\u201cMom! Mom!\u201d Noodle yelled as she pelted up the aisle towards the arena. She knew better than to pelt into the actual arena and when she came into view she was walking calmly. She was moving slow and calm but her face was wide-eyed and her mouth a small O.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat, What?\u201d Kivi called as She jogged Mags over to the arena edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJack\u2019s old truck is coming up the drive hauling a brand new horse trailer,\u201d She said. Standing tense so that she remained still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kivi\u2019s face screwed up in confusion as she slid off the horse and dropped the reins. She patted Mag\u2019s neck, secure in the knowledge the mare would stand there till someone came back. Ground tying was the first thing they taught any horse on the ranch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was wondering what the actual fudge was going on when she stepped out the barn to verify that the old beat-up pickup was coming up the drive hauling a brand new bumper pull trailer.
She never expected to see him again. As she watched the truck it all came flooding back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael had taken that truck when Jack had passed and headed west to follow a woman he barely knew. He was a few years her senior, and they\u2019d grown up much like siblings. Both had been only children. He had been the foreman\u2019s son and one of the kids that grew up running around the ranch. She\u2019d had cousins that were around all the time, and her friends from around the area that would alternate weekends at each other\u2019s house, but Michael had lived on the ranch. He was older, handsome, and off-limits, so naturally, Kivi had had a crush on him. A crush she had buried under acres of logic and the rocks of her own past relationships until it was largely unnoticed. Crush or not, Michael had been a friend and confidant through her entire childhood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had moved on after high school to a bigger barn out near Cheyenne. Kivi had missed him, but her life was filled with trying to get a scholarship to UC Davis. A child out of wedlock threw her life in chaos but Michael had still been there for her. He\u2019d wanted to smash Ronan\u2019s face in. Kivi just wanted Ronan to leave her alone. Somewhere in the middle, Ronan got away with just sending money and the occasional gift to his child.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019d had a woman with him when he came back for his dad\u2019s funeral. The woman, Brenda, had been imperious when it came to packing up the life of the man that had been like a beloved uncle to Kivi. Michael, wracked with Grief and guilt, did little to stop her from riding roughshod over Kivi and Noodle. Hell, to be honest, Kivi wasn\u2019t sure he\u2019d even noticed. Then, when Kivi had spoken up, He\u2019d had told her to mind her own business. He\u2019d said that Jack hadn\u2019t been her father only a hand on her family\u2019s ranch. He\u2019d spat the words at her and more besides. They had been bordering on cruel. She remembered turning and walking away from him. She remembered the tears in her eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael had left without a goodbye, in the beat-up pickup full of his father\u2019s life with his woman driving his car behind him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She\u2019d ridden Mags up to her favorite meadow after that fight. She\u2019d gone at sunrise and had been in the barn when he drove away. She had watched until the truck was gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She was lost in her own thoughts as she rode up into the bush, the pine trees getting closer before they broke into the flat meadow that held the original Locke log cabin. It was large but only one room. Kivi often came up here overnight. She found solace in the roots that the cabin gave her. This was the place of her people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just over the northeast edge, it opened up into a breathtaking view of the ranch and the slow meandering stream. You could see cattle dotting the valley if the season was right, but this time it had been bleak and cold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She came here when she needed time to be in her own space. She heaved a great sigh and tried to let go of the anger and grief as she sat astride and looked out on the view that was Kivi\u2019s favorite, in the meadow where it all began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cfudge\u201d she muttered. \u201cGo put Mags up, Noodle.