**** Brittany had been desperate for some 'me time' to practice. There was so much stress at home... she just had to get away from everyone. She was in one of her favorite areas not far from Wolf Mountain. She could hear the water as it rushed over the rocks and down the stream. She could see the mist from the waterfall as it splashed above the bushes as if she timed it just right... the mist enfolded them with the almost magical spray. She loved this area. It had been a sacred place for the local tribe and she felt as if her grandfather and the tribal elders watched over her as she and Aphrodite practiced roping. Suddenly, her horse huffed, twitched her ears toward the West and pranced at the unfamiliar.
That was when she spotted a huge black stallion, with a white blaze, and four white socks. Brittany was struck dumb by the fine specimen, even by the ranch's standards.
"Oh! Look at you!" She said in awe at the magnificent animal. "What a beauty you are. Easy girl," She soothed her own restless mare. "We won't get too close. He's a real looker isn't he, Sweetheart." Her mare nodded several times and sidestepped.
"Where did you come from, handsome? I think I know all the horses around here and I don't remember seeing you anywhere. Are you lost?"
The mammoth beast tossed and shook his head with a snort, and pawed the ground as if showing his disdain for the question.
"Shhhh. Easy boy. I won't insult you again, sorry about that."
Slowly the impressive black took one step after another, closer and closer to the girl and her mare. She stretched her hand out and chuckled when her mare turned to face him. The horses stretched their necks until soft noses touched.
"He certainly is a handsone devil isn't he, Ditie? Someone takes good care of this guy, but..." She turned in the saddle and looked around her, 'Where's his rider? Why is this big guy out here all by his lonesome?'
She couldn't help but smile as Aphrodite and the stallion nosed each other, ears high. She grinned when the black turned his attention to her.
"What's your name fella?"
"Ares," A deep, masculine voice said from behind her. "And he is quite discerning... doesn't generally take kindly to strangers - two or four legged."
Brittany spun around, eyes wide in shock that she was not alone after all. The big man stood behind her, legs wide, arms crossed, other people may have been mistaken into believing that he was relaxed, but not her. Not knowing the men she knew who lived and worked on the ranch, many of whom had served in the Special Forces and Law Enforcement. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand, yet her heart threatened to pound right out of her chest.
'Wow! Why am I thinking about that now?'
He was tall, with jet black hair. The one good eye was the deepest shade of violet she had ever seen. After studying the man thoroughly she compeared him to her Uncle Bear, who stood at least 6'4". She realized that this man was at least 3 or 4 inches taller than her uncle. Shock nearly knocked her out of the saddle.
'That makes him at the very most six feet seven inches in hight!' She thought in awe.
The long, jagged scar on his face only seemed to add to his O.M.G! rugged good looks. But, wow! He was huge... broad shoulders, deep chest, massive arms that would take both of her hands to encircle, and fingertips still not touch. Brittany closed her mouth tight so she wouldn't whistle.
Brick nearly laughed aloud at the wide eyed look on her face. "See something ya like, Missy?"
'Oh, that sexy accent. Russian, right? Has to be Russian.'
The quick blush turned her beautiful heart shaped face the most appealing shade of pink he'd ever seen. His heart skipped a beat, something it hadn't done in a very long time. In fact, it had been so long he'd almost forgotten he even had a heart.
'Pretty little thing... too pretty, and too young to be this far away from the ranch and on her own.'
"Ares?" She said, embarrassed at the squeaky response. Clearing her throat she tried again, "That's the Greek god of war, right?" 'Yeah, that sounded less Minnie Meish.' She thought.
A little surprised he raised a black eyebrow and nodded, "You know the Greek myths?"
She nodded, "Yes. I love them. This beautiful lady is Aphrodite. She was a gift from a... umm... friend." She said, caressing the mare's glossy neck, as a soft sadness crossed her face. "A friend of mine, used to tell them to me... before he... umm... passed away."
Guilt twisted his gut as he forced a smile, 'It is her.' He thought. 'Damn. I can't believe how much she's grown. No, it can't be Tany. Yet... isn't that the same mare I gave her.'
"Ah, the goddess of love." He watched as the little mare nuzzled her partner's leg in quiet support. 'I thought they would be good for eachother.'
"It fits her." He grinned again when the mare looked at him and nodded her head as if in agreement.
"I'm Brittany Hagar Blanton. My dad owns this ranch. Now, that you know who I am... who are you, and why are you on my family's land?!"
'Spunky, little thing. Then again she always was.' He grinned at her. "Are you asking for answers or demanding them."
'Oh whoe. With a smile like that this guy is lethal.' She thought, 'No! He's trespassing! Girl, get yourself together and make your dad proud!'
Brick uncrossed his arms and stuck his thumbs into his large belt buckle. "Brittany? You're KB's kid sister, right?" He looked her over again, and released the breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "You've grown... quite a bit since the last time I saw you."
