope you enjoy. Please do send feedback, and vote! - SRS

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A light snow started falling amid the tall aspen trees and pines surrounding the rocky foothills by sunset, turning the vista into a picture-postcard scene of days long-past. Long before the start of December, the country hills and valleys surrounding Shepherdess' Bluff were mantled under a covering of white, laced through with breaks of green and browns. Overhead, the dusky sky already started to pepper with a few sparkles from the winter star fields, highlighted by the single crescent of a silver moon.

Icy gravel crunched solidly under the wheels of Terry Shackleford's truck as she steered it towards the pine-plank house on the hill before them. Crouched in the driver's seat, Terry craned her neck down, looking out past the windshield over the picket-line fence beside the winding road, spying the blue-gray curl of smoke coming from the low chimney, and the soft glow of amber light coming from the windows.

"Well, were here! Looks like Dad's still awake, for a change," she said gustily, shaking her sun-blonde hair out of her eyes as she turned to glance at her son in the passenger seat. "Are you sure you want to stay here for another Christmas, honey?" At forty-two, she felt she should know the mind of her oldest child like the back of her hand.

Without turning to look at her, Jamie-Ray just smiled while rolling his eyes privately. "Ma, you've been asking that since we left Rumsford, and that was two days ago!" He shifted his long frame slightly, beginning to show signs of wanting to get out of there so he could stretch after the last leg of their long drive.

"Well, I just can't understand it! For a young man of twenty, you confuse me at the damndest times," Terry admitted. "I mean, your father and I had such wonderful plans to head for Cozumel with you and your sister for the holidays. Yet, for all that tempting sunshine-."

"Ma, come on!" Jamie-Ray just chuckled. "I don't mind spending another Christmas at Grandad's place." Looking at her now, his dark eyes were twinkling with tolerant amusement. "Besides," he added, brushing his own sandy locks back with a stray hand, "I think he likes having the company around!"

Terry had to chuckle at that. "My father...he's been a hermit for twenty years, and now he gets the notion that he likes company again!" Sighing, she reached over to grip her son's near shoulder. "Honey, I know it's what you want, but are you sure? We can still get you a ticket for the plane ride down?"

James patted his mother's hand and shook his head. "Thanks, but I think I'll stick with Grandad! You and Dad and Molly have a great time in Mexico without me."

By then, the truck had come up to the turnabout circle in front of the house; giving Terry a moment to concentrate on bringing it to a stop just shy of the porch. With a last burp as the vehicle settled into the snowy parkway, and Jamie-Ray quickly exited the passenger side. Shrugging into his fleece-lined jacket, he reached into the truck-bed to get the first of his bags to carry it up the steps leading onto the wide, open-air porch.

"Don't forget those presents from the rest of us!" Terry called out through the open door.

"Got it, Ma!" He turned with both arms full towards the house, and before he'd barely put his foot on the first step, when the front door swung open; spilling warm light onto the snow.

"Jamie boy! Terry! You finally made it!"

Coming out from her side of the truck, Terry beamed at the old, grizzled man leaning on the hand rail at the top of the steps. "Hi, Dad!" she called out, walking towards the porch.

"Hey, Grandad!" Jamie-Ray smiled, dropping his bag with a thump before he reached out to give his burly grandfather a big hug.

"Ow, hey! Take it easy on your old man!" James Shackleford chuckled, slapping his grandson on the back briefly before he let Jamie-Ray go, throwing his free arm wide to give his daughter a welcome hug too as she climbed up the steps. A tall, broad man of sixty-odd years, he would have made a perfect Santa, if not for his notable muscular arms and legs, even though one of them had a pronounced limp. "Ah, good to see you again, Terry!"

"Ditto, but...what happened to you?" she asked, pointing to his leg.

"Ah, I'm not as spry as I used to be," James admitted in an off-handed fashion. "Got out in the deeper part of the woods again and ran into that same line of trapper's pitfalls!"

Terry shook her head, scowling. "Haven't those trappers been scared off by the Fishery rangers yet? There's been laws forbidding trapping all around Shepherdess Bluff!"

"Well, so hunters are just more stubborn than most," James stated ruefully. "Still, I'll be better in a few weeks. As for you, I'm glad you didn't get snowed out on the roads on your way here."

"Oh, it wasn't much...of a much," Jamie-Ray said, stomping down the steps to get his other bags.