\u201d she said, \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019ll still be here when you\u2019re done, and we might be here longer than I care to have her wait.\u201d She turned to look at the girl \u201cIt was not good when he left, I know you\u2019re excited to see him but try to give us a little bit of time before you come back out.\u201d She asked it softly, trying to keep the tears in her eyes. The hurt was still raw. The loss of his father was hard, but the loss of her friend had been harder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSure Mom,\u201d she said. Noodle nodded softly, watching her normally stoic mother struggle with the emotion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kivi turned back and watched the truck slowly bump up the dirt drive that led to the trailer parking area. As it came close, she noticed with a visceral relief that he was alone. She was standing there, in her raspberry wool coat with the cold morning air billowing from her warm breath. Her long blonde hair was slicked back into a low ponytail and had a faint ring around it that said she\u2019d been wearing a hat recently. Her green eyes were so pale they were startling snapped with anger as she stood there coiled to strike with her hands on her hips as the truck came to a stop. She was ready to be pissed off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael turned the truck onto Locke Ranch Road. He hadn\u2019t been back since his dad had died. It felt like years, it had been months. He\u2019d left for college, and come back for holidays. He\u2019d worked all over but still always came back. His Dad had worked for Thadeus Locke and stayed when he passed away. This farm had been his dad\u2019s favorite place and now Michael knew, it was his too. He\u2019d left horribly, drowning in grief and in lust with some bimbo who had compounded the issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Okay, to be honest, the bimbo had created most of the issues just by being the bitch she turned out to be. What should have been a red flag about Brenda, turned out to be him skulking away without a goodbye. He had taken everything his father owned with him, leaving Kivi nothing. He\u2019d been angry, he\u2019d been grieving and he\u2019d been stupid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael turned off Locke Ranch Rd onto the unmarked drive that led to the trailer parking and the equestrian center. It was another mile up to the house but he knew Kivi wouldn’t be there. She\u2019d be at the barn, where she\u2019d been every morning since she\u2019d been old enough to muck a stall. In his mind, she had always been the gangly girl with braids to her butt who followed him around when she wasn\u2019t on a horse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019d missed her and was glad to see her, right up until Brenda had laid eyes on her. That first night, surrounded by the remains of his father\u2019s life, the selfish twat had lit him up about how Kivi looked at him. How she obviously thought first Jack and now he was less of a person because he wasn\u2019t rich. He\u2019d been filled with grief and had bought it. Even though he\u2019d not been around for years, he believed that somehow, the Kivi he knew had turned into the Caoihme that Brenda painted. He\u2019d believed, he\u2019d stolen away like a thief in the night.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cfudge\u201d he said out loud as he saw the woman come out of the barn. He knew it was her, he\u2019d know her anywhere. A week ago he\u2019d have said it was because they grew up together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A week ago, Brenda had screamed at him to get the hell out of her house, never mind it had been their apartment with both names on the lease. She\u2019d screamed at him that he\u2019d never loved her. Then, she\u2019d thrown a cup that said \u201cLocke Ranch\u201d on it, at his head. \u201cGo back to your country slut. You\u2019re meant for each other\u201d She\u2019d spit a little as she said it and he realized how ugly she was. Brenda was ugly inside and it was making her ugly on the outside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He had gotten his bags and started packing. Over the course of the next 4 days, Brenda had gone from the crazy banshee to a sobbing wreck begging forgiveness.
