The site that greeted Drako as he arrived at the McCain’s was shocking.  Mark and Lucas lying in the dirt, both unconscious, both bleeding from vicious blows, then Johnny noticed the red on the front of Lucas’ shirt.  Johnny ran over to his friend, bent over and tried to determine if Lucas was breathing, barely.  Next, he ran over to Mark, checking for any signs of a gunshot.  Thank God for small favors.  Johnny quickly harnessed up the wagon team.  He loaded Lucas first into the back of the wagon.  All the while Johnny was man-handling him, Lucas was quiet.  Johnny then lifted Mark into the back of the wagon.  Mark groans as he is laid next to his Pa.
Johnny races the wagon team back to town.  Yelling at the outskirts of town “GET THE DOCTOR!  GET THE DOCTOR!”

Leaving Childhood Behind:  Lucas comes to realize just how much Mark has grown up.  But when tragedy strikes, Mark realizes he must face his own fear.  Can he become the man, he thinks, his father has raised him to be?

Mark’s Posse:  After the stage is robbed, Micah feels extremely apprehensive in deputizing the only person who can lead the posse in tracking the outlaws.

Lucas deals with Mark’s recovery after helping the Posse; and comes to the realization that Mark has grown up and will never again be his “little” boy.  Mark is there to help Lucas deal with no longer being the father of a young boy. Yet, Lucas is there to watch and help, as his son takes on the responsibilities of being a man.  Along the road to manhood, Mark unwitting encounters an assassination plot.  But this time, Mark doesn’t have a slingshot.  This time he has his Pa, friends, and a rifle.

The Next Step continues the saga of Lucas and Mark McCain and the residents of North Fork.  Within The Next Step you'll see some old friends come back, be introduced to new characters, as well as see others, you'd just as soon, rather forget.

Chapter 1 - School - As Milly returns to North Fork, arrangements are made for her to become a second teacher for the town.

Chapter 5 - Doctor Burrage - As Doc Burrage announces his retirement, North Fork meets his replacement.

Chapter 7 - Cougar - Tragedy strikes when cougars are found on the McCain Ranch.

Chapter 12 - The Homecoming - Mark returns to North Fork.  While out riding, he experiences something he's never felt before.

Chapter 19 - Turning 18 - Mark and Hope celebrate their 18th birthday.

Chapter 21 - Hope’s Second Christmas - Knowing Hope will soon become a member of his family, Mark presents her with her own horse.

Chapter 22 - New Year’s Eve - The McCain's and the Lane's are present when Mark proposes to Hope, later that night, Lucas, Mark, and Hope, deal with Milly's pain.

Chapter 23 - The Race - Mark rushes to located one of town's doctors for Milly, only to be informed they both are in Marionette.

Chapter 32 – The New Year - Johnny and Lou experience the birth of their first born.

Chapter 34 – Never Too Old - Old friends tie the knot.

Chapter 35 - Fort Sam Houston - Mark and Hope travel to Fort Sam Houston for her brother's wedding.  Afterwards, tragedy strikes.

Chapter 36 - The Gifts - At Christmas, Lucas is told of his gifts.

Chapter 37 – Anticipation - Looking back and looking forward.  Waiting for the 'gifts' to arrive.

Chapter 38 - Father and Son, Side by Side - With Mark and Lucas trail outlaws who robbed the North Fork Bank.

Chapter 39 – A Time to Cherish - Lucas and Mark return to their wives and their lives will never be the same again.

Chapter 42 – Mending Fences - The McCain's patch up their lives.

Chapter 46 – The Story Continues - The story of The Rifleman: The Legacy Fulfilled.

Chapter 47 – Taken – Outlaws strike the McCain ranch when Lucas and Mark are away on business.  Father and son head to Mexico to reclaim what is most precious to them.

Chapter 48 – Returning Home –  The healing process from their ordeal begins, as the McCain's resume their lives in North Fork.

Chapter 49 – Trail of Fear – Mark helps out a father and son, as two brothers return to North Fork to ask forgiveness.

Chapter 50 – Fortunes Remembered – Halloween is celebrated at the McCain Ranch as the past is remembered.  And at Thanksgiving, a secret is revealed.

Chapter 51 – Requiem for Spring – Two men from Lucas’ past come to North Fork; one brings tragedy while the other, brings unfounded fear.  It’s up to Mark to overcome his own memories and his doubts as he tries to bring order back to their lives.

Mark is bitten by a rattlesnake.  He is so far away from home and no one knew where he was.  Mark tried not to panic, he tried to remember what his Pa had said about snakebites,
but it was hard.  He was scared.  He wanted his Pa there, to pick him up in his strong arms
and tell me everything was going to be all right.  He remembered getting back to Blue Boy,
but didn’t have the strength to climb up out of the ravine.  He fell to the ground right there. 
He got out his pocket knife that Micah had given him and cut his pant leg to see how bad the
bite was.   Then Mark passes out.  Be sure & check our the sequel 'The Rattlesnake' by Michelle Palmer.

“A New Day” started out as a follow up to “Before your time.”  I had a good start on the story, yet as I was contemplating what direction to go next, I couldn’t decide.  I knew I didn’t want every story to be rely on “the rifle”.  So I returned to “The Ranch”, sat back and read “His Father’s Son” by Jana.  After reading Jana’s story, I knew where my story should go.  First, I asked Jana for permission and she gave me a little insight into which episode sparked her passion for the start of “His Father’s Son”.  From there, my imagination took over.  I did a lot of revising to make sure my story would “hopefully” match up with a storyline Jana would approve.  I hope you enjoy.  Please be sure to check out the sequel to this story — “His Father’s Son." 

