Ridley rubbed her eyes for the seventh time in ten minutes. "God, I hate driving long distance," she mumbled through her yawn. Holding the back of her hand to her mouth, she tried to stifle it, but a low growl slipped from her open lips.

"Dammit," she cursed, trying to shake the sleepiness out of her head as she turned the radio up full blast, only to be met with static. "There has to be a station."

Ridley pressed scan and the radio's digital dial took off. The numbers climbed, reaching 107.7 before flipping to 89.1 and still there was nothing. Just as Ridley was about to shut the useless thing off, the digital dial stop. "Oh cool, a station," she said gleefully.

"This years' rain totals are far below expectations, making crop production yields the lowest in ten years."

"Crop reports?" Ridley asked, rubbing a hand over her tired eyes. "Where the hell am I moving to? Kansas?" Sighing heavily, she rested her elbow on the window sill of her Lexxus. Curling her hand into a fist, she leaned her hand against it.

A dull headache was beginning to form in her temples, and she began to prayed. "Please Lord, don't let me pass out now," she mumbled, trying to relax her neck. Since her accident, Ridley experienced headaches. Some were normal, simply curable with an aspirin. But some were more severe. Some were painful and some made the days and nights blur together, the pain so intense and unbelievable that Ridley was brought to tears.

"Where the hell is this damn town anyway?" she grumbled to the empty car as she dug beside the seat for the map. "If only I had my pills." She had debated putting her sundries bag on the front seat of the Lexxus with her at the last rest area, but had decided against it in the end.

Things had been good. The headaches had stayed away after the last surgery as had the seizures. Storm was up and walking again, the fractures healed. Karol was going to be in Four Corners and would help get Storm racing again. 'Well, at least trotting then,' she thought to herself as she turned the radio dial to the off position.

"Please," she growled, tilting her head from one side to the other, loud popping sounds echoing in the silent car. "I just need a pill." Ridley was about to pull over to the side of the road when she spotted the green highway sign off in the distance. "Thank God."

Depressing the accelerator even more, Ridley tried to stay calm. If she allowed herself to get upset, the headache would surely grow. "Now I just need to find a gas station."

The small sign began to grow as she closed the distance. "Ajo, 2 miles," she said aloud, reading the sign. "Hum. Four Corners has to be close now."

Ridley searched the recesses of her mind and could vaguely remember the Realtor talking about Ajo. "It isn't Abilene, but it has your basics," she had said on one of the many telephone conversations that Ridley had with the older woman. "Well, at least it has a Chevron," she smiled, easing the Lexxus off the exit and heading for the looming sign that sat at the end of the ramp.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The sun was just setting in the distance, its large round body hanging magically just above the horizon when Ridley pulled up the drive. "Wow," was all Ridley could muster as she brought the car to a stop, staring with her mouth agape at the grand old house that lay at the end of the small wrap around driveway.

It was every bit as spectacular as the Realtor had said. The main house was cozy, a one story Southwestern style house. Deep red brick trim lined the sloping roof and around the doors and windows, a starch contrast to the beige adobe style walls. A large arched doorway lead into what looked like a courtyard protected only by a wrought iron gate. A large prickly willow type tree stood off to the left of the house and a large fan palm tree stood grandly behind, a sentry guarding its post.

Ridley let her eyes absorb every detail of her new home. "Wow," she said again, shutting the vehicle off. She threw her sunglasses in the empty seat next to her as she got out to explore.

Small dead vines lined the driveway, intermittent with small cactus plants. But what caught her eyes the most was the beautiful patch of garden area that lined the entire front of the house. Plants and shrubs of all kinds were spread out along the house, and Ridley clapped her hands together, her headache all but forgotten.

She had happened across the house while scouring a website for homes in the region. The site, and videos tapes that followed from the broker, were adequate. They showed the features of the house as well as they could. But Ridley had been sold from the beginning. Not for the house or the garden, but for the stables and land that accompanied the house. Very few of the houses that she had come across had appropriate facilities for her horses, and for Ridley that was a must.

The Realtor was a great help, even going so far as to take a video camera to the home and make Ridley a tape. Ridley had desperately wanted to go see the house for herself, but a major seizure had hospitalized her and a broken ankle kept her confined to her bed. But the tapes of the stable had been enough to convince her that it was appropriate for Storm, and she signed on the dotted line sight unseen.

