Chapter 15


    Amber


    I''m standing behind the horse stable looking up with my hands on my hips, discouraged by the seemingly infinite distance between myself and the gutter. Yesterday afternoon, I was playing soccer with Fiona and the twins behind the stable. At a certain moment, Tom accidentally kicked the ball away too high, to prevent his sister from scoring another goal. The four of us observed in awe at how the ball missed the tractor, bounced on the roof of the stable a couple of times and eventually slowly rolled down to a stop in the gutter.


    Since it was already starting to get dark and the lasagna was almost done anyway, we decided to leave the ball out there for the night. However, I had to promise the kids that I would get it out of the gutter today, before I would pick them up from school. The problem is that I’m just not sure how I’m going to make that happen yet.


    I make a few pathetic attempts by tossing a stick towards the ball, hoping it will miraculously hit it out of the gutter. Unfortunately, the only thing I have to show for it is that there are now both a soccer ball and a stick in the gutter.


    ‘I guess I better try and find a ladder,’ I sigh to myself. That should be a doable endeavor on a ranch.


    I start by looking inside the horse stable, but there’s no ladder in there. The only thing I can find is a stool, but that certainly won’t get me up high enough. Sometimes it really sucks to be this short. Although even a tall person would need a ladder in this specific case. I sigh and head towards the barn in the hopes of finding a ladder there. I’m in luck, because I find one standing in the corner. Relieved, I move on to grab it.


    ‘Boogers,’ I mutter under my breath. That thing is incredibly heavy!


    With a lot of effort I manage to drag the clunky ladder outside, and I start carrying it towards the stable. It''s quite tricky to carry and steer the heavy object while keeping myself steady, so of course, I mess it up. I walk past the door of the horse stable and then have to swerve to avoid hitting the tractor. That’s when I lose my balance.


    ‘No, no, no, no!’ I call out when the ladder starts to tilt backwards. I desperately try to adjust my grip, but the shifting weight has me stumbling and swaying like a drunk person.


    Suddenly, a strong arm appears out of nowhere, catching the ladder behind me and stabilizing the weight, saving me from falling on my ass in the mud. My heart instantly starts racing, and I turn around to thank my knight in shining armor, only to swallow my disappointment when I see it isn’t Jake who came to my rescue.


    ‘Are you okay there, Amber?’ Zane asks me worriedly.


    ‘Yes, you came just in time to save me from my own embarrassment. Thanks, Zane,’ I say, offering him a faint smile.


    It’s not his fault that I was hoping to see Jake. But I’m starting to realize that the chances of that happening again are pretty slim. After our first time together, and my first time ever, we met up at his cabin three more times. That next Sunday, because Jake was still on duty at the ranch and stayed in his cabin overnight anyway, and on two separate occasions in the two weeks that followed.


    However, the last time was almost three weeks ago and I have barely seen Jake since then. He hasn’t been around the main house much, and on the rare occasions I did see him, we were always in the company of others. We never discussed whether or not we should keep it a secret that we slept together, but the way Jake acted with the others around made it pretty clear that he doesn’t want them to know about it. It’s not that he’s been acting badly towards me. Jake is never unfriendly when we do run into each other. He just seems to keep his distance.


    I don’t really know what happened. I’ve been very careful to respect his boundaries about us staying casual. Personally, I thought we were having fun, and really good sex. At least, it was very good for me, but maybe it just wasn’t exciting enough for Jake. He’s used to sharing his bed with far more experienced women, and I''m still pretty new to all this.


    ‘Where were you going with this thing?’


    Zane’s question disrupts my negative spiral of thoughts. I glance at him inquisitively, while I process his question.


    ‘What? Oh! Uh… I was trying to fetch the ball. We accidentally kicked it into the gutter yesterday,’ I explain to Zane, while I gesture towards the outline of the black and white soccer ball above us. ‘It got stuck up there when we were playing soccer, and I promised the kids that I would try to get it back down before they came back from school.’


    ‘You play soccer?’ Zane asks me curiously.


