Six o’clock in the morning; Christopher had woken up to the sound of roosters singing, bringing a smile on his face. It was a better sound compared to the noisy neighbors and cars in the city.
He got out of his bed and planned to enjoy a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning.
“Christopher! Breakfast is ready!” Grace called from the kitchen. Even his mother was trying to get used to waking up early. Country life, he thought.
After enjoying a quick, warm shower, he put on some jeans and a black t-shirt before heading downstairs, ready to have a delicious meal. As he walked into the kitchen, he noticed Sheriff Fisher sitting on the kitchen island stool as he sipped on some coffee.
“Good morning, sport,” he greeted while Christopher shook his hand. It confused him why the sheriff was in his house so early in the morning. Grace noticed his hesitation and tried to divert him into getting some pancakes and bacon.
“I invited Thomas for breakfast to thank him for welcoming us into town,” she said while preparing a dish for him.
Thomas? Since when were they on a first name basis?
Ignoring that thought, he sat down and dug into his food, hoping the man didn’t want to start a conversation.
Too late…
“So, I heard excellent things about you. Like, how much you love science. The school has a wonderful program for Seniors who plan to go to college and pursue a career in that area,” Thomas talked to him as if they were friends. What did he think Christopher was? Eleven and needing some guidance to make it through elementary school?
All he could do was nod. He didn’t want another man getting close to them and then leaving. Not that it would happen, but just in case that was his intention, he needed to be ready to protect his mother’s heart.
“So, are you ready for school?” he asked. Christopher nodded again and finished his breakfast, excusing himself, shooting a glare at Thomas before he stomped back to his room.
“I’m so sorry, Thomas. It’s been really hard for him. So many things have been going on. I thought accepting the job and moving here would be a great idea,” Grace said, picking up Christopher’s plate and putting it in the sink. “A good change.”
“Don’t worry, I understand, and this is a great place to start fresh. He’ll learn to love it,” Thomas replied, getting up from the stool to help Grace with her dishes.
“Thank you for the invitation. It was great getting to know you a little more. We’ll see each other in town,” he added, picking up his hat from the kitchen island and putting it on, “Have a good day, Grace.”
His dimpled smile had Grace’s heart racing. She couldn’t think of him that way. They had just met, and she had gone through her divorce so recently.
“Have a good day, sheriff,” she replied, holding a towel in her hand as she nervously twisted it, trying to keep her composure with a soft smile. She felt like a teenager with a crush.
After the sheriff left, she headed upstairs to check on Christopher.
“Chris, are you okay?” She asked him as he was looking out the country-style windows where he had his telescope.
“I am, Mom. Thank you,” he replied, smiling at her in reassurance.
“If this is about the Sheriff, I can…”
“No, Mom. It’s not about him. It’s about you. The only concern I have is your heart being broken again. I have noticed the way he’s looking at you, and it scares me.”
She walked over to him and hugged him.
“There’s no guarantee we’ll start some sort of relationship, but I’ll be careful, I promise,” she whispered while giving him a small squeeze. They both looked outside, noticing three young people in the distance on their horses coming their way.
“I wonder who could they be?” She said, walking out of the room and heading downstairs to check on them. Christopher also headed down but stayed inside, looking out the living room window. He saw a beautiful girl in the middle of another equally pretty girl and a guy that looked like he lifted weights.
Christopher could see his mom talking to them, and she looked back at him, a sympathetic smile on her face. He knew what that girl wanted, and he quickly said no, noticing her face of disappointment as she walked away, defeated.
♥♥♥♥♥♥
“You fell asleep in the stalls again,” James laughed when he saw Palmer lying on the hay bale next to Trigger. She stirred awake and gave her father a sheepish smile.
“I guess I did,” she said with a sleepy voice. “Trigger kept me company.”
Palmer stood up and walked out of the stall, closing the half door behind her. She hugged her father good morning before heading back into the house for another much-needed shower and some breakfast.
“Good morning, sweetie. I see you slept in the stalls with the horses again. Couldn’t sleep last night?” Daisy asked when she saw her walk in. Palmer nodded and hurried to her room. She couldn’t wait to ride Trigger and head over to the Melbourne’s house.
After that shower and a change of clothes, she sat at the table and swallowed her food.
“Someone is in a hurry today. Going somewhere?” Daisy laughed at her rush to eat her scrambled eggs with bacon and hash browns.
“Well, it is a beautiful day, so I will go for a ride today,” she replied with her mouth half full. Her mother gave her a stare, and she swallowed the food, so she didn’t upset her further as she apologized.
She gobbled her breakfast, not giving importance to a stomachache. Her excitement consumed her.
After saying her goodbyes to her mom, she put on her riding boots and walked to the barn to get Trigger. She saw Gunner’s red pickup truck, and a smile appeared on her face to see Faith with him. Her friend hopped off, not waiting for it to stop, running to Palmer’s arms.