The look that crossed her pretty face nearly broke his facade. "You... know my brother? Wait, how would you know Kyle, or me for that matter?"
He grinned, "Oh yeah, Missy. My Handle's Brick. Ask him next time ya see him. He'll know. So will you if you stop and think for a moment."
Brittany thought for a long moment then grinned! "Gabriel! You're Gabriel! Oh my God!"
He nodded, "Been a long time, Tany."
'Oh glory! He remembers me!'
Then it hit her and she covered her mouth in shock. "Wait a minute. We, I, we, I... I... thought, you... they said... I know you were... how are you..."
He chuckled as he pulled a saddle blanket out of a bush, and tossed it onto the black's broad back. "Thought I was what, Missy?"
"Dead! I received the flag myself! You asked me to in your letter! You're supposed to be dead! Why aren't you dead? I cried a bucket of tears over you - I mean we, all of us were so cried. Even my mom cried." She exclaimed in outrage.
Brick slowly turned to look her in the eyes. She thought she saw regret in that beautiful violet orb. "All of you were sad and cried buckets if tears, uhh? I'm sorry I put you all through that, but, yeah, I'm dead and I need to stay that way. So you can't tell your folks you saw me."
"What! Did you just... Why?" Brittany couldn't believe what she'd just heard. "Gabriel, I don't like this, and what you did! It was cruel! I really thought you were dead! It was awful! Do you know how long it took me to not wake up screaming every night?! Waht it was like to watch Kyle learn to walk again and not have my hero to lean on? My family had to send me to grief therapy, because of you!"
Brick froze for a long moment. That, he hadn't expected. Taking a deep breath he tossed the stirrup over the saddle horn, and began to tighten the cinch.
"Brittany, I have a job to do, and I can't do that if my target knows I'm still alive. You also can't call me Gabe or Gabriel! It's just not safe. Stick with Brick. At least for now." He gave her a sad smile, "Your uncle is with the FBI, your brother's the Sheriff so you know... how things have to be sometimes." He sighed, "Honey, I'm sorry for what my death put you through, and I promise that one day I will make it right, but right now I'm..."
She nodded, "You're working undercover. But that doesn't give you the right to do what you did, and that doesn't mean..."
He shook his head, "You know I can't tell you." Brick slipped the bridle over Ares' head and fastened the buckle. "That a boy."
Brittany studied the tack and grinned, "No bit?" She knew a subject changer when she saw one.
"Don't need one. I could go without any tack if I needed to. He's trained to take non-verbal commands."
Brittany watched him hop up into the saddle, hands free. She fought putting a hand over her heart to hide the admiration she tried not to feel. She'd been trying to learn how to do that her whole life. Picking up Aphrodite's reins, Brittany gave him a small, sad smile.
"I'm sorry it needs to be this way. Will I ever see you again, Gabr... uhh... Brick? Can I at least tell Kyle?"
Brick chuckled, "He already knows. Trust me." A second later he lifted his hand, palm out and turned to study their surroundings.
'Something's not right. It's to quit.' He thought as he listened. Even the birds had stopped their usual chorus. Becoming more suspicious by the second, he scanned the area. When he spotted a gleam in the distance, he moved so fast Brittany had no time to react.
"What's..." Before she could finish Brittany found herself rolling across the ground as a loud crack rang out.
* * *
Brittany felt the scream lodge in the back of her throat, until she looked up into his face. The strength she saw there steadied her. Brick would keep her safe. She didn't know how, but she knew that like her dad, uncles and brother... he was someone to count on in tough situations.
Brick rolled them both into the bushes. Once undercover, he pulled a Smith and Wesson Model 27 out of his shoulder holster and looked at Brittany. The horror he saw on her face would haunt his dreams.
"Brick! You're..."
Looking down at his blood stained shirt Brick realized he'd been hit in the right shoulder.
'Damn it!' With a growl he grabbed his neckerchief for the wound, and looked at Brittany. "Brittany, listen to me!" He snapped his bloody fingers getting her attention away from his shoulder. "The shooter saw where we took cover! I need to circle around behind him. I need you to follow, and stay behind me. He's trained, so he believes I won't keep you with me, that I'll stash you some place safe."
Brittany shook her head, "I have a rifle on my saddle, I can help you. I know how to shoot and I hit what I aim at! Daddy, and Kyle taught me."
He glared at her, "This isn't a game, Tany!"
"No kidding! This is a dangerous situation, you've been hit and you're loosing blood. I also have a medical kit in my saddle bag that I'm trained to use, and I don't have time to argue about this! Now, shut up and cover me!"
Before he knew it she was up and making a run for her horse.
'Must run in the family. The little minx is just like her brother!' He thought, grinning and surprised himself when he counted back to figure her current age. He couldn't help but shake his head, when the figuring us done. 'Seventeen... she's seventeen, only seventeen! Don't even think about it old man.'