    ‘Just as glorified field filling,’ I say grinning. ‘They need even teams, so Fiona, Benjamin and Tom have to take turns being stuck on a team with me.’


    ‘I’m sure you’re not that bad,’ Zane offers kindly. He easily carries the ladder for me to the right spot, and turns his head towards me. ‘Would you like me to go up and get it for you?’


    ‘If you wouldn’t mind,’ I say, relieved. I’m not afraid of heights, but I can’t say I’m a big fan of ladders.


    ‘Sure, it’s no problem,’ Zane says. He swiftly climbs up the ladder.


    ‘There might be a stick up there too,’ I call out after him, scrunching my nose.


    ‘Got it,’ Zane grins over his shoulder. He tosses both the ball and the stick down. I quickly grab the ball before it rolls away.


    ‘Thank you, Zane. I really appreciate it,’ I say gratefully, while he is climbing down again. ‘I’ll be sure to let Fiona and the twins know that you get all the credit for saving their afternoon game.’


    ‘I’m glad I could help.’


    ‘If I can ever return the favor and help you with anything, just let me know.’


    ‘That’s really not necessary. Although I did happen to walk by the kitchen earlier. Is it possible that I smelled some of your homemade cookies?’ Zane sends me a hopeful look.


    ‘That could be entirely possible indeed,’ I confirm with a laugh. ‘I baked some coconut cookies with Violet and Olivia this morning. They took them to their grandparents with Marjorie, but I’ve just put a second batch in the oven that should be done in a few minutes. I’ll bring some out to you later.’


    ‘That would be great! Your cookies are about the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life,’ Zane compliments me. ‘Shall I help you carry the ladder back?’ he offers.


    ‘If you wouldn’t mind doing that?’ I ask him, relieved.


    ‘Not at all.’


    It goes a lot quicker this way, with Zane doing most of the heavy lifting behind me. I’m pretty sure he could easily carry the ladder back to the barn on his own, but I''m happy to do it together. I was the one who needed it after all.


    ‘How is your grandmother doing?’ I ask him over my shoulder. ‘Didn’t she move into a retirement home recently? Does she like it there?’This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ‘I can’t believe you remembered that!’ Zane says, surprised. ‘Yes, she likes it a lot, actually. She has met some nice people. They play cards together pretty much every day, and they all go out to dinner once a week.’


    ‘That sounds nice. It must be a relief for you and your parents as well, that she enjoys it there.’


    ‘Absolutely,’ Zane confirms. He clears his throat. ‘So, uh… I was wondering, what do you like to do on your time off, Amber? I mean, you just said playing soccer is not really your hobby, but what do you like to do for fun?’


    ‘You already know that I like to bake. I also like playing the piano, and in the evenings I usually just read a book or watch some Netflix,’ I answer. ‘I’m currently on season five of Gilmore Girls.’


    ‘Oh yeah, my sister likes that show too. But that’s all stuff to do at home, though. What do you like to do on your days off? Where do you go for fun?’


    ‘I don’t go out all that much, to be honest,’ I reply, slightly blushing. ‘I don’t have a car yet. I’m saving up to buy one, but in the meantime I just stay here most of the time.’


    ‘Is that why I haven’t seen you at the bar on the weekends? Some of the guys said that you came to Pete’s a couple of weeks ago, but I haven’t seen you there.’


    ‘I only went there once. It wasn’t really my thing,’ I admit.


    ‘Oh, okay,’ Zane says. We arrive at the barn and Zane easily puts the ladder back at its original place against the wall. ‘If you, uh… If you do want to go sometime, I could drive you,’ he says with a bashful glance. ‘It’s not like I can drink when I’m there, so I wouldn’t mind at all.’


    ‘That’s very kind of you to offer, but I don’t see myself going back to Pete’s anytime soon,’ I reply. I scrunch up my nose. ‘It didn’t feel like I really fit in there.’


    ‘Or somewhere else,’ Zane offers quickly. He looks in my direction, but aims his gaze over my head. ‘I’d be happy to take you, if you wanted to go somewhere.’