He had had none to give. Her words had started an avalanche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He\u2019d packed everything in the truck, sold his car, and bought a trailer. He\u2019d lived in rent by the month motel as he gave notice at the equestrian center he worked at. He\u2019d spent a month tracking down a horse. It had taken 3 weeks and every single drop of the money his Dad had left him, but in the trailer was his peace offering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kivi was a sucker for a horse, let’s hope this one was important enough to earn him forgiveness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael got out of the truck and Kivi started to cry slow tears that just rolled down her tense face. He was a rangy man with a slight bow to his legs. His shoulder-length black hair was loose this morning and curled slightly at the ends, \u201cThat\u2019s new\u201d she said to herself, refusing to admit it looked good on him. He was wearing a fleece-lined plaid and a Carhartt. The boots looked new and the ballcap was a change from a cowboy hat. Her stomach flip-flopped and it lit the fuse to her anger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve got some fuckin nerve to show up here after the way you left,\u201d she said cooly \u201cAnd with a truck full of your shit too. Did that porn star bitch dump your ass?\u201d She stepped back affronted by her own temerity \u201cfudge, I\u2019m sorry. I shouldn\u2019t have said that. It was cruel,\u201d she muttered and then spoke louder \u201cNo, I\u2019m mad. I can be mad at you over this\u201d She looked up at him and scowled. \u201cYou did not even leave me a picture! You just packed up a whole section of my life, and half my childhood and left without a word\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael watched the tears stream down her face as she did her damnedest to be mad. He\u2019d forgotten how funny she was to watch when she was mad. There was no mean in her, never had been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re right. I did and I\u2019ve been sorry every day since.\u201d He spoke when she stopped to draw a breath. \u201cNo, I dumped her porn star ass. I\u2019m sorry,\u201d he said, sincerely, and tried to put all the ways and reasons he was sorry in his words. \u201c Grief made me dumb.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDamn straight it made you dumb,\u201d She said and found herself moving closer. \u201cDumber than usual anyway. What\u2019s in the trailer? \u201c She asked when she heard a thump and realized there was an animal in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA peace offering,\u201d He said, \u201cI hope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kivi shot him a blande look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Michael walked back to the trailer and started to open it. His heart was in his chest, slamming against his ribs. He\u2019d put a lot on this gambit, if he\u2019d read the story of his life wrong it was going to be very humiliating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kivi moved to help without thinking, they moved in silence as if in a dance. Kivi wanted to be so mad and instead, she was just happy he\u2019d come back. She told herself it was because she needed the help. She ran through all the reasons she was glad he was back except the one she had wrapped in chains and dropped into the pit of her heart long ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The gate swung free and Michael hopped up to grab the horse. All Kivi could see was bright red shipping boots and a bright red cooler. The animal even had a helmet, and the halter was padded with red fleece.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs that a helmet?\u201d She stepped back as he led the animal off the trailer and cracked a little smile. Whoever this horse was, he was taking no chances. He handed her the lead, which looked like a candy cane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOf course, you taught me the importance of helmets\u201d he quipped<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWait, Candy Cane Ranch?\u201d She asked in surprise, the question was unnecessary as the emblem on the cooler came into view. Candy Cane ranch was out of Texas, Zeus had come from Candy Cane ranch, He\u2019d been a straight trade for the very last foal that Penny, her heart horse, had ever had.
\u201cWhat did you do?\u201d She demanded. \u201cMichael ?\u201d She found herself shaking as she walked around the horse. He didn\u2019t. he couldn\u2019t have. She looked at the kind eye and the blue nose and then looked back at him<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTake her inside,\u201d Michael said softly. \u201cShe\u2019d had a lot of travel\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kivi\u2019s eyes went wide<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIs this?\u201d She squeaked<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes,\u201d He said simply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The tears just started to pour down her face, she looked at him and tilted her head. How could she be mad, stay mad? If a broken heart needs something to fill it, he\u2019d found something to patch up a couple of different places. Not to mention the patch he himself brought. For just a half a minute Kivi thought she had a chance at getting past all the hurt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cForgive me?\u201d He asked as he put his hand on her shoulder. Kivi dropped the lead and threw herself at him. He caught her and they hugged tightly and kept hugging long past proprieties dictates. Kivi forgot about the mare, her candy cane lead dangling in the dirt. Ground tying was the first thing a Locke Ranch horse learned to do, after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chapter One \u201cMom! Mom!\u201d Noodle yelled as she pelted up the aisle towards the arena. She knew better than to pelt into the actual arena and when she came into view she was walking calmly. She was moving slow and calm but her face was wide-eyed and her mouth a small O. \u201cWhat, What?\u201d Kivi […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":199,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-fullwide.php","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/187"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=187"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/187\/revisions"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/rmullhollanddesign.com\/stories\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=187"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}