“Hey girl, ready to go shopping? I convinced Gunner to come with us,” she asked as Palmer looked at Gunner with an apologetic smile.
“What did she do to convince you?” she asked while Gunner shrugged his shoulders.
“She promised to go out to dinner with me,” he replied with a sheepish grin, to which Faith denied.
“He knows I would never go on a date with him,” Faith asserted, but Palmer knew that was a lie. She could see Gunner begging her silently to say no to the shopping invitation, to which she laughed.
“I’m sorry, Faith, but I’m taking Trigger for a ride. You’re both welcome to join,” she said, getting a mouthed ‘I hate you’ from Gunner. He wanted to spend the day alone with her friend, and she knew it.
Shrugging her shoulders, she stuck her tongue out at him before they walked into the barn to get the horses ready. Gunner was trying to be as close to Faith as possible, but she walked away from him. He was a little disappointed and shrugged it off, taking one horse to saddle it up.
“Where are we going?” Faith asked as she tried to put the saddle up on her horse, but failed to do so since she rarely had to deal with them. She had to learn so much about riding horses. Gunner took the saddle from her hands and helped her with it while Faith gave him a sweet smile, but as soon as he looked at her, she changed her expression and looked away.
“There you go. Ready for you,” he winked, walking back to finish with his horse. Faith secretly wanted him to help her mount the horse, but she was stubborn and did it herself.
“Come on, guys. We’re wasting time,” Palmer mentioned as she nudged her horse's flanks with her heels, getting him started on a nice, easy-going pace with a click of her tongue. Faith and Gunner followed behind at a suitable distance from each other.
“Are you doing okay back there?” Palmer asked her. Faith nodded but didn’t say a word; she was feeling uncomfortable. They would argue and chat a lot, but with how intimate the ride felt like even with Palmer in the front, she felt her heartbeat fast as a blush crept up her face.
After just ten minutes of riding, they arrived at Christopher’s house. Palmer was bouncing on the saddle, excited to meet him. She remembered Grace, a pretty lady with her blonde waves and brown eyes. Her well-rounded face complemented her whole appearance.
“Hello, Palmer, nice to see you again!” She greeted her with such enthusiasm. Palmer got off the horse and walked towards Grace, hugging her as if they knew each other their whole lives.
“Hello, Mrs. Melbourne. I’m really happy to see you again,” Palmer said and tried to look inside, searching for that boy she wanted to meet so badly.
“Me too. What brings you here?”
“Well, my friends and I were just riding, and I thought maybe we could meet Christopher?” she was eager and hoped he would want to come outside and spend the day with them.
Grace looked inside. Christopher was sitting on the stairs, making it easier for her to see him. He shook his head, and she looked back at Palmer with an apologetic look.
“I’m sorry, but today’s not a good day. Maybe when he goes to school, you might be able to see him,” she said. Palmer smiled, but Grace could see the disappointment in her eyes.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she apologized again.
“No, that’s okay. I’ll see Christopher on Monday. It was nice to see you again, Mrs. Melbourne,” Palmer said, walking back to mount her horse.
“Please, call me Grace. And it was nice seeing you too.”
Palmer ushered her horse to walk while Faith and Gunner looked at each other, feeling sympathy for their friend. They knew when Palmer wanted something, and she wouldn't stop until she got it.
Christopher was her next target.
All three friends were riding along the trails, but Gunner had to leave. His father texted him, needing help on his ranch. He had to be there to get the horses ready for his next rodeo. “Do you want me to drop you off at home?” he asked Faith, who was looking at her friend, curiously. She shook her head, politely rejecting his offer. “No, I will stay with Palmer for a little longer,” she replied. Gunner pulled his horse near hers, raising his hand to put a curl of hair behind her ear, causing goosebumps on her skin as she felt his hands brush her earlobe gently. “Take care,” Gunner said before he headed towards the Wright's ranch to drop the horse off. As he was riding away, Faith couldn’t help but gaze at him. She couldn’t deny how handsome the track star looked on that horse. Why was she still fighting her feelings for him? It was fun to argue with him and to play hard to get. That much Faith knew. But she was also afraid to think it could be too late by the time she finally a
It was Monday morning. The alarm went off, letting Christopher know it was his first day at his new school. He groaned loudly, getting out of bed to take a shower and get dressed. “Are you ready for school?” Grace asked as she saw Christopher walk into the kitchen, dragging his feet. “Yes, I am. A little nervous, though,” Christopher replied, taking the bacon with some eggs. “Some boys were making fun of me when we were in town, and I’m afraid of seeing them at school. They might do the same.” “Oh, Chris. Don’t pay them any mind. Remember, you have to ignore whatever comments they say, or you will live in fear all your life. We’re starting fresh, and I want you to think about it.” Easier said than done. Christopher finished his breakfast and headed to the bus stop in front of his house, thinking of those words. Not long after, they picked him up and he sat on the last seat at the back, staying away from everyone else. He could hear the other students murmuring, and despite not hea