"Says the navigator, who didn't so much as drive a lick of the last five hours," Terry snorted. "Though some would say it's a bit much to come out and see a old man, too set in his ways to come visit his family once in a while."

James Senior caught the jibe, and just laughed. "Well, this fat old man just doesn't have the get-up and go like he used to. Besides, why risk my neck on those icy mountain roads, when my grandson is perfectly capable of getting to me?"

"If he'd use his own car!" Terry stated with a mock-scandalized tone.

Jamie-Ray just groaned, "Oh, Ma...I don't have the right tires on it for winter travel!"

"Well, if you'd just put some of that hard-earned money you've been squirreling away-." Terry started to scold.

"Oh, leave the boy alone," James Senior snorted, making his pepper beard ripple along his chest. "The boy's doing the right thing; saving up for college. He'll need every dime to get a good education, and you know it, m'girl!"

Terry sighed and threw up her hands. "Fine, just so long as he realizes that this might be the last time I indulge him - and you, for that matter - in another drive up here. Next year, you're either going to drive yourself or stick with the family plans, young man!"

Jamie-Ray shouldered an old-style duffel bag and grinned. "Okay, okay! I get the point, Ma!" With that, he tramped up the steps and address his grandfather, "Still have the same room for me?"

James waved towards the open door. "Same as last year, Jamie-boy. Just remember not to make a mess of it, again." he said with a rueful smile.

"No problem, sir! Oh, we brought presents from everyone else for you!"

"Well," James sighed, "at least the tree wont be bare this year. Did your Aunt Nina send another fruitcake?"

"Oh, Dad! You're never going to forgive Nina for that little joke!" Terry laughed.

"Joke-schmoke! I nearly chipped a tooth on that piece of brick ware, and Nina knows how much I hate getting fruitcake," James snarled, though it was toned down to a good-natured humbug. "She just did it to rankle me."

Pausing next to them, Jamie-Ray grunted, shifting the packs in his hand. "Don't worry! No edibles in this year's swag!" He stooped down to give his mother a kiss on the cheek. "Got to get settled, Ma, and then I've got to go check on our wood supply before the big snow hits." With that, he strolled in through the door and was out of sight in a flash.

Shaking her head, Terry called after him, "Just mind your grandfather, honey!" Sighing, she turned to her father and asked, "I don't know how you do it! He never gets this excited with any of our other relatives, and yet this is the sixth year he's wanted to spend Christmas with you."

James Senior just winked at his daughter, his grey eyes twinkling with mirth. "Trade secret, m'girl...besides, it's good to have the boy around for a spell."

She gave him a light sock in the arm. "That 'boy' is nearly twenty years old, and should be enjoying a spell on the beaches of Mexico," she retorted, before blowing out her cheeks in exasperation. "Still, it's good that he does spend time with you, Dad. I know it couldn't be easy for you...living without Mom and all..."

Patting his daughter on the shoulder, the older man smiled gently. "Your mother and I had thirty wonderful years together, Terry. Losing her wasn't a cakewalk...but, I've never really lost the love we had together," he admitted. "I did sort of join a hermit-club after she died, but, thanks to some...well, thanks to Jamie I've been able to get past that."

Terry squeezed his hand briefly, smiling. "It's good to hear that, Dad."

With a gusty sigh, James Senior asked, "Now, since that's said and done, might I inquire if you're gonna stay the night before heading back for your trip south of the border?"

Shaking her head, Terry replied, "Sadly, I can't. I've got to meet Molly and Bruce in the city for our flight, and it's going to take a good night's worth of travel before I get there." Reaching up, she gave her father a big hug. "Take care of Jamie, okay? I'll be back in two weeks to pick him up."

"Take care, Terry," James Senior beamed, watching as she descended the steps towards her truck. "And don't worry about Jamie-boy! He's going to have a grand time with his old man!"

# # #

It was a perfect Christmas Eve; and all of the Shackleford Acre reflected in it's wondrous feel and spirit. The fire inside filled the windows with glowing warmth, seeping out into the night air over the vista of winter woods spread around the house.

James had made himself comfortable on the back porch of his winter home, seated on an old, Bunyan-style rocker with his left foot propped up on the railing. Dressed in a thick cardigan and old, faded denim jeans, he hardly felt the chill air as he relaxed into another cozy evening, where the green trees that bordered his property stood covered in light coats of white. New flakes danced down from the night-time skies above; adding to the serene calm covering the land. Watching the slowly-drifting snow, he smiled as he sipped from time to time from a steaming mug of home-brewed coffee.

