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instant the old Victor was back. Julia looked up, to find
emerald eyes sparkling brilliantly at her and forced a reluctant
smile to her lips. "I am very glad you've come home, though. I need
to speak with you before it's too late."
    "Father you're tired," Julia argued, aware
he would no sooner listen to her warnings then he had his own
doctor. "Why don't we talk in the morning, after you've had a good
night's sleep?"
    "I'm not that tired and I must speak with
you, before I die. I have to explain what has happened." The man's
anxieties made his breathing quicken and his hands shake. Julia
stood and walked to the chair beside him, laying a gentle hand on
his arm in an attempt to calm him down.
    "I've left you co-ownership of the Stables,"
he continued with a deep breath. "You must assume my role at the
annual sales this fall. I know it's not much time for you to
prepare, but I'll help all I can before I go. I've briefed my
attorney, Daniel Browning and he's promised to help you when the
time comes. I trust Daniel; listen to him and take his advice. He's
a smart man, Julia, and he knows what he's doing. If you have any
questions or problems, he's the one to turn to." Victor looked very
pale as he struggled for air; his lungs rattled in his chest as he
struggled to speak, making his voice sound barely above a
whisper.
    "You must promise me this," his breath
sounded strangled in his throat as he continued on. "Don't give up
the ranch; it's all we have, it's what we are," he gasped several
times before he slowly regained his composure. Julia's brows pulled
together in a deep frown as she watched the old man's attempt to
keep the air flowing within his weak lungs.
    After several long, agonizing minutes, he
spoke to her again; this time in soft whispered tones. "This ranch,
it's your heritage Julia, and Jeremy's. Please don't let me down."
His lungs began to rattle again and Julia's frown deepened.
"Promise me Julia. I have to know you'll be there for me. I must
know you'll keep the family's future going. Promise me!"
    Julia couldn't bear to see her father like
this, but she didn't want his legacy to fall on her shoulders
either. She had her own designs for life and they had nothing to do
with Kentucky or the family horses. Looking at the desperation in
his eyes she knew she couldn’t deny him this one last request;
could she?
    "I'll do what I can father, you know that,
but I don't know anything about breeding horses. I barely know the
difference, between a filly and a gelding."
    "You'll learn," he gasped softly. Louise’s
slender brows furrowed with concern for her husband’s weakening
state as she placed her small hand across his larger one. "I had to
learn, just as my father did and his father before him. You can do
it, honey. You have to try, I need you." Realizing how weak her
father had become over the last few minutes, Julia felt she had no
choice but to surrender to his demands; which she did,
reluctantly.
    "I promise," she vowed, knowing she sounded
less than enthusiastic, or convincing.
    "There's more," he told her, through gasps
of forced air. "In the past four months, we've lost two good studs
to snake bites and another two had to be shot after they broke out
of the stalls. We found them both with broken legs, up on the
ridge. Now I've got three mares and a colt down with colic from
moldy feed. It's not unusual for things to happen, but it's rare
considering the staff I have to watch the place. What's worse, I
think I know who's doing it."
    "Who?" Julia’s frown deepened; if he knew
who was causing all the events, why didn’t he tell the sheriff?
    "I don't want you to worry about it. I'll
take care of it before I die; but I thought you'd better be aware
of it."
    “ You’ve spoken enough for
one night,” Louise insisted.
    "You need to rest father," Julia added
firmly as she stood and walked behind the man, pulling his
wheelchair around the settee while she pushed him toward the
doorway. "Thompson will take you to