    ‘That’s really sweet of you, but I don’t want to be an imposition,’ I say warmly, as we walk outside together.


    Zane is such a sweetheart! I''ve heard Ray mention several times that he’s an incredibly hard worker, and that he always tries to help everyone out. Zane has been nothing but kind to me from the moment I got here, but I don''t want him to feel obligated to drive me around, just because I don’t have a car yet.


    ‘I’d be happy to do it,’ he says again, but I decidedly decline his offer.


    ‘No, I can’t ask you to do that,’ I say, firmly shaking my head. ‘You already work so hard on the ranch. It wouldn’t be fair to ask you to sacrifice the little spare time you have for me. It wouldn''t be right.’


    We are nearing the house and I can tell by the smell coming from the kitchen that my second batch of cookies is almost done.


    ‘Thanks again for the help, Zane,’ I thank him again, while briefly touching his arm. ‘I’m going to head inside and get those cookies out. I’ll make sure to bring you some later, once they have cooled off.’


    I wave goodbye as I head back inside.


    ‘Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later.’


    Zane sounds a little disappointed and I have to suppress a chuckle. He has just as little patience as the kids when it comes to eating my cookies. I swear Benjamin would pull the cookies from the oven and eat them half-raw every time, if I’d let him.


    In the kitchen I take the cookies out of the oven and put the tray on the stove. I start making preparations for dinner while I wait for them to cool off. Marjorie likes to cook dinner for the family herself, but since she doesn’t always have a lot of time for it, I’ve made a habit of doing most of the food prepping for her. In return, Marjorie has insisted that I''m always welcome to eat with their family, so I don’t have to cook a separate dinner for myself after my workday. It’s been working really well for all of us. The whole family has been so welcoming towards me. They’ve basically treated me as a member of the family right from the start. I very much enjoy being their nanny.


    The only thing that casts a shadow on my current life is the sudden absence of Jake. I knew going in that this thing between us would end eventually. Jake made it clear that he doesn’t want a girlfriend, or anything else resembling it. But I’d hoped that this casual thing we were doing would have lasted a little longer than it did.


    I put the chopped vegetables and marinated chicken into separate containers in the fridge and I glance through the window. I see that a group of the ranch workers, including Jake, have assembled with their horses near the corral. My heart starts beating a little faster. Even though I know it’s stupid, because he’s apparently no longer interested in sleeping with me, I still desperately want to see Jake and talk to him. And I did promise Zane that I would bring out some cookies, after all!


    I quickly toss the coconut cookies onto a plate, leaving a couple for Fiona, Benjamin and Tom on the tray, and head for the door. Unfortunately, the second I step outside I no longer see Jake standing amongst the men and their horses. I look around just in time to watch him disappear into the horse stable.


    Boogers! Reluctantly, I turn away from him and head over to the other men.


    ‘Hi, Amber,’ Sylvester greets me while adjusting the strap of his saddle.


    ‘Hi guys! I promised Zane I would treat you guys to some of these. Have you seen him anywhere?’ I say, passing around the plate with cookies. They are eagerly snapped up and I’m met with a muttering of appreciation.


    ‘The boss just sent him out on a supply run,’ Nick answers with his mouth full. ‘He should probably be back in an hour or so.’


    ‘Ah, okay. I guess I’ll save him some, then,’ I shrug.


    Suddenly, I feel a nudge against my back. I glance over my shoulder to see one of the horses breathing right in my face. Impatiently, he reaches his nose towards the plate of cookies. Startled, I take a few quick steps to the side, where I bump into Sylvester’s horse. I lose my balance and, as I fall to my knees, I accidentally drop the plate, spilling the remaining cookies onto the ground. Some of the men start laughing, and my cheeks flush with embarrassment.


    ‘Are you afraid of horses, city girl?’ Walter asks me teasingly.


    ‘No, of course not,’ I say, embarrassed.


    Sylvester steps forward and offers his hand. ‘Are you okay?’ he asks as he helps me up. He didn’t laugh.