Cochae approached Mark and placed his hands on Mark’s shoulders.  “Mark, it takes a wise person to challenge another’s heart and make it change to see the truth.  I, Cochae, am honored to have you as a friend.”
Then turning to Lucas, “Mr. McCain, you’ve raised a good son, a son who understands all men are brothers, a son who sees beyond the color of one’s skin and sees into one’s soul.  If my child had lived and been male, I hope he would have grown up to be as your son is.”

“That was the war.  The war’s long been over.  It’s time to put grievances behind us.” Lucas called back.  “The war’s never over for me.” The stranger went for his gun, but Lucas was faster.  Soon the man in black lay in the middle of the street.  Lucas ran to the man and knelt by his side, placed his ear to the man’s chest, with his face towards the man’s face.  “Jim, I wish you’d given me more notice, I didn’t want my boy to see this.”
Turning to the crowd, Lucas proclaimed the man dead.

Micah and Millie looked at each other again.  Millie sat down next to Mark, wrapped both her arms around him and pulled him close.  She could feel him trembling in her arms, not from chill, but from fear.
“Mark, please, we’re here for you.  Talk to us.”  Millie begged.
“I don’t want him to die!”  Mark cried.  “He can’t die.  He can’t leave me alone!”  The tears streamed down Mark’s face and sobs wracked his body as Millie continued to hold tight to him.  “I tried, I tried, but the storms last night, and those men, I couldn’t leave him,” Mark cried out.

The passengers started to exit the coach to see what was happening.  The first traveler off the stage was John Hamilton.  “Sam, what’s wrong?” he yelled.
“Got a horse here, no rider.” Shotgun at the ready, on the alert that it might be a trap by outlaws.
John walked over to the horse, “Sam, that’s Mark McCain’s horse.   That’s Blue Boy,” he declared.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive!”
Sam and John turned and started yelling Mark’s name.  “Mark, Mark McCain!”
No response.
The other two passengers started complaining about this added delay.  They were businessmen, Easterner’s, heading further West.
“Misters, you don’t understand this country, nor who that boy is.  We’re staying until I say otherwise,” Chuck informed his passengers.  They grumbled under their breaths and stepped back in the coach.

Mark had tried to make himself as small as possible and was startled to be hauled to his feet, his hat ripped off his head, and found himself looking straight into the eyes of Tom Birch.

“Mark...  Every time I’ve taken another’s life, I’ve always tried to find comfort in the Good Book and ask God for forgiveness.  Every time you’ve been present, I’ve regretted it because I felt I was making you grow up sooner than you should.  Afterwards, I wanted you to understand how it pained me to take the life of another.  I wanted you to see that it wasn’t easy dealing with my emotions, my conscience afterwards.  I wanted you to understand it’s not like the ink and paper make it out to be a glamorous life written in dime-store novels.  It’s real, the people are real, and death is final.”
“Pa?   Thank you for listening… and understanding.”
“It’s all part of being a father.”  Seeing his son needed more, “I do love you, Mark.”

Life is for living.  One day brings Lucas and Mark closer than any other day on the calendar.

Hattie woke in the morning to find Lucas and Mark sitting where she had left them the night before. Lucas was still reading from the bible. She went into the kitchen to make breakfast for the morning. She was just setting the table when she heard Mark screaming, “Pa! Please! Help Me! Pa!”
Hattie ran to her front room to see Lucas trying to restrain his boy.
Mark’s eyes were wide with fear. As if he was trying to fend off an assailant, he was kicking his legs, his hands were balled up in fists, striking out at someone only he could see.

Mark rode out to the range and stopped at the tree where he and AnnaLee had stopped that first ride.  He sat down under the tree and cried some more.
Soon, a calmness came over Mark.  He felt the presence of his Ma standing with her arms around AnnaLee.  He sensed both his Ma and AnnaLee smiling at him.  Mark soon got up and rode back to town.  He knew it would take a long time to get over the sorrow, but as he told his Pa, ‘Life is for Living’.
He also heard the words his Pa spoke to him when they first arrived in North Fork, “There’s no looking back."  To which he replied, "I'm not looking back, I'm just remembering."

Twice before, Lucas has prevailed in the desert.  Will he survive a third trip?  More importantly, will he be in time to find and save Mark's life?

Some say "Silence is Golden".  Others say "Quiet Times are a Joy that Heals".   But when tragedy strikes the McCain's, silence threatens to destroy their relationship.

The worst fear any parent can face is being informed of the death of a child.  Lucas must face this fear after Doc Burrage told him that Mark was in his office, dead.
Lucas threw open the door to Doc’s office and saw his son’s lifeless body on the examination table.  He took maybe three steps inside before sheer, utter hopelessness gripped Lucas’ being and he collapsed to his knees, pounding the floor with his fist, yelling “Mark?!” as tears fell.

A Deadly Guilt – Guilt over a killing drives an enraged Lucas to kill, again.

The Nightmare by A shooting and a kidnapping lead to the revelation of a long buried memory, and why the hate for a rifle was so strong.

And Death  Waited – There will be no tolling bells when Death arrives in North Fork.