Standing before her very own home, Ridley smiled. "This will be our new beginning. I'll get better, Storm will get better and life will be good." Eager to ensure that the movers had delivered her furniture in one piece, Ridley headed inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ridley put the Lexxus in park. Looking up at the neon sign, she bit her nail. "Standish Grille" it blazed against the black sky. Stepping out of the car, Ridley let her eyes scan the deserted main street of Four Corners. "God, this place is dead."

Her estate was roughly five miles out of town. "Five very deserted miles out of town," she mumbled under her breath as she folded her arms across her chest. Ridley had never lived on her own before. Her family's ranch in Abilene was large enough that if she had wandered into another wing of the house, she could pretend that she did live alone. But that fact of the matter was...she wasn't alone. Someone was always around, whether it be a servant or her parents or friends. There was always someone.

But now, she was alone and Ridley wasn't so sure she was up to it yet. "Well, kiddo, guess you had better get use to it," she whispered to herself as her stomach growled loudly in protest. Looking back up at the neon sign, she sighed. "I guess it's either this or driving back up to Ajo and I certainly don't want to do that."

"Are you all right ma'am?"

A high pitched shriek escaped her lips and Ridley jumped back against her car. Turning quickly, she saw a dark-haired man eyeing her closely. Panic started to take hold of her when she noticed the tan uniform shirt the man was wearing. It said Mesa County Police Department.

Smiling, Ridley dropped the hand that had been clutching her shirt. "Oh God, you scared the living hell out of me."

Vin smiled, his hands resting on the police issued gun belt that rested snugly on his waist. "Sorry ma'am, didn't mean to scare ya. You were talking to yourself. Have you had anything to drink tonight ma'am?" Vin asked, stepping forward as he looked into her face.

Ridley felt her cheeks blazing red. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she shook her head. "No Sir, I just moved into the old estate out on Route 12 and I guess I'm just a bit jumpy." Ridley looked at the officer underneath thick black lashes, her eyes darting between him and the ground in front of her. "It's just been a long day."

Beautiful blue eyes watched her closely and despite the cool breeze that had taken the air as the night set it, Ridley was sweating. "Actually, I was just looking for a place to get something to eat. Is this really the only place open?"

Vin laughed at that, sensing the nervousness that seemed to be radiating off the woman. He had heard stories, had heard them all in fact, but for some reason, he believed her. "Yes, ma'am, it is. Four Corners is a pretty small town," he said as he relaxed a bit, shifting his evenly distributed weight to one foot. "But the food's good."

Ridley shook her head. "Great, thank you. I'm starving so I guess I'd eat just about anything right now." Ridley smiled nervously, shoving her keys into the pocket of her black jeans as she headed into the Grille. "Oh, and it's Ridley, please," she added nervously, the officer close behind her.

As she opened the door of the Grille, she was met with a barrage of sensory information. Smells so strong and delicious stuck her like a runaway train and her stomach growled even harder, her mouth salivating. Top 40 music filled the air as did laughter and conversation, something that was almost more comforting to Ridley than the smell of food.

Several pairs of eyes turned her way as she stepped into the bar. Smiling as she met the eyes of several men that sat at a table near the back, Ridley headed toward the bar, quickly sliding into a chair as she folded her hands neatly in front of her.

"What'll it be doll?" a husky bartender asked, wiping the bar down as he looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"I'll take the special," she smiled, licking her lips as she inhaled deeply. "And a Diet Coke."

"Coming right up."

Ridley couldn't remember ever being so hungry. 'Did I eat today?' she thought to herself as her mind wondered back to the days' events. She had been so excited about arriving at her new home that food had been the last thing on her mind. Thinking back, she knew she hadn't eaten and that wasn't good.

She felt weak. Glancing over her shoulder, she could see a table full of county police officers, all wearing the identical uniform shirt as the men who had questioned her outside the Grille. Wiping at the sweat that covered her brow, Ridley heard a low buzz in her ears, the small distant beating of her heart woven underneath.

"You have to eat with your medications Ridley," her mother had constantly reminded her, and yet, Ridley often forgot as she had done that day.

"You okay doll?"

Ridley shook her head, her vision blurring as she met the bartender's concerned eyes. "Yeah," she slurred as sweat poured down her pale face. Ridley tried to step off the stool, her head feeling far too heavy for her body, too heavy to hold up. "I'm fin........" she mumbled and then everything went black.

.