Palmer was quiet the whole ride, and even inside the diner, she didn’t say a word while she played with her spoon in the vanilla ice cream they served with the apple pie.“Palmer, what’s wrong?” Daisy asked, pulling her out of her thoughts.“I finally met Christopher, and when I invited him to join us, he rejected the offer,” she replied, taking a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth. Daisy chuckled, making Palmer look at her like she was crazy. She looked down at her pie and poked on it hard until it turned into mush.“Sweetheart, you just met him, and it must have been an overwhelming first day for him. Especially in a new school. Give him some time, stop rushing into things.”“Well, he looks like he needs fri
The next day at school, Gunner and Faith were waiting for Palmer once again at the entrance. Gunner was leaning against his truck while Faith was in front of him with her arms crossed.“Come on, Faith. Why don’t you accept and go out with me? There is a barn party on Saturday, and I would love it if you were my date,” he pleaded while she looked away, not paying attention to him. Faith wanted him to work a little harder to convince her. “I’m actually going with a guy from the rodeo,” she said, turning around so he couldn’t see the smirk on her face. All she needed was a reaction, and it seemed like she was going to get it.“Who is it? I want to know,” he said, his voice sounded upset. Faith had to press her lips to hold back a laugh, and when she was serious enough, she turned back around to face him.“You don’t know him, he likes to be on the down-low, and no one really knows much about him. He uses a different name on the rodeo, and he is very handsome. Oh, and he’s in college alrea
The school day was over, and the three friends were walking towards the exit. Palmer saw Christopher waiting in line to get on the school bus, and she headed over after she told her goodbyes to Faith and Gunner.“Hey!” She greeted him, and all he could do was give her a small smile.“Hey, yourself.”“I was wondering if you wanted to hang out at my ranch. We have horses, and we can ride them around,” Palmer mentioned, hoping he would say yes. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. My mom is probably waiting for me to help with dinner,” he replied when Palmer’s cell phone rang. James was on the other line. He gave her the news that Misty was finally in position, which meant she would give birth at any moment. She squealed excitedly and turned to face Christopher, pulling him towards her mom’s car. Getting away from her would be impossible.“I’ll miss the bus home, and my mom will wonder where I’m at.”Palmer asked him to give her their phone number, and he hesitantly did. She didn’t waste ti
“Hello, Palmer,” Hunter approached her as she was putting some books on her locker. Palmer had to fight the urge to roll her eyes at his presence.“Hi, Hunter. What can I help you with?” She asked, closing her locker door and walking towards her classroom. Hunter walked next to her, trying to make conversation. “I was wondering since the barn party is this Saturday, and you have agreed on a date; maybe we could go together?” He asked, showing her a flirtatious smile. Palmer sucked in a breath as she turned around to face him.“I’m sorry, but I’ll be going with Faith and Gunner, and we also invited Christopher,” she replied. Hunter looked at her with narrowed eyes before he laughed.“You mean to tell me you’re going out with that, that gallon of milk?”“Watch your mouth, Hunter. I better not hear you talk about him that way again, and you know what? I don’t want to go out on a date with you anymore.”Palmer walked away before he said another word. She was upset and didn’t even want to
“Do you want to pet Jackal?” Palmer asked, but Christopher was still hesitant. She stepped out of the stall and extended her hand for him to grab. When he did, she pulled him back inside, and they both sat down on the hay. The silence was deafening, but neither one of them could speak. They just looked at Jackal and Misty bond.“When I was in elementary school, and probably most of my middle school year, I was shy and alone. No one wanted to be my friend because they would say I was a nerd, with my nose stuck in a book all the time. I even had these big rimmed glasses, and they were always making fun of me,” she chuckled nervously. Christopher said nothing. Gunner was right; she was always friendless. “I was always looking for ways for the other kids to like me, but I wasn’t having any luck. Until Faith arrived at school, she had come from the city too, Chicago. As soon as she saw me, she wanted to be my friend, and at first, I was hesitant. As I got to know her, I realized she was t
Friday arrived, and Palmer took time off from classes to rehearse some dance moves. Sarah, a classmate, had accompanied her. She was an expert at playing the piano, and Palmer wanted her to play the musical instrument for her. “Are you sure they gave us permission to skip class and do this?” She asked skeptically.“Yes, Sarah. For the tenth time, I asked for permission. I’ll collect all my schoolwork as soon as classes are over, and you can do the same. The principal called every single teacher and let them know, so no need to worry,” Palmer replied, putting her bag on the stage and getting in position as Sarah did the same behind the piano.She ordered her to play something lively, no matter what it was, since all she wanted was to dance.“What’s this for?” Sarah asked while Palmer did pirouettes on the stage. “I just wanted to dance, besides the barn party is coming up soon, so I have to practice my moves. You’re going, right?” Sarah looked at her with an apologetic smile and shook