OCTOBER 17, 1861

Tye and Tyrell were have a wonderful time living with Caller Bob. They had both taken to him very quickly. They were both learning how to handle and ride horses, but until Caller Bob felt that they were good enough at riding, he would ride along with them to school and then be there to pick them up afterwards. He was never too busy to stop what he was doing and be there after school to ride home with them. Tyrell was really beginning to think of him as their pa, and though Tye would like for Caller Bob to be their adopted pa, he hadn't started calling him pa yet like Tyrell had. He was afraid that they might be disappointed and be sent back to the orphanage.

"Good bye, pa," Tyrell called as she ran up the stairs to enter the schoolhouse. Michael was ringing the bell and everybody else had already gone in.

"Goodbye Tyrell, I'll see you after school." Caller Bob called.

Tye gave the reins of Allemande to Caller Bob. "Goodbye."

"Goodbye Tye," Caller Bob watched them enter the school, and after Michael stopped ringing the bell and waved to Caller Bob, he turned the horses around and headed home.

Later that day when the kids were outside eating their lunch, Melissa watched as Tye and Tyrell sat eating their lunches by themselves. She looked around and saw Blaine eating lunch with Zee and Jesse and some of the other children. She still wondered why Zee didn't like her very much. Jaslyn and Devany were sitting with her group. She felt sorry for them. They hadn't made friends with any of the other children, and they probably didn't want to eat with Blaine because she was with Zee and Jessie, and they probably didn't want to come over here and be Melissa's group even though Jaslyn and Devany were there because no one had invited them to.

Melissa chastised herself because she should have made them feel more welcome. She should have invited them over days ago. Oh well, she couldn't stew over the past, but she could rectify the present. Melissa walked over to Tye and Tyrell. "Would you two like to join us over there for lunch?" Melissa pointed to her group.

Tyrell was always the first one to answer a question. "Sure, we would like, too." She picked up her lunch and waited for Tye. They followed Melissa over to her little group. Tyrell sat down beside Melissa and Tye sat next to his sister.

"Do you know everyone here?" Melissa inquired.

Tyrell replied, "No, I don't know him, him, or her." She pointed to the three she didn't know.

"That's Michael Johnson. He lives on the S&J ranch, that's Paul and Adriane, their twins, and they are hoping to get adopted by someone here." Melissa told them.

Michael's soon to be brothers and sisters had been invited several times to sit with him and Melissa's group, but they were shy and had their own little lunch group, but they didn't sit to far from Michael.

"Michael, do you want to know what we've decided to give Caly and Buck for their wedding?" Melissa eagerly wanted to tell him.

"Sure," Michael answered.

"We're giving them two horses. They'll be from my sisters, brother and me, and that includes Jaslyn," Melissa smiled at her and then turned her head to look at Michael as she waited for his reply.

"That's a wonderful present. I know they'll like them." Michael smiled at Melissa. Melissa was happy that he approved.

"We're giving them blankets, five blankets." Devany stated. "They'll need them come winter."

"Yes, they will. That's a nice present." Melissa didn't want anybody to think that she thought her present was any better than the others. She wasn't that type of person.

"We're giving them a picture. It's of a whole herd of horses. They'll be able to hang it in their new home." Tyrell happily told the group with a beaming smile.

Melissa put down her sandwich and said, "That a nice present, too. I think Caly and Buck are going to get lots of nice presents."

Michael was feeling a little bit jealous of Buck again. He would miss Caly's attention. Sometimes he wished that his pa hadn't told them to get married, and sometimes he wished that his pa hadn't given Caly some land to build a home on. He wanted her to stay at their home. But that jealously only reared it's ugly head now and again because lately he was getting a lot of attention from his soon to be younger siblings and Melissa. So as quickly as the jealous would come in the next minute it was gone again, replaced by good feelings for others, especially Melissa.