Just then, the side door opened, and he felt the presence of his grandson approaching from around the corner. "Hey, Jamie-boy! Come to keep an old man company?"

Looking like he'd come fresh from the shower, Jamie-Ray rubbed a hand through his slightly damp hair and smiled. "More or less." He shivered pleasantly in his red flannel shirt and dark dungarees. "Mm! I'd forgotten how good showers here felt like!"

"Glacier water will do that for you," James nodded. "Even hot, it's like getting a whole new sensation."

Taking a seat against the railing across from his grandfather, Jamie-Ray crossed his arms before looking over his shoulder at the serene scene spread before them. "Beautiful...like it never changes up here, no matter how much time passes," he mused.

"Never seems to do that," James agreed, pausing to take another sip from his drink. "Want some? Just brewed a hot pot in the kitchen."

"No thanks," Jamie-Ray declined. He fell silent for a moment or two, before asking, "Mom still doesn't know...does she?"

James shook his head reflexively. "Nope."

"Think she'll ever figure it out?"

"Dunno. Your Mom's a bright cookie...but, she's not the sharpest tack in the desk, after a fashion." Shifting in his rocker a bit, the grizzled oldster cast a searching eye at his grandson. "What's brought this along?"

Shrugging, Jamie-Ray grunted noncommittally.

"Jamie-boy...you've never brought this up before. Is there something eating at you?"

"I...I don't know. I mean," Jamie-Ray said at length, turning back to stare at his elder. "It's not something you're supposed to keep a secret...not something like this."

Sighing, James leaned over to place his cup down on the floor boards of the porch, next to his seat. "Look, Jamie-Boy," he said, leaning forward as he folded his hands together while propping his elbows on his knees. "There's been a good reason for keeping this from your mother... and from the rest of the family, for that matter. I know it's something you want to tell...especially to the people that you love very much. However, you have to consider how they're going to react when they hear about it."

"I know," Jamie-Ray said with a rush of emotion. "It just feels...wrong, not telling them!"

"Well, there's going to come a time when it will be the right time to tell them," James said at length, Staring at his grandson, he mused at the changes that had come over the boy over the past few years. Gone was the lanky, stumbling youth that had been first to arrive on his doorstep nearly seven years ago. He had the Shackleford ruggedness and the handsome face of his father, all wrapped up in a healthy, fit package that any college sport team would kill to acquire. Jamie had taken well to college sports, if the cut of his broad shoulders and long legs were any account. James had to admit, his grandson was quite a sight to see.

"I just wish I knew when that time was coming," Jamie-Ray said with a sigh groan.

"Time's not a mistress to mere men, Jamie-boy," James chuckled. "Besides, you didn't come up here to worry about all of that time-mishmash! It's Christmas Eve, for Chrissakes! You're hear to relax, spend time with your old man and...other things!"

Jamie-Ray had to grin at that statement. "Yeah, I guess you're right!"

"Rule Number-One: Grandad is always right," James chortled heartily. Jamie soon joined him, and their laughter echoed off the pines like warm, rich waves of sunshine. Then, Jamie began to recount his recent experiences at college with his elder...

Shortly after finishing a little rehash of some of the wilder nights with his dorm mates, both Jamie and James feel silent; as if some unheard source had cued them to stop. Jamie-Ray stiffened, coming to his feet by reflex as he turned to face the woods once more.

James caught his grandson's reaction, and he inhaled sharply, before he chuckled softly. "About time! Timing's near piss-perfect, though it should have come tomorrow night by all reckoning." In a louder voice, he stated, "All that high-falootin' thinking has got you muffled down, Jamie-Boy...and it looks like you're about to have your mind taken off it for a while." Nodding towards the woods, he added, "After being cooped up on this porch all night, you'd best get your tail in gear and get goin'!"

"Is it...I mean," Jamie stammered softly, "It's okay for me...?"

"Can't be a better time like the present," James smiled, noting the sudden flush coming over his grandson's face. "It would be a good way to start off your vacation up here."

Moving slowly along the porch railing, Jamie-Ray stared hard out into the snowy night. "I...it's...I just don't want to go...like this..." He turned to face his grandfather, hesitation written all over his face.