    ‘Is that God’s honest truth? You’ve been working on a ranch for two months now. Have you even sat on a horse yet?’ Gary, the foreman, joins in, amusement evident in his voice.


    ‘No, I haven’t. Not yet,’ I admit, as I try to slap most of the dirt off my knees.


    ‘That’s what I figured. I doubt you ever will. You''re a typical city girl, trembling in the presence of any animal bigger than a cat,’ Walter laughs, punching David against his shoulder. David starts grinning too, but doesn’t say anything.


    ‘Just ignore them,’ Sylvester says quietly. He sends his coworkers an annoyed look.


    ‘I definitely plan to ride a horse when I get a chance,’ I respond a little miffed.


    I remember Jake calling me a city girl before too, and somehow it really ticks me off. It’s clearly meant to be an insult. I thought I was doing okay here, but is this really how they all see me?


    ‘Oh, really?’ Walter smirks. ‘The horses are all saddled up anyway, so why don’t you just go ahead and ride one of them right now?’


    Judging by the heat I feel on my cheeks, my head must be the color of a tomato by now. I would actually love to ride a horse, but I hadn’t planned on doing that in front of all the ranch hands on my very first try. But I also hate the idea of losing face in front of them. Especially since Jake could come back out here at any moment. I know it’s pathetic, but I don’t want him to think of me as a cowardly city girl, like the others apparently do.


    ‘Why not,’ I suddenly hear myself say curtly.


    ‘Really?’ Walter asks skeptically. He lifts his eyebrows in surprise. He clearly didn’t think I would accept his challenge.


    ‘Of course, just tell me which one,’ I reply, a lot more confident than I actually feel.


    ‘You don’t have to do that, Amber,’ Sylvester says, furrowing his eyebrows. ‘We won’t think any less of you if you don’t.’


    ‘Speak for yourself,’ Walter scoffs at him. He walks towards me and grabs my shoulders, guiding me towards the corral. ‘Why don’t you take that one.’ Walter smirks as he points towards the giant saddled horse that is tied to the fence inside the corral.


    ‘Walter…’ Sylvester says in a warning tone.


    ‘Fine,’ I reply coolly.


    I don’t think I like Walter very much. He''s always saying mean and insulting things to people, pretending that they''re just jokes. I don''t think that''s funny at all. He clearly expects me to chicken out now, but I''m determined to prove him wrong.


    Walter follows me into the corral, snickering as I approach the large, spotted horse. I hesitate, unsure of how to even get on, but Walter gestures toward the fence with a tilt of his head. Right. Taking a deep breath, I climb up onto the rails, and Walter moves the horse closer to me.


    ‘Don’t do this, Amber. Just get out of there,’ Sylvester warns me. He seems tense. ‘Walter, quit it!’


    ‘Yeah, that’s enough, Walter,’ Nick chimes in too. He glances at Gary. ‘Come on, Gary. Aren''t you going to say something here?’ he urges their foreman.


    My face turns even redder. Apparently, they’re all convinced that I can''t do this. Or that I''ll be too afraid. But Gary just crosses his arms and looks at me with a smirk.


    ‘If she wants to ride, let her ride,’ he dismisses them with a shrug.


    I clench my teeth, as I clumsily hoist myself in the saddle. The horse underneath me restlessly dribbles back and forth as soon as I sit down, nervously tossing his head in the air. Walter waits impatiently until I’ve managed to get my feet in the stirrups. Then he unties the horse’s rope from the fence.


    That’s when it all goes wrong.


    The horse quickly realizes that it''s no longer tied down. Walter has barely taken two steps before he suddenly takes off without warning. The rope slips out of the unsuspecting Walter’s hand when the horse bolts. I desperately try to grip the saddle with my thighs and tightly hold onto the saddle horn. Thank the Lord I''m inside the corral!


    Then my heart suddenly skips a beat when I notice the fence on the opposite side of the corral is not closed, and the horse is heading straight towards it.