"Oh, go on!" James waved at the young man with one broad hand. "It may only be the first night, but you need this!" He stared over the railing, into the woods with a bemused grin. When he saw that Jamie-Ray still hadn't moved an inch, he stomped his good foot on the porch and said, "Chrissakes, Boy! Get your tail out there, or bad leg or no bad leg, I run you off this porch!"

With a bark of relieved laughter, Jamie-Ray held up his hands in a warding gesture before he turned to head down the back steps. "Okay, okay! I'm going! I'm going!" Pelting down the wood steps, he called over his shoulder, "I'll be back in a bit, I promise!"

Chuckling as he watched the young man make his way over the snow-covered backyard, James muttered fondly, "Don't make a promise you wont keep, Jamie-boy..."

#

Feeling the snow pack crunch under his boots, Jamie-Ray marched on into the woods, leaving the glow of the Shackleford home far behind him in moments. Reaching up to brush some of the drifting snow off of his shoulders, he keenly watched the woods ahead of him; all senses focused and sharp as a razor's edge.

Shortly, he paused in his trek to lean against a tall aspen stump; one that had been sheered off by a lighting strike some years before. Puffing out a cloud of heated breath, he scanned around, searching for something...something he'd sensed back on the porch...but, all he could see for miles were trees, snow and empty spaces. With a snort, he slapped his thigh in frustration, before pushing off into one direction.

"Damn it," he growled softly, slapping a few low hanging branches out of his way. "Where...where, where, where?"

He was about to go spare - to use his grandfather's old wit - when, coming abreast of a spur of dark, black rock...he sensed it! Them! HER!

A ripple of soft laughter touched his ears...so quick and fleeting he nearly lost track of where it came from. He'd never forget that sound; a rich, light alto that could have given voice to a heavenly chorus. Or it could have belonged to a torchy seductress, heard only in his wildest dreams...

"All right," he muttered, turning about in a full circle before standing with his feet planted in the snow; as if expecting a fight. "You wanna play that game? Fine...just remember, I caught you once before. I can do it again."

Another trickle of laughter. "Oh really?" an amused voice trailed after.

Jamie-Ray whipped his head around, his nostrils flaring, filling with cold mountain air...and more. "Yeah...really!" With a look of cunning, he turned away as if he'd heard something else. Then, without warning, he lurched explosively in the opposite direction, churning up a wake of frothy white flakes. He unerringly charged towards a cluster of smaller rocks, leaping onto the jagged rim formed there with a heavy thump of his boots.

"Gotya!"

A shriek, tinged with laughter burst out from the shallow under hang beneath him, followed by the appearance of a running form heading down the shallow slope below. A girl, barely older than he was, dressed in fur-lined calf-high boots, leather breeches and top. Bolting for the protection of the trees, Jamie could see the bouncing, single braid of her deep rusty-brown hair coiling and bouncing behind her as she ran.

With a bound, Jamie-Ray was right behind her, snorting clouds that trailed behind his head as he plowed through the snow after her. Being hampered somewhat by his size - and his soggy boots - she had a good lead out from the start of the chase. However, Jamie-Ray had been working out this past year in college on the track team. His powerful legs soon helped to close the gap between them, despite the girl's juking and dodging efforts.

Finally, just as the girl broke into the open - emerging into a level clearing in the forest - Jamie got close enough to brush his fingers against one of her arms. Shrieking from the brief contact, the girl tried juking left to avoid being grabbed, but Jamie had been prepared for such an event. Planting his right foot, he kicked off into a leap, launching his tall form at her in a sprawling tackle. Clutching her around her middle, Jamie twisted around to shield her from the frozen ground as they hit and went tumbling through the snow.

Coming to a stop, Jamie managed to put himself above her shifting his grip to capture her hands above her head. With a panting grin, he pressed her into the ground and said, "See? I told you...I could do it...again!"

With a growl, the russet-haired girl retorted, "You brute! You caught me off-guard, and that's hardly fair!" Her grey eyes flashed, staring up at his with a shimmering glow, she pressed up against him, trying to force him off of her body.

"You call the last time we 'played' fair, sweetness?" Jamie grunted, briefly struggling to keep her pinned. "Oh, no! I got you this time, fair and square! Fess up...you've lost, Cara, soooo..."